Forty Plus Ten - Week 7: Practice

Scripture: Acts 2:41-42.

What we see in today’s Scripture is that believers “practiced” living out their faith by doing. Not with head knowledge of “HOW to do things,” but by simply “DOING things.” Today’s verses tell us they devoted themselves NOT to the “How,” but rather to the “Doing.”

Today verses say:

Acts 2:41-42 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

They not only DID these things, they “devoted” themselves to doing them. They practiced them.

Practice definition - noun:
    1.    The actual application of use of an idea, belief, or method as opposed to theories relating to it.
    2.    The customary, habitual or expected procedure of way of doing of something.

Pastor shares a great basketball example to help us understand the difference between “how to do things” and “doing things.” And in his example we will see that doing requires practice!

Let’s examine verse 42.
    1.    Devoted themselves to the apostles teaching - the Greek word used for “devoting” actually is more accurately translated as “continually devoting” themselves to what they had been taught about the Gospel message of Jesus. We are to hold onto the right teachings and truth and practice living them. The application for us for “being devoted to the apostles teaching” is through:
    ⁃    Regular study of God’s Word
    ⁃    Solid biblical teaching
    ⁃    Christ-centered, Spirit-lead
    2.    Devoted themselves to fellowship - time with others that believed. Fellowship has several meanings, all which apply. It can mean communion both in having communion with the Holy Spirit and communion with the body and blood of Jesus. It can also refer to participation in sharing with others, being generous. The application for us for “being devoted to fellowship” is through:
    ⁃    Large and small groups
    ⁃    Christian friends and mentors
    ⁃    Generous life style
    3.    Devoted themselves to the breaking of bread which is they had meals together for sharing their faith both privately and publicly. They went to temple (large groups) and to small home groups along with doing the Lord’s Supper together. The application for us for “being devoted to breaking of bread” is by:
    ⁃    Christian fellowship at mealtime
    ⁃    Faith talk at meals
    ⁃    Lord’s Supper
    4.    Devoted themselves to prayer by following the morning and evening prayer times, formal times of prayer, but also informal prayer times in home gatherings and other places both public and private. The application for us for “being devoted to prayer” is by:
    5.    Having a personal prayer life - God desires we talk to Him
    6.    Prayer partners - people we pray with
    7.    Public prayer and worship 

We too are called to practice, not just understand what the Bible says about the Christian faith but DOING what the Bible says about the Christian faith

Questions - Am I aware of what God is saying? Am I growing in the apostles teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer? Am I putting these into practice?  Do I understand AND apply this verse? Do I understand what I am to do and do I do it?

God is calling us to act on - to practice - the application of what we saw in today’s verse.

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