“Open
Doors” Series #5
"THE DOOR OF PRISONS!"
TEXT:
Acts 16:16-40
INTRO:
While most
of us will not experience landing in jail or locked in a prison cell, there are
ways that our heart can be taken captive and our minds locked up in painful
situations! These times of "prison"
are painful ... and we often wonder why God permits these. When such times come however, we need to
be aware of the opportunities for ministry that await us ... and to look forward
to the time when the door of the prison will be opened again! These are not wasted times in God's
plans ... but there are certain things we need to do when such times come if we
are to see God's hand at work ... and the prison doors opened for us by God's
power!
As
Christians there are times that come that are uncomfortable ... we are not
exempt from "bad days!"
ILLUS: YOU
KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE A BAD DAY WHEN:
* YOU WAKE UP FACE DOWN
ON THE PAYMENT!
* YOU CALL SUICIDE
PREVENTION AND THEY PUT YOU ON HOLD!
* YOU SEE A "60 MINUTES"
NEWS TEAM WAITING IN YOUR OFFICE!
* YOUR BIRTHDAY CAKE
COLLAPSES FROM THE WEIGHT OF THE CANDIES!
* YOU TURN ON THE NEWS
AND THEY'RE SHOWING EMERGENCY ROUTES OUT OF THE CITY YOU LIVE
IN!
* YOUR TWIN SISTER
FORGETS YOUR BIRTHDAY!
*
YOU WAKE UP TO DISCOVER
THAT YOUR WATERBED BROKE AND THEN YOU REALIZE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A
WATERBED!
* YOUR HORN GOES OFF
ACCIDENTLY AND REMAINS STUCK AS YOU FOLLOW A GROUP OF HELL'S ANGELS ON THE
FREEWAY!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
Seriously,
how we do handle those times when everything seems to go wrong, when our
emotions become "imprisoned" and we
feel trapped! What do we do when
things go so wrong that we find ourselves in great pain, physically,
emotionally, or spiritually?
If
we are to see the prison doors open and see ourselves free there are certain
things that can be done to facilitate this ... and when done, we will find
ourselves being set free ... even if we are still in
prison!
There
is victory for those in prison!
PROP.
SENT: The Bible teaches us that we
are to maintain our confidence in God and continue worshipping Him even when we
are overwhelmed with difficult circumstances. At such times, God will do great
things in our lives and others if we remain faithful!
I. CHALLENGING MINISTRY! Acts
16:16-21
A. Opportunities Acts 16:16a
1. Paul and Silas were in Philippi and
found very minimal opportunities for ministry.
a. Evidently, the only Jewish
gathering for worship was down by the river, and this was mostly attended by
women!
b. In order for a proper synagogue to
be formed, there had to be at least 10 men ... if there was not, usually a small
group would often meet by a water source for prayer ... this is what Paul and
Silas find as they enter Philippi!
c. The first convert was a woman named
Lydia ... no man turns to Christ here at first! Paul had come to this area because of
his dream of a “man from Macedonia” calling to him to "come over and
help us!" (See Acts 16:9!) ... Yet,
the fulfillment of this dream was a woman named “Lydia!”
So much for exact fulfillment of
dreams!
2. Nevertheless, Paul and Silas are
faithful to obey and go ... and even with such a small crowd of mostly women
they join them for prayer ... God still has opportunities in the smallest of
situations!
a. We must be careful not to minimize
God's plans based on a perceived possibility of
success!
b. God has often started His work in
small ways!
3. To Paul and Silas, everything was
an opportunity for ministry!!
B. Opposition! Acts
16:16b-21
1. As is often the case, where God
makes opportunities, the Devil will offer opposition!
a. Here, Paul and Silas find they are
harassed by a young demon possessed girl!
b. This girl had the power to predict
the future, or at least to some extent had done so for profit in this town ...
it was the first "psychic friends
network" reported!
c. The term used for this gift is
associated with the term for "ventriloquist." So it must have been that her voice
had appeared to come from somewhere else when she spoke ... this gave her a
sense of power that others were awed at!
d. It might be that this was what she
was doing in following them and saying, “These men are
servants of the most high God, who are telling you the way to be
saved!” (Acts 16:17) ... throwing
her voice and saying this as they attempted to
minister!
