Devotion – The Power Behind The Power

Acts 2:42 (NIV)—

‘They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.’

 In 2008 Malcom Gladwell published a book called ‘Outliers’. In it he suggested that to become exceptional in a particular field, it takes 10,000 hours of practice. This concept took hold in modern culture and, whilst much of the original science behind the 10,000 hours theory has been largely debunked, many successful artists, scientists, musicians and athletes still testify to the reality that much of their seemingly natural brilliance is actually the result of hard work and devotion, forged through many monotonous and unseen hours in the gym, lab and practice room.

 This week we’re looking at the picture of the early church in Acts 2. And there’s some really exciting stuff in there: signs and wonders that filled everyone with awe, a radical approach to possessions, explosive church growth. These were the outward signs that the world saw when they looked at the church. But we learn from the passage that behind the outward brilliance of the early church lay a quiet single-minded devotion to God and to each other.

 Today’s verse is the spiritual equivalent to 10,000 hours in the gym. If we want a church that is filled with miracles and salvation, then we first need to be devoted to the practices outlined in Scripture. We need an obsession with the simple things: teaching and reading the Bible, sharing our lives with each other, breaking bread together and prayer. This isn’t the flashy stuff; sometimes it can even seem boring, but it is the foundation of our church life. This is the power behind the power.

 Activity- Block out some time this week to devote yourself to one or more of these practices. You could spend an evening in prayer, text a friend and arrange to meet up, or get up an hour earlier than normal to read a book of the Bible.