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Amen Talia sermon tonight is King Herod's downward spiral to reprobation King Herod's downward spiral to reprobation and Let's pray Lord. We thank you so much for the scriptures and Lord that you clearly show things in your word Lord to pray that we would Just take the things that you say at face value and Lord even if we have a hard time believing some things That are in your word. I pray that we would just Do that indeed Lord that we would just look at the scriptures and believe them for what they say and Not let people try to explain them away from us in Jesus name we pray. Amen All right, so Turn over to Romans chapter 1 really quickly Romans chapter 1 verse 28 the Bible says being filled with all unrighteousness fornication Excuse me verse 28 and even as they did not like to retain God their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient So there's people that don't want to retain God in their mind and the Bible says that some you know It's teach it teaches in Romans chapter 1. I don't have time to go through the whole passage But God gives people over to a reprobate mind and we'll see tonight how Herod Became a reprobate and so I've been wanting to do this study for a while, so there is a lot of scriptures I'm gonna go back. I just kind of went and And just went through all the verses that talk about Herod now We're not talking about Herod the one that tried to kill baby Jesus. Okay. We're talking about his son Herod the Tetrarch and He would he end up becoming just like his daddy a reprobate so Look at verse number one back in our main text and we're gonna be going back there of course like we always do On Thursday nights a Bible study, so we're gonna study this chapter. I'm gonna try to get through the whole thing It's a big chapter, but most of what we're gonna be dealing with is about Herod so I'm gonna I'm gonna do something different tonight. I'm gonna jump back and forth from the story, okay I'm gonna jump from one from one part of the story, and I'm gonna have like little intermission So your brains could be entertained a little bit like it's a commercial break kind of okay So that'll help you and not be all heavy-duty in the scriptures. Hopefully it'll help you okay, and Well we need to have some sponsors though, so if anybody wants to come up and do a commercial for me. I'm just kidding So verse number one says now about the time about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church and So this is basically where Herod goes and starts his downward spiral to total reprobate, okay? So turn over to Matthew chapter 14 So what's the deal with Herod Herod he kind of came on the scene and we know that he killed John the Baptist He stole his brother's wife Philip he stole his wife John preached against him He was thrown into prison because his wife wanted to kill John, but see Herod wasn't a full-blown reprobate at that time He actually liked to hear the preaching of John He he heard what he had to say and in the Bible says he did some of the things that John taught Unfortunately though for Herod He didn't get saved You know and Herod seems to me like a guy that just cared too much about what everybody else thought And that was that's a big problem with some people you know when you go to pray with somebody and maybe they're for one friend It's kind of making fun of them or making fun of you Then you'll have to one of them won't believe one will and then you get to pray with that guy And then they say no I'll do it at home and a lot of the reasons why people do that because they're afraid Their friends are gonna mock them they're afraid of what they're gonna say and like when I got saved I didn't care who was there. You know I did not care at all I like barely thought about for a second. I was like yeah, whatever. I want to I want to get saved so some people Just want to get saved and some people just keep you know pushing it and pushing it and pushing it And they don't notice people that like even in your own life. They'll be oh, they'll seem to be open to things But then they just keep pushing it back and pushing it back and pushing it back There's people that you just keep giving the gospel to or you try to Talk about spiritual things and it seems like they just get worse and worse and worse And then also they just want nothing to do with you. They want nothing to do with God They want nothing to do with the Bible they want nothing to do with church, and those are the people that I believe Become reprobates. They've just been given so much and yet They just keep pushing God to the side. They don't want to retain at some point They make a decision in their heart and say hey, I don't want God anymore. I don't want anything to do with him I'm making the decision to not be saved and that's the most dangerous position You could be in when you understand the truth, and then you say no That's the dangerous position to be in and I believe that Herod did that so Matthew chapter 14 verse 1 Let's read about Herod here It says at the time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus and said unto his servants This is John the Baptist. He has risen from the dead and therefore mighty works to show forth themselves in him for Herod Had laid hold on John and bound him and put him in prison for Herodias Sake his brother Philip's wife for John said unto him it is not lawful for thee to have her And when he would have put him to death He feared the multitude Because they counted him as a prophet so you see that he is always afraid and worried about what other people think And then verse 6 it says, but when Herod's birthday was kept the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever She would ask and she being before instructed of her mother said give me here John Baptist's head in a charger So like a yeah, who's ever seen like a silver platter? Right you know you that saying says you you know put bring it to him on a silver platter That's where that phrase came from is from this chapter in the Bible and instead of it being some kind of a good food It was John's head in a charger Okay, which is a really wicked wicked thing to ask for and it says in verse 9 and the king was sorry So he was sorry. I guess he got saved then right he repented of all the sins no Look Judas was sorry that he betrayed Jesus, but he still died and went to hell and hung himself Okay, just because someone's sorry doesn't mean that They're they're saved okay, but that's what people that preaches false repentance doctrine want you to believe is that well You got to be really really sorry. Well. How sorry do you have to be it says he was sorry? This is nevertheless for the oaths sake and for them which sat with him at meet he commanded it to be given her So again you see because You know he wasn't probably expecting this to be a request and so he probably was thinking of any way He'd get out of it, but for the oaths sake and for him for them Which said it with him at meet he commanded it to be given her so he cared again too much about what other people thought But you know that that just goes to show you shouldn't