2026 Acts 2-4, Be Devoted to Apostles’ Teaching, Fellowship and Prayer
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2026-09-13 17:07
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Have You Been Baptized? Then be Devoted to Apostles’’ Teaching, Fellowship and Prayer
Acts 2:42-47
Through Peter’s sermon, 3,000 people repented and were baptized. And they gathered acknowledging Jesus as their Lord and Messiah to form a church. The three pillars of a healthy church are the apostles' teaching, fellowship and prayer. While baptism is an individual response to God’s calling, a life of faith is to belong to the church of Christ Jesus.
Until the 1920s, wolves inhabited Yellowstone, but humans hunted them to extinction to protect herbivore. With their natural predator gone, the elk population boomed. Then elks devoured the grass and young trees in the park, leaving the land barren. In 1995, the government released 14 wolves into the park. Consequently, to escape the wolves, the elks began to avoid valleys and thick forests. Where the elks vanished, trees and grass started to grow back. Birds returned, and beavers came back to build dams, acting as ecosystem engineers. Yellowstone was restored to be a lively, livable and harmonious park again. The church is a family community, resembling a spiritual ecosystem. Nowadays, many individuals and families have been broken. The spiritual ecosystem needs to be restored for them and the primary key to reviving it is
First, the teaching of the apostles.
God's word is the framework and the seed. Our life of faith shouldn't be driven by our feelings or situations. Instead, the word of God must be our guide. Yet, some people let their own thoughts and experiences drive them instead of the word of God.
But man’s thoughts are futile and man’s experiences and abilities are limited. Fools take ten years just to realize this one thing. Only when we are taught the word of God, we grow in God’s grace to bear abundant fruits. That is why receiving the teaching of the apostles is so crucial.
I think that It’s hard for us to read a book more than two or three times. I have read Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ Preaching and Preachers three times and Demian 4 times. It's not easy to read it anymore. But I have read Bible more than 6-70 times. Yet, no matter how many times I read the Bible, it always feels brand new. The Bible is a rich mine of gold. There are moments when the word of God burns like a fire within my heart that I cannot help but share it.
Verse 42 says, ”They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” After repenting and being baptized, the first what they devoted was to receive the word of God from the apostles. Fellowship is not first, but the word of God is first.
A church consumed by the word of God is healthy, firm and strong. The Word is both the essence and the power. I pray that the word of God may touch your ears and hearts, sending a thrill through your whole body, leaving you unable to contain it without preaching it.
Satan keeps us busy and tired to prevent us from worship or listening to the word of God. But here is our confession, “I refuse to give in, because I am a worshipper. I read and study the Scripture, and my life is being transformed."
Design your life around worship and the word of God. Your life will become fruitful and powerful. I want you to stake your life on the word of god. You will be victorious.
Second, fellowship
"I don’t need a fellowship." If you do, you will become like Yellowstone without wolves. Do not live your life of faith alone but join a church community. Even an ember goes out if it is left by itself.
However, fellowship must come after receiving the Word. If you try to have a fellowship without experiencing the grace and power of the Word in the church, your fellowship can become fleshly and pragmatic, leading to disappointment and hurt. When Christ and the Word are at the center of your fellowship, your life deepens and power is revealed.
The word for fellowship is koinonia meaning, ‘participation or sharing.’ It comes from 'Koinos,' which means to “get together’ or ‘be generous.’ Fellowship in the church means being generous to one another without calculating.
We often calculate, 'Will meeting this person benefit me or hurt me?' “Will I gain or lose if I come to church or a retreat?” This calculating mindset makes us complicated.
However, when we go home, we don't calculate. This is why the church is referred to as a healthy family community. Do parents calculate costs when raising their kids? Do they keep a record of how much was spent on feeding and educating them? They neither record it nor remember it.
Look at verse 44-45. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”
The believers of the early church did not calculate. Those who have much give of what they have without boasting or expecting praise, while those who benefit feel neither shame nor debt. In this way, the teaching of the apostles and their fellowship are joined together.
Many people only focus on their individual relationship with God. But Jesus' cross consists of a vertical relationship with God and a horizontal relationship with other people. We need to receive teaching from above and immediately step into the fellowship of church.
