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Introduction
There is a tomb in the Arlington National Cemetery called the Tomb of the Unknoown Soldier.
And there is an infantry guard there that has been guarding the tomb 24hours a day, seven days a week, for 365 days a year since 1937.
These guards are called Sentinels and belong to the oldest infantry company that exists in the US Army—The Old Guard (3rd Infantry Unit) has been serving the US since 1784.
Becoming a Sentinel is rigorous because these men and women must be completely devoted to their duty in guarding the tomb.
When they are not on a guard duty they are studying history, service manuals, maintaing their equipment which must be emaculate, and helping prepare other Sentinels for their upcoming shift in guarding the tomb.
The definition of devotion is to be given over to the display, study, or discussion of something.
The Sentinels who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Solider are devoted to their service.
It consumes and defines them while they are serving in that role.
We probably expect that a military unit of such high esteem—with such an important task—to honor the unknown fallen soldiers—would be devoted.
But friends—devotion doesn’t just belong to the military.
In fact we all probably know someone who is devoted to something?
A sport, a game, a hobby, a career, a relationship.
People can be devoted to all sorts of things.
The question this morning: Is our devotion rightly placed?
This morning as we turn to Acts 2:42-47 we see that the church was devoted to certain things and then we see the results of their rightly placed devotion.
And our goal this morning Covenant Life is to survey our own hearts and decide what we will be devoted to in 2023.
Turn with me to Acts 2 starting in verse 42 and we’ll see
4 Places to be Devoted
Number 1. Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
The first place our passage starts this morning is to make the point that the church devoted themselves to the Apostles Teaching.
Which is short hand for God’s word.
They were receiving what we have received in our Bible’s.
They were hearing the word of God from the mouth of the Apostles.
But--
They were given over to the display, study, and discussion of it.
The Word of God—the teaching of the word—it’s principles and commands—its wisdom defined their lives and rightly consumed them.
Friends what about us?
Can you truthfully say that you are devoted to the word of God?
That you are given over to the display, study and discussion of it?
We don’t want to be legalists here: Well how much study counts as devotion?
How much discussion counts as devotion?
Can you say that you are devoted to God’s Word?
Or is God’s word more of a burden on your life?
It’s a checklist that causes you frustration.
A weight of guilt—something you think you should do but don’t do?
Friends, if the latter is true let me encourage you to repent.
And I don’t mean that as judgment.
Like your pastor is angry.
I say that with compassion—because I have many times in my life—by the ministry of the Holy Spirit—come to realize that I had taken the precious word of God and regarded it as some kind of burden.
So repentance is necessary.
And repentance is a relief.
Acts 3:19-20 “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...
If that is you this morning then know that just beyond repentance are times of refreshing that come from the presence of the Lord.
And that is what our Bibles are all about.
If you missed our conference in November the main takeaway of that conference was that God desires our presence.
The Word of God is not a cold delivery of dead words but is an invitation to spend time with the living God in His living Word.
And God wants to spend time with you!
He delights in your company!
So spend time with Him.
Decide today: if you’re not already—I’m going to devote myself to God’s Word not so I can have a cold dead knowledge but so that I can know my God!
So read the Word, study the Word, discuss the Word.
Get a Bible reading plan and read it.
Then talk about.
Let’s follow the example of our brothers and sisters in Acts and be devoted to it.
Amen?
Number 2. Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
We should be devoted to the fellowship.
The early church was not only devoted to the Word of God but they were devoted to the fellowship.
Well what does that mean exactly?
Don’t think potluck.
For a lot of the church— “We had fellowship—means we ate.”
No instead think Lord of the Rings.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s first book in that series was called the Fellowship of the Ring.
And if you are unfamiliar with that story—I’m sad for you—but it’s about how different people from different backgrounds are all united together and devoted to the same cause.
They are bound in fellowship—in meaningful relationship—by a common task.
In their case To destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mordor.
In our case to be a church where the presence of God is felt among His people.
The church should be devoted to the fellowship of believers.
This means that we should have a biblical understanding of what it means to be a Christian.
There are far too many Christian individuals in the church.
When God saves somebody he saves them into a body—into a family—into a church.
Are you devoted to being in relationship with the people that are in your church?
Do people really know you?
Are you vulnerable with them?
When the church gathers together are you excited to gather with them?
Or are the people of God your “church friends”?
1 Corinthians 12:7 says “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
Believers are given gifts by the Holy Spirit for the good of body.
And that doesn’t just mean for the functioning of the activities of the church.
It’s that…but it’s more than that.
Who Doug is…His gifts as a person…are good for me.
They minister to me.
Who Rosie is.
Who Dave is.
Who Noah is.
How God has made them and gifted them is meant for your good.
And when we “protect” ourselves from really knowing each other we are missing out of the blessings of God that He means for us to receive as we are in meaningful fellowship with one another.
This is something we should be devoted to.
And I could go on longer on each of these points but for times sake let’s keep moving.
(If encouraged—talk about prioritizing your schedule in the right way—making rooms for these things.)
Number 3. Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
Our text also says they were devoted to the breaking of the bread.
Okay, now you can think potluck.
In it’s most obvious sense this means they were devoted to eating together.
To feeding each other.
To spending time at the table.
So for us what does this mean?
I think first it means in your own home—if you have a family eat meals together as often as you can.
It is easy to be a house full of people eating meals at separate times.
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