Devoted & Outward Focused: Acts 2:42-47

Acts 2:42–47 “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. 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, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Background

Holy Spirit descends upon and indwells the disciples (2:1-13) Peter delivers his Pentecost sermon (2:14-39) Spirit moves and 3,000 souls are saved.

Exalting Jesus in Acts A Healthy Body of Christ (Acts 2:42–47)

Before jumping into verse 42, let’s pause to remember how this church was born. Peter preached a Christ-exalting sermon, and as a result of the Spirit and the Word at work, three thousand people were saved. (That’s a pretty good day!) God builds his church by his Word. Just as God spoke creation into existence in Genesis, he speaks this new creation—this new community—into existence through his mighty Word.

Exalting Jesus in Acts A Healthy Body of Christ (Acts 2:42–47)

Christianity is personal but not individualistic. It’s corporate. Jesus is saving a people for himself (

Theme

The early church was radically devoted to teaching, prayer, fellowship, and outreach

Main Idea

Kingdom people live in gospel-centered community that leads to gospel impact.

Key Verse

Acts 2:47 “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Opening

my testimony?

Calvary- discipleship (glen amd Karen), fellowship and restoration (legal fees)

Exegesis

Verse 42

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

The “they” here is referring to the new 3K believers?

The significance of these 4 spiritual disciplines:

the apostle’s teaching (Diet)

fellowship (Exercise)

breaking of bread (Exercise)

prayers (Exercise)

There are many things they could have been focused on but these four is what the Holy Spirit guided their hearts.

Apostle’s Teaching: Build in understanding of God, who He is, what He wants us to do/be

Call of Salvation

Romans 10:14–17 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

For the casting off of the world

Need for a Spiritual shower

Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

For the commissioning of our Gospel mission

Mission Drift

Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.”

Merida: All true spiritual awakenings involve healthy teaching from the Word

Ezra reading of the law in Nehemiah 8

1 Timothy 4:16 “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Fellowship: Relational accountability and encouragement.

Exalting Jesus in Acts Devotion to One Another (2:42b, 44)

Such fellowship with one another is tied to the Christian’s fellowship with the Father (cf.

John 13:34–35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.””

ONE ANOTHER

“One another” is two words in English, but it’s only one word in Greek: ἀλλήλων (ah-LAY-loan). It’s used 100 times in 94 New Testament verses. 47 of those verses give instructions to the church, and 60% of those instructions come from Paul.

When you look at these verses, a few more common themes show up.

Unity. One third of the one-another commands deal with the unity of the church.

Be at peace with one another (Mk 9:50)

Don’t grumble among one another (Jn 6:43)

Be of the same mind with one another (Ro 12:16, 15:5)

Accept one another (Ro 15:7)

Wait for one another before beginning the Eucharist (1 Co 11:33)

Don’t bite, devour, and consume one another—seriously, guys, don’t eat each other (Ga 5:15)

Don’t boastfully challenge or envy one another (Ga 5:26).

Gently, patiently tolerate one another (Ep 4:2)

Be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving to one another (Ep 4:32)

Bear with and forgive one another (Co 3:13)

Seek good for one another, and don’t repay evil for evil (1 Th 5:15)

Don’t complain against one another (Jas 4:11, 5:9)

Confess sins to one another (Jas 5:16)

Love. One third of them instruct Christians to love one another.

Love one another (Jn 13:34, 15:12, 17; Ro 13:8; 1 Th 3:12, 4:9; 1 Pe 1:22; 1 Jn 3:11, 4:7, 11; 2 Jn 5)

Through love, serve one another (Ga 5:13)

Tolerate one another in love (Ep 4:2)

Greet one another with a kiss of love (1 Pe 5:14)

Be devoted to one another in love (Ro 12:10)

Humility. About 15% stress an attitude of humility and deference among believers.

Give preference to one another in honor (Ro 12:10)

Regard one another as more important than yourselves (Php 2:3)

Serve one another (Ga 5:13)

Wash one another’s feet (Jn 13:14)

Don’t be haughty: be of the same mind (Ro 12:16)

Be subject to one another (Ep 5:21)

Clothe yourselves in humility toward one another (1 Pe 5:5)

Here’s the rest:

Do not judge one another, and don’t put a stumbling block in a brother’s way (Ro 14:13)

Greet one another with a kiss (Ro 16:16; 1 Co 16:20; 2 Co 13:12)

Husbands and wives: don’t deprive one another of physical intimacy (1 Co 7:5)

Bear one another’s burdens (Ga 6:2)

Speak truth to one another (Ep 4:25)

Don’t lie to one another (Co 3:9)

Comfort one another concerning the resurrection (1 Th 4:18)

Encourage and build up one another (1 Th 5:11)

Stimulate one another to love and good deeds (He 10:24)

Pray for one another (Jas 5:16)

Be hospitable to one another (1 Pe 4:9)

Breaking of bread: Lord’s Supper, continual reminder of God’s love, our need for a Savior, look forward to the reunion with our Savior.

The Lord’s Supper is one of the most poignant spiritual practices we have been given to remind us of God’s sacrificial love for us. The bread, the reminder of Christ’s broken body. The juice, the symbol of His blood poured out for us.

In the Luke’s account, we get a glimpse at the deeper meaning of this practice.

