A Devoted Church is Rooted in God’s Vision

Series Title: Devoted to the Word, United in Community

Introduction

What do you suppose God’s vision is for His church?

So much of today’s Christian world is filled with advice on breaking attendance barriers or achieving explosive growth.

But is that God’s vision for His church?

I don’t think so.

I believe His vision is much simpler and attainable only through His power.

It begins with us embodying the life of Jesus.

You and I must be genuinely like Jesus.

When we are, the church will grow.

Why?

Because when the church of Christ is like Christ, God can entrust more and more people to her to be discipled well.

But how do we, as His church, embody Christ and live out His vision?

Acts 2:42-47 gives us the blueprint.

When the church understands this is God’s vision for her, like the first church, today’s church will turn the world upside down for God.

Main Idea: God’s Vision for His Church is We Are Devoted to His Word, His People, and His World

So, how does God’s vision manifest in His church?

Acts 2:42-47 gives us a powerful glimpse.

Let’s take a look at each one starting with God’s Word…

1. We Are Devoted to God’s Word (v. 42-43)

Acts 2:42–43 (ESV)

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

In Acts 2:42-43 we see the embryonic church devoting themselves to four activities.

The Apostles’ teaching = The Word of God

Fellowship = Community

The Breaking of Bread = Communion or sharing a meal.

The Prayers = Corporate communication with God.

Throughout this series we will touch on each one of these aspects.

After all, they should still be part of church life today in 2025.

But for this sermon, we will focus on the first of these four, the apostle’s teaching which is also the Word of God.

The church of Christ back then was “Devoted” to the apostle’s teaching.

The word “devoted” means “hold fast to, continue in, to persevere in.”

This church needed the apostle’s teaching. Why?

Think about it.

The early church, primarily Jewish, faced rejection from their own people and had no place among the Gentiles.

They were a group who only had each other and God’s Word to sustain them.

And so they devoted themselves to the five things that are listed - but especially they were devoted to the Word of God.

It is one thing to have the Apostles around to teach them about Jesus, the gospel, how to do church, and all the other important aspects of Christianity.

But what happens when there were no apostles around?

Who would be able to instruct them in the ways of God.

Their teachings would.

If they had a written record of their teachings about Jesus, then they could devote themselves to that teaching and put it into practice.

The office of Apostle was an office that had authority.

They were the ones imbued with the authority of Christ to start the Church of Christ.

Once the Apostles died out, there was no need to replace them because all of their teachings, necessary for the survival of the church, were recorded for us in the New Testament.

I’m not sure if you have thought about it before, but you possess all the teachings of the Apostles that God wanted you to have in the Bible you carry.

The first church devoted themselves, held fast to, continued in, persevered in the Scriptures.

They viewed the Bible as the very sustenance necessary for their spiritual survival and growth.

They dared not get it wrong.

They needed to understand the Bible, because the Bible wasn’t simply generated by men of God.

No! It was generated by the will of God through the agency of men.

2 Peter 1:21 (ESV)

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

God breathed through these men as they penned the Bible. Amazing!

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Do you get the point?

The first church devoted themselves to the Bible because they knew the Bible was a message from God.

They knew these divine writings were life changing.

They knew that if they devoted themselves to God’s Word, that devotion would be profitable for God as He used them to build His church.

Just as the early church clung to the apostles’ teaching for survival and growth, we too must rely on God’s Word as our foundation in an ever-changing world.

Do you devote yourself to the Word of God?

This isn’t just about knowing Scripture intellectually—it’s about allowing God’s Word to shape your life every single day.

Do you hold fast to it? Do you persevere through it?

Matthew 4:4 (ESV)

But he answered, “It is written,

“ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

If you do not regularly, daily feast on the Word of God, you will not only spiritually starve, but you are purposely, cutting yourself off from communication from God.

We often expect God to communicate in extraordinary ways, but He’s already spoken clearly through His Word.

Our responsibility is to listen.

Guess what!

He already has communicated with us!

The question isn’t whether God is speaking; it’s whether we are listening.

And the primary way we listen is by opening His Word daily.

It is our responsibility to pick up our Bible, pray and ask God to open our hearts to what He wants to tell us, and then read!

