God unleashes the first plague on Egypt

This Sunday we will finish Paul’s first recorded sermon in Acts. He stood and preached this sermon at the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia before those gathered to worship there on the sabbath. Last week, we walked through the first part of his sermon as Paul recounted God’s faithful and gracious works throughout the history of Israel (v. 16-23). His timeline shows that God has been faithful to His word from Abraham all the way to David. As Paul mentions David, he immediately comes to the point of his sermon. In v. 23 he says, "Of this man’s [David’s] offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised."

From this point, Paul shows the people how Jesus has fulfilled the promises of David and the purposes of God in salvation. In verses 26-41, we will see how Jesus accomplished salvation for us, how it was foretold and proven from the Scriptures, and how this salvation is applied reconciling the sinner to God. This gospel message Paul delivers would have been earth-shaking news to these synagogue worshipers. And indeed, it still is today. Though most of us are very familiar with the gospel truths Paul speaks here, this message is not mundane or repetitive. It is the glorious fulfillment of God’s promises and the foundation of how we walk in this world.

Moses needs to be reminded of what God has said and done

Paul's first sermon in Acts is given at a synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia. He begins the sermon by showing God's faithful grace to His people throughout their history culminating in the fulfillment of His promises in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As we return to Acts this Sunday, we once again find ourselves in a text that is providentially applicable to us today. Acts 12 presents the early church with a new, seemingly insurmountable opponent. Instead of being opposed and persecuted by the Jewish religious leaders or an overzealous Pharisee (Saul) bent on killing individual Christians, now all the governmental might of King Herod Antipas I (backed by the Roman garrison in Jerusalem) will attempt to destroy the church. The political power and might of Herod is enormous. He is a childhood friend of the Roman Emperor Claudius and uses the Roman garrison of Jerusalem to do his bidding. He succeeds in killing the Apostle James and imprisons Peter. And as the worldly powers marshal themselves to destroy the leadership of the church, all the believers can do is pray.

Chapter 12 is a clash of powers. The power of the world which seems unconquerable, and the power of God to overrule and overcome all others. Sunday, we will see that although individual Christians may suffer and even be killed, the Lord’s power is above all other powers. The Church’s prayers avail much, even when their faith is lacking, and when all the dust settles, the mission of Christ is increasing and multiplying (12:24). The church at prayer is surprised when their prayers are answered in this text, they needed to learn the lesson that we must internalize as well. There is no power in creation that can conquer the power of our God and His gospel.

God answers Moses objections by revealing more of Himself and His purpose to deliver Israel

Hannah sings a joyful, thankful, and worshipful prayer at the tabernacle of God as she dedicates her son Samuel to the service of the Lord. 1 Samuel begins with Hannah as a barren woman, suffering in despair and calling out to God for the blessing of a child. She prays at the tabernacle that God would give her a child and vows to give him back to the Lord (See 1 Samuel 1:27-28). And as our text for Sunday begins in chapter 2, Hannah breaks out into a psalm of praise (which is called a "prayer" in 2:1). The prayer of this mother is extraordinary, for is shows a heart of gratitude and trust in the God who rules over all. It shows that Hannah’s hope is in God, even as she is about to leave her son at the tabernacle to serve the Lord all his life. Hannah’s trust and hope in the Lord is the source of her joy and her strength, and this demonstrates that not only was Hannah giving her son to the Lord, but she had also given herself in faith to God. Her hope (and her hopes for her son Samuel) were bound up in the faithfulness and the promises of the sovereign God in whom she trusts. This mother’s prayer shows her joyful hope in the God who is faithful to her and to her child and to the God who is able to guard the feet of his faithful ones (1 Sam. 2:9)