“Steadfast Learning”

INTRODUCTION.

The cornerstone of the christian community in the early church was the teaching of the apostles.

The people placing an emphasis on this teaching was not by accident - it defined who they were and how the grew in their faith.

Acts 2:37–47 NASB95

37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

MESSAGE.

Acts 2:42 NASB95

42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

They were DEVOTED.

Devotion = to persist in something

hold fast to, continue in, persevere in

Action - doing something

present - in the process with no assessment for action’s completion.

Theologically significant “to hold fast”

John 8:31 NASB95

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;

They desired the TEACHING.

The teaching here is not the VERB but the NOUN use of the word.

It was the content of teaching.

Not the action but the actual content of their teaching.

Not part of the teaching but the sum as a whole.

It is not much of a leap to say that when we see

that the first characteristic of the early church was that they were devoted

to the apostles teaching, the parallel characteristic for the present-day

church should be that we are devoted to the Bible. 

Pastor Tom - in an article from Clear Bible.

Some of the teachings would have been.

The Primacy of Christ.

That Christ was first and most important.

Acts 4:12 NASB95

12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Dependence on the Holy Spirit.

The day of Pentecost power fell from heaven (that power was the Holy Spirit).

Acts 2:1–4 NASB95

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

The power comes from the Holy Spirit.

Acts 7:55–56 NASB95

55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Repentance and Baptism.

They taught that salvation is through faith and repentance in Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:38–39 NASB95

38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

The importance of being devoted to biblical teaching.

You must learn the Word of God to grow in your faith.

You learn and are corrected and prepared through your knowledge of the Bible, God’s Holy Word.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NASB95

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

The Word is truth.

Hebrews 4:12 NASB95

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

You must KNOW the Word to live it out and do what it says.

James 1:22–25 NASB95

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Why do you need to know and do the word of God?

Jesus tells us it is a sign of our faith.

Luke 6:46–49 NASB95

46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 “Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 “But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

CONCLUSION.

The early church recognized that sustained growth required sustained attention to instruction—a principle that remains foundational to Christian formation. - Logos AI-synopsis