The Devoted Became the Devotees
Acts 2:42-27
February 3, 2002
Intro:
A. [Church Growth, Church Depth, Citation: Vance Havner in On This Rock I Stand. Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no. 13.]
I heard of a preacher the other day who was asked, "What’s the size of your pastorate?" he said, "Twenty-five miles wide and one inch deep."
That is what bothers a lot of preachers these days.
B. Last week we studied the beginning of the very first church.
1. We saw Peter preach the first sermon in the NT era.
2. 3,000 people responded to the message and were saved and baptized.
3. 3,000 plus the 120 disciples that were already there and we see that the first church was a mega church on the first day.
4. Thus was the beginnings of the very first church.
5. Today we come to the end of Acts 2 where we get the very first information recorded about the first church.
6. I believe that there is valuable information to be gleaned here from that very first church as to what the church of 2002 should be like.
7. So let’s stand together out of reverence for the reading of the Word of God. [read text]
C. So what is the first thing Luke tells us about the first church?
I. They devoted themselves to God.
Acts 2:42, "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
A. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.
1. The very first church members devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.
a. They devoted themselves to hearing what the apostles had to say.
b. They devoted themselves to studying what the apostles had to say.
c. They devoted themselves to applying the apostles’ teaching to their lives.
d. It wasn’t just a passing fancy; they DEVOTED themselves to it.
e. They were earnest about it.
f. They were steadfast about it.
g. They continued in it.
h. The apostles’ teaching was a priority in their lives.
2. And if the church today is to be like the church of the NT, then we must be devoted to the apostles’ teaching as well.
a. The apostles’ teaching is recorded for us through out the NT.
b. And we must be devoted to it as the first church members were.
c. Somerset is part of what is known as the Restoration Movement; we are trying to restore the church to its original condition; we are trying to make the church today as much like the church of the NT as we possibly can.
d. And if we are to restore the church to its original condition, then this must be one of our priorities.
e. We must devote ourselves to being taught the Word of God.
f. We must devote ourselves to the apostles teaching.
g. It cannot be just a passing fancy.
h. It cannot be something that we just pay lip service to.
i. It must be something that we are deeply committed to.
j. It must be something that we are steadfast about.
k. It must be something that we continue in.
l. Are we there?
m. I don’t think so.
n. I believe it would be pretty embarrassing if I were to take a poll and ask how many study their Bibles simply for the own devotion during the week.
o. I know that worship attendance is very sporadic.
p. I know that attendance at weekly Bible studies is pretty abysmal.
q. We are not as devoted to the apostles teaching as much as we say we are, are we?
r. All the slick sermons in the world will not build a church like the first one if we are not DEVOTED to the apostles’ teaching.
s. All the slick programs in the world will not build a church like the first one if we are not DEVOTED to the apostles’ teaching.
t. We simply must get serious about this and make it a priority in our lives.
u. We must DEVOTE ourselves to the apostles’ teaching like the first church members did.
B. They devoted themselves to fellowship.
1. These people genuinely liked each other.
a. They liked spending time with one another.
b. It wasn’t just, "Hi, how are ya?" on Sunday morning as you put your coats on the coat rack.
c. Verse 44 tells us that all the believers were together and they had everything in common.
1) That means they were united. They were of one mind.
2) They were in the same place.
3) And they shared their possessions with one another.
4) What was one’s, was all’s.
d. Verse 45 tells us that they gladly and voluntarily sold their possessions and gave their money to anyone who had need.
1) They genuinely cared about one another.
2) They cared about one another to the point that no one claimed what was his as his own; they had everything in common.
e. Verse 46 tells us that they went to church EVERY DAY.
1) They went to church everyday because they liked being together.
2) They enjoyed getting together with other believers so much that Sunday wasn’t enough; they worshiped together everyday.
f. Verse 46 also tells us that they ate together in each others’ homes with glad and sincere hearts.
1) They liked hanging out with each other.
2) They gladly spent time in each others’ homes and they did it sincerely.
g. Verse 47 tells us that they enjoyed being together.
h. They DEVOTED themselves to fellowship.
