Who Is In Control? - Week 17 - Study Notes

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who is in control

ACTS 12

This weekend, we will consider a matter that on one side, offers great hope to Christians while, on the other, leads to lots of confusion. What am I talking about? I'm talking about God's sovereignty over the entire universe. Christians believe – have always believed -- that God is good, all-powerful, involved in this world, and in control of all that transpires in the universe. This truth makes hope possible in our hurting world hope, i.e., that the God who loves us with an everlasting love is willing and able to bring something beautiful out of anything that happens in our lives. Indeed, he has promised to do so.

But, the confusion comes when we experience things that make it seem like things other than God in this world are in control. When things seem to be going wrong all around us, we sometimes wonder all sorts of things: Is God really able to accomplish his promises? Is he truly involved in every aspect of his creation? Does God exist at all? Many, many of the struggles people come in to talk with me about or to pray about have to do with this larger question of whether God actually is sovereign over all.

So, let me begin by showing you a few verses that declare the truth of God's sovereignty:

· Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might; in your hand there is power... to give strength to all (1 Chronicles 29:11-12).

· I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, "My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose" (Isaiah 46:10).

· We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

CS Lewis wrote about this perhaps more than anyone. In his Problem of Pain, Lewis wrote: No cause other than himself produces God's acts and no external obstacle impedes them. His own goodness is the root from which they all grow and his own omnipotence the air in which they all flower. Still, Lewis himself talks of the struggle of putting this conviction together with the fact that there are things seriously wrong in the world. He wrote in his Christian Reflections, "There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan. Still, the ultimate triumph of God should never be in question according to Lewis because God alone is God. He wrote, "God can no more be in competition with a creature than Shakespeare can be in competition with Viola." (One of Shakespeare's best-known characters from his Twelfth Night.)

But, what does this all look like in our daily lives? We know that we're made in God's image and that we make real choices and our real choices have consequences. The consequences of sinful and selfish human choices have led to a world that often seems out of control ever since Adam and Eve took a stand against God in Genesis 3. So, how does all this fit together? Let me admit right now that I cannot fully grasp how our sovereign God works in this world so that our choices matter but God's purposes nonetheless will not be thwarted. But, I do know that the main way the Bible teaches us is through real life stories. And there is no chapter that does so better than the one we come to this weekend, i.e., Acts 12. It's been one of the most beloved stories of the Bible throughout the history of the church. You've already heard it read in the service so I won't re-tell it to you. Instead, let's look at what it teaches us about who really is in control.

Foundationally, Acts 12 is about Herod versus God. One evil man (Herod) seems to be in control in the beginning but God ultimately proves he is in control. One Christian leader (James) dies and another (Peter) experiences a dramatic miraculous rescue. People who are praying experience God saying "no" in one instance and "yes" in the next. I read this chapter and feel it is a compressed version of how I experience life as a believer.

Let's let Acts 12 guide us. Here is my prayer for us this week: I am praying we all will respond to Acts 12 by 1) praying more fervently, 2) living more obediently, and 3) trusting God more fully.

Mystery of God's Sovereignty

Acts 12 begins with Herod killing one of God's children and ends with God taking Herod's life. So, if you just read the beginning, you'll think Herod was the one who was in control. This Herod is Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great who was king when Jesus was born and ordered the infants killed in Bethlehem. The Herod of Acts 12 was brought up in Rome and made king in Judea and by the emperors Caligula and Claudius. What happened in vv. 1-4 led to many people who only had a limited human perspective thinking that Herod truly was the great power in their world. That's clear from the way the people from Tyre and Sidon treated him in 12:20-22. They treated Herod like god.

We have many things in our lives that seem to be in control: our bosses, teachers, disease, an addiction, gang leaders, tyrants in the Middle East, etc. etc. What might seem to be the controlling power in your life right now? What is it that might make it seem that God is not in control? If you can identify those things that seem to complete with God for being in control of your world, you'll be able to relate to this chapter.

In vv. 1-2 there is a brief and gruesome description of what Herod did to James. Jesus had told James in Mark 10:39 that he would taste this kind of death. Herod's killing James "by the sword" probably means a beheading. According to Luke, Herod did this cruel act simply because he wanted the acclaim of the Jewish people. Then, in v. 3, when Herod saw how happy this unjust use of power made the people, Herod also seized Peter as a deliberate attempt to destroy the church by systematically removing its leadership.

