Bible Text: Acts 2:42-47 | Preacher: Rev. Dr. Lou Saldiveri | Series: Sunday Morning Worship | Intro: If you would allow me, I would like to talk about baseball for a moment. The New York Yankees are the top winning and top revenue sports franchise in the world. There is a good reason for this. The culture of the team is devoted to win the World Series. By and large, the players, coaches, and management are all devoted to this goal. This is what makes the New Your Yankees great.
You and I know that we can be devoted to good things and bad things. “Devoted” means: to be single minded; to pursue after whole heatedly.  It is this type of devotion that Luke addresses here.
In this passage, Dr. Luke gives us characteristics of a classic and vibrant church. Let me explain a classic church. It is one where Scripture is the primary authority over traditions and trends. Martin Luther once said that the church ought to be in a constant state of reform. That is, we need to test what we do and why we do it by the Word of God. So, I want to ask, are we devoted to the Word of God?
In this passage, Dr. Luke gives us some great insights into what a classic church should look like.

1. A Classic Church is a Devoted Church
1. Learning from the Scriptures
1. Affirming the core principles or marks of a classic church
1. Centered on the Apostle’s teaching, Holiness, Catholicity, and Unity
2. Affirming the birth, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ
3. Salvation by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ
4. Affirming the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit
5. Getting to know Jesus better: His character, grace, personality, holiness, love. knowledge of Him is inexhaustible.
1. Spend time each and every day with Jesus to fall deeper in love with HIm
2. Hear His voice
3. Speak to Him
4. Confess to Him
5. Experience His love and grace
2. Encouraging one another
1. To press on growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ
2. Actively following the call that Jesus has given you
3. Enter into discipleship, transformational growth from the inside out to become more like Jesus
3. Common meals and the Lord’s Table
1. To be reminded of God’s holiness and love
2. To confess and repents of our sins
4. Prayer and Worship and tell God how great He is and ascribe to Him His attributes
1. Prayer for His coming kingdom and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven
2. Pray for God’s provision for today
3. Pray for forgiveness and to forgive others
4. Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to resist and run from temptation
2. A Classic Church is a Generous and United
1. They shared
2. They sacrificed in love
3. They cultivated unity
3. A Classic Church is a Worshiping Church
1. Corporately
2. Individually
3. Worshiping in Spirit and Truth
4. A Classic Church Is Attractive
1. Reaching out to all people in love
2. Relevant e.g. applying the Scriptures to every day life
3. Making an impact

Closing:  So you and I need to make sure that we understand what we do and why we do it and test it all by the Scriptures.