Part 1 is a video:

Part 2 the video didn’t work so here are the notes:

#2. Devoted to worshipping the Lord.

He was now center, not just a part.

These early followers were being reminded and taught about the instruction of Jesus Christ, understanding the message of What was to be witnessed, armoring up and banding together against persecution, and praying for one another to be filled with the HS to continue their mission against all odds.

We see in Acts 4 Peter and John get arrested. Miraculously released because The Jewish rulers found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done (healing a disabled man after 40 years).

They come back to their band of brothers and sisters and pray for boldness to continue to preach the word of God boldly! That “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 

Remember In Acts 1 Jesus says GO, But wait! Your mission (their mission and ours): Glorify God in all that you do; point to Me in every sermon, message, testimony; rely on the HS not your flesh. This can’t be about you, by you, or because of you.

I imagine Peter and John saying, “This is hard y’all. We just got arrested. Almost jailed. People are after us. Woohoo we preached Jesus though. The words just came out. We told them we can’t stop. This is what we did, let this testimony of our witnessing encourage you. But wow, we gotta go back out, now help encourage us.”

“When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them. (Acts 4:24)….”And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly. (Acts 4:29-31).

They were devoted to worshipping the Lord and devoted to spurring on one another to keep doing it.

#3 Spur one Another on.

The Bible says we gather for one another.

In Ecclesiastes….What cord of strands is not easily broken? A cord of three. Not one. One is easily broken. Want to stand against the wavering winds of doctrine, the schemes of the evil one, the temptation to live in the flesh, tie yourself closely with like-minded believers and Get KNOTTED UP!

Scripture commands us to be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10), honor one another (Romans 12:10), live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16; 1 Peter 3:8), accept one another (Romans 15:7), serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13), be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32), admonish one another (Colossians 3:16), encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13), spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24), offer hospitality (1 Peter 4:9), and love one another (1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11; 3:23; 4:7; 4:11-12). That is what true biblical koinonia should look like.

Want your faith to explode, get committed to a local body. Iron sharpens iron when? When it’s forged with another piece of iron. You want to stay hot? You need others sharpening you.

In true Christian fellowship Christians sharpen one another’s faith and stir one another to exercise that faith in love and good works, all to God’s glory.

You spur each other on to keep your eyes on the Lord so it doesn’t become about you.

#4. They were devoted so that they could use their gifts to serve the body!

Many signs and wonders. Selling possessions and belongings. Distributing proceeds. Meeting needs. Making food. Serving food. Cleaning up the food. Receiving the food gladly. Cleaning up their houses for people to come over. Being happy to go to the temple so they don’t have to clean up their houses for people to come over. The Lord was adding to their number daily. We do our part but God adds and multiplies.

Here’s our part: use our gifts. Your gift can help people on their walk. If you’re not devoted to a local body, how can you do that? How can others do that for you?

Jesus is the head of the church and we are the parts of the body and every part matters.

Grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 

For it says: When he ascended on high,he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people. (Ephesians 4:7-8)

Jesus himself gave to the church those who are apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

So we are no longer children.

I’m just speaking speaking the truth in love…so that we grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part. (Ephesians 4:15-16)

I used to think church was about what I could get, but now I know it’s about what I can give. We have to recognize what’s happened to our mindset from what’s seeped into them from culture. The talk of *membership benefits…

As a Gym member, as a country club member, as a loyalty rewards member, as a frequent flyer member, as a luxury spa member, it’s all about membership benefits—what you get for joining. Thats typically part of marketing tactics. Who can blame them! I’m not. (This is the danger of churches falling into the same tactics tho).

Cause Here’s the flip: joining a church is about the benefits to other members—-what you can give when you join.

As Peter wrote, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10)

  • Sign up today and you get to breathe life into others from what God has done in yours!
  • Join this amazing community and you get to find your purpose in what you can give not what you can receive.
  • Enlist in this tremendous following and think about all the things you can give up now so that you can reap the true benefits of what you sow into others.

If you have gifts that are supposed to edify the body…how can you use them and edify the body if you aren’t devoted to one?

In A Church You Can See by Dennis Bills, he says, A Christian who refuses to participate in the visible church is therefore disobeying God’s commands, both robbing fellow believers of the gifts God has given them to serve others, and robbing themselves of the opportunity to be served by others.

It’s one of the head of the churches commands:

“This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 15:12

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

Truly, truly how do you fulfill one of God’s greatest commandments if you are not devoted?!

#5. Devotion to become one.

We purposely commit to a different group because we are different now.

It’s not like going to the movies on a Friday night with some friends. You going to church this week? Ah yea I think if you go I’ll go. Check it off like it’s a social gathering and then back to life.

This is a different relationship now because we have a different relationship (with Christ).

You’re married.

Jesus loves church and gave himself up for her. The church is referred to as His bride.

  • How many of you know for a marriage to work both parties must be devoted?
  • Could you imagine if I said to my wife I believe in this relationship, I’m going to attend the wedding but not commit.
  • Or I believe in the vows but I’m not gonna take them!
  • For two to become one both must be devoted.

It’s more than just even taking the vows, “I accept Jesus into my heart.” Not going to dismiss that. It’s more though. It’s devoting yourself to them.

He made the sacrifice for us, it’s our turn now. We devote to repentance to Him, from our old life, because of faith in what He did.

For what God formed together when two become one let no man separate!

Prayer

For we thank him who has given us strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged us faithful, appointing us to his ministry.

We were all formerly blasphemers, persecutors, and insolent opponents, violent aggressors, angry men and women. But we received mercy because we had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for us with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom we are all the worst. (1 Timothy 1:12-15 paraphrased and changed to “we”)

May we invite people to a devoted body who shares the true gospel message of Jesus Christ.

May we encourage them that it’s not about finding a place to fit in but being the person that fits

themselves in.

May we dive into deep relationships that keep this conversation going in true koinonia fashion.