Sermon Synopsis 7/16/23

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

Acts 12:1-16 NKJV 
Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. 5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” 12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. 15 But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” 16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

1. INTRODUCTION 
   1. It is important to know God specializes in snatching us out of the hands of the enemy. If you will remember, God rescued Daniel from the Lion’s Den and Paul and Silas were delivered at midnight from a jail cell.
   1. What we go through doesn’t catch God by surprise. God has made plans for your exit, even before you got into your situation. God has more power than whatever is after you. In your mind, maybe the time clock is ticking, and you think God should step in by a certain time, but know that God doesn’t act when you think He should. God has a plan whereby you will come out better than you were.
   1. Know that what God has done before; He can do it again.
   1. In the text, God delivered Peter out of his jail situation.
      1. In Acts 1, the promise of the Holy Ghost is given. In Acts 2, we see the presence of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 3, we see the power of the Holy Spirit.
      1. Being a Christian in early Century was problematic. In Acts 4, the church grows by leaps and bounds. In Acts 6, a man named Stephen has created a stir among the town concerning God’s people. In Acts 7, Stephen is being stoned and while being stoned, he gave praises to God. Scripture says being full of the Holy Spirit, he was able to gaze into heaven and see Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
      1. Now in Acts 8, Christian’s are being targeted for persecution. People have to hide in order to worship. In Acts 9, the chief persecutor of Believers becomes a mouthpiece for God. Saul becomes Paul.
      1. In Acts 10, Peter says that food that they were historically not allowed to eat was now ok to eat. In Acts 11, the Gospel Jesus has preached tells the Gentiles that they now have a place in the Kingdom, just like the Jews. Now Jesus has declared that he has come not only to preach to Jews but also the Gentiles.
   1. Now we get to where the text is. A certain sect of people was so upset, they go after Peter. Peter was the self-proclaimed Leader of the Disciples. They arrest Peter and now he is on death row. They won’t kill him until after the Passover, so they hold him in jail. Peter is on death row, scheduled to die the next day. Meanwhile, the Church is praying for him over at Mary’s house.

1. THE PLOT OF YOUR ADVERSARY 
2. There was a plot and scheme against Believers during the time this scripture takes place.
3. Something you must know is:

1. The Enemy Is Intimidated by Your Anointing 
2. When the hand of God is on your life, it will trigger great adversary attacks. This should help you understand why you get attacked so much.
   1. The Enemy Wants to Take You Out 
3. The enemy wants to take you out because of your influence. God’s plans are greater than the enemy’s plan to take you out.
4. Peter is on death row. If he is on death row and dying the next day, shouldn’t he be nervous? Instead of being nervous or worrying about what is to come, Peter is asleep.

1. YOU NEED PEOPLE WHO ADVOCATE TO BE IN AGREEMENT 
2. People that are rooting for you need to be together. The scripture says that the people from the Church was all over to Mary’s house, praying for Peter.

1. Culture Will Cancel You, But the Church Will Pray for You 
2. You need people around you that can pray.
3. Even though you think people have wrote you off, you have to know that this doesn’t mean that God’s plans for you has been canceled.
4. Herod and the rest of the culture was trying to make personal examples of Christians. They tried to humiliate Christians as well as torture them. This is why they would rip their clothes off during torture and executions.
5. The Bible says be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. When culture comes down on us, God has a church that is praying for us.
6. Lots of people give up on the Church, but the Church never gives up on us. The Church was trying to pray Peter through. Just like Peter, somebody prayed for us! While we were yet stuck in our sins, somebody prayed for us and God saved us!

• Agreement Makes Your Prayers Avail 
• When we touch and agree, the bible says that God will be in our midst.
• Types of Prayers:
• Focused – This is praying for what you were asked to pray for or praying for a specific thing. An example of this was the church praying for Peter while he was on death row.
• Fervent – This is praying, believing that prayer will change things. In the scripture, the Church believed that when they prayed, something would happen. Why pray when you don’t think it will happen?
• Faithful – These are people that will stay praying until something happens, even if it takes all night. In the scripture, the Church was willing to stay up all night long praying. They had the attitude of, “We are going to stay until we get what we came for”. Sometimes you have to stay on your knees until you get what you need.
• Sometimes you have to abide in God’s presence.

1. THERE IS A PROVIDENTIAL WORK OF ANGELS 
2. While they were praying, God was moving. God was dispatching angels on their behalf.
   1. God’s Got Angels for Specific Assignments 
3. Angels have two responsibilities. They are to:
4. Glorify God in Heaven.
5. Take assignments from God to the earth.
6. Types of Angels
7. Cherbuims were guardian angels.
8. Seraphim is a worshipping angel. They have 6 wings. An example of this can be found in Isiah 6: 2 –3 2Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”
9. Living creatures – An example of these can be found in Rev 4:6-8 6Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”  
10. Some of you have experienced angelic intervention and didn’t even realize it. The Bible says many of us have entertained angels unaware.
11. Lots of things were prevented because angels were watching over you.
12. Peter is asleep between 4 squads of soldiers. An angel will deliver him without the soldiers even knowing it, but how?
13. Illumination – God will bring your out of darkness. The Angel led Peter out of his jail cell.
14. Motivation – God will wake you out of your sleep. Peter was asleep when the Angel first came to him.
15. Declaration – Once you get up. God gives a command. The Angel didn’t tell Peter what to do, until he got up.
16. Information – He is not going to give directions to you while you’re still lying in your situation. The Angel told Peter to put his clothes back on.
17. Liberation – Clothes is on! Peter is walking past the soldiers, God has the soldiers in a trance, and the gates open on their own. As long as you are walking, God will continue to open gates and doors for you!
18. He Not Only Gets You Out of Prison, But Off the Property 
19. God won’t only get you out of debt, he will eliminate that which got you into debt.
20. Peter went to where the Church had gathered to pray for him.

• YOUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED 
• While You Were Praying, God Was Moving 
• While the Church was at Mary’s house praying, Peter knocked on the door. What they were praying for had arrived. Rhoda answered the door and she tried to tell them, but they did not believe her at first.
• It’s Going to Show Up Before You Get Off Your Knees 
• Before you get off your knees, your breakthrough is going to show up! You need to give God glory before you get off your knees!  
• Story: Bishop has a Ring doorbell. With this doorbell, you can tell someone’s approaching your house, by the chime that it gives off. Bishop’s kids run to the door, because they hear the chime. They make it to the door, before the people that are coming even rang the doorbell, because the chime told them someone was approaching.
  • We ought to be ready to run to the door, because we’ve prayed and we know that God is on his way!
• You ought to live knowing:
  • You Are Going to See God’s Ability 
  • This Is the Season to Access 
  • What God Is About to Show You Will Be Astonishing