Acts — Chapter 12

The world is increasingly hostile to Christian beliefs. With all the difficulties facing the church today, how will it withstand the forces against it? In this sermon on Acts 12:5, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones draws from the biblical account of Peter’s miraculous release from prison and encourages believers to unite together in prayer in order to see God’s work in the world and His church. “A characteristic of the church we must never forget,” Dr Lloyd-Jones says, “is that we are one.” When Peter was put in jail, the entire church came together to pray for him. If the Christian has become discouraged with prayers because they do not see them being answered, they are not alone. The early church endured similar tests of faith. Although they did not recognize it at the time, God was working behind the scenes to answer their prayers for Peter and when they were told by their servant girl that he had been miraculously released and was at the front door, they did not believe her. Listen as Dr Lloyd-Jones helps the listener understand why prayer in the community of a church is so important, and how they can trust God when they don’t see Him acting.

In this sermon on Acts 12:5 titled “The Church and Her Future,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones lays out a strategy for how the church can prevail during persecution. One of the most critical parts in this battle, he says, is to identify the character and power of the forces against the church. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages Christians that nervousness is behind the appearance of confidence of those opposed to the gospel. This nervousness is driven by their rebellion against God and awareness that God opposes sin. This is seen today, and it is also seen in how Christians were treated in the New Testament. The second strategy Dr. Lloyd-Jones alerts the listener to is the utilization of prayer. The early church employed this tactic early and often, and God rewarded their diligence. However, it is not enough to just petition God for things. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks a serious question—“do we really believe in God’s power to accomplish that of which He is capable?” If so, Christians truly have nothing to fear. Wherever they are currently in their walk with Christ, this sermon will give hope and encouragement to stand one’s ground and trust the Lord while living in the midst of a hostile culture.

What is the church’s greatest weapon? Some may say organizations or church events, but Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues in his sermon on Acts 12:5 that “our ultimate weapon is that of prayer.” The church has been through hard times since its existence, and Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that it is helpful to realize how the church has handled it in the past. In verse five, the answer is provided as to how the early church handled persecution — their prayer was made without ceasing. Dr. Lloyd-Jones seeks to deal with two aspects of prayer from Acts 12: “How does God answer prayer?” and “When does God answer prayer?” First, concerning the text, Peter was in prison during the last night of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and therefore could not be put to death, but would be executed the next day. In light of this, Dr. Lloyd-Jones takes note of Peter’s ability to sleep— it was a gift from God. Also, God answered through the miraculous, as can clearly be seen by his escape. Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges the believer to have faith and expect answers to prayers. Second, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues from this text that God sometimes waits until the last moment to answer prayer in order to test and train.