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Secrets of a Great Night's Sleep

2008-04-27

PRODUCTION #: 1108

SPEAKER: Shawn Boonstra

In the 12th chapter of the book of Acts, we find this remarkable story where the early Christian church begins to attract unwanted attention from the government. And if you study that story carefully, you’ll discover that buried beneath the surface there is this startling description of last-day events.

Right from the start, the Christian church was an unpopular movement, and from a strictly human perspective, it is easy to see why. After centuries of national existence, the people of Israel were especially sensitive to anything that might be construed as a departure from the solid faith of their fathers. In past generations, they had suffered the consequences of wandering away from the faith, and the lessons of the Assyrian occupation and the Babylonian captivity have not been forgotten.

So when it looked like a new religious movement was taking shape, the leaders of the day got more than a little nervous. At least, that’s the reason they might have given if we could go back and ask them why they were so hard on the early church. In reality, it probably had more to do with the fact that their stranglehold on the general public was being threatened by a church that was directing people’s hearts away from the dead formalism of the day to a living God who wanted to have a meaningful relationship with them. And, of course, Jesus got right to the heart of the problem when he warned his disciples that the religious powers of the day were going to try and get rid of them.

Listen to what Jesus says in the sixteenth chapter of John’s Gospel (John 16:2-3):

“They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor me.”

The real problem, according to Jesus, was that the religious officials of His day didn’t really know God. Oh, they knew a lot about the history of their religion, and they had a strict moral code that they lived by, but somehow those facts and figures were all they had. The God who first inspired the faith of their fathers just couldn’t seem to find a place in their hearts. And so, when Jesus came, God in the flesh, they just weren’t capable of recognizing Him. In fact, at the beginning of his Gospel, John tells us exactly what the problem was (John 1:10-11):

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”

It’s a problem that still plagues the Christian church today. On the one hand you have those who love the Christian philosophy and they derive a lot of personal satisfaction from the practice of religion. On the other hand, you have people who love exactly the same things, but they also know the Savior personally. And because of that, their religious experience has a focal point that keeps them both balanced and properly motivated.

At any rate, the early church faced a simple problem. Those who held some of the highest religious posts in Jerusalem could not recognize the hand of God in the teachings of Jesus, and they encouraged a popular movement against the church. Over time, a grassroots hatred for Christians spread from the people to the government, and that brings us to Acts 12. In this remarkable chapter, the government actually begins to kill the Christians. Let’s pick it up right here in the first verse (Acts 12:1-3):

“Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also.”

Now, I want you to notice this sequence of events. The murderous rage of Herod against the Christian church is actually spurred on by the will of the people. And when it comes to the final moments here on planet Earth, you find about the same pattern taking shape. In the 13th chapter of Revelation, there are two key powers that bring trouble to the last-day church: the first and second beasts. But these are not isolated dictators operating all by themselves. On the contrary, the Bible seems to indicate that they are riding a wave of global popularity when the trouble really starts. Look at this in Revelation 13:3-4:

“And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’”

The last-day antichrist, in spite of what Hollywood movies might tell you, well, he doesn’t operate in sterile isolation. It garners popular support of the whole world before it really turns its wrath on the Christian church. And so, back in Acts 12 we find Herod backed by the applause of the general public—murdering James and throwing Peter in prison. Now, let us continue the story now in verse 4 (Acts 12:4-5):

“So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”

What happened to Peter, under the direction of Herod, bares a striking resemblance to what happens to God’s last-day church. In spite of some people who will tell you that religious persecution is now a thing of the past, the Bible tells us in no uncertain terms that just before Jesus comes we are going to pass through some pretty turbulent air. And nowhere do you find this more vividly portrayed than the final verses of Revelation 13. Speaking of the second beast, the Bible says this (Revelation 13:15-17):

“He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

You know, it is enough to send shivers down your spine, especially if you don’t know how it ends. At the very last moments, there will be incredible pressure applied to God’s faithful people, including severe economic sanctions and even the awful specter of the death penalty.

And if the story of Peter’s imprisonment foreshadows these events the way I think it does, it tells me something important. In the final moments, as the heat turns up, God’s people will spend a lot of time in prayer, and in Daniel 12, we discover those prayers are answered. Now, listen to this amazing prophecy (Daniel 12:1):

“At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time…”

There is just no question about it. The Bible predicts a time of trouble. In fact, some Bible students call it the time of Jacob’s trouble because of a reference found in the 3oth chapter of Jeremiah that refers to it by that name. It describes a time of trouble so great that none is like it. But before we lose all hope, I should probably point out that all of these prophecies, as sobering as they are, don’t end on a note of doom and gloom. Let me show you what I mean, beginning with the next few words in Daniel 12 (Daniel 12:1):

“…and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.”

