4 Devotions

March 9

(A Mini-Study of the Early Church)

Read: Acts 2:42-47

Devoted to 4 Things

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (v.42)

When we realize that we are living in the “last days” our priorities begin to change… or at least they should. What we are “devoted” to should be impacted by the reality that this life will come to an end and Christ will return one day. The early church gives us a glimpse into this truth.

There are 4 different things listed as being “devoted to”. This is not a hierarchy or list in order of importance. All 4 of these devotions are crucial for “last days living”. The irony is that we tend to give greater importance to some things on this list than others. This leads to an imbalance in our faith and lives. All of these areas require intentional time and “devotion”… they are all worthy and necessary in the lives of God’s people. Let’s take a look:

1.) Devoted to the Apostle’s teaching

We cannot really understand what the Christian life looks like apart from application and example. This is why Jesus “taught with authority” unlike the scribes and expounded on the scriptures. (cf. Matt 7:28 etc.) We need each other… using our gifts, explaining, and “teaching” one another through our actions and our words. This is how we understand how to live. This is how we will endure in these “last days”. The Apostles were the ones in that community who had experience walking with the Lord. As you read the rest of Acts you will see that teaching is not reserved only for Apostles. The priesthood of God’s people means that as followers of Christ mature we are to teach one another… explain… share experiences… lead by example. This is the most familiar of the 4 devotions in the list. Are you and I devoted to learning about the Christian walk? Do we seek the input of others who have gone before us? The Apostle’s teaching was teaching that came from observing the life of Christ… are we pouring over the life of Christ to see how WE ought to live? (Remember, Jesus’ arrival marked the beginning of the “last days” - hence Jesus is the PERFECT example of how to live in these last days.)

2.) Devoted to Fellowship

What an interesting thing to be “devoted” to. The truth is that we get the idea of being devoted to a spouse, our job, or a friendship… but what about the fellowship of believers? In the last days sometimes what we need is simply friendship… the presence of others. Not just towards the end of teaching… but also towards the end of FELLOWSHIP. There is a certain devotion to one another - fellow followers of Christ - that is crucial in the “last days”. This sort of community will not happen without effort. It requires intentionality. It does not have to be as complicated as we make it. (We will see this in the next area of “devotion”.) The primary way that Jesus “has our back” is through each other… “the fellowship”. This is something that goes beyond a Sunday morning gathering. This is not simply being devoted to “coming to church”… no this is a devotion to the body of Christ… the people AT the church. It is a noun here - not a verb.

3.) Devoted to Breaking Bread

How crazy is it that eating food together is just as important studying the teachings of Christ? The church was just as devoted to “breaking bread” together as they were the “Apostle’s teaching”. Maybe those old fashioned church pot lucks and “Wednesday dinners” are more crucial than we think. Maybe the way that we have the “Lord’s Supper” - a thimble of grape juice and an oyster cracker - is not much of a “supper” at all… but perhaps it should be. Think about how Jesus instituted the Lord’s supper / communion in the midst of an ACTUAL MEAL. Why is it that we don’t eat together like we used to? Families have become too busy for meals together. Churches have abandoned old traditions as antiquated. There is no longer a fellowship hall or kitchen built in to our metal box buildings. Maybe we have made eating together such a production that we don’t invite people over anymore to our homes because it takes so much effort to clean, tidy, and make presentable. I am not sure, but this is what I know - eating a meal together with other believers is crucial for our faith and “last days” living. Invite someone over for dinner. Take the time to sit down, have a glass of wine (like Jesus) or a cup of coffee. Laugh. Tell stories. Share prayer requests. Break bread. As crazy as it sounds, what we may most need right now is more “breaking bread” and less “Apostle’s teaching” if you know what I mean. (Don’t go taking my comment out of context now! You will get me in trouble. Lol)

4.) Devoted to “the Prayers”

This is not simply devoted to praying. There was a rhythm and schedule to prayer in the life of God’s people. This has taken on different forms in different denominations and traditions. What is important to note is that there is an intentional commitment and devotion to regularly praying. It is not a random event nor is it singular. The people of God thrive when we are in constant 2 way communication with the Lord through regular prayer. Again - this “devotion” is no less important than the gathering or the teaching that God’s people partake in. Have we developed a fear of scheduled prayer because we think of it as too stifling, liturgical, or part of a tradition that is not our own? Have our prayers become “one dimensional” ? There are different types of prayers and different times of praying. If you are interested in more examples, let me know. The point is that prayer must become more than an after thought in our lives… we cannot survive in the “last days” without it.

These are the “4 devotions” of the early church in the “last days”. Might we grow in faith and encouragement as we commit to these same things. Spend some time studying today, or better yet teaching someone else… sharing your experience with the Lord… modeling Christian life. Reach out to a friend and invite them to share a meal… have a family over… organize a time for 2 or 3 families to hang out, eat, laugh, pray, and maybe even sing. Break bread this week with a brother or sister in Christ. Set a daily alarm on your phone or watch and commit to pray at that time for the rest of this month. This is the Christian life… not as complicated as we have made it out to be huh? Love you guys! - JDP