The World's Prison's Revolving Door

Aim: To be an undeterred church—determined to preach Christ.

Doctrine: Despite sinners' most determined efforts, Christ's gospel word cannot be chained. The church's ministers may be arrested, but the church's message cannot be contained.

Exegesis: How the world's prison's revolving door works: human religion—hating the gospel—seeks to squelch it (vv. 17-18), but God miraculously revives its preaching (vv. 19-21a), leaving His foes with empty jails, and futile existences (v. 21b).

Further application: How the church is to think about the world's prison's revolving door: let us expect opposition to Jesus and His gospel of grace, but let us continue to preach the good news faithfully anyway.

Key verses: vv. 19-20 ''But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 'Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.'''