Acts 2: 37-47
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers,[i] what should we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” 40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
43 Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds[j] to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home[k] and ate their food with glad and generous[l] hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Peter was finishing his first evangelistic sermon, explaining the Pentecost event and our passage is his listeners’ response. They were shocked at what was happening but much more about who was behind it all. The coming of the Holy Spirit, was both the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy that the end-times have come and also the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise of the Advocate coming from the Father after Jesus’ ascension. The audience was “cut to the heart,” that is, the audience was shaken to their core, convicted and moved by the power of the Word that they had asked “Bothers, what should we do?”
Peter commanded them to repent, that is to change their lives’ direction and to turn to God; it means to stop going about with their lives as they were used to. Repentance is not only the feeling remorse for wrongdoing, but the determination to discontinue with the old way of life and embarking on a life according to God’s direction.
Along with repentance, they should get baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. But Peter’s follow up word of exhortation was: “Save your selves from this corrupt generation.”
In response to Peter’s command, the text reads: So, therefore, consequently those who welcomed his message were baptized, and devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, and to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
The first step in response was that the believers got baptized as Peter had commanded. And the following actions the believers did are described as done with devotion.
To devote to something means to set aside everything else and focus onto a person or activity. To devote means to shift priority and loyalty to dedicate oneself completely to one thing.
The new believers devoted themselves to doing four things: to be taught and discipled, to having fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers.
These disciples did not only go to be taught by the apostle, maybe once in a while or only when their favorite topic was discussed. These disciples did not only approach the apostles when they had specific questions about Jesus that intrigued them. Also, these new believers did not have fellowship when something special was happening at church. These disciples did not only get together when it was Peter’s turn to teach. These newly converts did not only eat when together when what was in the menu was their favorite dish. They did not only eat together when it was their turn to cook the meal. They neither prayed only when it was mealtime or were in need.
These disciples DEVOTED themselves to these four practices. The gave priority to discipleship—to learn more about the Lord and to be shaped in the likeness of Jesus’ character. They wanted to learn the scriptures. They devoted themselves to be disciples.
These new believers devoted themselves to having fellowship. They attended the gathering for worship, to eat together, to learn to serve and how to share their faith. They got together, whether it was raining, cold, or scorching hot. They got together if there was something in the morning or the evening.
These early church Christians ate together, which culturally conveyed the strong bond that existed among them. They devoted themselves to the breaking of bread at homes and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God. You can only imagine the joy, humility, and eagerness with which they came together for these fellowship meals and for the Lord’s Supper.
These disciples devoted themselves to the prayer times, most likely in the pattern of the Jewish temple schedule: 9:00AM, 12:00 Noon, and 3PM. These disciples prayed together to give thanks, to intercede for one another and for the community that surrounded them. These Christians prayed seeking God’s wisdom and guidance for their new life in Jesus. These believers prayed unceasingly. They devoted themselves to the prayers.
Dear church, nothing is as contagious, convincing, and revealing about our faith than being a living example of devotion to the Lord and to the activities we do in his name. Devotion to something or someone means we invest our utmost effort at pleasing, serving, and doing our best to the object of our devotion. If our coming together is characterized by a spirit of joy, of complete surrender and yielding to the Lord, others will desire to do what we do for the Lord. If and when we desire to savor the sweetness of being in the presence of God in prayer, others will want to experience it too. If and when we seek the word of God which is the lamp to our feet
and the light to our path, others will be convinced there is more than wisdom in the word of God. They will know that God’s word is relevant for today’s living. If and when we devote ourselves to prayers because the strength to live in this crippling world is found when we spend time on our knees in prayer, others will know that prayer is not simply a religious practice but our daily connection to God’s power for victorious and non-anxious living.
On the flip side, if we don’t have the enthusiasm to study the word of the Lord, to gather for worship, to have fellowship, and to come together to pray, we should not expect the unbeliever to ever want to do it. If we cannot find enough reasons to dedicate time and energy to the study of God’s word, do not expect your non-believer friend will ever want to open the Bible. If coming together for prayer is too a costly expense more than you are willing to pay, how will those who don’t know the Lord ever trust in him?
Devotion to the Lord and his cause is not something that grows naturally in the human heart. It is only the Holy Spirit that can ignite the heart with holy fire which moves the heart toward God. If you find your heart lacking devotion to the Lord and his affairs, ask the Holy Spirit to move your heart. Peter’s audience was cut to the heart. We need God’s Spirit to cut us to the heart and ignite the fire of devotion to dedicate more of ourselves to the study of God’s word, to the fellowship, and prayers.
Let me close with the word of the Apostle Paul to the Romans: (Beloved) Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Amen!