go around making oaths and making promises that you can't keep Let your gay be a and your Navy name, okay, so don't don't promise like people say hey I'm gonna tell you something, but you got a promise not to tell anybody I can't make that promise that that might be well I you know someone told me that you know someone so killed somebody you want me to keep that promise look I'm not a Catholic priest. I'm not keeping that stuff confidential if it's something that's wicked like that I'm gonna have to tell okay, so don't try to make me promise something. I can't promise anyway So look at verse 10 it says and he sent and beheaded John in the prison and his head was brought in A charger and given to the damsel and she brought it to her mother and the disciples came and took up the body and buried it And went and told Jesus So now let's look at a parallel passage see the thing about the Gospels is you're gonna get Different perspectives of different things from all the Gospels and this is talked about in three of the Gospels Okay, so turn to Mark chapter number six Mark chapter number six, and this is kind of the more lengthy the lengthy passage that we're gonna look at tonight, but Just another rendition of what happened it just gives extra details Mark 6 14 says and Herod and King Herod heard him for his name was spread abroad And he said that John the Baptist was risen from the dead and therefore mighty works to show forth themselves in him Others said that it's Elias. They're talking about Jesus here and others said that it was a prophet or as one of the prophets But when Herod heard thereof he said it is John whom I beheaded He is risen from the dead For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John and bound him in the prison for Herodias sake his brother Philip's wife For he had married her for John's had said unto Herod it is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's lot a wife Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him and would have killed him But she could not so she was so mad that John preached that message against him and they he and and that he said that that she wanted to kill him and You know obviously she got her wish through her conniving later on have a whore and her daughter out to be a little dancer for him But it says, but she could not for her for Herod feared John See at one time Herod feared John He feared him because he knew look it says knowing that he was a just man and holy and observed him He observed to me watch what he did he hurt and it says and when he heard him He did many things and heard him gladly So not only was John observing the life or Herod observing the life of John You know he didn't want to kill him He feared John and that's pretty funny because you know people don't fear poke pastor polka dot Do they you don't see him fearing pastor polka dot or James White who would fear James White look at it It looks like he's a painter or something. You just put one of those little French hats on He looks like a little painter guy right and you know a lot of these pastors that you see I mean, I wouldn't be afraid of them for any reason. They're soft as a pillow They're soft as a feather. They're weak and watered down and but Herod is a king and he feared John It says knowing that he was a just man and holy and observed him and when he heard him He did many things and heard him gladly so Herod listened to the preaching of John So do you ever think that he heard a salvation message from John of course he did because many people were saved during the preaching of John's ministry and Verse 21 says and when he convenient day was come that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his Lord's high captains and chief estates of Galilee and when the daughter of the said Herodias came in and danced and Pleased Herod and then that sat with him the king said unto the damsel ask of me whatsoever thou will and I'll give it to Thee so that's the big mistake that Herod made Okay, it says and he's swearing to her whatsoever thou shalt ask of me I will give it thee unto the half of my kingdom But she must have been a pretty good dancer, huh? But you know the the problem is is that that he was kind of a pervert. You know he he Took his brother's wife That's weird. That's not right That's sick and the Bible actually calls for the death penalty in that situation But it says and she went forth and said unto her mother What shall I ask and she said the head of John the Baptist? And she came in straightway with haste unto the king and asked saying I will That thou give me by and by in a charge or the head of John the Baptist and the king was exceeding sorry He wasn't just a little bit. Sorry. He was really really really sorry. He was exceeding. Sorry Yet for the oaths sake and for their for their sakes which sat with him He would not reject her he gave in to peer pressure didn't he and he made a stupid oath that he should have never have made and That just goes to show law Entertainment can can be your downfall also Because you know apparently you know being entertained was a big part of his Of his kingly life, you know and having that you know having women sensually dance in front of you We don't know how she danced it doesn't say how she danced But it says that she pleased pleased him with her dancing, so it probably wasn't a Christian dance I'm guessing it wasn't like you know it was probably a pole involved or something like that who knows but It was something sensual. It wasn't something godly I could tell you that it says verse 27 and immediately the king was sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought and he went and beheaded him in the prison and Brought his head in a charger and gave it to the damsel and the damsel gave it to her mother And when his disciples heard of it they came and took up his corpse and laid it in a tomb, so there's There's two different accounts there, and then Luke 3 turn to Luke 3 Luke chapter 3 verse 1 the Bible says now in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea and Herod being patriarch of Galilee and his brother Philip Tetrarch of Ituria and to the region of Tracon, Traconitis and like Lasantius and the Tetrarch of Abilene Those are some tough words there anyway. I don't know if I got all those right, but Lord forgive me anyway And then it says verse 2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priest the word came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness So during these these so notice it gives you some details about Philip Philip was the brother of Herod, and he was in control of a certain little area and And we see that he Herod himself was the Tetrarch of Galilee, which is where Jesus Lived growing up and that you know Pilate was the governor of all Judea, so he was like you know He was like the governor. We would have now so like if Judea was like a state then Pilate would be the the head of the whole thing and Herod was just like the ruler of Galilee and his brother Philip of all these other little areas so John the word of the Lord came to John in the wilderness and Skip down to verse 19 it says, but Herod the