Title: “Prison Break”
Text: Acts 12:1-10
Big idea: “Jesus has promised to build his church!” (so the word of God spread...12:24)
Complement: to show God’s power and continued care for Jewish Christianity.
Acts 12:1 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.
5 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. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him.9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
Introduction – Alcatraz (in San Francisco Bay)... movie “Escape from Alcatraz” (Clint Eastwood)
Alcatraz Island is located in San Francisco Bay, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) offshore from San Francisco...
The small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and
a federal prison, the latter operated from August 11, 1934 until March 21, 1963.
The strong currents around the island and cold water temperatures made escape all but impossible.
..., it has become a major tourist attraction
Famous inmates:
• notorious criminals in American history...gangsters such as Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the "Birdman of Alcatraz"), George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Bumpy Johnson, Mickey Cohen, Arthur R. "Doc" Barker, and Alvin "Creepy" Karpis
• It also provided housing for Prison staff and their families.
o Children took a boat to SF every day for school...
• During its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed that no prisoner successfully escaped.
• A total of 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts, two men trying twice; 23 were caught alive, six were shot and killed during their escape, two drowned, and five are listed as "missing and presumed drowned."
On June 11, 1962, American criminals brothers John and Clarence Anglin, and Frank Morris escaped using an inflatable raft, never to be seen again. It was never determined by the FBI whether they succeeded in their escape or died in the attempt.
Here in Acts 12 we read a story about a prison escape...
1. Another Crisis Hits The Church – James Is Killed; Peter Is Imprisoned...
Acts 12 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.
Quick Review;
- John the Baptist has been killed
- Jesus has been crucified
- Stephen is martyred
- Saul is converted...
Now in chapter 12...
- Arrests... v. 1
- James is killed. V. 2
- Now, Peter is thrown in prison.
There’s a strong effort to wipe out the church...
This is not merely political... it's spiritual warfare!
My first reaction to James being killed is ... what a waste!!!
- Killed in ad 44 – only 11 years of ministry. (from 33-44)
- James was one of the inner circle - Peter, James, John.
- Brother to John – “sons of thunder!”
- First of the 12 disciples to be martyred!
- Eye-witness of the resurrection!
- He could do so much for the kingdom!
I wonder how James mother felt?
Or his Dad... (if alive)
...He remembers the day Jesus came by when Zebedee and his 2 sons were tending to their fishing gear ...
“follow me said Jesus... I will make you. Fishers of men...”
And Zebedee lost his 2 sons to God’s work...
And now... one of those sons is dead...
You have also thought this...even experienced this...
- A pillar of the church dies young...
- A young mother
- A child...
- A tragic accident strikes a family...
- Irving whitt – died at 67
- David Hazzard – executive officer of the PAOC – just recently died.
-
Why?
Where’s the protection?
It can shake our faith...
Especially when it hits close to home
Think about the recent tragedy in Gander...with the death of Pastor Ralph Benson.
If we look at the death of James from a kingdom perspective – this is more than politics and a religious turf war... this is a spiritual warfare.
Ephesians 6:10ff (...we need the armour of God”)
We wrestle not against flesh and blood...
King Agrippa represents “Rome” ... but more than an empire – he represents all that oppose God.
When Jesus came on the scene – he framed his mission in the language of war.
• Luke records his 40 day period in the wilderness where he is tempted of the devil.
Why?
To defeat him... to deceive him like he deceived Adam & Eve.
Luke 4:18-19 Jesus came to “set at liberty the oppressed... proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners (!) and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
(is this social improvement language? ... it's spiritual language!
We have an enemy...
We are in a war...
Spiritual confrontations occupy much of the gospels
**Book – Unseen Realm by M. Hesier.
Nabeel Kareshi... was born in San Diego, California to Pakistani parents who immigrated to the United States.In 2001 he attended Old Dominion University and served as the president of the Pre-Medical Honor Society.
Qureshi also studied Islamic apologetics and engaged Christians in religious discussions.
After one such discussion with a Christian at Old Dominion University, David Wood, the two became friends and began a years-long debate on the historical claims of Christianity and Islam.
Qureshi's resulting conversion to Christianity was chronicled in his first book, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, a New York Times bestseller. Christianity Today heralded Qureshi as one of "33 Under 33” in its cover story on emerging religious leaders in July 2014.
Qureshi attended medical school .
After completing his medical degree, Qureshi decided to spend his life studying and preaching the Christian Gospel. He completed three more master's degrees in theology and religious studies and was pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Oxford at the time of his death.
Died at age 34 in September 2017 (Stomach cancer)
2. King Herod {Agrippa} is hunting Christians to win political points.
The Herod of Acts 12 is Agrippa I (born in 10 B.C.),
- the grandson of Herod the Great
- his father was executed in 7 BC (when he was 3) he was sent with his mother to Rome - he grew up close to the imperial family.
