Marcus Mecum - The Power of Gates
This is a very special story of Peter’s miraculous escape from prison. And, we’ll read several verses, I don’t want you to check out on me. I promise I’ll just read them real fast and then I’ll preach. It says, «It was about this time that king Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, » we think we have problems, isn’t that hilarious? «Intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, » so this was one of the sons of thunder, one of the three closest to Jesus. Peter, James, and John.
So, James the Bible says was, «Put to death with a sword. When he saw that he was met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the festival of the unleavened bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover». Everybody say, «After Passover». After Passover. «So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him». That’s what we’re doing right now, we’re praying. People are in chains, people are imprisoned, people are being held captive in all kinds of different areas of their life, but the church is praying.
«The night before Herod was to bring Simon Peter to trial, he’s sleeping between two soldiers, and they have him bound with two chains, and the sentries stood guard at the entrance. And suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shined in the cell. He struck Peter on the side, woke him up, 'quick, get up'! The angel said, and the chains fell off of Peter’s wrists. The angel continued to say, 'put on your clothes, your sandals, ' and Peter did so. And then, he said, 'put on your cloak and wrap it around you, follow me'. And Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea what was happening, that what the angel was doing was actually real. He thought it was a vision».
Many times that’s what fasting feels like. You don’t really see God doing it, you don’t even feel God doing it and, many times you’re like, «What is the point of all this»? But I have learned that there is no question. Even though you may not fully understand what’s going on when you fast God is opening prison doors, God is leading you out of captivity. «So they passed the guards, came to the iron gate, » that’s what I’m gonna talk to you about, the power of gates. «Leading to the city. It opened, and they went through it».
That’s important, you gotta go through the gate if God opens it. Gates speak of entry points, which January is an entry point to an entirely brand new year. And so, understanding entry points is important. Here in acts 12 they’re praying, I believe they’re fasting, it doesn’t specifically say this. Peter’s in a forced fast, he’s in prison. And, one of the top three apostles, one of the three closest people to Jesus has just been killed. Simon Peter is in chains, he’s behind bars, he’s got all these soldiers surrounding him, there’s no chance he’s going to get out. He’s next in line to be killed for what he’s preaching and what he believes. And, the Bible says that Herod was intending to kill Peter also but Passover.
So, notice that the intentions of hell haven’t changed. What Herod had planned to do with Simon Peter had not changed, but there was a date on the calendar that God had designed and planned, and destined that would interrupt what Herod’s plan was. So, as the church is praying it would give God time to work in that area that it looked like there was no hope, it looked like there was no way out, it looked like he would be destroyed, he’d be put to death.
So, the Bible says his intentions were after Passover to do that. I believe that what January is, is like Passover was a big black «X» on the calendar for Simon Peter, January is that big black «X» on the calendar for us. And whatever happened last year and the enemy had all these things intended for you, all of these plans, all these agendas. He had all of the tactics and strategies that he was using, weapons that were being formed to try to destroy your life. Maybe he would’ve accomplished that but we got to January, we got the place where the church is praying and fasting and you made it to this point. You got here, and guess what, hell’s intentions might be the same after this, but I believe that if we’ll pray you’re gonna watch the chains fall off.
You’re gonna watch those chains of addiction, those prison bars of hopelessness, you’re gonna watch all of that fall away and God will lead you to a gate of freedom. And that’s what gate in this story represents, freedom. It represents divine intervention and liberation. It represents a transition from captivity to freedom. So, whatever was happening before this fast, you need to understand you have a but a fasting moment. But, God has this little moment with us where he can begin to work on your life. And so, they had to go to gate. So gate, if they didn’t walk through the gate, if they didn’t use the gate they would have never experienced freedom.
So, understanding how to use gates. And, we all have three gates that I wanna talk to you about. We have our mouth gate, we have our eye gate, and we have our ear gate. Remember gates are entry points. And, the Book of Proverbs says you have to use wisdom at the entrances. You can’t just let anything come in, you gotta manage those things. So, the mouth gate is an area that fasting specifically speaks to. But, it' not just dealing with what you eat, it’s dealing with what you speak. It’s not just dealing with the meals that you have, it’s dealing with the conversations you have. It’s not just saying, but if you can never manage what goes in the body you’re never going to manage what comes out of the body.
