The liberation of PEDRO – Preaching
Preaching Outline on Acts 12:5-12 – So Peter was kept in prison, but the church prayed continually to God for him. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that very night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the guards before the door were guarding the prison.
And behold, the angel of the Lord stood by, and a light shone in the prison; and he touched Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Arise quickly. And the chains fell from his hands. And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your shoes. And he did so. And he said to him, “Throw your cloak over your back and follow me.
He left and followed him. He didn’t know what the angel was doing was real, but he thought he was seeing a vision.
And when they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and when they had gone out, they walked down a street, and immediately the angel departed from him. Then Peter came to himself and said: Now I know truly that the Lord has sent his angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod, and from all that the people of the Jews expected. And when he had considered this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
Introduction to Acts 12:5-12
The book of Acts of the Apostles shows the first steps of the church and was written by Luke. The text shows the miraculous way in which Peter was freed after being imprisoned by King Herod, and preserved from death, through the prayer of the church.
PEDRO’S SITUATION
The situation Peter found himself in is similar to that of many today who are imprisoned by the prince of this world, completely surrounded by a system from which they cannot free themselves.
When we look, however, at the way Peter was delivered, we can see how God works through the intercession of his people to deliver those who are the targets of the church’s prayers.
If we were to look at how someone would act if they wanted to free Peter, we would realize that their action would be from the outside in, i.e. they would have to overcome the large iron gate outside the prison, then pass the first and second guards, and only then break the prisoner’s chains.
This is how religion works to try to free those who are trapped in this world; it works from the outside in, trying to overcome external barriers and change people’s appearance (customs).
Religion seeks to develop the process of walking by appearance, without inner change.
PEDRO’S RELEASE
But the way the angel of the Lord worked was from the inside out. We can buy into the sequence of Peter’s deliverance as God works in man’s life:
a) And behold, the Angel of the Lord came – Our good God sends his angels every day to guard and work wonders in the lives of the saved and those who have been chosen by the Lord. How many deliverances God has given us before we knew his word and plan of Salvation; there have been many times when God has intervened on our behalf to preserve our lives and those of our family members.
b) And a light shone in the prison – When the Lord is present, the Holy Spirit enters, illuminating the environment and dispelling the darkness. When there seems to be no way out, the Lord opens up a way. Jesus is the great light that God has revealed through his Holy Spirit to our hearts.
c) And he touched Peter on the side of the head and woke him up, saying, “Arise quickly.” God’s first action is to lift man up; at that moment his chains fall to the ground and liberation begins. We have had difficult times and certain situations in which we have been trapped without even realizing it, but the Holy Spirit alerts us to the danger and God acts on our behalf by waking us up.
d) And the angel said, “Gird yourself, and bind on your shoes .” Then the Lord clothed the man who was naked, and provided for the covering of his feet in his Word, so that he could go on his way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105
From then on, all the obstacles were overcome one by one. The two guards were overcome and the iron gate was easily opened by the power of the Angel of the Lord.
All this shows that we must not fear the obstacles that arise in the process of liberation, but must trust in the Lord, who is powerful enough to cast down all difficulties and take care of everything for us.
Conclusion of Acts 12:5-12
After all the work of the Angel of the Lord, Peter ran straight to where the church was gathered, to receive the assistance and warmth of the body of Christ, and to continue safely on the journey that began with action on the inside and extended to the outside, continuing the work of liberation.
Preaching Outline on Acts 12:5-12 – So Peter was kept in prison, but the church prayed continually to God for him. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that very night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the guards before the door were guarding the prison.
More Preaching Outlines
