The Continued Power And Growth Of Christ's Church

THE CONTINUED POWER AND GROWTH OF CHRIST'S CHURCH

Acts 5:12-16

(Antioch Baptist Church: Wednesday, October 29th, 2025)

Several years ago there was a new church in our area that experienced rapid growth and many people were amazed at all of the things that God was doing in and through that assembly. Today, that church is no longer in existence. A friend of mine once pastored a historic Baptist church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I recently learned that that once thriving church closed about five years ago. As a result of the many unexpected consequences related to the Covid 19 pandemic, countless churches in our area, throughout the state, and across the nation did not survive. It is estimated that somewhere between 4,000 and 10,000 churches closed in the US last year (2024), with some sources predicting another 15,000 closures will occur in 2025.

These stories and statistics are certainly disturbing, and I grieve for our brothers and sisters who have experienced the pain that comes from seeing their places of worship cease to exist. However, I am encouraged and excited for the future of Christ’s Church. This is because I know who is in control, I am confident in His power, I trust His promises, and I am assured that Christ’s Church will always stand.

On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon a small assembly of Christ’s followers; that very day, the number of Believers increased by over three thousand. Just a few days later thousands more were converted after Peter’s sermon at Solomon’s Portico. Those who were converted responded to their spiritual transformation by telling others about what Jesus had done in their lives. Through their testimony Jesus added even more people to His Church.

As a result of all of this spiritual progress, the Saints in Jerusalem experienced great opposition. By this point in time, the Church has experienced persecution from without and problems from within. From outside of the church, the religious rulers have threatened the Apostles to cease preaching in Jesus’ name. On the inside, Ananias & Sapphira have given into Satan’s tactics and sought to deceive their brothers and sisters in Christ.

As we arrive at Acts 5:12-16 we encounter a very encouraging portion of God’s Word; these verses show us that even in times of great difficulty God’s church can not only survive, it can thrive! In fact, some of the greatest moments in Church history occurred as a result of opposition and persecution.

Though there has always been and always will be troublesome times for the people of God, and though the Enemy has never ceased his attacks against the people of God, the Church still enjoys the power of God, and in spite of constant and often extreme difficulties, the Lord’s Church continues to grow.

- As we examine our selected text I would like for us to consider “The Continued Power & Growth Of Christ's Church.”

I am thankful that some 2,000 years after its initial opposition, the Lord’s Church still possesses great power and it is continuing to grow. The Florida Boys used to sing a song that said:

“The Church is like an anvil,

Attacked for Heaven’s sake,

It’s worn out many hammers,

But it will never break;

So gates of Hell, open wide

And pour out all you can,

For Jesus said, “you won’t prevail”,

The Church will always stand!”

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said to Peter “upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Our own Church is proof of the endurance of Christ’s Church; there have been many times throughout its two-hundred-year history when Satan has unleashed his fury and tried to destroy this assembly; yet, Antioch has prevailed. There is no guarantee that Antioch Baptist Church will always stand, but we can rest assured that Christ’s Church, (the Church Universal) will never be destroyed! This is not because of the people who make up the Church, it is because of the Church’s source of power; that is, the power of Jesus Christ.

- Let’s take a moment and examine:

THE CONTINUED POWER OF THE CHURCH

Verses 12-16 stand in contrast to the deception and death that is seen in the first eleven verses of this chapter. Luke gives a report concerning the amazing and supernatural power that the Apostles possessed as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit. He says that “through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people”

When Jesus walked the earth, He performed countless miracles among the people and He transformed many lives. But Jesus did not come to earth to give the blind their sight, to make the deaf to hear, or the lame to walk; He did not come to cast out demons, to cleanse lepers, or even to raise the dead. We know that He did all of these things (and so much more), however the physical miracles that Jesus performed were a “means to an end” so to speak.