Persecution And Mission Of The Church Series

Introduction

On Sunday, January 8, 1956, on the shore of a lonely river deep in the Ecuadorian jungle, five missionaries were murdered by primitive Auca Indians, known today as the Waorani.

News of the massacre shocked the world.

To some, their deaths seemed a senseless tragedy.

Many decried that promising missionary careers were cut short, the five young wives were left without husbands, and the children were left fatherless.

Those with deeper spiritual insight saw things differently, however.

Elizabeth Elliot, widow of one of the martyrs, Jim Elliot, commented:

To the world at large this was a sad waste of five young lives. But God has his plan and purpose in all things. There were those whose lives were changed by what happened on Palm Beach.

In Brazil, a group of Indians at a mission station deep in the Mato Grosso, upon hearing the news, dropped to their knees and cried out to God for forgiveness for their own lack of concern for fellow Indians who did not know of Jesus Christ.

From Rome, an American official wrote to one of the widows, “I knew your husband. He was to me the ideal of what a Christian should be.”

An Air Force Major stationed in England, with many hours of jet flying, immediately began making plans to join the Missionary Aviation Fellowship.

A missionary in Africa wrote: “Our work will never be the same. We knew two of the men. Their lives have left their mark on ours.”

Off the coast of Italy, an American naval officer was involved in an accident at sea. As he floated alone on a raft, he recalled Jim Elliot’s words (which he had read in a news report): “When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is die.” He prayed that he might be saved, knowing that he had more to do than die. He was not ready. God answered his prayer, and he was rescued.

In Des Moines, Iowa, an eighteen-year-old boy prayed for a week in his room, then announced to his parents: “I’m turning my life over completely to the Lord. I want to try to take the place of one of those five” (Elisabeth Elliot, Through Gates of Splendor [Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale, 1981], 253).

I can add my name to this list, for in 1978, in Cape Town, South Africa, God used the story of these five young martyrs to call me—along with thousands of others—into vocational Christian ministry.

Last time, we examined the martyrdom of Stephen, the church’s first-century martyr.

At first glance, Stephen’s death may also seem pointless. Here was another promising career cut short.

He was a powerful preacher with a deep knowledge of the Old Testament.

Such was the godly character of his life that he was one of the Seven chosen by the church to oversee its daily administration (see Acts 6:1-6).

Why was it necessary that one so gifted have such a brief ministry?

The answer is that God, in his wisdom, used Stephen’s death to advance his kingdom.

God used Stephen’s death to turn the world upside down.

Today, let’s see how God uses persecution to advance his kingdom.

Scripture

Let’s read Acts 8:1-8:

1 And Saul approved of his execution.

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.

Lesson

On January 9, 1985, Pastor Hristo Kulichev, a Congregational Church pastor in Bulgaria, was arrested and put in prison.

His crime was that he preached in his church even though the state had appointed another man as the pastor, whom the congregation did not elect.

Pastor Kulichev’s trial was a mockery of justice.

He was sentenced to eight months in prison.

During his time in prison, however, he made Christ known in every way he could.

When he got out, he wrote, “Both prisoners and jailers asked many questions, and it turned out that we had a more fruitful ministry there than we could have expected in church. God was better served by our presence in prison than if we had been free” (Herbert Schlossberg, Called to Suffer, Called to Triumph, p. 230).