(Setting: Peter is kneeling. His wrists are in chains - plastic chains wrapped twice around the wrists with the end held in the palm of each hand. The stage is dark and the lights are bro’t up to half power on this section of the stage.)
(These first words are mournful, reflecting the despair that Peter may have felt at the moment)
James - the brother of John - is dead.
The church is in danger.
And I am in chains… bound between two Roman soldiers.
They rotate them every 6 hours and two more guard the door. (wry smile) You would think they didn’t want me to leave!
But, they have good reason to be concerned. Several years ago, I was in another jail… much like this one. An angel came and opened the door, and I simply walked out and went to the Temple courts to preach more about Jesus.
But, that time, I wasn’t scheduled to be executed the next day. That time, I wasn’t chained between Roman soldiers. Roman soldiers would rather die than allow a prisoner to escape.
In fact, it’s well known, that if they ever allowed a prisoner to do so they would pay with their own lives. And so, they would just as soon kill me as to allow me to leave. King Herod is taking no chances that I will escape from his prison.
Perhaps you don’t know Herod. He is the grandson of Herod the Great. “The great…” now there’s a title for you. Herod was anything BUT great. He was a such a cruel and wicked man. He was known to have tortured and killed people simply because they displeased him.
YOU would know him because of the slaughter of children that took place in Bethlehem around the time that Jesus was born. He had heard that a new king had been born in the City of David… and he had no
intention of allowing this child to threaten his throne.
Herod the great was a wicked man. And his grandson - this King Herod - isn’t that much better…
Though he is more religious. He scrupulously obeys the laws of the Temple. Perhaps that is why God has spared him.
As for me… I have nothing for the man. As far as I’m concerned, he is of little value to man or God…
But I’ve been wrong before.
About 5 years ago, there was another man – Saul, from the city of Tarsus. He was a wicked man too. He had been responsible for the death of Steven, the first Christian to die for the faith. From that day on, Saul made it his mission in life to persecute and destroy the church. He had been on his way to Damascus to do that very thing when Jesus struck him down and blinded him.
Paul was told to go on to Damascus and wait at a street called Straight. It was there that Ananias – one of the Godly Christians who lived there – Ananias spoke with Saul about Jesus, and baptized him into Christ.
If God could show mercy to someone like Saul… he could even have mercy on someone like Herod
(pause…)
It’s so dark
It was dark like this the night that Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss.
It was dark like this on the night that I denied that I ever knew my master.
And now… tomorrow I am to be executed… and it’s so dark.
I’m so tired.
(wait a couple of seconds… and then raise light #5 – full power)
What!
Get up quickly?
But, these chains (chains fall off wrists)
Of course, immediately…
(As I leave stage, let me look around a couple a bit before I go to communion table TURN OFF ALL LIGHTS for a couple of seconds… then raise lights 2 & 3 on communion table – half power)
That was several years ago. And you know, you would have thought that I would have expected that. I who had seen the miracles of Jesus. Had seen Jesus raised from the dead and ascending into heaven. I who had felt the power of God surging in my body and had the privilege of healing so many sick and even raising the dead to life. I who had been freed from a prison years before…
You would have thought that this would not have surprised me. (pause) But it did.
I doubted.
It seemed so unreal, that until I stepped out onto the street and the angel disappeared… I thought it was a dream… a vision.
But, as soon as I realized that it WAS real, I hurried to the home of Mary – the mother of John Mark
They were holding a prayer meeting there that night…
In fact, the entire church throughout Jerusalem was in prayer for me to be freed from prison.
When I reached the house, I knocked on the door. And Rhoda, the servant of the house came but she didn’t open the door… for it is not safe to do so in the middle of the night.
She cried out: “Who is it?”
And I said: “It’s me… It’s Peter! I’ve been freed from prison.”
And she got so excited, she turned right around and went back into the prayer meeting.
(pause…) I’m still standing outside.
She never did open that door!
(pause…) Now, I like Rhoda. She’s a nice girl. But… there’s times (sigh) when she gives you the impression that she’s not always in the same room with you.
And so, when she ran back into the prayer meeting and told them I was outside the door they told her she was crazy… she was out of her mind.
And when she continued to insist that I out there, they tried to appease her. Someone said she couldn’t have seen me she must have seen my angel.
They doubted… they doubted!
They who had prayed all night for me to be freed from prison, didn’t believe it.
When she finally dragged some of the them to the door and they found me outside. They got all excited and began to shout and yell.But I motioned for them to be quiet. Then I told them to tell James (the half-brother of Jesus) and the Apostles that I had been freed. Then I left that house and went on to the next… and the next… and the next… Telling of the power of God.
(pause…)
I never cease to be amazed at the fact that they doubted. They who had prayed all night for my freedom – doubted.
Just as I doubted when I was in chains in that prison.
Have you ever doubted? (look to another part of the audience)Have you ever doubted?
Don’t be ashamed.
Even we who walked with Jesus... who touched the hem of his garment... who experienced all the power and majesty of God… even we doubted.
· That’s why I wrote the to Christians of my day and told them: don’t doubt… don’t doubt… "Cast all of your cares upon Him… because He cares for you." He cares for you.
There will come a time in your life – if it hasn’t come already – when you will feel as if you’ve been bound in chains. As if you’ve been locked behind the walls of a prison. As if the world around you has become as dark as night.
And all of your hopes, all of your dreams, all of your future… will be filled with blackness and despair.
When that time comes don’t be ashamed… Even I doubted in the midst of my darkest hours.
Don’t be ashamed, but understand: that it’s into the midst of the darkest of times that God shines His most powerful light.
Did you realize - that it was in the middle of the night that Jesus was born into the world? The light of the World was born into the darkness of a dark world.
That’s why Jesus came! Jesus came into a world that suffers loss and feels pain to give hope.
For, you see, we WILL suffer in this world. And we WILL die in this world.
· Even tho’ I was not executed on the day following my imprisonment… I will die one day. I will die a martyr’s death. Jesus told me as much.
I will die… and so will you.
In this world, we will experience pain… loss… death.
But rejoice, for we don’t belong to this world.
Jesus said: In this world you will have trouble…”
“But… I go to prepare a place for you… and if I go and prepare a place, I will return for you.”
In this world we will have trouble… but this world is only for a moment. In this world we will know the darkness of despair and doubt. But we don’t belong in this world.
One day, Jesus will return for us…
OTHER 1ST PERSON SERMONS
A Centurion’s Story = Matthew 27:50-27:54
The Night Of Darkness = Acts 12:1-12:19
My Name Is Noah = Genesis 6:1-9:17
A Burning Conversation = Exodus 3:1-3:6
