Be Careful What You Pray For (Acts 12:1-18)

 Sermon for Milledgeville and Centenary UMC...

[Slide] Be Careful What You Pray For (Acts 12:1-18)

 

After the conversion of Saul, the church experienced a time of peace for roughly 8-10 years. That peace ended when King Herod Agrippa I decided to execute the apostle James in 44 A.D.

 

[Slide] Herod Agrippa was grandson to Herod the Great. Herod the Great tried to kill Jesus when he was a baby. He ordered the slaughter of all boys in Bethlehem, 2 years and younger. Herod Antipas beheaded John the Baptist when the prophet confronted his adulterous marriage to his step-brother Philip’s wife, Herodias. Herodias was sister to Agrippa, making Antipas both his brother-in-law and uncle. Antipas met with Jesus prior to his crucifixion.

 

Herod the Great executed Agrippa’s father, Aristobulus. From the age of 3, Herod Agrippa lived in the imperial palace in Rome. [Slide] He became friends with the imperial princes, Caligula and Claudius. His close friendship with them led to powerful influence in Roman government. When Caesar Tiberius died, Caesar Caligula made Agrippa tetrarch over several regions in northeastern Palestine. Herod Antipas was later exiled to Gaul (Southern Spain). Agrippa became King of Judea, Galilee and all of Palestine.

 

[Slide] In 44 AD, Agrippa had James the apostle beheaded to gain favor with Jerusalem’s religious elite.

 

James was part of Jesus’ inner circle. [Slide] James and his brother John were known as the Sons of Thunder, due to their assertive personalities. James and John asked Jesus to give them the most favored positions in His messianic kingdom. Once, while traveling to Jerusalem, a Samaritan village turned Jesus away. James and John suggested calling down fire from heaven to destroy them, which got them a sharp rebuke from Jesus. (Luke 9:54)

 

[Slide] James witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration. He saw Jesus raise a little girl from the dead. At Gethsemane, James kept watch while Jesus prayed. When Agrippa ordered his death, it made the Jewish leaders happy. Since this action won Agrippa favor, he arrested Peter as well.

 

This happened right after Passover during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. [Slide] This seven day festival was a celebration of Israel’s departure from Egyptian slavery. After the death of all Egyptian firstborn, Pharaoh ordered them to leave Egypt. The Israelites left with such haste, they had no time to leaven their dough. Unleavened bread, the bread of haste, reminds the Jews how quickly their freedom came once God had broken Egypt.

 

Over time, the Feast of Unleavened Bread took on a spiritual theme. Leavening represented sin. [Slide] As Jewish families clean their homes of grains and yeast, even utensils that had touched leavening, they are reminded to cleanse their lives of sin. In preparation for the festival, Jewish families take a hard look at their lives. What temptations to sin need to be expelled? What sinful attitudes and behaviors need to be confessed? In repentance, they turn their hearts in full obedience to God. A reset occurs. Their homes are cleansed of leavening. Their lives are cleansed of sin.

 

[Slide] To please the religious authorities, Herod sought to cleanse Israel of Christians. James is the first apostle to be martyred. After the festival, Agrippa intended to hold a public spectacle of a trial and then execute Peter. But God had other plans. [Slide]

 

This wasn’t the first time Peter had been jailed. He healed a paralyzed man at the temple courts. While Peter was teaching the crowd about Jesus and his resurrection, he was arrested and spent the night in jail. Peter was warned not to preach Jesus and was released. But he kept preaching Jesus and was arrested a second time. The Sanhedrin was furious and ready to kill Peter.

But Gamaliel, the revered teacher of the law who trained the Pharisee Saul of Tarsus, intervened. He said if Peter is from God, then you will find yourself fighting against God. If Christians are not from God, their movement will fizzle out and die. The Sanhedrin had Peter beaten and then released him.

 

King Herod Agrippa assigned a full guard placed to watch Peter. He was chained and slept between two guards. Two more guards stood at the prison door. But an angel set Peter free. Peter went straight to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark.

 

[Slide] John Mark is the author of the earliest gospel account. Tradition says that Mark recorded Peter’s testimony about Jesus in Rome. Therefore, the Gospel of Mark is the good news according to Peter.