And so, fasting and prayer is a great way to manage the mouth gate. Isaiah said, «Take the coals off the alter and touch my lips for they are unclean». When you fast it cleanses the body, but it also purges the mind. It also strengthens the spirit, and it also cleanses the lips. It cleanses your conversations. It cleanses the type of things that you’re talking about. And, there is not a more magnificent way to conquer self than fasting. Psalms 141:3 says, «Keep watch over the door of your lips». In the garden, we read that Adam and Eve were there, God had blessed them, God had provided for them, God had given them everything you could imagine that they would want but the cry of their stomach drowned out the voice of God. Satan found that his way to appeal to them was «I have to appeal to their stomach, » and he’s done the same thing since Adam and Eve for generations to come.
Philippians 3 says if you wanna know what an enemy of the cross is it says, «Someone whose God is their stomach». Can’t control what comes in the body, so they can’t control what does out of the body. Adam and Eve gave up eden because of their stomach. The children of Israel died in the wilderness 'cause they couldn’t manage the negativity and the murmuring and the complaining, and the unbelief because the Bible actually says that the loathed the manna, that they desired and longed for the food that they had in Egypt. And because of that God says, «Okay, I’m done. I’m just gonna go ahead and let you die here because you don’t understand the importance of the mouth gate».
Esau gave up his destiny and his birthright for a bowl of beans something so simple but he could not manage the mouth gate. You say, «I’m not strong enough to fast, I’m not strong enough to skip a meal. I’m not strong enough to miss a meal for a day or two, or three, or whatever it might be. I’m not strong enough to cut out this thing or that thing from my life. I’m not strong enough to say I’m not gonna drink alcohol, I’m not going to vape. I’m not strong enough. I’ve tried a hundred times». Fasting is not about you being tough enough. It’s not about you being spiritual enough.
Fasting comes down to motive. I may not have the strength until I find the right motive, and if I’ll find the right motive I’ll be strong enough to fast. Maybe I can’t do anything beyond one day or two days, or three days. Maybe I can’t push the plate back for the entire 21 days. Maybe I can’t push the plate back or push whatever thing’s holding me back for the rest of the year. But sometimes, if you can just get a glimpse of what freedom looks like, just get a taste of it, just get a day or two, or three where you turn off your flesh and your stomach and you say, «I’m going to go ahead and put my body into subjection». Paul said, «I gotta punish this old body 'cause this old body will destroy your whole life if you let it».
So divine freedom. Many times we come to church and we hear sermons like this and we get confused because we thought we were supposed to come to church and someone’s supposed to make us feel good and feel comfortable. But you do not find the will of God until you find your own will. What is in your life that you want more? And, if you can find something in your life, a freedom that you want. You’ve been chained, you’ve been down, maybe you’ve been in this place of depression and struggle and in your mind you can’t ever be free.
In your mind, like Simon Peter it’s hopeless. You look around you and it looks like there’s no chance of you getting out of that, but if can find in you, «I want freedom from the depression, I want freedom from the fear, I want freedom from that addiction, I want freedom from the bitterness, I want freedom from that», if you can find it, that’s the motive. And then, you say, «Okay, do I want that bad enough to push my plate back»? It’s not supposed to be easy, it’s not supposed to be fun, it’s supposed to be «I want something more». And I know to get that I’ve got to manage what comes in my life so I can manage the fruit that’s coming out of my life.
Think about it. Every one of us have our iPhones for the most part, and your iPhones will send you these updates, apps will send you these updates right, that says, «Hey, you have to update your phone. You have to update the app». Right, 'cause that’s same thing as a gate, it’s an entry point into a whole new world. And so, when you downloaded that app, when you bought that phone, think about it, it had no problems, it was set, it was good. But throughout your use of it, what it says when it sends me an update, this was the last update notification I got, it said this, «This update provides important bug fixes, and is recommended to all users».
