Seeking the Lord's help and your
very prayerful attention for a little while this morning,
turn with me to the chapter we read, the Acts of the Apostles,
chapter 12, and reading, verse 5. The Acts of the Apostles,
chapter 12, and reading, verse 5. Peter therefore was kept in prison,
but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. Peter therefore was kept in prison,
but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. Peter really had reached the
peak of his ministry and we'll seek to trace that out. And how often that is that the
Lord, when he is pleased to abundantly bless his people, it's often
a time of preparation for a time of adversity, a time of trouble. And Peter, indeed, what a time
of trouble it was that John, that John, the brother of James,
sorry, that James, the brother of John, has been killed at the
command of Herod with the sword, and now he's taken Peter. It's
pleased the Jews and Peter is put in prison and he's staying
there until after Easter or until after the Passover because a
murder cannot be committed during that time and now it's come to
the end of the Passover and on the very night, the very night
before that Herod is going to kill him He is delivered. He is delivered. And our text
says, Peter therefore was kept in prison, but prayer was made
without ceasing of the church unto God for him. What a privilege prayer is. What a gift, what a miracle that
poor sinners can approach a thrice holy God. What a mercy that we
have an advocate. What a mercy that we have one
who intercedes, even Jesus himself, seated at the right hand of the
Father. And He forever makes intercession
for us as we pray in His name. So He hands our prayers, He perfumes
them with His blood and hands them into a holy God. Well, friends, before we come
into the context and the text itself, we ourselves here as
a church and people, we have known, haven't we, what it is
to have times of blessing, of great blessing. And those of
you that have been in the church here for a number of years will
be able to testify of those times when there have been the depths
and then there have been the heights. We think of coming moving
from the old chapel just a handful and in faith moving into this
building here and all that was needed to be done to the building
and how the Lord has mercifully provided much more that he's
built up the church, he's built up the congregation. But as Peter
was to find that as he had been abundantly blessed in his ministry
and the Lord was opening his eyes so that he would understand
that it was the Lord's will for the Gentiles to be preached to,
then he incurs Herod's wrath. He's in the prison, but mercifully. Oh, he's a good God, isn't he?
He's a prayer-hearing and a prayer-answering God. But prayer was made without
ceasing of the church unto God for him. There are several places
that I go to that if they haven't a service on, when we have prayer
meetings, one or two of the friends, they listen into the prayer meetings
and they all speak, they all speak of real prayer, of real
prayer. And that's a great mercy, isn't
it? That's a great mercy that we're
blessed at our prayer meetings where, by the aid of the Holy
Spirit, there is an outpouring of prayer and those things are
asked for, which the brethren are exercised for. There is a story of a man that
he would pray and he would pray at the public prayer meetings
and well I suppose it can be called prayer and he wouldn't
pray for anything. He went on and on and on. And
one day the man leading the meeting pulled his coat, his jacket,
the tail of his jacket, said, pray for something, man, pray
for something. And that's whether that's true
or whether it's just a story. It's very, very essential, isn't
it? What a privilege it is to have
the throne of grace. What a privilege it is to have
what Spurgeon called the power house of the church, the prayer
meeting. That's the power house of the
church, isn't it? And how good it is that the Lord,
He exercises His people. And you know, it is a real exercise
for the brethren to come and to really, really seek the Lord's
face, to seek Him, to be exercised, to know His will in what to bring,
in what to please. You know, there was one minister,
the old pastor at Carshalton Chapel, Mr. Sam Stevens, that
I remember him saying that he found it easier to preach than
he did to pray. And I remember there being those
that said, can't understand that. But you know, dear friends, it's
true. My dear wife, she'll sometimes say to me when we're getting
ready for the prayer meeting or earlier in the day, you're
in more of a state when you just got to pray than ever you are
when you go to preach. It's an exercise, isn't it, dear
friends? We're looking for the Lord to
do great things as he did for dear Peter. Death was certain,
but prayer Prayer was made without ceasing at the church unto God
for him. Unto God for him. You know, friends, as we think
about the power of prayer, as we think about prayer, prayer
that has been heard and answered in this house of God, how right
it is, isn't it, how right and proper to ensure that Ebenezer's
are raised to his glory. A stone raised. Oh, as the the chapel is known
as Ebenezer Chapel, isn't it? Hitherto hath the Lord helped
us. And we think of of a year ago,
of a year ago on the fourth fourth Lord's Day in April. And today being the fourth Lord's
Day, that on that fourth Lord's Day last year, that our dear
sister Audrey, Audrey was called home to glory, a loss for us,
and we miss her. But oh, what gain for her! Oh,
the joys to be blessed with that faith are to see the joys that
surround the saints when yielding up their breath. But dear friends,
wasn't the Lord gracious? Wasn't he merciful that just
two days earlier a young friend, dear Lydia, had told us of the
church, of what the Lord had done for her soul. He's a good