Not one of the nine fruits of the Spirit can be produced in isolation. Can you love alone? How about joy and patience? We bear such fruits while we are with others.
Some people only attend Sunday service. Some only do Bible study. But that’s not enough. We need a fellowship with other believers, eating together, talking together, praying together and going on retreats together. As our fellowship grows deeper, our lives become richer and stronger.
In verses 42 and 46, ‘breaking bread’ appears twice. This could be having a meal together. This also means Communion, remembering the blood and body of Jesus Christ on the cross. In their fellowship, Christ Jesus was there. Do you know fellowship without Jesus is often dangerous? The believers in the early church broke bread in their fellowship. So this fellowship is godly, pure, beautiful and joyful.
Third, prayer
The believers of the early church were devoted to prayer whenever they gathered. So, this is a prayer community. Dentists tell us to brush our teeth three times a day for three minutes. Try praying like this. When you devote yourself to prayer, your life becomes simple, and you can focus on what truly matters.
Prayer is spiritual, but it requires your physical effort and determination. Folks, do you know that you have to use your body to become spiritual? When your body is comfortable, your spirit grows weak. On the other hand, when you make your body uncomfortable, your spirit awakens and becomes strong. Prayer is a labor. People don’t realize this. Fools try to make their bodies comfortable. But that is wrong. When you push your body, your spirit becomes healthy and your intellect does not dry up.
Folks, go to places where you will push your body to its limits. One of the places is a place of prayer with other believers. Jesus says, “if two of you prays together for anything, it will be done for them by God.” (Matthew 18:19) Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. (James 5:16) When we pray together, God works.
When there were apostles’ teaching, fellowship and prayer, miracles were followed. Look at verse 43. “Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.”
I have seen amazing and dynamic things happening in my life and others. One student was a failure without any motive. But through apostles’ teaching, fellowship and prayer, he became an honorary student with scholarship. One girl rarely smiled with depression. But she was filled with joy in Jesus and went to Russia as a missionary.
One of miracles is being able to see the needs of others. Look at verses 44–45. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”
They said that man is selfish, self-centered and nearsighted by nature. We tend to focus mostly on ourselves and things in front of us. However, God desires for his people to see the needs of their neighbors and feed others’ need. God changed Abram's name to Abraham. Abram means a father of a son or a family. Abraham means a father of many nations. God changed his name. It means to stop living a self-centered life. Stop living just for myself, my family and my close friends, but look at my neighbors who are in need and far away.
When you’re young, it’s easy to focus only on yourself and run hard for your own success. But the best life is to seek first God’s kingdom filling the needs of your neighbors. Joseph lived this way from his youth. He brought bread to his brothers who were shepherding sheep in the fields. And when he was imprisoned, instead of weeping in self-pity, he looked at the expressions on others' faces, prayed for them, and met their needs. In his 20s, he was already taking care of others instead of focusing on himself. Then he experienced a miracle to become a prime minster of Egypt saving so many souls.
They said that man’s society is like a hostile turkey flock, where the wounded are instantly targeted by the rest. They said that a basket containing crabs does not need a lid because the moment one tries to get out of the basket, the other crabs drag it down. Man’s society is like that. Aren't we inside a crab basket engaging fiercely in the war of all against all?"
“Hey, where are you going?” “Church.” "Why are you trying to bail on us?" When one person tries to dedicate his or her time and resources to God, there are opposition or disturbance from people. Crabs can easily get out of a lidless basket. We can get out of such society if we get a little encouragement or support from others.
Do you know what a miracle really is? It’s not some grand power descending from above. It’s seeing someone’s weakness or tears or worries and fill needs of them. That is a miracle and power.
If you have a surplus of money or talent—more than you actually need—you are to share it with others. I hope our church may become a community like this. This is the work of the Holy Spirit.
To do all of these things, the devotion of apostles’ teaching, fellowship and prayer, one thing is required. Verse 46 says, “Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple.”
Gathering together is not easy. Continue to meet up for worship, prayer and gospel work doesn't just happen automatically. Have you ever felt this way before? "I need to go to worship service and prayer meeting. If not, that person I pray for will be discourage and the church too.” Have you thought about something like this? Those who see the church as a living ecosystem feel a sense of responsibility: 'If I don't go, that person will get discouraged and won't be able to worship properly. If I don't go, the church will stagnate. I have to go so that the worship service and prayer meeting can come alive.'