Now, did you see it? According to the Bible, this time of trouble, the final crisis, it is not the end for God’s last-day people. In fact, before the crisis is over, they find themselves miraculously delivered, a fact that is also mentioned in Jeremiah 30. Listen to this (Jeremiah 30:7):

“Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.”

So let’s gather it all together now. How does that relate to the story of Peter sitting in prison? Well, let’s go back to Acts 12, and listen very carefully to what happens next. Verse six (Acts 12:6-7):

“And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, ‘Arise quickly!’ And his chains fell off his hands.”

The parallels are too striking to miss. There is a death decree against God’s people brought on by the burning hatred of the general public; and just when it seems like things couldn’t possibly get any worse, an angel miraculously delivers Peter at the last possible moment, the night before his execution. Now this is a story we shouldn’t take too lightly, especially as you and I now head for the final moments.

When the going gets tough and we find ourselves living out the last few verses of Revelation 13, it is important to remember that this isn’t going to last forever. In the depths of the night, as the church passes through its own version of the Garden of Gethsemane and this situation gets so intense that we are tempted to think that God has actually lost track of us…that is when our deliverance comes.

In the words of Jesus, He says (Matthew 24:30-31):

“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

It is just like the story of Peter. As the prophetic clock comes close to midnight and it seems like all is lost, that is when we see it—a small cloud on the horizon that gets larger by the minute. And while this world begins to shake with fear and the mountains begin to crumble all around us, the people of God lift their heads and realize what is really going on. At long last, Jesus has returned.

There is really no question about how the story ends. But at the same time, the story of Peter has something important to say about surviving the last moments. Pay attention carefully to a little detail that is easy to miss the first time you read it. Listen to this (Acts 12:6):

“And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers…”

I don’t know about you, but I find that utterly amazing. First thing in the morning the guards are going to lead this disciple of Jesus out to the courtyard, where a bloodthirsty crowd will cheer enthusiastically when they see the cold steel of the executioner’s sword separate Peter’s head from his body. Almost anybody’s worst fear is about to take place, and yet the night before it happens, even though Peter is helplessly chained to two soldiers, he is fast asleep. I find that absolutely amazing. How in the world can a man who has such a massive problem on his plate just fall asleep?

Many of us have trouble sleeping in a bed when there is something on our mind, and we have to admit that our problems aren’t half as big as Peter’s, and yet there he is sawing logs as if nothing is bothering him.

So the natural question we should ask is “Why?” Maybe better yet, “How?” How in the world do you get a good night’s sleep when the whole world is collapsing all around you? And before you chalk it up to the fact that Peter is some sort of a super saint, don’t forget that this is the same guy who used to shoot off his mouth.

“Get away from Jesus. He has no time for little children.”

And make hasty, hotheaded promises without thinking them through. This is the same Peter who denied Jesus three times.

Female: “You are one of those with Jesus.”

Peter: “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Man: “I saw this man with Jesus of Nazareth.”

Peter: “I don’t even know the man.”

Man: “You are one of them. Your accent gives you away.”

Peter: “I said I don’t know the man!”

SB: This is the same Peter who fell through the surface of the lake when he took his eyes off Christ. So he is not exactly a candidate for super sainthood, and then again, maybe it is precisely those events that made Peter ready for this. Maybe those things helped him realize that he didn’t have what it takes to solve life’s problems all by himself. Maybe it took the stare of Jesus across the courtyard of judgment on the night that Jesus was betrayed to help Peter realize that Jesus was the greatest thing that had ever happened to him, and not the other way around.

Maybe it took three denials of the Son of God to help him see the real ugliness that lurks at the bottom of the human heart. Maybe it took Jesus calling him a second time on the shores of Galilee, after he tried to go back to his former life, that helped him see that this isn’t all about us. It’s all about Jesus.

You know, I’m pretty sure that by the time Peter went to Herod’s jail, he knew he had nothing to offer God—nothing except his faith, and frankly, that is the lesson we are all going to learn in the final time of trouble.

The kingdom of heaven runs on faith. When we finally get there, God is not going to suddenly make us all knowing and all-powerful. We are still going to have to trust Him as He makes the really big decisions about the universe, and when we hit the final crisis and the death decree is finally passed, the only thing we are going to have is faith. The problem gets so bad we can’t fix it. The time for lobby groups and public influence will be long past, and the only thing we can do at that moment is trust.

I’ve often thought about the fact that heaven’s judgment takes place just before the return of Jesus. I have to wonder if the time of trouble is as much for the angels as it is for us. As the judgment comes to a close, the angels have had an opportunity to look through God’s books. That much is clear from passages like Daniel seven.

