Trusting God's Providence
Trusting God’s Providence
Acts 12
April 11th, 2010 I was driving down a two lane road in the middle of nowhere at 9:30 pm, listening to a lecture by Dr. Alan Moseley on God’s Providence in the book of Esther. After he masterfully unpacked God’s hand in Esther and Mordecai’s life to save the Jewish people, he shared that after a sermon an 18 year old young lady came up to him saying she felt led to be a missionary to the Russian people in the USSR. It was 1990 and the USSR was not friendly with the West, and Dr. Moseley chuckled to himself saying, “Doesn’t she know the USSR is closed to all Western missionaries?” A year later on Christmas Day, 1991 the Soviet hammer and sickle flag was lowered the last time from the Kremlin, opening the door for a supposed “misguided, wild-eyed young lady” to begin her quest into Russia to share the gospel of Christ.
I remembered being mesmerized by the story of God’s providence as I drove through that pitch-black country road when the car started to rumble. I pulled off the road in the middle of nowhere discovering I had a flat tire. I went to the back of the van to change the tire, but there was no jack. My phone had just died and I forgot to bring a car charger. Middle of nowhere, no phone, a flat tire with no jack, and it was my birthday. I remember asking the Lord, “What did you want to teach me here?” Middle of nowhere, no phone, a flat tire with no jack, with little prospects of making it home that night, when “seemingly” out of nowhere a car pulled into a driveway behind me and circled back in 2 minutes with a heavy duty car jack and changed my tire for me. As this gentleman helped me with my car, I was overwhelmed with God’s providence and had the opportunity to share how God is always working to care for and bring salvation to his people through young women like Esther and a young missionary to Russia and how God wanted to bring salvation to him.
I sowed a seed of the gospel that night to that man but God showed me a powerful picture of God’s providence. In our flesh, we are tempted to doubt God. We are tempted to question whether God is good, sovereign and wise. We are tempted to doubt God’s goodness and whether he has our best interest at hand. We are tempted to doubt God’s sovereignty and whether he is in control and has the power to impact our situation. We are tempted to doubt God’s wisdom and if he knows what he is doing. Beloved, God is good, sovereign, and wise. That is a short sentence but one I repeat to myself often in lots of situations. God is good, sovereign, and wise. God was kind enough to teach me that lesson while I was stranded in the middle of nowhere before he provided exactly what I needed, when I needed it.
I do not know all the situations in this room, but I am confident there are many of you who are doubting if God is good, sovereign and wise in the situation you are facing. Beloved, I pray you are reminded through Acts 12 that God’s hand of providence is always working for your good and for his glory.
Trust God’s Providence in Salvation (12:1-6)
This is the last chapter with the Apostle Peter as the lead character before Saul of Tarsus, who is also called Paul (Acts 13:9), takes center stage. A famine had begun under the reign of Claudius (Acts 12:28) and the brothers in Antioch sent relief through Barnabas and Saul to Jerusalem. While God was firmly establishing the church in Antioch through the teaching of Barnabas and Saul, the church in Jerusalem was facing more trials than just the effects of the famine. Persecution was still raging against the church. Acts 12:1–5,
[1] About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. [2] He killed James the brother of John with the sword, [3] and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. [4] And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. [5] So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
About that time or around the same time Barnabas and Saul were teaching in Antioch or taking the relief to Jerusalem, King Herod was attacking the church. There was a King Herod, Herod the Great, who reigned during the birth of the Lord Jesus. After the wise men from the east “tricked him,” he became furious and he called for the slaughter of all the male children who were two years old or younger. This Herod is Herod the Great's grandson, and the apple didn't fall far from the tree. He took control of Jerusalem and immediately went after the church.
James, the brother of John, one of the sons of thunder, an apostle of the Lord Jesus was killed with the sword. He was not the first Christian martyr, but he was the first of the apostles’ killed for their faith in Jesus. Eleven of the twelve apostles were martyred. The Apostle John was the only one not killed for his faith but he was exiled on the island of Patmos. The Apostle John had to wrestle with if God was good, sovereign and wise when his brother was killed. Why did James have to die?