2. While what she had to say wasn't
bad, Paul and Silas finally shut her down by casting the demon out of her
because they didn't want her demonic power to be associated with the
Gospel!
a. No doubt the people would have
mixed the two together later if she had been allowed to continue
this!
b. It may be that her saying this and
following them was also a cry from her heart to know this
salvation!!
c. She is set free by the name of
Jesus ... she has her prison door opened!
3. This opposition doesn't end with
her deliverance however ... in fact it gets worse for Paul and Silas because now
a number of men who used this girl to get themselves rich by her “so called
gift” had lost their source of making money ... the "psychic friends network" collapsed, and
with it their ability to get rich!
a. This set the stage for all that
follows!
b. When people lose their wealth
because of the Gospel ... things start to happen.
4. Ministry sometimes brings
opposition; it means standing up against ungodly causes sometimes and taking the
heat!
5. The accusations against them were
that they were advocating customs unlawful for the
area.
a. What this was all about was
simple: Judaism was an officially
recognized religion in Roman law and Christianity was not ... since these guys
could not get Paul and Silas in trouble for losing their profitable business
with this girl they instead accuse them of “propagating an unapproved religion” ...
for which they could be jailed!
b. Satan often fights
dirty!
6. Paul and Silas however are
unruffled by this all ... for whatever the opposition, there will be new
opportunities for ministry!
a. This is an important concept for us
to embrace if we are to overcome the prison of our emotions at times when things
go against us!
b. Paul would look for ways to
continue ministry even if he is restrained!
ILLUS: YEARS
AGO A SMALL JAPANESE GROUP OF BELIEVERS WERE HECKLED AND ABUSED WHENEVER THEY
ASSEMBLED TO WORSHIP THE LORD. THE
PERSECUTORS HOWEVER COULD NOT SHAKE THEIR FAITH HOWEVER, EVEN WHEN THEY
ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE CHRISTIANS BY THROWING STONES AT THEM! THE CHRISTIANS CONTINUED TO MEET WEEKLY,
EVEN WITH STONES PELTING DOWN ON THEM!
AFTER A TIME, THE STONING BECAME SO SEVERE THAT THEY HAD TO STOP
TEMPORARILY; BUT AS THINGS SETTLED DOWN AGAIN, THEY AGAIN PUBLICALLY BEGAN TO
WORSHIP ... AND MANY TOWNSPEOPLE WERE SAVED. RETURNING TO THE SPOT WHERE THEY HAD
BEEN FREQUENTLY STONED, THE BELIEVERS BEGAN TO PICK UP THE STONES AND WITH THEM
THEY CONSTRUCTED A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING AS A HOUSE OF WORSHIP! THE VERY INSTRUMENTS USED AGAINST THEM
CREATED THE EDIFICE THEY WORSHIPED THE LORD IN! RATHER THAN CRY IN THEIR AGONY, THEY
SOUGHT WAYS TO TAKE WHAT GOD ALLOWED AND USED IT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD! OPPOSITION BECAME OPPORTUNITY
AGAIN!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
II. CHALLENGED MINISTERS! Acts
16:22-28
A. Ordeal! Acts
16:22-24
1. When the authorities realized the
whole crowd was also angry, they try to please the angry crowd by taking Paul
and Silas and having them beaten and thrown into
prison!
a. The prison was a rough one ... the
doors were usually only locked by a wooden beam across it, thus later the
explanation of why the doors were open at the earthquake ... to ensure extra
security there were also stocks within the cells to hold the prisoners as an
extra precaution!
b. These stocks were used in two ways,
to secure the prisoners, and to torture them as well!
2. They were placed in these stocks
after having been beaten, and no doubt they were sore, bleeding, and in great
pain!
3. At such a point most Christians
would have questioned God's love for them and why God was allowing this all to
happen when all they did was minister!
a. Was God
unfair?
b. Hadn't they been faithful to serve
the Lord?
c. Why would God want them to
experience so much pain and imprisonment?
4. These are often the thoughts of
those who reject God ... that God is so unfair and unjust ... but God is at work
to do something truly wonderful … and He is not indifferent to their suffering
or our suffering!