Every person has their own unique charm. God gave some people special charm. When such a person joins a fellowship, he or she brings joy or vitality to the fellowship making people refreshed and alive. That is a true blessing.
However, if they use that charm to turn away from worship and prayer meetings and head into the world, others will follow them there as well. You understand what that means, right? That becomes a curse. They are using the charm God gave them for the wrong reasons. Those who have received much are to carry a greater responsibility. They must learn to use their charm in the right way. How? By dedicating their energy to gathering for worship, prayer, and mission work.
Folks, what people in the world don’t understand is that when Christians are going to remote areas such as India or Nepal to evangelize. They are puzzled at people going to campus to spread the gospel. Do you understand it? Why would they spend their time and money to go all the way there and do such time and money consuming work? It’s hard enough to meet up with people I already know, so why do they approach strangers and try to start a conversation?
However, the Holy Spirit and Christ’s love give them the strength to go and share God’s grace with people there. And they find true joy and meaning right there. This is a miracle. The believers in the early church experienced it. I desire to see the power of the Holy Spirit pouring out richly upon our church. Then, we will gather diligently for worship, prayer and gospel work to deliver the good news of Jesus to the people in our campuses and the world. And we will gather to pray Friday night and Wednesday morning. Is this an easy task in modern society? However, when we dedicate ourselves to gathering in the name of Jesus, miracles take place. If we Christians do not gather, there is truly no hope for this country.
Fourth, a missionary community.
Verse 47: " And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." When the early church gathered to receive the apostles' teaching, have fellowship, pray together and witness to the Word, revival broke out. Not a few Christians do not know what evangelism is. They have never tried to evangelize even one person. That is why no revival happens. However, when one person and a few people start going out to share the gospel, it becomes a spark that ignites a great fire. I pray for you to receive the Holy Spirit and experience joy and miracle through the teaching of Apostles, fellowship, prayer and gospel work. This Tuesday and Wednesday are Clubs Day. May God give you Christ’s love to go there and invite students to God.
Acts 2:42-47
Through Peter’s sermon, 3,000 people repented and were baptized. And they gathered acknowledging Jesus as their Lord and Messiah to form a church. The three pillars of a healthy church are the apostles' teaching, fellowship and prayer. While baptism is an individual response to God’s calling, a life of faith is to belong to the church of Christ Jesus.
Until the 1920s, wolves inhabited Yellowstone, but humans hunted them to extinction to protect herbivore. With their natural predator gone, the elk population boomed. Then elks devoured the grass and young trees in the park, leaving the land barren. In 1995, the government released 14 wolves into the park. Consequently, to escape the wolves, the elks began to avoid valleys and thick forests. Where the elks vanished, trees and grass started to grow back. Birds returned, and beavers came back to build dams, acting as ecosystem engineers. Yellowstone was restored to be a lively, livable and harmonious park again. The church is a family community, resembling a spiritual ecosystem. Nowadays, many individuals and families have been broken. The spiritual ecosystem needs to be restored for them and the primary key to reviving it is
First, the teaching of the apostles.
God's word is the framework and the seed. Our life of faith shouldn't be driven by our feelings or situations. Instead, the word of God must be our guide. Yet, some people let their own thoughts and experiences drive them instead of the word of God.
But man’s thoughts are futile and man’s experiences and abilities are limited. Fools take ten years just to realize this one thing. Only when we are taught the word of God, we grow in God’s grace to bear abundant fruits. That is why receiving the teaching of the apostles is so crucial.
I think that It’s hard for us to read a book more than two or three times. I have read Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ Preaching and Preachers three times and Demian 4 times. It's not easy to read it anymore. But I have read Bible more than 6-70 times. Yet, no matter how many times I read the Bible, it always feels brand new. The Bible is a rich mine of gold. There are moments when the word of God burns like a fire within my heart that I cannot help but share it.
Verse 42 says, ”They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” After repenting and being baptized, the first what they devoted was to receive the word of God from the apostles. Fellowship is not first, but the word of God is first.