Tetrarch being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife and for all the evils which Herod had done so apparently Herod was a bad guy Did you ever guess that that would be the case that Herod would be a bad guy? Now we've all been bad guys in our past except for Alejandra. She wasn't bad She wasn't a guy either, but she was she wasn't bad. You know she grew up in church You know she told me one time. I'm sorry. I'm gonna. I'm gonna reveal your little secrets here, but she said you know I wasn't really doing bad She was going to church and some people just are religious people that are going to church, but they're just not saved But some people are bad boys growing up like Justin and Matt no, I don't know who is me You know some people just are bad and do evil things and Herod. You know Herod was an evil person He did wicked things. It says added yet this above all that he shut up John in prison now You know that's kind of basically the it doesn't tell that whole story like it didn't mark But you kind of get some extra details there now turn over to Luke chapter 9 verse 7 Luke chapter 9 and verse 7 It says now Herod the Tetrarch heard all that was done by him and he was perplexed because that it was said of some that John was risen from the dead and of some that Elias had appeared and of others that one of the old prophets was risen again and Herod said John have I beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things and Desired to see him so part of the reprobation process of Herod was that you know he heard John's preaching, but did he ever get saved by him he murdered him He killed him he had him beheaded because he just couldn't get he had he gave into all the pressure Around him the pressure from his wife the pressure from the people around him the pressure of you know just Promising to do things that he shouldn't have been promising to do So now he's here, and he hears of Jesus, and he says it says that he desired to see him So and and then turn over to Luke chapter 13 verse 31 Luke chapter 13 verse 31 I know I'm going heavy Bible here But I just kind of want to lay the groundwork and let you see kind of how Herod became This wicked person that we see in Acts chapter 12 Luke 13 31 says the same day there came certain of the Pharisees Saying unto him get thee out and depart hence for Herod will kill thee So now the next the next mention of Herod and Luke is that the Pharisees are saying get out of here Get out of town depart from from here for Herod will kill thee and what and I love Jesus's response And it says and he said unto them go ye and tell that Fox behold I cast out devils And I do cures today and tomorrow and the third day I shall be perfected when Pilate heard of get when Pilate heard of Galilee he asked whether the man were a Galilean so You know two people will say that Jesus would never says anything bad about people in the Bible. He's he's just mr. Sweet all the time he tell he says Herod's a fox and a fox is an animal that Goes around at night and kills people's animals and eats chickens and eats chicken eggs You know and we might not think that's bad, but you know a fox is kind of a devious animal they wait till it's night the cover of night to go do their wicked little things and People try to kill foxes because they're damaged their their animals their herds They kept the you know maybe not a cow or whatever, but they go after small animals and eat them So if you have chickens, and you like eggs, they're a danger to your eggs, right? So Jesus called him a fox you know he called other people names, too He called the Pharisees vipers and children of hell why did sepulchres You know Jesus wasn't you know it's funny that every time it says they thought it was one of the prophets Risen or they thought this or that they thought it was this guy or that guy now It just shows you that Jesus wasn't you know what people try to paint him in modern Christianity He's just some dress wearing hippie. Okay. Jesus was a hard preaching and a hard He was a hard preacher. He was also loving of course But when he when the rubber met the road he's like tell that Fox Behold I cast out devils you go tell that you know he's talking about a king there He's talking about the king of Galilee a guy that could get him in trouble And you know so you know these like if President Trump's you know said something like they said you know President Trump's coming to kill You Pastor Thompson, and I said go tell that Fox go jump in a lake You know that's what it'd be like you know you're telling some king to you know you're telling them off So you know what does Jesus attitude towards him though? You know John the Baptist was his cousin John the Baptist was the greatest born among women He are born of women excuse me He is the greatest prophet that ever was and he murdered him so you see what Jesus thinks about Herod He thinks he's a fox. He doesn't want nothing to do with them now turn to Luke chapter 23 So Slowly Herod gets worse Luke 23 says verse 7 says and as soon as he knew that he belonged in the heritage Jurisdiction he sent him to Herod who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time And this is of course the day of his crucifixion, and it says that when Herod saw Jesus. He was exceeding glad He was all happy right and he and he was desirous to see him of a long season because he had heard many things Of him and hoped to have seen some miracle done by him now What what was he hoping for more entertainment guys brain is filled with entertainment girls dancing now He wants Jesus to do magic tricks for him Okay, that's all he just wants to see some kind of miracle. He's heard of miracles But Herod is obviously not a saved man Says that he questioned with him many words, but and he answered him nothing So Jesus is supposed supposedly Gets people saved into the bitter end till their last breath on their deathbed right, but why doesn't he answer? Why doesn't he answer Herod here because he's already a reprobate because he's already a reprobate. That's why Because if he wasn't a reprobate don't you think Jesus would try to get him saved right there? Yeah, he would have big, but you know people you know in modern I saw this guy that was saying oh You know our doctrine of rep the reprobate doctrine is just not biblical well Why don't you tell me why he didn't give the gospel then right here? Because he was already a reprobate He called him a fox not too long. You know a few chapters before that He answered him nothing. He didn't say a word to him He didn't say you know what Herod if you just believe in me. You'll have everlasting life. Did he say that no he? answered him nothing Wasn't very loving of Jesus was it? To all these people that think that Jesus just never it look it's called long suffering But at the end of your suffering long. There's an end to it You know eventually the long suffering gives way to I'm done with you You're cast away. You know and at this point. He's basically a trash collector You know like pastor Anderson sermon about the track the people that are trash Sometimes these trash these trash cans get to stay around for a little