Peter’s Deliverance (Acts 12:1-24)
Sermon Notes
Sermon Series: Acts - Our Story, Our Mission
Sermon Title: Peter’s Deliverance
Passage: Acts 12:1-24
Preacher: Robin Philip
1. The Church Under Pressure (vv. 1–5)
The expansion of God’s kingdom provokes hostility and opposition from the world (v1-3).
The Herods of the world hold the sword, but the church holds prayer - in the kingdom of God, prayer is the greater power (v5).
The church’s power comes from prayer.
This kind of prayer is born from desperation — not only circumstantial desperation but spiritual desperation.
Spiritual desperation is not a condition of circumstance; it is a posture of faith.
Desperation awakens dependence.
2. The Power of God’s Deliverance (vv. 6–11)
Dependence welcomes deliverance.
Peter’s deliverance points us to the greater deliverance of the cross and the resurrection — where Jesus broke the chains of sin.
God does for us what we could never do for ourselves. He still delivers.
And just like Peter in Acts 12:11 — “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me” — we can say the same today.
We can look at our lives and say, “The Lord rescued me.”
3. The Declaration of God’s Deliverance (vv. 12–17)
Deliverance compels declaration.
When Peter shares his story of deliverance, the church doesn’t just witness a miracle — they witness a message
Acts 12 holds a high tension we can’t ignore. Peter is set free… but James is executed.
The same God who opened Peter’s prison door also opened heaven’s door for James.
Deliverance looked different for each of them, yet God’s hand was in both.
When we can’t answer the “why,” we cling to the Who.
4. The Triumph of God’s Justice (vv. 18–24)
We serve a God who is loving, patient, and abounding in mercy — but let us never mistake His patience for weakness.
Our God is not fragile, and He will not be mocked.
Justice is His alone, and no evil escapes His sight.
God is kind but he’s not weak, He is gracious and he is holy holy holy and that should create a sense of healthy fear of God in our lives.
Reflection:
How dependent are you on God in this season of life?
Why does your prayer life look the way it does?
What is the loudest thing your life declares?
Where have you replaced dependence on Him with confidence in yourself
Confess the ways you’ve misplaced your trust — turn to His strength.
Turn from self-sufficiency to surrender
Turn from pride to prayer
Turn from control to trust.
