After Starting the Church I Was Intrigued by the N.T. Church

Devoted (8/30/15)

Intro:

~After starting the church I was intrigued by the N.T. Church

~They had something we seemed to lack

~Like them we had salvation & the Holy Spirit so what was it:

Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

~Here was the answer: Bible Teaching, Fellowship Time, Eating & some Prayer

~It was the churches job to provide these 4 things and we would then be like the N.T. church

~Yet, it still seemed to be missing something

~Ahhhhh! I had missed it and it was in the very verse:

“They Devoted Themselves”

“Devoted” = proskartereo

To Continue to adhere to something with perseverance

~Internal Motivation

~What types of things are we devoted to that require an extended time commitment? i.e. hobbies, exercises, authors

~We have to want to or we won’t do it. Can’t make YOU!

Illustration: Mark eating Brussels Sprouts

~What were they devoting themselves to?

~It was to the Body of Christ the Church

~It is impossible to be devoted to Jesus, but not to His body the church!

Immensity: We are Many

Revelation 7:9-10 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

~Heaven is not going to be sparsely populated

How many of you have ever heard of this verse:

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

~Scholars argue a better translation of the Greek here is:

John 14:2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

Mansions vs. Rooms

~Going to be so populated there will not be enough room for mansions only apartments (joke)

~I think the idea here is one BIG mansion where we all are dwelling together in love and unity!

Unity: We Are One

Romans 12:5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

~This speaks to Family

~We are family with God’s DNA since he adopted and changed us through being Born Again

~Unlike us the N.T. church did not have to deal with denominations and such…

Galatians 3:26-28 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

~What makes us ONE is Jesus!

~Focusing on Him strengthens this UNITY

~Doing things that focus on Him strengthens Unity: Worship, Prayer, Teaching, Serving, Fellowshipping

This Also speaks to PURPOSE!

Why are we HERE anyway? Acts 1:8

Purpose Keeps Us Focused in the "briar" Patch

Diversity: We are Unique

~Yes, we are “One” but not in a cookie cutter way

Romans 12:3-5 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Illustrations

-KJV Lady that worked for me

-Presbyterian Family camping next to us

~This manifests in valuing and celebrating our differences

~The reason we have to be “continually devoted” we are not typically drawn to those different that us. It takes a disciplined choice.

(fingers like hanging with fingers, etc….)

Interdependency: We Need Each Other

~We are not called to live as islands

~We can only function as a body if we act like one

Illustration: cutting arm off and putting it in the corner

~This is beautifully illustrated here:

Acts 2:42-46 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

~Someone once said there are two types of people in a church: Pillars or Caterpillars (those that hold it up vs those that Crawl in and Out)

~We were not meant to crawl around!

~The question is “Do you want to….” Or will you as the verse says be “devoted” to

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