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. "
A. The time was
reported to be around 47 AD.
1. About that time there was a famine in the
promise land.
2. About that
time the Church at Antioch
took up a collection for the poor saints in
3.
About that time Saul and Barnabas were selected to take the collection to the
saints
in need.
B. 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.
1. When the Church
moves for the good of it's members, Satan moves for bad.
2. When the Church
moves to encourage the body of Christ, Satan moves to discourage.
3. 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. "
A. It is difficult to
understand why God allows a faithful servant to be
be killed at the
hands of an evil person.
1. We know that
all things work together for the good of those who love the
Lord and are
call according to His purposes.
2. When it happens
in your family, you want to know why?
3. You can think
of all the good reasons why your family should have been
spared this
hardship.
B. The God we serve
has a history of allowing His faithful servant die a the hands of
evil men.
1. Jesus, our Lord
and Savior was accused, lied upon and crucified by members
of his own
race.
2. The Word tells
us, that It pleased God to bruised His own Son.
3. The Word also
tells us the while Jesus was dying on the cross, the Father
was
reconciling the world to himself.
4. 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."
A. 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.
1. The ruling Jews
made it known to the King that they approved of James' death.
2. That approval
may have lead to King Herod's decision to put Peter in jail to
be killed.
B. When you approve of what is wrong, you become involved in
the evil.
1. Notice this took
place doing the Holy days of the
Passover festival.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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. "
A. Notice the King was inclined to observed the Holy Days of
Israel, but not the
God of Israel and
not the people of Israel .
1. The ruling Jews
observed the Holy Days of Israel, but not the God of Israel.
2. God said they
worshipped me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
B. After killing James, Herod put Peter in jail to be killed after the
Passover.
1. Man makes plan
that sometimes he may not be able to complete.
2. If your plans
does not consider the Will Of God they may fail.
3. Sometimes God
will use your plans to execute His divine plan.
C. After the death of James, the Church prayed in unity for
the life of Peter.
1. The Church
should not be without earnest and consistence prayer.
2. The Church
should always pray for those who preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
3. 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."
A. King Herod took no chances in securing the jail that
Peter was placed.
1. Notice the
power, the King believed the Church had.
2. Peter was
guarded by at least sixteen soldiers.
3. Peter was put in a cell and handcuffed to two soldier;
one on each side.
B. There may have
been two more Roman guards at different gates in the
prison.
1. God is Spirit
and cannot be locked out of any place.
2. 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."
A. When your mind is focused on God, you can rest in peace.
1. Peter was not
praying or worrying about his situation.
2. Peter was
sound asleep, with his fate in God's hand.
3. When you trust
God, you allow Him to fight your battles.
B. God is a light in
a dark tunnel.
1. An Angel came
and shined a light in the jail cell and woke Peter up.
2. He loosed Peter
from the guards without disturbing
the guards.
3. He caused the
jail door to be unlocked .
4. All this was
done in an instant without lifting a finger.
C. When you down, God
can lift you up
1. When you are bound, God can loose you.
2. When doors are
closed, God can open them.
3. God can speak
to you in mist of others who cannot hear Him.
4. 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."
A. You must get dressed for the for the blessing God has for you.
1. Dress up your
mind with hope, peace and joy.
2. Dress up you
heart with trust .
3. Get prepared to
move when God gives you notice.
B. Follow God's directions.
1. It is the holy
spirit that gives us divine knowledge of God's plan.
2. We Must all
times be tuned to the Word of God.
a. Prayer and
meditation on the Word of God is the way stay in tuned to God.
b. God blesses
those who are obedient to His Word.
3. God has a way
of escape for all those who trust Him.
C. You don't have to know how God will rescue you.
1. You can be
sure that God's will for your life will completed
2. 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."
A. Miracles happen to us every day.
1. Recognizing and
giving God the credit for the activities of our day is the problem.
2. God delivers us
from danger every minute of our day.
3. The King had
armed guards posted along the escape route
of Peter.
4. The Devil and
his demons keep a careful watch on our path seeking ways
to destroy
the confidence we have in Jesus.
B. Notice the armed guard
were made unaware of the movement Peter and the Angel.
1. God, in His own
way immobilized all the posted guards in the jail.
2. God opened the
way for Peter's escape.
3. Throughout our
day, God immobilizes the actions of evil against us.
4. We are mostly
unaware of how much God does to keep us safe.
C. 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."
A. It is usually in retrospect at the end of the day when we
realize how much God did to
keep us safe.
1. We should never
consider that just because our day was uneventful that God was
not working
miracles in our lives.
2. I believe that
we come to ourselves, when we realized that God has been good
to us all the
time.
3. We are in our
right mind when we give glory to God for the good and the bad in our
lives.
4. We are in our
right mind when we realize that God protect us all the time.
B. In this passage of scripture there are two faithful
Christians put in jail for
preaching Jesus.
1. One was not
protected from the evil minded king and
one was protected.
2. One of the
Apostles was killed and the other was protected from the evil desires of
King Herod.
3. Were there no
prayers for James? Why was there cooperate prayer for Peter?
4. Did God think
more of one than He did for the other?
5. Did God love
Peter more than He loved James?
C. We must remember that we belong to God, and He can do
anything He wants with us.
1. God has a plan
for each of our lives, and some time His plan includes tragedy.
2. In this case,
may be James death brought the Church together in prayer.
a. Stephen's death
was a continuation of the persecution of
the church.
b. 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
3. Even our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and mine.
a. The death of
a love one often brings families together to fellowship.
D. Who got the better
treatment, James or Peter?
1. They both were equal with Lord.
a. James
died at the start of the ministry. He went home to glory early.
b. Peter had
to suffer many more year preaching the Gospel before his
violent
death.
2. When we have
completed the job God called us to do, He will call us home.
1. Peter was
known for his preaching skills and drawing many to Christ.
2. Peter had
two books in the Bible to write before his death.
3. 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
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