FEBRUARY 9, 2025 - “Full Devoted” Acts 2:42-47

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Take your Bibles.

This morning We'll be in Acts, chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

We're going to start reading today in verse 42.

No, today is Super Bowl Sunday, and we're going to hear a lot of stories.

Possibly, we always do.

It's always interesting.

Sometimes it's almost as fun to watch all the stuff leading up to the game of the Super Bowl as it is the Super Bowl, because you hear all kinds of stories.

I feel like several years ago, I heard a story of a guy who had not missed a game of his team in so many years.

He had been to every one and all the playoff games and Super Bowls and all these things, and he had been to every one.

And as we come to that, you're going to hear that, and you know we expect that.

You know, fan is short.

It's short for fanatic.

If you are a fan, sometimes you are a fanatic right, and in that fanatical nature that we have, we become devoted.

Today, we're going to look, and as we come to our passage today, we're going to hear about believers being devoted.

Let's remember, though.

Let's remember what is happening so far up to this point, at the beginning of Acts, chapter 2, the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles on that day of Pentecost and if you look back, in verse 12 it says that all and and all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another what does this mean?

Acts 2 · chapter mention

The Holy Spirit came upon them and they were amazed and perplexed they were, they were overwhelmed by what was happening.

So, peter, he stood up.

And last week we saw Peter stand up and preach a sermon to those who were here.

And through the Holy Spirit's working and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we find in verse 41 that as he preached, many came and received Christ.

It says for those who received His word this is verse 41, were baptized, and there were added that day.

For those who received his word this is verse 41, were baptized, and there were added that day about 3,000 souls.

So Peter preached and 3,000 souls became believers on that day.

And what is going to happen in our passage today is we're going to see those who who believed, become empowered by the holy spirit and magnify christ, and they are going to do that through their devotion to him.

Look and and I know I told you when I, when I started to preach through Acts, when I chose this book, really right after I was called as pastor here, we were still going through the gospel of John, but a year ahead, I chose Acts as the next book to go through, and I said Part of the reason I wanted to do that Is I wanted us to identify church and who the church is and what the church does, and I told you a few when we started that that, while there are things about the church that we see in in acts are really the focus of acts is is how christ continued his work.

It it's how christ continued his work through the church, by the power of the Holy Spirit, but it's not necessarily about the church.

It's about Christ continuing his work.

That being said, though, today we're going to see the beginnings of this church.

And listen, I understand that the church today looks much different than the church in the first century.

Listen, the challenges are different, people are different, society is different, there are things that are that are different about what is happening in the church today than than happens in, but, listen, I'd still believe that there are things that we can take and we can apply today in our church.

Even within our local church here at DeSoto Hills, I think we can see that, as believers, we we should devote ourselves to God and to each as the Spirit works through us.

The challenge for us, then, is this that we must be devoted.

We must be devoted to God and each other.

So the question that we want to answer today is this how, if we must be devoted, how were they devoted?

If we're going to take applications from the first century church, how were they devoted?

Then let's look at how we can devote ourselves.

So Acts, chapter 2, we're going to begin reading in verse 42.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

If you are able, I'm going to invite you to stand with us this morning as we give honor to the reading of God's Word.

Acts, chapter 2, verse 42, and we're going to read through the end of the chapter.

Acts 2:42

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of teaching and the fellowship.

Let's pray together, god.

We are thankful.

We are thankful for the opportunity that we have to open your word together, as a body of believers, as the church and God, we pray that today, as we engage with your word, as you have revealed yourself to us through your word, you will change our hearts, you will change our lives, you will change our minds, you will change everything about us for all eternity.

We love you, jesus, it's in your name we pray.

Amen, you may be seated.

So again, the question is is how did they devote themselves?

It's verse 42 is really kind of in this little section of scripture.

It is the crux of this section.

It comes in in verse 42 and he says they, these new believers, these 3 000 who had just come to know christ, plus the apostles, plus the others who were already there, they, they devoted themselves to to certain things, and what he's going to do in verses 43 through 47 is kind of unpack what these things they devoted themselves to.

