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Imagine what that day was like. In Acts 2 we read that three thousand believed, repented and were baptized.(1) They comprised the very first church – “The First Church of Jerusalem”. And after that – the Lord added to their fellowship daily. Let’s take a few minutes and look back at that first church.
All the believers devoted themselves….(2) The word “devoted” means “given over to”, “ardently enthusiastic and loyal”, and “placing the needs of the object of your devotion over your own”. We often refer to sports fans as being devoted. One of my nephews attended the University of Georgia and became a loyal Georgia Bulldog. As a matter of fact, during his undergrad days, he became so ardently devoted at football games that he painted his bare upper torso red, put on a red wig, sported a letter on his chest and became affectionately known as “W”, as together with eleven other devotees, they spelled out “GEORGIA DAWGS” in the bleachers. That could probably be described as a number of things J, one of them being “devoted”. There are degrees of devotion as illustrated by my nephew. But as we read in the Book of Acts, those believers were fully devoted. There wasn’t anything “halfway” in their belief or their actions.
But the thing that drew them together was not their devotion – it was the One to whom they were devoted! The church today has a lot of devoted followers. But i would contend that in too many instances our devotion has become misplaced. We have become fully devoted to aspects of our politics – or our culture. Our core beliefs have become more centered in our political or sociological orientation than in our theology. And our respective devotions have done more to divide us than unite us.
Those early believers were fully devoted to their Lord. They repented and surrendered their lives to Christ and never looked back. In our day, we have too frequently simply “added” Christ to our lives. We keep on doing many of the things we were doing before we “got saved.” Those around us may – or may not – see any difference that Christ has made in our lives. Our identity still remains in our other areas of devotion – unlike those three thousand… who were radically transformed.
They knew that apart from the saving work of Christ all they had was a religion that made little or no difference in their lives. They knew that apart from Christ they were dead in their sin. They knew that His Spirit and His Word had “pierced their hearts” and there was no going back. Their devotion to Jesus led them to become fully devoted to His Word – every word! And one of the teachings from Jesus’s words was that they were to love one another. They took Jesus’s words seriously when He had said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”(3) That word from Jesus meant that if they were going to be fully devoted to Him and His Word, they also needed to be fully devoted to one another.
Their devotion led to awe. Their belief and repentance were not about a “one and done conversion”. Rather they became a day-in, day-out community of believers – learning, applying and witnessing the fruit of Jesus’s teachings in their own lives, as well as in one another’s lives. They saw the power of God working through signs and wonders. The miracles and the life transformation they witnessed never became routine; rather, their awe led to increased faith … which led to greater awe … which led to even greater faith….
Their awe led to selflessness. When Jesus became Lord of their lives, they were no longer the central figure in their own lives. Selfish ambition was abandoned to be replaced by sacrificial generosity. They began to understand that everything they possessed was from God. And none of their possessions were truly theirs; they were but stewards of the gifts with which God had entrusted them. When they began to see themselves as stewards, they realized that the gifts that God had given them were not for self-expression or self-fulfillment, but to fill what was lacking in someone else by meeting genuine needs. They realized that even the grace that God had extended to each one of them was not meant to end with them, but was to be extended to someone else.(4) Apart from selfless and sacrificial compassion, grace would merely end up in storage, not in action. It was never our Lord’s intention that we fill our barns with His grace, rather, that His grace and His gifts be poured out to others.(5)
Their devotion to one another and their growing selflessness bonded them in such a way that if one was in need, the others did not feel they had the right to live on in prosperity without giving up something to meet the need. Thus, they sold their possessions and used the money to meet the needs of the poor in the church.
Their selflessness led to contagious joy. Their love for one another was expressed joyfully, not grudgingly. Tertullian was a theologian in the early church, living from 155 A.D. to 240 A.D. He wrote that the Roman government was disturbed by the early church. So they sent spies to infiltrate and observe worship gatherings. They came back to their Roman leaders with a report that went something like this: “These Christians are very strange people. They speak of One by the name of Jesus, who is absent, but who they expect to return soon. And my, look at how they love one another, and are ready to die for each other.” Jesus said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”(6) And the early church took Him seriously. Their love – and their joy – were contagious! i can’t help but consider what those “spies” would report about us today!
We would do well to look within our own hearts and our own local fellowships. If our lives and our faith communities are committed, but not compelling to anyone, we should be asking serious questions about what – or more importantly Who – we’re committed to. Are we known for our joy and our love, or are we known solely for what we’re against? Are we known for our passionate political or cultural stances, or are we known for our unreserved devotion to Jesus? John Piper writes, “Churches are dying today because they are not doing anything which the world should look at and say: ‘There is evidence that God is real and that He is glorious.’ Many churches have forgotten why they exist – namely, to meet needs in the name of Jesus so that people will be moved to give God glory. And when a church forgets that it exists for others and for God, it becomes in-grown and self-satisfied, and can go on year after year like a social club with a religious veneer.” Or i might add, like a political action committee with a religious veneer.
In our day, for many, including most professing Christians, God is simply an idea to talk about, or an inference from an argument, or a family tradition to be preserved. Only for a very few is God a stark, fearsome, stunning, awesome, shocking present REALITY. Instead of allowing Him to shape our devotion, we have allowed our devotion to shape our view … and our reflection … of Him. Where are the followers of whom Luke could say today, "devotion, awe, wonder, selflessness, trembling – is upon every soul"? It is time that we prayed that the Spirit of God would pierce our hearts with the Word of God and a holy, joyful awe would come upon us, and He would be the One seen through our words, our positions and our actions. It is time for us to become those fully devoted followers of our Lord, His Word, and one another, impacting our communities and the world around us with His presence.
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This post is adapted from Until He Returns, chapter 9, entitled “Fully Devoted Followers.” This sixth book in the Lessons Learned In The Wilderness series is available through Amazon in print or for your e-reader. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy of the book.
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(1) Acts 2:42-47 (NLT)
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
(2) Acts 2:42 (NLT)
(3) John 13:35 (NLT)
(4) 1 Peter 4:10
(5) Luke 12:16–21
(6) John 15:13 (NLT)
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