Why the Church Grows Through Persecution | Dr. Andy Brown

Why does Christianity continue to grow in places where following Jesus is costly?

In this sermon from Acts 5, we see the apostles arrested, imprisoned, beaten, and commanded not to preach in the name of Jesus. Yet instead of retreating in fear, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ.

This message, “Victorious Sacrifice,” explores how Christian faith flourishes under persecution, why the early church continued to grow despite opposition, and what it means to obey God rather than men.

From the apostles in Jerusalem to persecuted Christians around the world today, the story of the church is shaped by believers who remain faithful to Jesus Christ in suffering. Kingdoms rise and fall, but the kingdom of Christ cannot be overthrown.

In this sermon, we look at:
Acts 5 and the persecution of the apostles
Why the church grows under pressure
What it means to suffer for the name of Jesus
The inextinguishable faith of the early church
How the gospel advances through sacrifice
Why Jesus gives us something worth living for

Jesus Christ is risen, His kingdom is unshakable, and His church cannot be stopped.

#Acts5 #ChristianSermon #PersecutedChurch #JesusChrist #Gospel #EarlyChurch #FaithUnderFire #ObeyGodRatherThanMen #VictoriousSacrifice #FirstBaptistStarkville #livesent 

Victorious Sacrifice

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

The story of Christianity is shaped by those who suffer for the name of Jesus Christ. And even to this day, if you go and you look at the places where Christianity is growing, it's the places where it's the toughest to be a Christian. The places that persecute Christians, the places that torture Christians, the places that murder Christians, places like China, places like North Korea, places like Iran, Afghanistan. These places are the places where Christianity is growing the most rapidly. It was an early church guy by the name of Tertullian, looking back at the way that Christianity seems to spread. And Tertullian said, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. I can remember very early on when Katie and I were, we'd just gotten married. We were fixing to go to move to seminary to start ministry. And I can remember that there was a man that we met. I can't tell you his name because he's still there, where persecution was just breaking out. He had come from his country to know Jesus Christ, and persecution had just broken out in Orissa in India. And this individual said, I'm selling everything in my house because I have to go back to my country. Katie and I went to this man's house, and indeed we were young and fixing a move to seminary. We didn't have any furniture of our own. And he's we walked into this guy's house and he said, Everything has to go. What makes Christians run towards persecution? What makes the confession that we have as followers of Jesus Christ, the faith that we have, is an inextinguishable faith, even though the fires of persecution would come our way. I want to talk to you about victorious sacrifice today, and I want to invite you to join me in Acts chapter 5, as we look at this truth, this truth that our faith flourishes when we're called to sacrifice. And you know this, don't you? If, for example, instead of thinking about the truths out yonder, think about your own life, and these principles are true. When does your faith seem to flourish? Is it in times of ease or is it in times of difficulty? And if we're honest here this morning, all of us, we would say that my faith flourishes, not when things are easy, but my faith flourishes when things are tough. And this is the way that God has us. This is the way that God has ordained things. Our faith flourishes when things are the toughest. And so let's go uh to the book of Acts, chapter 5. And one of the things that makes our Christian confession irresistible is the fact that we have something that's worth suffering for. In Acts chapter 5 at verse 17, we're going to read this passage, and I want us to uh to get some principles here uh that are gonna demonstrate why our faith flourishes during times of persecution. So listen to Acts chapter 5, and let me, before you get into verse 17, let me tell you what's going on. Look at verse 12. Many signs and wonders are regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles, and they were all together in Solomon's portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever, look at this verse, look at verse 14. More than ever, believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick in the streets and laid them on cots and mats. That as Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. So get the picture. And as a result, we're going to see the kingdoms of this world rare their ugly heads against Christian confession. Look at what happens next. Begin reading at verse 17. But the high priest rose up, and all who were with them, that is, the party of the Sadducees, filled with jealousy, they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. During the night, an angel of the Lord appeared and opened the prison doors and brought them out and said, Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now, when the high priest came and those who were with him, they called together the council and the Senate of the people of Israel, and sent them to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, they didn't find them in the prison, so they returned and reported. And when the captain of the temple and the chief priest heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. And someone came and told them, Look, excuse me, look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people. Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council, and the high priest questioned them, saying, We strictly charged you not to teach in the name. Yet here you fill Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us. But Peter and the apostles answered, We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things. So is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given those who obey him. When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them, but a Pharisee in the council named Gamiliel, a teacher of the law, held in honor by the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while, and he said to them, Men of Israel, take care that what you're about to do with these men. For before these days Phaeda stood up, raising to be some claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him, he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him, Judas, the Galilean, rose up the days of the census, and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone. For if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail. But if it's of God, you'll not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God. So they took his advice. And when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and they charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go. Now look at their reaction, verse 41. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day in the temple and from house to house they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. And so here we come to this truth, a truth that rings through the ages. As an early church guy said, named Tertullian, an early church pastor, he said, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. In other words, this is the way that Christianity flourishes. It flourishes through those who are willing to suffer. And that willingness to suffer makes our faith inextinguishable. But the question that I want to raise in our minds as we seek to address this is why is it that the church flourishes under persecution? Why is it that through the ages the church flourishes under persecution? Just recently we came back from a mission trip, and one of the things that we saw was a place where believers baptized. It was a secret place. It was a place that is undisclosed. It was a place that I got to go to and see. It was a place that as I was standing there on the banks, I could just imagine these Christians underneath really danger would come and submit their lives to Jesus Christ. Why is it that the church flourishes under persecution? And so what I want to do is I want to draw some principles out from this passage to answer that question. Why is it that the church flourishes under persecution? Number one, write this down. A kingdom shift is happening. Be ready. This is the reason a kingdom shift is occurring. Here we have two kingdoms that are presented. One, the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. This kingdom is a kingdom that has come and raised the dead, healed the lame, caused blinded eyes to see, has overcome death by the power of his own indestructible life. He is risen from the grave and he is Lord. And a kingdom shift is right now happening. Notice this contrast. Here is the church growing like never before. Verse 14, more than ever believers are added to the Lord. Multitudes of both men and women. And here's what they're doing. This stuff is growing so rapidly. Get this picture. They're taking those that are uh bedbound, and they're taking them so that even the shadow of the apostle Peter could fall on them, and they experience the healing power that God offers. The church is growing like wildfire. But notice this but in verse 17. And this is this sharp contrast that we have. This sharp contrast of the powers to be that want to retain that power, the powers to be that want to hold on and constrain that power. And so in this case, the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him. And notice, they are filled with jealousy because they serve a kingdom that has been shaken, shaken by the indestructible life of Jesus. We serve a kingdom that is unshakable. We have a faith, a assurance that not even death itself can shake. Instead, that emboldens us to go and live for Jesus Christ. After all, you know, after all, this is what it means for us to be followers of Jesus Christ. And I hope that you know this. We are those who have forfeited our own lives. You have forfeited your own life so that you can have his life. He forfeited his life to give you his life. Through the cross, he died on the cross for your sins, and on the third day he rose again. And now he stands offering you life. And the way that you come to him, remember, he says you have to deny yourself. You have to give up yourself. And this is just the simple truth of the Christian life. This is not radical. This is just simply what it means to be a Christ follower. You are one who you consider yourself as crucified to Christ, crucified to this world, crucified to the flesh and its sinly desires, crucified to all the wants that could hold you captive, crucified to the things of the world, and made alive in Jesus Christ. His life for yours. Your life for his. And this is the shift that he has brought into the world. This is the reality of the resurrection we now live. Remember this. We now live in a world where people die and come back to life. Have you ever considered that? This is not some world that's coming. This is a world that is. Because there was once a man who was previously dead, who now is alive. And the Bible says he is the author and founder of our faith. He is the author and he is the founder as well as he is the perfecter of our faith. There is now a contrast between a world that is passing and a kingdom that is coming. A world that is passing still wants to hold on to that power, but they can't hold on to that power because there is another king and another kingdom that is coming. Just for example, just consider yourselves. Just consider yourselves and where you are. The fact that you right now, in 2025, are in Startville, Mississippi. Not only are we a plane ride and several hours removed from the events that where these events happen, but we're also almost 2,000 years removed from the events that happened. And