A church consumed by the word of God is healthy, firm and strong. The Word is both the essence and the power. I pray that the word of God may touch your ears and hearts, sending a thrill through your whole body, leaving you unable to contain it without preaching it.
Satan keeps us busy and tired to prevent us from worship or listening to the word of God. But here is our confession, “I refuse to give in, because I am a worshipper. I read and study the Scripture, and my life is being transformed."
Design your life around worship and the word of God. Your life will become fruitful and powerful. I want you to stake your life on the word of god. You will be victorious.
Second, fellowship
"I don’t need a fellowship." If you do, you will become like Yellowstone without wolves. Do not live your life of faith alone but join a church community. Even an ember goes out if it is left by itself.
However, fellowship must come after receiving the Word. If you try to have a fellowship without experiencing the grace and power of the Word in the church, your fellowship can become fleshly and pragmatic, leading to disappointment and hurt. When Christ and the Word are at the center of your fellowship, your life deepens and power is revealed.
The word for fellowship is koinonia meaning, ‘participation or sharing.’ It comes from 'Koinos,' which means to “get together’ or ‘be generous.’ Fellowship in the church means being generous to one another without calculating.
We often calculate, 'Will meeting this person benefit me or hurt me?' “Will I gain or lose if I come to church or a retreat?” This calculating mindset makes us complicated.
However, when we go home, we don't calculate. This is why the church is referred to as a healthy family community. Do parents calculate costs when raising their kids? Do they keep a record of how much was spent on feeding and educating them? They neither record it nor remember it.
Look at verse 44-45. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”
The believers of the early church did not calculate. Those who have much give of what they have without boasting or expecting praise, while those who benefit feel neither shame nor debt. In this way, the teaching of the apostles and their fellowship are joined together.
Many people only focus on their individual relationship with God. But Jesus' cross consists of a vertical relationship with God and a horizontal relationship with other people. We need to receive teaching from above and immediately step into the fellowship of church.
Not one of the nine fruits of the Spirit can be produced in isolation. Can you love alone? How about joy and patience? We bear such fruits while we are with others.
Some people only attend Sunday service. Some only do Bible study. But that’s not enough. We need a fellowship with other believers, eating together, talking together, praying together and going on retreats together. As our fellowship grows deeper, our lives become richer and stronger.
In verses 42 and 46, ‘breaking bread’ appears twice. This could be having a meal together. This also means Communion, remembering the blood and body of Jesus Christ on the cross. In their fellowship, Christ Jesus was there. Do you know fellowship without Jesus is often dangerous? The believers in the early church broke bread in their fellowship. So this fellowship is godly, pure, beautiful and joyful.
Third, prayer
The believers of the early church were devoted to prayer whenever they gathered. So, this is a prayer community. Dentists tell us to brush our teeth three times a day for three minutes. Try praying like this. When you devote yourself to prayer, your life becomes simple, and you can focus on what truly matters.
Prayer is spiritual, but it requires your physical effort and determination. Folks, do you know that you have to use your body to become spiritual? When your body is comfortable, your spirit grows weak. On the other hand, when you make your body uncomfortable, your spirit awakens and becomes strong. Prayer is a labor. People don’t realize this. Fools try to make their bodies comfortable. But that is wrong. When you push your body, your spirit becomes healthy and your intellect does not dry up.
Folks, go to places where you will push your body to its limits. One of the places is a place of prayer with other believers. Jesus says, “if two of you prays together for anything, it will be done for them by God.” (Matthew 18:19) Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. (James 5:16) When we pray together, God works.
When there were apostles’ teaching, fellowship and prayer, miracles were followed. Look at verse 43. “Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.”
I have seen amazing and dynamic things happening in my life and others. One student was a failure without any motive. But through apostles’ teaching, fellowship and prayer, he became an honorary student with scholarship. One girl rarely smiled with depression. But she was filled with joy in Jesus and went to Russia as a missionary.
