Devoted to Jesus – 26 May 2008

Earlier this year as I read through Acts and the amazing description of the Early Church in chapter 2, I was struck by the thought – “what has changed, has God changed, or have we changed?”

“The disciples devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and 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.” Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

Obviously this is not a blue print of how to run a church but it is surely a picture of what church should look like. In so far as it is not what the church looks like in the western world today – what has changed?

The simple answer I came up with was the word “devoted”. The first Christians were devoted to Jesus and expressed that devotion in their commitment to the apostles teaching (the word of God), prayer, worship, fellowship and serving others. As a result there were many signs and wonders and the church grew!

If we are to see again the biblically functioning community of Acts 2 in our own society there needs to be a change in our hearts, such that we become obsessed with Jesus. And this can only come by two things, the work of the Holy Spirit in us and our response of love to His love.

As we grow in our devotion to Jesus the evidence will be there for all to see as we devote ourselves to His Word, to prayer, to fellowship and to service others.

Our response to his love we call worship – this is what we are made for. As you worship him today open yourself to his transforming power as you pray - Come Holy Spirit – that others may see the marks of devotion to Jesus in our lives.