Sermon Tone Analysis

Text:

Acts 12:5

Sub: When The Church Prays

Intro:

A man whose house lay in the path of oncoming water stood out on his front porch when National Guardsmen came by in a jeep.

"Get in," they said, "the big water is headed this way."

The man replied, "God will help me.

I'm staying right here."

As the water began to rise, he went up to the second story and looked out at a boat, again intent on rescue.

He responded the same way: "God will help me.

I'm staying right here."

Finally, the rising floods drove him to the roof where a passing rescue helicopter spotted him and shouted over the loud speaker, "Your whole house will soon be covered.

We'll drop a rope ladder, and you can climb up to safety."

Again the man shouted up to his would-be deliverers, "God will help me.

I'm staying right here."

As the story goes, the man drowned and went to heaven where, after an appropriate wait, he was granted an audience with God.

He complained in no uncertain terms that his faith had been real; he had expected God's miraculous deliverance in some way.

Why had God let him down?

Letting the man unload his whole story, God finally replied, "What do you mean I let you down?

First, I sent you a jeep; then I sent you a boat; then I sent you a helicopter, and you turned them all down."

God works through natural means as well as supernatural.

Many places in the Bible, we see a situation changing without the distinct characterization of a miracle.

Where the text clearly describes a miracle, we should not shy away from claiming a miracle happened.

When an angel appears in light, chains fall off, and a large iron gate opens automatically, we can probably chalk it up to a miracle, not intervention of natural causes.

The key lesson of this chapter certainly focuses on the sovereignty of God.

He chose and designed the fascinating miracle which caused Peter's deliverance.

At the same time he did not ignore James.

For reasons known only to him, God determined that James' ministry on earth was finished.

No matter how much the believers may have thought his presence necessary.

No matter that James himself may have considered and expected a significantly longer term of service.

This part of the context is one of the most exciting and most humorous scenes in the whole book: exciting, because Peter was in jail and was prayed out by a faithful, fervent, praying church; humorous, because this praying church didn't really believe God had answered their prayer even when they had their answer in the flesh at the front door of their prayer meeting.

This chapter teaches a great deal about prayers, answers, and the God who is behind them all.

This part of the context is one of the most exciting and most humorous scenes in the whole book: exciting, because Peter was in jail and was prayed out by a faithful, fervent, praying church; humorous, because this praying church didn't really believe God had answered their prayer even when they had their answer in the flesh at the front door of their prayer meeting.

This chapter teaches a great deal about prayers, answers, and the God who is behind them all.

This part of the context is one of the most exciting and most humorous scenes in the whole book: exciting, because Peter was in jail and was prayed out by a faithful, fervent, praying church; humorous, because this praying church didn't really believe God had answered their prayer even when they had their answer in the flesh at the front door of their prayer meeting.

This chapter teaches a great deal about prayers, answers, and the God who is behind them all.

Deliverance and Death.

Often in applying this passage, we focus on God's deliverance of Peter in answer to fervent prayer (vv.

5-11) and ignore the Death of James, which resulted in martyrdom (v.

2).

This is how I approached this passage for several years.

But the fact that Luke has placed these two events side by side suggests that the two ways in which God's sovereignty is expressed—Deliverance and Death—should both be considered when thinking about God's help in times of trouble.

What is common to these situations is that both Peter and James were faithful to Christ.

Just as the disciples earnestly prayed for Peter's release (v.

5), we too have the freedom to pray earnestly for deliverance.

But we must leave it to God to let his sovereignty over a situation be expressed in the way he regards best.

What is most important is that, like James and Peter, we remain faithful and obedient to God regardless of the outcome of a crisis we face.

When the Church prays God want to show us three things:

I.

He Want to show us His Will

6.

On the night before Herod was to bring him out for execution, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison.

6 On the night before Herod was to bring him out for execution, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison.

A. His Will for Peter

"Herod would have brought him forth, the same night" ().

Peter was rescued in the nick of time.

That very night of the rescue was the night Herod was scheduled to do more evil to Peter (probably kill him inasmuch as killing James made the Jews happy).

John G. Butler, Analytical Bible Expositor – Acts, (Clinton, Iowa: LBC Publications, 2009), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 127.

"Herod would have brought him forth, the same night" ().

Peter was rescued in the nick of time.

That very night of the rescue was the night Herod was scheduled to do more evil to Peter (probably kill him like he killed James to make the Jews happy).

God's providence saved Peter but not James.

Why? Very simply, it was time for James to join his Lord and receive the fruit of his labor for work done here on earth.

Peter's work was not yet done.

We must always remember, the day when we are to go home Lord does come.

God's will may be for the believer to suffer and bear martyrdom for His name's sake.

God's plan may be to use the persecuted believer's faithfulness as a testimony to reach others.

B. His Will for Peace

There is the pattern of confidence.

Confidence in God's will and care delivered Peter ().

Note that Peter was asleep, and it was the very night before his execution.

Christ was meeting His dear servant's need, infusing him with His very special grace and peace.

Peter sensed the very special trust and care of his Lord.

The Delay of Deliverance Peter had been in prison for some days, at any rate, and the praying had been going on all the while, and there was no answer.

Day after day "of the unleavened bread" and of the festival was slipping away.

The last night had come, "and the same night" the light shone and the angel appeared.

Why did Jesus Christ not hear the cry of these poor suppliants sooner?

For their sakes; for Peter's sake; for our sakes; for His own sake.

For the eventual intervention at the very last moment, and yet at a sufficiently early moment, tested faith.

And look how beautifully all bore the test.

The man that was to be killed tomorrow is lying quietly sleeping in his cell.

Not a very comfortable pillow he had to lay his head upon, with a chain on each arm and a legionary on each side of him.

But he slept; while he was asleep Christ was awake, and the brethren and sisters were awake.

Their faith was tested, and it stood the test, and thereby was strengthened.

And Peter's patience and faith, being tested in like manner and in like manner standing the test, were deepened and confirmed.

II.

He want to show His Work

The Angel's Descent (12:7a)

And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison.

Luke uses an interesting word for prison.

It is oikēma, a word that occurs only here in the New Testament.

It literally means dwelling.

The Lord's continuing presence in that prison had converted Peter's cell into a home.

Peter had quietly made himself at home in those uncongenial surroundings.

If it was the Lord's will for him to be committed to prison, he would be contented in prison.

And that was how the Lord's angel found him—restful and relaxed as though he were at home in bed and the armed guard his honored guests.

How the angel would tell that story when he arrived back in glory!

It is generally inferred that the angel was Peter's guardian angel.

Jacob had an angel who protected him from Laban ().

Daniel had an angel who protected him from the lions ().

Little children have their angels who report to God's throne any mistreatment they receive (). Paul had an angel who strengthened him when on board the sinking ship ().

The Holy Spirit tells us that angels are "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation" ().