Sermon on Minneapolis 04.10.2009

Let us begin our services this evening with opening prayer. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Today is a special church holiday, which always falls either at the end of September or the beginning of October. And it's known as Michaelmas Day. A day remembering children and angels. Today's epistle text is from Acts chapter 12, verses 5 through 11. And we'll hear these words in Jesus' name.

Peter, therefore, was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison, and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and he followed him.

And was not that it was true, which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to him of his own accord. And they went out, and passed on through one street. And forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

This portion of God's word is from the Acts of the Apostles, which is the history narrator or the book of church history in the New Testament. And in the Acts of the Apostles we can see how at times periods of growth and revival, beginning with the first Pentecost, where 2,000 souls were converted on one day. And when we read on in the next chapter, chapter 3, it says that there were an additional 3,000 souls that were added. So you can see that the word of Jesus was quickly being fulfilled, where the word of God was spreading from Jerusalem toward all of the utmost corners of the world.

But this work and the spreading did not continue without hindrance and without opposition. So, on the one hand, it tells of things quickly spreading, but then on the other hand, it tells how there were setbacks, there were defeats, and there was much opposition. How the people resisted, the people persecuted the believers, and the leaders even had many of the believers jailed, put into prison, and put to death.

The Apostle Paul was converted in chapter 9 and became God's missionary tool in the field of the Gentiles. And it tells how Cornelius, the Gentile Roman soldier, was one of the first to be converted. And it tells how the first of the Gentiles to be converted. So there are very good reports, but then there are also, on the other hand, sad reports to offset the good as time goes on. So one step forward, and as if one other step backward, then another step forward, and again another step. And the story continues on and on in a similar fashion, in a way, throughout the history book of the Acts of the Apostles.

The previous chapter, in chapter 11, it tells how there was persecution in the city of Antioch, which was just north of Israel. And then it tells of a famine visit by Barnabas, which also they did and sends it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. So they were when there was a famine, there was a collection to help benefit this time of need, similar to our time of recession now. And the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea. And this relief fund was sent by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Now, this leads up to chapter 12, which is the section, the chapter from which our portion was read. And it's now the time of Passover. And it's 12 years after Jesus was persecuted, was captured, and condemned to die on the cross. Exactly the same time of the year. Twelve years later. And during those twelve years, the word of God had spread. And Christianity had grown many fold.

But the time of persecution, or the times of persecution, for the most part, until this moment, had been dealt with and by and through the hands of the religious leaders, the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the members of the Sanhedrin, the great council in Jerusalem. But now there's a turn of events, and persecution now raises its head against the people of Israel. And it is this time done by political powers and not religious powers.

So our chapter begins now about that time, Herod, who was the king. And he was half Jewish, and he was half Edomian. He was Jewish, the grandson of Herod the Great, who, at the time when Jesus was born, had all of the newborn babies, two years and younger, put to death. That was this Herod's grandfather. And he was the nephew of that Herod, who had John the Baptist beheaded, and put to death. And also, the same Herod interrogated Jesus on the night that he was captured and condemned to die on the cross. So it's a different Herod than the previous two. This was Herod Agrippa the first.

So about this time, Herod, who was the king, was the first to die. And stretched forth his hands to vex, or to persecute, certain people of the church. And this persecution had already been realized, or been put into action, for in the second verse he says, and he killed James, the brother of John, with a sword. This was now the first time, that an apostle suffered a martyr's death. We know that Stephen already had suffered a martyr's death, as is mentioned in Acts chapter 6 and chapter 7, who was not one of the twelve disciples. But now, martyrdom is for the first time experienced within the circle of Jesus' twelve disciples.

James was known as one of the leaders of the church at that time. And we can read from some of the writings of the church fathers, for example, Jerome and Tertullian, who said that the more of the blood of the Christians, that were killed, that was spilled, or the more they martyred the Christians and the believers, it was, this blood of the martyrs was as seed, like spreading of the seed. The more they persecuted and martyred the believers, the more Christianity spread throughout the known world at that time.