God, isn't He? Oh, He added a young one as He
took an old one. And at that same meeting two
days earlier, oh, that as we had been blessed with that three
months of ministry from Pastor James, that it was unanimously
as dear Stephen Hyde that he chaired that meeting and he went
round to each one and each one was able to testify of the Lord's
goodness of how he had used James. And so that same meeting, that
unanimous call was made for him to begin the pastorate. Oh, what
hath God wrought is what we sought to speak from on the prayer meeting
a few weeks ago. And truly, dear friends, this
is true, isn't it? Oh, this is so. And we take no
credit for ourselves, but we bless God for the throne of grace. We bless God for the power of
prayer. And so, dear Peter, Oh, as now,
and it is so often, isn't it? As we have said that a time of
blessing is often followed by a time of trial. And the Lord
has been pleased, hasn't he, to bring some of you into a time
of trouble, into afflictions pathway, things that you hadn't
once looked for. And yet the Lord has been pleased
to bring you into it. But you know, oh, how true it
is that in all of these things, that the prayer, the prayer in
this church, prayer around the family altars, prayer in private
is being put up for those that are walking in these deep pathways. And there are others of you that
perhaps your pathway is known only between you and God. And
you know the people of God seek to uphold you at the throne of
grace. Well, dear Peter, that he'd been
so blessed. You remember that he denied his
Lord. He denied his Lord. But the Lord
was merciful to him and he was restored and he preached. He preached to those many souls
on the day of Pentecost. along with the other apostles,
and 3,000 were added to the church. And then we come to Acts chapter
10, and we read something very, very, very strange, and yet very,
very profound. And it's a work, friend. You
know, those of us that have professed faith, that have professed faith
in the Lord Jesus, it doesn't just finish there, does it? It's
an ongoing work. It's an ongoing work. If we're
one of the Lords, He'll continue that work of grace. There will
be that experience that will continue, will continue on until
our dying day to favour us with sweet communion with a suffering
Saviour, to value more and more His precious blood. and to value more the kindred
of our friends in Christ. Well, dear Peter, we read in
the 10th chapter that he fell into a trance, and in verse 11
we see that he saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending
unto him as it had been a great sheet, knit at the four corners,
and let down to the earth. wherein were all manner of four-footed
beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things,
and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him,
Rise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord,
for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. This was done thrice and the
vessel was received up again into heaven. Now in the meantime, Cornelius,
Cornelius has been wrought upon and Peter, Peter, he goes, he
goes to Cornelius And we read in the 25th verse, And as Peter
was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet,
and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying,
Stand up. I myself also am a man. And as he talked with him, he
went in and found many that were come together. Now Cornelius, he wasn't a Jew. He wasn't a Jew. He was a Gentile. And Peter had never ever preached. He never believed that the gospel
should be preached to the Gentiles. And this is why he had had that
trance. He was put in that trance. It's
to go to Cornelius. And he says to Cornelius in verse
28, you know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that
is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation. But God hath showed me that I
should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I
unto you without gain, saying, As soon as I was sent for. I
ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me. And Cornelius
said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth
hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me
in bright clothing, and said, Cornelius, Thy prayer is heard. Is that your desire at this morning,
friend? Oh, does it seem to you at times
they cry and shout, but all my prayer he shutteth out? Friend,
the time will come, in his good time and way, when it will be
said of you, Thy prayer is heard. He's a prayer hearing, he's a
prayer answering God. As we read, didn't we, that Peter
continued knocking as Rhoda went to say, Peter is here. And he
continued knocking, he continued praying. It's pray on, dear friends. Well, Cornelius, this Gentile,
thy prayer is heard, and mine arms are had in remembrance in
the sight of God. Send, therefore, to Joppa, and
call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter. When he cometh, he
shall speak unto thee. And he said, Now therefore, We
are all here present, as we're all here present this morning. And he says, we are all here
present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee
of God. And so then we read in the 34th
verse, then Peter opened his mouth. and he said of the truth,
I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. You know, dear friends, there
was that amongst, in Peter's heart, in Peter's heart, as well
as amongst the Jews in general, that a bodily ritual was far,
far more essential than spiritual religion. Bodily ritual, circumcision,
far, far more essential. than the spiritual religion. And friends and the enemy will
do what he can to ensure even today, 2,000 odd years later,
that still the church of God will be obsessed by things other
than true religion. So he says, then Peter opened
his mouth. And he said of a truth, I perceive
that God is no respecter of persons. Friend, there's hope for you.
