The Sovereign Hand of God amidst Fierce Opposition Acts: The Unfinished Story of the Church Series [25] Acts 12:1-25 September 2, 2012 Pastor Paul K. Kim

COMMON PITFALLS OF MISAPPLYING GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY IN AFFLICTIONS Pitfall #1: FORMULA “If I do my Christian life right, God will always do what is expected of him to do.” Pitfall #2: BELIEVISM “Just do ABC—Ask, Believe and Claim it.” Pitfall #3: AMERICAN WAY “God helps those who help themselves.” Pitfall #4: INERTIA/PASSIVITY “What is the point of prayer? God will do whatever he wills anyway.”

20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. Acts 11:20-21

WHAT DOES ACTS 12 TEACH US ABOUT THE SOVEREIGN HAND OF GOD? 1) The sovereign hand of God may appear to be ABSENT at times from our limited point of view. 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, 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. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. (vs.1-5)  This was the new level of opposition—from the king Herod Agrippa I whose goal was political popularity and self-glory.  This may seem as if God’s mighty hand is absent here with the beheading of James and imprisonment of Peter.  But, the truth is that we only see a small part of the reality in afflictions—furthermore, God’s way is not our ways.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

WHAT DOES ACTS 12 TEACH US ABOUT THE SOVEREIGN HAND OF GOD? 2) The sovereign hand of God is the sure source of REST & RESCUE for us in times of affliction. 6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night… 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... 9 And he went out and followed him… 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. 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.” (vs. 6-11)  How could Peter sleep so well? We see transformed Peter whose trust [i.e., rest] was in the sovereign hand of God.  Moreover, God’s hand rescued Peter from the hand of Herod.  In afflictions, we can also trust in God’s sovereign care for rest and rescue (at times physically; but always spiritually).

WHAT DOES ACTS 12 TEACH US ABOUT THE SOVEREIGN HAND OF GOD? 3) The sovereign hand of God does NOT eliminate the need for prayer but, rather BECKONS US TO PRAY more earnestly. 12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary 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… And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place. (vs.12-17)  Earnest prayers were being offered by the church this time around—i.e., they were dependent on God’s sovereign care!  Trusting in God’s sovereignty is not passive but active.  We are also to pray more earnestly for God’s intervention in afflictions, being active in our faith in sovereign God.

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. (vs )

WHAT DOES ACTS 12 TEACH US ABOUT THE SOVEREIGN HAND OF GOD? 4) The sovereign hand of God reveals God’s DECISIVE POWER AND GLORY in due time. 20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. (vs )  Herod was in illusion of being in control and power; that he deserves his self-glory. But, this was his ultimate folly.  When the hand of God moves, it is conclusive and absolute.  The sober lesson is to give ourselves a reality check of our own illusion of autonomy and self-glory apart from sovereign God.

24 But the word of God increased and multiplied. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark. (vs )

God’s Way of Demonstrating the Ultimate Folly This is God's way of demonstrating the ultimate folly of the person who thinks that he can live without God, who thinks that we are not dependent people... The great tragedy of the American nation is that, more often than not, in a sense, we are saying to God, "Please, God, I'd rather do it myself!" We want to do it all ourselves. But God strikes, oftentimes, to remind us that our very life, our very breath, all that we have and are, is coming from him, and that we are fools to think that we can exist and live, act and react, on our own—that we have some power of our own, apart from him, that we can operate on. This episode shows how blinded, how distorted, how tragically twisted becomes the thinking of men who depart from a sense of dependence upon God. God oftentimes teaches lessons like this to whole nations. I sometimes think that is the meaning of the tragic assassinations, brought upon us this past decade, of some of our national leaders. It is God's way of saying to America, "You don't have what it takes. You can't live independently of me." - Ray C. Stedman

THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE 1.When the sovereign hand of God seems absent in my afflictions, what do I need to remind myself? 2.If the sovereign hand of God is indeed the sure source of rest and rescue, what would it mean for me to trust in God in my current life circumstances? 3.In what ways can the sovereign hand of God be a motivating factor for me to pray more earnestly?