Study in the Acts of the Apostles

1. Study in the Acts of the Apostles Presentation 25

2. Restraint Of Evil Chapter 12v1-18 Presentation 25

3. Introduction A Pakistani Christian pastor who had been engaging in evangelism was stoned and left for dead outside of a village. This caused the Christians to ask, “Why does God allow us, his own people, to be so mistreated?” There is a need to affirm that evil does not have a free reign. We must not think that God is engaged in a keenly balanced arm wrestling contest with the powers of evil with the result going either one way or the other. God's control is absolute. His purpose, his goal, is never in doubt! It was a confident Jesus who said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”Matt.16v18. The passage before us makes this clear. Presentation 25

4. Herod: The Hammer Of The Church Some 12 years after the N.T. church was born, King Herod decided it was time to start digging its grave. The name ‘Herod’ casts a dark shadow over church history. A former Herod had tried to eliminate Jesus shortly after his birth. A different Herod beheaded John the Baptist and served it up to a dancing girl. The Herod in our passage was worse than his predecessors. He spent much of his youth in Rome, where he befriended Claudius and developed a taste for decadent living. When Claudius became emperor, Herod seized the throne of Judea from his uncle and persuaded Claudius to enlarge his kingdom. Presentation 25

5. Herod: The Hammer Of The Church Herod put to death James the apostle. His action delighted the Jewish leaders who were feeling increasingly threatened by this ‘new religion’. Herod’s hunger for public admiration caused him to turn his persecuting eye towards Peter. Herod was more concerned with pleasing men than with pleasing God -always a dangerous ethic to follow. Yet it is the path chosen by many. They ask, “What will make me popular at work, with my neighbours, in my church fellowship?” They fail to ask, “Will this course of action receive God’s approval?” When we are tempted to silence our conscience when it shouts, ‘God will not approve’ thenwe need to remember where an addiction for human approval led Herod! Presentation 25

6. Herod: The Hammer Of The Church Peter was imprisoned awaiting his show trial which would find him guilty and sentence him to death! Herod took no chances placing Peter in a high security prison, chained to two soldiers, guarded by 16 men, hemmed in behind strong iron gates. Herod was confident that there was no escape for Peter but God didn't share his confidence. God had valuable work for Peter to do and did not intend to allow a tin-pot dictator to mess with his plans. Little did Herod realise the effect that a small prayer meeting could have. We are introduced to a marvellous N.T. ‘but’ in v5 "Peter was kept in prison but the church was earnestly praying to God for him". You can be sure that the Holy Spirit who prompted this prayer. Presentation 25

7. The Church At War Its so easy to be discouraged when the work of God suffers an apparent reverse. But here the church’s response to Herod’s attack was to take up battle stations. Oh they did not meet force with force or plan a protest march around Herod's palace. The church’s battlefield is first and foremost the prayer meeting. And it will be given the prominence it deserves as we recognise that the conflict in which we engage is essentially spiritual. Only spiritual weapons are of any avail. Presentation 25

8. The Church At War Do we recognise the spiritual dimension behind the human conflict? Christians from Northern Ireland and Israel point out that the source of their trouble is not simply that of political ideologies but it has an underlying spiritual dimension. This spiritual dimension is more readily apparent when the church is under attack. Paul instructs the church on the nature of this conflict when he writes to the church at Ephesus 6v10-12... later, and still with this conflict in mind, he encourages dressing in spiritual armour. The final piece of armour mentioned is prayer, 'pray in the spirit' v18. Presentation 25

9. The Church At War Many wait for a crisis to develop before taking prayer seriously, turning to God, when their backs are to the wall. Winston Churchill appealed to the nation to pray when the British forces were in greatest danger at Dunkirk during WWII. Physical crisis is more apparent than a less visible spiritual crisis. Are there Herod's around today threatening to destroy the church? Yes there is the obvious Herod of ‘persecution’ but also the Herod of ‘materialism’ which encourages us to seek satisfaction in possessions. This in turn breeds a spirit of discontent. People become obsessed with earning more in order to upgrade the home entertainment system that they bought last year…. Presentation 25

10. The Church At War Then there is the Herod of secular thought, who ridicules the whole idea of religion branding it a crutch for the weak and unenlightened. Also there is the Herod of the new morality intent upon attacking the sacredness of life and of marriage. Some time ago Dr Helen Wright wrote in the Telegraph, “Because of the pill we are at last able to free human sexual capacities. If a person is capable of responding to 3 or 4 partners that's a rich personality.” Herod can come in many guises. His aim is to silence the church and to render her ineffective in communicating a message of transforming power. Make no mistake the church is still at war. The enemy is identifiable and the church’s remedy remains the same – Prayer! Presentation 25

11. The Response Of God God responded to the prayer of the Jerusalem church in a remarkable way. He sent in his own 'Mission Impossible" team to escort Peter out of prison. Peter had to be rudely awakened in order to escape. What remarkable poise Peter showed knowing he was to be executed the next day? Peter was no longer intimidated by death. He knew his life was ultimately in God's hands. If God chose to deliver him, that would be wonderful, but if not, he would soon be in the presence of the God he loved. Presentation 25

12. The Response Of God You may wonder if remarkable deliverance's of this kind are confined to the pages of the N.T. Alexander [Sandy] Peden a Scottish covenanting minister was being pursued by the king’s soldiers because of his faithfulness to Christ. One day out in the Ayrshire moors he found himself completely surrounded by a troop of dragoons. As they came towards him to take him prisoner he fell to his knees and prayed, “Lord remember poor old Sandy”. Immediately, a thick mist rolled over the hillside and he slipped through the cordon of soldiers. God does not always deliver miraculously. It is clear from the beginning of the chapter that he did not deliver James who put to death. Presentation 25

13. The Response Of God Our prayers for those in crisis are not always answered in the way we expect. Sometimes God answers by changing the circumstances but sometimes he answers by giving grace to endure the trial. The poise of Peter in prison has been shared by many on their way to their death. Think of the Scottish Covenanters who sung praise to God as they were led out to be executed. But you may ask, why deliver Peter and not James? We don't know. God says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” Isa. 55v9. Clearly, God still had work for Peter to do and Herod's high security prison would not stand in his way. Presentation 25

14. The Response Of God There is glorious humour in this passage. The church is inside a home praying fervently for Peter’s release... Peter is outside knocking to get in and no one is prepared to believe that God had answered their prayer. But there is also great encouragement for us. The church's faith is often wobbly and yet God still answers her prayer. We are like the man who said to Jesus, ‘Lord I believe help my unbelief’ Mk.9v24. We see some great difficulty, and we pray because we know that is the right thing to do. But we are not immediately aware of how God has begun to answer our prayer. Whenever, God finds genuine, struggling, mustard seed, faith, he responds. Presentation 25

15. Conclusion I am glad this incident is recorded God’s Word. For there are Herod's in the land intent upon undermining all that is Christian. Herod’s that would seek to silence, undermine and discredit the gospel. Herod’s that seem to have the power to do the church and its mission great harm. But none of these Herod’s have the control or power they think they have. We need to realise that! We need to take up our posts in the battle and to pray to the sovereign Lord; to open prison doors, to set his people free to serve him. Sometimes the opposition seems so powerful, the prison unassailable, the difficulties boundless but God is greater. He reigns! And with confidence we can pray for the advance of his plans and the growth and welfare of his church. Presentation 25