There's hope for you. But in every nation, he that
feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. Well, it was remarkable, you
see, that he was able to speak. And he said in verse 39, we are
witnesses of all things which he did, both in the land of the
Jews and in Jerusalem. This is of Jesus, whom they slew
and hanged on a tree. Him God raised up the third day,
and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but unto witnesses
chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with
Him after He rose from the dead, and He commanded us to preach
unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained
of God to be the judge of quick and dead. And we read in the
44th verse of this Acts chapter 10, while Peter yet spake these
words, The Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the words."
Friends, at Pentecost, the Holy Ghost fell upon the preaching
and upon the people, and 3,000 Jews were baptized and added
to the church. And now what do we read? Peter,
who a few days before would have never ever believed it possible,
would never ever believe it was right to baptise all these Gentiles. greed, they of the circumcision
which believed. So the Jews, the Jews which believed
were astonished as many as came with Peter because that on the
Gentiles, friend, that's you and me. Oh, and not that middle
wall of partition being taken down. You and I, we'd have no
hope. They of the circumcision which
believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because
that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy
Ghost. For they heard them speak with
tongues and magnify God. And this Peter, this Peter who
had been so prejudiced, He says, can any man forbid water that
these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy
Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them. Yes, the Gentiles. Oh, I will
not eat anything that is common. Oh, and through that, he's shown
that God is no respecter of persons. And he commanded them to be baptized
in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry
certain days. Well, you know, dear friends,
Jesus, he He spoke about these things, didn't he, in St Matthew's
Gospel where it is said of those that are the Pharisees and the
hypocrites. He said in chapter 23 of Matthew
and verse 23, Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For ye pay tithe of mint and
anisee, and come in and have omitted the weightier matters
of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. These ought ye to
have done. Yes, these ye ought to have done,
the spiritual things, the things that pertain to the
soul, and not to leave the other undone,
ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of
the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess
it's the easiest thing in the world friends isn't it to be
a hypocrite the easiest thing if god until god intervenes oh
we can put on a good show but god he looks at the heart doesn't
he and it's a heart religion it's a blood religion Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres,
which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full
of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so, ye also
outwardly appear righteous unto men but within ye are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity well Peter he's now apprehended
isn't he he's now hauled up he's now hauled up to the As Princess Diana, she used to
refer to the men in gray suits, didn't she? But Peter, we read
in verse four of chapter 11. In verse two, when Peter was come
up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended
with him. You know, there's nothing new
under the sun. How solemn it is, isn't it, when news reaches
of a baptism of a dear soul and there's criticism. Well, that's
this spirit that Jesus warned of. And this is that which Peter
experienced from the Jews, from those in high places, because
he'd baptized all of these Gentiles. And they contended with him,
saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and did eat with
them. But Peter rehearsed the matter
from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,
I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance, I saw a vision,
a certain vessel descend as it had been, a great sheet let down
from heaven by four corners, and it came even to me. Upon the which, when I had fastened
my eyes, I considered and saw four-footed beasts of the earth
and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air,
and I heard a voice. saying unto me, Arise, Peter,
slay, and eat. And I said, Not so, Lord, for
nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. But the voice answered me again
from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. Well, the wonderful thing is
that they were quietened. They were quietened. The Lord,
