Who's Really Calling the Shots?

Welcome to the Enduring Grace Sermons Podcast.

This is the home for the weekly teaching and ministry of Pastor Ben Hill.

Our mission is to share the timeless truth of God's Word with a world in need of hope.

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And now, here is this week's message.

If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to go ahead and make your way to Acts chapter 12.

Acts 12 · chapter mention

We're going to be there here in just a moment.

But as you turn there, I want to just reflect on something that I think we all have thought at some time or another, whether it was in the hospital while we were waiting eagerly for the doctor to come out and tell us how our loved one is doing after surgery, or whether it's at the graveside of the loss of someone that should have lived much longer than they did, or whether it is when we are standing before our loved one as they have left us, leaving us for someone else.

Or whether it is a wayward child and when they are living in the world and we feel like we've done all we can to raise them as we should, a simple question I think comes to our minds most often.

And it is simply the question of Lord, are you really still in control?

Lord, are you still in control?

Or maybe it's the question of who's really calling the shots God.

Because we're in a desperate place of not understanding how a sovereign God can act and allow evil to prevail.

This morning, as we look at Acts chapter 12, my hope is that you will find courage and encouragement and that God is still sovereign even in crisis.

Acts 12 · chapter mention

That God is still sovereign even in the moments where we wonder, is God really there?

Because God is there.

Because he is Lord, He's sovereign, He is good, He also allows evil to have its time in this world.

As he longs to redeem it for His glorious purpose.

I hope that you have found your place in Acts chapter 12.

Acts 12 · chapter mention

If you have, would you say word?

Let's look at the first few verses here in Acts chapter 12.

Acts 12 · chapter mention

It says, About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.

He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.

Verse 3, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

This was during the days of the unleavened bread.

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.

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Acts is no stranger to persecution, to crisis, to trials.

As we have studied over the last several weeks, we have seen that Stephen was the first martyr.

We saw that his martyr, uh his death sent the church scattering across the region, and God was glorified because he used the murder of Stephen to propel his gospel to people that would not have been available to be preached to otherwise.

We also have seen how God has brought both the gospel to the Jews and the Gentiles, and yet the gospel continues to flourish despite crisis.

Here, yet again, what we see is that as God is moving through Peter and also through the events of the church in Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, there's persecution that is taking place.

Herod, who is reigning over the people of Israel on behalf of the Roman Empire, comes against the church, and it says that he laid violent hands, violent hands, on some of the Christians in the church.

So Herod comes against the church, he joins the persecution.

And make no mistake, Herod is a smart politician.

He loves his position of power, he is a prideful man, and when he sees that the Jews are persecuting this group of people called Christians, he goes after them too, so that they would be happy with him.

And so he has James killed by the sword.

And as he sees that this pleases them even more so, he then goes and gets Peter.

You might pause and think, God, where are you?

This is James, the inner circle, James, the brother of John, the friend of Peter, who was in that inner circle that saw the transfiguration of Jesus, and yet here he is.

Here he is being killed as the first apostle, being martyred in Scripture.

God, why are you still in control?

Are you still in authority to allow one of your inner circle to die in this way?

Could have easily been the question that the church asked.

Could easily be the question that you are asking.

God, how can you allow one of your servants to die by sword when he was one of the ones that you had chosen to be part of that inner circle?

Why would you allow a person who is so faithful to suffer such a gruesome death?

We ask the same questions when we see loved ones who pass away way too early.

Just in the last month, Pastor Steve Gaines and Mark Blair, both pastors at Bellevue, men that I respected and loved dearly, have passed away to cancer far too early.

You can sit there and wonder, God, why did you allow them to die such an early death?

Why did you not step in if you're sovereign, Lord?

If you're truly a glorious God worthy of worship, why would you allow them to die?

But what I can tell you about both those men is in their deaths, even, they were still preaching the gospel through the testimonies of their faithfulness.

God can use even crisis for his glorious purpose, and God does allow evil to take place so that his greater will of his glory and praise and honor being lifted on high can take place.

God does not waste your hardships, he does not waste your financial difficulties, he does not waste your family trials of relationship issues between husband and wife or husband and father and son, or even mother-in-law versus son-in-law.

God does not waste those moments.

God does not waste a single thing.

He uses all crisis for his glorious purpose.

God permits evil to exist for the greater good of the kingdom.

James's martyrdom does not end the gospel.

As we will see at the end of this chapter in verse 25, it will tell us of the story that the gospel continued to multiply despite what was transpiring.

Despite the persecution, God's mission is still being propelled.