But still, what if some angel had a lingering doubt? I mean after all, Lucifer was kicked out of heaven when his personal faith in God’s government faltered and he fell in love with himself. Who is to say that these people down on Earth, whose lives have been so terribly influenced by the devil…who is to say they are going to live with simple trust in the government of God for all eternity? Are they safe to bring to heaven?

You know, it is almost as if God closes the Books of Judgment and says, “Listen angels, you’ve read the evidence and now I’m going to let you see something with your own eyes. These people really trust me.”

And then, for just a moment, He lets the winds of strife blow across the surface of this planet and the angels can see, without any question, that the people of God on Earth will trust Him even when it looks like all is lost. They will rest on faith even in the darkest moments of this world’s history.

I have no question that the story of Peter is the story of God’s last-day people, and I encourage you to take a little time to explore this story more today, because it might just hold the key to sleeping well in the toughest of times. And now, I want to show you how the story ends.

In the morning the Bible says that the guards discover that Peter is gone, nowhere to be found.

And that sparked a panic in the prison, because they know when Herod finds out they are going to lose their lives. Sure enough, that’s exactly what happens. Here is what it says (Acts 12:18-19):

“Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death…”

In the very end, as our planet crosses the finish line, there will be those who are not ready for Jesus to come. And the Bible says when they look up and see Him coming, they don’t react like the people who know Jesus—in fact, it’s just the opposite. The Bible says they panic (Revelation 6:14-17):

“Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And then the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”

In the course of human history, there will never be a greater tragedy than this. Throughout the ages the voice of Christ has invited us to be a part of the kingdom of God. The door of God’s mercy has been hanging open, paid for with the blood of Christ.

The message of the Bible has been crystal clear, and the prophetic clock has never missed a single beat. And still, in spite of God’s love, in spite of His efforts to save us, there are those who decide they are going to do things their own way.

And then that moment finally comes. They look up and they see Jesus coming and they know they’ve blown it. It’s all over now, and perhaps the most tragic part of all is the fact that the loss didn’t have to happen.

Now, listen to me carefully. The stories of the Bible aren’t just stories for your kids. When you spend a little time digging beneath the surface, you are going to find the voice of God speaking to the very things you are going to have to deal with. After all these years, this book really is still relevant to our everyday modern lives, and as time goes by, it is going to become more and more important. And I can’t think of a better hope than the one presented in the pages of God’s book.

Most of this world is simply gripping the handrail of life, gritting their teeth and hoping for the best. And when the world falls to pieces all around them and they don’t have any hope, what a shame, because the message of the Bible is just the opposite. The Bible is honest enough to show us the future without sugarcoating the tough times ahead. But at that same moment it holds out the hope of ages. Jesus really is coming again, and knowing that, anybody can get a good night’s sleep.

At the end of Peter’s story, the instigator behind the whole mess loses his life. It tells us Herod pretends for a moment that he’s some sort of god, and then he’s consumed from the inside out. And according to Ezekiel 28, that’s exactly what happens to Lucifer.

The devil might think he’s some sort of god, but that is not going to last forever. He might turn up the heat against God’s people. He might terrorize a lot of the world into worshiping him, but in the end God wipes him out, and from that moment on you’ll never have to face another minute of trouble.

God’s promise to you is this. When this whole thing is over, He’s going to wipe away every tear you’ve ever shed, and then He makes a stunning guarantee, found in Nahum 1:9:

“…affliction will not rise up a second time.”

The storms of life, the things that cause you sleepless nights, they are only going to last a moment, but your relationship with Jesus…well, that lasts forever. So, the question I have for you is this: What in the world keeps you from choosing Christ? Don’t you think you could use a good night’s sleep?

How would you like to face life’s toughest moments with absolute peace in your heart? Why don’t we pray together about that right now?

PRAYER:
Father in heaven, teach us to cling to Jesus. We know that life is tough and that tougher times are just ahead. But by faith right now we claim a good night’s sleep. We choose to trust in you, and we know that because of that—one day soon we will see you face to face. For we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scriptures Used in “Secrets of a Great Night's Sleep”

“They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor me.”
—John 16:2-3

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”
—John 1:10-11

“Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also.”
—Acts 12:1-3

“And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’”
—Revelation 13:3-4

“So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”
—Acts 12:4-5

“He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
—Revelation 13:15-17

“At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.”
—Daniel 12:1

“Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.”
—Jeremiah 30:7

“And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, ‘Arise quickly!’ And his chains fell off his hands.”
—Acts 12:6-7

“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
—Matthew 24:30-31

“Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death.”
—Acts 12:18-19

“Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And then the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”
—Revelation 6:14-17

“…affliction will not rise up a second time.”
—Nahum 1:9