In Acts 2:42-47, there were four key practices that contributed to the health of this new community: Devotion to the Word of God, fellowship, Corporate prayer, and worship.
Let's read Acts 2:42-47.
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.
44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47).
This was a living church. Tertullian records the Roman government’s observation of the early church, “How those Christians love each other; how they have fellowship (koinonia) one with the other.”
“Their foundation was built on the Word of God, ”
it informed all they did, it directed their fellowship, their prayer and their worship - it was the basis for their unity. Today we will focus on this church’s devotion to:
Prayer
Worship
Prayer
When we speak of prayer we are not speaking about a therapeutic, meditation-type exercise. We are not talking about an activity of bringing our lists to God and getting Him to do our will and make our plans happen.
The early church was a praying church, they gathered often, they knew the Word so they knew who God is and what His will is so they prayed according to His promises.
John wrote:
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us (1 John 5:14).
Prayer will bring the power of God into our lives and into the work He has called us to do.
When we come before God Almighty, His Spirit is faithful to show us our sins, our frailties, the need for repentance. He searches and knows our hearts and cleanses us from all unrighteousness when we confess our sins to Him. It is in prayer that God shows us His ways, teaches us His path, and guides us in truth.
“Prayer affects all of our relationships”
and our fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the church.
The God of the universe wants us to bring everything to Him in prayer, the biggest and smallest concerns and to trust Him to answer according to what will be best for us and others and, ultimately, bring glory to Himself.
Worship
46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved (Acts 2:46-47).
These true worshipers whom God seek are simply expressing an overflow of praise because of who God is and all He has done for us. Worship flows out of hearing the Word, praying the Word, and is expressed through praise and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to the Lord.
This church loved the Lord with all their heart, mind, and strength, they did not want to do anything without His direction.
“They included Him in every detail of life”
and in the church. These disciples were normal everyday people, they had families, work, responsibilities, and obligations to fulfill but worshiped God by being faithful to each of these areas of life.
We want our church to be one that prays, believing God for great things, we want to see God do new things in our church, in our lives, in the life of the church so we are a church that worships Him in spirit and truth so that we build a healthy church community. Let’s pray that He would give us a revelation of who He is and the reality of the forgiveness of sin and reconciliation to Him that came to us through Christ.
May He give us the strength and resolve to be a church that is devoted to the truth of His Word, to genuine fellowship, to corporate prayer, and true worship. May He help us to continue to build a healthy community.
