Acts 5:42 ... "And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."
Just before Jesus ascended back into heaven unto the Father, He gathered about Him the apostles and commanded them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." (Mk. 16:15). After the church was established on Pentecost, these men applied themselves zealously to carry out this commission. Since the first converts were "continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching," (Acts 2:42), it seems logical that the apostles were just as devotedly teaching that doctrine to them. When Peter healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and a great crowd quickly gathered to behold the miracle, he took advantage of the occasion to preach Christ unto them, (Acts 3:12-26). The Temple authorities, "being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead," (Acts 4:2), proceeded to arrest Peter and John and put them on trial, When it came their turn to offer a defense, these bold apostles chose rather to speak out on behalf of Jesus and His gospel, (Acts 4:8-12, 19-20). The Jewish Council, however, "commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus," (Acts 4:18). Being released with this official warning, they nevertheless went back among the people "and with great power" gave "witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus," (Acts 4:33).
The sustained ministry of the apostles, made the more visible by their acts of healing, (Acts 5:12-16), resulted in a great number of people being won to the faith. Then the High Priest and Sadducees, moved further by envy, again arrested the apostles (all of them this time!) and put them on trial. At the conclusion they "called the apostles in, flogged them, and ordered them to speak no more in the name of Jesus," (Acts 5:40). But these witnesses of Christ were not at all intimidated by these threats or rough treatment. Instead, they "went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."
We marvel today at the rapid growth of the early church from an initial number of 120 (Acts 1:15) to 5000 (Acts 4:4), which was soon "multiplied," (Acts 6:1). The gospel triumphed in people's lives so quickly that "the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved," (Acts 2:47). Conversions occurred on a daily basis then. But in our age conversions occur in a local church more at a weekly, monthly, or even a yearly rate. And today, the number of disciples almost no where is multiplying. The typical growth of a congregation is not due to the conversion of the unchurched, but rather to members moving from one church to another to satisfy personal preference, such as social activity, charisma of a preacher, or higher energy in worshiping. We are made to wonder sadly why our ministry today is so weak and ineffectual in comparison to that of the apostles and other early preachers. Although the full explanation doubtless involves many complicated factors, one of the most significant centers on the phrase "every day." Acts 5:42 reports that the apostles preached Christ and taught the gospel EVERY DAY, and Acts 2:47 reports that people were being saved DAY BY DAY. Can we say we are preaching the Word "every day"? Is our activity in church assemblies on Sunday and Wednesday evening the limit of our effort to enlighten people with the gospel? Is a week of sustained effort in a Vacation Bible School or Gospel Meeting the closest we come to the daily teaching and preaching of Christ and His good news of salvation? These are questions we need to ask ourselves soberly and then give honest answers. We need to find and enact ways in which we can expand the propagation of the gospel from two days a week to seven. In the world about us people, especially children, are daily being taught a humanistic world view and worldly mode of living by their environment in general and by the electronic media in particular. Do we think that on one or two days a week, in a total of less than three hours, we can offset this massive worldly indoctrination? Decreasing conversions prove we cannot!