 

[Slide] At Mary’s home, the church was inside praying for Peter. They prayed to God continually. What could they do in the face of King Herod Agrippa’s power? They did not devise a plan to break Peter out of prison. They did not hold a demonstration outside the king’s palace. They did not hurl insults at the religious leaders or riot in the streets. They got down on their knees and prayed to God for help. And God acted mightily to save Peter.

 

This begs the question, “Why did God save Peter and not James?” Does this mean God is fickle? It does not. Sad events occur in life, even when we have prayed for it to be otherwise. We live by the will of God. It was simply James’ time to come home.

 

James’ martyrdom is celebrated, even today. [Slide] In Spain, there is a grand cathedral (Santiago de Compostela) that claims to have James’ bones. In Jerusalem, in the old city, there is St. James Cathedral. James’ skull is venerated there. [Slide] Pilgrims report spiritual transformations and healings as they pray at the red-marble floor marker that designates the underground resting place of James’ head. James’ martyrdom inspires.

 

[Slide] God rescued Peter as the Church prayed. God is moved by our prayers. God doesn’t always grant us what we want, but God always acts with mercy, love, and compassion for those who call upon Him in faith.

 

I wanted to share this story because what happens next is hilarious to me. Peter knocks on the door of Mary’s house. The church is inside praying for him to be delivered. [Slide] A servant girl named Rhoda comes to the door but doesn’t open it. Rhoda was cautious. A knock at the door could be the king’s soldiers or the temple guard sent to drag them off to prison. Rhoda heard Peter speak and recognized his voice. Rhoda had heard Peter speak before perhaps as he led worship in Mary’s house. Rather than let Peter in, she runs to tell the others. In her excitement, she just leaves him locked outside!

 

When she tells the church, while they are praying for Peter, they do not believe her! “You’re out of your mind!” they tell her! But Rhoda kept insisting that Peter was outside the door. Then they decide, “It is Peter’s angel at the door.”

 

[Slide] I’ve never met an angel, that I know of. Hebrews 13:2 says that many giving hospitality to strangers have entertained angels without knowing it. God sends angels to deliver divine messages and to protect. Some believe guardian angels are watching over them. While I’ve never seen an angel, I know people who have.

 

Encountering an angel is a rare occurrence. Why would the church, in Mary’s house, choose to believe an angel was at the door rather than Peter? They prayed for his deliverance. Perhaps, they’d already decided that Peter was done for! Even though they prayed for Peter’s deliverance, they didn’t believe it was actually possible. Maybe it was easier to believe an angel was visiting them, than to believe that God did the very thing they wanted. [Slide] Peter was rescued.

 

Be careful what you pray for! You might find yourself amazed at God’s action. When they finally let Peter in, they were astonished!

 

[Slide] After the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Herod Agrippa intended to cleanse Israel of Christians like Peter. But God saved Peter and cleansed Israel of its king. Herod Agrippa suddenly died in Caesarea Maritima, after delegates from Tyre and Sidon hailed him as a god. Luke considers Agrippa’s death to be by God’s own hand as punishment for his arrogance. [Slide] An angel of the Lord struck him down and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God continued to increase and spread. (Acts 12:23-24)

 

[Slide] Pagans believe we live at the whims of the gods, powers that are indifferent to our plight as human beings. They offer sacrifices and make offerings, seeking to gain favor from their gods. How is Christian prayer different?

 

[Slide] When we intercede for others, are we not asking God to act to aid them, to heal, to protect, to guide, and provide? Yes, but we don’t think we need to earn our God’s favor with incantations and offerings. God has already communicated his unconditional love for us in the gift of His Son Jesus Christ. [Slide] For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) God knows every hair on our heads. God hears our every prayer. God walks with us. God lives in us through the Holy Spirit. His amazing grace is at work in us and in the world around us.

 

[Slide] Align your life with God and you will have peace. Peace comes from trusting in God’s love, His divine wisdom, and power. Surrender your life into God’s capable hands. We submit our lives, not to divine whims, but to God’s love. We trust our heavenly Father with everything.

 

When your life is aligned with God’s will, your prayers will be powerfully effective.

 

[Slide] Jesus told his disciples,

 

You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:14)

 

Just be careful what you pray for! You just might get it!