Your hardship, in fact, is for the purpose of glorifying God by being in a place that you would not be otherwise, giving you permission to speak into the life of another.

Did you know that maybe God has allowed you to suffer cancer or your heart failures for the purpose of taking the gospel to your very nurses and doctors?

That while you're sitting in that waiting room for hours on end, that it's to share the good news of why you still have a smile on your face because of Jesus, to the person who has never heard of Jesus beside you, who's walking that same life.

God permits evil to take place, for sin to have its day, for the purpose of the church to glorify God despite what we face.

God permits what he hates in order to accomplish his will.

Are you resting and trusting in God's sovereignty that he has permitted you to face the trial you're facing right now for the purpose of taking his gospel further?

Are you resting in God's sovereignty in a way that allows you to say, Lord, I don't understand, but I trust you.

I trust the destination you're leading us to.

No matter what happens, no matter what happens, God, you are faithful.

Is that your attitude?

Do you really wrestle with the fact that God, no matter what happens, He is still wise, that He's still holy, that He's still just, and that He is still a good God?

Do you live in that level of trust?

That when God doesn't answer the way you're praying, that you understand that God's will is better.

The church, I'm sure, was praying that James would not die, that he would be set free, that he would be deemed worthy to be released.

But guess what?

That prayer was not answered.

And yet God was still faithful.

God was still just, he was still holy.

Even though Herod murdered him.

And here's the reality: Herod is guilty of sin.

Herod's responsible for his own actions.

God did not force Herod's hand of sin.

He permitted it.

God did not force the crowd to approve of the murder, but he permitted it.

God did not force the soldiers to follow the orders of keeping Peter in jail, but he permitted it.

The reality is that even though he permits the evil to take place, no one escapes the judgment of God.

No one.

They can't get away from it.

There's no possible way for them to escape.

We as people make real choices, and we're responsible for those choices.

Evil people commit real evil acts.

Just look in our world today, it won't take long.

People suffer real pain because sin is still here.

You're suffering, and the pain you experience is very real.

And God permits it for seasons for his ultimate purpose.

And yet also God remains sovereign in all of it.

Nothing takes place without his permission.

We can look at Job's life as a testimony of that, that God permits Job to be tested for a season to suffer great pain ultimately for the glory of the Lord.

And if you look at the end of the story, Job's pain is not wasted.

God blesses Job.

You know, growing up, we always would go to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for vacation.

Love the mountains, love the beach, two of my favorite places.

And as kids, we didn't really know the way.

I'll just be real honest.

We didn't pay any attention.

In fact, before they had like the end-screen TVs and vans, you know what we did?

We put our TV that was in our room, the little big old box set.

We'd stick it on the one chair in the van that didn't get used, laying it down flat.

We had a little converter, we plug it in, and then we plug in our game cube.

Now, kids, I know you don't know what a game cube is because it's old, but it just think of a switch, but before there were switches, okay?

Here's the deal.

We would sit there and we would play for hours.

And then eventually one of us would get tired of sitting in the car, and you know what we would ask?

Are we there yet?

Many of you have that same experience, but probably as the driver.

And here's the thing: we didn't worry about the destination very much.

We didn't care about the detours or the slowdowns or the traffics or the bumps because we trusted our dad to get us where we were going.

Let me tell you, we have to trust the Lord to get us where we're going.

We have to trust the Lord will get us where we're going.

Have you allowed the Lord to guide your life and trusted Him in a way that allows you to see that all things, even crisis, is an opportunity for God to be glorified, but also for your good.

Romans 8, 28 tells us this, and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.

Do you rest in that glorious truth that as a believer of God, as a follower of Jesus, that you can rest assured that your crisis is ultimately for your good, even when it doesn't make sense to us.

And here's the other reality is that God doesn't spare us real pain.

Because he wasn't also, he also did not spare his son real pain.

Just a few verses later in Romans 8 32, Paul writes, He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

God did not spare his son so that we could receive great things.

Maybe your suffering is not being that you're not being spared from suffering so that other people might experience the greatness of God through his saving faith.

God permits your crisis for the purpose of his glorious praise.

God is not the author of evil, but he does redeem evil things.

And praise God, because if he didn't, none of us would be in this room.

For we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ alone.

But there are also the realities that not only does God permit at times crisis not to be removed from us, but he also at times will protect us from crisis.

Look at Peter's life here in Acts chapter 12, as he is jailed, and earnest prayers from the church, fervent prayers are made to God.

Acts 12 · chapter mention

It says in verse 6, now when Herod was about to bring him out on that very night, so the very next day, Peter is supposed to go out of the jail before the people.

Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains and sentries before the door regarding the prison.

He's under lockdown.

Right?

Like he is under full lockdown.

He is under arrest.

He's waiting.

And as he is sleeping, it says, 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 up, saying, Get up quickly, and the chains fell off his hands.

Could you imagine being Peter?

You're deep in asleep, and then all of a sudden, in your cell, someone hits you.

It's like, man, I didn't know that it was a beating session from the soldiers, right?

Like, what is going on?

And then you wake up and you realize the chains aren't on you.

Did I sleep through the no, it's still dark outside.

Why am I up?

And the angel tells him, get up quickly.

And the angel said to him, Dress yourself and put on your sandals, and he did so.

Notice what he believes is taking place.

After he gets his cloak on, and he says, the person, the angel of the Lord says, Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.

And he went out and followed him.

He did not know what was being done by the angel was real.

He thinks he's in a vision.

He gets kicked in the side.

The angel's saying, Hey, wake up, get ready, come on with me.

And if you're Peter, and it's like, oh, the chains are gone, okay.

Well, okay, I was asleep.

Maybe this is a vision from the Lord.

I'm gonna do what you're saying.

Okay, cool.

Let's keep going.

And what he says is, it's what it says here is about thought he was seeing a vision.

When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city.

I'm just thinking Peter's saying my vision theory is confirmed.

I'm looking at the soldiers to my left and to my right, and oh my goodness, they're not noticing me.

I'm not invisible, I know that.

So how is this happening?

It has to be a vision.

But look at what happens next.

They get to the iron gate leading into the city, and it opened for them of its own accord.

Now you know you're in a vision.

Gates don't just open, right?

Like you're sitting there, you're going, Oh my goodness, let me just okay, Lord, and what what are you trying to tell me with this vision?

And remember, Peter is very familiar with visions, he's already had one, with the Lord bringing the plate before him, saying, Eat! I have declared it clean.

So he's like, Okay, Lord, what's this vision for?

And then once they get out in the street, it says, Immediately the angel left him.

And now Peter's all alone in the street.

I just want you to put yourself in Peter's shoes for just a moment.

How confused would you be?

I know I would be super confused.

I I've walked through jail, out amongst the soldiers, none of them have seen me.

I've gone to the gate, the gate's opened itself, I walk out in the street of the city, and now the guy that was guiding me is gone.

What has happened?

It says when Peter came to himself, even Peter was a little dazed.

When he 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 experiencing.

God was protecting Peter for this season from having the same experience that he did not spare James.

And God is sovereignly acting, because Peter's responsibilities of taking the gospel were not done.

James had finished his race well and he was promoted to heaven.

Peter is still serving faithfully, and God is providing an escape because God's not done using Peter to reach people with the gospel.

So what does Peter do?

He ends up realizing where he is, and it says 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.

He goes to church.

He leaves and he goes, I'm gonna go to where the church house meeting is tonight because I know where they are.

I'm gonna go and give a report of what God has done.

So he makes his way over there, and when he gets there, he says it he knocked at the door of the gate.

A servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.

You're like, awesome, I'm gonna get let in.

No, that's not what happens.

Recognizing Peter's voice, you know what the girl does?

In her joy, she did not open the gate.

I don't know about you, but I would have wanted to open the gate and give him a hug, you know?

It's like, oh my goodness, you're here.

But no, what does she do?

She gets so excited, she runs back inside to give a report.

Says, Peter's here.

Look what the people say.

They said to her, You're out of your mind.

What have they been doing?

Praying for Peter! And they're like, you're out of your mind.

What are you doing?

Like, girl, survey girl, you have lost your mind.

And look what else happens.

And they kept saying, it is his angel.

They think he's already dead.

They're like, Peter's come to us as an angel, a messenger.

It's not actually Peter.

You're crazy.

But Peter continued knocking.

And when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.

They didn't even believe that what they were praying could happen.

Just imagine Peter being outside going, okay guys, it's in the middle of the night.

I'm cold.

Let's let me in.

I got good news.

Where are you?

Where are you?

Oh, you're finally here.

Thank you.

I have great news for you.

Why are you all so shocked?

God's good God.

Let me explain what God did.

And so he tells them, he waves his hand to them to be silent.

He describes to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison and how he said, Tell these things to James and to the brothers.

Then he departed and went to another place.

He goes, Okay, my time here is done.

I gotta go somewhere else.

Now when the day came, there was no little disturbance.

In other words, there was mass chaos at the jail cell among the soldiers over what had happened or had become of Peter.

And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries in order that they should be put to death.