So now, James was killed. And Peter was next on the list. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded, Herod proceeded further to take Peter, also a leader of the church at that time. And then were the days of unleavened bread. So Passover, which is the time when Jesus was captured, which is somewhat equivalent to our Easter, was a one-day holiday. But then this followed with an eight-day Jewish celebration known as unleavened bread. And the Jews were expected and required to partake in this celebration, if possible, in the city of Jerusalem.

So many times the number of people in the city of Jerusalem swelled many fold, sometimes even grew by tenfold. So there were pilgrims, Jewish pilgrims, from all over the known world at that time, coming and streaming into the city of Jerusalem.

So King Herod, who was half Jew, was, I'm sure, trying to outwardly, to scrupulously observe this Passover festival and then follow with the unleavened bread festival, did not want to break any of its rules by doing any persecution and martyrdom during this special, sacred, church holiday. Neither did he want to cause any uprising or riots by taking a hold of a church leader, especially during these sacred moments.

So what did he do? These were the days of unleavened bread. So when he, Herod, had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quads of angels to keep him, intending after Passover to bring him forth to the people. So King Herod, I'm sure, recalled that when Jesus was imprisoned or put to death and buried in the grave, the grave did not and could not contain him. Jesus rose from the grave, breaking the bonds and bands of death, which was a humiliating defeat for the Jewish leaders, the members of the great council at that time.

But they also remembered earlier when Peter and John had been captured and put into prison, as is recorded in Acts chapter 5. And in a miraculous way, an angel came, opened the doors, and released Peter and John from prison. King Herod, I'm sure, very vividly and clearly remembered that event and did not want it to happen again.

So now he securely, very securely, and very clearly, he has the power to do it. And he very clearly, very securely puts Peter into prison, into the deepest of the dungeons. And typically, a prisoner is put with one soldier in the prison cell. And there is a chain bound to the hand of the prisoner, which is then attached to the hand of the soldier or guard. But now, using all precautions, King Herod sets up 16 guards, rather than one guard. There was four sets of four guards. I mean, four quads. Four sets of quads. And there was four in each quad. And not only that, there was a soldier on each side of Peter, and each one was bound to Peter with ball and chain. Peter, by no means, was going to get loose and escape and become free this time. Like it happened, as recorded in chapter 5.

So Peter, therefore, was kept in prison. But, what was happening? The disciples, the friends, the believing friends, realized and knew that Peter had been captured, and his fate was likely to be the same as James, who had just recently been beheaded. And so they are gathered together in one house. The house of Mary, who was the mother of Mark, the apostle, or the disciple, who wrote the Acts of the Apostles. A house where the believers often gathered. And perhaps the house where the Last Supper was celebrated. In the upper room of one house, as the Bible relates and records for us.

So, the believers were gathered together in that house. And what were they doing in that house? Here, the Bible says, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for Him. The Bible says that the prayer of the righteous person, or the believer, avails much. For and when it is in the truth.

There are many examples of the power of prayer. We remember even Cornelius when he was an unbeliever. Apparently he had an awakened conscience and a troubled soul. He was giving alms and he was praying unceasingly unto God. And the Bible relates that God heard the prayer. And the Bible says that God heard the prayer. He didn't forgive Cornelius his sins in prayer or through prayer. But he had Peter sent unto Cornelius who then preached the gospel unto Cornelius and all of those in his house.

We remember in the Old Testament the story when the nation of Israel was battling against the enemy nation, Amalek. And Moses was on top of the mountain. And he was praying as the leader on behalf of his soldiers. And he kept his hand high in the air. And that was the manner of prayer. We typically today clasp our hands and bow our heads when we pray. And some people may even kneel. In those days they would pray in this way. And perhaps Jesus prayed in that way as well. And that's how Moses was praying with his arms outside his mouth. And he was all stretched in his open palms face towards heaven.

