Everyone always wants to "get back to the way things were in the early church." Sure, why? We have a Biblical historical account of how to build churches and make disciples.
And it begins, by preaching:
Preaching builds churches.
Preaching makes disciples.
Acts 5:42
And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
Acts 6:2
And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.
Acts 7
(This entire chapter is a sermon Stephen preaches)
Acts 8:4
Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
Acts 8:12
But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Acts 8:25
Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
Acts 8:40
But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Acts 9:27
But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.
Acts 9:28
So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.
Acts 10:36
As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),
Acts 10:42
And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
Acts 11:20
But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.
Acts 14:7
and there they continued to preach the gospel.
Acts 14:21
When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,
Acts 15:35
But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Acts 16:10
And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Acts 16:14
The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
Acts 17:18
Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
Preaching involves words. Jesus is the Word of God. Christians are word-centric people, who realize the value of words. We see, all throughout the books of Acts, the power of words and the word-centeredness of God's early church.
Acts 2:14
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.
Acts 2:22
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—
Acts 2:40
And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
Acts 2:41
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Acts 4:4
But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
Acts 4:29
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
Acts 4:31
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 5:5
When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.
Acts 5:20
“Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”
Acts 5:24
Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to.
Acts 6:2
And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.
Acts 6:4
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Acts 6:7
And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Acts 6:11
Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
Acts 6:13
and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law,
Acts 7:22
And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
Acts 8:4
Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
Acts 8:14
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
Acts 8:25
Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
Acts 10:36
As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),
Acts 10:44
While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
Acts 11:1
Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.
Acts 11:16
And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
Acts 11:19
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.
Acts 12:24
But the word of God increased and multiplied.
Acts 13:5
When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.
Acts 13:7
He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
Acts 13:15
After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.”
Acts 13:44
The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
Acts 13:46
And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
Acts 13:48
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
Acts 13:49
And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.
Acts 14:3
So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
Acts 14:25
And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia,
Acts 15:7
And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
Acts 15:15
And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
Acts 15:24
Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,
Acts 15:27
We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.
Acts 15:32
And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.
Acts 15:35
But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Acts 15:36
And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”
Acts 16:6
And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
Acts 16:32
And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
Acts 17:11
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
Acts 17:13
But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds.
Acts 18:5
When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
Acts 18:11
And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Acts 18:15
But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.”
Acts 19:10
This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Acts 19:20
So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
Acts 20:32
And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Acts 20:35
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Acts 20:38
being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.
Acts 22:22
Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.”
Acts 26:25
But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words.
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