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| “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…” |
| —Acts 2:42a |
I began the last blog post by suggesting that some people move from church to church trying to find one that genuinely fits their ideal of what a church should be. In response to that phenomenon, I suggested that Scripture offers us a definition of a genuine church. Dr. Luke records four elements that comprised the early church in Acts 2:42:
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
The first element is that they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching. A genuine body of believers will feel compelled to study God’s written Word. They will not be content to only hear a 15-minute or 45-minute sermon, or homily, once a week during the Worship Service they attend.
Yes, they will pay very close attention to what their pastor or priest shares during the sermon or homily. They will even take notes, so that they can ponder the teaching contained in this time of proclamation of God’s truth. But, their intense interest in the written Word of God will not end when the time of preaching concludes. Rather, they will want to pursue a time of weekly corporate Bible study, as well as setting aside time for personal Bible study, preferably on a daily basis.
They will give priority to attending Worship Services and to take part in these other opportunities to learn about what God has to say to them through His written Word. And, they will make a serious and a concerted effort to obediently apply the truths they learn to the daily activities of their own lives. Why? Because they are “devoted” to what they are being taught.
The dictionary defines the word “devoted” as follows:
“Very loving or loyal; given over to the display, study, or discussion of.”
For believers in a particular church to earn the description of those who have “devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching,” they would have to illustrate that they are very loving or loyal to that teaching and that they are given over to the display, study, or discussion of such teaching. That sounds like a good measure, as we consider this first element of what constitutes a genuine church.
In the next blog post, I’ll continue to pursue the four elements of a genuine church. And, of course, by now you realize a genuine church is not a building, nor an institution. Instead, it is a group of like-minded believers who gather together in unity and focus for the purpose of bringing honor to the God who loves them with His everlasting love.
Based on a blog originally posted on Wednesday, July 29, 2015