And when Moses prayed the people of Israel were winning the battle against the enemy nation, Amalek. But you try to keep your hands for a while up in the air and how long can you keep them there? Pretty soon they become as heavy as lead and they begin to slowly descend and fall down. And pretty soon you can't even keep them in the air any longer. And when Moses' hands begin to drop down then the enemy nation of Amalek begin to gain the upper hand and begin to win the battle.

So then two escorts, was it Aaron and Hur, came and sat on either side of Moses. And one held Moses' hand up on one side and the other held up Moses' hand on the other side. And the two escorts kept the hands in the air and lo and behold in the end the nation of Israel won that battle.

We also remember that Canaanite woman who was a non-Jewish woman whose child, whose son was troubled by was it epilepsy or high fever or whatever was the illness I can't quite remember. But she needed help and she was in need of help. She was pleading and begging for help and they said, the Bible says that she prayed unceasingly unto Christ that he would help and assist. Christ heard the prayers ask and it shall be given. Christ Jesus came to the aid of that woman and healed her ailing son.

But also we remember an interesting event in the Old Testament also relating about the effects of prayer. When Hezekiah the king who was on the one hand a very good king who did much for the nation of Israel who cleaned up the wrongs that had seeped in and infiltrated the sacrificial worship in the temple of Israel and purified those things and swept them out of the worship service. So on the one hand he did very many good and beneficial things but on the other hand he began to grow in himself and he was tainted by self-righteousness. And he began to even boast and brag about all of the good things that he had done.

So God had to send the prophet Isaiah to speak with him and talk with him and counsel him about his state and his condition. Then in the end Hezekiah had his sins removed and they were as if cast behind the back of God. But then it says that Hezekiah prayed and when he prayed it caused a delayment of judgment. At some point in time he prayed and it says that God moved the sundial back ten degrees or moved the time back ten notches or ten degrees. Does that mean ten hours or ten minutes or ten seconds? In a way it's ten notches. Time will stop and reset ten degrees. So another amazing event of the effects of the power of prayer.

The Bible says in this way Paul writes to the Romans that we as believers often don't even know what to pray for. And we as believers have the Holy Spirit which intercedes on our behalf and prays wordless sighs that are brought up to the ears of God the Heavenly Father.

And so all the disciples knew is that Peter was imprisoned and waiting for his martyr's death. And they feared the bad outcome that may happen after he is brought out of prison. But they don't know what actually they prayed for and what happened in the end.

So Peter was kept in prison but prayer was made without ceasing by the church of God on his behalf. And when Herod would have brought him forth the following night, so who knows how many nights he had already been in prison but now it was the last night perhaps Passover was passed and now the eight days of unleavened bread was now passed and tomorrow was now the first day of the week after the eight nine day holiday. And Herod would sure to come and bring him before those who would put him to death.

So the same night, the last night of his life, supposed last night of his life, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains not as it typically was one soldier with one chain but a soldier on each side each one bound to him with a chain and the keepers before the door kept the prison. So a total of sixteen guards were there guarding Peter that night.

Today is St. Michael's Day or Michaelmas Day and the theme of today is angels and children. So why was this text chosen for today? It must somehow fit in with this theme of angels and children.

Often we speak about children today there was a baptism and a very appropriate day for a baptism when we speak about children who are the examples of God's kingdom. Who offends one of these little ones says Jesus it would be best that a millstone would be bound around that person's neck and they would be drowned into the depths of the sea because they believe upon me.