ILLUS: IMAGINE
A SCENE AROUND GOD'S THRONE ... BILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE GATHERED BEFORE GOD. MANY ARE ANGRY WITH GOD FOR ALL THE PAIN
AND UNJUST SUFFERING ON EARTH. THE
CONVERSATIONS GO AS FOLLOWS: "CAN GOD JUDGE US?" SAYS ONE! "WHAT DOES HE KNOW ABOUT SUFFERING?"
SNAPS A WOMAN AS SHE ROLLS UP HER
SLEEVE TO REVEAL A TATTOOED NUMBER FROM A NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMP, SHE ADDS, “WE ENDURED TERROR, BEATINGS TORTURE, AND
DEATH!" IN ANOTHER GROUP A
BLACK MAN LOWERED HIS COLLAR AND SAID, "WHAT ABOUT THIS? THIS ROPE BURN ON MY NECK WAS FROM A
LYNCHING MOB THAT HUNG ME FOR NO CRIME EXCEPT THAT I WAS BLACK! WE SUFFERED IN SLAVE SHIPS, BEEN TAKEN
FROM OUR LOVED ONES, TOILED TILL
DEATH GAVE RELEASE!” HUNDREDS OF OTHERS ADDED IN THEIR COMPLAINTS AND PAIN,
EACH COMPLAINING THAT GOD PERMITTED EVIL AND SUFFERING IN THE WORLD WHILE HE
ENJOYED THE COMFORTS OF HEAVEN WHERE THERE WAS NO FEAR, NO HUNGER, NO PAIN, AND
NO HATRED! THEY ALL COMPLAINED THAT
GOD KNEW NOTHING ABOUT ALL THIS AND WITH HIS SHELTERED PERFECT PAIN FREE LIFE
COULD NOT SIT IN JUDGMENT ON THEM!
EACH GROUP CHOSE A LEADER TO REPRESENT THEM TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO
MAKE GOD SUFFER, THERE WAS A JEW, THERE WAS A BLACK MAN, THE UNTOUCHABLE FROM
INDIA, AN ILLEGITIMATE PERSON, A VICTIM OF HIROSHIMA, AND ONE FROM A SIBERIAN
SLAVE CAMP. FINALLY THEY HAD THEIR
PLAN AND THEY APPROACHED GOD! IF
GOD WAS TO BE THEIR JUDGE THEN HE MUST SUFFER AS THEY ALL HAD ... THEIR DECISION
WAS THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE HEAVEN AND LIVE ON EARTH AS A MAN! BECAUSE HE WAS GOD, CERTAIN SAFEGUARDS
WOULD BE TAKEN SO THAT HIS BEING GOD DIDN'T HELP HIM ... HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO
USE ANY POWERS TO HELP HIMSELF! HE
WOULD BE BORN A JEW, BUT HE WOULD BE BORN IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD AS
ILLEGITIMATE WITH SERIOUS QUESTIONS AS TO WHO HIS REAL FATHER WAS! HE WOULD HAVE TO CHAMPION A JUST CAUSE,
BUT DO IT SO RADICALLY THAT IT WOULD BRING DOWN ON HIMSELF THE WORLD’S HATRED,
CONDEMNATION. THE EFFORTS OF EVERY
RELIGION ESTABLISHED BY MAN WOULD FIGHT AGAINST HIM! HE WOULD HAVE TO TRY AND DESCRIBE WHAT
NO MAN HAS EVER SEEN, TASTED, HEARD, OR SMELLED ... LET HIM TRY TO COMMUNICATE
GOD TO MEN WHO AREN'T INTERESTED!
HE WOULD HAVE TO BE BETRAYED BY HIS DEAREST FRIENDS! LET HIM BE INDICTED ON FALSE CHARGES,
TRIED BEFORE A JUDGE THAT WAS PREJUDICED, INCLUDING A PREJUDICED JURY ... AND
THEN BE CONVICTED OF BEING GUILTY EVEN IF HE ISN'T! LET HIM SEE WHAT IT IS TO BE TERRIBLY
ALONE AND COMPLETELY ABANDONED BY EVERY LIVING THING! THEN LET HIM BE TORTURED AND DIE, AND TO
DIE A HUMILIATING DEATH WITH COMMON THIEVES! AS THEY PRONOUNCED THEIR PLAN FOR GOD'S
PUNISHMENT AND THE ENTIRE CROWD JEERED ... THEY SUDDENLY BECAME SILENT! NO ONE UTTERED A WORD, NO ONE MOVED, FOR
SUDDENLY THEY ALL REMEMBERED, GOD HAD ALREADY SERVED THIS SENTENCE ... IN THE
PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST! –
SOURCE UNKNOWN
5. Their ordeal would not be wasted,
if they stayed alert to the opportunities within the opposition!
a. God never allows things into our
lives to destroy us!
b. Within the deepest waters, God has
plans to deliver us and others!
