Real Christianity: The Model of the First Church - Pt 1

September 9, 2026

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5 min read

Real Christianity: The Model of the First Church — Part 1

In 33 AD, when Jesus died, rose, and returned to heaven, there were only about 120 believers. Within 300 years—despite intense persecution that made being a Christian a way to "lose your head" rather than get ahead—those 120 believers had grown to dominate the Roman Empire. Caesar himself became a Christian. Today, roughly one out of every three people worldwide—2.3 billion—identifies as a follower of Jesus Christ. Rick's central question is straightforward: How did that happen, and what can the first church teach us about authentic faith?

Supernatural Power as the Defining Mark

The first and most essential characteristic of real Christianity, Rick argues, is supernatural power. The early church didn't just talk about God—they experienced God. What makes the church fundamentally different from every other organization is the Holy Spirit. "Microsoft does not have the Holy Spirit. The United States government does not have the Holy Spirit. The Red Cross does not have the Holy Spirit."

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What you'll learn

1 (00:32) **The Explosive Growth of the Early Church** - Rick introduces the puzzle of how 120 believers grew to dominate the Roman Empire in 300 years despite intense persecution.
2 (03:36) **The DNA of the Church** - Rick explains that the church has all the spiritual "DNA" it will ever need from its birth at Pentecost.
3 (03:53) **Characteristic 1: Supernatural Power** - Rick introduces the first mark of real Christianity: experiencing God's power through the Holy Spirit.
4 (06:25) **The Connection Between Power and Prayer** - Rick draws a direct link between the amount of spiritual power in one's life and the time spent in prayer.
5 (10:26) **The Three Signs of Pentecost** - Rick describes the arrival of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, marked by three miraculous signs.
6 (12:47) **The Problem of Missing Power** - Rick contrasts the awe and miracles of the first church with the lack of power in many modern churches.
7 (13:50) **Characteristic 2: Uses Everybody's Language** - Rick introduces the second mark of real Christianity: its message is for all people, in all languages.

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Show Notes

There's one thing that makes the church different from every other group of people: The church has the Holy Spirit. Join Pastor Rick as he explains the difference God's Spirit makes in your life.