The Church is not a building it is the born-again followers of Jesus Christ - one faith, one Church!
Acts 2:42-47 (AMP)
42 They were continually and faithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to [eating meals together and to prayers. 43 A sense of awe was felt by everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole]. 45 And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need. 46 Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts, 47 praising God continually, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.
The New Testament Church was started just after Pentecost with the first mass outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We can read about Pentecost and the Apostle Peter’s bold address to the crowd of his very first gospel message in Acts 2 from verses 1 – 41. In verse 41 we read this:
Acts 2:41 (NIV)
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
This was the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ. It was established in the power of the Holy Spirit. It was pure and, unlike today’s Church, without sect or denomination or entertainment programmes – just Jesus Christ and him crucified!
This is the model Church that today’s Church should be imitating in every way, but sadly does not! They preached the Word without compromise they were devoted to Jesus and each other! They didn’t bring the world into the Church they took the Church to the world! The pure, unadulterated word of God! It didn’t preach a message that would tickle peoples ears to make them feel good, it preached the message of the Cross, Jesus Christ and Him crucified so that people would be convicted of their sin and be able to repent from their sin and be born again, become new creations in Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour!
It was the Church that God himself wanted, conformed to the image of His Son, our Lord and Saviour – the King of kings who never changes!
Hebrews 13:7-8 (NIV)
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
John 14:26 (NIV)
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
The apostles’ teaching was directly from Jesus who is the Word – brought to them by the Holy Spirit!
The Fellowship of the Believers
What were these new believers doing? What did their lifestyle look like? How was the Holy Spirit binding them together in unity to bring glory to the name of Jesus? How did they respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading and to the apostles’ teaching?
Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)
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.
What does ‘devoted to’ mean?
Verse 42 in Acts 2 starts off like this: “They (the Church) devoted themselves to……….”
Let’s examine what they were devoted to and how they were devoted.
Today’s dictionary meaning of ‘devoted to’ is:
Being devoted to something means being focused on that particular thing almost exclusively. When you are devoted to a cause, you work to achieve its goals. When you are devoted to a person, you place their needs above your own. Being devoted doesn't have to refer only to personal relationships.
So that’s how today’s modern dictionaries define ‘devoted to’, but in order to have a clearer picture of what the early Church would have understood by this we will need to examine the original Greek meaning of being devoted to.
Original Greek meaning of ‘devoted’ in Acts 2:42:
Proskartereo (pron: pros-kär-te-ray-o):
- to join together with
- to adhere to
- to be ready
- to give attention to
- to be fully committed to
- to spend much time together
- to be faithful
To join together with:
- What were they joined together with?
- With each other as the family of Christ
- The Apostles and their teaching - The Word
- And through this they were being unified as one Church in the power of the Holy Spirit
The early church stuck together and did not deviate from the apostles’ teaching – they did not deviate from the Word of God.
To be ready:
They were being made ready to put into practice what they were being taught and to walk the Christian path as Jesus intended. A path of love, unity and self-sacrifice.
To give attention to:
They were focused on the Word, prayer, breaking of bread, fellowship with each other and with God.
To be fully committed to:
The were fully committed to God, to each other and to the teachings of The Word and in putting them into practice in the power of the Holy spirit.
To spend much time together:
They spend a lot of time together – devoted to each other in love of Christ. They didn’t shrink back from fellowshipping together as often as they could. They helped each other and encouraged each other. Their fellowship was Jesu focussed and not ‘world’ focussed!
To be faithful:
In all these things they were faithful as Christ is faithful to his Church! The unity of living life in the Spirit as Paul was later to describe in Romans 8!
What was the early Church devoted to – Acts 2:42?
1. The apostles teaching – The Word of God via the Apostles led and taught by Jesus, and by the Holy Spirit after the Lord’s ascension:
- Jesus – The Word – God
- Love for all mankind and especially for the family of believers – agape
- Salvation in Christ Jesus
- New Covenant (apart from the Law)
- Freedom in Christ
- Holy Spirit
2. Fellowship – from the Greek word Koinónia, meaning:
- In partnership with
- Being a contributory help
- Participation in
- Sharing in
- Communion with
- Spiritual fellowship
- A fellowship in the spirit
3. The breaking of bread
Luke 22:19
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.“
1 Cor 11:26
For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
In the verse above, Paul tells us exactly what we are doing, apart from remembering the work of Jesus on the cross, when we break bread together. We are proclaiming his death until he returns.
Now here it will be good for us to have a look at the meaning of the word ‘proclaim’ from the original translation of the word ‘proclaim’ comes from the Greek word ‘kataggello’.
Proclaim – Kataggello
- to proclaim
- to declare openly
- to preach
- to laud (praise)
- to celebrate
- to announce a message in a definite way
- We remember the significance of the pain and suffering the Lord went through on our behalf that we may become born-again and thus reconciled to the Father.
- We announce to each other and to the world in an evangelical way that there is only way to the Father and that is by Jesus Christ His son and that we are committed to Jesus and to each other.
4. Prayer
- Corporate prayer
Acts 1:14
They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Corporate prayer by the Church in unity, ushers in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
Pentecost is our prime example!
When the Church is devoted to God and to each other in this way, supernatural things happen:
- People get saved, people get healed, people are delivered from demons!
Acts 2:47
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
- We receive favour with the people
- Miracles signs and wonders follow us
- People get saved
Are you a devoted Christian and is your Church a devoted Church?
Are you a Jesus follower or a people pleaser?
Is your Church an entertainment centre or a place of worship to Jesus?
Today’s Church should look like the Acts Church for Jesus is the same yesterday, today and always! Amen!
Prayer
Dear Father in Heaven
Today I pray that you would fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to become a devoted Christian in all ways. Help me to be devoted to Jesus and your Word. Help me to be devoted to my brothers and sisters in Christ and to fellowshipping with them. Help me not to be a lukewarm Christian but a doer of the Word. I ask this in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
To Jesus belongs ALL glory, honour and praise!
Jesus the Name above all names.
Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for you reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My words are flawed the Bible is not!
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