The Power Of A Praying Church

THE POWER OF A PRAYING CHURCH

Acts 12:1-17

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: WHERE JESUS WAS BORN

1. A backwoods Texan asked a woman to marry him and she said, “We can’t get married unless you’re a Christian.” So he went to a Catholic church and said he wanted to join.

2. The priest said, “Well, you have to go through a class first and learn things – about the Bible, doctrines of the church, etc. Like do you know where Jesus was born?” The Texan ventured, “Dallas?” The priest, disgusted, said, “You better go to the Methodists.” So he did.

3. The Methodist preacher too quizzed him on a few facts, including where Jesus was born. He ventured, “Tyler?” The Preacher said, “Maybe you better go to the Baptists!” He did.

4. He told the Baptist preacher how he got run off 2X for not knowing where Jesus was born. The Baptist preacher said, “I can tell you that; Jesus was born in Palestine.” The man said, “I knew it was somewhere in East Texas!”

B. WE SERVE A JAIL-BREAKING GOD!

1. February has been designated “Month-at-the-Front.” The “Front,” in a war or battle, is where the opposing troops are actively fighting each other. For us, the “Front” is the altars. Every Sunday this month we’re going to be doing battle there!

2. Our God is in the business of setting captives free! He brought the Israelites out of the land of slavery, into the Promised Land. In the Book of Acts, God three times busted His apostles out of jails, once with an earthquake.

3. In today’s account, God sent an angel to break him out, but we’ll see, it was because the Church was praying that God worked the miracle! Let’s read:

C. TEXT

1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church….2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 ...he proceeded to seize Peter also….4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. 5….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. 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....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.” 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. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” 15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” 16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 [Then] Peter…described how the Lord had brought him out of prison.

I. THE ARREST OF PETER

A. WHY PETER?

1. Peter was the main person God was working through to save the Jews. Peter, James, and John were Jesus’ three most intimate disciples.

2. WHO do you think the devil most wants to bring down? The leaders! "Smite the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered."

B. STRONG GUARD OVER PETER

1. When you read about the number of guards & precautions, you get the idea that Herod was worried about keeping Peter behind bars! The Christian leaders had gained respect for their ability to escape -- they had escaped before (Acts 5:18-23).

2. 16 soldiers, two chains, and three gates were between Peter and freedom. What’s between you and freedom? Herod could have had Peter chained to sixteen HUNDRED soldiers, and it wouldn’t have made any difference! YOU CAN’T STOP GOD!

3. How vain are fences, walls, and bars to shut in God's chosen! THERE WAS NO PRISON THAT COULD HOLD PETER IF GOD WANTED HIM FREE!