Deliverance by a Miracle

Thesis: The Bible teaches that no thing can separate us from the love of God, except one thing: our refusal to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

The Martyrdom of James

A. Exegesis

1. James and Stephen
   • James the Apostle, martyrdom in verse 1
   • Stephen the Deacon, martyrdom over 2 chapters
2. James and Peter
   • James the Apostle is martyred but delivered through death.
   • Peter the Apostle is delivered through divine intervention.
   • Both are delivered from Herod.
3. James and John, the “Sons of Thunder”
   • They asked Jesus for the favor of places of high honor in His Kingdom; they did not want to be parted from each other in the Kingdom.
   • James was martyred; delivered into the Kingdom.
   • John died of old age (100 or more); delivered through time.
4. James and James
   • James the Apostle got what he asked for, and what he got was years of service, a taste of persecution, and finally the swish of the headsman’s sword.
   • James the Brother of Jesus becomes an Apostle.

B. Illustration

Louis Braille as a boy was playing with a leather strap. He wanted to make a mask out of it, so he got a leather awl to punch holes in it because he wanted to see. He accidentally poked the leather awl into his eye. The infection that followed spread to the other eye, leaving him completely blind. Braille went to school for the blind and excelled. After he was grown, he spoke once to an Army officer who told him about night writing–a way to communicate without speaking in battle.

Louis Braille took the idea and developed an alphabet for the blind to read, using their fingers. Though not accepted until after his death, the Braille alphabet represented freedom and great advancements in education for the blind. Interestingly, the tool that Louis Braille used to develop his alphabet was a leather awl, the same device that blinded him as a child.

God can take all of our life experiences and use them to make us more like Him and to be used by Him.

C. Application–>Romans 14:7-8, Whether out lives are long like the Apostle John’s or short like the Apostle James’, “living or dying, we belong to the Lord.”

Peter’s Imprisonment

A. Exegesis

1. The Strength of the Helpless
   • “Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”
     • Pompous Preparations: 16 soldiers, 2 chains, 3 guarded gates
     • What did the helpless Christian have? Prayer!
   • There is another eloquent “but” at the end of the chapter. “Herod was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God continued to increase and spread.”

   • Alexander Maclaren: “So here are revealed the strength of the weak, the armor of the unarmed, the defense of the defenseless. If the Christian Church in its times of persecution and affliction had kept itself to the one weapon that is allowed it, it would have been more conspicuously victorious. And if we, in our individual lives would remember the lesson of that eloquent “but,” we should be less frequently brought to perplexity and reduced to something bordering on despair.”

2. The Delay of Deliverance
   • Peter slept
   • The Church prayed
   • The Night before execution, deliverance

B. Illustration

God answers prayer; sometimes, when hearts are weak,

He give the very gifts believers seek.

But often faith must learn a deeper rest,

And trust God’s silence, when He does not speak;

For He Whose name is Love will send the best.

Stars may burn out nor mountain walls endure,

But God is true; His promises are sure

To those who speak.  –M. G. Plantz

C. Application–When we are the weakest, that’s when we’re the strongest, 2 Corinthians 12:9.

The Angel’s Touch

A. Exegesis

1. To minister to the saint, v. 7, providing guidance, support, protection, deliverance, and comfort (see 1 Kings 19:5-8; Psalm 34:7; Daniel 6:22; Acts 12:7-11; Acts 27:23-24).
2. To Curse, afflict, and destroy the sinner, v. 23 (see Genesis 19:1-13; Judges 5:23; and 2 Samuel 24:15-17).
3. cf. the New Age
   • Betty Eadie, Embraced by the Light, a Mormon: “all people as spirits in the pre-mortal world took part in the creation of the earth; we assisted God in the development of plants and animal life.”
   • Sophy Burnham, A Book of Angels and in the TV special, In Search of Angels, said: “It may be that humans evolve into angels after we die, after many lifetimes of living and dying.” Burnham combines reincarnation belief with angel encounters. A narrator on the same show said: “Angels have majesty and omniscience.”

B. Application

1. Only God is Omniscient. To place angels on the same level as God is angel worship and heresy.
2. The Bible teaches that the prerequisite for an angel to ministry to you, instead of cursing and afflicting you, is to become a child of God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Peter Locked Out of the House

A. Exegesis

1. Emotional Rose forgets her first duty–open the door.
2. Disciples debate the claims of Rhoda.

B. Illustration

The drought of the past winter threatened the crop in a village of Crete. The priest told his flock: “There isn’t anything that will save us, except a special prayer service for rain. Go to your homes, fast during the week, believe and come on Sunday for the prayer service.”

The villagers heard him, fasted during the week, and went to church on Sunday morning. But as soon as the priest saw them, he was furious. He said, “Go away, I will not do the prayer service. You do not believe.”

“But Father,” they protested, “we fasted and we believe.”

“Believe, do you? Where are your umbrellas?”

C. Application–Some things have to be believed to be seen.

Conclusion

Just as Peter stood at the door knocking, Jesus stands at our church doors knocking. Will we let Him in?

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