Nowadays there are all kinds of methods employed to attract new people into the church: big tent revival meetings, charismatic guest speakers, contemporary music bands, and even coffee bars. But the early church grew without any of these things, even in the midst of persecution.

Wherever you find God's people, you will find persecution to some degree. That should be of no surprise since Jesus already told us that it would happen. He also promised that blessedness would be pronounced on those who suffered for Him. Does the promise of blessedness apply to all suffering from all persecution?

In these messages, Dr. Sproul explains why the early church grew so strong and what we can expect by remaining faithful to Christ. He also looks at the cause of persecution in the life of the believer, and the rewards we can expect for being disciples.