the Lord, the Holy Ghost quietened them, took all that bitter criticism
away. And we read in verse 18, when
they, oh, there was more of that in this day. When they heard
these things, they held their peace. and glorified God, saying,
then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. Well, as I've said, Peter, he's
at the peak. He's really at the peak of his
ministry. His eyes, the scales have been
taken from his eyes. He's been blessed. And he's been
favoured. And as there were those baptisms
on Pentecost Day of the Jews, so now he's been favoured to
see that wall of partition taken down. And the Gentiles, he Peter,
who was so prejudiced, his eyes opened, the scales taken from
his eyes. And friends, as we were speaking
of trouble and trial often being the pathway of the child of God,
of the Church of God, after experiencing great blessings. And so we come
into our chapter 12. Now about that time, Herod the
king stretched forth his hands to Vex, certain of the church,
and he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. And because he saw it pleased
the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. And he was determined. He was
determined that that after the Passover, we read, then were
the days of unleavened bread that after the Passover and as
it has here after Easter, that he would be killed with the sword
as well. you that there's no way of escape. He's delivered to four quaternions
of soldiers, that is 16 soldiers and four of them six-hour shifts
over a 24-hour period that he's chained. He's chained to two
of them and there are those that they're keeping at the doors
of the prison and to ensure that there's no means of escape. And so, dear friends, he's come
from the mountain to the valley, from the mountaintop to a depth,
to a depth of affliction, of sorrow, of sadness, of certain
death. And friends, that's how it is. You have proved it, haven't you?
you have proved it as the Lord has abundantly blessed you and
then you found haven't you you found the oh the sorrows of the
why but friends haven't you proved
haven't you proved fellowship with the man of sorrows acquainted
with grief haven't you had a closer communion with him than you'd
ever had before and so Peter therefore was kept
in prison But prayer was made without ceasing of the church
unto God for him. We have one of William Cowper's
hymns, number 282, Welcome Cross. And William Cowper, you know,
he suffered so, so much with manic depression. but he penned,
"'Tis my happiness below, not to live without the cross, but
the Saviour's power to know, sanctifying every loss. Trials must and will befall,
but with humble faith to see love, love, inscribed upon them
all. This is happiness to me. Trials make the promise sweet. Trials give new life to prayer. Trials bring me to his feet. Lay me low. That's it. He's humbled you, hasn't he?
But where's he humbled you to? Where's it brought you to? Oh,
it's brought you to the cross, hasn't it? Oh, perhaps you kicked
and screamed all the way there. But as these things are sanctified,
so there's blessing in it. And you would say when you're
delivered, I'd go through it all again to experience those
same blessings. Did I meet no trials here? No chastisement by the way. Might I not with reason fear
I should be a castaway? And so dear friends, as we, as
our time is rapidly going, we speak to those of you that are
in chains today. that are under the bondage, under
the bondage of the yoke, that the law of God, the holy law
of God is condemning you. That sin is exceeding sinful
and you know not, oh you know not of this deliverance the Lord
that you fear has left you and you're sinking, you're sinking
under these chains, under these chains of bondage. But you know, as that hymn in
Hymns for Worship of Charles Wesley says in 116, he left his
father's throne above, so free, so infinite his grace, humbled
himself, and out of love has bled, has bled for his own chosen
race. Now friend, Charles Wesley is
speaking of when he was in chains of bondage, that he was chained
under the bondage of the law, that he was under condemnation,
that hell was his portion, hell was his destiny. But he's able now to say to his mercy
all, immense and free, for, O my God, it found out me. Long my imprisoned spirit lay
fast bound in sin and nature's night. Thine eye diffused a quickening
ray. I woke. The dungeon flamed with
light. My chains fell off. My heart was free. I rose, went forth, and followed
Thee. Is there a friend here that is
resisting, is resisting following a bleeding Jesus? no condemnation now I dread Jesus
and all in him is mine alive in him my living head and clothed
in righteousness divine and now it is bold bold I approach the