guess what? Rome has fallen. There are still Sadducees, but they are irrelevant. Christianity still stands. And the fact that we are gathered here today on purpose is proof positive of the exact words that Gameliel said. Remember what he says? He says this in verse 38 Keep away from these men and let them alone. For if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it'll fail. But if it's of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God. And the fact that we are here gathered today is proof positive of the truth. Rome has fallen, the Sadducees are irrelevant, but Christianity still stands. There is a kingdom shift that is happening. That's why there's suffering. We call this passage in Genesis 3, 15 the first announcement of the gospel, the first hope that we're going to have, that's going to be unleashed in the world. Remember what God said to Eve? He said, I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring, Satan, and her offspring. In other words, there is now enmity that exists between people that belong to the enemy and people that belong to the king. Listen to this. This is what's happened. He shall bruise your head, and you'll bruise his heel. Jesus Christ has had his heel bruised. He has been crucified for my sin, your sin, and the sins of the entire world. He has indeed been bruised. And by his bruising, by his death, he brought healing. He unleashed healing to the whole world. But notice this: it's not just that his heel has been bruised. By the bruising of his heel, he has crushed the head of the enemy. We live in a world where, yes, the dead people now come back to life. We also live in a world where there is an enemy that is ferocious, that he is going around like a lion seeking someone who he may devour, but he has been defanged. He has been, uh his roar sounds more like a purr because now the king of kings, the king of glory, the lion of the tribe of Judah, his voice is greater, and his voice remains. The enemy that we have in this world is one going around thrashing like an enemy, thrashing like an animal that's been wounded. His head has been crushed. Colossians chapter 2 and verse 15 paints the picture as well. It says that he, Jesus, he has disarmed the rulers and the authorities. And he's put them to open shame by triumphing over them in him. You see, Jesus Christ has triumphed. There is a two kingdoms now that are at odds with one another. And if you're here today and you belong to Jesus Christ, then you belong to one kingdom while you still have live in a kingdom that is ruled by the enemy. You now live in this one kingdom. That is, that is, that is ruled by the enemy while your heart you've given over to King Jesus. You now belong to Jesus. And so we have this trouble in the world because there is a kingdom shift that is happening. That's why there's persecution, that's why there's heartache, that's why your faith grows when times are difficult. Why is that? Because the kingdom shift is occurring right now. And we better be ready. Number two, God advances his purposes through sacrifice. And since he does, the call for us is to press on. Notice I love this. Here they've arrested the apostles and they put them in prison. The reason that they put them in prison, remember, is they're saying Jesus is Lord and not Caesar. Remember this. Our confession that Jesus Christ is Lord is not a matter of political preference. Listen, it's treason. The fact that we say that we will not bow to anyone other than Jesus Christ, that is treason for any empire that exists today. Never forget that. Never forget the true nature and just how it's normative for us, but it seems so radical for the rest of the world. And never forget this either: that Christianity, true Christianity never advances by the sword, it advances by the Spirit. True Christianity never advances by some power grab. Instead, it advances through the power of the Holy Spirit. Where we don't take lives, we give ourselves so that others may know this Christ. We give ourselves because this is what Jesus Christ has done for us. And here we have this example. Notice it says that they arrested the apostles at verse 18 and they put them in public prison. Now look at verse 19. And I love verse 19 because verse 19 shows us how dedicated God is to fulfilling his purpose. And God advances his purpose through their sacrifice. And God will advance it. And remember, what's more important? His purposes are mine. And if we're truly going to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then there's only one real way to answer that. Whose purposes matter more? Even if it costs me, I must live my life for Jesus. And the truth that we see repeated time and time again is God advances his purposes through sacrifice. And the call for us is to not give up. The call for us is to not grow weary. The call for us is to press on. Notice this. During the night, verse 19. An angel of the Lord opened the prison doors. And he brought them out, and he said, Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life. You see, this is what the people need. This is the message that brings life. Everyone's looking for a solution. Everyone's hoping for something better. And here stands Jesus Christ through the ages. And he says, I'm just not a way to the best way. He says, I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. Notice the message that the apostles have, the message that the angel wants them to proclaim. He's telling them, don't miss the assignment. And it's the same thing that he's telling us if we're sensitive today and we're listening. Don't miss the assignment. Don't preach about Jesus. Don't preach Jesus' benefits, sanctification, holiness, all of these other things. Don't preach around Jesus. Preach Jesus Christ. Notice this: it says, keep telling the people the words of this life. Look at verse 42. What do they do? And every day in the temple and from house to house, they didn't cease teaching and preaching. And what was the source of