And the theme of angels Jesus continues in that same portion that their angels the angels of the children see the face of God the heavenly father there in heaven. So angel means messenger and lo and behold when the apostles, the disciples, the believers were gathered together in the house of Mary the mother of the disciple Mark, the evangelist Mark, praying on behalf of Peter what happens? And behold the angel of the Lord came upon him and said to Peter and Peter they are in prison and not only did an angel come but a light shined in the prison and what was Peter doing? Knowing that tomorrow would be his faithful end of his life and Peter was sleeping soundly as if there wasn't a care in the worry or a worry in the world in fact when the angel had to come he had to kind of nudge him with his elbow Peter wake up he was sleeping soundly and he smote Peter he struck Peter on the side he raised him up saying arise up quickly and what happened? and his chains fell off from his hands the chains in a miraculous way just opened and fell to the ground he was a free man but what about the 16 guards the four sets of four guards and the angel said unto him gird thyself or tie your belt tie your robe tightly around yourself with your belt put on your sandals and so he did and he said the angel said unto him put your garment upon yourself and follow me and he Peter went out and followed him the angel but Peter thought that this must be a dream that was it true which was being done by the angel for he thought that he had seen or was seen a vision but they went past the first set of guards past the second set of guards of four the third and the fourth through four doors each having a set of four guards and when they were past the first and the second ward and they came to the iron gate that leadeth unto the city which opened to them of its own accord so the door fell open and they went out and they passed through one street in the middle of the city the angel disappeared and Peter was left alone all by himself and when Peter was come to himself suddenly he realized that it's not a vision it is true this is reality he said now I know of a surety I know for sure that the Lord has sent his angel and has delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews all the Jews expected it tomorrow Peter the apostle one of the leaders in the church will die at the hand of King Herod that was the fate everyone expected.

And when he had considered the thing he came to the house of Mary and said Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark Mark the apostle the writer of the gospel according to Saint Mark this is where the believers as I mentioned earlier often gathered they didn't have such things as church buildings as we have today they didn't come for another 150 years so when the word church was used back in those days and in the original meaning of the church the church means the assembly together of the saints wherever they would gather in the catacombs or in someone's house when believers came together the church was assembled where two or three are gathered together in my name I am there so the church the assembly of the saints the believers were gathered together at this time now in the house of Mary the mother of the evangelist Mark and when he had considered the thing he came to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark where many were gathered together praying and what were they praying for they were praying for the release of Peter that the life of Peter would be spared that he wouldn't have to die at the hand of the sword of Herod like James and as Peter knocked at the door of the gate a damsel who was apparently the maid of the house came to the hearken heard the knocking of the door and her name is Rhoda so there was a house and there was a fence and a gate around the house and so Peter was knocking at the gate surrounding the courtyard and the house was a distance of many yards from the fence or the gate to the house and so Peter was there knocking and Rhoda came to the front door and did she even cross the courtyard and come to the gate but she heard the voice calling out as he was knocking on the door and when she knew Peter's voice she didn't even open up the gate she was so astonished so surprised she did not open up the gate for gladness but ran in and told how Peter stood outside the gate what was the response of the people the believers there gathered in that house and they said unto her you're mad, you're crazy you're out of your mind you must be hearing things you must be imagining things they were praying that Peter would be released and his life would be spared and now when it happened they didn't believe it they couldn't believe it would happen it would actually be true and they said unto her you are mad but she constantly affirmed that it was so then they said it is his angel well the word angel again is a wrong word here in the King James Bible it should be spirit it is his spirit they thought that she was seeing his spirit or the ghost of Peter who had already probably died at the hand of the sword of King Herod was their assumption but Peter continued knocking and when they had opened the door and saw him they were astonished but he beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace quiet down let me just tell you what happened declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison and he said go show these things unto James well there was an earlier James that was mentioned who was martyred who was dead but this was another James this was James who was the brother of Jesus himself so go tell these things unto James and to the brethren and Peter departed and went unto another place.

And Peter departed after this there is no more mention basically of Peter in the Bible there is mention of Peter in Acts chapter 15 when he appears at the meeting in the city of Jerusalem other than that Paul mentions when he writes to the Galatians of his visit in Jerusalem in the second chapter in Galatians and of course we know that Peter wrote two epistles but other than this Peter disappears from the pages of the Bible to be mentioned no more but we know that Peter according to the prophecy of Jesus that he would also eventually die a martyr's death and this Jesus says himself I say unto you when you were young you girded yourself or dressed yourself and walked wherever you wanted to but when you shall be old you shall stretch forth your hands and another shall gird you or take you captive and carry you whether or where you don't want to go predicting the martyr's death the eventual martyr's death of Peter the apostle.

