Text: Acts 2:42
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (NIV84)
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (KJV)
A few weeks ago I was sitting in my office and the Lord gave me a vision. I knew that would get your attention! What do I mean? No, the Lord did not make something appear on the wall. He did not give me a dream. No, I was reading my Bible and this verse jumped out at me.
Think about it. Here is the church of Jesus Christ, fresh from the coming of the Holy Spirit. How is it described? 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. That’s the vision God gave me. A paradigm, an example, what I believe is a model for us as a Christian congregation. It’s my prayer that you see the same.
Start with the word, devoted. I like the way the King James translates. They continued steadfastly. It wasn’t like my exercise program can be. On again, off again. They were devoted.
They devoted themselves to four things; to the apostle’s teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Over the next four to six weeks, I am going to talk to you about all four. Not just here but with our leaders. Not just here but eventually in your homes. I want to challenge each of you to make this vision our own.
Today I want us to think about the first. They devoted themselves to the Apostle’s teaching… . I can think of some folks in both churches that well describes. You see them at most every Bible class and worship service. I know that some of you are in the Word every day. But does it describe you or us as a whole? I’d say we have a ways to go.
So this is part of my vision. That we as God’s people become a church:
Devoted to the Apostle’s teaching (doctrine)
The King James uses another word for teaching. The word is doctrine. I wanted to mention that because I’ve heard folks speak of doctrine like a second class citizen. Not at all. Think of what the apostle Paul told young pastor Timothy. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do you will save both yourself and your hearers. Is doctrine or teaching important? As we would say in Minnesota. You betcha. It’s all important. We need to be a church devoted to the apostle’s teaching. That teaching was this: Centered in our crucified and risen Lord Jesus.
How different these men who had cowered in that house with the doors locked that first Easter Sunday. They were afraid the religious leaders would come after them like they came after Jesus. He had been put to death in shame and weakness. What hope could be found there? But now Jesus had risen and appeared to them. And now the Spirit had come and brought it all together for these men. He gave the Apostles the knowledge, the courage and power to bring a teaching centered in our crucified and risen Lord. To bring that message of repentance and forgiveness of sins to people like you and me. A message that shows us our sin and a judgment we well deserve. But then points us to Jesus and shows us our Savior, his cross, his empty tomb and the forgiveness he has for each of us.
I think of that message this Mother’s day. I say, first, thank you Lord for our mothers. Forgive us, Lord for not honoring and obeying them when we were young.
But today I’m thinking of mothers who come to this day with a terrible regret that they live with every day. They’ve come to realize that the fetus they aborted was a child, their child. We want to be church devoted to the apostle’s teaching that in Christ we are forgiven. That in Christ, that mother is forgiven. We want to be a Christ centered church where that good news of Jesus oozes from our pores.
But to be devoted to the apostle’s teaching is more than that. I heard a man say, I believe in Jesus, that’s the important thing. Yes that’s the core. That’s the heart. That’s the cornerstone. But there’s more to an apple than the core. There’s more to a body than the heart. There’s more to a building than the cornerstone. It’s the same with the apostle’s teaching. There is so much they teach us here in the New Testament. So much to learn, so much to treasure. How to live and how to die. What to hold on to when life gets tough. His promises. Our hope. And direction for our lives. Yes. God’s will.
And yet wherever we look it’s all centered in him who died for us and rose again.
That’s my vision for us as a congregation. Devoted to that Christ centered apostle’s teaching. That we’re in it. We’re about it. And we give you the opportunities to be. Devoted to the apostle’s teaching that we grow up as God’s people.
Every now and then a strange thing happens. A baby is born who doesn’t grow. Something is very wrong. It’s no one’s fault. He or she doesn’t develop and mature. He continues to need others to care for him, to feed him and protect him.
It’s not so obvious, but that can happen with us. We stop growing as God’s people. The apostle Paul uses the picture of helpless infants. I am reluctant to call anyone a baby here. But is it possible we’ve let our growth get stunted? And let’s be clear what we are up against. The devil is real. He hates you. The Bible pictures him as a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Not with his teeth but with doubts and discouragement, with temptations, guilt and despair. Let’s be clear what we’re up against. A world becoming more and more hostile to Christ and his people. A world where false teachers can lead us away from our Good Shepherd if we don’t know our Shepherd’s voice in this Word.
You and I need to grow up as God’s people. Paul says it this way. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves. You know how helpless you can feel in the ocean even on a big ship if the storm is big enough. We need to grow up in the grace and knowledge of Jesus so we are not so helpless. We need to grow up as God’s people so we can stand in the faith like a soldier against his enemy. And we need to grow up as God’s people so we can be more than infants in need of care. We need to grow up so we can serve one another. When someone is caught in a sin we can help restore them. When someone is hurting, struggling we can lead them into God’s Word and encourage them. And that brings us back to this vision. In order to grow, we need a steady diet of God’s Word. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching.
But we are not just a study club here where we come and go . We are not a therapy center, just a place to come and go home feeling better. In a way, this is like basic training in the Armed Forces. You don’t go there just to get in shape. You go there to get prepared to be a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine.
Well that’s what we see in the book of Acts. First this devotion to the apostle’s teaching and then this: Not the apostles but the regular folks. They preached the Word wherever they went. (8:4) Not from a pulpit but person to person, heart to heart. They shared the good news of Jesus Christ.
That’s what this Word does, the apostle’s teaching. It prepares us to witness. Maybe just to defend your faith and hold up your Savior. I think of those times when the Jehovah’s Witnesses came to the door. They are pretty good at challenging us. I know a man here with us who now is able to challenge their terrible teaching. How? He has devoted himself to God’s Word.
But it’s not just about standing our ground. It’s about rescuing the dying. My kidney recipient once told me something that all but floored me. I never thought of it that way. He said to me. You saved my life.
Maybe so, but Jerry is still going to die and so am I. There is nothing I can do about that. But someone has. The Good Shepherd who laid down his life for each of us. He is that gate we can enter, be saved from our guilt, live and not really die. Jerry and I know him. He has saved us —and you.
But others do not know him. They don’t know what he has done for them. They are dying. So may we devote ourselves to God’s Word not just for ourselves but for them. To rescue the dying. Will you? Will you devote yourselves to this Word? I look forward to sharing how we can. Amen.