A. The Bible says that the early church “devoted themselves…” to a number of things. (NIV)
1. Some of the other translations express the phrase “devoted themselves” slightly differently.
a. KJV: And they continued steadfastly
b. NASV: They were continually devoting themselves
2. Their devotion wasn’t a past-tense type devotion, but an ongoing continual type of devotion.
3. What does it mean to be devoted?
a. Dictionary definitions describe it like this: love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.
b. The act of devoting or the quality of being devoted. : strong love, affection, or dedication.
B. Devotion is a good and powerful thing.
1. When we think of devotion, we often think of a devoted mother or father and we picture them staying up all night with their sick child, or carting them all over the place to their activities.
a. Or we think of a devoted lover who will drive 1000 miles just to say hello and turn around and drive back home.
b. Or we think about a devoted sports fan who buys all their team’s garb and watches all their games.
c. Or we think of someone who is devoted to a company or a cause.
2. I like the story told about Abert Einstein who attended a dinner party one evening.
a. A young, college student was seated beside him.
b. The student didn’t know who Einstein was.
c. In the course of their conversation the young student asked the white-haired scientist, “What are you actually by profession?”
d. Einstein replied: “I devote myself to the study of physics.”
e. The student looked at him in astonishment and said, “You are still studying physics at your age? I finished my study of physics a year ago.”
f. There’s a big difference in taking a course in physics and being devoted to the study of physics. Right?
g. And as we will see, there’s a difference between studying the apostles’ teaching and being devoted to the apostles’ teaching.
3. I’ve always been amazed at the devotion of Olympic athletes because there are four years between the Olympics and that’s a long time in between to keep training for an event that is four years away.
a. Sanya Richards-Ross is a Jamaican-American track and field athlete.
b. In 2008, Sanya Richards-Ross competed in the 400 Meter in Beijing.
1. She started the race strong and built a substantial lead but then ran out of steam on the home stretch and finished third for the Bronze.
c. Four years later, in 2012, she competed again in the 400 Meter in the London Olympics.
1. For four long years, Sanya Richards-Ross waited.
2. For four years she waited with the hunger pangs of unfinished business and the sense of an uncompleted mission.
3. When they introduced her before the 400 meters in London, she blew a kiss to the crowd, then won the gold medal she had worked tirelessly for since Beijing.
C. Just as Sanya Richards-Ross and Albert Einstein were devoted to their pursuits, the early Christians in Acts 2 modeled devotion to Christ.
1. Those early Christians were intentional and disciplined about the process of be devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
2. They were steadfast and single minded in purpose and so they devoted themselves.
3. God is pleased when disciples of Jesus are devoted in the same ways as the early disciples.
D. Let’s pause for a moment and reflect on how early Acts 2 was in the history of Christianity.
1. Jesus died during the Jewish Passover on or around the year of AD 30.
2. Jesus arose on the 3rd day and then made appearances to the apostles and His followers for the next 40 days.
3. Ten days after Jesus ascended back to heaven, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles on the Day of Pentecost and Peter preached the first Gospel sermon and 3000 people responded to the invitation and were baptized into Christ and the church began that day.
4. How much time do you think took place between Acts 2:41 - “3000 were baptized and added to their number,” and Acts 2:42 – “they devoted themselves…”? Probably not much.
5. What we see reflected in Acts 2:42 is likely a reflection of what immediately took place in the life of the early church – this is what those first Christians did…they devoted themselves.
6. Speaking of how early in Christianity this was, keep mind that Saul of Tarsus, better known as the apostle Paul, hadn’t yet become a persecutor of the church which would then later lead to his conversion to Christ.
E. Let’s now turn our focus to the first of the things that those early Christians were continually devoting themselves to and it was the apostles’ teaching or apostles doctrine.
1. They devoted themselves to the truths that the apostles were teaching.
2. So, in other words, the early Christians were studying their New Testaments every day, right?
3. Wrong! The New Testament had not yet been written.
4. So, if this was 30 AD, then first New Testament book wouldn’t be written for 20 or so years.
5. Many believe that Galatians was the first letter of Paul and was written 48 or 49 AD.
6. The rest of Paul’s letters were likely written in the decades of the AD 50s and 60s.
7. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were probably written in the late 50s or early 60s.
