How Earnestly Do You Pray? (AM Sermon Notes)
GIST: Prayer is more powerful than our circumstances because God is more amazing than we realize.
SCRIPTURE: Acts 12:1-19
Last week, we wrapped up chapter 11 and came to the end of an account that had really started back in chapter 10, where we saw the first Gentile converted. Now, we’ve seen God move in such a way that the first mainly Gentile church has been established. In fact, it’s grown to the point that it is sending financial assistance back to the church in Jerusalem which was about to be facing even harder times due to famine.
Today, we’re coming to the last section of Acts where God’s work in Peter’s life is the focus. From chapter 13 forward, what God uses Paul to accomplish takes center stage. This is a transitional passage, but it’s one that really focuses in on both the sovereignty of God and the power of prayer. Both of which are truths I feel we all really need to be reminded of...like every day. ☺️
Since this is a longer passage, I want to read it as we move through it rather than reading it all in one chunk. However, there is one verse I feel is the key to the entire passage. Let’s read verse five and then pray together.
“ 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.”
Peter was in prison, but the Church was praying. I’ve talked about how important prayer is from this pulpit many times already. It’s something God has really convicted me on over the past several years, and something I know He’s still working with me on. It’s a blessing I too often take for granted. As your pastor, it’s something I never want you guys to miss out on. As I read this passage, the question title that hit me almost immediately was: how earnestly do you pray? As we walk through this passage together this morning, I want you to be asking yourself that question. Because... well, here’s our gist: prayer is more powerful than our circumstances because God is more amazing than we realize.
Let’s break that down (Technically, it’s only a two-pointer today!☺️)
I. PRAYER IS MORE POWERFUL THAN OUR CIRCUMSTANCES
First, we see→
God Was Moving, So There Was Persecution (1-2). Look at verses 1-2. “1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword,” About that time refers to the time when the Christians in Antioch were sending relief to the church in Jerusalem. It’s in that context, this awesome movement of God, that we see Herod ramping up persecution.
Now, just in case you were curious, there are many Herods mentioned in the Bible, but they’re not all the same man. It’s a title, kind of like Caesar. So, this Herod is the grandson of the Herod who tried to kill Jesus as a baby, the nephew of the Herod who killed John the Baptist, and the father of the Herod who will have Paul on trial in a few chapters. The man he kills here is the apostle James, as in Peter, James, and John. He was one of the three apostles closest to Jesus and a prominent leader in the early church. I know sometimes it can seem like the only apostles who actually did anything were Peter and John because their stories were recorded in Scripture. But, we have no reason to assume the other apostles weren’t just as active. Clearly, James was doing something because he got the attention of the people who wanted to stomp out Christianity.
However, the main point I want us to notice here is that this isn’t unusual. As we’ve noted before, when God is moving, persecution will inevitably follow. Satan and this sin-filled world do not want to see lives changed by Jesus. Therefore, though persecution is not something we should take lightly, it is something we should expect--unless we don’t want to see God move!
The next thing to notice is that→
Persecution Results From Self-loving Sin (3-4). Which is all sin, by the way. Sin, at its core, is loving yourself more than God. Look at verses 3-4. “3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.” Killing James went over so well, Herod goes after another big fish and arrests Peter. Why? Because he wants to please the people. We should pause right there for a second. How many decisions do we make based on the exact same motivation? I’ve always been someone who takes pride in saying I don’t really care what people think about me. But here’s the deal, as much as I try to live my life that way, that statement isn’t true. I do care. Chances are really high, so do you. And while we should care about the people around us and strive to live peacefully and compassionately, we cannot serve two masters. If we’re really living for Jesus, our decision making principle cannot be-- “How can I make the most people happy, so I look better?”; it has to be--”What does God want from me?”
So, Herod arrests Peter and puts him under heavy guard. Four squads of four soldiers would take shifts watching him. Two would be chained to him within his cell. Two would be standing watch outside the door. Why? Well, God had broken him out of prison before☺️! He’s contained, but not killed yet. Why? Again, to please the people. He doesn’t want to ruffle any feathers by not holding to the Jewish customs here of not killing people during the Passover holiday celebrations.
It’s in that context that we get this awesome verse we read in opening, and we see→
This Situation Was Bad, But Prayer Was More Powerful (5). Let’s read verse 5 again. “5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.” I love this. This is bad, BUT what the Christians are doing is more powerful. I’ve said this before, as well. The saddest thing a Christian can say is, “Well, all we can do now is pray.” No! There was never anything more powerful that you could have done in the first place! God is the one who changes things, not you. So when we pray, we are pouring our hearts out the King of Kings, the Suffering Savior, the Creator of the Universe, and we’re seeking His face, His will, His direction. Jesus was God in the Flesh, and He continually prayed. And the apostles who walked with Him for three years and saw Him do miraculous deeds didn’t ask Him how to feed five thousand people or raise the dead, they asked Him to teach them to pray because they saw its importance and its power. If we’re God’s people, we should be a praying people. Period.
Now, let’s not ignore the elephant in the room. We haven’t finished reading this passage yet, but many of you have before, and those of you who have not can probably fill in the blank. What is about to happen to Peter? He’s going to be rescued. But what about James? Did the church not pray for him? We have absolutely no reason to believe that. So, does that mean God didn’t answer the prayers of His people before? No. He did. The answer was just different. God’s timing is not always according to what we think is best, but God’s timing is always purposeful. He has a plan for each of us that will be both for His glory and our good. Just because we can’t immediately see the impact or the logic, doesn’t mean it’s not there. James died because Jesus had accomplished in James’ life what needed to be accomplished and was ready to take him home. Peter lived because Jesus wasn’t done with Peter yet. If you’re alive today, Jesus isn’t done with you yet. Live for Him! Let Him use you!