B. Objectives! Acts
16:25-28
1. What do they
do?
a. In pain, confused, they begin to
worship God!
b. Notice that as they sang, the other
prisoners were listening to the hymns and praise choruses they were
singing!
c. They were preaching out
of their pain!
2. At such times in our lives ... what do we do?
a. Do we act defeated ... become angry
with God and others?
b. Do we pull away from God, from the
church?
3. Paul had one objective in his life
... to glorify God in EVERYTHING!
a. Though in pain, tired, abused, etc.
he finds that his heart is not imprisoned!
b. Silas joins him in
worship!
4. There were no questions about God's
will, about God's goodness, there was no "why me Lord?" ... just
worship!
5. Crushing was only bringing out the
“sweetest fruit” in their
lives.
ILLUS: THE
ANCIENT ROMAN WORLD THRESHED ITS WHEAT BY HAVING TWO MEN WORK TOGETHER. ONE MAN WOULD STIR UP THE SHEAVES WHILE THE OTHER MAN RODE
OVER THEM IN A CRUDE CART EQUIPPED WITH ROLLERS INSTEAD OF WHEELS. SHARP STONES AND ROUGH BITS OF IRON WERE
ATTACHED TO THESE CYLINDERS TO HELP SEPARATE THE HUSKS FROM THE GRAIN. THE SIMPLE CART HAD A NAME; IT WAS CALLED
A "TRIBULUM" ... FROM WHICH WE GET
OUR WORD "TRIBULATION!" WHEN
GREAT TRIBULATION COMES TO US, WE OFTEN THINK OF OURSELVES AS BEING TORN TO BITS
UNDER CRUEL PRESSURE, BUT NO THRESHER IN ROME EVER USED HIS “TRIBULUM” FOR THE MERE PURPOSE OF
TEARING UP HIS SHEAVES TO DESTROY THE HARVEST, HE DID THIS CRUSHING TO BRING THE
PRECIOUS GRAIN IN FOR A GREAT HARVEST!
WITHOUT THE "TRIBULUM"
HE COULD
NOT
ENJOY THE HARVEST! GOD STILL WORKS
THIS WAY IN OUR LIVES WHEN "TRIBULATION" IS ALLOWED!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
6. How
are you handling "tribulation" that has come into your life ...
are you singing worship hymns at midnight ... or tossing all night in pain and
anger?
7. In the midst of worship a great
earthquake hits that opens the prison doors!
a. For Paul and Silas they were open
already in their heart!
b. God knows how to set us
free!
8. Ironically however, with the doors
of the prison open Paul and Silas don't leave!
a. If they did they knew the jailor
would die!
b. Any guard that lost a prisoner ...
no matter the reasons was put to death by Roman law!
c. Their freedom would have cost the
man who guarded them his life!
d. Paul could not enjoy his freedom at
the expense of another man's life!
9. So, even as the jailor is preparing
to end his own life quickly rather than suffer the humility of the Roman system
putting him to death, Paul and Silas quickly holler out that they are all there
... including the other prisoners!
a. Why didn't the other ones
leave? Perhaps they were too amazed
at Paul and Silas's testimony when they were in pain to want to go, perhaps they
too wanted to know what these men had that they didn’t
have!
b. They realized they were in the
company of men who knew God! They
didn't want to go ... they were taken "captive" by their example of
worship!
10. Paul's objective in life wasn't his own freedom
... but the freedom of those imprisoned by sin! The door of prison was open ... but
freedom needed to come for others before he would walk
out!
