Devoted Christian Fellowship

They Continued Faithfully

Pray together

Have kids read the text.

Who? The verse before our section tonight and from last week Acts 2:41 says it was those who accepted, and were baptized, the message of the Apostle Peter. These people from history are the very beginning of the Church that we still gather together in the Name of Jesus to worship God. These early believers are just like you and I. They believed in the birth of Jesus by the line of David. His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead 3 days later as foretold in God’s Word. This is what they believed and because of this faith in Jesus’ ministry what did they do? They devoted themselves/ continued faithfully to the apostles teaching, to fellowship, to breaking of bread, and the prayers.

“The apostles teaching:”

A. What is an apostle? Literally means “someone, or something, sent” (Lexham Bible Dictionary.) Who sent them? Jesus did. As we learned last week Peter, who was directly discipled by Jesus, preached on the day of Pentecost. Peter is an apostle sent by our Lord Jesus. Spoiler alert there will be 13 apostles sent by Jesus to spread the Gospel to the surrounding area and then to the world. Apostle in the New Testament means a person sent directly by Jesus to spread His Word.

B. What did the apostles teach? About the life of Jesus which each and every disciple would have personally experienced. Prophecies that foretold all that happened. The many lessons of Jesus especially the new command to love each other as He loved us. Apostles teaching means listening to, reading, studying and memorizing the written scriptures and the stories of the disciples about Jesus.

Can anyone tell me what Scripture was written at the time of this history? 2,000 years ago the written scriptures the Tanakh, a Jewish acronym, for what we call today The Old Testament. Greek speakers back then called the OT the Septuagint. This book I’m holding, which all of you should have brought with you, is the same book Jesus and His disciples read and taught from. God used those men, the Apostles, to write the New Testament that we have today. What else did these new believers continually faithfully?

2. “To Fellowship”

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Fellowship

The essence of the Christian life—fellowship with God and fellowship with other believers in Christ.

A. This is the only place in Acts that Luke uses the greek word for fellowship here. I can’t pronounce it but it strictly means “participation fellowship” which is the act of sharing in the activities and privileges of a group with closely shared values. This is us getting together and growing together as a squad of friends but even better than that, and deeper than that, as a Church. A community devoted together to learning and loving our Savior Jesus and participating in activities that bring us closer to each other. Activities such as participating in small groups and games and crafts. Attending Church and to spending time together by listening to each other and helping each other. Not fighting and hurting feelings but loving each other as God first loved us. Lets read Verses 43-47a again.

The New International Version Chapter 2

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.

They enjoyed each others company and time together loving each other to such a degree that nobody went without necessities. 3,000 believers worked together all with the same goal making sure each other had their needs met. They even sold their stuff to help each other. Who here would sale their Xbox or Playstation to help someone in need? The early believers, filled by the Holy Spirit, did this to make sure everyone was fed in their own homes. They invited each other to come over to their homes. They grew deeper as friends. Deeper as a community. Deeper together as a church. They had fellowship with glad and sincere hearts. Praising God in everything they did. This is the goal of every leader here tonight and the leadership Olive Knolls church. That all of us as the Body of Christ build each other up, growing together, deepening relationships and finding favor with all people as we love God together. Now what else did they continue faithfully in...

3. “The breaking of bread”

A. The early church often got together to do communion and to eat meals together. This phrase “the breaking of bread” refers to both practices of communion and meals. As seen in Acts 20:7 “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.” Also in 1 Corinthians 10:16 “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” The authors, Luke of Acts and Paul of Corinthians, use the same phrase for both communion and lunch or dinner. Its very important that we, as believers, take the time to remember Jesus sacrifice by doing the communion meal together and also by inviting each other over to share a meal.

How many of you get together not here at church?

What else did they devote themselves to faithfully?

4. “to prayer” better worded “in THE prayers”

A. Remember Jesus came to the Jew first then to gentiles, non Jews, this was to fulfill prophecy in order to save the whole world. It had to start somewhere first.

Do know where this history is taking place?

Who knows where Jerusalem is?

Jews would travel longs distances to come to Jersualem. Jesus’ disciples were practicing Jews and they would participate in minchah daily and this usually happened at noon each day during the temple sacrifice accompanied with prayers. These new believers are fellow countryman meaning they are Jews just like Peter and the disciples. Lukes use of “THE prayers” in the literal translation here indicates that the early church still did this Jewish practice.OK, so I am not saying that as a church that we should be doing Jewish traditions, rather this would equal we do our own thing which is what we do tonight, and on Sundays and at small groups and at Olive Knolls school. That we as believers should get together for public and private scheduled times to pray together and worship together.

Tonights activity is that we want you to come with a list of how the the early Christians helped each other. And to brainstorm ideas how you can help your own church community today.

1 Corinthians 12:25–27 “that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

God wants us a church body to be united to share joyfully with one another and to help each other when in trouble.

Lets pray