In Several of Paul’s Letters, He Makes Statements Like:

“Imitate Me as I Imitate Christ”

“Become Imitators of Us and of the Lord”

“Follow My Example”

Paul Saw Himself as a Imitator of Jesus

And as He Sought to Imitate Jesus…

He Encouraged Others to Imitate Him

But Paul was Not the Only Person Imitating Jesus

In this Series, We are Going to See Many People in the Book of Acts Who Were Imitators of Jesus

As We Study Each Person/Persons…

We are Going to Focus On the Specific Ways They Were Imitators of Jesus

And Then We are Going to Focus On How We Can Imitate Them

This Series is All About Learning to Imitate Those Who Imitate Jesus

Our First Person/Persons is Kind of a Broad One

The Jerusalem Church

This Morning, We Studied the Sermon of Peter on the Day of Pentecost

Tonight We are Going to Focus On What Happened Afterward

After Peter’s Preaching, We Learn that About 3,000 Jews Chose to Submit to King Jesus

That Means About 3,000 People Were Baptized/Born Again as a New Creation in Jesus

Then the Rest of the Chapter Summarizes the Activities and Familial Relationship of the Early Church

Acts 2:42 (NASB95)

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

There are 2 Ways to Interpret this Verse

After Careful Study, I’ve Changed My Mind On How I Interpret it

Either the Jerusalem Church Continually Devoted Themselves to:

4 Separate Things (Apostles’ Teaching, Fellowship, the Breaking of Bread, and Prayer)

Or 2 Things, with the 2nd Expounded Upon

(Apostles’ Teaching and Fellowship)

(Fellowship = Breaking of Bread and Prayer)

I Currently Believe This to Be the Correct Interpretation

Let’s Examine What is Said in This Verse

The 1st Thing We See the Jerusalem Church Continually Devote Themselves to is:

The Apostles’ Teaching/Instruction

What was the Teaching of the Apostles?

In the Great Commission, Jesus Commanded His Apostles to Teach Others All the Things He Taught Them

That Means the Teaching of the Apostles is the Teaching of Jesus

The Apostles Were Imitators of Jesus

And Their Mission was to Teach Others How to Be Imitators of Jesus

The 2nd Thing We See the Jerusalem Church Continually Devote Themselves to is:

The Fellowship

Fellowship = Sharing

It Can Refer to Sharing a Common Faith

Sharing Family Relationship in Christ and With Christ

Sharing Meals, Wealth, and Possessions with Siblings in Christ

The Root Word Implies Having All Things in Common with Others

We Will See that Idea Brought Up a Little More in Verse 44

I Believe the Rest of the Verse Expounds Upon What Luke Means By “The Fellowship”

The Breaking of Bread

The Early Church Shared with Each Other in the Breaking of Bread

Most Scholars Seem to Agree that the Early Church Would Take the Lord’s Supper After 1st Sharing a Meal Together

This is How the Lord’s Supper was Instituted By Jesus

So Breaking Bread Could Refer to How They Would Share Meals Together

Or it Could Be Referring Specifically to the Lord’s Supper

Or it Could Encompass Both

Either Way, They Continually Devoted Themselves to Fellowship at the Table with One Another

The Prayers

In the Original Language, it Isn’t “Prayer” But “The Prayers”

This May Refer to the Jewish Hours of Prayer

The Jewish Christians May Have Continued Praying Together and in the Temple at the Jewish Hours of Prayer

A Few Verses Down in Chapter 3:1, We See Peter and John Go to the Temple at the Hour of Prayer

One Thing is Certain…

The Jerusalem Church Continually Devoted Themselves to Fellowship in Prayer Together

Another Way to View What Luke Has Told Us About the Jerusalem Church is:

They Loved God and They Loved Each Other

They Showed Their Love to God By Their Devotion to Jesus’/Apostles’ Teaching

They Showed Their Love to Each Other Through Their Fellowship/Sharing

I Believe the Rest of the Chapter Expounds Upon These 2 Ideas

Acts 2:43 (NASB95)

Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.

The Jerusalem Church was in a Constant State of Reverential Fear

Why?

Because of the Miraculous Ability of the Apostles

They Did Many “Wonders and Signs”

Wonders = Miracles that are Amazing, Awe-Inspiring, Incredible, and Awesome

Signs = Miracles that Point to a Divine Truth

These Wonders and Signs No Doubt Added to the Church’s Continual Devotion to the Apostles’ Teaching

Acts 2:44–45 (NASB95)

And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

The Jerusalem Christians Were Together

And They Had All Things in Common

“Common” Shares the Same Root Word with “Fellowship”

They Were Together and They Shared What They Had With One Another

Those Who Had Property or Possessions that They Could Afford to Part with…

Sold Them and Shared the Proceeds with Their Siblings Who Were in Need

Acts 2:46 (NASB95)

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,

The Jerusalem Church Continued Going to the Temple Daily

They Met and Worshiped Together “with One Mind”

They Were a Unified People

Not Only Did They Meet Together in the Temple…

But They Also Met in Each Others’ Homes and Shared Meals with Joy and Sincerity

Their Fellowship was Without Boundaries

They Shared Their Lives with Each Other

And They Enjoyed Having Such a Unified Family in Christ

Acts 2:47 (NASB95)

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.

The Jerusalem Church Were a People Who Praised God Daily

Part of Their Fellowship was Continually Praying Together (In Praise to God, No Doubt)

They Also Continually Found Favor/Grace with All the People

The Common People Loved the Jerusalem Church

And Because of that, People Were Being Saved and Added to Their Fellowship Everyday

Conclusion

The Jerusalem Church is a Church Worth Imitating…

Because They Were Imitating Jesus

Let’s Summarize What it is About the Jerusalem Church that We Need to Imitate:

They Continually Devoted Themselves to the Teaching of the Apostles

They Were Devoted to Growing in Knowledge and Application of the Teachings of Jesus

That is Definitely Something Worth Imitating

This Can Be a Private Endeavor as We Pursue Personal Bible Study

But More Importantly, We Need to Learn and Grow Together…

Teaching and Encouraging Each Other in the Scriptures

They Continually Devoted Themselves to the Fellowship

This Sharing Together Included:

Joyfully Breaking Bread Together in Each Others’ Homes (Meals and the Lord’s Supper)

Prayer and Praising God in the Temple and in Each Others’ Homes

Wealth, Property, Possessions

Being United in Faith/Beliefs

There Were 2 Outcomes to this Behavior By the Jerusalem Church

People Loved Them

People Joined Them

I Believe if We Sought to Imitate the Jerusalem Church in These Ways…

We Would Experience the Same Outcome Today

If We as the Livingston Church Will Devote Ourselves to:

The Teachings of the Gospel…

And the Fellowship…

Our Community Will Notice…

And They Will Want to Be Devoted to What We are Devoted to

If God Blessed the Jerusalem Church for Their Devotion to Him and Each Other…

He Will Bless Us if We Become Imitators of that Devotion