One of miracles is being able to see the needs of others. Look at verses 44–45. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”
They said that man is selfish, self-centered and nearsighted by nature. We tend to focus mostly on ourselves and things in front of us. However, God desires for his people to see the needs of their neighbors and feed others’ need. God changed Abram's name to Abraham. Abram means a father of a son or a family. Abraham means a father of many nations. God changed his name. It means to stop living a self-centered life. Stop living just for myself, my family and my close friends, but look at my neighbors who are in need and far away.
When you’re young, it’s easy to focus only on yourself and run hard for your own success. But the best life is to seek first God’s kingdom filling the needs of your neighbors. Joseph lived this way from his youth. He brought bread to his brothers who were shepherding sheep in the fields. And when he was imprisoned, instead of weeping in self-pity, he looked at the expressions on others' faces, prayed for them, and met their needs. In his 20s, he was already taking care of others instead of focusing on himself. Then he experienced a miracle to become a prime minster of Egypt saving so many souls.
They said that man’s society is like a hostile turkey flock, where the wounded are instantly targeted by the rest. They said that a basket containing crabs does not need a lid because the moment one tries to get out of the basket, the other crabs drag it down. Man’s society is like that. Aren't we inside a crab basket engaging fiercely in the war of all against all?"
“Hey, where are you going?” “Church.” "Why are you trying to bail on us?" When one person tries to dedicate his or her time and resources to God, there are opposition or disturbance from people. Crabs can easily get out of a lidless basket. We can get out of such society if we get a little encouragement or support from others.
Do you know what a miracle really is? It’s not some grand power descending from above. It’s seeing someone’s weakness or tears or worries and fill needs of them. That is a miracle and power.
If you have a surplus of money or talent—more than you actually need—you are to share it with others. I hope our church may become a community like this. This is the work of the Holy Spirit.
To do all of these things, the devotion of apostles’ teaching, fellowship and prayer, one thing is required. Verse 46 says, “Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple.”
Gathering together is not easy. Continue to meet up for worship, prayer and gospel work doesn't just happen automatically. Have you ever felt this way before? "I need to go to worship service and prayer meeting. If not, that person I pray for will be discourage and the church too.” Have you thought about something like this? Those who see the church as a living ecosystem feel a sense of responsibility: 'If I don't go, that person will get discouraged and won't be able to worship properly. If I don't go, the church will stagnate. I have to go so that the worship service and prayer meeting can come alive.'
Every person has their own unique charm. God gave some people special charm. When such a person joins a fellowship, he or she brings joy or vitality to the fellowship making people refreshed and alive. That is a true blessing.
However, if they use that charm to turn away from worship and prayer meetings and head into the world, others will follow them there as well. You understand what that means, right? That becomes a curse. They are using the charm God gave them for the wrong reasons. Those who have received much are to carry a greater responsibility. They must learn to use their charm in the right way. How? By dedicating their energy to gathering for worship, prayer, and mission work.
Folks, what people in the world don’t understand is that when Christians are going to remote areas such as India or Nepal to evangelize. They are puzzled at people going to campus to spread the gospel. Do you understand it? Why would they spend their time and money to go all the way there and do such time and money consuming work? It’s hard enough to meet up with people I already know, so why do they approach strangers and try to start a conversation?
However, the Holy Spirit and Christ’s love give them the strength to go and share God’s grace with people there. And they find true joy and meaning right there. This is a miracle. The believers in the early church experienced it. I desire to see the power of the Holy Spirit pouring out richly upon our church. Then, we will gather diligently for worship, prayer and gospel work to deliver the good news of Jesus to the people in our campuses and the world. And we will gather to pray Friday night and Wednesday morning. Is this an easy task in modern society? However, when we dedicate ourselves to gathering in the name of Jesus, miracles take place. If we Christians do not gather, there is truly no hope for this country.
Fourth, a missionary community.
Verse 47: " And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." When the early church gathered to receive the apostles' teaching, have fellowship, pray together and witness to the Word, revival broke out. Not a few Christians do not know what evangelism is. They have never tried to evangelize even one person. That is why no revival happens. However, when one person and a few people start going out to share the gospel, it becomes a spark that ignites a great fire. I pray for you to receive the Holy Spirit and experience joy and miracle through the teaching of Apostles, fellowship, prayer and gospel work. This Tuesday and Wednesday are Clubs Day. May God give you Christ’s love to go there and invite students to God.