8. John’s Gospel and letters were written in the 70s-90s, with Revelation being around 95AD.
9. Then even after those documents were written, it would be centuries before they were canonized and readily available to church leaders.
10. But then, it wouldn’t be until the invention of the printing press in 1436, that mass production and circulation of the Bible would be possible.
11. Can you see how blessed we are today to have the Bible so accessible to us – all of us likely have many printed copies and we have easy access to as many electronic copies and translations that we want.
12. Can you imagine how envious those early Christians would be of us if they knew what we had?
F. So, if those early Christians didn’t have copies of the New Testament, then what was the apostles’ teaching that they were so devoted to?
1. The apostles’ teaching was the verbal instruction that the apostles were delivering to the early church on a daily basis as they met in the temple courts and in their homes on a daily basis.
2. The apostles were the conduit of the teachings of Jesus and the will of God conveyed through the Holy Spirit.
3. It’s interesting to me that they phrase isn’t “they devoted themselves to the teachings of Jesus” rather it is “they devoted themselves to the teachings of the apostles.”
4. But in reality, the teachings of the apostles are the teachings of Jesus and so much more.
5. On the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, He told His disciples: 12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.” (Jn. 16:12-15)
G. To say that those early Christians were devoted to the apostles’ teaching indicates that they understood the authority and the inspiration of the apostles.
1. They understood that the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. (Eph. 2:20)
2. Today, we have easy access to the teachings of Jesus and His apostles through the NT.
3. The New Testament is made up of the writings of the apostles or by those who were closely associated with the apostles.
a. Matthew was written by Matthew, who was an apostle.
b. Mark was written by Mark, a disciple associated with the apostle Peter.
c. Luke and Acts were written by Luke, a disciple associated with the apostle Paul.
d. John was written by John, who was an apostle, who also wrote the letters of 1st , 2nd , and 3rd John, and Revelation.
e. The apostle Paul wrote the bulk the rest of the New Testament (Romans, 1 &2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and probably Hebrews.
f. The apostle Peter wrote 1 & 2 Peter.
g. Jude and James were written by the half-brothers of Jesus and the letters bear their names.
4. All the writings of these men contain the truths that God wanted communicated and preserved for the benefit of the church.
a. It is truly a miracle of God that the Bible was written and has been preserved and protected all these years.
b. Many people tried to destroy the Bible through criticism and persecution and some have tried to rid the world of the Bible, and yet the Bible remains as strong and vital as ever.
H. Just like those early Christians, it is our duty and honor to receive the apostles’ teaching and be devoted to it.
1. It is not our job to stand in judgment of it or to pick and choose which doctrines we like or don’t like.
2. It is our job to believe it and to obey it.
3. Have you ever heard of the Jefferson Bible?
a. Thomas Jefferson was a fan of the life and morals of Jesus, but he was not a fan of anything miraculous or supernatural.
b. So, using a razor and some glue, Jefferson cut and pasted his arrangement of selected verses of the New Testament into his personal “Bible.”
c. One of Jefferson’s “Bibles” was called “The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth” and was completed in 1804, but no copies exist today.
d. His second work, called “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth” was completed in 1820 and is commonly referred to as the “Jefferson Bible” and is owned by the Smithsonian Museum.
4. Now, few people have been so bold as Jefferson to create their own personal Bible by cutting and pasting what they like and discarding what they don’t like, but many people exhibit the same kind of attitude.
a. Many people approach the Bible like it is a cafeteria style buffet – where they can pick and choose what they like and dislike.
b. I have heard about “Red Letter” Christians who like and follow only the teachings of Jesus and discard everything else in the Bible.
c. I have heard others say that the Bible contains the Word of God, but the whole Bible isn’t from God, and so they judge what parts of the Bible they think is from God.
d. Other people come with the attitude of judgment that says, “I can’t believe in a God who would, for instance: “create man before woman” or “destroy Sodom and Gomorrah” or “send people to hell.”
e. I heard someone else recently say this about the letters of Paul: “Well, those are just letters he wrote to someone else, and they don’t have anything to do with us.”
f. The apostle Peter referred to Paul’s letters as Scripture (2 Pt. 3:15-16), and Paul instructed that his letters be shared among the churches because they contained God’s instructions (Col. 4:16).