2. And if we are going to have a genuine NT church, we are going to have to DEVOTE ourselves to fellowship.
a. We need to spend more time with each other.
b. If the only fellowship we get is the 30 second Greet-Your-Neighbor time before the sermon each Sunday, then we aren’t going to make it.
c. We need to spend time with Christians during the week.
d. We need to build relationships with other believers outside the church.
e. We need to get to know one another.
f. We need to form friendships.
g. We need to eat together.
h. Fellowship is an integral part of a healthy church.
i. I hear people all the time try to tell me that smaller churches are better than larger churches because they are more friendly.
j. Well, we’re still a small church and we don’t have much fellowship in this church.
k. How many of you even know everybody here today?
l. We’re a small church and we don’t even know everybody in a small church.
m. We might be friendly here, but it doesn’t go very deep.
n. Our relationships and caring for one another don’t go very deep.
o. Do we have everything in common?
p. Do we sell our possessions voluntarily to give to those in need?
q. What kinds of relationships do we have in this church?
3. If we are going to be a strong NT church, then we must DEVOTE ourselves to fellowship!
C. They devoted themselves to the breaking of bread.
1. The first church devoted themselves to the Lord’s Supper.
a. Communion was a priority for them as well.
b. They had it weekly in church and they had it daily in each others’ homes when they met and ate together.
2. How important is the Lord’s Supper to us?
a. I’m afraid for many there are many other things that come before the Lord’s Supper on their list of priorities.
b. I’m afraid that family reunions are often more important than going to church and observing the Lord’s Supper.
c. I’m afraid that staying home with sniffles or a cold is more important than the Lord’s Supper.
d. I’m afraid that cold whether means that staying home and staying warm is often more important than the Lord’s Supper.
e. I’m afraid that family activities often taken precedence over the Lord’s Supper.
f. I’m afraid that getting things done around the house often take precedence over the Lord’s Supper.
g. You know its great to say, "Oh my church thinks Communion is so important that we have it every week." but if we aren’t there to partake of it every week, what good does it do to talk about it?
h. Is the Lord’s Supper really a priority for us?
i. Is it important to us to spend quiet time with other believers?
j. Is it important to us to remember the cross of Calvary and what it means to us?
k. Is it important to us to examine ourselves and repent where we need to?
l. Is it important to remember the sacrifice that was made for our sins?
3. If Somerset is going to be a great church, we are going to have DEVOTE ourselves to the Lord’s Supper!
D. They devoted themselves to prayer.
1. These first church members made prayer a priority.
a. They DEVOTED themselves to it.
b. They prayed for God’s blessing on them.
c. They prayed for the out pouring of the HS on them.
d. They prayed for God to reach the lost.
e. They prayed for God to give them power in their daily lives.
f. They prayed for God to give them understanding of His Word and the courage to apply it to their daily lives.
g. They prayed for the sick to be healed.
h. They DEVOTED themselves to prayer.
2. And if Somerset is to be a great church, we have got to DEVOTE ourselves to prayer as well.
a. We must stop talking about being people of prayer and simply be prayers.
b. We need prayer warriors in this church.
c. We need people to pray for the lost.
d. We need people to pray for the sick.
e. We need people to pray for the pastor.
f. We need people to pray for the Elders.
g. We need people to pray for the Deacons.
h. We need people to pray for the teachers.
i. We need people to pray for the children.
j. We need every meeting to be a prayer meeting.
1) We need every Elders’ meeting to be a prayer meeting.
2) We need every teachers’ meeting to be a prayer meeting.
3) We need every women’s meeting to be a prayer meeting.
4) We need every meeting to be a prayer meeting.
k. We need to pray together as a church family.
l. We need to pray individually.
m. We need to pray as a group on Sunday nights.
n. Because the truth is that if we aren’t praying, then Christ is not the head of the church!
o. We can talk about Christ being the head of the church all we want to but if we aren’t talking to Him, then we’re simply running things on our own wisdom and Christ is NOT the head of the church.
3. If we are going to be a strong NT church, then we are going to have to be a people of prayer!
E. We must devote ourselves to God first!
1. We must devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching.
2. We must devote ourselves to fellowship.
3. We must devote ourselves to the breaking of bread.
4. We must devote ourselves to prayer.
5. And if we do, the same things will happen to us that happened to the first church members…
II. God devoted Himself to them.
Acts 2:43-47, "Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
A. God gave them many wonders and miraculous signs.
1. When the people devoted themselves to God in these ways, God poured out His blessings in miraculous ways.
a. The people were filled with awe because God did wondrous thing amongst them.
b. The people were filled with awe because God did miracles amongst them.
2. And when we devote ourselves to God in these ways, God will do miraculous things amongst us.
a. We’ve already seen that God wants to pour out the HS on us.
b. We’ve already seen that God wants people to speak in tongues.
c. We’ve already seen that God wants people to prophesy.
d. We’ve already seen that God wants people to see visions.
e. We’ve already seen that God wants people to dream dreams.
f. God wants to do miraculous things amongst us and when we devote ourselves to Him in these ways, He will pour out His Spirit upon us and we will see miraculous things happen.
