Acts 12 opens up with the death of James at the command of King Herod Agrippa. Then Peter is thrown in jail and it seems the odds are stacked completely against the Gospel and the Christian church. But as Pastor Jim points out, the God of the Bible is never concerned about the odds. Join us for the study of this inspiring and hopeful chapter from the book of Acts.
Sermon Notes
1. The glory of Christ often shines brightest through our darkest hours.
“The whole of Christ, in His adorable character as the Son of God, is by Himself made over to us most richly to enjoy. His wisdom is our direction, His knowledge our instruction, His power our protection, His justice our surety, His love our comfort, His mercy our solace, and His immutability our trust. He makes no reserve, but opens the recesses of the Mount of God and bids us dig in its mines for the hidden treasures.”
C. H. Spurgeon
2. Prayer is the constant realignment of my mind, imagination, affections & will to resemble God’s.
“I must get rid of this thought that God is standing between me and my desires and that which is best for me. I must see God as my Father who has purchased my ultimate good in Christ, and is waiting to bless me with His own fullness in Christ Jesus.”
Martin Lloyd Jones
“Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness.”
Martin Luther
3. The pride of man ends in the wrath of God
“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”
C. S. Lewis
Mere Christianity
“The unbeliever has preferred to be by himself, without God, defying God, having God against him, and he shall have his preference. Nobody stands under the wrath of God except those who have chosen to do so. The essence of God’s action in wrath is to give men what they choose, in all its implications: nothing more, nothing less.”
J. I. Packer
Knowing God
4. God’s purposes will be accomplished