Christian Community Should be Devoted to the Word of God

The first practice of the early Church was fellowship, followed by devotion to the Apostle's teaching, the Word. The Word of God informs and transforms us, showing us who God is and what He has done. The early Church gathered around the Word, just as the people did during the time of Nehemiah and Ezra. They cried out for the Word and devoted themselves to it. As disciples of Yeshua, we should also gather together and devote ourselves to the Word, as it is the highest authority and the source of life. The gathering that Yeshua is building is a devoted people who are committed to His Word. They gathered together and devoted themselves to the Apostle's teaching. It should be of no surprise to us that the first in the list of things to which they were devoted, and that to which we should be devoted to, was the Word. Welcome back to our five-part discipleship series titled The Original Gathering – God's Pattern of His Church. As we dig into the picture and pattern of the Church that we've seen in Acts chapter 2, and explore the implications of this rich and powerful passage for us today. In the first session we started by looking at the heart position and posture of the early Church, which is devoted and gathered. It was from here that the followers of Yeshua engaged in the practices or behaviours that we read about in Acts chapter 2. The first of those practices that we touched on last week was fellowship. They were a gathered people devoted to fellowship, to the breaking of bread. Today we'll be looking at our second practice, devotion to the Apostle's teaching, the Word. Before moving beyond this point, we need to remind ourselves that the lens through which we look, the posture from which we engage every practice, is devoted and gathered. This is the place from which the early Church engaged the Word, fellowship, the breaking of bread, prayer, giving and worship. They were, and we are to be, a devoted and gathered people. Our key scripture is Acts chapter 2 verse 42 to 47. They devoted themselves to the Apostle's teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the Apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had meat. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and they ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. They gathered together and devoted themselves to the Apostle's teaching. It should be of no surprise to us that the first in the list of things to which they were devoted and that to which we should be devoted to was the Word. How else are we to know if our engagement of all else is genuine and pleasing to God if we're not to be informed of it through His Word? It's the Word of God alone that informs us, shows us and teaches us who God is and what He is like and what He has done, is doing and will do. But it is also the Word of God that informs us and shows us and teaches us who we are in Him and what we're called to as devoted disciples, engaged in Kingdom purpose. It's the Word of God that informs. 2 Timothy chapter 3 verses 16 and 17. And Romans chapter 15 and verse 4. We might have hope. How are we to be thoroughly equipped for every good work? How are we taught? How are we to know? Through everything that has been written through all Scripture. It is the Word that informs. It's the Word that informs us as to who Yahweh and Yeshua and Holy Spirit are. Luke chapter 24 and verse 27. And John chapter 5 verse 39. It's the Word that informs us as followers of Yeshua to know which way to go, who to be, what to do. The psalmist declared these words in Psalm 119 verse 105. In Psalm 119 verse 9. It's the Word of God that informs us but it's also the Word that transforms us. Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12. For the Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to the dividing of soul, spirit, joints, marrow. It judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart. Devotion to God's Word, however, does more than just inform us. It powerfully transforms us into His likeness and image. 2 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 18. It's as we look on Him, Yeshua, who is the Word, that we are transformed and changed, empowered to be becoming more and more like Him. The Word informs and transforms. And the original gathering were devoted to it. But the book of Acts is not the first time that we see a clear picture of a gathered people devoted to the Word. It was during the time of Nehemiah and Ezra as God's walls and city was being rebuilt after a time of rebellion, exile and attack, the devotion to God's Word had begun to come back to His people. And gathered in one place, in one voice, they cried out aloud to Ezra the priest, bring out the Word. Nehemiah chapter 8 verses 1 through 3 and verses 5 and 6. They told Ezra, the teacher of the law, to bring out the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel. On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till moon as he faced the square before the water gate in the presence of the men and women and all others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the book of the law. Ezra opened the book, verse 5. All the people could see him because he was standing above them, and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people lifted their hands and responded, Amen, Amen. Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. The devotion to the Word caused them to gather around it. Bring out the Word, they called. And they gathered from sunup till midday. They sat under the teaching of the Word. And as Ezra opened up the Word, they stood up and on, and lifted their hands and responded, Amen, Amen, before they bowed down in worship. We see here that the raising of hands, cheering for the Word, responding, Amen and Amen isn't a Pentecostal church type of thing. This is a devoted and gathered type of thing. And all of this for the first five books of the Bible. Yay, Leviticus and Numbers. So how much more, you and I, as we gather around the Good News, should we devote ourselves and cry out, Bring out the Word. Raise our hands and cheer and respond, Amen and Amen as we bow down in worship. The original gathering devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching. God's pattern for His church today, for you and I, as fully committed disciples of Yeshua, is for us, yes individually, but as His body, to be gathered together to be devoted to the Word. We completely devote ourselves to the Word because it is the highest authority. Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 8, The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures forever. We completely devote ourselves to the Word because it is the source and supply of life Himself. How important is this devotion in Matthew chapter 4 and verse 4? Jesus answers, It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. The gathering that Yeshua is building is a gathered people devoted to His Word.