1. Have you ever prayed and then said, “That will never happen.”?
2. Welcome to the club! Acts 12.1-17
About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.
3. Donald Barnhouse: “Prayer changes nothing. God changes things.”
4. True, effective prayer is God-centered, not ME-centered. It is intimacy with God for the fulfillment of HIS purposes. We seek his face, then his hands.
5. This is not a lesson on prayer, per se. It is about our powerful God – next week another aspect of who he is.
I. God Does More Than We Think – Ephesians 3.20-21
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
A. God is Great and God is Able – Jeremiah 32.27
27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
1. The answer came before the question – 32.17
17 ‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.
2. Our Impossibilities are God’s Possibilities – Luke 18.27
27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
3. God does not speak empty words as many politicians, he follows through
4. We rely on HIS strength – 2 Corinthians 12.9-10
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
a. When we are strong – self-reliant
b. When we are weak – God-reliant
B. They Asked a Great God
1. They asked with limited experience
a. James was arrested and killed (Acts 12.1-5)
b. The church had no time to pray
2. They asked with limited expectation
a. God did what they asked (Matthew 7.7)
b. ONLY God could have done it
c. They doubted – Acts 12.15-16
15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.
II. God Does More with Less
A. We Know Faith is Important
1. To Please Him – Hebrews 11.6
2. Not to Doubt, even in our little faith – Matthew 21.22
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
3. Yet we can feel intimidated by our little faith
B. A Little Faith Can Be Enough
1. Mountain Moving – Matthew 17.20b
I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
2. Bring the Faith You Have and Ask for More – Mark 9.22b-24 (child with unclean spirit)
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
3. Answered Prayers Increase Our Faith
John Maxwell: “If you want people to pray more, tell them answered prayers.”
1. We all have doubts from time to time – even apostles – Matthew 28.16-20
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
2. Jesus took the small and made it great:
a. Feeding the 5000; 4000
b. Taking no name apostles and making them into spiritual giants
3. Let the doubt push us TO God in order to increase our faith and decrease our doubts
• He is able
• TO DO
• Exceeding Abundantly Above
• What We Ask or Think
4. In our weaknesses, doubts, and little faith, God empowers!
