Committed Discipleship
Acts 2:40-47
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who 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.
- Here we have the first ingathering of people into the Kingdom of God following the coming of the Holy Spirit. Here are a set of people who are newly committed to following Jesus Christ.
- And here at the beginning, we have a description of the things that they did to aid them in the process of following Jesus.
In the NIV they are described as devoted to certain practices. The word in Greek there means: earnest toward, continually diligent, adhere closely to, give onesself continually to.
What is it that they are committed to that will help them to follow Jesus?
That is what we will look at today, and at the same time we should evaluate our lives. Do we demonstrate a commitment to these things?
In our passage there is a description of spiritual disciplines that they practiced, there is a description of how they related to each other and served one another and there is a description of what God was doing through them.
- Spiritual Disciplines of First Disciples
- Adhering closely to the Apostles teaching
The point of studying the Bible is so that we might obey what it teaches us to do. In our normal state apart from Christ, we will be given to pursuits of pride, greed and pleasure. These are the things that the world values.
As a church we spend a lot of time studying the Bible. We call the Bible the Word of God. We study it because we need to know what God says about how it is best to live our lives. But that is not the end. We will not be judged in heaven according to how well we answer theological questions. We will be judged on how well we acted like Jesus. Jesus is the standard for our behavior. He is the image of the invisible God, the exact representation of God’s character.
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that appears to be right,
but in the end it leads to death.
Psalms 119: 9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
II Tim 3: 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The teaching of the Apostles is the New Testament:
II Peter 1: 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
I Thessalonians 2: 13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
- Breaking of bread is corporate worship
There is an extensive history of worship in the Bible. Sacrifices are made, prayers are said, lessons are taught and learned. The acts of God in saving His people are rehearsed in song and celebrated publicly.
Why call this the breaking of bread?
- Fellowship is already mentioned in two different ways.
- Communion/The Lord’s Supper is the only act of worship that has been consistently practiced by all believers across time. Jesus told His disciples to remember Him in communion. And when we study communion, we recognize the gospel. And the gospel brings us to a place of worship.
- We celebrate Jesus’ sacrifice of His body and blood, and our response is to give ourselves to God as a living sacrifice.
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Worship is not singing songs, praying and hearing the word taught. We can do all of this without worshiping God. But, we cannot give ourselves in loving service to God without that being an expression of worship.
- They gave themselves continually to prayer
Prayer is simply talking to God. The Jewish people stopped what they did and prayed three times a day, similar to what we see Muslims do today.
If we follow the example of Jesus, we see that He often got away and spent time in prayer. Jesus prayed in order to gain wisdom, He prayed in order to fellowship with God. He prayed in order to be comforted by God.
Prayer is all about connecting to the God that we cannot see with our eyes. Jesus instructs His Disciples in Luke 11 concerning prayer:
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity[e] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Hebrews 4: 12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
I Thes 5:
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Prayer is for learning about God. Prayer is for connecting to His peace. Prayer is about sharing our burdens with Him. Prayer is about receiving what we ask for, finding what we seek and having the doors we knock on opened for us. In prayer we learn that inspite of everything that goes on around us, God is good, God loves us, God is wise and God is powerful. And God is our heavenly Father who loves us and cares for our needs.
- They had a Commitment to Fellowship
- Fellowship means we are partners
John 13: 12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Partners in serving God by serving one another.
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Jesus is our example in this. Peter describes Jesus’ ministry in Acts 10:
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
- Mutual commitment to our well being
They are not acting as competitors!
They are working together to care for each other’s needs!
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.
Ephesians 2: 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
I Corinthians 12: 12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”
22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
- Serving one another in love
Galatians 5:
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
They sell what they have as it is needed to care for the needs of others.
- The Community is Growing
- Growing in service
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
- Growing in numbers of new believers
47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
- Growing more and more like Jesus
Acts 4: 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
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