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“Let us look at what the Word of God says.”
> “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
> Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.”
> — Acts 2:42–43 (NIV)
The central theme of this song, *Devoted Hearts*, is not a feeling, not a mood, but a pattern of life established by the Holy Spirit in the earliest church. These verses do not describe a special “revival week.” They describe normal Christian living as God intended it from the beginning of the church age.
The song simply echoes and repeats what the Scripture states:
This is not just a historical report. It is a divine blueprint. Many Christians pray for “New Testament power” while ignoring the New Testament pattern. Yet in Scripture, power is never divorced from pattern. If we want Acts 2:43 (“awe… wonders and signs”), we must first embrace Acts 2:42 (“they devoted themselves…”).
The question before us is very simple:
Are we prepared to align our lives, our homes, and our congregations with this pattern of devoted hearts?
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Acts 2 records the birth of the church. Let us briefly trace the sequence:
1. Jesus’ promise and command
In Acts 1:4–5, Jesus commands the disciples not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father: the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
2. The day of Pentecost
In Acts 2:1–4, the Holy Spirit comes with wind and fire. The disciples begin to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enables them. This is not a private experience; it is public, visible, and powerful.
3. Peter’s sermon
Peter, once fearful, now stands up and proclaims Christ crucified and risen. He explains that what is happening is the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy: God pouring out His Spirit on all flesh (Acts 2:16–21).
4. The response of the crowd
The people are “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37) and ask, “What shall we do?” Peter’s answer is very clear:
5. The birth of a community
About three thousand are added that day (Acts 2:41). Immediately, the Holy Spirit does not merely produce individual experiences; He forms a community—a new kind of people with a new lifestyle.
Acts 2:42–43 then describes the first marks of this Spirit-formed community:
“They devoted themselves…”
Who is “they”?
Not the apostles only. Not a spiritual elite. The “they” includes the three thousand new believers, freshly saved, baptized, and filled with the Spirit. From their first steps, they are absorbed into a pattern of devotion.
The context is important:
And as a result:
> “Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.”
> — Acts 2:43
The fear of God and the manifest power of God rested upon a community that had devoted hearts.
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To understand this pattern more deeply, we will focus on two key expressions from Acts 2:42–43.
### 1. “They devoted themselves” — *proskartereō* (Greek)
The phrase “they devoted themselves” translates the Greek verb προσκαρτερέω (*proskartereō*).
The combined sense is:
“to persist in, to continue steadfastly in, to give oneself constantly to something.”
This word is used elsewhere in the New Testament, for example:
It describes ongoing, sustained commitment, not occasional interest.
So the early believers did not:
They gave themselves continually to these things. This challenges the casual, occasional approach that marks much of contemporary Christianity.
The song’s repeated phrase, “Devoted hearts”, accurately captures this intensity. Their hearts were not divided. They were oriented “toward” the things of God, persevering in them.
### 2. “Everyone was filled with awe” — *phobos* (Greek)
In Acts 2:43, “Everyone was filled with awe” uses the Greek word φόβος (*phobos*).
In modern usage, “fear” often implies only negative anxiety. But in Scripture, *phobos* in this context carries the idea of:
This is the fear of the Lord, which Scripture presents not as a problem, but as:
The early church’s “awe” was not mere emotional excitement. It was a holy fear, produced by:
When the song speaks of “growing strong in faith and love”, this must not be separated from “everyone was filled with awe.” Genuine New Testament faith and love grow best in an atmosphere marked by the fear of the Lord.
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Let us walk through the themes of the song and connect them with Scripture.
### A. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…”
This is the first item in Acts 2:42. It is not accidental. Teaching comes first.
Scripture emphasizes this priority:
The early church did not grow through entertainment, marketing, or human programs. It grew by systematic, ongoing exposure to apostolic doctrine.
The song’s chorus summarizes:
> “Devoted hearts, together as one—
> learning…”
“Learning” here is not academic curiosity. It is submission to truth. A disciple in Greek is *mathētēs*—literally, “a learner,” but more accurately, a committed follower who shapes his life by the teaching.
Where there is little devotion to sound doctrine, there will be:
To return to the life of the early church, we must return to serious, systematic teaching of Scripture, and we must devote ourselves to it.
### B. “…and to fellowship” — *koinōnia*
The second element: fellowship. The Greek word is κοινωνία (*koinōnia*).
It means:
This is not casual socializing. It is spiritual sharing of life in Christ.
Other references:
Notice the order in 1 John 1:7:
First, walking in the light with God. Then, fellowship with one another. True fellowship is rooted in a shared walk in the light.
So when the song says:
> “Devoted hearts, together as one—
> learning, sharing…”
This “sharing” is a shared life, not simply shared activities. It involves:
Satan’s strategy is always division and isolation. God’s pattern is koinōnia—a community in which believers are not spectators, but participants in a common life.
### C. “…to the breaking of bread…”
The third element: the breaking of bread. This expression in Acts carries at least two layers:
1. Common meals shared in homes
Acts 2:46: “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” This is part of their daily life together.
2. The Lord’s Supper / Communion
Luke uses “breaking of bread” for the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19; Acts 20:7, 11). So the early church likely celebrated the Lord’s Supper frequently, often in the context of a shared meal.
The Lord’s Supper is:
So when the lyrics say:
> “learning, sharing, eating, praying…”
The “eating” is not trivial. It recalls a profound New Testament reality: Christ at the center of shared life.
Meals in Scripture are not neutral. They often represent:
The early believers built a rhythm of life in which:
A church that never eats together, never shares table fellowship, cannot fully reflect this pattern.
### D. “…and to prayer”
The fourth element: prayer—literally, “the prayers” (*tais proseuchais*), suggesting regular, structured prayer patterns.
The early church was:
The apostles considered prayer and the ministry of the word as their central priorities (Acts 6:4).
The song repeats:
> “Devoted hearts, together as one… praying.”
This is not private prayer only, but corporate prayer. Notice the plural in many New Testament passages:
Corporate prayer is a major arena of spiritual warfare. It is here that:
Where corporate prayer is weak or neglected, spiritual power will be limited.
### E. “Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs…”
Now we see the result of this lifestyle:
> “Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.” (Acts 2:43)
Observe the sequence:
1. Devotion to the Word, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer.
2. Atmosphere of holy fear (awe).
3. Manifestation of signs and wonders.
Many today seek signs and wonders without embracing the pattern of devoted community life. That is out of order.
Throughout Acts:
The “awe” is not fascination with miracle-workers, but reverence for a living God who is among His people.
### F. “Stay devoted every day…”
One stanza of the song exhorts:
> “Stay devoted every day—
> teaching, fellowship, bread, and prayer.”
This echoes the ongoing nature of *proskartereō*: to continue steadfastly.
Acts 2:46 says:
> “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.
> They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts
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