In This Edition:
Teaching, Prayer & Praise
Resources for our “Community” series
What’s New On The West Side? Summer Sermon Series
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Devoted to Teaching, Devoted To Prayer
Photo credit: Samuel Martins (via Unsplash)
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42 ESV).
We can feed our bellies till we couldn’t eat another bite. But we were never meant to live by bread alone. We don’t live by bread alone—but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Mt 4:4).
Five minutes after rising from the water, forgiven from every sin, and filled with God’s Holy Spirit, the earliest Christians devoted themselves to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. But topping the list, they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching.
Devoted To Teaching
The early Christians did not devote themselves to their gut instincts. I read a beautiful story just the other day where a man said that his wife—when she was just a teenager—was sharing the gospel with a neighbor, when all of the sudden she herself realized that she wasn’t a believer! You see, she was doing what her youth minister told her to do and was using the materials he gave her to use. While reading it, she became convicted. She had thought instinctively that being a Christian basically meant being a good little girl and going to church. That’s what seemed right. That’s what felt right. That’s what she assumed deep inside. But then she read Scripture as it was being taught to her, and she came to realize that being a believer is not defined as “being a good person;” it’s trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Many wonderful things follow from that. But it was teaching that helped her finally understand the gospel.
The early Christians did not devote themselves to their gut instincts. But to teaching.
Another thing they did not devote themselves to, strange as it may seem, is their “experience.” They didn’t get together and talk about the amazing experience they all had of the Holy Spirit! That just astounds me. I would have fully expected them—as we see and hear today—to make “experience” the all-important center of Christianity.
Listen to Alistair Begg:
“If that was ever going to happen you would have anticipated it happening when there was such an effulgence of the Spirit of God on the Day of Pentecost. But what do you find? You find that those who had been filled with the Spirit of God are immediately concerned to understand the Word of God! And that is always the case.”
Great signs accompanied the apostles. I mean great signs and wonders. Peter and Paul could do some amazing stuff—stuff that if I did a fraction of, you would be astounded. But when he wanted to prove his worth, when he wanted to prove his mettle to church after church, he held up his apostolic calling, he held up his teaching, and he then pointed to his scars, earned for teaching and preaching the very words given to him by God.
And Begg gives us this wonderful line: “The spirit of God leads the people of God to submit to the Word of God.” And it is powerful stuff. I take what I do very seriously, for teaching is God’s way to bring about both unity and depth among God’s people, to break strongholds, and to change hearts forever.
West Side is exceptional in that we consistently have nearly 70 or even 75% of those who come to worship stick around for Bible class. We are fairly unique in that we offer classes before worship and after worship, with 6 or 7 different adult offerings, and classes for every age group. We even offer more teaching on Sunday nights—with specialty classes designed for our youth. We have a plethora of classes offered for learning on Wednesday nights. We have coffee time on YouTube every Monday morning with Casey and Mark for a period of devotion and teaching. Our golden agers have a time of teaching every Tuesday morning. Our ladies come together every Wednesday morning for two hours of discussion and teaching. We offer agape groups throughout the week. We are a teaching kind of church. And we do that because the first disciples devoted themselves to teaching.
Devoted To The Apostles’ Teaching
And it wasn’t just any kind of teaching. You can go to any bookstore or browse Amazon on your phone and find book by all kinds of people on all kinds of topics and you can learn just about anything you want to learn. Pick a subject, pick a side, and you can find some learned professor (or, if that’s not your cup of tea, some famous actor) who holds that position and will articulate it for you. So teaching is very important, but the early Christians thought what kind of teaching they were devoted to mattered a great deal.
And so they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching.
Teaching Handed Down
We know that the Apostles’ teaching was deeply interesting. Just 15 chapters later, Paul appears in Athens and all the townspeople say, “may we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?” It might have been new to the Athenians, but it wasn’t new teaching. Like clothes worn by the second, third, and fourth children, it was a hand-me-down!
I wonder if you have a skill that you are known for, which is also the skill your father or mother were known for. Or maybe even a grandparent. Maybe when you were still little, Grandpa Eddie took you to his garage, gave you a pair of safety glasses, and let you watch as he gently guided those 2x4s through one of his many cool machines, showing you how to build a birdhouse or a rocking chair. Or Grandma Ethel and her sewing circle were all gracious enough to bandage your finger and show you once again how to thread the needle and push it through without pricking your finger. That would be a skill faithfully handed down through teaching.
