Please turn with me in your Bibles to Acts chapter twelve. Acts chapter twelve, we're going to look at the persecution of the church and the power of God this evening. We'll return the Lord willing to Galatians chapter six to complete our study in Galatians toward the end of the summer. I just want to look at, as I said, Acts chapter twelve, make several observations concerning the text and then a few practical implications for our instruction.
I'll just begin reading in chapter twelve, verse one in the book of Acts.
The Persecutor: Herod Agrippa
Now, about that time, Herod, the king, stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. 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.
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. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church, 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. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and the 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. 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.
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. When they were past the first and 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. 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.
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. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 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. But they said to her, you are beside yourself.
Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said it is his angel. Now, Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.
And he said, Go tell these things to James and to the brethren. And he departed and went to another place. Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death.
And he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. Now, Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. But they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastas the king's personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace. because their country was supplied with food by the king's country. So, on a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.
And the people kept shouting, the voice of a god and not of a man. Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the Word of God grew and multiplied. Amen.
Well, let us pray. Father, we thank you for this account in the book of Acts, and I pray that it would be an encouragement to us, and that it would strengthen us. And God, we pray for the persecuted church, and we pray for those who are in chains, and those who are in prison, and those who have suffered for the cause of Christ. May they realize, may they know the truth that our God is sovereign, that our God is over all things, and that our God sustains His people.
We just pray now, Father, that You would fill each one of us with Your Spirit. We pray that You would cleanse us afresh in the blood of Jesus, and we ask this in His most blessed name. Amen.
Introduction
Well, that's 12, as I mentioned, demonstrates the persecution of the church and the power of God. You attend our prayer meetings here. We always try to give us space and a time to pray for the persecuted church. Just this morning, we read of various instances going on in the world, enough to turn one's stomach to see how God's people are are dealt with in other parts of the world.
Not only Muslims persecute Christians, but also Hindus. They're not the peace-loving religious body that they make themselves out to be. In India, we read of a man that was assaulted and battered by these Hindus for the cause of Christ. We also read of Buddhists and other peoples that target the people of God.
And in this particular instance here in Acts chapter 12, we see it as Herod the king. stretching out his hand to harass some from the church. Now, as we consider this, we need to remember this is narrative. It describes what happened in a given instance. We can pray accordingly.
We can pray a permanent affirmatively But we ought not always to look for tyrants in our day to be eaten by worms right before their adoring audiences. You may see that sometime in your life, but more than likely you will not. This is a unique situation in the life of the church. Just by way of introduction to this chapter, one commentator said, the destructive power of Herod and the saving power of God are contrasted.
Indeed, throughout church history, the pendulum has swung between expansion and opposition, growth and shrinkage, advance and retreat. Although with the assurance that even the powers of death and hell will never prevail against Christ's church, Since it is built securely on the rock, I think that's a great statement to just give a broad overview of what we find here in Acts chapter twelve. I want to break the chapter down into four smaller sections. We won't look at every detail.
Persecution of the Church
So first of all, we'll look at the persecution of the church in verses one to four. Secondly, Peter's escape from prison in verses five to nineteen. Thirdly, the death of Herod Agrippa. in verses 20 to 23, and then fourthly, this progress report that Luke the apostle, or Luke rather, gives at verse 24. These progress reports punctuate the book of Acts.
You read there, but the word of God grew and multiplied. We're not just to run over those were to consider that and see that in very key places throughout the narrative, Luke is showing us that God's gospel is going forth, conquering and to conquer. Well, let's look at the persecution of the church versus one before. And there's three subsections here.
First of all, notice the persecutor. Now, about that time, Herod, the king, stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. This was Herod Agrippa the first. from eighty thirty seven to forty four. He was the grandson of the Herod that we read of this morning in Luke twenty three.
Remember, Pilate sent Jesus over to see Herod. That's the Herod that was the grandfather of this particular man, in this instance. He had a very spotty background, this particular individual. Indebtedness and imprisonment due to some disparaging marks against Tiberius, the Caesar.