III. CHARACTER MATTERS! Acts
16:29-40
A. Openness! Acts
16:29-34
1. While most Christians would have
seen the open door as an opportunity to get free while not worrying about anyone
else ... Paul stays to minister to this man and his
family!
a. The jailor falls trembling before
Paul and Silas and asks, "What must I do to be
saved?"
b. When our lives truly reflect the
fact that we have died to self and are here to serve others and Christ, people
will come to us and want to be saved!
2. We must never underestimate the
power of our witness!
ILLUS: DURING
THE REIGN OF NERO THERE WAS A SPECIAL GROUP OF SOLDIERS KNOWN AS THE “EMPEROR'S WRESTLERS.” THEY WERE MEN OF UNUSUAL STRENGTH AND
BRAVERY, PICKED FROM THE GREAT ATHLETES OF THE ROMAN AMPHITHEATER. IN THE GREAT AMPHITHEATER THEY UPHELD
THE ARMS OF THE EMPEROR AGAINST ALL CHALLENGERS. BEFORE EACH CONTEST THEY STOOD BEFORE
THE EMPEROR'S THRONE, THEN THROUGH THE COURTS OF ROME THEY WOULD CRY,
"WE,
THE WRESTLERS FOR THEE, 0 EMPEROR, TO WIN FOR THEE THE VICTORY AND FROM THEE,
THE VICTOR'S CROWN."
WHEN THE ROMAN ARMY WAS SENT TO FIGHT IN
GAUL NO SOLDIERS WERE BRAVER OR MORE LOYAL THAT THIS BAND OF WRESTLERS! THEY WERE LED BY THEIR LEADER
VESPASIAN. NEWS ONE DAY
REACHED NERO HOWEVER THAT AMONG THESE MEN THERE WERE SOME WHO HAD ACCEPTED THE
CHRISTIAN FAITH ... SO HE DISPATCHED TO VESPASIAN THIS DECREE: "IF
THERE BE ANY AMONG YOUR SOLDIERS WHO CLING TO THE FAITH OF THE CHRISTIAN, THEY
MUST DIE!"
THE DECREE WAS RECEIVED IN THE DEAD
OF WINTER, THE
SOLDIERS WERE CAMPED ON THE SHORE OF A FROZEN LAKE. WITH A SADDENED HEART, HE READ THE
MESSAGE AND KNEW HE MUST OBEY HIS EMPEROR!
HE CALLED ALL THE SOLDIERS TOGETHER AND ASKED ALL WHO CLUNG TO THE
CHRISTIAN FAITH TO STEP FORWARD! 40
OF THE "WRESTLERS" STEPPED
FORWARD AND SALUTED THEIR GENERAL!
AS THEY STOOD AT ATTENTION, VESPASIAN PAUSED AND DECIDED TO GIVE HIS
DEVOTED MEN OPPORTUNITY TO
CHANGE THEIR MIND BEFORE HAVING THEM SENTENCED TO DEATH. HE ASKED THEM TO SLEEP ON THEIR DECISION
TO FOLLOW CHRIST! THE NEXT MORNING
HE AGAIN ASKED THOSE WHO FOLLOWED CHRIST TO STEP FORWARD, AND AGAIN 40 MEN MOVED
FORWARD! VESPASIAN PLEADED WITH
THEM, BUT WITHOUT LUCK. FINALLY HE
SAID HE COULD NOT SHED THEIR BLOOD OR ASK THEIR FELLOW SOLDIERS TO SHED THEIR
BLOOD EITHER, BUT THAT HE COULDN'T GO AGAINST THE EMPEROR EITHER ... SO HE ASKED
THIS: "I
ORDER YOU TO MARCH OUT UPON THE LAKE OF ICE, AND I SHALL LEAVE YOU THERE TO THE
MERCY OF THE ELEMENTS."
WITH THIS, HE HAD THEM ALL STRIPPED
AND SENT THEM OUT! THEY LINED UP IN
ROWS OF 4 AND MARCHED TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE LAKE OF ICE. AS THEY MARCHED, THEY BROKE OUT IN THEIR
CHANT ... THOUGH NOW SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, “FORTY
WRESTLERS, WRESTLING FOR THEE, O CHRIST, TO WIN FOR THEE THE VICTORY AND FROM
THEE, THE VICTOR'S CROWN!"
THROUGH
THE NIGHT VESPASIAN STOOD BY HIS CAMPFIRE AND WATCHED ... AS THE HOURS WENT BY
THE CHANTING CONTINUED, BUT GREW WEAKER.