Don’t quit reading until you get something from Him.

Luke reminds us in this passage that the first church didn’t just appreciate the Scriptures, they didn’t just have them on a shelf in their home (they actually didn’t have copies available to them).

No, they devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles because they knew that those teachings where not just any teachings but they were and still are the very words of God.

For me, the Bible has become like an old friend.

I’ve grown to the place where I crave time to spend with my friend and if I miss that time with my friend, something profound is missing in my day.

Now, this craving, this friendship didn’t occur overnight.

It took years and years of developing an understanding and taste for His beautiful Word.

What a privilege it is to go to my friend day or night for comfort, peace, or even challenge.

The Bible is no ordinary book.

As Peter says to Jesus, “You have the words of eternal life.”

The Bible does not thrill, the Bible nourishes. Give time to the reading of the Bible, and the recreating effect is as real as that of fresh air physically. - Oswald Chambers

What is your relationship with the apostles’ teaching / the Bible?

Is God’s Word like a comforting old friend who tells you what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear?

Or is God’s Word a burden to you?

A source of guilt because you don’t “devote” yourself to it?

I think a lot of us here look at the Bible as a source of guilt.

But God doesn’t want you feeling guilty about the Bible, He wants you instead to taste it and see that He is good.

How kind it is that God has written a book for his people.

What a treasure His precious Word is to me - to us!

So lets purpose to be people who are devoted to the Bible!

If you feel your spiritual growth has stagnated, try establishing a morning devotional routine.

Dedicate 10-15 minutes each morning before the hustle of the day begins, to read Scripture and reflect on God’s promises.

Use a journal to write down what you’ve learned and how you can apply it that day.

This practice not only deepens your relationship with God but also shapes your attitude, helping you face daily challenges with His wisdom and strength.

Read through the Bible with us in 2025 through our church app.

Memorize the 52 verses with us in 2025.

Review: God’s Vision for His Church is We Are Devoted to His Word, His People, and His World

We are devoted to God’s Word

Friends, imagine how your life might change if you truly lived every day nourished by the Word of God.

What could God accomplish in you and through you if you devoted yourself to His Word as your daily bread?

But our devotion to God’s Word doesn’t exist in isolation.

It naturally extends to how we love and care for one another.

Let’s see how this unfolded in the early church.

2. We Are Committed to God’s People (vv. 44-46)

Acts 2:44–46 (ESV)

And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

Do you see what is going on here in these verses?

This group of people, the newly formed church, as I mentioned before, only had each other.

Both the Jews who rejected Jesus as Messiah, and the Gentiles, refused to accept them.

So they were a people without a country.

The only thing they had other than their relationship with God was their commonality with each other in Christ.

And because of this fact, look at what they did for one another in verse 45.

Acts 2:45 (ESV)

And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

They cared for one another.

I suspect because they were a people without a country, it would be difficult for them to buy and trade and in some cases be hired for a job.

So, they cared for each other by selling their possessions.

Isn’t that interesting?

They didn’t care for each other out of their surplus cash, they sold what they had and used it to make sure everyone had enough.

This was done out of the kindness of their hearts, freely and joyfully, as God led them to care for one another.

What we see here is the church functioning the way God intended as they cared for the physical needs of one another.

Another aspect of the idea church caring for one another is spiritually.

Look at what verse 46 says,

Acts 2:46 (ESV)

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

Do you notice a key word in this verse?

TOGETHER

Daily the attended the temple (they were still Jewish, after all) TOGETHER.

They ate meals TOGETHER in their homes.

They demonstrated biblical hospitality TOGETHER.

This wasn’t just about physical provision; it was about spiritual nourishment.

They met not only to eat but to encourage one another in the faith.

The point, they were committed to one another.

They needed each other and they did all they could to cultivate godly relationships with one another.

Do you know what this calls for from Christians?

INTENTIONALITY!

Relationships don’t just happen, they require work, patience, grace, kindness, and love.

Who is God calling you to build a relationship with today?

It might be someone in your Connection Group, someone new to the church, or even a neighbor.

Think about this.

God desires relationship with His people.