But through friendships with others, he acquired this position over Israel and Jordan. He was brought up as a Roman, but he had an Edomite background. That means he had some Jewish blood in him. He was from Edom.
Remember Jacob and Esau? Esau was also called Edom. And so this particular Herod was an Edomite. His children will be seen later in the book of Acts.
Drusilla fares in chapter 24 verse 24 and then a grip of the second and his sister Bernice are found in Acts 25 verse 13 notice. Secondly, the martyrdom of James. The martyrdom of James.
The Martyrdom of James
This is not the James that is indicated later in verse seventeen. If you look at verse seventeen, Peter's instruction is go tell these things to James and to the brethren that James of verse seventeen is the brother of the Lord. He is the author of the epistle called James. He was a leader in the Jewish and the church in Jerusalem.
The James that is martyred here is the brother of Zebedee, the brother of John. You remember that instance in Matthew's gospel when the mother of these two sons come to Jesus and say, Lord grant that in your kingdom one may sit on your right and on your left. Remember that instance. Jesus says, you don't know the baptism that I have to undergo.
He then assures them that they will understand something of that baptism. He's speaking there of suffering. He's speaking of going through a trial in order to the crown. And this is where it happens for James.
His brother John ends up on the island of Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus. So, here it is James, the brother of John, the sons of Zebedee, and in verse two it says, then He, Herod, killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. And then notice that it pleased the Jews. This is an unfortunate statement here.
He saw that it pleased the Jews. He proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now, just to give you something of the time frame, this is about A.D. 44 that this is taking place. The martyrdom of Stephen took place about 10 years prior.
Perhaps it's because of the amount of Gentiles that had been coming into the life of the church. Jewish opposition was rising against them, as was Roman opposition. And no doubt Herod was courting the favor of the Jews in this attempt to destroy Psalm from the church. And notice that he picks leaders.
He picks men in high places, at least in terms of the church. He picks James, and he takes Peter. He has a good strategy, humanly speaking. Take out the leader, and you will frustrate the cause.
And so what does he do? He wants to appeal to them. He wants to give in to them. And he was going to kill Peter, but because it was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, he had him arrested.
He put him in prison. And notice in verse 4, he delivered him to four swaths of soldiers to keep him. intending to bring him before the people after Passover. It's a lot of troops, isn't it? Think about it for a moment.
I realize it's a little warm. It's a narrative. I'm trying to paint the picture here. Why so many troops?
Well, if you've been reading the book of Acts, you'll remember in Acts 5, Peter is put into jail, and he's miraculously delivered. No doubt Herod heard of this. Herod wants to make sure that he keeps Peter in his prison at this particular juncture. But I also think Luke wants us to appreciate something here.
He wants us to appreciate the power of God, the supremacy of the Lord, the glory of God most high. You can put 15, 20, 50, 100 squads of soldiers. If God the Lord dispatches an angel to get his man out of jail, God will get his man. That's the thrust.
Herod had heard about his previous jailbreak, and he wants to make sure it doesn't happen again. The mention of the soldiers and chains and prisons only highlight the glory of God in his escape, and this is precisely how Peter relates it. Later on in verse 17, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. This wasn't an orchestrated event on the part of Peter and on the part of his companions in the prison.
It was the Lord. You know how you know that Peter held the Reformed theology in this passage? You know how you know that he was a Calvinist? What's he doing when he's in jail?
He's sleeping. Right? Sovereignty makes a good pillow. Trusting in the God of heaven and earth enables one to sleep when everything else seems trouble around them.
It's an amazing statement. He's sleeping, the church is praying, and God is sending an angel to bring him out of this particular scenario. MacArthur comments on the squads. He says, each squad contained four soldiers and rotated the watch on Peter.
At all times, two guards were chained to him in his cell, while the other two guards stood outside the cell door. I mean, this is a big thing here. You can't miss this when you read the scriptures, read with an eye for detail. Why is it look like this?