while because he wants some other trash to be part You know he became friends with Pilot at this time like they had made some kind of agreement together, and they were buddies after this another reprobate Because you know pilot he wanted to wash his hands of it, but you know he could have just said no I'm not killing him, but he didn't do that He basically gave the people even though they knew he wasn't guilty even though Herod said he wasn't guilty of doing anything He's they still let him crucify the Lord Jesus Christ So you know that's the thing is that? Herod was just looking for a magic show and Jesus wasn't gonna give it to him. You know and people Think that Jesus was just going around doing miracles whenever he did miracles How he saw fit when for his timing and for his purposes not so Herod could be entertained for the afternoon, okay And Luke 23 10 says the chief priests and scribes stood of the hem vehemently accused him and Herod with his men of war set him at naught and mocked him and arrayed him and gorgeous robe and sent him again to pile it so once he decided not to talk to him then Herod's like whatever You know they started let his guys make fun of them and put a robe on them And that says the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together for before they were at enmity between themselves and Pilate when he had called together the chief priests of the rulers of the people said unto him unto them Ye have brought this man unto me as one that perverted the people and behold I have examined him before you and have found no Fault in the man touching those things wherever you accuse him of No, nor yet Herod, so Herod said you know as wicked as they were they still Didn't say that he was worthy of the death of the things that they accused him of so Now this is where we see back in Acts chapter 12 where we see Herod go into full reprobate mode okay, so now we see so he rejected John's preaching You know he was it was too late for him when Jesus saw him And now look where he's at now in Acts chapter 12 verse number two it says and he killed James the brother of John with the sword so He goes from being not you know wanting to hear John's preaching wanting to see Jesus to murdering James the brother of John So it was James the brother of John well you've heard of the sons of thunder right there were the sons of thunder They were the sons of Zebedee and so he was one of the twelve he was one of the Apostles he killed one of the Apostles and So just to just to show you wrote I'll just read this real quickly Matthew 4 21 says and going from thence He saw other two brethren James the son of Zebedee and John his brother in a ship of Zebedee their father mending nets And he called them, so this is they they were this is James from early on You know one of the one of the closer ones to Jesus, so he just killed him with the sword so But I'm gonna pause the story right here So I told you I was gonna give you a little break because I want to address something else That's in here in verse number three, and then I'll come back to this reprobate story, okay About Herod so verse three let's switch gears here for a second and let your brain take a commercial break There's a lot of scriptures to deal with but first rate says it because it's he saw it pleased the Jews He proceeded further to take Peter also when they were when were the Days of Unleavened Bread so Just like I kind of preached last week about Christmas not being pagan or whatever or you know people say that it's pagan It's really not well They also say the same thing about Easter Easter was a pagan holiday, and it was some kind of bad holiday Well, you know the thing is that the Bible says right here that these were the Days of Unleavened Bread okay, and and so the next verse after that says and When he'd apprehended him he put him in prison delivered him to the four Quantarians of soldiers to keep him intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people So people get confused by this and say well Easter. It's the only time it's mentioned or whatever you know The thing is is that it was in William Tyndale's translation It was mentioned every time it said Passover so basically what Easter means is the Passover the whole Passover so from the week from the Days of Unleavened Bread. There's a week Celebration that they're supposed to come and present themselves to the Lord turn to Exodus chapter 13. I'll show you really quickly What I'm talking about Exodus 13 verse 6 Because They were commanded to eat unleavened bread and look the temple had not been destroyed yet, so there was still Doing Jew stuff right so um Exodus 13 6 says seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord So the Passover was was where they were supposed to kill the lamb You know that day of Passover is the day they were supposed to kill the lamb And then you know they're all supposed to eat it in one house and all that stuff, but But there's a feast that took place before that whole week, and it was the feet called the Feast of Unleavened Bread That's what it's talking about here, and it says in verse 7 unleavened bread shall thou eat seven days And there shall be no leavened bread be seen with thee neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters Exodus 23 turn over to Exodus 23 Exodus 23 verse 14 says three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year thou shalt keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread Thou shalt eat unleavened bread Seven days as I command thee and the time appointed of the month Abib For in it thou camest out of Egypt and none shall appear before me empty so the Lord Commanded them to keep this Feast of Unleavened Bread so Let's go back to Acts chapter 12 look at verse number 4 again It says and when he had apprehended him he put him in prison and delivered him to four Quantarians of soldiers to keep him intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people so Easter Was the Feast of Passover? So the word Passover and the word Easter are both made up words in the English language. Did you know that? William Tyndale made those words up Because there was no English word for it so William Tyndale invented that word and he called Any time there was it would be used the word Passover abuse he put Easter in his version of the Bible So Easter is not pagan. It's just the whole feast. It's not it's not just the day of Passover It's the whole feast included. That's why it only appears that time So I mean people like to call it pagan they like to say it's all about these bunny rabbits and whatever okay It's a bunch of garbage William Tyndale you know if you look at his at his translation you can see that were he calls it Passover in His version you look at the King James version. It's those words are used interchangeably, but since it was not right to call the whole feast Easter Then he just that's why he only used it this in this once in one instance because That's what we're talking about here is not just the day of Passover, but the whole week together. Okay. I hope that makes sense But you know the thing is is that we celebrate Easter, but why do