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Heroes and Heretics: The Battle for the Church is not a history class about the early church. It’s a journey into the first centuries after the ascension of Christ. It’s an exploration of Scripture. It’s a formulation of Christian doctrine. It’s a battle for truth. It’s a glorious recounting of God’s providence in expanding Christianity from the upper room to the far corners of the earth.

And, finally, it’s our story too. Edmund Burke, the British statesman and philosopher, has famously said, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” If we ignore history, we will be undone by the same obstacles and same tests that those who have gone before us have already faced. Our challenges today are eerily similar to those the church has encountered throughout its history. Our doctrines are under attack and people are dying for their faith. Did you know that there were more martyrs for the Christian faith in the 20th century than in the previous 19 centuries combined?

Over the next weeks and months, we are, as a church, going to dive into early church history – its heroes and its heretics and the battle between them – but always with an eye toward our lives and the world today.

Click here for other recent sermons not in this series.

Part 1: The Apostles' Creed	Part 2: The Spread of the Church	Part 3: The Kingdom of God	Part 4: The Early Persecutions
Part 5: Our Fathers Who Are in Heaven	Part 6: The Enemy Within	Part 7: Who is This Jesus	Part 8: Worship in the Early Church