eternal throne and claim the crown through Christ my own. Oh yes dear friends and now it
is taking up your cross, taking up your cross following a bleeding
Jesus knowing the joys of the way and the sorrows of the way,
or knowing what it is to walk in affliction's pathway of various
sorts. But as the hymn writer speaks
of prisoners of hope in 1090, and we'll refer briefly to Zachariah's
prophecy which that hymn is based upon, Zechariah chapter 9 and
he says in the 12th verse, turn you to the stronghold ye prisoners
of hope. Even today do I declare that
I will render double unto thee. Oh there were those that they
built their own strongholds But friends, this of Zechariah, what
Zechariah is speaking of is of Christ. And he says to you this
morning, he says, turn ye to the stronghold. Look to Jesus,
kind and strong, pity joined with power. And you that have
been in the way perhaps for years or months or days or are coming
along in that way he says turn hither ye who oft have tried
by works salvation to obtain see royal robes your shame to
hide and blood that takes out every stain And for those that
have been blessed with these things, turn hither ye who once
were blessed with life the ways of God to run, but now whose
hearts are sore distressed because those golden hours are gone. His name. A tower. Prisoner of hope. Turn you to
the stronghold. His name. a tower for strength
renowned, shall save his people from their sin. Free grace shall
over their sins abound. Ye fearing, doubting souls, turn
in. Friend where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound. And so, as we seek to bring our
thoughts to a close, we have in the Psalmist, he speaks in
the sixth Psalm in a time of trouble. And he says in verse
4, return, O Lord, deliver my soul. Oh, save me for thy mercy's
sake. I am weary with my groaning. All the night make I my bed to
swim. I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because
of grief. it waxeth old because of all
mine enemies. Depart from me, all ye workers
of iniquity, for the Lord hath heard. That's it, friend, he
hath heard. He have heard the voice of my
weeping, of your weeping. The Lord have heard my, your
supplication. The Lord will receive my prayer. Let all mine enemies be ashamed
and sore vexed. Let them return and be ashamed
suddenly. And in the 142nd Psalm, when
David prayed in the cave, he says, I cried unto the Lord with
my voice. With my voice unto the Lord did
I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before
Him. I showed before Him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed
within me, then Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I
walked, Have they privily laid a snare for me? I looked on my
right hand, and behold, but there was no man that would know me. Refuge failed me. No man cared
for my soul. No, friend. He's bought you off
of everything, hasn't he? Of every prop, and it's turned
to the stronghold. Turn to Christ. I cried unto
thee, O Lord. I said, Thou art my refuge. and my portion in the land of
the living, attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low. Deliver
me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. Now make
this your plea, friend, until he appears. Bring my soul out
of prison, that I may praise thy name. The righteous are the
church, shall compass me about, for thou
shalt deal bountifully with me. Our final hymn this morning is
from Gadsby's hymn number 524. 524. The gospel brings tidings,
glad tidings indeed, to mourners in Zion who want to be freed
from sin and from Satan and Mount Sinai's flame, good news of salvation
through Jesus the Lamb. Hymn 524, tune 828. ? Gospels their own and tidings
indeed ? ? To mourners in Zion who want to be freed ? ? From
sin and from Satan and Mount Sinai ? Good news of salvation through
Jesus the Lamb! What sweet invitations the Gospel
contains! To men every-laden with bondage
and chains, It welcomes the weary to come and be blessed, With
aid from the burdens in Jesus to rest. For every poor mourner who thirsts
for the Lord, a fountain is opened in Jesus the Word. Their poor parched conscience,
to cool and to wash, From guilt and pollution, from dead works
and draws. A robe is provided, their shame
now to hide. In which none are clothed but
Jesus is bright. And though it be costly, yet
is the road free, And all Zion's mourners shall decked with it
be. A ring that denotes his unchangeable
love Is put on the finger God's kindness to prove This love,
no beginning, can note nor an end And Zion shall wear it in
praise of her friend. Well, that hymn was not chosen
by me, but another evidence that the Lord is in the place. The
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the
fellowship and the sweet communion of the Holy Spirit rest and abide
with us all now and for evermore. Amen.