Common Qualities of an Uncommon people
Topic: We need to remain devoted in our spiritual walk
In Acts 2 the church was born and it had a collective spiritual experience. The Spirit came upon them; they were a united, devoted, worshiping community of believers.
• 3000 Saved - 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Acts 2:40-41
• Peter heals the lame man at the Temple gate - Acts 3:2
• Peter raises the disciple Tabitha - 9, 36-42
• Paul raises the young man Eutychus - 20, 9-12
• Paul cures the lame man of Lystra - 14, 7-9
How was this possible? God did his part, we must do ours!
Acts 2:42 NIV
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer
When you hear the word devoted, we usually think of something good, a devoted mother.
If I am sick and need a doctor, I want a devoted doctor, particularly if it is surgery, I want it to be a devoted surgeon, not somebody devoted to their boat or their investments, but someone who is devoted to their craft, someone who tries to keep up with the latest developments, who really wants to do the best possible for their patients. Devotion is a good thing.
In this passage in the Book of Acts, we see the early church, and it talks about them being devoted to certain things.
1. The church was unified (Acts 2:44), magnified (Acts 2:47 a), and multiplied (Acts 2:47 b).
2. The Christians you meet in the Book of Acts were not content to meet once a week for "services as usual."
They met daily (Acts 2:46), cared daily (Acts 6:1), won souls daily (Acts 2:47), searched the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11), and increased in number daily (Acts 16:5).
3. Their Christian faith was a day-to-day reality, not a once-a-week routine.
Why? Because the risen Christ was a living reality to them, and His resurrection power was at work in their lives through the Spirit.
4. They Allowed the Holy Spirit to work within their lives.
Acts 2:42 NIV
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer
The bottom line is this: Our church will only grow in relation to God's ability to bless and work among us.
It will grow in proportion to how we devote ourselves to the Word of God, Fellowship, Breaking of Bread, and Prayer
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT? - LOOK AT THE PROBLEMS THE CHURCH LOCATED CORINTH, THEY NEGLECTED, WORD OF GOD, FELLOWSHIP, COMMUNION, AND PRAYER
The church was established on Pentecost in Acts, which can be dated in the range of the years 29 to 33A.D.
In A.D. 56 or 57 - Paul wrote his First Letter to the Corinthians. Look at what happened in a few years
• Divisions in the church (1:4-4:21)
1 Cor 1:10-12
10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."
• Not understanding the Gospel (1:17-2:16)
1 Cor 2:12-15
13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
• Immature in their spiritual development
1 Cor 3:1-3
3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly — mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly.
• They had jealousy and quarreling among themselves
1 Cor 3:3-9
For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe — as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
• Without Godliness imputed, we become self rightous
1 Cor 3:18-23
18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; 20 and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." 21 So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
• They openly tolerated sin among themselves
1 Cor 5:1-5
5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
WE NEED TO DEVOTE OURSELVES ALSO TO THE, WORD OF GOD – FELLOWSHIP – COMMUNION – PRAYER, TO MAKE SURE WE DON’T GET A UNSPIRITUAL YEAST INFECTION!
1 Cor 5:6-8
6 Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast — as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