Why does Luke record all of this? Why in such large compass does he describe how it is that Peter has been placed in the bogey? Because he wants you to be amazed at the glory, majesty and power of God. The world may persecute, Herod may target, some may harass, but God the Lord is about deliverance. and blessing and freedom and caring for his people.
That's what he wants us to see. That's the persecution.
Peter's Escape from Prison
I notice the escape from prison versus five to nineteen verse five. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
The Church at Constant Prayer
We need to remember that constant prayer was offered to God by the church. Hebrews 13 tells us that we are to remember the prisoners. That doesn't just mean, well, somebody somewhere is suffering in this world. We remember them with a view to pray.
We remember them with a view to care. We remember them with a view to write letters or do whatever we can lawfully on their behalf. We remember them and we pray for them, and that is precisely what's going on in this particular situation. Constant or earnest prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
This was the first resort of the church. This was the first thing that they did. When they heard that Herod had beheaded James, and they heard that Peter was now placed in prison, what do they do? They don't go off with signs.
They don't go with bullhorns. They get on their faces before God, and they offer up constant prayer. The Geneva Bible says the prayers of the godly overturned the counsel of tyrants, obtain angels of God, break the prison, unloose chains, and put Satan to flight, and preserve the church. Do we look at prayer that way?
I suspect that if we did, our prayer meetings would be fuller. I suspect that if we believe that statement, we would be more earnest at the throat of grace. The prayers of the godly overturned the counsel of tyrants. Obtain angels of God, break the prison on loose chains and put Satan to flight and preserve the church.
That's what the church is doing in this particular instance.
Peter Sleeping: Sovereignty as Pillow
Notice the activity of Peter and Peter that night. Peter was sleeping. That's beautiful. That's great.
That's amazing. It's as if Luke is assuring us. that when all hell seeks to assail, when all trials come upon you, God is not enthroned, God still remains sovereign, God is still in control, the church is praying, the wheels are rolling, you can get suppressed. It's beautiful. He's sleeping.
And he's sleeping pretty soundly, too, I might add. He's out. The angel has to smack him in the side. Interesting juxtaposition.
The angel of God struck Peter, didn't he? Same language used with Herod, too. He was struck, but not just a nudge to wake him up so that he would flee out of the prison cell. Herod was struck in a far more severe and serious manner.
The Lord is the active agent here. The church is praying. Peter is sleeping. And in verse 6, 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.
He sets that forth so that we'll see it's impossible, right? How do you get out of that? Peter's not Houdini. He's not got a handcuff key hidden in the back of his mouth.
He's going to pop that out and get out and shimmy away while these two guys, chained to him, don't notice anything. And then Peter's just going to slide right by these two guard posts and then head out this iron gate and walk into safety and freedom. This is an impossibility, brethren! This is something that the odds are stacked against.
It is God the Lord who is the active agent. Now behold, verse 7, 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.
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. So he went out and followed him and did not know that what was done by the angel was real. He supposed it was a vision.
These things don't normally happen. Right? I think Luke is masterful in the way that he's portraying this, so that we're hanging on the edge of our seats. You know, for some of us, we've read this and it's kind of become old hat.
It's to thrill you, it's to excite you. You're supposed to appreciate the movement of God here. The Lord has intervened. The Lord is present with his people.
The Lord is going to see this man out. And then in verse 10, when they were past the first and 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. God Almighty brings him out of the jail.
The Report of the Escape
Let's look at the report concerning the escape versus 12 to 17. So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark. John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas. We've met him already in this book.
If we've been reading through it, he'll fare again in other places. John Mark was the nephew of Barnabas. And here they gathered together and they were praying. Just read through the account and see what happens.
Rhoda comes, he's knocking on the door, she goes back to report it, and they don't believe it. It can't be him, he's in prison. Isn't that the church's response more often than not? It can't be an answer to Brett.
No, you must be mistaken, because our God doesn't work like that. Our God doesn't actually hear the prayers of the upright. The Geneva Bible was wrong. It really doesn't work like that.
No, it does. God is gracious. God is merciful. According to his sovereign decree, when the church is praying, the Lord is working.
