SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/10/2017
8:25 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
Spiritual Duties
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts 2:42
Message of the
verse: “42 They were continually
devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer.”
In our last SD we quoted the last paragraph from the
commentary of John MacArthur which told us what we would be looking at in this
last section of the 2nd chapter of Acts, and the first thing we were
to look at was “Spiritual Duties” as this is the first main point. In his commentary he has several sub-points
under this first main point. Actually
there are five sub-points and they all come from this 42nd verse of
the second chapter of the book of Acts.
This is a very long chapter in MacArthur’s commentary and it will take
us more than a week to get through it.
In today’s SD I want to give the introduction to this verse and then
begin to look at the first sub-point, “It Was a Saved Church” which comes from
the first section of verse 42.
Now what we are looking at is the fact that this was
really a church, nothing more and nothing less.
The life of this church was completely defined by the devotion of those
spiritual duties which make up the unique identity of what a church is. When one looks at a real Bible believing
church there is nothing outside the living Lord, the Spirit, and the Word that defines
life in the true church. MacArthur
concludes “This church, though not having any cultural elements of success, no
worldly strategies, was still endowed with every necessary component for accomplishing
the purposes of its Lord. The church
will still be effective in bringing sinners to Christ when it manifests the
same key elements of spiritual duty that marked this first fellowship.” As mentioned above we will be looking at five
key elements from this 42nd verse of the second chapter of Acts.
The first key element of this church is seen in verse 42a
“they were continually devoting themselves” and this element is entitled “IT
WAS A SAVED CHURCH.”
As we looked at the end of the sermon that Peter gave in
this chapter it concluded with questions from those in the crowd that he was
preaching to and that question was what shall we do. Peter had spoken to them about their role in the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit was convicting them of their
sinfulness in this act. Peter told them
they needed to confess their sin and be saved and so 3000 came to know the Lord
Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord that day and they were all baptized as we
looked at in previous SD’s. All of these
people showed the genuineness of their faith as they continued devoting
themselves. This was a 180 degree change
for these people as it is for all who come to Christ, but in this instance
these people were going against Judaism and would be venerable to those who
were not believers and those who agreed with putting Christ to death. We will see that these first believers were
hated, persecuted, and ridiculed for their faith but they did not waver in
their faith which shows that they truly were believers. Persecution has a way of showing whether or
not you are a true believer as those who are not do not want to lose their life
for something they truly do not believe in.
Jesus stated in John 8:31b “"If you continue in My word, then you
are truly disciples of Mine.” John
writes of those who were not truly believers who may thought they were
believers “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they
had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it
would be shown that they all are not of us (1 John 2:19).”
At true Bible believing church is only to be made up of
true believers, but that is not the case in many churches today as many church
may not have even one believer in them. Other
churches today who have believers in them try and make unbelievers comfortable
in their midst. I have written in
earlier SD’s about what is called “Seeker churches” and I had to leave a church
that I had gone to for 32 years because the pastor was trying to turn that
church into a seeker church. As you look
at the sermon that Peter preached that we just went over none of the people who
came to know Christ were comfortable, instead they were convicted, convicted of
their sin, which caused them to repent of their sins and come to Christ. A person who comes to church is probably not
looking for the church to be the same as the world, but different. A seeker church tries to imitate the world,
and that is wrong.
Now I am in no means trying to say that unbelievers are
to be unwelcomed in coming to a true Bible believing church that is not the
case at all. When an unbeliever comes to
a true Bible believing church they are to see people who want to tell them the
truth, tell them the truth in love, and not make them feel like the church is
just like the world, but different in that the truth is preached in love so
that the Spirit will convict them of their sinfulness so they can repent and be
saved.
As we begin our next SD on this first key element of
spiritual duty we will look at a quote from 1 Thessalonians and then try to
expound on it.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I am thankful to
the Lord who has led my family to a wonderful Bible believing church where the
Bible is preached and people are coming to know the truth of the gospel
message.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord to help me get my Sunday
school lesson in order.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Jerusalem” (Luke 21:20).
Today’s Bible
question: “Name a woman out of whom
Jesus cast seven demons?”
Answer in our next SD.
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