SERMON OUTLINE:
(A). God sees our trials (vs 1-4):
• Man’s persecution
• God's sovereignty
(B). God hears our Prayers (vs 5-17):
• Peter sleeping (vs 5-6)
• Peter obeying (verses 7-11)
• Peter knocking (vs 12-16)
• Peter declaring (vs 17)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
Former heavy-weight boxer James (Quick) Tillis;
• Was a cowboy from Oklahoma who fought out of Chicago in the early 1980s.
• He still remembers his first day in the Windy City after his arrival from Tulsa.
“I got off the bus with two cardboard suitcases under by arms in downtown Chicago and stopped in front of the Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down, and I looked up at the Tower and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to conquer Chicago.’ “When I looked down, the suitcases were gone.”
• Life does not always work out how we imagine it to be!
• Often we are surprised and…. the surprises are not always pleasant.
Quote: Alexander Pope
"Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.”
Disappointment is a part of life that every person deals with.
• Our kids disappoint us;
• Our partners/spouse disappoints us;
• Our friends disappoint us;
• Other Christians disappoint us.
• Our politicians disappoint us.
• Our sporting heroes disappoint us;
• We even disappoint ourselves.
• We live in a world of disappointment, and if we do not come to grips with this truth,
• We are doomed to be unhappier tomorrow than we are today.
• We are disappointed when things don’t go the way we thought they were going to go.
• Wrong expectations lead to disappointment,
• And disappointment leads to despair.
Disappointment can come to us from a variety of sources:
(a).
• Often we have wrong expectations;
• We set our goals so high that we are never going to achieve them.
• i.e. Not every athlete wins the Olympic gold.
• i.e. Not every applicant gets the job.
• i.e. Not everyone is going to stay healthy - illness happens.
• i.e. Not every marriage soars, many struggle and many fail.
• Often we have wrong expectations;
• And dealing with disappointment may mean adjusting our expectations.
(b).
• We need to learn from our defeats.
• And remember that disappointment and failure build character and patience.
• Quote: Romans chapter 5 verses 3-4 put it like this:
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character"
• We need to learn from our defeats.
• And remember that disappointment and failure build character and patience.
(c).
• Build friendships. God often ministers to our hurts through other people.
• It can be tempting to put up walls when you're feeling especially vulnerable,
• But if you shut out friends,
• You could be sealing off healing and hope.
(d).
• Go deeper with God. Friends are essential,
• But humans can let us down and err in judgment.
• i.e. Matthew chapter 26 verses 36-46:
• Even Jesus' friends even let Him down in His hour of need in the Garden of Gethsemane.
• Jesus prayed!
• We find strength and hope in our relationship with God.
(e).
• Focus on the bigger picture.
• Remember Romans chapter 8 verse 28:
• “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God".
• Again and again the apostle Paul knew how disappointing life could seem;
• Just read his letters and you will know that.
• Yet he never quit encouraging his fellow believers to see the big picture;
• In the midst of their trials and hold on to their supreme hope in God.
Quote:
• English author Joseph Addison declared,
• “Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses & disappointments”
• With God, even our disappointments, our trials, our difficulties;
• Can be opportunities for him to work, for us to grow & for others to be blessed!
Ill:
• Have you ever noticed with the word `Disappointment’;
• That if you change just one letter – the letter ‘D’ to the letter ‘H’;
• The word ‘Disappointment’ is replaced by the words ‘His appointment’.
TRANSITION:
• These principles can be seen woven throughout this chapter;
• The chapter could be called; “A series of disappointments”.
(A). God sees our trials (vs 1-4):
• “At that time King Herod…”
• Pause there for a moment and look at this man Herod.
• The Herod clan were a scheming and murderous family,
• King Herod (that is Herod Agrippa)
• Was the grandson of Herod the Great,
• Who ordered the massacre of the Bethlehem children just after birth of Jesus.
• He was also the nephew of Herod Antipas,
• The man who had given the order for John the Baptist to be beheaded.
• So injustice, murder, and cruelty were part of the Herod clan’s genes.
• Anyone in their right mind avoided contact with them as often as possible.
Because of their background and history, the Herod’s were despised by the Jews,
• Herod Agrippa knew this;
• And by persecuted the church he was hoping to convince the Jewish people;
• That he was on their side (this was a good vote winning policy).
Quote: Read verses 1-4:
“It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.”
(1). Man’s Persecution (vs 1-4).
• For the early Church, life was not getting easier for these Christians;
• This is now the fifth incident of persecution;
• Notice each time it is increasing in intensity.
• The First Persecution:
• Is found in Acts chapter4 where the Jewish leaders threaten Peter and John
• The Second Persecution:
• Is in Acts chapter 5, the Jewish leaders physically beat all the apostles including Peter.
• The Third Persecution:
• Is in Acts chapter 7, the enemies of the gospel martyr Stephen, who was a deacon.
• The Fourth Persecution:
• Is in Acts chapter 8, we are told that the entire church is persecuted and scattered
• The Fifth Persecution:
• Now in Acts chapter 12, the church’s first preacher is murdered and Peter is arrested.
• This is Peter’s third imprisonment and this time it is maximum security on death row.
• Sixteen soldiers – that is four for each watch - kept guard over the apostle,
• With two soldiers chained to the prisoner and two watching the doors.
• Herod was making sure that Peter stayed put, until his execution!
(2). God's sovereignty
Question:
• That naturally arises, is why was James allowed to die while Peter was rescued?
• After all, both were dedicated servants of God, both needed by the church.
Answer:
• Humanly speaking - we do not know.
• Theologically speaking - the sovereign will of God.
• God allowed Herod to kill James,
• But He kept him from harming Peter.
• Ultimately it was the throne in heaven that was in control,
• And not the throne on earth.
Quote: C.H. Spurgeon:
“There is no attribute more comforting to His children than that of God's sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, they believe that sovereignty has ordained their afflictions, that sovereignty overrules them, and that sovereignty will sanctify them all. There is nothing for which the children ought to more earnestly contend to than the doctrine of their Master over all creation--the Kingship of God over all the works of His own hands--the Throne of God and His right to sit upon that throne...for it is God upon the Throne whom we trust.”
For the Christian:
• It is good to know that, no matter how difficult the trials or how disappointing the news,
• God is still on the throne and has everything is under control.
• Notice that this chapter begins with Herod killing James the apostle (vs 2),
• But it ends with the angel of the Lord killing Herod (vs 23).
• A key point of this chapter is plain:
• If you stay with Jesus, you win, and if you oppose him, you lose.
• Men may win the battle but God will always win the war!
(B). God hears our Prayers (vs 5-17):
Verse 5 is a turning point in this story:
• N.I.V. “But the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”
• K.J.B. “But prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.”
• The key word “prayer" is the turning point in the story.
• Never underestimate the power of a praying church!
Ill:
• Prayer of a young child:
• "Bless my mommy and daddy...and dear God, take good care of Yourself.
• ‘cause if anything happens to You, we’re sunk."
• The key word “prayer" is the turning point in the story.
• I could have headed my sermon ‘PUSH’.
• Acrostic: ‘Pray Until Something Happens’.
• That’s what the Church experienced in this chapter.
Quote:
• The Puritan preacher Thomas Watson,
• "The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel."
There are four parts in this section of Acts chapter 12 (vs 5-17)
(Part 1). Peter sleeping (vs 5-6):
“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.”
• If you were chained to two Roman soldiers;
• And facing the possibility of being executed the next day,
• How would you sleep?
• The answer is probably not very sound!
• Yet look at Peter!
• He was so sound asleep that the angel had to poke him hard in the side to wake him up!
• Despite his circumstances, Peter seems unconcerned, calm and content!
Question: What was it that made Peter so tranquil and at peace?
Answer:
• It was not the fact that Peter had been in prison twice before;
• That gave him his calm heart.
• For Peter this third prison experience;
• Was very, very different from the previous two times:
e.g.
(a).
• Before he had always had a companion alongside to encourage him.
• This time, he was all alone!
(b).
• Before his prison experiences had been short;
• But this time his deliverance did not come right away, he was required to wait.
(c).
• Before the prison cell gave him an opportunity to witness for Jesus;
• But this time, no special witnessing opportunities appeared;
• Otherwise I am sure that they would be recorded.
