April 13 Sunday School - Janis’ notes
April 13, 2025 ACTS 12:18-24, 13:1-12 & fasting
Read: ACTS 12:18-25
Herod’s response to Peter’s escape?
· More anger
· A search – “Who can find what God has hidden?” (thinking about the holocaust, etc.) GOD IS MY HIDING PLACE.
· Execution of guards: Roman law--the guard can receive whatever punishment the prisoner was due if he allows the prisoner to escape (but not mandatory)
· Left Judea for Caesarea – Josephus mentions this coming of Herod to Caesarea at the end of the 3rd year of his reign over all Judea.
o Caesarea: “from Caesar” royal
o A place of importance & trade: harbor, theater, fortresses
o Capital of Roman government
· 20-25 Tyrians and Sidonians come to make amends. Herod gives a speech …
James and Stephen’s death – this is powerful!
· Matthew 10:16 wise as serpents; innocent as doves (No self-serving agendas)
· Wise – take note. Be aware.
· Time to scatter outside Jerusalem (RESULT – Gospel spread even further!
· ACTS 12:24!!
Verse 24: What happened? The Word of God increased and multiplied!
Do I allow for God to increase and multiply through my struggles? My discomfort?
Do I see God’s omnipresence and omnipotence in all things of my life?
Do I “allow” myself to see God—or do I enjoy the sympathy people give me when I’m having a selfish pity party? This doesn’t mean the pain is to be ignored or illness and grief are not taken seriously, but where is God in my pain?
Chapter 12 marks the end of the earliest period of church history.
· Ushers in the new birthplace of Jewish Christianity (not Jerusalem)
· Romans destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70
· Antioch church: filled with mainly Gentile Christians
o Launched to send out missionaries
BSF –
1. We cannot control the outcomes of our circumstances, but we can control our choice to trust God and obey.
2. Self-efforts always work toward our expected outcomes. Faith works to surrender our will and embrace God’s outcome.
Read ACTS 13:1—3
Point out places on the map:
· Antioch
· Cyprus
o Salamis (east coast)
o Paphos (West Coast)
Prophets & Teachers
· Barnabas (probably the oldest)
· Simeon, called Niger
· Lucius the Cyrenian
· Manaen, a close friend of Herod the Tetrarch
· Saul (probably the youngest)
What were they doing?
· Ministering to the Lord
· Fasting
What happened while they were ministering and fasting?
· Holy Spirit spoke
· Set apart Barnabas and Saul
Then what did they do?
· Fasted, prayed, laid on hands, sent them off
Read the following verses aloud:
Fasting
· A discipline we don’t hear a lot about.
· How many of you were raised to learn about fasting?
· What do you think of when you hear the word “fast?”
o Lent – no meat on Fridays; perhaps people choose other things to fast, also
o Hunger Strikes – often, they are political statements
o A quick way to lose weight before the prom, etc.
o Health reasons – no food between 6 PM and noon the next day; one meal daily, etc.
· Compare these ideas to what we’ve seen in Acts so far.
o Acts 9:9
o Acts 13:2-3
o Acts 14:23
Fasting
Isaiah 58:3--7
· Matthew 6:16-18 “When” you fast
· James 5:16 – Prayer of a righteous man availeth much
· Joel 2:12 – God says, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning:
· Ezra 8:23 – so we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreating
· Psalm 69:10 – When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting,
· Acts 13:2 – worshipping and fasting
Purpose of Fasting:
Seeking after God’s heart. All other blessings and benefits are secondary to God Himself.
Purpose of Fasting is NOT:
· NOT to get God to respond my way
· NOT to make God my personal “genie in a bottle”
· NOT to twist God’s arm
· NOT for ulterior motives like losing weight or to get attention as every one notices me
· NOT choosing to fast something that I don’t like anyway
Fasting is the result of:
· A deep sense of need & dependence on God
· Abject helplessness
· Old Testament – often during times of mourning over sin; repentance and deep spiritual need
Mark 6:7 & Matthew 17:21
Ephesians 6:18 Prayer is a tool in our spiritual battle. The Scriptures often combine the actions of “prayer” and " fasting.” Fasting helps me focus on prayer and gives me resolve.
The more crucial the situation, the more appropriate the prayer and fasting.
A determined foe must be met by an equally determined faith.
Ways of Fasting:
Regular Fast: abstain from all food; only take water
· 2 Chronicles 20:3, 20-24 Lord blessed Judah and defeated the enemy
· Ezra 8:21—Request for a safe journey
· Luke 4:2—Jesus in the wilderness
Partial Fast: abstain from certain foods or entertainment for a short period of time
· Daniel 1:8-9—permission to eat no choice food or wine for 10 days
· Daniel 10:2-3—
o Mourning for three weeks
o no meat, wine, oils & lotions
o Daniel 10:12— “Then he said to me, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.’”
Absolute Fast: NO food or water
· Esther 4:16—in response to the king’s order to kill all Jews (3 days)
· Acts 9:9—Saul after salvation on the road to Damascus (3 days)
· Moses and Elijah each had a 40-day fast as a result of miracles
Why might believers include fasting in our spiritual disciplines today?