🔥 How Did Christianity Take Over the Roman Empire? | Acts 4:1–13 | Resurrection Sunday Sermon

How did a tiny, powerless group of disciples—just 12 apostles and a few hundred followers—transform the world?

No armies.

No political influence.

Relentless persecution.

And yet… within a few centuries, Christianity spread across the entire Roman Empire while the mighty gods of Greece and Rome completely faded into history.

What happened?

In this Resurrection Sunday message from Acts 4:1–13, we explore the only answer that truly explains it:

👉 Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

📖 In this sermon, you’ll discover:

Why the Resurrection is the driving force behind the entire New Testament

How the early church grew to 5,000 believers—even under persecution

The 4 unstoppable factors behind Christianity’s explosive growth:

The power of bold Gospel preaching

A willingness to suffer for Christ

The exclusive claim of salvation in Jesus alone

The undeniable reality that they had “been with Jesus”

⚡ This message will challenge you:

Are we too silent about the Gospel today?

Do we really believe in the power of the empty tomb?

Would anyone say that you have been with Jesus?

This is not a metaphor.

This is not legend.

This is not religious tradition.

Jesus Christ was crucified, buried… and physically raised from the dead.

And that changes everything.

🙏 Perfect for:

Resurrection Sunday reflection

Strengthening your faith in the historical Gospel

Encouraging boldness in evangelism

Anyone asking: “Is Christianity actually true?”

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“There is salvation in no one else…” (Acts 4:12)

📖 DESCRIPTION: If you visit a conservative Presbyterian church, you might be surprised by what you don’t see.

No images of Jesus.

No altar calls.

No sermon gimmicks.

No Apocrypha.

No baptismal pool.

In this video, I explain five distinctive features of confessional Presbyterian worship and theology — and why we believe these practices are rooted in Scripture.

We cover:

The Second Commandment and images of Christ

The Regulative Principle of Worship

Why Presbyterians reject altar calls

Why we don’t use the Apocrypha as Scripture

Why pouring (not immersion) is the ordinary mode of baptism

These convictions flow from historic Reformed theology and the confessional standards of conservative Presbyterian churches.

You may disagree — and that’s okay. Let’s discuss it in the comments.

If you want to see the baptism debate mentioned:

Matthew Everhard vs Keith Foskey on the mode of baptism.

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In this video, I am going to share a few reasons why I hold the traditional, six-day view of creation. There are certainly several views that are possible, but I think the six-day view is the best for the following reasons.

In this video, we will look at the encounter between Philip the Evangelist and the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts chapter 8. We will learn how to share the Gospel, how to find a person's existential crisis, how to take risk, and how to follow up. This lecture is drawn from the material in my Evangelism course at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

In this video, I will be looking at the GENIUS Note-Taking System of Jonathan Edwards. I have been using it for years myself, although I have appropriated it slightly for my own usage. Here's how to take notes and retain the most important information from your study life!

What is Happening at Ligonier?

In this video, we are going to try to untangle the difficult events related to recent controversies in Ligonier Ministries, St. Andrews Church, Reformation Bible College, and the PCA. All of these ministries are very important and significant in the world of Reformed theology. They are all good ministries that should be loved and supported. Nevertheless, this is a terrible series of events that involves mutual accusations, reports of ministry indiscretions, church disciplinary cases, and the possibility of clergy abuse. We want to be very careful here to refrain from undue speculation. In this video, I will urge all viewers to pray for all parties and all ministries involved.

What does Genesis 1 teach about the structure of the world—and how does it confront pagan creation myths?

In this exposition of Genesis 1:6–10, we examine the second and third days of creation, where God forms the heavens, earth, and seas—the very stage upon which the drama of redemption unfolds.

Unlike the pagan gods of the ancient world, Scripture reveals Yahweh as the one true and living God who creates all things, rules all realms, and is not bound by them.

In this sermon, you’ll learn:

• What the “expanse” means in Genesis 1
• The biblical teaching on the three heavens
• How Genesis 1 functions as a polemic against pagan mythology
• John Calvin’s concept of creation as the “theater of redemption”
• How Jesus Christ demonstrates authority over heaven, earth, and sea

This message will deepen your understanding of Scripture and strengthen your confidence in the sovereignty of God over all creation.

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🔑 KEYWORDS / TAGS

How did we get to the place where churches value "worshiptainment" instead of the worship of the true and living God? In this video, we will consider briefly several (though not all) of the modern fathers of worshiptainment.

What denomination are you—and how did you get there?In this video I tell the story of my long and winding denominational journey through several different churches before finally landing in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).My path wasn’t simple. Over the years I experienced life inside several very different Christian traditions including:-the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America-the Assemblies of God-a large non-denominational megachurch-the United Church of Christ-the Presbyterian Church (USA)-the Evangelical Presbyterian ChurchEach of these churches shaped my faith in different ways—some good, some difficult, but all part of God’s providence.Along the way I experienced:• a dramatic conversion in a Pentecostal youth group• exposure to expository preaching• theological battles in mainline Protestantism• discovering Reformed theology through teachers like R. C. Sproul• and eventually finding a theological home in the PCA.In this video I explain:✔ Why I left Lutheranism✔ How I got saved in a Pentecostal church✔ What I learned in non-denominational evangelicalism✔ My experience inside liberal mainline denominations✔ How I eventually became Reformed and PresbyterianMost importantly, I want to hear your story.👇 Comment below:What denomination are you in today?Did you start there—or did God take you on a journey like mine?📘 My book:Bold as a Lion: Christian Courage in an Age of CowardsAvailable in paperback and audiobook.Subscribe for more videos on:• Reformed theology• Christian courage• Church history• Biblical theology• pastoral insightsSEO TagsChristian denominationsdenominational journeywhy I became PresbyterianPCA church explainedReformed theology testimonywhy leave mainline churchesLutheran vs PresbyterianAssemblies of God testimonyPresbyterian Church in AmericaChristian conversion storyevangelical churches explainedchurch denomination differencesR.C. Sproul influence

In this video, we are going to be looking at the various sermons that Jonathan Edwards preached on the occasion of another minister's ordination or installation services. Edwards had a number of important relationships with younger men and other ministers and preached various times at their ordination. Here we will survey the major themes in these sermons.