Christianity 101

Christianity 101 episode #2 

There are 4 disciplines that the early church practiced. 

1.Apostles teachings

2. Fellowship

3. Breaking of bread

4. Prayer

 

This week we will cover 2 of the 4 disciplines found in Acts 2:42

 

The Disciplines Part 1: Apostles teachings, Fellowship.

Acts 2:42 - They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 

 

We can break down this verse into 4 specific points of distinction in which the early church devoted themselves to practice regularly:

1.     Apostles teaching

2.     Fellowship

3.     Breaking of bread

4.     Prayer

 

 

In context – Acts chapters 1 & 2: 

·      Jesus has been resurrected, he has appeared to them for a period of about 40 days (eating with them, teaching them & preparing them for what was next).  

·      Jesus gives them the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).

o   Passover Jesus gives His life > Pentecost He gives them the Holy Spirit (Pentecost in the GK: means 50th day) they were gathered together in an upper room (about 120 people). The Pentecost was a required feast that was in remembrance of the giving of the Law. The significance of this feast is that the HS would now become the means of a believer to follow and obey the Lord rather than a system of Law. The next required feast would be the feast of Trumpets (which coincides with the rapture) > The birth of the Church. 

·      Peter preaches the first Evangelistic Sermon and we are told that about 3,000 new converts are added to their number (acts 2:40-41).

 

Acts Chapter 2 takes us through about a 1½ -2 years after the resurrection. Acts chapter 3-7 conspire over about 4-5 years, in fact when you get to chapter 5:1-11 it could be as much as 6 or 7 years after Christ’s ascension. 

 

 

Acts 2:42 is a statement that we can use as a sort of blueprint for life inside the church! 

Remember that when you get to Acts 2:42 the church has grown to over 3,000 people which happened nearly instantly.

 

 

 

 

 

#1 Apostles Teaching/Doctrines: 2Tim. 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

 

 

There are 3 ways that the scriptures are used to represent “Apostles Doctrines”

1.     The Old Testament predicted Jesus’ coming

2.     The gospels presented Jesus

3.     The epistles practiced Jesus’ teaching and continued to proclaim the truth 

 

The OT is pointing toward Jesus while the NT is the display of Jesus.

1.     Found in the Gospels used by Jesus Himself: Luke 24:25-27 - He (Jesus) said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.  Jesus used the OT from beginning with Moses and all the prophets concerning himself! Jesus often used OT scriptures during His ministry when interacting with different groups like the Pharisees, Sadducees or the Scribes. (Incidentally the best part of Luke 24 is the response to Jesus after they receive all this great teaching from Him.  [Luke 24:31 - They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”]

2.     Used by Peter in the first ever public sermon (resulting in over 3,000 being saved). Acts 2:14-40 (to long to read) Peter sites 3 different OT verses to explain Jesus to the crowd. Joel 2:28-32,Psalm 16:8-11, Psalm 110:1 (all of these are prophetic and messianic in nature) 

3.     Stephen (Acts 7 uses virtually all of the history of Israel, starting in Genesis at the call of Abraham.) He ends by quoting Isaiah 66:1 - This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?  

The uses of Old Testament scriptures were to reveal Jesus and the promise that God would provide a messiah.  

 

Criteria to be considered for acceptance into the NT Canon of scripture:  

Acts 2:42 is a reference to the original eyewitness accounts of Jesus by the 12 apostles. This “doctrine” consisted of their first-hand reports of His life, teachings, death, and resurrection (4 Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke & John). This was, at first, an oral message spread by the Twelve and those that heard them. It was later written down in what we know as the four gospels. Paul’s writings were later added to this original testimony (13 total letters) (Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 &2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon), with the addition of James, Jude, Hebrews, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John , and Revelation these became into what we know as the New Testament canon.

2Tim. 1:13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

Psa. 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Heb. 2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

#2 Fellowship: Heb 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

 

Fellowship wraps itself into nearly every aspect of the life of the church. Believers will benefit greatly from fellowship with other believers. 

 

Fellowship – GK: Koinonia – Has the idea association, communion, fellowship and participation. It literally means to share in something. 

 

 

The idea that God created us to be in connected relationships is not a new idea. 

·      God lives in community with the Son and the Holy Spirit. They live in perfect fellowship all the time.  

 

·      The church is called the Body of Christ (therefore we must exhibit a certain unity and connectedness) 1 Cor 12:12-27 - The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.  13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.  15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?  20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.  21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”  22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are un-presentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 

 

1.     It Protects: 1Tim. 4:15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.  16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. As we live in fellowship with one another we protect ourselves from falling into a false gospel or way of thinking. We are allowing our lives to be seen and measured and challenged. Prov. 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.  Eccl. 4:10  If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

 

2.     It Promotes:  Heb 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Jesus told the disciples that they world would know them by their love one for another - John 13:34  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”If we live in fellowship it helps foster and promote spiritual growth in the Lord. 

 

3.     It participates: Phil 3:16Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 17Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. Fellowship also provides us opportunities to worship, pray & encourage one another in a family/corporate setting (Sunday and Wednesday’s meetings)