we celebrate it? because It's been changed for Christians Observe the Lord's Supper now and So Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, and so look if you don't want to call it Easter Don't call it Easter, but the but Jesus clearly Changed the Passover in Matthew chapter 26 turn to Matthew chapter 26, and I'll show you real quick This is only supposed to be like a five-minute time out and we get back into the the story of Herod here Matthew chapter 26 verse 26 says and as they were eating Jesus took bread and blessed it and break it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat This is my body, and he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them Saying drink eat all of it for this is my blood of the New Testament Which is shed for many for the remission of sins, but I say unto you I'm not drinking henceforth of the of the kingdom Excuse me of the fruit of the vine until the day When I drink it new with you my father's kingdom for I've received oh excuse me. That's it so Jesus said when he instituted the paths or you know it's not the Passover anymore because Jesus was the Lamb of God So there's no reason to have a Passover feast anymore because Jesus is the lamb that they were pictured the Him coming and dying for us on the cross and you know when God sees the blood applied to us He passes over us And that's the picture like they had to strike it in the door in the in their doorpost the the lambs blood as the door of your heart, so That's why You know it was changed because there's no reason to eat a lamb anymore, and you have to have your own personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and You know we're not we're not supposed to eat A lamb anymore because once you receive it you receive it once right you receive the Lord Jesus Christ once But we remember him through the Lord's Supper and cook and first I'm not gonna have you go there But I'm just gonna read it for you first Corinthians 11 24 says when he'd give thanks He break it and said take eat This is my body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me and the same manner He also he took the cup and when he had stopped saying this cup is the New Testament my blood This do ye as often as you drink it in remembrance of me How often do they do the Passover once a year? So why do we do the Lord's Supper once a year because we're just continuing what the Lord had already put in place So some people do it like three you know three or four times a year. That's fine. I'm not mad at anybody that does it differently Whatever, but at this church We observe it once a year, and we observe it at the time of Easter So in and the Lord said we're supposed to show his death till he come So if you do it like every week like the Catholics do what how's that special? That's not a special time. That's not a special time of remembrance, but if you do it once a year. It's kind of like you know Remember, you know it's remembering his birthday It's like remembering his death day the death burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ There's nothing in the world wrong with calling it Passover or Easter It's just talking about that feast okay, which was changed by the Lord Jesus Christ and so we don't eat the lamb anymore okay, but we eat the Unleavened bread and grape juice the fruit of the vine Because you know notice Jesus didn't say the wine I think he put that word in there specifically for the clowns that say that we have to take Alcoholic wine in the Lord's Supper. That's a completely different sermon, so I'm not gonna go there Let's go back our time is back in for back to Herod's story here Okay, so I just wanted to teach you that real quickly Hopefully that didn't go over your head if you have any questions about that Please come see me after the service or whatever Verse three I know we're we're only in verse three. I know well. I'm gonna speed this up, okay Verse three it says and because he saw it pleased the Jews He Proceeded further to take Peter also then were the days of unleavened bread So Herod he saw that it pleased the Jews to kill James He proceeded further to take Peter also So he's just gonna like he's trying to just kill the Apostles one at a time here, so he's full-blown reprobate now He's a wicked person he murdered John the Baptist he murdered James and now he's trying to murder Peter Also look at verse four it says that when he had apprehended He put him in prison and delivered him to four quantarians of soldiers to keep him Intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. What did they do with the Lord Jesus Christ? They brought him forth toward to the people what the people say crucify him Crucify him his blood be upon us and upon our children, so what's he trying to do with Peter? He's trying to do the same thing bring him out to the people give them the pleasure of seeing Peter be killed also Verse 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison But prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him So prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him This is how a church should pray for those in great distress in our church and in churches of like faith and just other people That you want to pray for hey when someone's in trouble of one of our own We should be praying without ceasing for those people and just you know put our lives to the side for me at least take a Few moments and just get down and pray for that person because everybody has some kind of emergency going on not everybody But different people from week to week have different emergencies going on in their life right God wants us to pray for each other He wants us to pray for the people in this church When when they're going through a hard time and look there's people in our church right now going through a hard time Okay, and it's always gonna be that way next week. It might be Shawn a week after that It might be Temo next week Sheila next week brother Matt. I'm the pastor here I hear all the things that you guys are going through you know and I want to I want to pray for you But I want you guys to pray for each other also, okay So when people are in a great distress That's when it's time to get down and pray you know a lot of these prayers that we do that We do they're important all of them are important obviously they wouldn't put them in the prayer request sheet if it wasn't important to them But sometimes there's those prayers that kind of are the most important right you got to triage the prayer list sometimes Okay, and when someone loses their job. That's a big deal You know when someone? You know loses their their spouses run away or whatever Anything like that. That's a big deal in someone's life isn't it? Someone gets severely injured someone's severely sick You know there's a difference between having a head cold And there's and there's a difference between someone having like some kind of debilitating disease So I would just say this that let's remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ And you know there's people from other churches We have a there's a group on Facebook called prayer request group And it's just