Revival Generation (part 4)
Posted by PropheticEdge | Labels: Revival | Posted On Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 8:31 AM
Acts 2:42 "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
In this post, I will address the third part of Acts 2:42: "They devoted themselves to the breaking of bread" When looking at this statement, we must look at it in 2 parts. First, breaking bread is symbolic of sharing a meal together. Secondly, breaking bread is symbolic of communion. As we have been looking at what it takes to sustain a revival that will last an entire generation, we see a significant theme. This theme is the importance of intimacy. As we talk about breaking bread, I really want to drive home the importance of intimacy.
Intimacy can be defined as a close association with, detailed knowledge or deep understanding of a person, place, or subject. How do we gain detailed knowledge or deep understanding? We do this by spending time with a certain person or in a certain place. We can also study subjects to gain knowledge and understanding. The main theme in defining intimacy as we see here, is spending time with who or what we are trying to know and understand. As we spend time with each other, we begin to know and understand each other on new levels.
In the buisiness of our everyday life, how do we find time to get to know and understand each other? The answer is quite simple. Slow down and make time for each other. One of the best ways to make time for each other is by sharing a meal together. Sharing a meal invites people into our home. When we are in our home, our defenses come down and we tend to open up who we truly are to each other. Conversations during the meal provide opportunities to bond, plan, connect, and learn from one another. Meals provide an atmosphere of warmth, security and love, as well as feelings of belonging. When we feel like we belong to something greater than ourselves, we become free to open up, explore, and become who the Lord has called us to be.
Exploring, with each other, who the Lord has called us to be is where the concept of communion comes into play. Communion can be defined in two ways. First, communion is an act of remembering what Jesus did for us and our connection with Him. When we accept Jesus, we come into communion with Him.
Matthew 26:26-29 says, "While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."
Secondly, the word communion comes from the words common and union. Merriam-Webster defines communion as mutual participation; an act or instance of sharing; intimate fellowship or rapport; and, having a common faith and discipline. When we come into communion with each other, we share a common ground and are able to strengthen, encourage, and help each other become who we are called to be.
In my next post, I will be addressing the final point of Acts 2:42 – the importance of prayer.
In this post, I will address the third part of Acts 2:42: "They devoted themselves to the breaking of bread" When looking at this statement, we must look at it in 2 parts. First, breaking bread is symbolic of sharing a meal together. Secondly, breaking bread is symbolic of communion. As we have been looking at what it takes to sustain a revival that will last an entire generation, we see a significant theme. This theme is the importance of intimacy. As we talk about breaking bread, I really want to drive home the importance of intimacy.
Intimacy can be defined as a close association with, detailed knowledge or deep understanding of a person, place, or subject. How do we gain detailed knowledge or deep understanding? We do this by spending time with a certain person or in a certain place. We can also study subjects to gain knowledge and understanding. The main theme in defining intimacy as we see here, is spending time with who or what we are trying to know and understand. As we spend time with each other, we begin to know and understand each other on new levels.
In the buisiness of our everyday life, how do we find time to get to know and understand each other? The answer is quite simple. Slow down and make time for each other. One of the best ways to make time for each other is by sharing a meal together. Sharing a meal invites people into our home. When we are in our home, our defenses come down and we tend to open up who we truly are to each other. Conversations during the meal provide opportunities to bond, plan, connect, and learn from one another. Meals provide an atmosphere of warmth, security and love, as well as feelings of belonging. When we feel like we belong to something greater than ourselves, we become free to open up, explore, and become who the Lord has called us to be.
Exploring, with each other, who the Lord has called us to be is where the concept of communion comes into play. Communion can be defined in two ways. First, communion is an act of remembering what Jesus did for us and our connection with Him. When we accept Jesus, we come into communion with Him.
Matthew 26:26-29 says, "While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."
Secondly, the word communion comes from the words common and union. Merriam-Webster defines communion as mutual participation; an act or instance of sharing; intimate fellowship or rapport; and, having a common faith and discipline. When we come into communion with each other, we share a common ground and are able to strengthen, encourage, and help each other become who we are called to be.
In my next post, I will be addressing the final point of Acts 2:42 – the importance of prayer.
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