Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Acts 12:1-17
Pastor: Pastor Schlicht
Sermon Date: April 15, 2017

William Ernest Henley finished his poem Invictus with the famous words, “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” Humans are a little delusional when it comes to control, aren’t we? We’d like to believe that we are the product of the choices we make and therefore that we have control over our lives. Yet the portion which we control is actually quite small. Not to delegitimize the progress and the change a person can affect, but most of the fundamental, formative aspects of our life are not in our control. For instance, how many of you were able to control the time-period you were born into? Who chose the place of their birth? Who of you had control over the family you were born into? Your genetics? The socio-economic conditions in which you live? How many of you chose your race? Your gender? Your body type? Your taste buds? I know one thing for certain is that we aren’t in control of the weather! Like William Henley, we like to think of ourselves as the master of our fate; the captain of our soul, some commander of a large ship, but in reality, our control is more akin to sailing a small raft in the unpredictable sea of life.

We have a control complex. And nothing creates anxiety like believing you’re in control but finding out the opposite. Our control complex can be crippling. But the good news is that even when we find ourselves without a paddle on the unpredictable sea of life, there is someone who has control. Despite how things may look, God is in control. The antidote for our control complex is learning the blessed freedom of dependence, the freedom found in trusting God’s control. Acts chapter 12 illustrates just that.

At about that time, King Herod laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church, in order to mistreat them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting Peter, Herod put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. Herod intended to bring him before the people for trial after the Passover. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church earnestly offered up prayer to God for him. It was a dangerous time to be a Christian. Herod was hunting. He had found great popularity among the Jews he was ruling in persecuting the infant Christian church. And the first thing we hear is that James has been killed by the sword. Most likely beheaded like John the Baptist. It must have been quite a blow to the church. This is James, as in one of Jesus’ closest disciples, as in Peter, James, and John.  That James is dead. And now Herod had caught the biggest prize, Peter. Peter was the leader of the early Church and most likely, at this time, the most recognizable preacher in Jerusalem. He was the prize captive and Herod was looking forward to murdering him as soon as the Passover ended.

But that’s not what happened. 6 The very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He was bound with two chains, while sentries were in front of the door, guarding the prison. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood near him, and a light shone in the cell. The angel woke Peter up by striking him on the side, saying, “Quick, get up!” The chains fell from his wrists. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” So he did so. Then the angel told him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” 9 Peter went out, following the angel, but he did not realize that what the angel was doing was really happening. He thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed through the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city. It opened all by itself for them. They went outside, walked down one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.”  Herod had Peter in a maximum security prison, heavily guarded by four squads of four soldiers. Two soldiers chained to him, two soldiers on guard at his cell, not to mention the general restrictions of the prison, like sentries and the heavy iron gate. It looks like Herod is firmly in control. He has heard about some miraculous escapes before in the past, like Acts 5, but not this time. This will be no different than James and the people will love him for it. It’s interesting to note the vivid description of the menacing prison juxtaposed to the unassuming church with nothing but earnest prayers. Herod appears to be in control visibly, but Peter has a wiser protection. For those helpless Christians with no control had found a helper in the Lord Almighty. And he sent his angel to teach a lesson about who was in control. Peter walked out of that prison and said, “I know for sure that the Lord has rescued me.” He knew the freedom of dependence.

And what happens next is almost comical, yet totally relatable. 12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, who is also called Mark. Many had gathered there and were praying. 13 When Peter knocked at the entrance gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 She recognized Peter’s voice and was so overjoyed, she did not open the gate. Instead she ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. 15 They told her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept on insisting it was so, and they started saying, “It’s his angel.” 16 Meanwhile, Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned to them with his hand to be silent and described to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison.

What a story! Peter knows he is a wanted man and would rather not have the Lord rescue him twice in one night, so he goes to the house where the Christians are gathered praying for him. The servant girl, Rhoda, comes to the door and recognizes his voice, but in her excitement, she forgets to open the door and instead runs to tell the others. And then the people who are praying for God to save Peter are unwilling to believe that God really saved Peter! Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Peter is left outside, nervously knocking on the door. It makes me chuckle, an angel brakes him out of a maximum security prison and now he can’t even get into a prayer meeting! Finally, after telling Rhoda that she was out of her mind, they actually open the door and are astonished to see that Peter is actually there.