The Greek word for that is paradosis. Twice in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul uses this word when he speaks of the teachings or traditions that were “handed down” from the Apostles to the church (1 Cor 11:2; 2 Thess 2:15). That teaching that was handed down from the Apostles to the earliest churches, was then handed on to subsequent generations. Paul said, “what you have heard from me” you should “entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:2). That continues to this day, with faithful men and women who teach our Bible classes, who learned it from their teachers, who learned it from their teachers. “When we worship Jesus,” writes Tish Warren, “we rely on millions of Christians over thousands of years whom God has used to bear witness to himself.”
Just like wood-working or the art of crocheting, the apostle’s teaching was handed down from generation to generation, but it was first handed down to them. For Paul said what I handed down to you I first received from the Lord (1 Cor 15:3).
Teaching With Authority
It is not just the content of the Apostles teaching that was handed down from the Lord to the Apostles, it was the nature of that teaching. Has anyone ever told you “Your mannerisms remind me of your grandmother. It’s just uncanny”? Well, when two of the Apostles began teaching in the temple courts, the leaders listened for a while and the text says they were amazed that these untaught men were speaking in a way that was eerily familiar. And they remembered, “that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). Do you remember the startling difference that people noticed when Jesus would open his mouth to teach? The crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he spoke as one with authority (Matt 7:28; 22:33; Mk 1:22, 27; Lk 4:32; 11:18). Sometimes he taught in parables (Mk 4:2); sometimes in prose (Mk 12:38). And either way, there was something different about it. When they arrested Jesus and took him to trial, the high priest questioned Jesus “about his disciples and his teaching” (Jn 18:19). And do you know what Jesus said about his teaching? It was handed down, even to him! “My teaching is not my own,” said our Master; “whoever chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own” (John 7:16-17).
Isn’t it beautiful to think that the content of the teaching and the manner of the teaching that we receive today was handed down from the Apostles, and the teaching of the Apostles was handed down from Jesus Christ? And even the teaching of Christ was handed down by the power of the Spirit from the Father himself.
Teaching That Brings Life
The last thing to note is that the Apostles’ teaching brought life because it was centered on the Life giver himself. In Acts 13, the Proconsul is transported from death to life, out of darkness into the kingdom of Christ because of the teaching. The text says “for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord” (Acts 13:12).
When done right, preachers and teachers speak from the words of God (Scripture), to point to the Word of God (Jesus), and thus they place before the eyes, ears, and hearts of a congregation a word from God the Father to shape their lives for God by the power of the Spirit. Mark Dever notes that the phrase “the Word of the Lord” (or its equivalents) shows up in the Bible nearly 400 times: and that’s just in the Old Testament! And when it does come, it creates new worlds.
In Genesis 1, it was the Word of God, brought forth by the breath of God, that created and shaped the cosmos. It was the Word of God, brought forth by the breath of God, that called forth Abraham and birthed a nation. In Ezekiel’s vision of dry, dead, bones—you know the story. A wind or breath brings these bones to life. It’s a story of rebirth and resurrection, a prophecy that God will bring his nation back, and ultimately that he will bring humanity back through the resurrection of his Son. But let us not forget this all happened by the Word of God, brought about by the breath of God, and before it spread over the dry dead bones, it came from the mouth of a preacher. As Dever notes, “God calls Ezekiel to start preaching to this bunch of dry bones, and through that preaching of the Word God brings life to the bones.”
Whatever this is, I want it! This teaching that was handed down from the Father to the Son, and from the Son by the Spirit to the Apostles has been handed down to us. I want to revel in the authority behind it! I want to experience the life-giving that comes from it! Good thing Luke doesn’t leave us guessing. The Apostles’ teaching that was handed down, with authority, that gives life…is the gospel of God’s grace (Acts 8:25; 15:7; 20:24)!
“He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.” (2 Thessalonians 2:14-15 NLT)
Devoted to Prayer
By devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching, the early church sat at the master’s feet, begging him to speak. By devoting themselves to prayer, the church poured their hearts out to God.
Over 30 times in Luke’s gospel, and nearly 30 times in the book of Acts we are told that Jesus and his disciples prayed. Jesus prayed at every major event of his life. At the same time, it was a routine part of his day. In the book of Acts, the apostles and the early church pray at all the significant moments of their history. It was also a routine part of daily life for Peter and Paul. Acts Luke pictures it, the early church “devoted themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 6:3-4).
We long for God to be with us, to work in us, and to forgive us. And so we pray. Rowan Williams offers three helps concerning why we pray.