So, it was fine at one point, but now it needs an update. If I push the update it renews the app, it restores the phone. When you fast it’s hitting the update button. It’s saying, «I’ve got some important bug fixes that need to go on». There are some things that are bugging me. There are some things that have grabbed a hold of me I don’t want these things in my life, I don’t desire these things in my life. And, you’ve picked those things up just through living life. It wasn’t an intention of you to do it, you just live life. It just happens. People happen. Life happens. Trials happen. Failures happen. We all have 'em, and we pick up these things.
Our problem is, we’re mad at the phone, we’re screaming at the phone, «God, I don’t see this working the way I need to». And we’re unwilling to fast long enough, fast in a way that we’re desiring more enough to renew and update the app so it will work the way God promised it will work. When you update it turns off the phone, it restarts the phone. That’s what fasting does, shuts everything down. It says, «I’m gonna start again». Life runs better when you pray and fast.
Every year for 25 years I began the year praying and fasting. Not because I’m religious, not because I love it, not because I like it, but I’ve learned to love what it accomplishes. I’ve learned that I love what it produces in my life. I’ve learned that many times it was like Simon Peter, I would not have made it had God not had January, where we pray and fast on the calendar. And, the intentions of hell were to take me out, they were clear, but we had the time the church prayed and fasted. And somehow, I don’t always know how, but that angel led me out that gate to freedom, and I believe he can do the same thing for you.
Remember this is not just about what you’re eating, it’s about what you’re speaking. The Bible says that Zechariah, John the Baptist’s dad, was speaking, just kept talking about things and God said, «That’s not my heart». And so, he just said, «You know what, I’m gonna shut you up for nine months. I don’t want you to mess this up. What I wanna give birth to I do not want you to mess it up with your words, » so God shut his mouth. And not just am I asking God to help shut my mouth with what’s going in my body, I’m asking God to shut my mouth with the things that shouldn’t be coming out of my mouth. Doubt, unbelief, that critical, negative spirit, that murmuring, that complaining. Shut my mouth during this fast so I don’t speak things that will negatively impact my future.
So, you’ve got the mouth gate. Number two, you’ve got the eye gate. The eye, the Bible says, «If it’s dark the whole body is dark. If the eye is light the whole body is light». So, fasting starts at the mouth gate, but it doesn’t take long before it gets to the eye gate. Fasting, food, will lead to you questioning, what are you allowing to come in through the eye gate? Jesus said, «If the eye causes you to sin, pluck it out». He’s not talking about mutilating your body, he gave you your body. He’s talking about there are things in our life that we have to go to extreme measures to make sure they don’t destroy our life. Eye caused you to sin? Pluck it out. You need an update, you got some bugs that you picked up, some things that you keep looking at online, on the internet.
Do I have to get detailed with anybody here to make you more uncomfortable? We pick those things up along the way. Fasting pushes the update button. Fasting renews not just your spirit but it gives you strength in your mind and strength in what you look at, and what you focus on. And that’s why job said, «I make a covenant with my eyes». You have to get, the desire’s never going to away you know that, right? You know God’s never going to get rid of all the pretty girls, so you don’t struggle anymore? God’s never gonna get rid of all the good looking guys so you don’t struggle anymore. You have to make the choice. You make a covenant with your eyes, right? Resist the devil.
«Resist the devil and he will flee». You resist the devil, but you don’t resist lust. Your way to sexual purity and ridding your life of sexual sin is not resist. You’re not strong enough to resist. The Bible says you actually flee. You run from it. You do whatever you have to do to distance yourself, avoid it, fight it. Kick, scream like Joseph. It don’t matter what you gotta do get your tail away from that thing. Quit trying to be strong, run. Make a covenant with your eyes. The Bible says lot’s walking with Abraham the father of our faith, watches the hand of God on Abraham’s life, watches the favor and the blessing on his life, but lot starts taking his eyes and looking toward Sodom and Gomorrah that the Bible says not only was the issue their sexual sin, but the issue there was they had pride because of their full stomachs.