people just those are the like the real serious ones it seems like people are just like please pray for you know It's just like some serious thing and we should Care about other people besides not just our church, but in other churches also Verse number six and when Herod would have brought him forth the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains They called him Peter two chains anyways and the keepers before the door kept the prison That was his prison name Peter two chains anyway. I'm just kidding That's it And behold the angel of the Lord came upon him and shined a light in the prison and smoked Peter on the side So I don't know how he did that I don't know if he kicked him or if he smacked him on the side or what But it says and raised him up saying arise up quickly and the chains fell off from his hands so obviously This angel is not allowing them to wake up because most of the time if some you know these chains fall off You know you're gonna hear that or a light shines through Into the prison house it says the angel said unto him gird thyself and bind on my sandals and so he did And he saith unto him cast thy garment about thee and follow me So it just goes to show that sandals are biblical you can wear sandals there. That's okay anyway So and it says any went out and followed him and wist not that it was true Which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision so Peter's like Paul I fully not awake right now. You know when someone wakes you up, and they're like trying to rush you to do something like It's kind of in a cloud right here, right? Verse 10 says when they were past the first and the second ward they came unto the iron gate the leadeth unto the city which opened to them of the His own accord and they went out and passed on through the one street and forthwith the angel departed from him So the angel did a prison break here. He's like You know Peter to change time for you to leave and get out of this prison So obviously you know and here's what I think personally I think that God it wasn't Peter's time for him to go obviously But at the same time the Bible says it makes mention of the fact that the church prayed for him without ceasing I Believe that it was partly it was the prayers of the saints that got him broke out of prison That's what I believe. I mean obviously it was a miracle What happened to Peter was a miracle and the thing and you know what we should expect miracles to happen We're people the people of God were the children of the Lord We should expect when we pray that big things are gonna happen when we pray big things Not just small things big things something's about to happen right when you get Something's about to happen when we pray right that's what we should believe And I'm not talking about a new Corvette showing up in front of your house. I'm talking about people getting healed from diseases I'm talking about people you know getting the job. That was almost impossible for them to get, but they got it I'm talking about people being cured from from whatever Someone's family member getting saved that they've been praying for for months Knowing that these family members are saved. That's those are big things that happen right you think surely that person couldn't get saved Oh, no, they can you just got to pray for him So we should expect big things when we pray to our God amen Verse 11 and when Peter was come to himself he said now I know of a surety that the Lord has sent his angel and hath delivered me out of the hands the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews And when he had considered the thing he came to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was mark where many were gathered together praying and Peter knocked at the door of the gate a damsel came to Harken named Rhoda And when she knew Peters voice She opened not the gate for gladness But ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate so she's so excited that she doesn't even let Peter in she goes Hey, guess who's at the door? It's Peter right and like oh, yeah, he's outside You know you get so excited you forget to do something anyway I thought that's a cool. That's a cool detail of the story that she was just so excited She knew who it was she knew the voice, but she's just like guess who's outside everybody. It's Peter And it says In verse 15 and they said unto her thou art mad But she constantly affirmed that it was even so then said they it is his angel So just really quickly. I'm gonna make another little timeout here for the story, okay? Biblical you know guardian angels are a biblical thing and I believe that each person probably does have their own guardian angel And the reason why I think that is because they're saying it's his angel like it's you know they think it's his angel, but Turn over to Matthew. Well. I'll just read it for you actually no turnover Matthew 18 verse 10 Matthew 18 verse 10 I'll just show you this one verse But the angels are made ministering spirits Okay, and when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness Which some people think he wasn't tempted to sin? Even though it says he was tempted in the wilderness Which you know kind of doesn't make sense with your stupid theory, but anyway? He was tempted in the waters, and then angels came and ministered unto him afterward He hadn't eaten for 40 days and 40 nights. He was hungry the devil's tempting him to make a loaf of bread But I guess that wasn't tempting them I Don't know some people think that Jesus was not tempted to sin, and that's just a ridiculous bunch of garbage so anyway Matthew 18 10 says take heed that you despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in heaven their Angels do always behold the face of my father Which is in heaven whose angels the children the children that have their angels that behold the face of the father? What do you think that they're saying to them? Let me go kill that guy Lord. You know there's a lot of wicked people that hurt children There's a lot of wicked people that try to steer children away from faith in Christ Because they're wicked you know who would try to encourage someone to not believe in Jesus a wicked person But anyway, that was just like a quick timeout I just want to say I personally believe that people do have guardian angels right you know and sometimes There's been things that happen in my life. I can't explain how did that happen? How did I get out of that one? you know and I Think Dylan wanted me to tell a story about when I got shot at one time. I did get shot at one time I don't I wasn't saved at the time But I felt bullets whizzing past me I could feel them shit I mean I could see the muzzle flash going like that and it was two guys There was I don't know it was a car full a truck full of people and they had like the tinted windows And they were bumping and whatever I was riding a scooter. Yeah a scooter, okay This is why I didn't want to tell the whole story, but I'm gonna tell it anyway, so I was riding a scooter I was 16 years old and this truck pulls right in front of me the back opens up And they just start shooting for no reason So they