But, what happens in Acts 12 is that we eventually see that Herod was not ultimately in control. There is a greater power at work in this world. Those of you who study literature will recognize an I-shaped plot with Herod – like writing the letter "I", Herod starts high and ends low. In v. 1, Herod had a position of what seemed to be unlimited prestige and power but by v. 23 he was eaten by worms. And, in v.24, the Word of God that Herod sought to destroy "increases and multiplies."

So, if you stopped reading the story at v. 3, you would say, "There is no God." But, if you don't give up too soon, you discover in God's time that God is God. Already we learn that we must learn to wait upon God to do whatever it is that he has been planning to do since eternity past. God says he is working out a plan that, when we see it at the end, we will know that God was always worthy of trust.

As Matt Barnes said to me, "The theme of Acts 12 is Herod versus God... Herod seems to be ahead... No, God wins!!" The mystery of this is how God accomplishes his purposes while still allowing us to be human beings bearing his image. His plan includes us making morally responsible choices. That's what Herod was doing. But, even the king could not unseat the King over all kings.

Let's see how this works out:

Indicators of a higher power

Peter's situation in 12:4 was dire. He would have already been beheaded except that a festival was going on. So, he was in jail. And the security in his prison was formidable – Peter was bound with chains, watched by two sentries even while he was asleep, guarded by two additional sentries outside the entrance, and all of it behind an iron gate. Amazingly, Peter was fast asleep. He was at peace fully trusting God's purposes while his brothers and sisters were in vigilant and unceasing prayer for him.

God's people were praying according to v. 5. I'm quite sure they were praying in part for Peter's release. If so, they were a lot like us. They prayed for something and then, when it happened, they didn't believe it. Peter at first thought that the angelic liberator was just a dream. (Remember that he had just experienced 3 dreams from God in Acts 10.) In v. 11, he finally said, "Oh, this is real life. What do I do now?" So, he went to the church gathering and knocked at the door. It's a great story. When the servant Rhoda saw Peter, she was shocked and let the door slam in Peter's face. Rhoda ran to tell the others, "Peter is at the door!" But they couldn't believe it. They could only think of two options: either 1) Rhoda must be out of her mind or 2) this victory at the door must be Peter's angel. (I don't know why they thought those were more likely options than that Peter was there. But I can relate to them. I've sometimes prayed diligently for something and then, when it happened, I couldn't believe God had done it. Have you ever experienced that?)

My point here is that God sends us these evidences of his presence and power in this world – if only we have the eyes to recognize them. Even this marvelous deliverance from prison was not the conclusion of God's work. Peter was out of prison – but 20 years later he would die upside down on a cross. One Christian was rescued in Acts 12, but soon others would be imprisoned. What I believe is that God gives us evidence in this fallen world that he is here and at work. But still, we have to wait and trust him for him to complete his purposes in his way and his time.

CS Lewis tried to capture this truth in the first book of his Narnia Chronicles. When the young girl Lucy first entered into Narnia, she entered a frozen world under the awful reign of the White Witch who had proclaimed herself to be queen (much like Herod in Acts 12). It was a world of oppression, injustice and death in which, as Lewis so unforgettably described it, "Was always winter and never Christmas." But, in the story, there were evidences of another power being afoot in the world. There was places of thawing and plants flourishing. Those beginning times of warmth and thawing were not all that the prophecies had promised. And there were still some huge battles to be faced. But, a higher power was present and, for those who had eyes to see, the victory of goodness was being declared. That's what I see happening in Acts 12.

And God is still making himself known today. Two people in our church have told me rather beautiful ways that God does is making himself known. (I won't tell you their names but, soon, we may let them tell you in a service.) One husband and one wife came to me in this past month and said something like this: "Pastor Greg, I'm shocked by what's happened in my home. For years I've prayed for my spouse. But he/she only seemed to walk farther and farther away from God. But then, out of the blue, he/she started showing up at church. Now, he/she is a believer in Jesus. He/she is getting me up to go to church!" In those cases, you and I know that there is still much for God to do in each life and in each marriage. But, there are evidences of God's rule being here if only we have the faith to pray for them and the eyes to see them. They are indications that the sovereign power of God is real and someday will be seen in its fullness. They are evidences of what Jesus called "the kingdom of God."

