A Disciple's Devotion
To keep a car operating at peak performance, there are basic things that must be done as a part of its ongoing maintenance - a regular oil and filter change, balancing and rotation of the tires, and, finally, putting gas in the car.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47 NIV)
In summary, the believer's life is to be marked by devotion. This is a discipleship moment. As Jesus commissioned His followers to go into all the world and make disciples, these are the practical things that you are to live and teach so that others might learn how to effectively follow Jesus.
What does devotion to the apostles' teaching look like? To fellowship (shared life through a devotion to His church)? To the breaking of bread? To prayer?
The fellowship (this is the rotation of the tires)
The biblical word for fellowship (Greek word: koinonia) literally meant a shared life. It meant that the people were not just occasionally or sporadically hanging out with one another, but there was a unified story that was being built through their lives together as they each participated in and contributed to the plans of God within their local community.
This generation is terrible to a new level at relationships. It is so easy to think that you have what you need by watching your favorite sitcom or talking to someone via cyberspace, but never have the transparency that comes through devoted relationship.
The Innovation of Loneliness: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c6Bkr_udado
Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you— better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away. (Proverbs 27:10 NIV)
You must have ongoing, sincere, and devoted local church community if you are going to truly thrive and fulfill the purposes of God where He has you in each season of life.
“Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.” ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
1) Community Counts - Not just anyone will do. You need to find your identity with Jesus and His family, not just those you happen to be associated with.
You need real Christian friends to have the true biblical fellowship that God is speaking about here. They are those that love you, know you, provoke you to a greater love for, pursuit of, and obedience to Jesus. Speaking by the Holy Spirit, Paul said it this way:
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NIV) Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV)
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22 NIV)
Have you been truly added to His church? Are you sharing life with other Christians and playing a vital role in the local community of faith?
As a result of the entire church being on mission with Jesus, more and more men, women, and children were continually saved and added to the church.
What you need to develop in God will not rest in you alone. He often deposits it in someone else, another part of the body, so that you might not be allowed to live in self-sufficiency and isolation. What local believers have you connected with and ventured to share life with? This is true biblical fellowship in every season of your life.
2) Consistency Creates Character
Consistency is the essence of devotion. Much of the instability that people feel today in their relationships and souls comes from a lack of consistency that was demonstrated toward them in the most formative relationships in their lives. The good news is that God in His character is faithful, and expects nothing less from us. If you only do things when it seems convenient to you or easy for you, you will never become or achieve much. The way of the cross is one of extreme sacrifice but exceeding joy. It is the way of Jesus. Don't show up only when it is easy. Put God first, and He'll take care of what is best for and important to you.
The Breaking of Bread (this is the balancing of the tires)
The breaking of bread has been cited by many scholars to imply the sacrament of communion. Communion is a continual re-centering on the atoning work of Jesus on the cross to bring us reconciliation with Almighty God. In addition to this, the believers ate with one another and enjoyed one another's company, encouraging and being encouraged in the purposes of Jesus.
Corporate Prayer (this is the gas for your car)
It is the reliance on an individualized faith that eventually sucks the life and zeal of God out of any follower of Jesus, because it was never meant to be a solo sport. A devotion to corporate prayer allowed the disciples to move from a place of solely being concerned about their personal needs to having a lifted vision for the Kingdom of God in their city. It does the same for you and I today. Every Friday night, we have an opportunity to cry out to God together for His gospel-centered, renewing work in our lives, the city, and the nations. We invite you to join us.
The result of the church expressing that type of devotion to Jesus is that they saw God add to their number daily those who are being saved. This is what we believe to be a part of through the God-fearing, Bible preaching churches in the city. Those who came to Jesus were discipled (taught how to obey the commands of Jesus and live as a Christian in their everyday world), baptized, and trained to be multiplying leaders (II Timothy 2:2). This is the content of our "Next Steps." We encourage you to find your place in the process to serve in the church and through it. This week, we will finish our first round of the Roots class, followed by the Making Disciples Class starting next week for anyone interested in becoming a future community group leader.
“The church exists primarily for two closely correlated purposes: to worship God and to work for his kingdom in the world ... The church also exists for a third purpose, which serves the other two: to encourage one another, to build one another up in faith, to pray with and for one another, to learn from one another and teach one another, and to set one another examples to follow, challenges to take up, and urgent tasks to perform. This is all part of what is known loosely as fellowship.” ― N. T. Wright, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense
Second City Church- Chicago Fire: The Spirit-Led Church in the City Sermon Series 2014