Acts 2:41-43
41 Then those who [m]gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ [n]doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
It’s the day of Pentecost and the promised Holy Spirit has finally come and filled the faithful’s. They begin to speak in tongues and as the great multitude who at the time are in Jerusalem for the festivities are bewildered, an opportunity for the first crusade presents itself and Peter preaches to the masses. 3000 people become believers and we see birthing of the New Testament church.
One of the very first and foundational things they did with these 3000 new converts is teach them. The bible says they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine. In fact it says that they met daily from house to house and in the temple, this became their new way of life as opposed to something they were adding to their way of life.
But think about this, they had no New Testament bible to refer to, all they had were the Old Testament writings but what Jesus had introduced was a new way of life that seemed to contradict their normal religious lifestyle of keeping the Jewish laws.
They were steadfast to learn and be taught what Jesus stood for and how he advocated for us to live life and their teaching came from those who had firsthand information because they had walked with Jesus.
Today we have the complete bible and we must be steadfast not just in reading it but most importantly adjusting our lives to be in line with what we are reading.
These group of believers were so effective they practically turned their known world upside down because they stuck to the word, they stuck to the script. What about us today with all the technological advancements we have made? Yes we read the word as individuals but also as a body because when we all see the same thing and believe the same thing and say the same thing, nothing will be impossible to those who believe. May we allow the bible to empower and unite us.
Reflective Thoughts
As a church, how steadfast are you to the teachings of the bible on a scale of one to ten with ten being the best?
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Does the church you fellowship at have regular teaching sessions (Not Sunday Preaching) where the word is broken down and made applicable to everyday life, sessions where you can ask questions to gain clarity and understanding?
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Is the church you fellowship at needed in the community, if it was removed would the community demand for it to be brought back because of its effectiveness or would they hardly notice that you are gone?
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