He's going to unpack what that looked like for the first century church, and so we're going to unpack those things as well and hopefully it will give us some ways that we can devote ourselves even here today, in 2025.

So it says here the first thing that we see that they devoted themselves to was the apostles' teaching.

They were devoted to the apostles teaching.

Now, I don't know if you know this about me, but I can be a little bit of a skeptic.

That being said, when I hear this, when I hear they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, as a skeptic I asked the question well, why?

I mean, weren't they just men?

Yeah, they were men who, whom we have seen, dealt with sin and and who we are going to see through throughout the new testament, some of them continue to deal with sin.

So so why?

Why?

What is so important about the apostles?

Why were they devoting themselves to?

Why were these believers, these new believers, devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching?

Well, it's because they were continuing the work of Christ.

Back in John, chapter 16, verses 12 through 18, jesus was leaving the apostles.

John 16:12–18

He has already told them that he was going to leave them and he is going to send another, an advocate, the Holy Spirit, to come with them.

And in verse 12, he says this of John 16, verse 12, he says I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

John 16:12

Now hear that Jesus is talking to the apostles.

He is preparing them not only for his death, but he is preparing them at this point for his ascension, when he is going to leave them.

And he says I have a lot more to tell you, but you can't bear it now, you can't take it in.

So in verse 13, he says when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on His own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

So so see what is happening in the apostles lives here and those 12 who, who are the ones who are with him in john 16.

It is those 12 who are well 11, who are with him at this time.

Here's what he said to them I'm going away.

You don't understand everything.

Now, when the holy spirit comes, he's going to tell you what's left that I haven't told you yet.

He's not going to speak on his own authority.

He's going to give you the my words that to to speak and to teach.

He is going to guide you in my truth.

So here's what's happening in Acts Jesus has ascended and has left.

The Holy Spirit has now come and he is doing exactly what Jesus said he would do he is guiding them in all truth and giving them the things that he had left to say to them.

It is playing out exactly as the plan, what has been set, and and so they are to listen to the apostles teaching because he is continue.

They are continuing the work of christ, by the plan that has been laid out for them.

And and so you can ask even then.

So, so how did these people know?

How could they find confident assurance that what the apostles were teaching was what Jesus are, the words of Christ?

How did they know that?

Well, in John chapter 14 John chapter 14, jesus, we get that famous quote where Jesus said I am the way, the, the truth and the life.

John 14 · chapter mention John 14 · chapter mention

No one comes to the Father but by me.

And after Jesus says this to the twelve, thomas, he speaks up and he says Jesus, if you will just show us the Father, it will be enough for us.

Just show us the Father.

And here's how Jesus responds in verse 9 of John 14.

He says so the Holy Spirit, understand, is speaking the words of Jesus.

Jesus has been speaking the words of the Father.

So the Holy Spirit is speaking the words of the Father to the disciples here, and here's how they can know.

Listen.

He says.

He goes on and says in verse 11, believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

Jesus says look, if you're doubting my words, if you're doubting what I'm saying to you don't just listen to the words, look at what I'm doing, look at the miracles, look at the signs, look at what is being performed around around you.

Then you will know that I have been sent from the father, and so I am speaking the words of the father.

So now the question comes how does this apply to the apostles?

We see it in verse 43.

And all came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

Listen, the people hearing these words can be assured, they can know that the words that the apostles are teaching them are the words of God, because they are continuing the works that Jesus did, the same works that Jesus performed.

They are doing and all has come up on them, and so they are assured that the apostles' teachings are the words of Christ, are the words of the Father, and so they have devoted themselves to them.

Now, what does that mean for us?

Here's what it means the words that the apostles taught have become for us scripture.

Hear this.

Here are the things that the apostles taught.

So, just as those early believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teachings, hear me, church, we must devote ourselves to the words of God.

Here's what we believe, and here's what we teach about the word of God.

We believe that because God is spirit, because he is spirit and because he is invisible, for us to see God, for us to know God, he has to reveal Himself to us.

And he has chosen a method in how he is going to reveal himself to us and that is through his word.

Adam harwood, in his book christian theology, he says this about the self-revelation of god.

He says the biblical storyline is a record of god's self-declosure to His creation.

The story of the Bible is how God has disclosed Himself to creation, especially to humans, which began in the beginning let there be light Peaked at the first coming of Christ and will culminate at His first coming of Christ and will culminate at His second coming.

God has revealed Himself to us through His Word.

As believers, if we want to know God, if we want to grow in our relationship with God, if we want to see God, if we want to be loyal to God, if we want to remain in God, we must do it through the method that he has set up and that is through His Word.

We must hear me.

We must be devoted to the apostles' teachings.

We must be devoted to the apostles' teachings, which means for us we must be devoted to the words of God in his scripture.

He continues on here and says we must be devoted to the fellowship, to the fellowship.

He says it right there.

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship.

Now, as good Baptists, when we hear the word fellowship, what do we think?

Eat food, absolutely, that's what we think.

And listen, absolutely that's what we think.

And listen, while that has a a part.

We're going to see that.

We're going to see that that part of this fellowship, he says, is the breaking of bread.

We're going to get there in a minute.

But listen, understand this word.

Fellowship carries way more than the idea of eating together.

The word fellowship here brings a family dynamic.

It brings a family dynamic among the believers.

He says right here in verse 44, and all who believed were together and had all things in common.

They were together and had all things in common.

Now, hear me, I've said this.

We're going to see this in the book of Acts.

That does not mean that they always thought the same thing, it doesn't mean that they always had the same thoughts and they always agreed about everything, but it means they have had all things in common.

Listen, as I was studying for this, I thought of an old song, now I remember from a youth.

It was sung by a guy named keith whitley and earl thomas conley.

It's a country song sorry, some of you it was.

It was recorded by other people.

Even the Montgomery boys have have recorded it again, but it was a song called brotherly love.

Listen, let me, let me read it.

Read it to you.

He says this we shared the same last name and the same color eyes, but we fought like tigers over that old red bike.

I'm batting first and you can't use my glove.

It wouldn't take long till push came to shove, but we looked out for each other with brotherly love.

Then it comes down in the course and says this there's a bond that brothers know and it gets stronger as they grow, a love that time and miles can't come between.

We disagree, but in the end there will never be two closer friends and brotherly love is something we all need.

Listen, I agree, brotherly love is something we all need.

Listen, I agree, brotherly love is something we all need.

And hear me, god has designed a way for us to have it.

It's called the church.

They were devoted to the fellowship.

They were devoted to each other.

It goes on and tells us some more of how they did it in verse 45.

And it says and they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all that had any need.

Now, this is not an idea of where there was just one pot and whatever they made, they went and took it in.

That's that's not the tense of the verb.

Here the tense of the verb is an imperfect tense, which means when it says they were selling.

Here's what it means.

It was an action that happened and it continued to happen.

So here's what would happen.

Here's the idea that when a need arose within the church, the church would come together and fulfill that need.

It wasn't one pot that they just went from.

There was a need, they fulfilled it.

Another need arose they fulfilled it.

We do something similar.

What happens?

What happens when a hurricane happens?

We give.

What happens when there's a fire?

Give.

There's needs, and I'm not saying we can't improve on that, but listen that they're that's kind of happening.

But but that that's the idea of what they were doing is they were, they were, they were helping out with each other as needs arose, they were taking care of those needs.

Another, another way here that we find that they were devoted to the fellowship and we saw it, we've already talked about it to the breaking of bread.

Now there's two aspects of the breaking of bread here that we see.

The first of these, I think he's talking about the Lord's Supper that they were breaking bread.

Concerning the Lord's Supper, in Luke, chapter 22, jesus instituted the Lord's Supper.

Luke 22 · chapter mention

It was the Passover.

He took the Passover with the disciples and after the Passover it says in 22, 19,.

It says and he took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying this is my body which is given for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.

And likewise he took the cup after they had eaten and saying this cup is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper and so the idea here was that the believers after him, after his crucifixion, after his resurrection, would continue on taking the Lord's Supper and it would be a reminder of what Jesus had done for them.

And we know that happens over in 1 Corinthians, chapter 11, paul writes to the church at Corinth For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said this is my body, which is for you.

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

Do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way also, he took the cup after supper, saying this cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me, for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

I think this breaking of bread that they were taking it points us to the Lord's Supper.

So here's what was happening with the believers they were taking the Lord's Supper as a reminder of what Jesus had done for them.

And hear me, we do that.

We take the Lord's Supper.

But listen, I'm not sure all the time.

When we take the Lord's Supper, we do it with the right mindset of it being a reminder of what Jesus had done for us.

Because, listen, as we do that, here's what we understand.

You came to Jesus the same way I came to Jesus Because he called us.

Because he called us, we all come to Jesus and are made brothers.

Through the blood of Jesus.

We are made brothers and sisters through the blood of Jesus and there's no pecking order and there's no right way.

We all come to Jesus the same way.

So as we take the Lord's Supper and are reminded of what Jesus did, that His body was broken, that His blood was poured out for us, it brings a unity among the body and we become listen to this because of what he did.

We become devoted to one another.

So they were taking the Lord's Supper.

Now let's get to the good stuff.

They were also just eating.

They were day by day.

They were meeting with each other.

It says in verse 46 day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes.

Now, this could have been the Lord's Supper, but it didn't have to be in verse 46, day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes.

Now, this could have been the Lord's Supper, but it didn't have to be.

I think another thing that they were doing is they were just eating together.

Listen, if we're honest with ourselves, there could be somebody who annoys us and irritates us, but when we take the time to sit down across the table and get to know someone, while we may not agree in everything.

Usually what happens is we grow in a relationship and a bond that, while we may disagree, we can still love each other.

They ate together.

There is a blessing in the table.

Now listen, I know you're sitting there saying, grant, what are you saying to me?

I can't cook for a whole bunch of people to come to my house.

I barely have time to cook for my family.

There's not many nights that my family sits around a table together.

What are we supposed to do?

We are still supposed to look for ways to build relationship.

Listen, we offer some opportunities here.

We offer some small groups.

You say, grant, we don't have small groups.

Well, we do.

On Sundays, we call them Sunday school.

It is an opportunity for you to get to know other people, to grow in a relationship.

Are you going to have Bible study in there?

You better, if you're not, come talk to me, but it's going to be an opportunity for you to get to know some people.

On Wednesday night, we have small group classes and those small group classes are intergenerational, so you can get to know people that you may never see any other time at church, can get to know people that you, that you may never see any other time at church.

I mean those crazy people that go to sunday school first and then come to church.

So you never get to see some of them, but on wednesday night you could.

And then there are some of you who have the gift of hosting or the gift of fellowship, and you're sitting there in your chair thinking we could do this and this and I could do this and I could do this, and I can do this.

And here, hear me tell you this don't bottle that up.

If God is, if the Spirit is moving in your life and you're you, he is giving you ideas of how we can build fellowship in our church.

Please, please, don't bottle that up.

Come talk to me, come talk to David or Laura or Bonnie.

Call the church office and say I have an idea.

Can I come talk to you?

Yes, you can come talk to me.

Let me go ahead and tell you, let's talk through some ideas.

If God is giving that, listen, if God's giving you that gift, let's use it.

Let's, don't bottle it up.

But here's the thing we as believers need to be devoted to the fellowship while it was breaking a bread for them.

In the 21st century, it may not be sitting around a table together and a meal that I have cooked, but there could be some way that we can sit around and grow in our relationship and we need to be devoted to that Also.

It's interesting Another thing that he says a way that we can be devoted to the fellowship is through the prayers, not just prayers, the prayers, not just prayers, the prayers.

Listen, I think the definite article, the, is there because these were designated times where they had come to pray together and they were devoted to it.

Verse 47 it says these prayers.

Here's what it led to.

It led to praising God Day by day.

They were going into the temple and praising God.

They were lifting God up, they were making much of God.

And listen to me, as we come together as believers and we make much about God and less about ourselves, you know what's going to happen with us.

We are going to grow closer, draw closer to each other, because we are all focused on Him, not on me.

They were dedicated to the prayers, to coming together, to meeting together, to talking with God, to conversing with God, to praising God.

And here's what happened, he says and having favor with all people.

Now you might say, grant, how does this relate to prayer?

Here's what I as we pray, god changes us.

Now, sometimes we pray for people and God does what he changes people Right.

But you know what happens most often when I pray?

God changes me Because I need a whole lot of changing and I think what is happening in this New Testament church.

As they are meeting together and praying together, god begins to change them and people begin to notice and they find favor, not because of what they are doing, but because of how God is working, how they are praising him, how they are praying to him, how they are meeting together as the body and the Lord added to their number day by day.

Those who are being saved Hear that devotion that they are having.

Hear the devotion that they are having to God Day by day.

People are coming to Christ, not week by week, not Sunday by Sunday.

This is not because people are bringing their friends to hear the apostles' teachings.

This is believers being devoted to the apostles' teachings, being devoted to the fellowship, who are going out and bearing witness about Christ day by day and by the power of the Holy Spirit, people are being added to their fellowship.

Here's the problem.

I think we have.

I think we have.

I think we are devoted to a lot of things today, but I'm not always convinced that we are devoted to these things.

There's a lot of things that draw our attention, but I don't know that it's always these things.

Oh church, hear me, hear me.

We need to be devoted to God and to each other.

Listen, I'm probably going to step on some toes and see what time it is and I need to hurry up.

I've pondered on whether to say this all week, but I'm just going to do it.

If you get mad at me, it won't be the first time somebody's been mad at me when I was a student minister, so it wasn't here.

When I was a student minister I don't know how many I'd have a parent come up to me and say, well, oh, oh, billy, he's grounded so he won't be at church tonight.

Now I'm going to make him go to baseball practice Because I mean he committed to being on the team and he needs to feel that commitment, but he's not going to come to church.

Do you know how messed up that is?

Hear me, hear me.

As believers, we should be devoted, committed.

We should be devoted, committed, constantly held to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, which means the church.

The church is not a well, I got time today or I don't have anything else this week.

The church is a family that we are united to by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and we should be devoted to Him and to His family.

I don't know where you are today.

We're about to enter a time of invitation.

What's going to happen is I'm going to pray for us.

After I pray, we're going to stand and we're going to sing a final song.

If you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, you are not part of the church.

I'm sorry, but you're not.

But Jesus made a way for you to be a part of his family, to be a part of something bigger than yourself, because we can't do that on our own.

To be a part of something bigger than yourself, because we can't do that on our own.

Jesus came, he lived, he died, he arose to make so we could be a part of His family, so we could be in relationship with Him.

And if you have never trusted in Him as your Savior, you're not a part, but we can change that today.

Today, you can place your faith in him and, as we stand and we sing this final hymn.

If you've never trusted him and today, today is the day of salvation for you listen, we'll be right down front.

We would love to pray with you and share with you how you can become a part of his family.

If you have, if you have trusted him, listen, your devotion is off.

Today needs to be a day of confession and repentance for you.

We'll be right down here, we will pray with you.

But if you don't want to come pray with us, listen, these steps are here.

We're going to make them into an altar.

Maybe you need to come kneel at this altar and confess and repent, because here's the good news Even as believers, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Maybe today you need to do some work.

Maybe today you need to repent and you need to shore up your devotion to Him.

If you're looking for a church home, listen, we would love to have you here.

We would love to have you to be a part of DeSoto Hills and as we sing, if you want to come forward, we will tell you how you can do that.

Listen, if God is moving in your life and you have a decision to make.

As we sing, in just a few moments, we invite you to come.

Let me pray for us.

God, thank you for today.

Thank you for how you love us.

Thank you for all you've done for us.

Spirit, as you are moving and working in our lives and in our hearts today, god, I pray that you will give us the faith that we need to make a decision for you, for those who need to trust you.

I pray that today will be the day of salvation For those who need to trust you.

I pray that today will be the day of salvation for those who need to devote themselves to you.

God, I pray that today will be the time of commitment for them.

God, whatever decision needs to be made in this place today, give us the faith to make that decision today.

We love you.

It's in your name we pray, amen.