Unhindered - Got the DREAM?

And 3,000 people believed and chose to follow Jesus that day.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47 (ESV)

“Do Life Together.”

We are wired for relationships.
We are built for community.

We are more connected with one another than we have ever been, we are also feel more lonely and more unknown that we have ever felt.

Why is that?
What are we missing here?

Acts 2:42 - And they devoted themselves …

Every single major translation uses the word “devoted” in Acts 2:42.

To be DEVOTED to something means “to persist in adherence to; to be intently engaged in, to attend constantly to.”

So what did they devote themselves to?

Acts 2:42–47 (ESV) And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

•The Apostles’ teaching
•The fellowship (or shared life) of the believers
•The breaking of bread
•Prayers


•Providing for those in need
•Attending the temple
•Praising God

And the Lord added to their number
day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:47b

The 5 main purposes of the church:
1.Discipleship
2.Fellowship
3.Ministry
4.Worship
5.Evangelism

Discipleship Fellowship Ministry Worship Evangelism = DREAM

•Discipleship is the process of following Jesus and learning to live like him. It is about growing in our knowledge of God and his Word, and in our obedience to his commands.


•Fellowship is the shared life of Christians. It is about loving and supporting one another, and building relationships that are based on our common faith in Jesus Christ.


•Evangelism is the sharing of the gospel with others. It is about telling people about Jesus Christ and inviting them to follow him.


•Worship (Adoration) is our response to God's greatness. It is about giving him praise and honor, and expressing our love for him.


•Ministry is the work of the church. It is about serving others, and using our gifts and talents to make a difference in the world.

1. Discipleship

What are you doing to devote yourself to discipleship?

“Where no attention is given to teaching, and constant, lifelong Christian learning, people quickly revert to the worldview or mindset of the surrounding culture, and end up with their minds shaped by whichever social pressures are most persuasive, with Jesus somewhere around as a pale influence or memory.” N.T. Wright

2. Fellowship (Relationships)

Acts 2:44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common …
Acts 2:46 ... day by day, attending the temple together and
breaking bread in their homes ...

So, what are you doing to devote yourself to fellowship?

3. Evangelism
Acts 2:47b And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Numerical growth was the result of their devotion to discipleship, fellowship, ministry, and worship.

4. Worship (Adoration)
The earliest believers were devoted to worship.

“We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God.” A.W. Tozer

Worship strengthens our lives by focusing us on the true source of life.

What are you doing to devote yourself to worship?

5. Ministry
Acts 2:45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

What are you doing to devote yourself to ministry—to address the needs of others?

Wait … what’s that you say?
Something has stopped us?

So we need to look at our lives and examine our devotion.

What are we doing to devote ourselves to discipleship, fellowship, ministry, worship, and evangelism?

•Balance
•Persistence
•Intentionality
•Consistency
•Constancy

This is the life we are called to live.

Look around you.
You’re not alone.
We are in this together.
This is our story.