SERVING GOD UNTIL DEATH
Acts 12:1-11
BLESSED TIMES IN THE MIST OF BAD SITUATIONS
V:12. \” It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. \”
- The time was reported to be around 47 AD.
- About that time there was a famine in the promise land.
- About that time the Church at Antioch took up a collection for the poor saints in
Jerusalem.
- About that time Saul and Barnabas were selected to take the collection to the saints
in need.
- About that time King Herod Arippa, the grandson of King Herod the Great ( the
reigning king during the time of Jesus) decide to kill some members of the Church.
for his own gratification.
- When the Church moves for the good of it\’s members, Satan moves for bad.
- When the Church moves to encourage the body of Christ, Satan moves to discourage.
- When the Church moves to build up, Satan moves to destroy.
DEATH IS INCLUEDED IN THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST
V:2. \” He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. \”
- It is difficult to understand why God allows a faithful servant to be
be killed at the hands of an evil person.
- We know that all things work together for the good of those who love the
Lord and are call according to His purposes.
- When it happens in your family, you want to know why?
- You can think of all the good reasons why your family should have been
spared this hardship.
- The God we serve has a history of allowing His faithful servant die a the hands of
evil men.
- Jesus, our Lord and Savior was accused, lied upon and crucified by members
of his own race.
- The Word tells us, that It pleased God to bruised His own Son.
- The Word also tells us the while Jesus was dying on the cross, the Father
was reconciling the world to himself.
- What God does or allows is for the greater good of the Body of Christ.
SOME FOLK ARE GLAD WHEN CHRISTIAN DIE
V:3. \” When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.\”
- While the ruling Jews, the Chief priest, the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin were not
involved in the death of The Apostle James, they were certainly pleased that another
leading member of the Church was dead.
- The ruling Jews made it known to the King that they approved of James\’ death.
- That approval may have lead to King Herod\’s decision to put Peter in jail to
be killed.
- When you approve of what is wrong, you become involved in the evil.
- Notice this took place doing the Holy days of the Passover festival.
- This was the time set aside to remember the Great works of God the Father
in releasing the Nation of Israel from Egyptian slavery fifteen hundred years
earlier.
- You would think that commemorating this event would remind at least the chief
priest of the love, the grace and the mercy of God for His people.
- You would think that people who were oppressed would not be pleased to see
their own people oppressed.
GOD USES THE EVIL OF MAN TO GLORIFY HIMSELF
V:4-5. \” 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. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. \”
- Notice the King was inclined to observed the Holy Days of Israel, but not the
God of Israel and not the people of Israel.
- The ruling Jews observed the Holy Days of Israel, but not the God of Israel.
- God said they worshipped me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
- After killing James, Herod put Peter in jail to be killed after the Passover.
- Man makes plan that sometimes he may not be able to complete.
- If your plans does not consider the Will Of God they may fail.
- Sometimes God will use your plans to execute His divine plan.
- After the death of James, the Church prayed in unity for the life of Peter.
- The Church should not be without earnest and consistence prayer.
- The Church should always pray for those who preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- The Word says pray without ceasing.
GOD HAS THE FINAL AUTHORITY OVER LIFE.
V: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.\”
- King Herod took no chances in securing the jail that Peter was placed.
- Notice the power, the King believed the Church had.
- Peter was guarded by at least sixteen soldiers.
- Peter was put in a cell and handcuffed to two soldier; one on each side.
- There may have been two more Roman guards at different gates in the
prison.
- God is Spirit and cannot be locked out of any place.
- There is no place that you can go and not find God.
THE USE OF ANGELS IN OUR LIVES
V: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.\”
- When your mind is focused on God, you can rest in peace.
- Peter was not praying or worrying about his situation.
- Peter was sound asleep, with his fate in God\’s hand.
- When you trust God, you allow Him to fight your battles.
- God is a light in a dark tunnel.
- An Angel came and shined a light in the jail cell and woke Peter up.
- He loosed Peter from the guards without disturbing the guards.
- He caused the jail door to be unlocked .
- All this was done in an instant without lifting a finger.
- When you down, God can lift you up
- When you are bound, God can loose you.
- When doors are closed, God can open them.
- God can speak to you in mist of others who cannot hear Him.
- When God speaks you should be obedient and act immediately.
DRESS FOR THE VICTORY
V:8-9 \” 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.\”
- You must get dressed for the for the blessing God has for you.
- Dress up your mind with hope, peace and joy.
- Dress up you heart with trust .
- Get prepared to move when God gives you notice.
- Follow God\’s directions.
- It is the holy spirit that gives us divine knowledge of God\’s plan.
- We Must all times be tuned to the Word of God.
- Prayer and meditation on the Word of God is the way stay in tuned to God.
- God blesses those who are obedient to His Word.
- God has a way of escape for all those who trust Him.
- You don\’t have to know how God will rescue you.
- You can be sure that God\’s will for your life will completed
- God\’s ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts
WHEN HE CAME TO HIMSELF
V.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.\”
- Miracles happen to us every day.
- Recognizing and giving God the credit for the activities of our day is the problem.
- God delivers us from danger every minute of our day.
- The King had armed guards posted along the escape route of Peter.
- The Devil and his demons keep a careful watch on our path seeking ways
to destroy the confidence we have in Jesus.
- Notice the armed guard were made unaware of the movement Peter and the Angel.
- God, in His own way immobilized all the posted guards in the jail.
- God opened the way for Peter\’s escape.
- Throughout our day, God immobilizes the actions of evil against us.
- We are mostly unaware of how much God does to keep us safe.
- Once we are safe at our destination, God Angels return to the Lord.
V:11. \” Then Peter came to himself and said, \”Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod\’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.\”
- It is usually in retrospect at the end of the day when we realize how much God did to
keep us safe.
- We should never consider that just because our day was uneventful that God was
not working miracles in our lives.
- I believe that we come to ourselves, when we realized that God has been good
to us all the time.
- We are in our right mind when we give glory to God for the good and the bad in our
lives.
- We are in our right mind when we realize that God protect us all the time.
- In this passage of scripture there are two faithful Christians put in jail for
preaching Jesus.
- One was not protected from the evil minded king and one was protected.
- One of the Apostles was killed and the other was protected from the evil desires of
King Herod.
- Were there no prayers for James? Why was there cooperate prayer for Peter?
- Did God think more of one than He did for the other?
- Did God love Peter more than He loved James?
- We must remember that we belong to God, and He can do anything He wants with us.
- God has a plan for each of our lives, and some time His plan includes tragedy.
- In this case, may be James death brought the Church together in prayer.
- Stephen\’s death was a continuation of the persecution of the church.
- His death marked the scattering of the Church in according to the great
commission Jesus gave His disciples to move the Gospel to the
ends of the earth. Matt 28:19
- Even our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and mine.
- The death of a love one often brings families together to fellowship.
- Who got the better treatment, James or Peter?
- They both were equal with Lord.
- James died at the start of the ministry. He went home to glory early.
- Peter had to suffer many more year preaching the Gospel before his
violent death.
- When we have completed the job God called us to do, He will call us home.
- Peter was known for his preaching skills and drawing many to Christ.
- Peter had two books in the Bible to write before his death.
- To write 1st and 2nd Peter, He needed his testimony with Lord
developed through his life trials.
PRAISE GOD FOR THE GOD AND THE BAD IN YOUR LIFE
Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
