Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts 2:41-47

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2001

Driving In A Nail

 

One thing a carpenter learns very quickly is how to drive in nails.

He hammers hundreds of nails a day, that's a lot of practice.

The most important thing in hammering nails is to keep your eye on the nail, not on the thumb that's holding the nail.

That is because you will always hit what you watch! /What are you watching each day?/ Jesus Christ or something else!!

Last Sunday we looked at the cost of discipleship.

Today we will look at discipleship in the early Church.

On the day of Pentecost 3,000 people believed the message that Peter preached and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then they received the Holy Spirit just as Peter had promised them.

Today I want to look at some of the things that happened immediately after they believed the Gospel.

Today we will see four of the things those early disciples majored on that brought God's blessing upon the Church.     

 

1.

Believers Baptism 2. Apostolic Doctrine 3. The Lord's Table  4.

Prayer

 

/Firstly/ Believers Baptism

 

*Acts 2:41* /Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them./

The first thing of course is believers baptism.

Notice I said believers baptism.

The 3,000 who were baptized had just believed in Christ.

Faith always comes before baptism.

No where are we told to baptize anyone that hasn't first believed.

/Why did Peter *command* these disciples to be baptized?

*Firstly,* /because Jesus Himself */commanded/* the apostles to baptize disciples in the triune name.

According to *Matthew 28:19* it is impossible to be a disciple of Christ with out being baptized.

*/Secondly,/* the 3,000 who believed showed the rest of the nation that they were Christ's disciples.

The nation of Israel had rejected Jesus Christ.

The 3,000 who believed in Him showed the rest of the nation that they had received Jesus as their Messiah.

They weren't ashamed to be identified with Christ through the waters of baptism.

It is important that believers give a public testimony of their faith from the start./

Can you imagine the impact of 3,000 people publicly testifying of their faith in Jesus Christ?

/This would have made a big impact on Jerusalem.

I am sure that their witness caused others to think about the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

We must never underestimate the impact of one testimony for Christ upon unbelievers.

I believe this is the primary reason why Jesus began the ordinance of baptism.

Baptism gives every believer an opportunity to testify of their personal faith in Jesus Christ.

Our testimony should begin as soon as we are saved.

Therefore we ought to be baptized immediately as well.

The Scriptures show us that this was the practice of the Early Church.

*Baptism proclaims our identification with Jesus Christ.

It declares our faith in His finished work.

It shows all that we are new creatures in Jesus Christ.*

These early disciples received Christ once and for all and were baptized once and for all in His name.

The verbs*/ received /*and*/ baptized/* denote a completed action.

/ /

Roman Soldier’s Oath

 

Early Christians called baptism a /sacramentum/, which is the Latin word for the /Roman soldier’s oath of absolute devotion and obedience to his general./

Application

 

/Have you gladly received the Gospel message?

Have you personally believed in Jesus Christ?

Have you publicly testified to this by being baptized?/

Baptism is not an option for disciples.

Jesus commands His disciples to be baptized.

/If you haven't yet been baptized will you obey your Lord now?

Will you publicly testify/ /of your faith in Christ?/

/ /

They Continued Steadfastly

 

To become a disciple of Jesus Christ we need only believe in Him once and for all.

Christ's disciples need to be baptized only once.

But to follow Jesus Christ requires our continual devotion.

In verse 42 we read that they */continued steadfastly/* /in the apostles doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking of bread and in prayers./

The words translated */continued steadfastly/* proskarterew mean */to persist in, adhere to, hold fast to, to continue or persevere in./*

The verb is in the */present tense/* emphasizing a continual action.

These early disciples continued in these four things.

I would like to look at all of them today except for fellowship.

/ /

/Secondly/ Apostolic Doctrine

 

*Acts 2:42* /And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship/

 

/a.

They Learned About Christ/

 

The first thing that these New Testament disciples persevered in was doctrine.

The word */doctrine/* didach~~ means*/ teaching /*or*/ instruction/*.

The Early Church was founded upon the apostolic teaching.

Jesus taught the apostles commandments that He wanted passed on to the next generation of disciples.

We saw this last week in *Matthew 28:20.*

The Holy Spirit reminded the apostles of what Christ had taught them.

He also revealed new things to them from Christ.

For believers of later generations the New Testament Scriptures form the written deposit of apostolic teaching.

The early disciples learned about Jesus Christ and lived like Him.

The aim of all Bible Study must be our transformation into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

/b.

They Lived For Christ Daily/

 

*Acts*/ /*2:46* /So continuing *daily* with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.

/

 

They met together */daily/* in the temple precincts.

The word */continue/* in verse 46 is the same one we looked at in verse 42.

The Christian life was a daily experience for the early Church.

It wasn't a once a week commitment.

Jesus' disciples must follow Him every day.

Disciples study the word daily, pray daily and serve God daily.

The early Church knew the importance of unity since they met together in the temple daily.

They also knew the importance of small group fellowship since they met together in homes for meals fellowship and instruction.

They would meet together in Solomon's Porch of the temple.

At the temple they worshipped God, prayed and were instructed by the apostles.

Daily they continued to learn God's Word.

The apostles instructed the disciples about Christ and our new life in Him.

The disciples in turn lived it out.

The force of this verse is that they were completely devoted to learning and living out God's Word.

It was a daily practice for them, not a once a week ritual.

Doers Of The Word

 

It is not what men eat, but what they digest that makes them strong; not what we gain, but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read, but what we remember that makes us learned; *not what we preach or pray, but what we practice and believe that makes us Christians.*  /-- Frances Bacon/

 

/c.

They Preached Christ/

 

They also used the opportunity to evangelize the people.