We don’t know. God does not always share the reasons for all his plans. But even though we may not understand his will, we should not question it for God is good, sovereign and wise. According to the earliest sources, Clemens Alexandrinus, shared how the courage and confidence of James as he approached his death, led his accuser to repent and turn to Christ. He was so gripped with the gospel that he resolved that James should not receive the crown of martyrdom alone and he bowed his head along with James and they were cheerfully and resolutely received the cup of persecution. James told Jesus he was ready for the cup and proved he was, but his death was not in vain for as James was entered into glory so was his accuser who was next to him.
Herod saw that the death of James pleased the Jews so in an attempt to gain more favor from them, he decided to also kill the Apostle Peter. Peter was put under guard, four squads or (sixteen soldiers) kepy Peter in chains until he would be paraded in front of the crowds to be executed like James for the pleasure of the people. Unprincipled politicians have always bent to the will of the people to serve their best interests. Verse 5, “So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.” In Acts 5, Luke shares how Peter and the apostles were miraculously freed and able to boldly teach of Christ in the temple. Luke sets up what is about to happen with the contrast. Peter is in prison, but the church is praying to God.
One can assume that the same fervent prayers that were offered for Peter were also offered for James. God’s response to their prayers of release for James was no. God always answers the prayers of his saints. He just doesn’t answer them the way we want. God is God and he does as He pleases. And remember, He is good, sovereign and wise. We never have to worry whether he has our best interest in mind, or if he is in control or if he knows what he is doing. Peter trusted God’s hand.
Have you ever had a big meeting with a boss and weren’t sure if you were going to lose your job? Or had an appointment with a doctor to learn about some test results? Usually, the night before there may be fear and anxiety which causes some sleeplessness. And yet, we read in Acts 12:6, “Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.” Peter was fast asleep even as he was chained to the soldiers next to him. And as we will see, he was sleeping so soundly that the angel of the Lord had to strike him on the side to wake him up. Trusting in God’s Providence helps you sleep soundly at night. If you are safe in Christ, regardless of what the doctor or boss says, all will be well and you can sleep in peace. We shall not fear those who can take our lives and then do no more. We shall only fear Him who is in control of our soul in life and after death. The church trusted in God’s providence as they prayed and Peter trusted in God’s providence as he slept for God is good, sovereign and wise.
See God’s Providence in Salvation (12:6-11)
We may not always be able to understand God’s hand, but we must look for how his hand is moving. Acts 12:6–11
[6] Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. [7] And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. [8] And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” [9] And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. [10] When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. [11] When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
Luke makes the point very clear that Peter was very well guarded. He was sandwiched between two soldiers with chains. There were sentries guarding the prison outside. James had just been executed. There was little hope Peter was going to be freed.
The Lord often likes to show up at the very last moment so it is clear that salvation only came by his hand. He could save us at any time, but for our sake, so we would not boast in any human wisdom or ingenuity, he comes at the very moment it is clear all hope is lost. Verse 7, “And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell.” God is on the move. The angel appears and strikes Peter on the side to wake him up and says, “Get up quickly. Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” I have been sleeping so soundly that when I woke up I didn’t know where I was or what day it was. I am assuming Peter was sleeping like that because it took him a while before his brain was firing on all cylinders. Recently coming off the vision on the rooftop when the sheet fell from the sky, Peter assumed this also was a vision.
He passed the first guard and the second guard and came to the iron gate leading into the city. As they approached the gate, it opened by itself. The Lord made the chains fall off and the gate open. And standing outside the prison, Peter came to himself and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” It is very clear that Peter could not have saved himself from the prison. Even if the chains fell off and the gate opened by itself, Peter had to be led by the angel to safety. Peter’s salvation from Herod was the Lord’s doing. Peter finally got it. It was the Lord who saved him. He did nothing to save himself.