5. Other people don’t deny what the Bible says, but just excuse themselves from following it.
a. I had a Lutheran preacher who took me to lunch to discuss what our church taught.
b. One of his church members was dating one of our church members and they were studying together and he wanted to know if what our member was teaching was what we believed.
c. He described what our member was teaching and I said that is what we believe and teach.
d. He then said, “Of course, you guys are right about the word for baptism meaning immersion, anyone who studies Greek knows it means to dip, or immerse, but we are Lutherans and we don’t do it that way.”
e. I was taken back by how easily he could say, “That’s what the Bible says and means, but we are going to do it some other way.”
I. So, how can we be devoted to the apostles’ teaching?
1. We can read, study, and obey the apostles’ teachings.
2. We can do what Paul told Timothy to do:
a. Give your attention to public reading, exhortation, and teaching. (1 Tim. 4:13)
b. What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Tim. 2:2)
c. Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15)
3. We can do what Peter told us to do: 2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, 3 if you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Pt. 2:2-3)
4. We can do what Paul said to do: 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. (Eph. 6:13-17)
a. The Bible is so important in guaranteeing our survival and victory in the spiritual battle.
5. We can do what Jude said: I found it necessary to write, appealing to you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all. (Jude 1:3)
a. There are many false teachers and false teachings that can lead us astray, so we must be on guard and we must contend for the one true faith delivered through the apostles’ teaching.
6. We can be sure we stick with the true Gospel of Christ as Paul admonished us: 6 I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — 7 not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him! 9 As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him! (Gal. 1:6-9)
a. Those are harsh words, but they are needed words.
7. We can be sure we don’t add anything to God’s Word or take anything away from it: 18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. 19 And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, which are written about in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19)
a. That is a suitable ending to the book of Revelation and the last book of the Bible.
b. We must not add anything or take anything away from the Word of God.
c. Anything anyone says about the Word of God is not equal with the Word of God.
d. What God’s Word says is the truth, but what anyone says about the Word of God may or may not be the truth!
e. I hope we will continue to practice the “back to the Bible” principles of the Restoration Movement:
1. “No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible.”
2. “Do Bible things in Bible ways; call Bible things by Bible names.”
3. “Where the Scriptures speak we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent.”
4. “In matters of faith, unity; in matters of opinion liberty; in all things, charity (love).”
f. I love the fact that as churches of Christ we have sought to have Scriptural authority for everything we teach and practice in our churches and in our lives.
h. I heard the story of a young Christian man who had been dating a sweet young lady for some time.
1. He really wanted to kiss her, but he couldn’t find any Scripture that authorized such action.
2. He told the young woman of his predicament, and they poured over the Bible, searching for a reference that would authorize their first kiss.
3. Finally, one night after a date, as he took the young woman to her door, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a big long kiss on the lips.
4. When the young man came up for air, he sputtered, “Where’s your Scripture for this? Where’s your Scripture for this?”
5. She sweetly replied, “Matthew 7:12 – In everything, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
6. Sounds Scriptural to me, what do you think?
J. So, let’s be like the early church and devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching.
1. Let’s believe it.
2. Let’s stand on it.
3. Let’s put it into practice – not be hearers only, but be doers” (James 1:22)
4. Let’s share it with others – it is the word of life, it is a light for our path, it is food for our souls, and it can keep us from destruction and lead us to eternal life.
5. And let’s remember that the Word of God is one of the only things that will last forever.
a. Isaiah 40:8 says: The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
b. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Mt. 24:35)
c. Peter wrote: But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. (1 Pt. 1:25)
K. Let me end with a poem called “The Anvil and the Hammer” by John Clifford.
Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
When looking in, I saw upon the floor,
Old hammers worn with beating years of time.
"How many anvils have you had," said I,
“To wear and batter these hammers so?"
"Just one," said he; then with a twinkling eye,
"The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."
And so, I thought, the anvil of God's Word,
For ages, skeptics blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed - the hammers gone.
L. Like the anvil, God’s Word has stood the test of time and criticism.
1. It is unmoved and unchanged, and it will remain for eternity.
2. The Bible is God’s Word, and the New Testament contains the teachings of Jesus and His apostles.
3. Let’s be continually devoted to the Apostles’ teaching by walking in obedience as disciples of Jesus Christ and by teaching others to be devoted to the apostles’ teaching.
