Devoted to the Lord

“Immanuel Spirit” – Part 8

(Acts 2:41-42, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 13, 2011)

41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Those who received his word... (41)

The Lord tapped certain people on the shoulder on that Pentecost day in the year when Jesus died as the Passover Lamb. They were the people who heard about the wonders of God in their own dialect from Galileans who had no business knowing their languages. That was God's way of saying to them, “Hey! Pay attention to what you hear next.”

What did happen next? Peter had preached to them a straightforward and earnest biblical message from Joel 2, showing them their need to call upon the Name of the Lord, and showing them from Psalm 16 and Psalm 110 that Jesus of Nazareth was both Lord and Messiah. He concluded his message by pressing their own need to come clean regarding Jesus, since God had made this Jesus, the one that they crucified, both Lord and Christ.

So far we have the divine tap on the shoulder and the apostolic preaching of the Word. What follows next is the indispensable conviction of the Holy Spirit. They were cut to the heart; pierced by God. Was there any hope left for them, and if there was, what should they do?

Peter gave them a clear and simple answer: Repent about Christ, the cross, the resurrection, and the promise of God. And then be baptized in the Name of Jesus. But the day was not over. What remained was critical. How would they respond to the call of God to them? Would they do what they must? Would they change their minds and their lives concerning Jesus? Would they be identified with the group of people who were a part of the community of the Savior?

That morning, about three thousand people said, “Yes.” Not everyone heard the wonders of God in their own dialects. Not everyone received the preaching of Peter and accepted his message on Joel 2 and Psalms 16 and 110. Not everyone was cut to the heart by the Holy Spirit. And that is why not everyone was baptized that day, associating themselves that very moment with a movement and a community of faith, worship, and life that would change the world. Not everyone did that. But about three thousand souls did. About three thousands people said that the message they heard was life to them. Three thousand found in a Man who had died on a Roman cross the only Savior of the Jews and of the world. Three thousand believed that this Jesus had risen from the dead. Three thousand associated themselves with a group of Galileans who understood the Scriptures in a very different way then the chief priests, the elders, the scribes, and the Pharisees, who had rejected Jesus Christ.

There was danger for these three thousand. They knew what happened to Jesus, Now they were publicly associating themselves with him through baptism. What would happen to them next? Would they all be put to death as a dangerous sect? Would they live in fear of what the authorities would do? After finding the Captain of their Salvation, would they spend the rest of their days consumed by the chance of danger, like subversives who have to hide from others in order to avoid arrest. Not according to verse 42...

And they devoted themselves... (42)

They devoted themselves, not to hiding in fear, but to the worship of God. This group of Jews and proselytes from so many different places started the practice of Christian worship. They took the pattern that they were accustomed to from synagogue life in their homelands far from the temple, and they began to live the new life right there where they were staying in Jerusalem. That took certain activities that were common to daily and weekly worship in Jewish assemblies and added the celebration of the Lord's Supper to them in accord with the specific command of Jesus, who had told his disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

They devoted themselves to these activities that we have been doing for centuries since that day. Four wonderful gifts of God are listed here that we participate in, none of them miraculous. But the living Christ, the Immanuel Spirit, is at the center of each of these gifts.

First, they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching. Peter's message is the obvious example of this teaching in Acts 2, but it is only the first in millions of messages that will be given all over the world in the centuries that follow. Though there is nothing inherently miraculous in this gift, it is still very new. Heartfelt pleas to worshipers had been heard before. See Deuteronomy 8. But prior to this moment, even the teaching of Jesus left people wondering what it was all about. The apostles' teaching was now clear. They reveal the plain truth in light of the coming of Christ and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. Through this teaching there can be no doubt about who the Messiah is, and what He has done to save us while yet upholding the fullness of divine holiness. Suddenly 100s of passages that were waiting for an answer have found their hidden key in Christ. This is the kind of teaching that people longed for during the entire Old Testament period, and it is yours all the time in our day. You just come, open your heart to the Word of God, and hope that the preacher does not get in the way.

Second, they devoted themselves to fellowship, or sharing. From the verses that follow we see that the sharing referred to involves wealth. Again, there is nothing miraculous about a person giving sacrificially, but it is unusual. The person who does not help to support the work of Christ through the church is missing out on a great gift of God. There will always be people in need until we get to heaven. We want to be the hands and feet of Christ to them. This is not our money that is being freely given. We have come to see that it is the Lord's, and we want to use it in His Name. Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift. He lets us give away His money.

Third, they devoted themselves to the breaking of bread. This “breaking of bread” can mean simple eating, but in this context it seems to be a reference to the sacramental meal that Jesus instituted, the Lord's Supper, or “communion.” This meal is not miraculous, but it is very spiritual, and it is a great gift to the church. Many messages have been preached that wrongly obscure the basic truths of our common faith. The Lord's Supper should make up for that every time it is celebrated. Can we miss that this is about the body and blood of Christ, who saves us?

Finally, they devoted themselves to prayers. The gift of prayer is not miraculous, but we know what it is to lack that gift, and we would rather have it than not. When we sing to God, we sing our prayers through Jesus by the Holy Spirit. When we add our “Amen” to a prayer that one person leads, we join our hearts together in common purpose. We want to see the justice and truth of Jesus Christ win the day. We want to be kept away from sin that could destroy us and bring disgrace upon the church. We want all the gifts of God for us. We pray, and the Lord hears.

For centuries, Christians, gathering together on the first day of the week, have devoted themselves to the use of these Christ-centered, Spirit-filled gifts. It is our privilege to be a part of that great endeavor as the worship of God moves forward throughout the earth.

1. How was it clear which people received Peter's word?

2. What does it mean that the church “devoted themselves” to certain activities?

3. What are the activities that they devoted themselves to?

4. How is this experience both new, and in accord with the tradition of the synagogues?