missed me every time. I don't know if they're holding a gun like this or what was going on But they missed me every time I could see the muzzle flashes, and they probably it was a night It was probably a nine millimeter or something. I don't know But they still tried to chase me like I I had a like a really loud muffler on my scooter I was like going you know it was like super loud like a lawnmower And I was at if you know where Laurel Laurel Hearst Park is it's on 39th right off of a Gleason or Burnside I cut through Laurel Hearst Park riding this thing and I saw him hit the block and go around So they were still trying to get me and I had a guy on the back, and he jumped off as like see you later And I just like you know I just feel like you know How is it possible that they could miss me point-blank with all those shots and not hit me one time? To me. I mean, I don't know maybe my guardian angel is with me before I was saved I don't know how that works, but I'm not sure when the guardian angel is with you because you're you know predestined or whatever I'm not talking about Calvinism now Well, but Christ was slain from the foundation of the earth You know and he knew who would be saved and all that so I'm not saying that it was a Calvin I'm not a Calvinist okay. Don't get me wrong, but anyway. They didn't get me so but to me. It was an impossible thing I mean they're in a faster vehicle They have guns they have more people than me and somehow I didn't get killed so and that's just one One thing I can think of I was telling I can't tell this story, so I'm gonna move on anyway Verse 16 you want to see me after the service. I'll tell some people this story But anyway verse 16, but Peter continued knocking and when he'd opened the door and saw him they were astonished You know and why were they astonished because I guess they didn't think the prayers were gonna get answered or something. I don't know But he beckoning unto them with the hand To with the hand to hold their peace declared unto them How the Lord had brought him out of the prison and said go show these things unto James and to the brethren and he departed And went into another place, so I thought James got killed with the sword who's this James as it's talking about well This James is the Lord's brother see Jesus did have brothers and sisters, and it says very clearly I don't have time to go To that but James was the Lord's brother In Galatians 1 turn to Galatians 1 we'll look at that really quickly On Galatians 1 excuse me Verse 18 says after the after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him 15 days But other of the Apostles saw I none saved James the Lord's brother So Jesus had a brother named James and the other brother James the son the brother of John was killed by Herod okay, so this is James the Lord's brother and I believe he was the pastor, but maybe the head pastor of the church in Jerusalem And I have reasons why I believe that but we'll save that for some other time Look down at verse 18 says now as soon as it was day There was no small stir among the soldiers What was become of Peter and when Herod had sought for him and found him not he examined the keepers and Commanded they should be put to death. What a nice guy. He became. He's just trying to kill everybody kills all the soldiers He says he examined the keepers and commanded They should be put to death and he went down to Judea to Caesarea and their abode so Verse 20 says and Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon But they came with one accord to him and having made blastest the king's chamber when their friend Desired peace because their country was nourished by the king's country now We're talking about Herod here and upon a set day Herod a raid and royal apparel set upon his throne and made an oration unto them and the people gave a shout saying it is the voice of a god and Not of a man and immediately the angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten of worms and Gave up the ghost so the end of Herod the end of a reprobate God's going to kill you God's going to destroy you and even if he doesn't kill you in a supernatural way like this He's gonna make sure that you roast in hell for all eternity So the progression of the downward spiral of Herod as a reprobate he hedged look he had chances to be saved didn't he Didn't he have a chance to be saved look God gives everybody chances to be saved everybody But some people just push God too far Some people just push him so far and then they become reprobates, and then they're not able to be saved Because Jesus would have got him look Jesus had one-on-one time with Herod You know that time when you get when you're in your work truck with it with someone you want to try to get him saved Jesus had that time he was sitting right there with him. He could have said anything he wanted But he didn't even say a word to him because he was already done. What's the point? What's the it's like when we go and some queer opens up the door? And they have orange hair, and you know you just know they're a queer, okay? I'm talking about you know for sure like you're a hundred percent sure they're queers, right? Why would you give the gospel to someone that you know God has already given over to a reprobate mind You might as well just turn around say hey have a nice day whatever or don't even say that just say So long quit so long sucka no so long queer no I'd rather you not do that but Depends on if they're yelling at you or not or whatever you know that there's different situations that come up So sometimes it's it's it's valid to say something, but most of the time just let those people die and go to hell You know I mean, they're already going to hell anyway So what's the point and Jesus was the same way so we could look at Jesus example and say hey? Harry was a reprobate. He didn't give him the gospel so when you know someone is James white the guy grew up as a fundamentalist and Now his mission is to destroy the King James Bible and anybody that believes in it So what are we supposed to give him and keep giving that clown the gospel? Maybe give him a different shirt to wear You know his shirts are just weird You know or James Durban or Jeff Durban Jeff Durban dude's got a queer you know thumb ring on The guy was a queer in the military got kicked out tries to deny it It's weird you know why are we gonna give the gospel these kind of people would you give the gospel to Benny Hinn? No Look there's certain people you just know Virginia Mallin caught or whatever she's the one one of the main lesbians that helped translate the NIV and you know what she's She's secretly trying to destroy Christianity from the inside out. What's the number one selling Bible the NIV? Her finger her fat sausage fingerprints are all over that Bible And when she wrote that I'm not gonna. I wouldn't try to give that bulldog the gospel. Are you kidding me? She already corrupted God's Word. She's going straight to hell. There's no point in even giving the gospel She's twice dead plucked up by the roots. She's done So you know to the people that say the reprobate doctrine isn't true. Here's what