And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers and awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.
Acts 2:42
It’s hard. We live in a time that doesn’t seem to make sense. People experience so much hurt, disease, death, and division in our society. And as if that isn’t enough, churches now meet in new and sometimes unfamiliar ways. I’ve never seen such uncertainty and fear in my lifetime. Some may even say we are in a difficult predicament as a church because of regulations placed on meeting group size and other precautions to provide safety to those who want to get together and worship. So what do we do? How do we do what is normal for us? What is even normal anymore?
They were devoted
The first thing I see in the early church is that they found a way to get it done. They devoted themselves. I’ve always heard if you set your mind to something, you can accomplish almost anything. The early church embraced this mindset. I’ve often wondered what the early church would have been like if they formed in the 21st century. How much technology would they have incorporated into their journey with the Lord? How would they define community within a group of Christ-followers?
Devotion is a powerful motivator, and the early church had much to overcome. They were a fledgling group of Christ-followers with a new motivation in life, and because their life-change was real, they lived a new reality with confidence in God. I believe the first thing we should ask ourselves is, have we had the life-change that only Christ can provide us through salvation? That is where our devotion must always begin.
They were devoted to learning
Some people love to learn, and some people struggle with it. I’ve always struggled with learning. I enjoy it, but I struggle with it. Is anyone else in that situation? These early Christ-followers were like hungry children choking down pizza and macaroni and cheese! They couldn’t get enough! They devoted themselves to learn as much about Christ from the ones who authentically knew him.
They had a front-row seat in a classroom taught by those who walked and talked with Jesus for several years. They saw value in learning, and I’m sure they understood the importance of practicing what they learned. When you devote yourselves to something, you do what it takes, and they got it done in the middle of difficult situations.
Can you imagine Peter, James, and John as they got online with 3000 believers on a Zoom call to tell them about some of the experiences they had with Jesus? I think the early church may have exhausted every means possible to grow in learning.
They were devoted to community
The early church found a way to have fellowship. I know fellowship is a very “churchy” word. Still, it is a beautiful picture of different kinds of people getting together and sharing time while valuing those differences. There was no early church building or rented space, and there were no plans to purchase acreage to build extensive facilities.
The early church was devoted to an authentic community and did what it took to experience that community.
We live in a “pandemic” society filled with so many different opinions about how we should protect those most vulnerable. I’m almost one of those most vulnerable. I’m nearly 52 and have an underlying condition of enjoying food way too much. This affinity towards food might put me in a different category than some. I’ve heard I need to social distance from food, but I’m not sure. But I think the real question is, what will we do to experience authentic community given that we have so many ways to contact and share with others? The early church found a way to grasp this important concept. Do you think the early church would have used Zoom calls to encourage and meet with others in a kind of community? I think maybe so. Devotion finds a way to accomplish its task.
They were devoted to praying
Praying is not always easy, and it would take books and books to explain prayer. But, I want you to see that the early church devoted themselves to pray. Prayer was not just some exercise they went through to check off the “Christ-like” boxes every day. They believed God when they prayed. The early church understood the necessity of prayer in their daily lives and understood that they had complete access to God through Christ (Ephesians 2:18). They no longer needed a priest to intercede for them. They had individual and personal access to God. We’ve never known any different. We’ve always had that kind of access.
Do you believe when you pray? When the early church prayed, God moved in significant ways. Have we lost the wonder of prayer in our lives? When is the last time you prayed fervently and cried out to the Lord? Did the early church always get it right when they prayed? Absolutely not. They were beginners and a bunch of novices. Prayer was all new to them, but they devoted themselves to it because it was a necessary component to provide protection and encouragement to them in the middle of the battles they faced each day.
We’re no different. Prayer does the same for us. It prepares us to enter a hostile and fear-filled world with some beautiful assurances of God’s love and provision for us. Will you devote yourself to prayer today? Try it for a day, a week, or a month. Try it and see God move in considerable ways in your life. You don’t have to be a pro; you have to pray. Will you take some time today and find a quiet place to pray? All God to speak through His word (the Bible) to you.
Once you begin praying, you will understand why the early church devoted themselves to it. When we pray, God hears.