B. God united them in brotherly love.
1. When they devoted themselves to God, God united them.
a. Do you think that all of these people already knew each other before they got saved?
b. Do you think that all of these 3,000 people already were spending time in one another’s’ homes?
c. Do you think that all of these people liked each other?
d. Do you think that all of these people talked each other into selling their stuff and giving away their money?
e. I doubt it.
f. I believe that God united them in brotherly love.
g. When they devoted themselves first to God, God united them in brotherly love.
h. They were together and had everything in common.
i. They willingly and voluntarily sold their possessions and gave their money to those who were in need.
j. They gladly met and ate together in each others’ homes.
k. The people didn’t generate this fellowship themselves.
l. They just offered themselves to God and God united them in brotherly love.
2. And God wants to do the same things amongst us.
a. God wants to instill in us strong relationships and deep commitments to one another.
b. God wants to unite us in brotherly love.
c. And when we devote ourselves to God in these ways, God will unite us in these ways.
d. When we devote ourselves to God in these ways, God will develop great fellowship amongst us.
e. We will truly become Christ’s body.
C. God blessed them with gladness.
1. When the first church members devoted themselves to God in these ways, they were happy.
2. I can see why, can’t you?
3. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of a church like that?
4. They enjoyed being together.
5. People try to have all kinds of other organizations and groups, but they don’t really make people happy.
6. Even churches try to build themselves with other methods, and people are not really happy even in the church.
7. I would certainly be glad to be a part of a church like that one, wouldn’t you?
8. If we want to be truly glad and happy people, we need to devote ourselves to God and God will bless us with gladness as well.
D. God grew them in number daily.
1. When the first church members devoted themselves to God in these ways, God added to their numbers daily those who were being saved.
a. Verse 41 told us that they had 3,000 the first day.
b. But verse 47 tells us that that number was increasing daily.
c. Acts 4:4 tells us that at that time the number of men was about 5,000; so the total was probably around 15,000 counting women and children.
d. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
2. I can tell you that that is the desire of my heart for Somerset, how’ bout you?
3. I would that it could be said of Somerset that the Lord was adding to our numbers daily those who are being saved.
Conclusion:
A. [Laughing at the Church, Citation: "Evangelical Laughter," Preaching Today, Tape No. 137.]
When you work around the church a while it comes quite naturally, the laughter of cynical disbelief.
In 1986 the United Methodist General Conference, on the last day of two weeks of meetings, passed a resolution that said we were going to make 9 million new United Methodists by about 1994--this in a denomination that had been losing about 65,000 members every year since the early seventies.
Nine million new United Methodists!
Well, I laughed.
I thought, Isn’t this typical!
We don’t want to do the systemic changes in our church that would enable us to reach out and get new people.
This is just window dressing, sloganeering, platitudes.
We aren’t serious about it; it’s just more guilt to lay on pastors’ backs!
I went home and wrote an article, "My Dog the Methodist."
In it I argued that there was no way in heaven we were going to make 9 million new Methodists unless we started baptizing dogs.
And I offered as a fit recipient for the sacrament of baptism my mixed-breed terrier sleeping in my garage.
I said, "This dog, as far as I know, has shown no interest in biblical studies. Therefore, it would make a perfect Methodist."
I also said, "This dog has the sexual ethics of some members of my former congregations."
I laughed.
When the article came out in The Christian Century, not everybody laughed.
The magazine lost about four subscriptions, and two Methodist bishops have not spoken to me since.
But I was serious.
The cynicism behind that move!
We don’t intend to really change the way we would have to change to be that kind of church.
I laughed.
B. Before we laugh—let me ask, Is Somerset willing to change the way she would have to change in order to be that kind of church?
1. In order for us to be like the first church we are going to have to make some changes.
2. In order for God to pour out His blessing on us, we are going to have to make some changes.
3. In order for God to devote Himself to us, we are going to have to devote ourselves to Him.
4. WE MUST DEVOTE OURSELVES to God by devoting ourselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
5. If each of us is not willing to make that kind of change personally, then God is not going to bless us like He did the first church.
6. Your preacher can preach the most touching sermons that have ever been preached and nothing will change.
7. Your pianist can play the most inspirational songs and nothing will change.
8. Your leaders can come up with the slickest programs and absolutely nothing will change.
9. I believe that all of us need to come forward today and DEVOTE ourselves to God.
