Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19980125.htm

ACTS: THE LOCAL CHURCH AS GOD'S AGENCY FOR DISCIPLING MEN
Part XXVII: The Church's PRODUCTIVE Outlook Regarding Evil Government Opposition
(Acts 12:1-25)
  1. Introduction
    1. It can be discouraging or intimidating for Christians to face movements by a secular government that obstruct justice and the Church's discipling advances.
    2. However, God does not want us to get "down" in facing such matters, for Jesus has already promised that He would build His Church so that the authorities of evil will not prevail against it, Mtt. 16:18b.
    3. Perhaps an excellent illustration from the history of the Early Church on how we should productively view evil governmental opposition is found in Acts 12:1-25 as follows:
  2. The Church's PRODUCTIVE Outlook Regarding Evil Government Opposition, Acts 12:1-25.
    1. God PERMITTED evil Herod to kill James as the best investment for spreading His truth as follows:
      1. Herod killed James when Paul and Barnabas delivered relief offerings to Jerusalem, 11:29-30; 12:1a.
      2. Thus, when Herod then imprisoned Peter, and the Jerusalem Church responded by a prayer vigil (12:3-5, 12), Paul and Barnabas would have been fervently joined with the rest of the Jerusalem body in prayer for Peter's release. This fact is hinted at in their taking John Mark with them following their sojourn in Jerusalem, the man whose mother's home was used for the prayer vigil, Acts 12:25, 12.
      3. When Peter was supernaturally released, and went to the home of John Mark's mother (12:11-12), he met with the group, including Paul and Barnabas, and instructed them all to let James know of his release before moving on to escape Hero d's future search for him, Acts 12:17. We know that James was considered the head of the "Christian sanhedrin" council as he gave the verdict in the Acts 15 Church Council meeting (Acts 15:13-19 with Ryrie St. Bib., KJV ftn. to Acts 15:19). Thus, Peter's announcement would let the leader of the Church know of his release, something that would have greatly encouraged James and made him value Peter's presence all the more.
      4. Now, these same personalities are all united in the landmark council decision of Acts 15 where it was shown that salvation was by faith alone apart from circumcision.
      5. Thus, the death of James was used as a divine catalyst to intensify interpersonal relationships between Paul, Barnabas, Peter and James further to encourage the outcome of the council to be one of promoting a pure gospel of salvation by grace without works! Thus, with the purity of doctrine on the line for Church History, God felt it worthwhile to allow James to be martyred by wicked Herod!
    2. However, God CHECKED that same Herod who had killed James when he tried to go further in his evil ways as those efforts did not promote His discipling ministry on earth:
      1. Since there was no need to let Peter be martyred by Herod at this time, in response to the prayers of the Church, God supernaturally released Peter from Herod's prison, Acts 12:5-10.
      2. This event led to Herod's seeking to exert his dominance to bolster his hurting ego:
        1. Upset at not finding the escaped Peter, Herod executed the soldiers who had been assigned to guard him (Acts 12:19a) and went down to Caesarea, his ruling capital, Acts 12:19b (B.K.C., N.T., p. 385). This move may have been an effort for Herod to shore up his ego over Peter's escape.
        2. While at Caesarea, people living in Tyre and Sidon invoked Herod's wrath, so these people, dependent on grain shipments from Herod's Galilee grain fields, met with him in order to patch things up with their relationship with him, Acts 12:20-21.
        3. In the meeting, the people sought to stroke Herod's ego by claiming that he was speaking as a god, not a man, Acts 12:22. Secular historian, Josephus parallels this New Testament account in his Antiquities of the Jews, 19.8.2. (Bib. Know. Com., N.T., p. 385)
      3. As Herod's accepting worship not only was godless, but overstepped what God could use for furthering His discipling work, He struck Herod and he died, Acts 12:23.
      4. Meanwhile, the Church proceeded forward according to God's plans, Acts 12:24-25.
Lesson: ALL the steps that secular governments take that are intended to oppose God's work of discipling men are nevertheless monitored by our sovereign God so that they can only further His work. Thus, like the Jerusalem Church, we must merely pray about the governmental oppositions we perceive are directed against the Church as government is GOD'S b usiness and jurisdiction, Acts 12:5!