Peter in Prison
A Sermon on Acts 12:5
Scripture
5Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
Sermon Description
The world is increasingly hostile to Christian beliefs. With all the difficulties facing the church today, how will it withstand the forces against it? In this sermon on Acts 12:5, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones draws from the biblical account of Peter’s miraculous release from prison and encourages believers to unite together in prayer in order to see God’s work in the world and His church. “A characteristic of the church we must never forget,” Dr Lloyd-Jones says, “is that we are one.” When Peter was put in jail, the entire church came together to pray for him. If the Christian has become discouraged with prayers because they do not see them being answered, they are not alone. The early church endured similar tests of faith. Although they did not recognize it at the time, God was working behind the scenes to answer their prayers for Peter and when they were told by their servant girl that he had been miraculously released and was at the front door, they did not believe her. Listen as Dr Lloyd-Jones helps the listener understand why prayer in the community of a church is so important, and how they can trust God when they don’t see Him acting.
Sermon Breakdown
- The early church faced persecution and opposition from the start. The world is opposed to the Christian message and faith.
- The church today faces persecution in some parts of the world, like behind the iron curtain. Some Christians face imprisonment, concentration camps, trials, etc.
- We must know how to face the forces against us. We may have to face persecution ourselves.
- We must understand the character of the forces against us. They are based on unreasoning prejudice and passion, not reason. People hate the gospel.
- King Herod stretched out his hands to vex the church for no reason. He killed James and arrested Peter to please the Jews.
- Herod couldn't kill Peter right away because it was the Days of Unleavened Bread. He had to wait until after Easter.
- Peter was sleeping soundly on what he knew was his last night of life. This shows God had given him peace in answer to the church's prayers.
- The church was praying earnestly for Peter. They were suffering with him. We must suffer with our persecuted brethren today.
- Prayer was the only weapon the church had, and it's our greatest weapon too. But do we really believe in our prayers?
- God answered prayer by sending an angel to deliver Peter, astonishing even Peter. God's answers astonish us by exceeding our expectations.
- God didn't answer prayer until the last moment to test the church's faith and make Herod's downfall more complete.
- God allowed Herod to oppose the church so He could strike him down and show His power, as He has done throughout church history.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions and Answers on Prayer and Persecution
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the character of opposition against the Christian church?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, opposition to the Christian church is based on "nothing but some kind of unreasoning prejudice or passion." He explains that "people hate the gospel" and "the natural mind is enmity against God." The ultimate reason for opposition is that "man wants to be God himself and he sets himself up and he worships himself." This is illustrated in the sermon through King Herod's behavior, who persecuted Christians without reason and eventually accepted worship as a god.
How did God answer the prayers of the church for Peter's deliverance in two distinct ways?
God answered the church's prayers for Peter in two ways. First, He gave Peter supernatural peace - Peter was sound asleep on what was supposed to be his last night alive, demonstrating "the peace of God that passeth all understanding." Second, God miraculously delivered Peter through an angel who freed him from prison in a dramatic, physical intervention. Both answers were supernatural in nature - the peace of mind and the physical deliverance.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the timing of God's answers to prayer?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that "sometimes God does not answer prayer until the very last moment." He explains that God delays answers for several reasons: (1) to test our faith, (2) to train us and help us mature spiritually - "If God answered our prayers immediately at the beginning, we'd never grow," and (3) to make the final discomfiture of opponents complete. God sometimes allows situations to reach their most desperate point before intervening to demonstrate His power and sovereignty.
According to the sermon, why were the praying Christians unable to believe that Peter had been released?
The praying Christians couldn't believe Peter had been released because they had unconsciously limited God's power in their minds. Despite faithfully praying for his deliverance, when it actually happened, they told Rhoda "thou art mad" and suggested it must be "his angel." Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out this irony: "The people who are full of faith... when they're told that Peter has been delivered and is standing at the gate, they not only don't believe it, they tell this girl that she is mad." This demonstrates how even faithful believers can put limitations on what they expect God to do.
What lesson does Dr. Lloyd-Jones draw from the story regarding how Christians should face persecution today?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that the ultimate weapon of the church against persecution is prayer. He criticizes the church's tendency to form committees and write reports instead of relying on prayer. He emphasizes that Christians must: (1) understand the unity of the church - "when one member suffers, all the others suffer with him," (2) have faith in prayer that doesn't limit God's power - "ask great things of God, expect great things from God," and (3) remember God's pattern of vindicating His church throughout history. He reminds listeners that despite many predictions of Christianity's demise, "God will arise and suddenly by some angel he will smite" opposing powers.
What does the sermon teach about the connection between prayer and peace in difficult circumstances?
The sermon teaches that through prayer, God grants supernatural peace even in the most difficult circumstances. Dr. Lloyd-Jones highlights Peter's ability to sleep soundly on what he believed was his last night alive as evidence of "the peace of God that passeth all understanding." He references Philippians 4 which promises that when we bring our requests to God "with prayer and supplication and thanksgiving," we receive peace regardless of whether our specific request is answered as expected. This peace is described as a divine gift that "nothing can possibly disturb" and has been experienced by countless martyrs and saints throughout church history.
Itinerant Preaching
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.