(d).
• Before Peter's previous arrests had taken place after great victories,
• Which meant he entered prison on a high and full of faith.
• But this imprisonment followed the death of his dear friend and colleague, James.
• So humanly speaking he should be depressed, afraid, worried.
Question: So what gave Peter such confidence and peace?
Answer(s):
(A). PRAYERS OF GOD’S PEOPLE:
• To begin with, verse 12 says many believers were praying for him;
• And kept it up day and night for a week; and this helped to bring him peace.
• Prayer is not twisting God’s arm to make him work our way;
• Rather it releases God’s arm, we are inviting and depending on God to work.
Ill:
• William Carey has been called; ‘The father of modern missions’.
• 200 years ago he changed the history of missions and also changed the face of India.
• Few know of Carey had a sister,
• She was paralysed and bedridden for 50 years.
• Although unable to speak for much of that period,
• With great effort she allowed herself to be propped up in bed.
• She wrote long encouraging letters to her brother.
• And she prayed for him several hours per day for 50 years!
Quote: Proverb:
“Behind every great man is a great woman.
Behind every great work of God is a praying person(s)”.
Verse 5: reminds us:
• That the Church was fervently, enthusiastically praying for Peter;
• And those prayers were having an effect.
(B). THE PROMISE OF JESUS.
• The main cause of Peter's peace was the promise of Jesus;
• Peter had the knowledge that Herod could not kill him.
• Jesus had promised Peter (John chapter 21 verses 18-19).
• That he would live to be an old man.
• That promise did have a sting in the tale;
• He would die old by being crucified on a Roman cross
• Peter simply laid hold of that promise and committed the entire situation to the Lord,
• And God gave him peace and rest.
• He did not know how or when God would deliver him,
• But he did know that deliverance was coming.
• There is a great principle here – in times of difficulties;
• Rely on the promises of scripture!
(Part2). Peter obeying (verses 7-11).
• Once again in the book of Acts we see the ministry of supernatural beings - Angels.
• These spiritual beings are active throughout the Bible;
• We are told that they still often help us;
• But in disguise – that is we don’t recognise them!
• Both the Old & New Testaments teach that angels at certain times help God's people;
• e.g. Psalm 34 verse 7 & Hebrews chapter 13 verse 2.
Peter too experienced the supernatural help of an angelic being:
• The angel brought light and liberty into the prison cell,
• But the guards had no idea that anything was going on.
• However, if Peter was going to be delivered,
• He had to obey what the angel commanded.
• He probably thought it was a dream or a vision,
• But he arose and followed the angel out of the prison and into the street.
• Only then did he come to himself;
• And realize that he had been a part of another miracle.
Notice:
• The angel asked Peter to do the ordinary:
• To put on his clothes, sandals and cloak and then to follow him.
• When Peter obeyed;
• The angel did the extra-ordinary! (loosened secure chains & opened locked doors).
In miracles, God is often very practical.
• e.g. Elijah – water brook, food from ravens.
• e.g. Jairus' daughter – Jesus raised the dead, the parents told give her something to eat.
• e.g. Jesus raised Lazarus from dead, but people had to roll away the stone.
• God alone can do the extraordinary, but His people must do the ordinary.
Application:
• Obedience in the Christian life is always the most important thing,
• It’s basic yet it is something we have to learn and relearn and relearn again.
Ill:
• A friend told me about the problems he had getting his teenage son to clean his room.
• The son would always agree to tidy up, but then wouldn’t follow through.
• Several years later as soon as the son was old enough he joined the armed forces.
• When he came home for leave after basic training,
• His father asked him what he had learned in the service.
• “Dad,” he said. “I learned what ‘now’ means.”
Question:
• How many of us miss out on the blessings of God;
• Because we fail to obey when God gives us instructions?
(Part 3). Peter knocking (vs 12-16):
• As Peter followed the angel, God opened the way to freedom;
• And once Peter was free, the angel vanished.
• His work was done;
• Now it was up to Peter to trust the Lord & use his common sense in taking the next step.
Verse 12: On his release from prison:
• Peter headed for the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark.
• The early Church was of course a house Church movement,
• Buildings came later.