their message? It was that the Christ, the Messiah, is Jesus. I don't know if you're like me when I read that the first time, but I read that the first time. I'm like, well, shouldn't it say that Jesus is the Christ? Well, the message is there that here is this truth, that there is now a Messiah. We know his name. We know who the anointed one of God is. We know who the elect one of God is. We know who the promised one of God is. We know the name given among men, one name given among men by which we must be saved. And what's his name, church? It's Jesus. That's who he is. Listen, and here's the truth. You get to receive Jesus. You don't just get to have a salvation that he offers or a benefit that he gives. You get to have his very life inside of you. You get to have the hope of glory inside of you. And remember this: this is the truth of the Christian life. It's no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you. So that Christ, who is your life, when he appears, you will rejoice. So this is not something that's radical. This is just us becoming who we're always intended to be. And I know, I know some of your sacrifice. Some of you, some of us, we don't really know anything about sacrifice like some of our brothers and sisters do in other countries because persecution hasn't hit us in the same way. But all of us know about sacrifice. Some of you are the object of ridicule. Some of you are the object of scorn because of stances that you make, because other people may be able to do those activities on Thursday night and Friday night and Saturday night and Monday morning, but not you. Because you are constrained. You're controlled. 2 Corinthians 5. The love of Jesus Christ poured into your heart constrains you. You are now bought with a price. And now you understand that since I'm bought with a price, it's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And I have to glorify God in my body, even if that means sacrifice. Why? It's really no sacrifice, really. It may be a temporary sacrifice, but we get eternal glory. You see the opposite? The world comes to us with a temporary moment of pleasure, saying that that will satisfy forever, but they won't. And we, as those who follow Jesus, we turn it all on its head and said, No, I will rather sacrifice in the short term so that I can have the eternal glory that's awaiting me. And Peter looks at a church later, and Peter, one of the apostles who suffered, he's writing to a church in 1 Peter chapter 4, and he has a word for them. Listen to what it is. He says, Beloved, and I love that he says that. He says, My beloved, my friends, he says, don't be surprised at a fiery trial when it comes. Don't be surprised when you're called to sacrifice something for Jesus. Ultimately, that's even, you know, your physical life. But Peter says, don't be surprised. Why does he say that? Because this is just what it means to be a follower Jesus. Because we've already given our lives completely to him. We have found our lives. We found the secret. You ready for the secret? We found that in order to gain our lives, we have to give our lives away. In order to have our life, we give it away. Remember what Jesus said? This is the words that constantly, we're constantly reflecting on. Jesus says, What is it if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? And we would rather gain our soul by giving away everything that this world has to offer. And so Peter says, this is just the normal Christian life. This is now, by the way, the power of God living inside of you, desiring to express that life and his power through you. He says, Don't be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though it were something strange happening to you. And remember who this is. This is the guy who they put in prison and they beat. And he comes to this church, he says, This is just normal. He says, rejoice. Don't be surprised, he says, rejoice. And notice how he notice how he puts us right in square terms with Christ's life living through us. Listen, this is so important. And this is what Watchman Ni called just the normal Christian life, Galatians 2.20. It's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And Watchman Ni, just very quickly, he was one of the first Christian converts in China, and he led a revolution in China for Jesus. Not a revolution that called people to arms, but a revolution that had people sacrifice for Jesus, and Watchman Nee spent most of his life in prison. He says, don't be surprised. Peter says, don't be surprised, but rejoice. Insofar as, look at this, how he pulls us into the life of Christ. Insofar as you share Christ's suffering, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. Jesus is coming. Never forget that. And then he says this if you're insulted for the name of Christ, well, they say that you're insulted, but Jesus says you're blessed. Because the spirit of glory and of God is resting upon you. Let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief, an evildoer, as a meddler. In other words, he says, Now don't just think you can suffer just for suffering and blame somebody else. Peter says, Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. But let him glorify God in that name. Then he says, For it's time for judgment to begin with the household of God. And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome of those who don't obey the gospel? And if the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? Now here's what he says. Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful creator while doing good. And here we have this truth that God is dedicated to performing his purpose in you. God is dedicating to performing his purpose in the world through us, even if that means our suffering. I know that's hard. But this is part of counting the cost of following Jesus. And some of you are like, yeah, this is really great, Andy. This sounds like some kind of pie in the sky, by and by, God opened the doors of the prison through an angel. But what about those times when he doesn't open doors? And I thought about that. I asked a question because it's just true. Sometimes God doesn't open prison doors. After all, you know what happened to Peter? He was martyred. All of the apostles later on were martyred. One, of course, John, lived on the Isle of Patmos in exile until he died, but even he was tarred and feathered because he said Jesus is Lord and not Caesar. But what about those? Or what happens, rather, when God doesn't open the prison doors? This past year I revisited a book that if you haven't read, you should. It's a book by Corey Tinboom called The Hiding Place. Let me tell you who Cory was. Corey was a lady that survived the Holocaust. And she recalls the story of losing her daddy, never seeing him again. They were separated and never saw them again. They took her daddy's body and they threw him in a pile of other bodies. But she went to a concentration camp because she was a Christian, survived the Holocaust. She had a sister who is really in the story, the way Cory tells it, Betsy is the one who really ensures that Corey's faith is not going in all kinds of different directions. And one of the things that Cory learned from Betsy was this: listen. It says, there are, Betsy said, there are no ifs in God's world. Stop right there just a minute. Don't we live this way? Well, what about this? Well, what about that? When God comes and he challenges us, and Betsy Tin Boom, she said, there are no ifs in God's world. And there are no places that are safer than other places. She's saying it from a concentration camp. The center of his will is our only safety. Let's pray that we may also know it. The center of God's will is our only safety. Corey would later reflect on those words, and she would say this never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. Never be afraid. Oh, you feel that fear, don't you? I do. But never be afraid to trust an unknown future. To a God that is. And a God that knows you. This is what makes our faith irresistible. Remember what Jesus said through John? What is it that overcomes the world? It's our faith. And our faith has a substance. And that substance is willing to suffer. Corey Tinboom would later say, or Betsy would rather say, Corey, you tell people what we learned here. That there is no pit so deep that the love of God is not deeper. Still. And so the apostles are gathered. The people are afraid. The religious authorities are afraid because they, the people are responding. And the people do respond to true hope. People do respond to what last. And they tell them, don't preach in this name anymore. Notice what he says. He says in verse 29, Peter and the apostles answered, We must obey God rather than men. Number three. Suffering reveals our true allegiance. Stand firm. Suffering reveals our true allegiance like nothing else in this world does. Stand firm. I remember visiting one of my heroes, Josh McDowell. He's a guy who wrote a book, More Than a Carpenter, and Evidence That Demands a Verdict. And I remember I had an evening with Josh where I got to speak with him and have him pour into me personally. And he says, Andy, you remember this. Many people are willing to die for a cause, but remember, our cause died on a cross for us. You see, all of us are called to be witnesses. And you know what this word witness means in Scripture? The root word of the word witness in the Bible is the word martyr. You are called to let your life be a witness. You're called to let your life be a martyr for Jesus. Suffering. No matter the level, no matter the degree, suffering reveals our true allegiance. Stand therefore. Reminds me of a story that I heard by a man by the name of John Chrysostom. Now, John Chrysostom, I take special interest in him because he was known as the Golden Mouth Preacher, you know? Of course. Now they didn't call him, that's what Chrysostom means. His name was John. After he died, they called him Golden Mouth. But John, who lived from 347 to 407, so very early, he was before an empress by the name of Eudokia. And she threatened John with banishment if he insisted on his Christian independence as a preacher. In other words, the Empress said, You don't preach this way, you preach this way. That's been going on ever since then. And then John said, after Eudokia said, I'm gonna banish you, John said, You can't banish me, for this world is my father's house. And then the Empress said, Well, I will kill you. And John said, No, you can't, for my life is hid with Christ in God. I'll take your treasures, the Empress said. And John said, You can't even do that. Because my treasure is heaven and that's where my heart is. The Empress getting frustrated, she said, but I'll drive you away from all your friends, and you'll have no one left. And John said, No, you cannot. For I have a friend in heaven whom you cannot separate me from. I defy you. There's nothing you can do to harm me. The body they may kill. God's truth abideth still. And what is the truth? Emperors and empires may kill the body. But Jesus Christ raises the dead. You know why we're willing to suffer? Because of Romans 8:18 that says that we consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth the glory that is coming. And I wonder if you're here this morning and that's you. If you have a home in glory waiting for you. You say, How do I have this home? You accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You by faith place your life into his hand. You have a moment where you say, All to Jesus, I surrender. He'll give you something not that's just worth dying for, he'll give you something that's worth living for. And living. Means giving your life to Jesus and everything else is dying. And it's my prayer for you that if you've never trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you want to know loss? True loss is dying without Jesus. Living is giving your life to Him. And if you've never done that, don't delay. Do that today.