The disciples are gathered at Mary's house. The disciples are initially unbelieving and ultimately astonished to see Peter. But then Peter highlights the deliverer, verse 17, motioning to them with his hand to keep silent. He declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.
It was of God. It was Jehovah. It was the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He undertook.
He heard your prayers. He has delivered me. James died under the sovereignty of God. Peter lives under the sovereignty of God.
These are all a part of his decree. And in this instance, he's celebrating this reality. He tells them to go and tell these things to James and to the brethren. And he departed and went to another place.
And then the escape is discovered by Herod. This is an unfortunate reality, an unfortunate side effect. Then, as soon as it was day, verse 18, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death.
And he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. Helps you understand Acts 16 a little better, doesn't it? Remember when there's the jailbreak, when Paul and Silas are in jail at Philippi? There's an earthquake.
Paul and Silas come, or Paul and Barnabas, is it Silas or Barnabas? It's Silas. They come to the jailer. What's he about to do?
He's about to kill himself, isn't he? He says, I got a death wish. No, he understands that Herod is going to enact that punishment on him or whoever is subsequent to Herod is going to demand for dereliction of duty that they be executed. That is what Herod does.
The Death of Herod Agrippa
Well, let's move thirdly to consider the death of Herod Agrippa, verses 20 to 23. Notice in verse 19, he, this is Herod, went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. This was sort of his headquarters. Now, Tyre and Sidon were dependent upon this particular region for food.
Herod's upset with them. We don't know why. The text does not specify. They probably bribed Blastus, an aide to Herod.
Right? This is what the text says. And having made Blastus the king's personal aide, their friend, they probably bought his friendship. They needed an inn with the king so that he would authorize the transfer of food into their cupboards.
But he had a problem with that, and Blastus smooths it over. Blastus greases the wheel, if you will, and then they received the food. They had peace. They had commerce once again.
And that brings us to consider verse twenty one. So on a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting the voice of a God and not of a man.
God's Judgment on Idolatry
Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give glory to God and he was eaten by worms and died. That's a powerful statement of God's judgment. That is a powerful statement of God's activity. This is not an independent account.
You perhaps have heard of the Jewish historian Josephus. He records this event. The details differ in some of the specifics, but it does not contradict. This is not an independent record.
It is history. It is what took place. We notice specifically the people kept shouting the voice of a God and not of a man. We read through that once and we don't get the thrust.
It was religious fervor. It was religious adoration. You know, when a man feeds you, you tend to worship him in this particular instance. Sort of an imperial cult type thing.
One man says, the mingling of political and economic motivations with religious veneration was typical of ancient ruler cults. So he is receiving this. He doesn't deflect it. He doesn't say, I'm not a god.
He doesn't say that you guys are out of your mind. You need to go find a good church and worship Jesus. No, he receives this to himself. Now, we as the reader, if we aren't familiar with this, we're probably saying, Herod, I wouldn't do that if I were you.
Herod, I don't think you've met Yahweh before. You have not met the God of heaven and earth. You are not familiar with this one who says, I am a jealous God. My glory I will not share with another.
You're reading this and you see that Herod is receiving this. Herod is enjoying this. Herod is taking it in as it were. And the writer tells us that immediately an angel of the Lord struck him.
Same language. Peter was struck, arousing him from sleep, to get him out of the prison. Here Herod, receiving the worship of men, is struck by this angel of the Lord. But as we continue to read, he gives the reason, because he did not give glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.
It's a pretty graphic image there, isn't it? It's not for the squeamish. You're reading here and you're saying, wow, this is really neat. Peter gets broken out of prison by this angel.
What a positive God! What a happy God! What a good God! And now here Herod receives glory and honor and praise and worship, and God strikes him dead and eats him with worms, or has him eaten with worms, right before their eyes.
Isaiah 1411 is probably in the backdrop, discussing the fall of the king of Babylon. It says, Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the sound of your stringed instruments, the maggot is spread under you, and worms cover you. Dennis Johnson says, Whereas Isaiah contrasted the Babylonian king's splendor and life with his worm-eaten corpse after death, in the case of Herod, God initiated the wormy decomposition even before the king had expired. Imagine that.
