Sermon Central
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The Power Of Release
Contributed by Richard Hall on Sep 5, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: No matter what prison we find ourselves in God has the power to release us.
THE POWER OF RELEASE
ACTS 12: 1-12
Nobody like to be in bondage…
Claustrophobia
Read Scripture
1) PRISONS THAT HOLD US…
A) Peter was in prison due to his unfortunate circumstances
a) Nothing that he had done wrong
b) Sometimes we find ourselves in places of bondage that hold us back
B) Sometimes we are in prisons/bondage because of our own actions
a) Habits/addictions
b) Impure thoughts
c) Poor choices
C) No matter how we got there the Devil desires to parade us out and shame us and shame our God.
2) PRAYERS THAT REACH US…
A) Verse 5
B) The church needs to pray earnestly
a) Greek word-ektenos—means “stretched out”
3) THE POWER THAT FREES US….
A) See verses 6…
B) What does the power bring us?
a) Light shines in our darkness—vs. 7
b) Chains fall off—vs. 7
c) We are enabled—vs. 7-8
d) We are directed—vs. 9
e) We are protected—vs. 10a
f) God does what we can’t—vs. 10
g) God expects us to stand on our own
(1) Peter realized where he was—vs. 11
(2) He realized that God had brought him this far—vs. 11
(3) He went to where the Christians gathered—vs. 12
(4) He persistently knocked—vs. 13 & 16
(5) He hid himself—vs. 17
h) God eventually will destroy our enemy
Are you in bandage today? Maybe life has boxed you in. Maybe you have helped. You can be free today!
