Iliff and Saltillo UM Churches
April 10, 2005
“Don’t Be Surprised”
Acts 12:11-19
INTRODUCTION: When has God surprised you by intervening in a situation that you thought was hopeless? Probably you can think of a time when at the last minute things began to miraculously turn around, things started to get better, and you said in amazement, “I can’t believe this is happening! It must be the Lord! or you might have said, “Do you think this is God?” It could be an incident where you had prayed and prayed and nothing happened, but then suddenly when something DID happen, you were surprised and had difficulty believing it.
In the account in Acts, Peter was in a situation where hope was almost gone. Herod meant business and fully planned to execute him the next day. In fact he had already killed James, the son of Zebedee, and had others on his hit list. At this point Peter could do nothing to help himself. He seemed abandoned by everyone including God. The gates and the guards kept all of his friends from getting to him but could not keep the angel of the Lord from him. The church was fervently praying for him and God stepped in. Yet, they too, were totally surprised when He did. Even though they kept praying for him the night before the expected execution, their reception of the report that Peter was at the door showed how low their hopes of his deliverance had really come.
Let’s take a look at what happened. In spite of there being no visible way out, Peter was not in a terrible state of anxiety that night. He was chained between two guards, but he slept peacefully. He may have resigned himself to what was about to happen, but in his case the Lord was not finished with him yet. He still had work for him to do. We don’t know why that James the son of Zebedee was not spared earlier, but Peter’s life was spared. In the middle of the night God chose to send an angel and a light shone in the prison to wake him up. A number of things had to be done quickly. His chains fell off, he had to get dressed, and put his shoes on. The angel gave him minimal instructions as to what to do and Peter followed without first hearing the entire explanation. Peter was not fully awake and thought it might have been a vision. The angel led him past the first and second wards and through an iron gate that opened up by itself. The angel led him safely out of danger to the end of the street so that he knew where he was and then left him. Peter had been miraculously delivered from prison but now he was on his own. When he came to an awareness of where he was, he went to the house of Mary, John Mark’s mother, where a prayer meeting was going on. He knocked on the door and a servant girl, Rhoda, came to the door. Upon seeing Peter she ran back to tell the others, and they didn’t believe it. They said, “You’re crazy! He’s in jail. It’s his angel!” They finally opened the door but were astonished. Even though they were all praying fervently for his release, they were surprised when it happened.
TRANSITION: What does this say to us today? I believe that it says several things of which I want to point out four things:
1. Don’t Be Surprised at the Way God Intervenes: God uses many different ways to step into our situation when we pray or have others praying. All the time that these friends prayed for his release from prison, they could not see what was happening on the other end. They didn’t know if anything was happening. They didn’t have any idea of how God could get Peter released in time for his life to be spared. But these people cared enough about Peter that they were interceding on his behalf throughout the night. God honored their faithfulness to continue praying right up to the last minute. Do we give up too soon thinking that it is a hopeless cause? Don’t be surprised at how God works in your life. God uses many different ways, and in this situation, He used a visible angel. Scripture tells us that angels still work in our behalf today to minister to us.
Psalm 34:7 tells us that “the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them.”
Hebrews 1:7 speaks of “ministering angels who are sent to help us”
Psalm 91:11 says “he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all they ways.”
You might say, “Oh, I don’t believe that.” But if we could see what goes on in the spiritual realm we would be surprised at how many times the Lord send angels to protect us and intervene in our behalf. This is the way he did it for Peter and in the middle of the night at that.
“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)
He uses many different ways to intervene for us, and we should not be surprised at the methods or the timing He chooses. Sometimes he sends ordinary people to help us, and we should not worry about how He is going to do it. Peter was receptive to the angel even though he was still half asleep and groggy. He didn’t ask the angel a million questions. He did what the angel requested him to do.
How many times do we think we need to know every detail when God starts to work in our behalf and that slows down the process. We question and fret and worry over every little detail needlessly.
Are you receptive to allowing God to work and send whoever he wants to send to help you? Be open to His methods even if you are surprised. Some people say, “Oh, I could never accept that. I don’t want that person to help me. I couldn’t accept it from them.” The Lord may send help through people you would ordinarily reject. Don’t be surprised if He does.
ILLUSTRATION: Motorcycle story--rough looking people.
2. Deliverance often Comes at the Last minute: Why does God wait until the last minute? Why can’t He answer the first time you pray? Sometimes it is to try our faith. Will we believe in spite of circumstances getting worse? Will we exercise “faith and patience’ until we receive the promise? The friends of Peter were praying more earnestly than ever before in one last effort to get him out. The delay of their answer to prayer to the very last moment is quite an encouragement for us to keep praying even though things look beyond hope.
