Preschool
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Mark 4:9).
God Decides Our Time
Memory Verses
Primary
And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Mark 4:9).
Junior
And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Mark 4:9).
Background Scripture: Acts 12
Lesson Scripture: Acts 12:1-16
Introduction
What is the essence of life and death? To what purpose were we born? We do not know how much time God has given us; at best, life is short. Surely God would have us sincerely consider the purpose of life and its brevity. “My times are in thy hand” (Ps. 31:15).
May we lift up our hearts in faith to God, acknowledging his wise and careful plan for our lives here on earth. His ultimate desire is that we would be saved when our time comes to leave this world. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jer. 29:11).
Key Verse
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted (Eccl. 3:2).
Lesson Scripture
Acts 12:1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
12 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.
13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
14 And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
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.
16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
Studying the Lesson
In the early days of Jesus’s ministry, He had called Peter and James to be his disciples. With their brothers, Andrew and John, they had left their nets and followed their newfound Master (Matt. 4:18-22).
In our text we read how this same James was put to death. His life’s work was complete, and God had called him home. It appeared that Peter would soon follow his spiritual brother in death, but God has his own plan, and it is clear that man can do nothing without the permission of the Almighty.
Peter was in chains in a dark prison, resting between two guards. How could he sleep? Surely his faith was being tested. Had an inward battle been fought as he was taken prisoner? No doubt he had found a place of surrender, yielding his life to Jesus once again.
Meanwhile, a group of believers was together praying at the house of John Mark’s mother. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16). God always hears his children’s prayers.
Back at the prison, Peter was awakened. He was told to get ready and fasten his sandals. The angel then said, “Follow me.” Soon they were past the guards, and the gate swung open of its own accord. Only the miraculous power of God could perform a feat such as this! Soon Peter was joyously reunited with the believers. It was not yet his time to leave this earth; God had more work for him to do.
Peter’s time to leave this world came after a full life of discipleship when he was about seventy years old. He faced death by martyrdom, ultimately being crucified with his head downward, under Emperor Nero, in AD 69. 1
Practical Truths for Today
Today is the only day of salvation. Life is uncertain; the old must die, but the young can be taken at anytime. We are reminded of this, especially as we see God call our loved ones home. We make plans for our lives, using the knowledge we have, but the Lord says that his thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa. 55:8-9). It is God’s business to say when we are called from this life, but it is ours to be ready to go at any time. Only through Jesus can we be prepared to meet God.
As we place our faith in God like Peter did, we will realize that our heavenly Father is in control. We encounter many tests and trials in our daily lives, but with a quiet confidence we can be secure in our Father’s care. Being human means being limited in what we can do. We did not choose the day of our birth, and neither will we choose the day of death. “He holds my life in the palm of His hand, My times are known by His special command, I do not know how tomorrow is planned, But I know that He holds my life in His hand.” 2
It takes the grace of God to submit ourselves to his care. When we narrowly escape an accident or some other close call, is He not reminding us of the brevity of life? God is faithful, and He wants us to be conscious of the imminence of his return and the surety of eternity. Our heavenly Father sincerely wants us to be saved, and we should be grateful in adversity and disappointment instead of angry and hurt. He will do all that is possible to help us win the eternal reward.
There is something for all to do today. Both the old and the young have a place to fill. An encouraging word can be said to the weary; the load of care can be lifted for some struggling soul; a spontaneous visit can be made to a neighbor; or with the family loaded up, an evening can be spent with a widow or aging couple. Some may be housebound because of age or other difficulties, yet there is still a work to do. We can close our eyes and pray for the church, for the souls gone astray, and for God’s children everywhere. Truly we all have opportunity to work for Jesus today, and in being active in his service, we are keeping current and thus waiting for that final call. “We’ll work till Jesus comes, And we’ll be gathered home.” 3
The enemy of our soul wants to discourage us by pushing out the things of eternal value. He desires to take away the quiet confidence and rest that the child of God possesses. The entertainment of this world is very alluring, making us indifferent to the brevity of life. Young people, stay awake and attentive to the Holy Spirit by joining together with conviction for the right. As we are obedient to the little promptings, grace will grow, and God’s kingdom will be blessed to his glory. Christians of all ages, let us remain faithful, patiently possessing our souls (Luke 21:19), living soberly, and trusting in God.
“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 15:26). What a comfort! Without a doubt, one day will be our last, whether by death or by Jesus appearing in the clouds. May we on that day be found busy in the Lord’s business, ready and waiting for the Lord’s call. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).
Questions
- What is a healthy approach to the subject of death?
- When we are ready to die, we are ready to live. Discuss.
- How can I be at rest that God will see me through to the very end?
- What do we mean when we speak of an untimely death?
- 1 Martyrs Mirror, p. 81
- 2 Loren Burns, “He Holds My Life,” Surrender Road
- 3 Elizabeth K. Mills (1805-1829), “We’ll Work till Jesus Comes,” Christian Hymnal
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).