So, we see prayer is more powerful than our circumstances→
II. BECAUSE GOD IS MORE AMAZING THAN WE REALIZE (6-19)
Let’s just quickly look at how God shakes up the expectations and plans of these people. First, we see that→
God Thwarts The Expectations Of The Hostile Jews (6-11). I say hostile here because it was not all the Jews who wanted to stop Christianity. Thousands of them were themselves now Christians! It was the hostile religious elite. Let’s look at 6-11 and make a few observations. (I’m going to add underlines for emphasis throughout.)
6--Sleeping Peter. “6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.” That’s peace! He’s about to be put to death, and he’s definitely not in a comfy situation, but he’s snoozing away. Why? Because he has that peace which passes all understanding. He knows the one really in control! Do we face trials like this?
Let’s keep going. Next we see the→
7-10--Deliberate Rescue of Sleepy Peter. “7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, "Dress yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me." 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him.” Apparently, Peter was sleeping pretty hard☺️! It’s like he’s in a daze here. It takes the angel smacking him to wake him up. Then, he needs step by step directions to put his clothes on, and he doesn’t even realize this is really happening☺️! In his defense, God had given him some pretty vivid dreams in the past. Still, it’s almost comical to read (and it gets better!) Yet, even without Peter being at first aware, we can see God moving. In fact, He’s →
11--Smashing Expectations. When Peter snaps out of it, he expresses as much. “11 When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."” They were expecting his death. That’s not what Jesus had planned. So God thwarts their expectations. We also see→
God Exceeds The Expectations of Some Praying Christians (12-17). This part also has a thread of humor in it. However, what it expresses is actually incredibly sad. Let’s work through these verses, too.
12--Peter Went. “12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.” He did this for two reasons. First, he wanted to share what God had just done with God’s people. On a more practical note, he also needed to act on what God had just done and not just stand there and get put right back in prison! When God does amazing things in your life and opens awesome doors of opportunity, do something about it! However, when Peter gets to this house, he sees that→
13-16--They Weren’t Expecting Him. “13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, "You are out of your mind." But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, "It is his angel!" 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.” There is so much here that always makes me laugh, especially Rhoda running away in excitement and leaving Peter standing there knocking. But, like I said, there is also something incredibly sad about this. While these weren’t the only Christians praying for Peter in town, they were a prominent group. They were praying, but they were amazed when Peter actually showed up because they weren’t expecting this to happen. Their expectations don’t appear to be much different from that of the hostile Jews. They were expecting his death.
I just want to make these two quick observations. God is amazing, regardless of whether or not we expect Him to be. They were rightly in awe of Him. We should be, too. However, they were wrong to pray expecting God to do nothing. James puts this better than I could. “5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8) When we pray, do we expect God to move? We should.
So everyone’s expectations are being flipped here. Herod is no exception. We see lastly that→
God Frustrates The Plans Of Man (17-19). Let’s look at the last few verses here. “17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Tell these things to James and to the brothers." Then he departed and went to another place. 18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.” Consider the difference between Herod and Peter’s reactions to God’s movement. Herod wanted control, and when he did get it, he lashed out in more destruction. Peter was controlled, and he just followed Jesus wherever He directed. (Which, by the way, we have no idea where that was immediately following this! It just says “another place”☺️.) Let me just close this point by quoting this verse I have written on a post-it note on my desk: “21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21) Prayer is more powerful than our circumstances because God is more amazing than we realize.
TAKEAWAYS
1. Prayer is a gift; don’t neglect it. And don’t let me! I don’t want to be one of those guys who says, “If you really took prayer seriously, more of you would come to prayer meeting nights”, because I don’t think attending or not attending a prayer meeting is the only indicator of the seriousness with which someone prays. However, I don’t want to ignore that traditionally low attendance for prayer meetings across the board is symptomatic of a larger issue of prayerlessness amongst many churches in America. If you have been in an evangelical setting long, you’ve heard this “prayer meetings are the lowest attended services” statistic quoted. I’ve grown up on it. Let’s just choose as a church not be a statistic. Let’s pray together and pray often. In fact, in closing this morning, I want to open up this altar for that very purpose. When we are apart and when we are together, let us be a people constantly speaking with Jesus.
2. But remember, prayer is not about getting what you want. Remember, Peter was spared and James was not. God gives us what we would have asked for if we knew everything He does. Don’t try and use prayer like your personal butler button. It’s bigger than that.
3. Never cease to be amazed by God, but don’t pray without expecting God to move. God is amazing. Remember that when you’re praying.
4. Pray purposefully, passionately, and permanently! I have to admit, at first my last “p” was “pretty stinkin’ often” ☺️, but then I realized there was a better p word! This is what is implied by the word earnestly. Let me just break this down quickly. Purposefully: Set aside time and don’t just make noise. Lift up praises and pour out your heart. Pray on purpose. Passionately: Love God and love people--and pray like you love God and you love people! Permanently: Without ceasing. This should be how we live our lives! All throughout the day, be in constant communion with God.
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