AS MORNING DREW NEAR ONE FIGURE, OVERCOME BY EXPOSURE, CREPT QUIETLY
TOWARD THE FIRE ... THUS RENOUNCING HIS LORD! FAINTLY THE OTHER 39 MEN STILL ON THE
ICE BEGAN TO SING, “THIRTY
NINE WRESTLERS, WRESTLING FOR THEE, 0 CHRIST, TO WIN FOR THEE THE VICTORY AND
FROM THE, THE VICTOR'S CROWN!"
VESPASIAN COULD NOT TAKE IT ANY
LONGER, REMOVING HIS HELMET AND
CLOTHING HE SPRANG TO THE ICE AND WALKING ACROSS THE FROZEN LAKE TOWARD THE
OTHER 39 DYING MEN HE BEGAN TO CHANT, “FORTY
WRESTLERS, WRESTLING FOR THEE, 0 CHRIST, TO WIN FOR THEE THE VICTORY AND FROM
THEE, THE VICTOR'S CROWN!”
THE
POWER OF UNCOMPROMISING FAITH HAD ARRESTED HIS HEART!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
3. The jailor believes as does all
within his household ... and they are all baptized!
a. Since those in the household "believed" they could not have been
infants!
b. His entire family accepts Christ as
Lord!
4. Paul and Silas’ prison experience
was used by God to set others free!
5. They were not interested in their
own physical freedom as much as the freedom from sin those others might
have!
B. Obligations! Acts
16:29-40
1. Ironically
when God had opened the prison doors so they could leave, they return in their
own will!
a. The next morning the magistrates
sent down the message that they can be set free!
b. God now opens the door of the
prison a second time!
2. This second time however protects
everyone ... including the jailor!
3. Imagine the joy in this jailor as
he witnesses God's miracle in setting these men free again ... a second time the
door of prison opens for them in such a legal way that no one is
punished!
a. This time they are free to go,
their work was done here!
b. Their suffering had resulted in
someone else's salvation!
4. Paul however has one more
obligation to take care of ... the church in Philippi!
a. He demands that the authorities come
personally and apologize to him and Silas and escort them publicly out of
town!
b. Why did Paul do this? Was he trying to get even? NO!
5. It was forbidden to flog a Roman
citizen ... even one found guilty in a court of law! To do so could result in serious
punishment to those officials who had ordered it!
a. Paul and Silas were both Roman
citizens and had not even had a trial in Philippi before they were
flogged!
b. Paul probably knew that if they
were punished, the authorities would likely go after the other believers in town
... UNLESS they were afraid to do so!
c. By using his Roman citizenship as
an issue here, he puts fear in the authorities, for he could get them into
serious trouble for what they did to him and Silas ... no doubt Paul wanted a
public apology so that they would think twice in the future about trying to go
after the church in Philippi whom Paul helped oversee!
d. Paul was once again not thinking of himself as it at first
appears here, he is thinking about the church's safety after he
leaves!
6. Paul recognizes his obligations
before God ... no matter the pain, to worship; no matter the freedom, to lead
people to Christ; no matter the personal injury, to minister to others and
protect the church!
7. For Paul the prison doors had
always been open ... even before they opened! How about your prison
doors?
ILLUS: IN
OLD AGE, PIERRE AUGUSTE, THE GREAT FRENCH PAINTER, SUFFERED FROM SERIOUS
ARTHRITIS. WITH A TWISTED AND
PAINFUL HAND, HE WOULD PAINT, WINCING IN PAIN! A FRIEND OF HIS ONE DAY ASKED HIM,
"WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO PAINT EVEN
THOUGH EACH MOVEMENT CAUSES SUCH STABBING PAIN, WHY DO YOU TORTURE YOURSELVES
THIS WAY?" AUGUSTE
REPLIED, "THE PAIN PASSES, BUT THE BEAUTY REMAINS!"
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
CONCLUSION:
What are the secrets to escaping from prison -- especially emotional and
spiritual imprisonment? Paul and
Silas discovered freedom in prison, they were never imprisoned in their minds
... they lived in victory no matter what the circumstances! They give us a guide to follow that will
open the door of our prisons!