It seems like an obvious thought, but there is something in the human mind that wants to take some credit for our salvation. We want to think we played even a small part in choosing to follow God. And yet, salvation belongs to the Lord. We, like Peter, were fast asleep and needed to be awakened by God and led by his hand to our salvation. He orchestrated the events in our life, he worked through ordinary means of friends and family, but let it be clear that it was the Lord who saved you. We, like Peter, could not have made it out of our prison without the Lord. The famed hymn writer, Charles Wesley came to this conclusion and wrote,
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature's night
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light
My chains fell off, my heart was free
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God should die for me?
How does God awaken us?
Friend, if you are not a Christian, the Bible speaks of your life being imprisoned to the evil one. You are chained to this world. Slaves of sin. The Bible says, “The wages of sin (what we deserve for our sin) is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Eternal life is a gift. Just as Peter became sure that his rescue was from the Lord as a gift, we too are saved from sin as a gift. God came to rescue us when we were in sin by sending his Son to save us. God sent Jesus Christ to take our place on the cross. He died for us so we could be set free. For after Jesus was dead and buried, God raised him from the grave. The resurrection is proof that we no longer have to be slaves to death, but have been set free to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Friend, you cannot save yourself. You cannot do enough good work to free yourself from your prison. You need a Rescuer. You need a Savior. All you have to do is admit you are locked in prison and call on God to save you. For if anyone calls upon the name of the Lord they will be saved. We call on the Lord by confessing our sin, repenting and turning from it, and putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. You can step out of your prison today, if you confess your sin, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be set free. Friend, I pray you would be like Peter, and wake up and say, “I am sure that the Lord has saved me!”
Beloved, this is a reminder to us that we have been set free from the presence of sin but also the power of sin. The same God that saved us lives with us. We no longer are slaves to sin. We belong to God. Let us lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race set before us. Let us look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Beloved, if you are living in sin, come to yourself, throw off your chains and say again that you believe it is the Lord who has saved you not only from sin but into righteousness.
Peter finally saw what the Lord had done to save him. It would be a wise exercise for you to look at how God saved you. What circumstances did he use, who did he use to lead you to the truth, what events pointed you to trust in Christ. And as you see God’s providence in salvation, look for God’s providence in how he is working today. One of my favorite exercises as a pastor is to just think about how and what God is doing in the church. I love to think how he is moving in and through the body. How this event and this person and this situation is being used by God to bring salvation to his people. Look for the evidence of God’s grace in the body of Christ.
Rejoice in God’s Providence in Salvation (Acts 12:12-17)
The first thing Peter does after he realizes what the Lord has done, is he goes to find the gathering of the saints. Again, I do not think it is an accident that after we experience salvation, we are meant to share it with the church. Acts 12:12–14
[12] When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. [13] And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. [14] Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.
The church was gathered together praying fervently for Peter’s release when Peter knocked on the door. I love how God chose a servant girl named Rhoda to discover Peter had been delivered. God shows no partiality. Rhoda recognized Peter’s voice but in her joy did not open the gate but ran to tell the brothers. You can only imagine how excited she was when she ran into the gathering.
She knew Peter’s voice, probably had heard him preach, and even may have come to Christ through his preaching. It is an especially humbling gift to have God use your voice to share God’s truth with others. Rhoda recognized his voice, but then ran to the gathering. They did not believe her. Acts 12:15–17
[15] They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” [16] But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. [17] But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.
It really is a humorous scene. Rhoda is yelling Peter is at the door. The saints have been praying for Peter to be released. They have already seen it happen before. And yet they dismiss her as if it would have been impossible for Peter to be at the door. It is probably his angel. Is that what makes the most sense? Would not God answering their prayer make the most sense? They saw him and were amazed. R.C. Sproul wrote, “The astonishment here was born not of faith, but of unbelief. They could not believe that God had provided the very thing that they had asked for. Are we any different?” Beloved, the prayer of the righteous is effective.
