“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).
When I think of this special event, I reflect on how Jesus initiated breaking of bread as one of the most important and vital events in the life of His followers and the Church. Please read this with thoughtful meditation. “And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” (Luke 22:15). Why? Remember that the Passover was given by God to Israel as the memorial of their deliverance from the bondage imposed by Egypt. The deliverance was not only from bondage (slavery), but from death (the firstborn). Now consider your own deliverance that was purchased at the cost of God's Son, "a lamb without blemish (sin)" (Hebrews 4:15), yet made sin for us that we might be given the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). The sheer moral weight of our deliverance should cause us to take far more seriously the Lord's Supper. Paul's perspective helps us to bring the link between Israel's deliverance and ours. “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin...and having been set free from sin, have become slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18). What a tremendous reason to participate in the breaking of bread with the soul-impacting power by the Holy Spirit!
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“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).
Let's take a moment to think about "fellowship," which we often refer to by the Greek word "koinōnia." This means "close association, sharing, and willingly contributing to the benefit of the whole." I am sure that many think we do this in many of our church activities, but are they fulfilling the meaning as the Early Church experienced it? Before I give my thoughts, let me ask you, how is this practically being worked out in your church setting? We often associate "fellowship" with a meal or some activity that has no spiritual content. In many of these events I hear discussion over the latest ball games or favorite players. In certain parts of our country conversations revolve around fishing or hunting and the latest success stories. The Early Church discussions were more about "selling their possessions and belongings" so they could meet the needs of many who were being added to the Church. Their gatherings focused on accepting what they received "with glad and generous hearts" (2:46). If our hearts are more Christ focused, I am sure our fellowship will be richer in fellowship. “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). Since I have visited hundreds of churches over the years in many diverse cultures, they cause me to reflect on this passage more carefully.
I often ask the question; why do some fellowships put extreme emphasis on one of these devotions and not the others? Luke clearly gives equal weight to each of the four. He does not prescribe how often any of these are to be done, but the word "devoted" conveys a commitment and constant practice that demonstrated the importance of each. What was the result of this devotion? “...praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Why is it that prayer is often at the bottom of a church's priority, either by how often it is practiced or by the amount of time given to it. My answer to this question is that we rely on human programs to accomplish what only God can do. Part of this imbalance is the individual preparation and attitude of the heart. Personal devotion is NOT synonymous with busyness in ministry. This point is so important that I will give it more attention in "fellowship and the breaking of bread" in the next blog. I well remember being in this country of S. E. Asia many years ago and feeling the warmth of fellowship with the pastors who were present for five days of training using God's Plan for His Church (GPHC). The circumstances required a high level of vigilance for the safety of those there. I still have the hand-made Bible cover by the wife of a pastor who lost his life for being faithful in preaching the gospel.
Now on May 3rd to 8th, part of our team will visit villages with some precious new believers who have completed God's Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) and are now working through GPHC. They will have a training conference with key leaders from various locations who completed GPHD and then introduce GPHC to those who have not started. In a place where these leaders are very much in the minority, pray that this training will prepare them for what God wants to do through them, now and in the future. One of the most exciting aspects of this ministry is watching the 'despised' of this world gaining a new love for God's Word with Spirit-filled confidence that they can share what they learn with others. This is a mark of an indigenous movement of God. In the next few days (with updates in between), I want to highlight some key points about the Early Church and why it grew and expanded so rapidly. There are some clear and simple biblical principles we can follow that make a world of difference. Where do we begin?
1) The Church began on the Day of PENTECOST in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit filled the 120 who met for ten days and prayed. Have we forgotten the critical role of prayer? Throughout Acts we see that part of the Church's DNA was that every new opportunity, everything they faced (opposition and trials), and much more were started, faced, and accomplished by prayer. The connection with Christ our Head is through His Word and prayer. 2) Through preaching the gospel by the apostles, many believed and were baptized by the Spirit into one body (1 Cor. 12:13). In fact, Peter's first preaching shattered his fumbling record of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time so that when his audience "heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent"" Acts 2:37-38). Question: is our preaching producing repentance through coercion or through the Spirit's power in the Word? It makes a huge difference! It has often been my privilege to visit this S. E. Asian country and spend time investing in those who are hungry for God's Word and want to be able to handle it better so others will grow and mature in their faith from biblical preaching and teaching.
April 29 - May 3: A large training conference in the southern area with over a hundred key pastors and leaders who come from all over this country. This training conference will include workshops on subjects that will equip the leaders with biblical tools, especially for the conditions where they live. God's Plan for His Church (GPHC) is the main resource for this event. Please pray for our team and these leaders to know the Spirit's special work to equip them for powerful ministry in this country. There are several results that happen from events like this.
If you have never experienced this kind of change from the study of God's Word, we invite you to get our material and start the journey TODAY I have no doubt that all who are sincere followers of Jesus would agree that strong biblical households are very important to strong local churches. We should not be afraid to discover that God requires strong households for church leadership. Let's look at Paul's instructions:
“He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1 Timothy 3:4–5). Many other instructions go along with this which are equally important, and we can look at those another time. For now, see how Paul connects our individual households to the Church later in the chapter. “If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Not only does Paul link these concepts together, but he also goes so far as to explain that "the household of God" is what upholds God's truth. If the Church is going to do this, where does this process begin? With leaders! I encourage you to start looking at this, NOT from your role as a leader in the Church, but from the point of God's truth and glory! We have been looking at the Early Church and the importance of households that played a role in the expansion of the gospel and the Church. This subject was on Paul's mind, and he does not forget those households that were part of this growth. Here are two of his references that underscore this point.
“Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house” (Romans 16:3–5). Paul refers to their house again in 1 Corinthians 16:19. “Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house” (Colossians 4:15). If Paul visited a local church in your home, what would he record about his visit? Our houses and families are a vital connection to the Church and the advancement of the gospel. We will look at this in more depth in the days ahead. One of the most effective households in the Early Church began in very unlikely conditions. Paul and Silas were led by the Holy Spirit to leave Galatia and sail from Troas through several ports until they came to Philippi. The first encounter with local people was "where they supposed was a place of prayer" (Acts 16:13). In speaking with women who came together for this purpose, they met Lydia "who was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul" (14). This led to her, and her household, believing in the Lord Jesus and being baptized.
All was not well though! Paul and Silas met a slave girl "who had a spirit of divination that brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling" (16). Paul commanded the spirit to come out of her and "it came out that very hour" (18). This event caused major problems with her owners who dragged them to the rulers who then put Paul and Silas in prison. I assume those reading this are familiar with the prison story. God used an earthquake to bring a crisis in the life of a jailor so that he and his household hear the gospel and are saved. Not only is another household brought into the Church, but they and Lydia are used to form a local church that had a special relationship with Paul the church planter. I remind us of God's objective that is clearly seen in the Book of Acts. Whole households are the major backbone of the Church. It is little wonder that Paul's writings give significant attention to family and household order. We must give our attention to this important subject in his writings so we also give it high priority in our evangelizing and ministry. Joshua 24:15 is often the "go to" verse when speaking about leadership in our homes. I fully agree that in a declining nation and society, Joshua is a great example of a godly man who leads his family in a time of Church weakness in a godless nation.
As we look for examples after the Church is formed in Acts 2, the first household that comes under the teaching of the gospel is Cornelius' in Chapter 10. He could have gone to where Peter was and heard the gospel presented, but the "angel of God" appeared to Cornelius with instructions to send "men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter" (10:50) to Caesarea where his family and household was. There is a divine purpose behind these instructions. If Cornelius had gone to where Peter was, he could have heard the gospel, believed, and gone home and shared what he had learned and received. God's way had a two-fold objective;
While salvation is an individual transaction, God also intends that we look for opportunities and ways to impact households that God will use for the spread and growth of the Church. |
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