A PEOPLE DEVOTED TO......THE APOSTLES’ TEACHING

(A call to change, through discipleship)

Sunday 4th Feb 2013

3 weeks ago: Luke’s Gospel1:5 –

4:13Jesus birth & preparation WHO IS

JESUS?4:14 – 9:50

What Jesus began to DO (Galilee)

9:51 – 19:27

What Jesus began to TEACH

(journey to Jerusalem)

“THE WAY”(WHAT ARE YOU

GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?)

19:28 – 24:53

Jesus last week, death, resurrection &

ascension

WHAT JESUSDID FOR US

The link: Luke 9:37-55

THE DISCIPLES NEED TO GROW...

IN FAITH LIVED OUT (9:37-43)

IN UNDERSTANDING (9:43-45)

IN CHARACTER esp. HUMILITY! (9:46-48)

IN LOVE FOR OTHERS esp. OUTSIDERS (9:49-55)The Challenge for 2013:

ARE YOU READY TO GROW MORE?

Last week: The call to be holy

“Be holy because I am holy” Lev 11:44 & 45

“Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy”Lev 20:8-9

“... the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”2 Cor 3:18b

Paul’s prayer for the Philippians(Phil 1:9-11 NLV)“9 And this is my prayer: I pray that your love will grow more and more. I pray that you will have better understanding

and be wise in all things. 10 I pray that you will know what is the very

best. I pray that you will be true and without blame

until the day Christ comes again. 11 And I pray that you will be filled with the

fruits of right living. These come from Jesus Christ, with honour and

thanks to God.”

A GROWTH TARGET? Acts 2:42-27

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 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, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

John Stott: “The Message of Acts”

“Having first described in his own narrative what happened on the day of Pentecost, and then supplied an explanation of it through Peter’s Christ-centred sermon, Luke goes on to show us the effects of Pentecost by giving us a beautiful little cameo of the Spirit-filled church...”

A GROWTH TARGET? Acts 2:42-27

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 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, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

John Stott: “The Message of Acts”

The very first evidence Luke mentions of the Spirit’s presence in the church is that they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. One might perhaps say that the Holy Spirit opened a school in Jerusalem that day; its teachers were the apostles whom Jesus had appointed; and there were 3,000 pupils in the kindergarten!  We note that those new converts were not enjoying a mystical experience which led them to despise their mind or disdain theology. Anti-intellectualism and the fullness of the Spirit are mutually incompatible, because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth.

John Stott: “The Message of Acts”

Nor did those early disciples imagine that, because they had received the Spirit, he was the only teacher they needed and they could dispense with human teachers. On the contrary, they sat at the apostles’ feet, hungry to receive instruction, and they persevered in it...  

Since the teaching of the apostles has come down to us in its definitive form in the New Testament, contemporary devotion to the apostles’ teaching will mean submission to the authority of the New Testament. A Spirit-filled church is a New Testament church, in the sense that it studies and submits to New Testament instruction. The Spirit of God leads the people of God to submit to the Word of God.”

1) Devoted to... The BiblePsalm 119:9-169

How can a young person stay on the path of purity?By living according to your word.

10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

12 Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees.13 With my lips I recount

all the laws that come from your mouth.14 I rejoice in following your statutes

as one rejoices in great riches.15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

1) Devoted to... The Bible2) Devoted to... Doing it!Mark Twain: “It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand”

Bill Hybels: “It's not the things I don't understand about the Bible that bother me; it's the things I understand with perfect clarity and don't comply with that keep me up at night”

James 1:22-25

1) Devoted to... The Bible2) Devoted to... Doing it!

Rom 12:2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

John 8: 31-32, 36To the Jews who believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free... 36if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”

1) Devoted to... The Bible2) Devoted to... Doing it!3) Devoted to... Discipleship1 Cor 4:15-17

15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love...

1 Cor 11:1Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

1) Devoted to... The Bible2) Devoted to... Doing it!3) Devoted to... DiscipleshipPersonal discipleship = putting your

CAP on...

Care Accountability

Provocation

In every area of life... Relationship with God

(devotional life) Relationship with others

(relational life) Character

(inner life) Ministry

(calling in life) Mission

(spreading life)

1) Devoted to... The Bible2) Devoted to... Doing it!3) Devoted to... DiscipleshipPersonal discipleship ... Getting

Started... Pray! Who? Submit! Consult elders. Pray! They need to hear God too. Agree! Start with clear expectations. Pray! Needs God-given strategy. Plan! How often? What context? Pray! Mentor needs vision for the disciple. Question! Key to opening up areas. Pray! Which one or two areas are God's

priority? Review! Watch out for slippage – may not last

forever. Pray! What is the next step?

A PEOPLE DEVOTED TO... THE APOSTLES’ TEACHING