• We know from Acts chapter 4 verse 4:
• That by this time there were well over 5,000 men (not to mention women and children),
• Who were part of the church in Jerusalem.
• The fact they were in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark.
• Suggests this was not the whole Church together – impossible (5,000plus people);
• This was one of the many house-groups that were networking in prayer for Peter.
Verses 13-15: Are almost comical:
• Peter turns up on the door step and knocks,
• The place is packed with people praying – more than that - praying earnestly,
• It would have taken courage for the maid Rhoda (meaning: "Rose") to go to the door;
• The knock at the door might have been Herod's soldiers, coming to arrest more believers.
• To her surprise when she recognized Peter's voice!
• So overcome is she at the sight of Peter she forgets to open the door!
• When she reports to the Church that Peter is free and outside the house;
• They respond in a very spiritual and trusting way:
“You're out of your mind, they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so,
they said, It must be his angel”.
Remember that they prayed night and day for perhaps as long as a week:
• For this very moment and God had heard and answered their prayers;
• They prayed specifically and they got a specific answer from God.
• Yet they don't seem to have faith enough to believe their prayers could be answered.
• Poor Peter;
• Notice it was easier for him to get out of prison,
• Than it is to get into this prayer meeting!
(Part 4). Peter declaring (vs 17):
“Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. Tell James and the brothers about this, he said, and then he left for another place.”
This verse contains perhaps the most important statement in the whole narrative:
• “The Lord had brought him out of prison.”
• Luke who records what took place;
• Emphasises the intervention of God.
• And the passivity of Peter.
Quote Rev F.S. Webster:
• Some years ago, when I was in Dublin;
• I remember seeing in the study of Mr Bradshaw a motto with only two words.
• I had a motto made like it and put up in my study,
• The two words were “But God”.
• Over the years many visitors have asked me; “What do you mean by those two words?”
• And I have been able to tell them.
• If you want an interesting Bible study,
• Just find out a half score of places where you have the words, “But God”
• They always turn the scale from despair to hope;
• From defeat to victory, from sin to salvation.
• i.e. You get one example in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 3-4:
• We “were by nature the children of wrath…” there is despair there is wrath.
• “But God” stepped in and saved us”.
In Summary:
(A). God sees our trials (vs 1-4).
• In times of difficulties you can curse the darkness or you can light a light.
• You can run focus on the cloud or on the silver lining.
• Quote: Charles Spurgeon
• “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.”
• In times of difficulties you can curse the darkness or you can light a light.
• You can focus on the cloud or on the silver lining.
(B). God hears our prayers (vs 5-17).
Ill:
• In the late 1800’s while crossing the Atlantic on an ocean-liner,
• The English Baptist pastor and evangelist F.B. Meyer;
• Was asked to preach to the first class passengers.
• At the captain's request he spoke on "Answered Prayer."
• An agnostic who was present at the service was asked by his friends,
• "What did you think of Dr. Meyer's sermon?"
• He answered, "I didn't believe a word of it."
That afternoon Meyer went to speak to the steerage passengers.
• Many of the listeners at his morning address went along,
• Including the agnostic,
• Who claimed he just wanted to hear "what the babbler had to say."
• Before starting for the service, the agnostic put two oranges in his pocket.
• On his way he passed an elderly woman sitting in her deck chair fast asleep.
• Her hands were open.
• In the spirit of fun, the agnostic put the two oranges in her outstretched palms.
• After the meeting, he saw the old lady happily eating one of the pieces of fruit.
• Smiling the agnostic said to her: "You seem to be enjoying that orange,"
• She replied, "Yes, sir, My Father is very good to me."
• The agnostic man replied: "I don’t want to appear rude, but your father?
• Surely your father can't be still alive!"
• With enthusiasm she replied, "He is very much alive."
• "What do you mean?" pressed the agnostic.
• She explained, "I'll tell you, sir. I have been seasick for days.
• I was asking God somehow to send me an orange.
• I suppose I fell asleep while I was praying.
• When I awoke, I found He had not only sent me one orange but two!"
• The agnostic was speechless.
• Yes, praying in God's will brings an answer.
Quote: S.D. Gordon
“You can do more than pray after you have prayed,
but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”
