ACTS: ALIGNING WITH GOD'S SOVEREIGN WORK OF DISCIPLING

XXVII. Yielding To God’s Sovereignty Under Persecution

(Acts 12:1-25)

I. Introduction

A. The book of Acts explains "the orderly and sovereignly directed progress of the kingdom message from Jews to Gentiles, and from Jerusalem to Rome," Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, p. 351.

B. Accordingly, we can learn much about aligning our ministry efforts with God's sovereign work from studying the Early Church era as it is presented in the book of Acts.

C. Acts 12:1-25 records how God sovereignly let one apostle be martyred while letting another temporarily be rescued from martyrdom before He also slew the king who had tried to kill them both all while causing the discipling of the Church to expand greatly. We view the passage for our insight and application.

II. Yielding To God’s Sovereignty Under Persecution, Acts 12:1-25.

A. When Herod Agrippa I sought to persecute the Christian Church, he executed the Apostle James, the brother of John, with the sword, Acts 12:1-2. (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Acts 12:1)

B. However, when this same king who was known for presenting himself as a “zealous practicer of Jewish rites and a religious patriot” saw that it pleased the Hebrews for him to have slain James, he arrested Peter, planning to have him executed also, Acts 12:3a; Ibid.

C. Peter’s arrest occurred during the Hebrew Feast of Unleavened Bread, so Herod Agrippa I decided not to irritate the Hebrews by executing Peter during these holy days, but rather to hold him in prison with the intent of executing Peter after the days of Unleavened Bread were past, Acts 12:3b, 4b. Peter had been released from prison by the angel of the Lord back in Acts 5:12-25, so Herod Agrippa I wanted to be sure he would not escape again, so he assigned four squads of four soldiers per squad to guard him at all times, Acts 12:4a NIV.

D. While Peter was kept in prison, the Jerusalem Church prayed ceaselessly for his deliverance, Acts 12:5.

E. Christ had predicted that Peter would become old before being crucified (John 21:18; Ibid., ftn. to Acts 12:6), so the night before Peter was to be brought to trial for his execution, God’s angel rescued him: Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound to each with a chain and two other guards were in front of his cell door when the angel of the Lord came upon him, a light shone in the cell and the angel struck Peter on his side, ordering him to get up quickly, Acts 12:6-7a. The two chains then fell off of Peter’s hands, Acts 12:7b.

F. The angel told Peter to put on his clothes and sandals and follow him, Acts 12:8.

G. Peter obeyed, following the angel, thinking that he was seeing a vision and not realizing that this was an actual event, Acts 12:9. When they passed the first and second guard and arrived at the gate to the city, the gate opened without any visible being’s effort and they went out along the length of one street before the angel suddenly vanished, Acts 12:10. Peter then knew that this event was real, and concluded that the Lord had sent His angel to deliver him from King Herod Agrippa I and the hope of the Hebrews to see him slain, Acts 12:11.

H. Peter then went to the house of Mary the mother of John Mark where the Church was praying knocked on the door, Acts 12:12-13. The servant girl Rhoda went to the door, and recognizing Peter’s voice, in joyful enthusiasm failed to open the door but ran back to tell the others that Peter was standing outside, Acts 12:14.

I. They at first did not believe her, thinking that she had seen Peter’s angel, but with Peter’s continued knocking, they opened the door and were astonished to see him standing there, Acts 12:15-16. Peter told them of God’s deliverance of him from prison and urged the believers to report it to Christ’s half-brother James, Acts 12:17a.

J. In wisdom, Peter then chose to stay out of harm’s way, going elsewhere away from Herod Agrippa I, v. 17b.

K. The next day, when Peter was discovered to have left the prison, Herod Agrippa I examined and commanded the guards to be slain for failing to keep Peter under guard, Acts 12:18-19a.

L. However, God was not finished with Herod Agrippa I: when he left Jerusalem for Caesarea and was involved in an incident of accepting praise as a god, the Lord killed him, having him eaten with worms, Acts 12:19b-23.

M. Remarkably, amid all this effort of persecution with the martyrdom of James, with Peter’s release and with the death of Herod Agrippa I, the discipling ministry of the Church continued to expand, Acts 12:24-25.

Lesson: In a time of religious persecution, God sovereignly let Herod Agrippa I slay James but not Peter, God then slew Herod Agrippa I, and Peter wisely tried to stay out of harm’s way all while the Church’s ministry expanded.

Application: In times of religious persecution, may we (1) trust God sovereignly to determine the destiny of each believer involved and (2) stick to the ministries God has for us (3) while we wisely seek to stay out of harm’s way.