Together (2)

Marks of a Healthy Church

Acts 2:42 HCSB

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

Devotion

Acts 2:42 HCSB

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

We need to understand an important truth: We become good at what we are devoted to.

You want to be a good student, you have to be devoted to study.

You want to be a great machinist, you have to be devoted to it.

You want to be a good athlete, you have to practice and devote yourself to it.

You want to be a good disciple of Jesus, you have to commit to it.

The word for devoted, or continued in as KJV says means to continue steadfastly in something, to keep on keep on.

In it for the duration.

Doctrine

They devoted themselves to the teachings of the Apostles. Let’s be clear, this was not for the building up of knowledge of facts, but it was for the transformation of the heart.

Fellowship

Acts 2:42 HCSB

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

This is such a powerful word. It is the Word....

Koinonia

And it does not exist for its own sake. It actually has in its meaning PARTICIPATION. We do the other things we do AS a fellowship, but not just for the sake of gathering. WE ARE A FELLOWSHIP. a group of people TOGETHER to do what we are supposed to do. In this case it is outlined two fold what they did.

Talking to the Lord

Acts 2:42 HCSB

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

They were committed to prayer. Regular prayer. Intense prayer. All encompassing prayer. Heaven-moving prayer.

The Table of the Lord

Acts 2:42 HCSB

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

Breaking of bread is two fold. They ate meals together, and they commemorated the Lord’s broken body and shed blood TOGETHER.

1. We need to know the Lord and be saved.

2. We need to belong to a faith family.

How are you going to fellowship.... participate.. pray together. Observe the Lord’s Supper together… eat together in a regular meal, if you are not TOGETHER?

Acts 2:46 HCSB

Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude,

Acts 20:7 HCSB

On the first day of the week, we assembled to break bread. Paul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he extended his message until midnight.

1 Corinthians 10:16 HCSB

The cup of blessing that we give thanks for, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?

Jude 12 HCSB

These are the ones who are like dangerous reefs at your love feasts. They feast with you, nurturing only themselves without fear. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead, pulled out by the roots;