So, you walk through the scripture and you find anytime God blesses someone in such a way that they never have to want for food. They always have a full stomach. That person will struggle with pride. «I got this. I’m on my own». That’s why fasting humbles you and touches the heart of God. Because, it lets you know it don’t take very long for you to feel a little weak, for you to feel a little fatigued, for you to know I’m not that big shot no more. You just rid me of some food and all of a sudden, I crumble. Do you see what I’m saying?
The Bible says, «What one generation does in moderation the next does in excess». So, you have to moderate your life because what happened is lot begins looking that way then he points his tent in the direction of Sodom and Gomorrah, then his life is at the gates then he’s buying the house, then he’s caught up in a culture of destruction. He ends up losing his son-in-laws, his wife ends up dying, his daughters end up in all kinds of issues, but it began because he could not manage the eye gate. King David’s on the balcony just looking at Bathsheba. What’s the big deal? He’s just looking. But, he opened the door to sexual sin in his life, and that demon didn’t stop with David, read about his sons, read about his daughters. It’s absolutely tragic what happened to them.
This man loved God, the Bible says, with his whole heart. He was a man after God’s heart, but he never managed the eye gate. You’re saying, «There’s no way. It’s impossible to do that». I love Mark 9 when it begins to talk about this boy who’s thrown himself in the fire, self-harming himself. He’s got all these issues. And, the Bible says that Jesus shows up, and the father says, «Can you help him? Is it possible that you would do something here? If you can, would you help my son»? And Jesus said, «If I can? If I can»? And you know what he says to him? He says, «All things are possible to them that will just believe».
What’s he saying? He’s saying, «Hey, you’ve got to get a glimpse of what’s possible. You’ve gotta get a glimpse that you can be free». No one is perfect, especially in our day and age with access on our phones but, you can push the update button. And maybe you only make it through a week, but you’ll taste freedom. You’ll taste what it looks like, that God can help you have freedom in the area of your eye gate. Are you here?
And, you know what the man said? The man said, «I», 'cause Jesus said «If you believe», and he says, «I believe but help my unbelief». That’s what fasting does. I don’t know if I can break free from this. I don’t know if life will change. I don’t know if I’ll go back to the same hang ups and habits after this, but God, help my unbelief. I’m willing to push my plate back and say, «I don’t want the rest of my life to be chained up to wrong people and chained up to wrong desires and imprisoned by this. I wanna walk out of the prison that’s been holding me. I wanna walk through that gate of divine freedom in my life, I want divine liberation when it comes to the eye gate».
Number three, the ear gate. Jesus says over and over two take heeds, «Take heed what you hear, take heed how you hear». The Bible says, «Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God». Think about it. People say faith comes by hearing, and that’s true, but you can have faith in the wrong thing. So, if you hear the wrong thing your whole life, you can have perfect faith in the wrong thing. So, the God kind of faith doesn’t stop with faith comes by hearing, it adds, «And hearing by the Word of God».
The ear gate is one of the most powerful gates in your life. Isn’t it powerful how we believe the things that people have said to us, or about us? Isn’t that something? And people say some crazy stuff, do they not? People say some angry, hurt, wounded, jealous, envious. But if I’ll hear the Word of God it’ll help me get through all the junk that people have spoken, all the noise out there in the world trying to confuse me because I’ll know no matter what is being said if it does not line up with the Word of God I do not believe it.
I don’t care if the president says it, a politician, a billionaire. I don’t care if it’s a celebrity. If what they said does not line up with the word, I might hear it but then I come back and say, «Okay, but what’s the word say»? And if it does not line up with the word, hey, I’m telling you, if I say it and it don’t line up with this word, you’ve gotta learn to take heed what you hear, take heed how you hear. Don’t let anyone define your life. Speak into your life in such a way that what they said sets your course in a negative direction where you feel inferior, rejected, insecure, that you can’t, and you’re not able to. In Jesus' name let faith come by hearing and hearing by the precious Word of God.