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Peter is in prison and James has been killed by Herod. In these few verses there is a great picture of salvation. I don’t normally do this for Sunday School, but this morning I’m going to spiritualize the events here and apply them to your lost soul.
The need for deliverance
- The enemy is real (vs 1)
- The enemy has destroyed the lives of people you know (vs 2)
- The enemy is after you (vs 3)
- The enemy has you (vs 4)
- Injustice may be his weapon, but usually, it is…
- Sin – Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
- When you choose to sin, sin controls you, you never control sin.
- When you choose pride, pride controls you, you never control pride.
- When you choose fornication, fornication controls you, you never control fornication.
Indifference toward deliverance
- kept in prison (vs 5)
- The early stages of sin will allow you to function and live normal life.
- The early stages of sin are pleasurable.
- prayer was made…for him (vs 5)
- What you don’t think about is your bondage causes someone else pain.
- You are the reason some people are praying.
- You don’t want deliverance because you don’t care who you’re sin is hurting.
- When Herod would have brought him forth (vs 6)
- You don’t care that your situation will get worse.
- Peter was sleeping… (vs 6)
- You’ve become perfectly content in your prison cell. We have lived there so long that it is our new normal.
- The hopelessness of your situation has caused you to stop caring about the fact that you’re in prison!
Preparation for deliverance
- light shined in the prison (vs 7)
- God will put some light on your problem, he will point it out to you.
- He’s going to highlight and remind you of where you are. And it’s not where you need to be.
- he smote Peter on the side (vs 7)
- The Holy Spirit will reprove you, bring conviction.
- The Lord will try to get you to move and you better hope he kicks your side because if he doesn’t, you’re OK living in prison.
- raised him up…and the chains fell off his hands (vs 7)
- Peter was free at that point!
- He removes the bondage of the enemy and makes it possible to be at liberty.
Your responsibility in deliverance
- At this point in time Peter is free. But Peter can stay in prison or he can get up and leave prison. This is his responsibility.
- Gird thyself (vs 8)
- Surround yourself with the truth.
- Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth…
- bind on thy sandals (vs 8)
- Prepare for a new walk.
- Shoes for different things. Basketball shoes. Boots for working. Steel toes for work.
- Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel.
- cast thy garment about thee (vs 8)
- Get out of the prison clothes and put on free man’s clothes.
- Cover yourself in righteousness.
- Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and get the prison clothes off.
- follow me (vs 8)
- Follow the Lord.
Results of deliverance
- and he went out… and followed (vs 9)
- Leadership in deliverance.
- You have to make the first move. The angel of the Lord did not carry Peter out of the prison, he, himself walked out.
- wist not that it was true (vs 9)
- You don’t need to understand everything. We stop and choose to remain in bondage because we need to know and understand the future.
- When they…they…them…they went… (vs 10)
- Peter was never alone for the rest of the deliverance. God will walk with you through every obstacle until you are completely delivered.
- I notice also that the Lord was with Peter until he fully understood what was going on. The Lord supplied the steps – follow me – when there was no understanding.
- The Lord says to the pastor, Feed my sheep. The pastor says, But the sheep aren’t listening. All the sheep have their own agenda. I don’t think anyone cares. That is questioning whether what the Lord is doing is true or not.
- Be a witness. I don’t see any fruit. Be a witness.
- and when Peter was come to himself (vs 11)
- The point of understanding just like the prodigal son.
- The Lord got him into a church.
- Gave glory to God. Psalm 50:15