Strategies while we wait:

One of the really hard parts for us is how we actually live when other powers seem to be at work so powerfully in this yet-incomplete world. But, again, I see Acts 12 to be a powerful chapter teaching us how to live. Do you remember that I said I have a prayer for us this weekend? Here it is again: I am praying we all will respond to Acts 12 by 1) praying more fervently, 2) living more obediently, and 3) trusting God more fully.

#1: Let us pray fervently

V. 5 is a powerful transition from the doom that seemed to reign in vv. 1-4. What I believe is that there is an invincible and personal power present and working out a wonderful plan in our universe. That Power, that "He", has given us a great gift. We have access to him through prayer. The word translated "earnest" or "fervent" prayer in v. 5 is significant. It means "stretched out". You get the picture, don't you? When we pray in tough times, we reach out for help to the only one who truly can help. It's the word used for Jesus' prayer in the garden in Luke 22:44. I hope you grasp the idea. We pray, "Other things seem to be in control in your world, God. We reach out to you. We plead with you to make your power known."

Don't misunderstand me: Prayer is not a divine potion or a magic want that gets us whatever we want. God is in control even when we pray. But, the Bible is clear that prayer makes a difference in the course of history. Paul described that divine/human interplay in prayer when he was in prison. In Philippians 1:19, he wrote, I know that through your prayers and God's provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.

There is power in earnest prayer. In particular, Acts 12 is teaching us that there is a particular power when we pray together as a church family. Prayer in Acts 12 is family prayer and not just individual prayer. We do not always get the answers we might ask for as the contrast between James and Peter so clearly demonstrates. Still the point is that "the fervent prayer of righteous people is powerful and effective" (James 5:16).

Let's apply this to our church today: In Acts 12, one thing is crystal clear for us as a church, i.e., when we gather and our brothers and sisters are in distress, we should pray. In Acts 12:5, as Peter was in prison and in a situation beyond human help, his fellow church members were praying earnestly. In that case, God intervened miraculously and Peter was set free.

Today, we gather as a church family and some of our family members are in prison in the Middle East. Some details about their situation are reported in our worship folder. Increasingly, it seems that a solution to their situation is beyond human means. Amazingly, our imprisoned brother and sister seem to be filled with the peace of Christ in spite of their troubles – just as Peter was. So, what should we be doing? I think God's Word is showing us that we should be praying earnestly. That's what we'll take time to do now.

Let's stop to pray together. I'll put the picture of our brother and sister up on the screen for you to see. Take some time right now to pray for them. You may pray individually where you are sitting. Or, you may turn to those around you and pray aloud with them. Let's pray and, as we pray, let's pray earnestly.

#2: Let us live obediently

James, Peter and the church were all faithful to God – even while human perspectives might have said, "You should be as obedient to King Herod as the people of Tyre and Sidon were in vv. 20-22." Jesus had told them to be his witnesses. They were obedient to him and ended up in prison. God had told them to trust him so Peter trusted him – sleeping in prison while he awaited what seemed to be an inevitable beheading. God had told them to pray – so they prayed even thought their faith was still weak. They didn't see or understand all God was doing – but they obeyed until they saw the glory of God.

And that's what I want you to learn to do. Are you in a tough place now? Give witness to Jesus wherever you are. Be faithful in your life wherever you are. Spend time in prayer. Do not miss worshipping and serving in church. Whatever God in his wisdom allows you to go through, your primary commitment should always be to obedience. When you obey him, you will eventually see that he is God.

#3: Let us trust God fully

God's promise is that he will someday make all things right. Then, we will see, no longer as in a shaded glass darkly, but we will see as he sees. Evil will be judged – God will prevail. The Word of God will never be fettered even while its bearers may sometimes be bound (2 Tim. 2:9).

What I want to ask you to do today is engage in a conscious act of faith. Just like when you became a Christian, entrust whatever seems to be out of control to him. As Jesus in John 14 said when his disciples could not understand his impending death, "Don't let your hearts be troubled, you trust God. Trust me. I know where I'm going. I know what I'm doing. I'm doing it for you. I'm laying down my life for you. Trust me."

Luke put this chapter together to make this plain for the early church: you may feel small and insignificant in your world; you may think that you are overpowered when other things seem to be in control of your lives. But the truth is: if you stay with Jesus, you win, and if you oppose him, you lose. So be encouraged. Be bold and courageous to spread the good news about Jesus and leave the outcome to God.

And that brings us to communion... 

To His glory,

Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor