In our last lesson from Acts 2 and 42 you’ll remember our lesson was titled Addicted to the Word and Work. At verse 42 Luke records how the early church lived out their new faith. Where the NKJV translates, “they continued steadfastly” I like the NASB wording, “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:24 NASB).
• We did define the term “continued steadfastly” from the Greek word PROS-KAR-TER-EH-O as meaning “to give constant attention : to be devoted or constant to one”
• They were addicted or devoted to: 1. The Apostles Teaching / Doctrine, 2. To Fellowship, 3. To the Breading of Bread – the Lord’s Supper and 4. to Prayer
Being devoted to the apostles teaching means their focus comes from only one place—the word of God, as Paul wrote, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
That they were continually showing devotion to the Word brings a necessary conclusion: That was devoting time and energy to those things. To them it wasn’t, “well, if we must”, nor was it, “I have other important things to do”, or “I must balance my time and energy between the world and God”. “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:24 NASB).
• Question: Why is devotion to the study of God’s word so vital for the church?
• What happens to a church / it’s members / when devotion to God’s word becomes weak, or unimportant?
We must be honest with ourselves – left to our own way of thinking we’ll end up utterly lost, and without hope.
• Paul wrote about THE NEW MAN: “17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as [a]the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” – (Eph. 4:17-18).
What changed those saints from walking in the futility of their mind?
• What cured their ignorance, what took away the blindness of their heart?
• What raised them from having no hope—to having living with all hope?
• The answer is FOUND IN VERSES 20 THROUGH 24: “20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:20-24).
But you have not so learned – – –