Yet we have sinned and fallen short of His Glory which makes relationship with Him impossible.

After all, God cannot tolerate sin.

Rather than allowing us to drift into eternal separation in Hell, God INTENTIONALLY pursued us by sending Christ to take our punishment, so that His wrath could be satisfied, and by faith, we might trust in Christ as our Savior from His just judgment.

When we trust Christ in this way and repent of our sin, we take on the righteousness of Christ.

When we are in Christ in this way, we are able to fellowship with God.

Why am I telling you all of this?

Because it is SO important that you understand that God INTENTIONALLY pursued relationship with you.

Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection was all about having an eternal relationship with you.

He did all of that so He could be with you.

And as a follower of Christ, you and I have the glorious privilege to pursue relationships with one another.

We have the opportunity to INTENTIONALLY build into the lives of our fellow Christians as well as those who are not Christians yet!

All of this takes time and INTENTIONALITY!

It means taking our eyes off of ourselves and our desires and instead fixing them on the people God has sovereignly placed around us.

It means we become the ministers God intends for His children to be.

This doesn’t mean we wait for others to reach out.

It means taking the first step—inviting someone to coffee, joining a ministry team, or simply asking, “How can I pray for you?”

When we do, we bring a little bit of Heaven here to earth.

God’s kindness to these believers bound them wholeheartedly to himself and to one another in a fellowship of generous self-giving. They expressed their gladness and devotion to God by constantly praising him and caring for one another.

David G. Peterson

The early church reflected the beauty of heaven—a community bound by love and generosity, devoted to one another.

I hope you can see the importance of being committed to God’s people.

This commitment to people demonstrates that you are a true child of God.

This commitment to people is born out of the reality that relationship is important to God.

This commitment to people takes intentionality.

But I want you to think about the fact that if you are a saved, born-again, believer in Christ, someone INTENTIONALLY pursued you with the Gospel of Christ.

So, Christian, where are you building relationships in His body?

Christians must INTENTIONALLY spend profitable, spiritually enriching time together.

Where?

Connection Groups

Micro / Discipleship Groups

Equipping Classes

Ministry Teams (Safety, Music, Children, etc.)

Men’s and Women’s ministry

Youth Group ministry

Hospitality Times

Sunday Morning Snack Time

Prayer groups

Review: God’s Vision for His Church is We Are Devoted to His Word, His People, and His World

We are devoted to God’s Word

We are committed to God’s people

But this love and commitment to one another wasn’t meant to stay within the walls of the church.

It was a witness to the watching world.

Let’s see how the early church lived this out.

3. We Are Witnesses to God’s World (v. 47)

Acts 2:47 (ESV)

praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

So the new church was on a significant growth pattern both numerically and spiritually.

They were passionate about the teachings of the apostles, they were caring for one another well, and they had a great reputation with the people outside of the community of faith.

I think this is a very important point that we as followers of Christ must not only understand, but live out well.

We cannot be rude, arrogant, pompous, angry or even indifferent in our relationships with people outside the faith community.

I remember having breakfast often with a man of spiritual prominence.

He was a master at preaching and teaching.

I admired him much.

However, there was one area I had little respect for him.

He was rude to the waitresses that would serve us at our tables.

He would bark orders at them as if they were beneath him. Not cool!

I wonder what kind of results he would have had if he had taken the opportunity to share the gospel with these that he was so rude to?

This was not the testimony of the first church. No, the text says…

“…and having χάριν with all the people…”

Do you know what the word χάριν means?

χάριν = grace (favor)

This means that as we, as followers of Christ engage the lost and sinful world around us, we are not angry and irritated.

No!

We are kind and GRACIOUS!

Now, don’t get me wrong, we still must speak the truth, but it must be spoken in grace and love.

After all we are followers of Christ and Jesus was full of what?

John 1:14 (ESV)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Every interaction Jesus had with lost people was full of grace and truth.

This means we approach people not with condemnation but with compassion, speaking the truth in love as Jesus did.

But what if that person is a liar? Grace and truth!

But what if that person is a murderer? Grace and truth!

But what if that person is a sexual deviant? Grace and truth!

