A BAD SITUATION + PRAYER = DELIVERANCE
Acts 12:1-17
My brothers and sisters when it comes to bad situations the first thing that we should do is pray. In fact our church’s moto is “Prayer should be our your first response, rather than our last resort.” And even though we might read this in our program every Sunday, to some they are just shallow words. But I am here to encourage you that if you have a bad situation, just add prayer, and it will equal out to your deliverance. In thinking of this text, I am reminded of a story that was once published in a Daily Bread booklet some time ago. It told the story of the first converts to Christianity in Africa. They were diligent about praying. In fact, each of them had their own special place outside the village where they went to pray. They would reach their private prayer rooms by traveling their own specific trail each day thus wearing down the grass each time they went. When the grass began to grow over one of these trails, it was evident that the person it belonged to was not praying much.
Now because these new Christians were concerned about each others spiritual welfare a unique custom sprang up. Whenever they noticed that growth occurred on someone’s prayer path, they would say to that person so warmly and lovingly, “Friend, there is grass on your path!” [Our Daily Bread]
In today’s lesson we find the Christians in Jerusalem also being diligent in prayer. Many times they were found in bad situations and many times they banded themselves together to pray, and the eye opener is that many times the Lord delivered. They had a tried and proven technique that still work even to this day.
In last week’s lesson we saw how the Antioch church after hearing the prophetic word of a great famine, responded by giving exhaustively to the church in Jerusalem. They gave even though they too were in the midst of the famine. Oh, what a lesson we learned about giving in-spite of our hard times.
This lesson will take us back to the city of Jerusalem. The church was going through a double whammy. First they had to deal with the famine in the land, then they had to face persecution coming from a king named Herod. I noticed a connection between the 11th and 12th chapters. The 11th chapter ended with the disciples at Antioch collecting their gifts and giving them to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders in Jerusalem. Then in chapter 12 it said “Now about that time Herod, the king, stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.” I tell you the church was going through. In fact, Herod fed off of the Jewish resentment for the followers of Christ, he had become the religious leaders conquering hero just like Saul used to be. His acts against the church is found in the first four verses of the chapter. There we hear of James the brother of John being killed by Herod with a sword and we noticed that his actions pleased the Jews, then he proceeded to take Peter, putting four quaternion of soldiers over him because they intended to bring him to the people for trial after the Passover. Now many of us are familiar with the angel coming to free Peter and that is a very important part of the lesson. But I would like to draw your attention to how the angel was beckoned and that was through unceasing prayer that the church did unto God for the deliverance of Peter. So, let’s see how a bad situation, plus prayer, can equal our deliverance.
First of all we see . . .
1. RESENTMENT GROWING AGAINST THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. (Vv.1-3)
[That’s a Bad Situation]
“Now about that time Herod, the king, stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2. And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. 3. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the day of unleavened bread.”
First of all we see resentment growing against the Christian church. There were some that figured that once they started persecuting the church, the followers of Jesus would stop spreading the news about the man that they called the Messiah. After all they crucified their Savior, executed one of their deacons in Stephen, during the famine they provided no relief to anyone that was associated with the people of the way, they killed James and now the apprehension of Peter. They figured that those things would have, if not stopped the movement, at least it would have broken its spirit. But instead, the movement grew, and worst of all according to the Jews, it had spread into the Gentile nations. I tell you there was a great resentment for those of the way. Even today there is a resentment that still lingers against the Christian Church. And we as a country in a time of political correctness cannot deny the fact that it is there. I wonder in all our political correctness where does 1 John 5:12 stand in the hearts of our politicians, “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
So they killed James and locked Peter up in jail surrounded by soldiers. So that covers the Bad Situation. But there is something they had to add in order to equate deliverance.
Secondly, we see . . .
2. THE CHURCH MAINTAINING ITS PRAYER PATH (V.5) [That’s Prayer]
“Peter, therefore, was kept in prison; but prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for him.”
If you recall the illustration in the beginning, you heard me speak of some Christians in Africa that were diligent in prayer. In fact they took prayer so seriously, that they would go to private prayer places outside of their village to pray. What made that story worth telling is that they would wear down the grass in a route to their specific praying place. As we look at verse five, we would see the church being just as committed to prayer. Peter was in prison and they knew that if Herod had his way, he would convict Peter and Peter just like James would be executed. But the church relied on what worked for them, and that was prayer. Look what they did. While Peter was in jail, the church without ceasing prayed unto God for his deliverance. Now I know that some people outside the faith believe that if you become a Christian you will become passive in dealing with things. You would stop challenging social ills and people would take advantage of you. But that is not so. It is just that we now allow the Lord to fight our battles. So, if you have a Bad Situation, just add prayer and the Lord will bring you out.
Finally,
when they put prayer to a bad situation . . .
3. THEY FOUND THE ANSWER AT THE DOOR (V.13, 14) [That’s Deliverance]
“And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. 14. And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.”
As they were where praying, The Lord had already dispatched an angel to Peter’s side for his deliverance. And when Peter knocked upon the door a maid answered it and heard Peter’s voice. She was so amazed that she didn’t open the door, but ran back to the other to tell them that Peter was there. It’s it amazing how we react when the Lord answers our prayers? That is why I get in the habit of thanking God ahead of my blessing, just in case I forget to thank him for the blessing, because of the excitement. Rhoda was excited and amazed to see Peter standing at the door, knowing that just a few moments earlier they were praying for his deliverance. You see we must understand that the Lord gets joy in blessing us, all we have to do is to cast our cares upon Him and He will handle it. You see the Lord is eager to prove Himself to us, all we got to do is to give it to Him in faith, then watch Him work. Had you ever needed an all-important right now blessing? A blessing that He and only He can give? And when He gave that blessing to you, you knew that regardless of what anybody thought of you, one thing you really know is that the Lord cares so much for you that while He was blessing others, He took time out to bless you as well.
CONCLUSION
Well while I’m thinking about it. I want to pause for a moment to thank Him for what He has already done for me. Because I’ve had my bad situations and He delivered me. I heard James Cleveland sing a song called “Jesus Is The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me”
Now I can’t speak for James Cleveland, but this I know, He is the best thing that ever happened to me, and If He doesn’t do another thing for me He has already done enough. That is why I can sing. . . . I have some good days, and I’ve had some hills to climb. I’ve had some weary day and lonely nights. But When I look around and when I think things over. All of my good days, out weigh my bad days, so I won’t complain.