So now Peter disappears but as soon as day broke there was no small stir in fact there was a great disturbance among the soldiers what happened to Peter it is as if the soldiers were put into a trance didn't even realize what had happened when they woke up the prison doors were open the prisoner Peter had escaped and the prison cell was empty whenever a guard is guarding a prisoner and the prisoner escapes we know what the fate is for the prison guard they are responsible they have to answer with their own life.

When Herod had sought for him and found him not Peter was looking for Peter and didn't find him. Herod examined the jail keepers and commanded that they should be put to death and he went down after this from Judea onto Caesarea which was his summer palace and there he spent some time apparently alone and there he abode.

And Herod was highly displeased with them of the city of Sidon these were coastal cities pagan cities and which depended highly upon the area of Galilee which was like the bread basket is where they received their grain for food for these cities and but they came with one accord to him having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend desired peace because they were not by the king's country so there's some sort of struggle going on between King Herod now in these two cities Tyre and Sidon which needed food and grain and olive oil from the area of Galilee.

And upon a set day Herod arrayed in royal garment sat upon his throne and made an oration unto them and the people gave a shout saying it is the voice of God not the voice of man for some reason the people are honoring him or bowing down to him and worshiping him as some sort of God and not even as a human being or as a man.

And the people and immediately now we see on this Michaelmas day the day of angels an angel again appears as we remember the people in the house of Mary the church that was assembled there was praying and as I mentioned Paul writes to the Romans that often we don't know what we're even praying for what our needs are what our wants are what is the will of God what we should even pray to God for but we have the Holy Spirit who is an intercessor who prays on our behalf to God the Heavenly Father even wordless sighs which are brought to the heart of God.

So they were praying and Peter was released but now they were praying earlier and now the prayers are answered in another way which was very unexpected did they even realize what they may have been praying for or what the result of their prayer would be and immediately the angels of the Lord smote him King Herod because he gave not God the glory he didn't give glory to God so now God sent an angel and smote King Herod and Herod was eaten of worms and gave up the ghost.

As we mentioned earlier Acts of the Apostles is a book of history of the church the early church and at times it tells of great expansion and great revivals and great growth where many thousands at a time were receiving the grace of repentance but then at other times we hear that the church experienced persecution and opposition and many were having to experience a martyr's death because of the confession of their faith but we can see that God's hand, God's protecting hand was still with them guarding them and leading them amidst even the victories trials but also amidst the victories.

But now James dies at the sword of King Herod and it looks like Peter would suffer the same fate but no miraculous way is released but that great opposition coming from the hand of King Herod receives a fateful setback and God puts that cruel king to death but then we can see how the work of God then continues but the word of God grew and again it multiplies.

And chapter 12 then concludes and Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry and took with them John whose surname was Mark.

So this is a very interesting story which gives reason for encouragement during our walk of faith even though we may not experience things in the same miraculous way as the apostles did during the time of the early church as is mentioned here in the Acts of the Apostles but this we can be assured of that God is with us God is guarding us God is protecting us and as the Bible surely says each one of us as believers have our own guardian angel an angel that is with us protecting us and supporting us on our way.

And when we are able to make it to the end of our journey and close our eyes to this life and to this world it will happen as is mentioned that happened with Lazarus that his soul was taken by an angel to the bosom of Abraham to await that final resurrection and when Jesus comes his second time the graves will open the sea will give up its own and Jesus will come with all of his angels the heavens will empty itself of all of its angels and they will come together every believer from every corner of the world wherever those souls may be and bring them up into the winds and the clouds to be forever with Christ Jesus there in glory.

So we have reason to be happy and joyful and even encouraged even though we may experience trials and tribulations and oppression and doubts and even afflicted by sin even now you can where you are as you may find yourself believe sins forgiven in Jesus name and precious atonement blood the power of the gospel will lift us carry us and bring us one day to our eternal home in heaven in Jesus name.