But what if that person is transitioning from one sex to another? Grace and truth!

But what if that person has been married five times and they are now living with their boyfriend (John 4:5-42)? Grace and truth!

To be clear, the first church was gracious, but they were truth-tellers as well.

What does this mean?

They didn’t allow someone’s sin distract and derail them from the over arching goal of witnessing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost.

Give an example…

The first church was in the perfect scenario for church growth.

Think about it and get the whole picture here.

They were devoted to the bible.

They were committed to one another

and…

They were gracious as they shared the truth of the gospel to the unsaved world around them.

Because they were doing everything the Lord wanted them to do, they were poised for growth.

And God caused them to grow.

Acts 2:47 (ESV)

praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Now I need to point something out here.

God caused the growth, not the church.

God builds His church and the gates of Hell will not stop her.

So what is the church’s role in her growth process?

Be what she is supposed to be so God can entrust more people to this movement.

Folks, the American church is in decline.

According to Lifeway research…

In the U.S., church membership has fallen below 50% for the first time in history as of 2021 (Gallup), with post-pandemic attendance only rebounding to 89% of pre-COVID levels (Lifeway Research).

The American church is in decline, with fewer people attending and more identifying as unaffiliated.

But I believe revival is possible if we return to God’s vision for His church.

I wonder if we went back to the beginning and applied the things in this passage if the church in America might experience a revival?

I wonder if Christians truly acted Christlike, if we would see the world pursue Christ instead of the Church pursuing the World?

I wonder if it is less about formulaic witnessing techniques and more about loving people so well that they want to hear more about our Jesus?

I wonder what it would take for ABC to become a church that God could entrust new believers to because He knows they would be discipled well here.

I don’t just mean a few, I would love to see God break out a revival here in our sweet township!

Remember who we are is just as important as the truth we preach.

Witnessing is not something we do; it is something we are.

Anonymous

Your character speaks louder than your words.

When you live like Jesus, your life becomes a powerful testimony to the gospel.

And we are, my friends, to be like our Savior.

Jesus introduces himself to the Laodicean Christians as “the Amen, the faithful and true witness” because he wants them to stop compromising and emulate him so that they will also be zealous “faithful and true witnesses.”

G. K. Beale

Yes, I am going to encourage you to step up your witness game in the coming year.

But more importantly than that, I want you to purpose to become more like Jesus.

Because as you become more like Christ, your witnessing will take care of itself.

But remember, witnessing isn’t about perfection—it’s about faithfulness.

Start where you are and trust God to work through you.

Ask God daily to make you more like Jesus.

Spend time in His Word, invest in relationships, and share your hope in Christ.

Start small but stay faithful, and trust God to work through you.

Make it a goal in Your Connection Groups to hold one another accountable to these wonderful goals.

As you as individuals and we as a church become more like Jesus, don’t be surprised when God adds to our number of those being saved.

The early church lived out this vision, and God worked powerfully through them.

What might He do through us if we commit to being His witnesses?

Review: God’s Vision for His Church is We Are Devoted to His Word, His People, and His World

We are devoted to God’s Word

We are committed to God’s people

We are witnesses to God’s world

Conclusion

Church, the world needs us to be like Jesus because you are the only Jesus some people will ever see!

The church is a worshiping community, a witnessing community, and a working community. In other words, the church is to exalt the Lord, it is to evangelize the world, and it is to edify its members.

John F. MacArthur

This is the heart of God’s vision for His church—that we are devoted to His Word, committed to His people, and witnesses to His world.

I am convinced of this.

If we are who God wants us to be, we will accomplish what God wants us to accomplish because He can trust us and will accomplish His vision through us.

So let’s devote ourselves to His Word, commit to His people, and witness to His world with grace and truth.

And let’s do it all for the glory of God, trusting Him to do what only He can—build His church and transform lives.

As He does, may we stand in awe of His work, just as the early church did, praising Him for His goodness and grace.

This week, I challenge you to take one step in each of these areas.

Spend an extra 10 minutes in God’s Word, reach out to someone in your church family, and share your hope in Christ with one person.

Let’s see what God will do as we live out His vision for His church.