Luke 22:20 “And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

That word covenant has such a rich and tragic history throughout the Old Testament. Time and time again God would pour out his love upon his people and uphold his covenant with them, but they would continually run away from it. But God still didn’t give up on us. When Jesus says this cup is the “new covenant”, He’s referencing Jeremiah 31

Jeremiah 31:31–34 ““Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.””

Hallelujah!!

Exalting Jesus in Acts Devotion to the Breaking of Bread (2:42c, 46)

The apostles preached to the ear about Jesus, and the Table preached to the eye about Christ.

Prayers: The power through which the Kingdom advances and we commune with God.

Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

Acts 12:5 “So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.”

Acts 13:1–3 “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”

Exalting Jesus in Acts Devotion to Prayer (2:42d)

They prayed in the temple, in homes, as they walked along the road, as they encountered the sick and afflicted, before they preached sermons, before they heard sermons, while they were being persecuted, in planned times of intense intercession over particular situations, as they offered thanks for their food, as they gave thanks to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, as they praised God in song, and as they offered up petitions for the Father to meet daily needs.

Testimony of Regina praying for her daughter to marry Baptist pastor

Verse 43

“And awe came upon every soul”

The word awe is unique here

How many things in my life can you think that bring you a sense of awe?

My kids ultrasounds

The vastness of the ocean

“many signs being done through the apostles”

important distinction that the power was given by God, not of the disciple’s themselves

Begs the question what was the purpose of the “signs”

To prove the authenticity of the message they’d be given

Verse 44

“And all who believed were together and had all things in common”

Proximity breeds compassion. Commonality was fueled by their constant communion with each other

Verse 45

“Selling their possessions…and distributing the proceeds…”

Their commonality and communion led to their compassion to take care of each other. Not grumbling but a joy

2 Corinthians 9:6–7 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Exalting Jesus in Acts Radical Generosity, Especially within the Church (2:45)

regenerate people should be generous people

The early church was also aware of the needs of their community. This only happens when we are bound in the Spirit and are growing together. Proximity breeds compassion. You only care about the people or issues that are close to you. Which is what see here in verse 46:

Verse 46

Acts 2:46 “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,”

Living life together, both in the church and in their day to day life

Hebrews 10:25 “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

They met in large groups (The Temple) and in smaller groups in their houses

Gathering together for study, prayer, and accountability is quintessential to our sanctification. That’s why at First Baptist we have multiple levels of discipleship available:

Worship Gathering, which you’re currently in

House metaphor

Front Porch - Lay ministries (Men, Women, YAH)

Living Room - Disciple’s Path Classes (Gather, Grow, Give, Go Together)

Dining Table - HomeGroups

Kitchen - RD Groups

There’s a place for everyone to discover their identity in Christ and their community in the faith family.

Verse 47

Acts 2:47 “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Their love for each other was infectious and drew people into the kingdom.

God added to their number day by day those being saved.

God is the one who clearly draws people into His kingdom, but his means to do that is through the faithful witness of His people.

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

Revelation 7:9 “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,”

But one more thing to notice about this final verse in our passage.

“Day by Day”

The early church’s zeal for evangelism was not reduced to a once a year emphasis, mission trips, or just Sunday mornings. They had a daily rhythm of sowing Gospel seeds. They had Gospel focused eyes to see the people around them as Jesus did, “sheep without a Shepherd” and rather than given into hopelessness or apathy, they were moved with compassion, just like Jesus. And it is from that compassion the Lord used to spread His Gospel and the church grew day by day.

Application

Time for a Spiritual Assessment

We come to the part of the sermon where we have to answer the question, “So What?” What is it they we are supposed to do with this information.

Remember the warning in James 1:23–24 “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.”

I’m not sure if they still do this in school, but every year in gym class we’d have the Presidential Fitness Test. Push ups, sit ups, etc. To see how “fit” we were in comparison to the average student. In a very real sense, we’ve just read through the ideal, the gold standard of what church should look and feel like.

So let’s take a personal assessment. Don’t worry. No one is doing push ups. But if we want to be the church that impacts the world around us for the Kingdom, then it begins with us.

If we were to take all of the various checkpoints of the last few verses we could categorize them into 4 main categories:

Biblical Nourishment

Loving Fellowship

Vibrant Worship

Word & Deed Outreach

I’m going to ask you to spend the next few moments in contemplation about yourself. Listening to the Holy Spirit as you answer these questions to yourself.

Biblical Nourishment

Do you understand the magnitude of the Gospel and has it transformed your life?

Are you being transformed by the renewing of your mind through the study of Scripture and accountability of faithful brothers and sisters?

Are you sharing with others what God is teaching you through His Word?

Loving Fellowship

How does you have fellowship with God through Jesus?

Are you working at building deep relationships with others in the church through love and service or are you more often complaining about the lack of community?

Do you faithfully attend services and events to connect with others or do you silently slip in and slip out?

Vibrant Worship

Are you experiencing awe and joy in your daily walk?

How do you approach worship and the Lord’s Table: Reverence, repentance, rejoicing?

Are you grateful for the privilege of gathering corporately?

Word & Deed Outreach

How are you doing at speaking the Gospel to those you know are far from God?

Is your life characterized by the fruits of the Spirit or fruits of the flesh?

Is your service and generosity fueled by the Gospel?

Pray