On His Throne

On His Throne

“The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.” (Acts 11:1)

This is an astonishing paradigm shift. For reference, this question, how many monarchs abdicated their throne? Not a lot. A hat tip to Elizabeth Shell over at PBS to show us that 36 monarchs have done so since 1900. 20 for the traditional, allowing another (usually a family member) to stand in to rule. Nearly half, however (eight monarchies abolished and seven forced into exile) were for less than voluntary reasons. The connection and significance are in its hereditary trait. The Jewish people were bonded through family and history. This was an inherited destiny. It is understandable, on a purely human level, that the admission of Gentiles (meaning literally anybody else) would be a cause of alarm, if not consternation, to those whose life was spent set apart and above. It is a poisonous and all too common trap to believe that “being religious” is equal to being superior. Too easy to assume that being one of God’s chosen is a referendum on our own righteousness instead of God’s infinite mercy and grace.

But the reaction of the believers in Judea was not one of bitterness or recrimination; note Peter’s response, “So if God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” when they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:17-18) Not outrage but praise, not wagon-circling protectionism but acceptance. Any conversion story should be greeted this way, not with cynicism and skepticism, but reveling in the glory of God’s transformative power. Because if He is capable of working in the lives of the lost, then He is capable of working in ours as well, and that is always worth celebrating because it is always necessary.

We plainly see the results of this behavior as well. The balance of Chapter 11 reaffirms that after the stoning of Stephen, the followers of Christ spread but were not silenced. They traveled to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, thus far only preaching to Jews. There were some in Cyprus and Cyrene who traveled to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks there. “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.” (Acts 11:21). It was at this Antioch church that the name Christian was first used, it also attracted the attention of Barnabus (who again retrieved Saul and brought him to the congregation), and they both stayed and taught great numbers there for the next year. We also see this church in Antioch become a hub of great relief for the church. It was there God allowed for a vision of a great famine that would strike the Roman world, and it was this church that marshaled their resources and organized the relief effort, as the church members gave what they could to help their struggling brothers and sisters throughout the land.

Moving on to Chapter 12, we see that God’s supernatural provision is still with His church. Please take time to read the account of Peter in Acts 12:3-19. Herod Agrippa (whose illustrious lineage includes Herod Antipas, who beheaded John the Baptist, and Herod the Great, who, in an attempt to slaughter Jesus as a child, ordered the death of all boys under 2 years of age around Bethlehem.) was eager to persecute the Christians as well and “He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.”(Acts 12:2) This is the first instance of an apostle being martyred for Christ. Make no mistake, these were political acts, “When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.” (Acts 12:3). As poor as the popular perception of Christians may be in the world today, there aren’t too many areas where publicly executing them is considered good public policy. But this is the environment in which Peter found himself. And it is against this backdrop that the Lord showed His support of Peter and the Church. In the dead of night and under the watch of 16 guards, “four squads of four soldiers each” (Acts 12:4), an angel woke Peter and led him through the prison, past its miraculously opened gates, and out into the empty nighttime streets. It was what transpired after that became the focus of our discussion.

“[H]e went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.” (Acts 12:12). At a time when one of the apostles had been brutally killed, and another taken prisoner, the church was at prayer. You’ll take note these brave souls that were spending the night in constant prayer were not packing to leave but were doing the best thing available. They were asking the Lord for a miracle, but it is worth noting that even these faithful prayer warriors were caught off guard at how quickly and miraculously their prayers were answered! “When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” (Acts 12:14-15) We can become so accustomed to praying for what is in our own minds that we neglect that God is capable of doing so much more than we can imagine! It’d be best to pray as Jesus did, not our will but yours be done.

Prayer should demand, by definition, humility. If prayer is a conversation between ourselves and the God who created and directed the universe and all within it, then it requires humility, or we are doing it wrong. Sam pointed out in our discussion that prayer can and should change our perspective. Those in prayer astonished by Peter’s appearance certainly had theirs changed. They were requesting deliverance, and it was granted, but not quite how they anticipated. How much more our world, or even our lives, could be improved if we had faith enough to be bold in prayer! The humbleness required in earnest and constant prayer allows us to reexamine much of what we, by nature or routine, commonly do. We must reconsider who is on the throne in our lives. Our sermon on Sunday contained the point that everyone, believers and unbelievers alike, places someone or something at the center of their lives. Every person has a focal point. Ilse shared with us how this can poignantly tie into our prayer lives. By neglecting to pray about a personal issue and attempting to shoulder the burden herself; there were years that transpired before realizing that the central problem she suffered under only turned out to be a symptom. By attempting to go it alone, we run the risk of missing out on God’s truth.

And the truth is in short supply. Truth should be understood here as essence. These are the essential facts that build our world and our lives. And it is buried underneath a vomitous mountain of noise and denial in the world today. But the truth will not stay hidden, and it will last long after our most fervent denials and distractions. Examine the closing segment of Chapter 12. We, thankfully, for the last time, check in again with Herod. Acts records for us his journey to Caesarea, where he granted audience to those he had been quarreling with in Tyre and Sidon. Josephus records for us that the “royal robes” recorded for us in Acts 12:21 were silver and shone brilliantly during his public address. Those Herod had been quarreling with were beseeching him for peace “because they depended on the king’s country for food supply.” (Acts 12:20b). The man was putting on a spectacle. It was at this point a call rose up from the crowd, “They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” (Acts 12:22) Never forget what followed. “Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.” (Acts 12:23-24) The man who put James, the brother of John, to death by the sword, the one who arrested Peter with the intention to do the same, the one who, after Jesus’ arrest, received Him in his court only in hopes to witness some neat miracle or feat, fell down dead. Rotten to the core as he was, a belly full of worms brought to the end of the Herodean dynasty. The truth will be out.

And here’s the truth. We all face a throne. An easy way to decide what sits upon it is prayer. Prayer should shift our perspective and allow us to reconsider our priorities in light of God’s provision. The magnitude of His grace, His power, and His love should often cause us to reevaluate our own goals, practices, and lifestyle. If we place ourselves on the throne, it negates our ability to change, but placing God properly on His throne makes us see why we need to change. In light of a profound personal tragedy, mysterious medical maladies, and anything in between, our prayer should recognize not only God’s miraculous power and His divine plan but also our own limitations. Benny brought our attention to the parable Jesus tells at the beginning of Luke 18. Ours is not a hopeless faith but a living one based on a risen Savior and a loving God. Ilse brought up the fact that we play a part in our own brokenness. Such fallen creatures in such a fallen world ought to know better than to believe themselves capable of taking charge. So abdicate the throne. It was never meant for us. Place God on His proper seat of authority in your heart, pray boldly, and wait patiently. You’ll never know what miracle God has planned next.

Jordan Williamson