Sermon Tone Analysis

42.

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

*A Devoted Church!*

*Acts 2:42*

 

 

 

I believe that every one in church have a desire to do what is right.

For if you didn’t have such a desire, chances are you wouldn’t keep coming to church.

The problem is that many of us don’t know how to get from where we are to where God wants to be.

We don’t know how to make the move.

We can’t go through the phase of metamorphosis.

It is my belief that if we were sure of the process that it takes to get to the next step, many of us would have taken that next step a long time ago.

But the process is really simply.

The method has been placed right before our very eyes.

If we would only follow those principles and promises that have already been given to us, we can get to where God wants us to be.

Many people today are at odds, they are wondering just what it is that God wants us to do, but I’ve told you before, the Bible is God’s Word to us, and He has already proclaimed within His Word, what He would have us to do.

He said in His Word, “Abide in me and let My Word abide in you, you can ask what you will and it shall be done unto you”.

Now to abide means that you must have a constant walk with Him.

Your relationship with Him must be constant.

But for too long have we played with that concept.

We think that we have a box God.

When we need Him, we will cut the box open and pull Him out, and use Him up.

But when things are okay, we will politely wrap Him back up and tape up the box until we need Him again.

As a church, we must become devoted to a relationship with Christ.

Our relationship must not be brought about by unforeseen circumstances, but it must remain constant.

See, the fact is that we don’t love Him because of what we want Him to do for us; we love Him for what He has already done.

Our love must be a continuous thing.

We can’t just come to Him on Sunday and expect everything to be alright.

It’s a continuous thing.

Until we get to where we have fellowship with Him constantly, we cannot be a devoted church.

We will find ourselves engaged in wrong doing when we allow our relationship with Christ to fall to a point below where it should be.

That’s why David, when he fell into adultery with Bethsheba, asked God to “renew within Him that right Spirit”.

David said to the master, “Restore unto me the joy of my salvation”.

In other words, get me back to the fellowship that I once enjoyed with you.

Today, we must become a devoted church.

Preacher and pastor today must search deep within the Word of God and find Spiritual truths, and they must become devoted to teaching these truths to God’s people.

Deacons must become devoted in their assistant to the Pastor.

They must devote themselves to the work of the ministry.

Choirs and Musicians must become devoted to the message of God through song.

Praise Him with a loud voice.

Missionaries and Brotherhood need to be devoted through the spreading of the gospel, which is the good news about Christ Jesus.

To be devoted means that your character has become loyal.

As Christians, it means that we are loyal to the witness of Christ Jesus.

I’m here to tell you this morning, to be loyal means that you must put everything else behind God.

God must be first in your life.

He must be first in your practices.

He must be first in everything that you do.

When we as preacher step to the pulpit, God must be first on our agenda.

When the deacons come to devotion, God must be first in their mind.

When the choir gets in the choir stand to sing, God must be first in their songs.

When the musician key up to play, God must be first in their music.

The teacher, when they stand to teach God’s Word, God must be first in their teaching.

When the Ushers stand around the wall, God must be first in their motives.

Now to become devoted means that we must discipline ourselves.

Many of us have a problem with discipline.

But when it comes to the gospel of Christ Jesus we must be quick to move at His command.

*/Romans 12:11/* says, “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord”.

\\ We are not to be slow in doing the works of Christ.

Fervent means that we ought to be glowing.

We ought to have an intense feeling toward working for God.

Church shouldn’t just be a ritual for us.

It ought not to be a duty for us, but a delight to work for the Lord.

We should be serious about what we are doing here each Sunday, so that it will become a part of our lives and reach out into Monday through Saturday.

As I look at the early church here in Acts 2, I find a tremendous devotion that caused them to be a church like no other.

Remember these were the people, who once stood on the outside of the church, but they heard the Word of God, which pricked their hearts and they repented of their wrong.

We see in the 42nd verse how these same people became a devoted church.

Now the scripture says that they “continued steadfastly”.

Which means, and if you will follow this back to the original Greek, it means that “they agreed to be honest toward” doing the works of Christ.

They were not playing.

A lot of things would be better for the local church today, as well as the body of believers, if we had people who agreed to be honest toward the work.

Many people today have taken, twisted, and tried the word every kind of way that they know how to make it work for them.

Most people today don’t really want to search for the truth, but they will take the little nuggets that they pick up off the surface and try to make it work in their situation.

If we are to be a devoted church today, we must search for the truth that is found in God’s Word.

There are four things in this verse that this church agreed to be honest toward, 1) the apostle doctrine, 2) fellowship, 3) the breaking of bread, and 4) prayer.

Today, if we are to be or become a devoted church, we too must find a way to be honest in these areas.

We too must find a way to devour those things that will hinder our progress, and cling to and devote ourselves to those things that will help our passion.

Today, let’s talk about the things that helped the early church, to see if these same principles will help us to become a devoted church.

*The Apostle Doctrine *

The first thing that they devoted themselves to was the Apostle Doctrine.

Now the word “doctrine” means teaching.

Jesus proclaimed to us in */Matt.

28:20/* that we are to, “teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”.

If we are to follow Jesus today, then we are to follow His teaching.

I am aware today that there are some false teachers.

I am aware that some preachers are teaching things only for self gratification.

But I too am aware that there is going to be a judgment one day.

And I know if I tell you something things that will lead you astray; I’ve got to give account of it during the judgment.

The things that you’ve got to worry about, is when you false accuse me, when you say things about me that’s not true, because one day you are going to have to stand at the judgment too, and you will have to answer for those wrong things that you said.

Right now, I am the “watchman” for your soul.

God has given me the vision for this church.

And you know when we talk about vision a lot of people think that it talking about what I as a pastor can do to help this local church.

No, that’s not what a vision should be, but it should be what I as pastor can do to help this church become devoted to doing the works of Christ.

See, we are not here to promote ourselves, but we are here to praise Christ Jesus.

These folks devoted themselves to the teaching that the Apostle taught.

These Apostles taught them how to come together and praise God.

Today we are facing a similar battle that they faced then.

During those days they there was a struggle between the religious leaders.

See, Christianity was just beginning to be recognized.

The Scribes and Pharisees were holding fast to the Law, and the Apostles were teaching a new law, a new order, and it was focused on the works of Christ Jesus.

Today we’ve got Pastors fighting Deacons.

Choirs competing with other choirs.

Churches competing with other churches.

WE are facing the same battles.