First, he rightly points out that prayer is not first of all primarily something we do for God, as if we are trying to persuade God to take notice of us or be good to us. Prayer is, at bottom, God’s work in us. Paul shocks the world, as every eye bursts wide open, and every jaw hits the floor, when he announces that “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying ‘Abba! Father!’” (Gal 4:6). To think—we can talk to God as our Father! Not only that, we can talk to God like a beloved baby chats with the Daddy she adores as we utter the cry “abba” father. Not only that, it isn’t even we who are shouting this adoration or lifting up this praise: it is the spirit of Jesus dwelling in our hearts. To borrow a line from Williams, “let Jesus’ prayer happen in you!” We stand where Jesus stands, as we say what he said to his Father, because Jesus speaks to God for us, as we speak to God in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We don’t even know what to pray for or how to do it. But the Spirit intercedes for us. Will you let Jesus pray in you? Will you let the Spirit of Jesus speak on your behalf? If you will, then open your mouth and cry out the words that seem too lofty for us and yet we confess to be true: Abba, we cry, Father! All else is but a footnote to this audacious claim. Some wonder what could possibly follow, what could flow from praying to God as Father. But I see it the other way round: If God is our intimate Father, then what doesn’t?
The second thing to notice about prayer is that God’s work in us is a work on behalf of the world. We are intercessors, after all—called to be priests, called to share God’s blessings with a waiting world, and standing as beacons of light in a dark and dreary place. God wants justice in this world, and prayer is the vehicle for God’s work and wonder. Praying “our Father” naturally leads to the prayer “thy kingdom come.” There is alot of confusion about what it means to pray “thy kingdom come.” But Jesus’ meaning here is not left to our imagination. He explains it in the very next line: “Thy will be done on earth-just as it is in heaven.” God getting what God wants. He lists them in the beatitudes. Those who long for what God wants hunger and thirst for righteousness (which can also be translated justice). But it’s not a blood-thirsty justice. It's an overwhelming of love that unites both parties and brings about the renewal of friendship between once bitter enemies. We are peacemakers who love mercy. Reconciliation, mercy, and extending love all come pouring out of our lives as the prayer for such things comes pouring out of our mouths because we—in the spirit of Jesus—are set free from selfish ambition or fear or anxiety, or the desire to compete in order to find our purpose or identity. The second century Christian Origen said “the whole of our life say Our Father,” and that is because prayer is not just the words of Jesus being repeated; its—as Williams puts it—"the life of Jesus coming alive in you.”
A third note about prayer is that it is our profession of faithfulness. It is our “I do.” And that is why we end our prayers with an “Amen.” Prayer is our confession that we will stand for and stand with the faithful God who always stands for us. While we ask for God to forgive our trespasses and to lead us not to temptation, we also proclaim that we will forgive others of their trespasses against us, and we will follow where God leads.
Charles Hodge was once asked if he believed in the power of prayer. “No,” said Hodge, “I believe in the power of God, and so I pray.”
So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word (Acts 6:2-4 NLT).
You and I believe in the love, the mercy, the greatness, and the awesome sovereignty of God. We devote ourselves to the teaching handed down to us, and we open our hearts to the giver of life. We, too, are devoted to the Apostles’ teaching and to prayer.
This article is taken from two sermons preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR). One is titled “The Apostles’ Teaching” and the other is titled “Prayer.” They are both in a sermon series centered on Acts 2:41-47 called “Community.”These lessons are available to watch or listen, and appear on the Life on the West Side podcast (Season 2, Episode 71 & Episode 74). Available on all podcast platforms.
Resources for our Community series
There are hundreds of books worth reading on every aspect of church life. But I have selected 11 books that have proved helpful to me in putting together lessons on being the community of Christ (from Acts 2:41-47).
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
Francis Chan, Letters to the Church
Andy Crouch, The Life We’re Looking For
Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
Everett Ferguson, The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology
Tim Keller, Center Church
C. Christopher Smith & John Pattison, Slow Church
James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Community
Tish Harrison Warren, Liturgy of the Ordinary
Rowan Williams, Being Christian: Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer
Philip Yancey, Church: Why Bother?
What’s New On The West Side? Summer Series
We are enjoying our annual summer sermon series. This summer, we have asked some of our favorite preachers and teachers to offer “their favorite sermon.”
Hear Jordan Guy speaking on “Ecclesiastes and the Meaning in Life.”
Hear Jesse Robertson speaking on “He Gave Her Water.”
The summer series is available for live stream on Wednesday evenings a 6:30 PM or can be accessed later on facebook or YouTube. If you are in the middle Arkansas area, we would love to have you join us in person. I’ll save a seat for you.
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My name is Nathan Guy, and I serve as the preaching minister for the West Side Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas. I am happily married to Katie and am the proud father of little Grace. You can find more resources on my website over at nathanguy.com. Follow me: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.