The Gospel Goes To Prison Series

Dmitri Ripken was arrested for leading a house church and was imprisoned for 17 years, 600 miles from his family and surrounded by 1,500 hardened criminals.

Despite the harsh conditions, Dmitri maintained his faith and praised God daily.

Every morning, Dmitri stood at attention in his tiny cell, facing eastward, and sang a hymn of praise to God.

His fellow prisoners mocked and jeered, but Dmitri remained steadfast.

He also wrote Bible verses and songs on scraps of paper and stuck them to the walls of his cell as an act of worship.

Though the guards punished him severely, Dmitri continued his practice of singing and praising God.

Eventually, Dmitri's guards began to despair.

They said, “We've tried everything, and nothing stops you from singing those stupid songs.”

The communist officials explained their intent to execute him.

“In 15 minutes, you will be tied to that post. In 20 minutes, you're going to be shot dead. We're done with you.”

Then, the jailers dragged him out of the prison cell towards the execution yard.

As they reached the door of the execution yard, the most astonishing thing happened.

One thousand five hundred hardened criminals stood at attention outside of their cells.

With their arms raised in praise facing the East, they began to sing those heart songs that they heard the man sing all of those years.

And the guards, in sheer terror, let go of Dmitri and jumped away from him.

They asked, “Who are you?”

Dmitri responded, “I am the Son of the Living God, and Jesus is his name” (https://nikripken.com/insanity-god-dmitris-story/).

The gospel responds to persecution with praise.

IV. The Gospel Offers Hope to the Hopeless (16:27-34)

Fourth, the gospel offers hope to the hopeless.

Luke tells us that “suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened”(v. 26).

The jailer woke up.

He saw that the prison doors were open and assumed the prisoners had all escaped.

The jailer, who was likely a retired Roman soldier now living in Philippi, knew that the penalty for escaped prisoners was death.

Rather than face execution, he decided upon suicide.

“But Paul cried with a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here’ ”(v. 28).

Then, Luke said in verses 29-30, “And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ ”

Now, how would you answer that question?

Would you say, “You need to turn a new leaf and do what’s right.”

Or “You need to make sure that your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds.”

Or “You need to go to church and become a member.”

Or “You need to obey God’s laws.”

Notice what Paul and Silas said in verse 31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

The jailer needed to put his trust alone in the person and work of Jesus.

He needed to believe that Jesus was the only one who lived a sinless life.