I Peter 1:7 says “that the trial of your faith [is] more precious than of gold that perisheth”
James 1:3 “trying of your faith worketh patience.”
Hebrews 10:36 “ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise.”
God’s time to help was when they were brought to the last minute. So it is with us many times. All of our prayers are not answered quickly. When we have done all we know how to do scripture tells us what to do next--”having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13).
3. Be Ready for God’s Answer: Can you believe that God COULD answer your prayer TODAY? We get into a habit of praying and praying over a period of time and then the answer comes and we are not ready for it. We almost panic over the answer. Suddenly you get a telephone call about a job. Are you interested? An opportunity comes your way and it is something you have been praying about but you’re not ready for it. Can you think of some answers that came to you and that you were just not quite ready for?
ILLUSTRATION: Ankle was injured. Didn’t get any better. Months went by and at the Christian school each Tuesday they prayed for one teacher in particular. My turn was that Tuesday. Everyone gathered around me and they asked, “What prayer requests do you have?” I said my ankle is still hurting and after I walk all day it really hurts in the evening.
They prayed for this specific healing.
I went about the rest of the day and didn’t think any more about it. About 10:00 that night I realized that the ankle had not hurt and was still not hurting. From that time on the pain never came back.
Peter may have said, “Angel let me sleep. This is the last good night’s sleep I’m going to get. I don’t want to go now. Come back in the morning.”
Are you ready for God’s answer? He COULD answer your payer TODAY. Do you believe that? Don’t be surprised when God answers a prayer of long standing. Are you on the lookout for your answer? Can you handle it? Peter was ready at a moment’s notice.
4. Be Quick to Act when the Answer comes: The angel said, “Get up...get dressed...put your shoes on..” Had Peter not cooperated with the angel and followed the instructions, he wouldn’t have gotten out before he was detected. He was chained to two guards. Peter could not have been slow to find his clothes and get them on. We must take necessary action when God begins to move in our situation because the door of opportunity does not stay open forever. We must be ready to do the next thing God tells us to do. Be ready to make a decision on a job opportunity for example. We are always afraid of making a mistake and think that our decisions are “lifetime decisions” Is this God? What if I am not happy? What if it’s just me? What if the devil jumped in ahead of God? What if I can’t handle it? On and on we try to analyze things until the opportunity goes to someone else. If we are praying for God to open doors for us, more than likely than not we can take the next step. Go ahead. You have already asked God and now He has answered. Cooperate with him.
Peter had an open door before him. He got past the first ward and the second ward and even the big iron gate opened up. We don’t have to worry about all of the closed doors that are in our way. They will open up when we come to them as they did for Peter. He wasn’t fully awake and yet the angel guided him. I don’t think we have to have all of the answers when we first start out. That’s where our faith comes in. Learn to cooperate with God and take the necessary action. Peter was not home free. He went to his friends house to let them know that he was out of jail and when he knocked on the door and Rhoda saw it was Peter and told the others, they couldn’t believe that God answered their all night prayer meeting. They told her, “You’re crazy. Peter’s in Jail. It’s his angel.” Rhoda recognized his voice but she didn’t let him in at first. There were three possible reasons:
1. She was so excited about seeing him standing there that she immediately had to tell the others.
2. she might have had a fear of being deceived by an impostor
3. the Jews believed that before a person’s impending death that their angel would appear--it was like a bad omen. The angel could take on the person’s likeness and appearance and even sound like the person’s voice. They told her that she mistook Peter’s angel for him and that it wasn’t really Peter.
The people at the prayer meeting tried to explain away the answer. It couldn’t be happening. No way. And yet they had prayed fervently and earnestly. It wasn’t too good to be true. God answered prayer. He answered theirs and he will answer ours. We must be able to cooperate with God when he answers. Open the door.
Sometimes we say, “Do you know what happened? I just couldn’t believe it! I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was hard to believe! Could God do that? God CAN. Believe it. Cooperate with him. Get with the program!!
CONCLUSION: Where do you find yourself “in prison right now” in a situation that you have almost given up on?
It could be a family situation, an addiction, a physical limitation or health problem, a feeling of low self worth, a stagnant spiritual life.
Can God answer your prayer of long standing? Does He see you in your imprisonment? Can He intervene even when you have almost given up hope?
What do you need to help you find freedom?
An angel rescuing you? Some friends praying for you? My own confidence in God’s ability to help me to be increased?
My own desire to change?
Don’t be surprised when God answers your prayers. He knows where you are today. Remember: 1. Don’t be surprised at the way he intervenes
2. deliverance comes sometimes at the last minute
3. be ready for God’s answer
4. Be quick to act.