What lesson would you take home that day? God does not share his glory. God does not look approvingly upon idolatry. God does not smile upon you when you give religious fervor and devotion and honor to another.
When you look at the heritage of this world and you bow to that, or you look at something that may be lawful in its due course, but you give it unnecessary devotion, attention, time, energy, money. If you are an idolater, this text ought to scare you. If you are giving your energies to something which is not God, this text ought to scare you. Then, immediately, an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.
Paul the Apostle tells us a great ethic for the Christian life in 1 Corinthians 10. So then, whether you eat Or whether you drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
The Progress Report: Word of God
And then finally, consider the progress report in verse 24. But the word of God grew and multiplied. Is that beautiful? Is that amazing?
It's not the point. It's not what it's all about. The Word of God goes forth. Some of the servants of the Word lose their head.
Some of the servants of the Word go to prison. Some of the servants of the Word suffer. Some of the servants of the Word have travail. Some of the servants of the Word have trial.
Some of the servants of the Word are here for a time and then gone. But the Word of the Lord God continues on. It multiplies. It grows.
John Stott says the chapter open. I think this is brilliant. Please listen to this. He says the chapter opens with James dead.
Peter in prison and Herod triumphant. It closes with Herod dead, Peter free, and the word of God triumphant. Such is the power of God to overthrow hostile human plans and to establish his own in their place. Tyrants may be permitted for a time to boast and bluster, oppressing the church and hindering the spread of the gospel, but they will not last.
In the end, their empire will be broken and their pride abased. Amen. It begins with James dead, Peter in prison, and Herod triumphing. It ends with Peter free, Herod dead, and the Word of God triumphing.
Beautiful contrast. Persecution of the church, the power of God. As I said, these summary statements are scattered throughout the book of Acts. Acts chapter 6 and verse 7.
Then the Word of God spread. and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. Acts chapter nine and verse thirty-one. Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. We've seen Acts 12, 24.
There's another one in Acts 16 at verse 5. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily. Acts chapter 19 in verse 20. Acts 19 at verse 20.
So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. And then Acts 28 and verse 31. It says, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. So, as we look at this particular book, it is the acts of the Apostle.
Better, it is the acts of Christ working through His Church, working by His Spirit, working by His Word to make churches, to make disciples, to stabilize the people of God. And when Herods rise up against Him, He strikes them down and covers them with worms right before the eyes of the onlookers.
Application
Well, several thoughts or a few thoughts And then we close the first. We must realize that persecution is a reality for the church. Jesus promises this in the Gospels and John 15. Do not marvel if the world hates you.
The world hated me. It's going to hate you. Jesus pronounces a beatitude on those who suffer for his name's sake. And as well, the example in the book of Acts, Acts, chapter five.
Let's go back there just real quick. Rehearse these particulars. Acts 5, 40. And they agreed with them.
And when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple and in every house they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. We turn to Acts chapter 7.
What do we find? The death of Stephen. We turn to chapter 8. What do we find?
The people of God scattered. We turn to chapter 9. What do we see? One of the scatterers conquered by sovereign grace and sent out as a missionary, the Apostle Paul.
What does his life involve as he is preaching the gospel? Does he get to go play golf and witness in that context? He's a preacher on the run. It's going to be lowered out of city walls.
He's got he's getting beaten with rods. He's getting beaten with whips. He's getting stoned. He's getting all these things for the cause of Jesus Christ.
You cannot miss the fact that reality or that persecution is a reality for the church. Secondly, we need to understand in this chapter, the sovereignty of God. You know, when Jesus says, truly, I tell you, you will know the baptism with which I am baptized. How can Jesus speak that of the two sons of Zebedee apart from God's sovereignty?