I have to say Why don't you open up your Bible and actually read it if you can't understand it? Maybe you just need to get saved Yeah So let's see I'm almost done here. Where are we at? Or did I finish off here? Let's see So Herod dies he's eaten by worms That's the end of that reprobate. So you know look God wants to kill Reprobates did you know that there's instances in the Bible when it says God wanted to kill them He wouldn't allow them to be killed in one reason in one way Because he wanted to kill him his own way turn this first Samuel chapter 2 verse 22 Now I don't have time to get into the whole story, but Eli's sons the Bible says were men of Belial They were doing wicked things They were actually priests they were serving in the priest's office and actually receiving the offerings of the Lord and they were fornicating with women they were taking the best hunks to meet for themselves and They were wicked people and Eli did not restrain them when he had the chance to but when he was old It says in verse 22 now Eli was very old and heard all that his sons did Unto all Israel and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation Wicked as hell doing that at church And he said unto them why do you such things for I hear of your evil dealings with all this people? Nay, my sons for it is no good report that I hear you make the Lord's people to transgress if one man Sin against another the judge shall judge him, but if a man sin against the Lord who shall entreat for him Notwithstanding they harken not unto the voice of their father why? Because the Lord would slay them see God wanted to kill them God wanted to make sure that he killed them the way that they were supposed to be killed and What happened they got smoked when they tried to take the? The Ark of the Covenant out against the Philistines, and they all got killed in one day And it probably wasn't in a good way so when they got they got killed by the Philistine army and Then Eli fell and broke his neck But you know these reprobates are not going to get away with what they've done God's gonna make sure they're punished either in this life or the life to come Look at look at James look at Jeff Durbin has this demoniac attack against them It's funny all these people are like saying old pastor Anderson's so bad, but who's who's who's in trouble health-wise? You know the people that are going against them Sam Gibbs probably still in his hospital bed right now Barely alive after he tried to tangle with them You know you better be careful what you say against the man of God because I hear a lot of people on the internet and a Lot of people on Facebook saying he's wicked. He's a wolf. He's a devil Well, I'll tell you what you better be careful because what he's doing is the things that God wants him to do okay? People of like faith we're trying to get people saved and do good things for God's kingdom And when you're sitting there saying that we're wolves So what are you saying the Holy Spirit's a wolf? The Holy Spirit that's the person that the the Spirit of God is getting people saved is going into their hearts And you're gonna sit there and say that we're the gospel. We're preaching is not right Hey, you better be careful You better be careful that you're not blasting in the Holy Ghost you simpletons I'm not talking about anybody in here saying that but I'm just saying that people should be careful what they say Because there's some things that you just can't take back Like beheading John the Baptist and giving his head on a charger to your wife. You can't take that back God held that against him and Jesus wouldn't talk to him because of it. You know he killed his cousin. He killed the greatest man born among women And God's not gonna take it lightly when you start slandering the prophets of God when he starts slandering the man of God When you start slandering the Holy Ghost the one that gets people saved through the Lord Jesus Christ You call upon the name of Lord Jesus. What are we preaching this? So that's that's a wolfie Hey, you believe and you're saved. Well, it's so wolfie. You're just a wolf That's ridiculous We're just preaching what the Bible says to preach We're baptizing the way God said to baptize we're teaching the Bible the way God you know look Joel Osteen doesn't preach hard at all You know why because he's not one of God's preachers because God's preachers get up and say it how it is and they get up and they rip face and they Preach on sin, and they say hey look there are reprobates you clowns You know these people that teeth that don't teeth that say that the reprobate doctrines wrong. You're you're calling God wrong You're Saying you're more compassionate than God is you're more compassionate than Jesus is Because Jesus wouldn't even talk to him. So tell me would you have talked to him James White? You're such a good guy Would you have talked to him Joel Osteen or who's some other false prophets? I can't even think of any right now I'm on the Jeff Durbin kick right now But that look the tattoo shot. Can you believe that who saw that the tattoo parlor thing? That is so evil and wicked I can't even believe it Tattoos are wicked as hell. I'm off of my sermon right now. I'm sorry, but that just This it just eats me up when I when I hear people say stuff about my friends And I'm just supposed to just like be nice to him and get along with them. I don't think so I'm not gonna get along with them. I'm gonna sit there and let people talk smack about my friends so Anyway, so Herod was wicked man. He stole his brother's wife. He killed John. He mocked Jesus He killed James tried to kill Peter and God was done with him. You're out of here your history, buddy And the Lord wouldn't even try to get him saved. You know he heard John's preaching. He sinned away his time of grace He sinned away his salvation Because he didn't have the the manhood that it took to just put away your stupid friends put away your entertainment And put your trust in Christ. He was too proud and he ended up getting eaten by worms It's a fitting end for him So but it says in verse 24, but the Word of God grew and multiplied And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, and they had fulfilled their ministry and took with them John whose surname was Mark now We'll hear more about John Mark later He was mentioned earlier in the chapter, and I didn't get into that But John Mark is you know Barnabas and Saul have a big fight over him later on in the book of Acts But we're not gonna go through that tonight But it says the Word of God grew and multiplied see every time there's a great persecution There was a great growing of God's Word and it being multiplied so this is the pattern we see in the book of Acts So let's have a word of prayer Heavenly Father We thank you Lord for this great chapter in the Bible and pray that you'd just bless the people let them apply Your words to their hearts Lord and Lord anything that is controversial that's preached from here I pray that they would just be like Bereans and search the scriptures and see what are those things that are said from this pulpit Or so in Jesus name we pray amen