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DEVOTED TO GOD’S WORD
What are you devoted to?
Acts 2:42 – And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Our devotion should be to Jesus.
When you’re devoted to something, it is evident in different ways. What is internal becomes external. When you are devoted to Jesus, it comes out in different ways. We see this with the early church. They were devoted to Jesus. They sought to follow him. They loved him.
But their devotion to Jesus was played out in their devotion to God’s Word, fellowship, and prayer. Just like when I am devoted to my wife, it could come out as devotion to house chores, etc. My main devotion is to my wife. It is played out in my devotion to other things. First we see the early church’s devotion to Jesus was played out in their devotion to the Word of God.
Our devotion should be to God’s Word.
What is God’s Word? They had the Old Testament at this time. You know what they didn’t have? The New Testament. But you know what they did have? The New Testament. How? They were hearing it first-hand.
In this verse it specifically says, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…”
The New Testament was written by apostles or in close proximity to apostles.
That’s the major factor used in determining what should be in the New Testament. It had to do with apostolic authority. Who were apostles?
Apostles were specific people set apart by Jesus.
This would include the twelve disciples. Paul became an apostle, and he defends his apostleship in his letters since his calling was different than the others (2 Cor 11; Gal 1:11-24). So, apostles were devoted followers of Jesus who had first-hand accounts of his life, death, and resurrection, and they were set apart bring that message to the world. And the early church devoted themselves to their teaching. As should we. But how?
How do you devote yourself to God’s Word? This is where we are going to get practical.
Devote yourself to God’s Word by reading it. You might say, well I don’t like reading. That’s a lie! You read all day every day. You read text messages and social media and sports news and celebrity gossip. You read about what you are devoted to. How else are you going to know God better? The only way is through reading. You will not and cannot have a close relationship with Jesus if you don’t read your Bible on a regular basis.
Devote yourself to God’s Word by studying it. We shouldn’t just read the Bible, but we should seek to understand what it says. We should dig deep. We shouldn’t just read it to read it…to check a spiritual box off…but we should read it carefully and intentionally. We should ask questions when we read it. We should seek to understand the context of what we’re reading. We should notice patterns in the text, like repetitions of words or phrases. We shouldn’t just read the Bible, but we should read about the Bible.
When we don’t seek to rightly understand the Bible, it can get us in a lot of trouble. I want you to realize something very serious and scary. Satan knows the Bible better than many Christians. I would even dare say he knows it better than most of you. And he distorts and twists it to lead you astray.
He’s been doing it since the beginning. Hear what he says to Adam and Eve in Genesis when he tempted them to sin: Genesis 3:1-4
He does the same to Jesus when he tempts him in the wilderness: Matthew 4:1-11.
God’s Word is the only offensive weapon that we have to fight against Satan with (Eph 6:17).
So, we need to study God’s Word so that we know God’s Word. Here is a great tool to help you get into Bible study and maybe for you to end up leading your own Bible study. WordGo by Bible Study Fellowship.
When we read and study God’s Word, we can and should trust what it says.
Devote yourself to God’s Word by trusting it. The Bible is without error, and it is useful for every area of our lives.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – 16 All Sc
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By Grace Baptist Church
5
11 ratings
What are you devoted to?
Acts 2:42 – And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Our devotion should be to Jesus.
When you’re devoted to something, it is evident in different ways. What is internal becomes external. When you are devoted to Jesus, it comes out in different ways. We see this with the early church. They were devoted to Jesus. They sought to follow him. They loved him.
But their devotion to Jesus was played out in their devotion to God’s Word, fellowship, and prayer. Just like when I am devoted to my wife, it could come out as devotion to house chores, etc. My main devotion is to my wife. It is played out in my devotion to other things. First we see the early church’s devotion to Jesus was played out in their devotion to the Word of God.
Our devotion should be to God’s Word.
What is God’s Word? They had the Old Testament at this time. You know what they didn’t have? The New Testament. But you know what they did have? The New Testament. How? They were hearing it first-hand.
In this verse it specifically says, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…”
The New Testament was written by apostles or in close proximity to apostles.
That’s the major factor used in determining what should be in the New Testament. It had to do with apostolic authority. Who were apostles?
Apostles were specific people set apart by Jesus.
This would include the twelve disciples. Paul became an apostle, and he defends his apostleship in his letters since his calling was different than the others (2 Cor 11; Gal 1:11-24). So, apostles were devoted followers of Jesus who had first-hand accounts of his life, death, and resurrection, and they were set apart bring that message to the world. And the early church devoted themselves to their teaching. As should we. But how?
How do you devote yourself to God’s Word? This is where we are going to get practical.
Devote yourself to God’s Word by reading it. You might say, well I don’t like reading. That’s a lie! You read all day every day. You read text messages and social media and sports news and celebrity gossip. You read about what you are devoted to. How else are you going to know God better? The only way is through reading. You will not and cannot have a close relationship with Jesus if you don’t read your Bible on a regular basis.
Devote yourself to God’s Word by studying it. We shouldn’t just read the Bible, but we should seek to understand what it says. We should dig deep. We shouldn’t just read it to read it…to check a spiritual box off…but we should read it carefully and intentionally. We should ask questions when we read it. We should seek to understand the context of what we’re reading. We should notice patterns in the text, like repetitions of words or phrases. We shouldn’t just read the Bible, but we should read about the Bible.
When we don’t seek to rightly understand the Bible, it can get us in a lot of trouble. I want you to realize something very serious and scary. Satan knows the Bible better than many Christians. I would even dare say he knows it better than most of you. And he distorts and twists it to lead you astray.
He’s been doing it since the beginning. Hear what he says to Adam and Eve in Genesis when he tempted them to sin: Genesis 3:1-4
He does the same to Jesus when he tempts him in the wilderness: Matthew 4:1-11.
God’s Word is the only offensive weapon that we have to fight against Satan with (Eph 6:17).
So, we need to study God’s Word so that we know God’s Word. Here is a great tool to help you get into Bible study and maybe for you to end up leading your own Bible study. WordGo by Bible Study Fellowship.
When we read and study God’s Word, we can and should trust what it says.
Devote yourself to God’s Word by trusting it. The Bible is without error, and it is useful for every area of our lives.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – 16 All Sc