Acts (11)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27
Be sure to view the video introducing our study of Acts 12 (Lesson 11) by clicking here.

Read and meditate on Acts 12.10, 11.
Peter is bemused. He thinks this might be a vision (been there, done that, Acts 10). But he does what he’s told. They walk right past the first and second guards. “Evenin’, gents!” Next they arrive at the door of the prison and voilà, it swings open, seemingly by its own power (but not). Now, out in the street, the angel’s work is done, and he steps back through the veil into the eternal realm. He’s still there, and myriads of others, but Peter can’t see him anymore.

For reflection
1.  Peter reflects on the weirdness and wonder of all this and draws the right conclusion: “Now I know for certain…” How do you suppose this incident affected Peter’s commitment to the ongoing work of Christ? Do we have to have an incident like this to get us moving toward the Lord’s next steps for our lives? Explain.

2.  This is really important. The “Now I know for certain…” came after the obedience, not before it. What about us: We want to be absolutely sure that, if we share the Gospel with someone, nothing terrible will happen. But God doesn’t promise us that. He simply says, “make disciples” and “be My witnesses.” Have we got the cart before the horse?

3.  We won’t see the fruit of obedience until we obey. We’ll “get it” about the Spirit’s power to make us witnesses for Christ – weird and unlikely as that may seem – when we have actually drawn on that power by obeying our mandate, taking the next steps to reach out to the lost, and opening our mouths with the Good News of Christ and His Kingdom. What can keep you from being a witness like this today?

4.  Really, doesn’t this story make you laugh with wonder and joy? It does me, every time I read it. Think of those poor guards. Think of that iron gate, creaking and swaying in the evening breeze. Think of Peter, hustling along to Mary’s home, still scratching his head. Think of the angels in heaven, high-fiving and praising the power of King Jesus! But don’t turn away from the action just yet; there’s more to come! How do we get past the fear and uncertainty of present circumstances so that we can live in the joy and security of the unseen things of Christ?

5.  What would it look like for Christ’s power to flow through your life for the progress of His Kingdom today? Should you expect to see an angel? To become suddenly eloquent in sharing the Gospel? To be able to answer every objection someone might pose? Or simply to obey the Lord’s next step? Explain.

Summary
Understanding leads to obedience. Obedience generates faith and understanding. Faith does not grow by knowing the outcomes of our next steps, but only by understanding and obeying the next steps. We learn the next steps from the Lord, in His Word and prayer. What next steps is God leading you to take today?

Closing Prayer
I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.

Psalm 40.1-3

T. M. Moore

Each week’s studies in Acts are bound together into a free PDF that you can download for personal or group use (click here). Each week also features a video related to the studies of the week, which you may find helpful as you work through our studies in Acts.

Acts is the record of Christ’s ongoing work as King and Lord. This is the work of bringing the Kingdom of God to earth as it is in heaven. Read more about the implications of this work in our new book, The Kingdom Turn (click here).

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