Then he went down from Judea to Casarea and spent time there.

Herod is absolutely livid because somehow these men had let Peter escape.

But those men had no choice in the matter because God sovereignly intervened and protected Peter.

There are times in life that God intervenes in miraculous ways, and that too serves as the glorious worship of the Lord that should lead us to praise him because we see God's hand and his mercy revealed through the miracle.

Don't lose heart.

Your crisis might be for only a short season.

Sometimes it's not, but we pray that God would give us victory over the crisis.

Because he is also the God who is sovereignly able to step in and protect his people when it is his glorious purpose.

Church family, God permits evil so that he can be glorified.

He also protects his children so that he can be glorified.

God also prevails over all evil.

Look at how the story ends.

Verse 20.

Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Siddin, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace because their country depended on the king's country for food.

On an appointed day, Herod put on his robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them.

And the people were shouting, the voice of a God, and not of a man.

Could you imagine being in that room?

The voice of a God, not of a man, being shouted by a multitude of people.

Herod in verse 23 is immediately struck down by an angel of the Lord.

Look at the text.

It says immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

Talk about vivid imagery.

He was struck down and eaten by worms.

God shares his glory with no one.

Pride destroys lives.

Herod was a proud man.

In fact, what we learn from the historian of the Jews, Josephus, is that he records that on that day when Herod died, he was wearing silver clothes.

So imagine him being in the sun with silver clothes radiating.

And the crowd he records saying essentially exactly these words, saying that he is a divine man, a divine God with glory.

And he confirms that Herod died and was struck down for all to see.

Herod is a warning to those who are lost in their sin that if you do not repent, you too will be struck down for all of eternity.

That you cannot escape the judgment of God.

You cannot escape God's sovereign rule.

But is an encouragement to the believer that even the evils of this world will not remain forever.

God will prevail over all evil.

This world will pass away, that there is a great hope in Jesus because he is sovereign.

He reigns supreme.

There is no one his equal, for he alone is God.

And he is worthy of our praise and worship.

Because there is no one who is better to follow than the Lord.

He is God.

He may delay his judgment on the evils of this world, but it will not escape his wrath and judgment.

So, child of God, you can rest assured knowing that whether you're facing a crisis or you're facing evil head on, that God will ultimately prevail.

That your struggle in this world will be redeemed.

You might not have victory over it on this side of eternity, but like James, when he died, he went to be with Christ and he had his victory.

Because God prevails over evil.

Evil has its day, it can play, but its time is limited.

Are you ready for God's judgment?

Are you ready to face the Lord on the day that he says your life is to come into my hand, so that you may stand before me and give an account for all your life?

And on that day, what I will tell you is that there is only one way, only one way that you will be able to walk through those pearly gates of heaven, is if Jesus is standing representing you because you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

You must be washed in the blood of Christ to be truly saved.

If you're standing there and you're proud and you say, hey, I was better than I was bad, God will laugh.

And then he will cast judgment.

Because there is no one good, no, not one.

Sin makes us evil in the hand or in the eyes of God.

We are naturally born evil creatures, and in God's sovereignty, he allows us not to be as evil as we could be.

But in his sovereignty, he has provided grace for all who repent and believe.

Have you repented and have you believed?

It's kind of like a man that went to the beach.

He decided that he wanted to write his name and beautiful script in the sand.

He began drawing and doodling his name, creating this beautiful calligraphy.

And as he looked and he watched, as the day passed, that tide came rushing in.

One wave after another began to wash away his name until nothing remained.

The man looked with sorrow because all that he had worked for amounted to nothing.

The fact of the matter is, is that when we work on our own, it amounts to nothing.

We must trust in the word, the power, and the sovereignty of God to have true life change.

Children of God.

When that question in that crisis comes, Lord, are you still there?

Are you still in control?

Are you really calling the shots?

You can rest assured knowing that Jesus is.

That Jesus is allowing that moment ultimately for your good.

Will you trust him in that this morning?

Will you trust that God has good in his will for you?

Will you trust him this morning to walk with you through those hardships?

Will you trust him in that he will overcome the hardships even if it requires you being promoted to go home?

Will you trust him?

And rest assured, knowing that you do not have to worry because the Lord God is in control.

You don't have to worry about what government's doing.

You don't have to worry about what wars are taking place.

You don't have to worry about when he might return if you are his child.

Because you can rest assured knowing that God is sovereignly in control.

And when he says it's time, it is time.

And that is cause to worship, it is cause to celebrate, because we do not have to fear, because our Lord is in control.

With every head bowed and eye closed this morning.