- At age 33 he was heavily into debt that he had to flee Rome to escape his creditors.
- Later he received asylum at Tiberias and a pension from his uncle - Herod Antipas
-
- In AD 36 he returned to Rome but offended the emperor Tiberius and was imprisoned. ( 6 months)
-
- At the death of Tiberius in 37, he was released by the new emperor Caligula and
-
- received from him the northern-most Palestinian tetrarchies of Philip and Lysanias (cf. Luke 3:1) and the title of king.
- When Herod Antipas was banished in 39, Agrippa received his tetrarchy as well.
- And at the death of Caligula in 41, Claudius, - Agrippa’s friend from youth, added Judea and Samaria to his territory, thus reconstituting for him the entire kingdom of his grandfather Herod the Great, over which he ruled till his death in 44.
Herod Agrippa:
• Hated by the Jews
• Wants to keep the peace...
• The secret of his success was that he learned how to cultivate the favor of the Jews.
• Wants to win affection
• He Scored political points with killing of James.
But James had so much to offer – he was one of the 3 in Jesus inner circle.
**now says Herod - Lets target Peter too! (bigger fish)
***meanwhile, the church is at prayer – “sort of”! V. 5 (more on this later)...
4. Resolution: The Angel Of The Lord Shows Up To Escort Peter Out Of Prison!
- Herod appointed four squads to guard one man! (Acts 12:4)
- A squad had four soldiers in it, so there were sixteen guards - for one spiritual leader who had broken no law.
- Taking 6 hour shifts???
- “Angel Of The Lord” shows up... (he means business)
- I think of him as a special ops soldier... !!!
- Prominent in the birth narrative...
*** See Acts 5:19
17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” ...
*** this means Peter was in jail before – and set free by the angel of God!!!
***This also means James was in prison too – and he was set free by the angel of God!!!
The escape...
5 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.
7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell.
He struck Peter on the side and woke him up.
“Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists
8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him.
(sounds like mom or dad waking up a kid early in the morning to go fishing..._
9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.
10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it.
(Wow!)
When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 11 Then Peter came to himself and said,
“Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”
4. Meanwhile – The Church Is At Prayer – (sort of)
12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door.
14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed,
“Peter is at the door!” (she had faith!)
15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her.
*** we’re (earnestly) praying... but were not expecting results!!!
Well, here's the cool thing – God stepped in – despite their lack of faith and their feeble prayers.
When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
16 But Peter kept on knocking, (checking if he’s being followed) and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished !!!
When is a prayer meeting not a prayer meeting???
• When it's a pity party!
Peter—“Tell the brother/sisters... I have to keep moving.”
Herod calls for a thorough search...
5. King Herod Agrippa Gets His Due (AD 44)... v 19-23
Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply. 21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people.
22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.”
23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and ( 5 days later) he was eaten by worms and died.
**The local newspapers I guess didn’t make a connection between the killing of James... the attempted killing of Peter and the subsequent death of the King... but Luke does.
**God stepped in...
God defended his people.
Christ has promised to build his church
Jesus had told Peter – feed my sheep – and that’s what happened!
The mission of God continues... it cannot be stopped.
6. The Gospel Continues To Spread... v. 24
24 But the word of God continued to spread and flourish!!!
• And it will... and it is!!!
• Don’t write off the church
Yes, we have an enemy...yes it's spiritual warfare.
Yes, put on the armour of God!
Don’t think scandals will bring about it's demise.
Don’t think accommodation to the world’s ways will bring the church success
Young people are looking for life and purpose – and if we preach and practise ...and mentor and encourage... they will get on board.
Don’t have a fear-based Christianity
Don’t have this attitude “lets just hold on till Jesus comes”
Don’t worry about the mark of the beast!
Don’t worry about the conspiracy theories...
Let’s get on with sharing the gospel – talk about Jesus.
No... instead... engage... lets be a people on the move... lets find new ways to advance the gospel...
That’s what Jesus calls us to!
He didn’t just die for “us” – he died for all the world – and he’s given us the mission to tell!!!
Look again at verse 24 – “the word of God continued to spread and flourish”
Can you say “YES”!!!
Conclusion:
Our mission is to witness
Our mission is to pray
Our mission is the most exciting mission
Lets not look back to the good ole days... lets look forward.
Let’s find new ways to advance the gospel...
There is a spiritual battle happening – eph 6:10 says it best... “we wrestle not against flesh and blood...”
Bob Felix Story--- “Escape” (release) From Prison!
• In jail ___ of years… given his release – no explanation
• No parole officer assigned...
• Train...Moved to Toronto…got a job—38 years.
• Couldn’t read or write
• Moved to port perry to serve God and his church!
• Full pension...