It was decree, the eternal decree involved the execution of James in this particular manner and the freedom of the Apostle Peter. God is sovereign. He disposes of things according to the pleasure of his will. The Lord ordained the execution of James, the Lord ordained, or God delivered rather, his servant Peter from prison, and ultimately the Lord would ordain the exile of John in the book of Revelation.
One is written, some through the waters, some through the flood, some through the fire, but all through the blood. Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song in the night season and all the day long. God's sovereignty at times is difficult, especially if you're James. God's sovereignty at times is difficult if you are on what you perceive to be the losing end.
But God's sovereignty is always wrapped in that blessed statement of Romans 8 that we know that God causes all things to work together for good, to those who love God, to the called according to his purpose. However, or whatever, my God ordains is right. Thirdly, we see the church at prayer. The sovereignty of God does not eliminate the church's use of means, specifically prayer.
I believe these all held to Reformed theology. They understood sovereignty. They understood these things better than we do. And yet it didn't keep them from prayer.
It sent them to prayer. It's a proper understanding of who God is, a proper understanding of what men have called Reformed theology. causes, promotes, and produces earnest, constant prayer. A fourth observation in the passage, we've already touched on it briefly, the judgment of God. The judgment of God.
So on a set day, Herod arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne, gave an oration, and received religious worship that was not due his name. God does not want rivals. God takes care of rivals. God destroys rivals.
You remember that instance in the Old Testament? They brought the Ark of the Covenant into the room with Dagon, their idol. What happens? They go in to see it the next day and Dagon's fallen down.
So they prop Dagon back up. Next day they go in, Dagon's fallen down and broke it. It's a pretty sad day when your God breaks, isn't it? What kind of a God is it that breaks?
We break. That's why we need an unchangeable, unmovable, glorious, sovereign God. Idolatry is futility. Oftentimes in the Old Testament, the two words are synonymous.
Vanity and idolatry are overlapping themes. The judgment of God. Fifth, we see the supremacy of Christ over what's called institutional polytheism, the multiplication of God's up to this point. Beginning of this point and following in the book of Acts, you see here, Christ is supreme over the imperial cult in Acts 12.
In Acts 14, you'll learn that Christ is supreme over the pagan gods in Lystra. In Acts 17, Christ is supreme over the Epicurean and Stoic conception. They thought they could devise things to contain this God. Paul says, no, he is not worshiped or served by men's hands, as if he himself were dependent upon these things.
God is sovereign and Christ is supreme over Diana of the Ephesians in the book of Acts in chapter 19. You see, what begins here is to show us Christ's relationship to these false pretenders, or to these pretenders, to deity. He's sovereign, he triumphs, he beats them, and he puts them down. That is the glory of our Jesus.
And then finally, we see the Word of God. Verse 24, But the word of God grew and multiplied. The Word of God was proclaimed. The Word of God was unfettered.
The Word of God could not be stopped. You may cut off James's head. You may imprison Peter. Paul in 2 Timothy chapter 4, I'm sorry, 2 Timothy chapter 2 says, I am in prison in these chains, but the Word of God is not changed.
You can't stop it. Jesus has promised in Matthew 16, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Instead of trying to stop it, instead of trying to avoid it, instead of trying to reject it, submit. Believe on the Lord Jesus, look to the Christ that is displayed throughout the Bible, and he will save you from your sins.
That is good instruction from God's Word. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Well, let us close in prayer.
Closing Prayer
Father, we thank you for this glorious display of your power and your sovereignty and your majesty. God, we say these words a lot, and I pray that we would not empty them of their content, but we would reflect, that we would ponder, that we would consider just what the Scripture says concerning you. Father, we pray that you would help us not to be idolaters, help us not to give religious devotion to that which is not God, help us to be focused, help us to be single-minded, help us to be pure in heart, Lord God, and to bring all glory and praise and honor to you. We pray for the continual preaching of your word.
We pray that that word would run swiftly and be glorified, that it would grow and that it would be multiplied, and that the nations of the earth would hear of our Lord Jesus, and great multitudes would turn unto you and be saved. We pray this for your glory, God, and we pray this for the stability of your churches. And we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.