This account from Acts 12 is a great case study on control. Example A is Herod. Herod thought he was in control but for all his manpower, for all his iron, for all his chains, he had no control over Peter. We all understand that mindset though, don’t we? If we are prepared enough, if we work hard enough, if we had enough money, we feel we could maintain control in our lives. We may not be doubling the prison guard, but in so many ways, we try to stay in control and feel like we have control based on what we do. Example B is the early Christians in prayer. Even though they earnestly prayed to God, they still felt that control belonged to Herod. We see that in how they refused to believe that God could actually save Peter. Rhoda, “You’re out of your mind!” We do it too. We pray to God, not as if he’s really in control, but as some sort of last-ditch effort. Sure, if the situation is desperate, let’s pray to God. It can’t hurt, right? But don’t hold your breath. Yes, even Christians struggle with a control complex. And if we think that control is based on human power and human effort, then the moment our illusion of control is shattered, we will feel helpless.

The car breaks down, the economy dips, you can’t get hired—sleepless nights of anxiety come. A cancer diagnosis, a sprained ankle right at the start of the season—frustration and depression settle in. Out of nowhere, a relationship takes a turn for the worst, parents get divorced, a child starts drifting away—fear and hopelessness take up residence in the heart. Oh, on a test we could all give the right answer: “Who is in control?” “God.” We’d all say. But when it comes to actual life we struggle to believe it. “I mean, have you seen that prison? Have you heard how many guards Herod has posted? Have you seen my bank account? Did you hear what the doctor told me? Were you in the room when they told me they didn’t love me? Do you watch the news? Have you seen what’s happening in this country? Who’s in control? …God!?  The Devil whispers, “Come on, you’d have to be out of your mind to believe that.”

But, brothers and sisters, do you recall what Peter was doing in prison? He was sleeping. Somehow, despite sitting chained between two guards, despite the executioner’s sword which awaited him, he was sleeping like a baby that night! Why? Because he trusted in God’s control. And despite those imperfect prayers of his brothers and sisters, the angel came, the soldiers did not wake up, the chains fell off, and the gate opened. God was in control. And he still is today. Trust him like Peter. If you say you believe in an Almighty God, who is all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, then act like it! Trust him! Trust his control! Don’t be discouraged by the iron gate in your life. Close your eyes and say a prayer to the one who commands angels. Don’t give up on God when your situation looks hopeless; he has a good purpose for you and he is in control. No matter how bad things get, he can work his good purposes through it. Just think about when Jesus died…that looked pretty hopeless, but God was still in control. Even when an innocent man was brutally murdered, God was working for the good of those who love him, by forgiving the sins of the world. Yes, even the sins of our control complex. They are forgiven and gone, sealed in Christ’s tomb, because God, in his incomprehensibly loving control, died for us.

This addresses the one part of the story that we cannot forget. God allowed James to die. The night that James sat in prison the angel didn’t come. I’m sure he prayed for an angel too. But that night there was no angel, no bright light, no chains falling off, no sleeping guards, no open gate. Just an unanswered prayer and a routine execution. Why? God let James die because he had a better life to give him. James was not being neglected, he was the first disciple to see his Lord. Peter’s freedom from prison was remarkable, but he lived to die another day. James experienced true freedom: eternal life. My friends, we worship a risen Savior! Our God has control even over death itself. Let go of the anxiety and sleep in the peace. In life and in death, our God maintains control. Pray with confidence. Know that your God has a purpose for you and cares about what you are going through. Perhaps he has allowed the illusion of human control to be stripped away in your life so that you can learn to trust him. Your God is king of the universe. He created it, he owns it, he controls it. And the one who controls all things loves you enough to die for you. Trust him! Feel the chains of your control complex release and step into the freedom of dependence.

Amen.