Do we pray with faith? Do we pray expectant of God to answer? God always answers the prayers of his people. There are times he answers, “No.” But he always answers. The Bible says he inclines his ears to the righteous. God delights to hear and answer the prayers of his people. I pray we will grow in our congregational prayer life. I am often reminded of Jesus' words to his disciples, after they said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Luke 11:2–13,
[2] And he said to them, “When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
[3] Give us each day our daily bread,
[4] and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.” (ESV)
[5] And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, [6] for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; [7] and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? [8] I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. [9] And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. [11] What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; [12] or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? [13] If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
The last sentence ends with an exclamation point. He emphatically states, “how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” How much more indeed.
Trust God’s Providence in Salvation (Acts 12:18-25)
God is good, sovereign and wise. We cannot see where things are going and how current events will ultimately serve his purposes. God had his reasons for James’ death as he had his reasons for Peter’s escape. One of the reasons I see for God’s release of Peter was to contrast him with Herod. In Acts 10 when Peter entered Cornelius’s home, they fell down at his feet and worshiped him, but Acts 10:26, “Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” Keep this in mind as we read this account of Herod, Acts 12:18-23,
[18] Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. [19] And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
[20] Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. [21] On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. [22] And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” [23] Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
Herod was living for the praise of man. He killed James and tried to kill Peter because it pleased the Jews and gave him their praise. He was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon so when they were in need, he provided food not because of his love but rather he wanted to be their “Savior.” Herod lived for the praise of man and when he got their praise he rejoiced in it. He got what he wanted, but because he did not give God glory he lost it all. Matthew 16:26, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”
Are you living for the glory of God or your own vain-glory? I have to constantly pray against the hunger for man’s approval and applause. Here is a helpful pray from the Valley of Vision,
O Lord,
Bend my hands and cut them off, for I have often struck thee with a wayward will, when these fingers should embrace thee by faith. I am not yet weaned from all created glory, honor, wisdom, and esteem of others, for I have a secret motive to eye my name in all I do. Let me not only speak the word sin, but see the thing itself. Give me to view a discovered sinfulness, to know that though my sins are crucified they are never wholly mortified.
Hatred, malice, ill-will,vain-glory that hungers for and hunts after man’s approval and applause, all are crucified, forgiven, but they rise again in my sinful heart.
O my crucified but never wholly mortified sinfulness!
O my life-long damage and daily shame!
O my indwelling and besetting sins!
O the tormenting slavery of a sinful heart!
Destroy, O God, the dark guest within whose hidden presence makes my life a hell. Yet thou hast not left me here without grace; The cross still stands and meets my needs in the deepest straits of the soul. I thank thee that my remembrance of it is like David’s sight of Goliath’s sword which preached forth thy deliverance. The memory of my great sins, my many temptations, my falls, bring afresh into my mind the remembrance of thy great help, of thy support from heaven, of the great grace that saved such a wretch as I am.There is no treasure so wonderful as that continuous experience of thy grace toward me which alone can subdue the risings of sin within: Give me more of it.
Let us always trust God’s providence in salvation. He is the only God, the only Savior, the only immortal, invisible King of the ages, who deserves glory and honor forever and ever. Let us put to death the hunt and hunger for vainglory so we may not be like Herod, but let us have this mind among ourselves like the Lord Jesus, who,
Philippians 2:6–11,
[6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The cross always comes before the crown. The crown always comes after the cross. The cross may seem unbearable, but the crown will be incomparablely worth it. We may live in the shadow of Black Friday, but Sunday’s coming.
We cannot always see what God is doing, but we know God is good, sovereign and wise. And after violent persecution against James, Peter’s release, and Herod’s death, we read, Acts 12:24-25
[24] But the word of God increased and multiplied. [25] And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
The word of God increased and multiplied. More people came to themselves and trusted in Christ. More people moved from death to life. More people came out of darkness to God’s glorious life. God has a purpose. Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.” Beloved, trust God. He is too good to be unkind, too strong to be incapable. and too wise to be mistaken. You can trust him for He is good, He is sovereign and He is wise.