Delivering Decisions

After a fallout with Barnabas over whether to take Mark with them or not, Paul continued his missionary journeys with a new partner, Silas. Paul and Silas shared four directives from the Apostles with all the churches founded on Paul's first missionary journey. These directives prohibited four sins. 

1. eating food sacrificed to idols

2. sexual immorality

3. eating the meat of strangled animals

4. drinking blood

The Scriptures tell us that by following these four directives, the churches were ‘strengthened in the Faith.’ We’re going to write the Faith with a capital F since the Scriptures make the Faith to be so important, but also because we want to distinguish the Faith we see in this passage from other uses of the word faith.

At any rate, here’s the passage that speaks of strengthening in the Faith: 

As they [Paul and Silas] traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So, the churches were strengthened in the Faith and grew daily in numbers (Acts 16:4-5).

For Strength and Growth

Observe that as a consequence of this strengthening in the Faith, the churches Paul and Silas visited grew numerically—increasing on a daily basis. That means that we should expect a church to grow if the congregation is being strengthened in the Faith, right? Well, it worked in the age of the Apostles, but that doesn’t mean it will work now.

For example, none of the pastors of the fastest growing churches in the World now (the so-called “megachurches”) enforce or even relay these four prohibitions to their people. Those churches are often seen at as the model for church growth because of their membership rolls, but do they give strong warnings against consuming blood, meats sacrificed to idols, or sexual sin?

No, that’s not their reputation.

Let’s be honest. For the modern church this is a strange list of orders.

1.   not to eat food sacrificed to idols

2.   to abstain from sexual immorality

3.   not to eat the meat of strangled animals

4.   not to drink blood

If we dispatch missionaries today to different churches and they convincingly preach these commandments, would we expect that to bring about church growth? Of course not.

In fact, do you even know of a church where pastors dare teach this passage? We don’t. Much less likely are you to find a church that uses these rules for instruction. Frankly, no congregation out there thinks that these rules are going to help their church to grow. So why did it work for the Early Church? Why did it work for the Apostles?

A Kind of Faith

The key to understanding the message of this passage is to decipher to what kind of faith it refers. So let's look at them. There are three kinds of faith.

Firstly, there is (1) the faith a person puts in the Gospel to be saved—we call that saving faith. Then there is (2) the sound doctrine Faith, the 'doctrine of the Apostles' (Acts 2:42). And then there is (3) the faith that moves mountains. The last one is like the gift—the gift of faith. With it, in answer to a believer’s prayers, amazing things will happen.

Whichever kind of faith Acts 16:4-5 is referring to; it has to be one of these. Whichever one it is, avoiding four particular sins make Christians strong in that kind of faith. It’s beneficial to us to figure out what kind of faith Paul and Silas taught, so that we too might walk in it. If we do, our churches will be strengthened by that faith, and hopefully our churches will grow.

If you haven’t guessed yet, the passage is speaking of (2) the sound doctrine kind of Faith. But the sound doctrine kind of Faith is not only knowledge. It’s wisdom. It’s not only the body of teachings that come from the Apostles. It is a teaching that produces sound living. It’s a Truth that—by knowing it and putting it into practice—will set us free.

You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free (John 8:32).

The Truth of the Christian Faith has power to transform lives. If we’re sound in the Faith, then there are certain virtues which fittingly accompany it. Look at how Paul mentions the Faith in his exhortation to Titus:

… as for you, proclaim the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, sound in the Faith... (Titus 2:1-2; NASB)

Authentic Church Growth

In the Early Church, a visible consequence of being strengthened in sound doctrine was a daily pattern of growth. New people kept coming to churches. Congregations experienced numerical growth.

But those churches didn’t use gimmicks. They didn’t schedule “seeker-friendly” church services or tailor their approach to make the Gospel of the Kingdom more palatable. Rather, they strengthened themselves in the Faith and people were drawn to that strength.

Church growth is a good thing, but only if it is sound and healthy growth. That is, growth needs to be firm. It needs to be buttressed by holiness. Biblical church growth is like a body which grows in muscle mass, not in fat volume.

Every Christian wants his church to grow bigger, but we shouldn’t pursue church growth by any means necessary. Church growth only glorifies God if the people converting to Christ get strong foundations. It’s no glory to God for people to respond emotionally to his message. If their response is based on emotions, they fall away once difficulties arise.

Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the Word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away (Luke 8:13).

People need to be rooted in the Faith.

Fruit That Will Last

Jesus spoke of fruit—the fruit of evangelism. More specifically, he spoke of a fruit that will last. That is, our Lord spoke of a lasting product we produce for God. He spoke of permanent transformations.

I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last… (John 15:16)

Jesus never led people to emotional decisions to “receive him in their hearts.” Rather, he called people to repentance and good works. He insisted on seeing the fruit of repentance and a firm commitment.

Even when people offered to follow Jesus, he didn’t just acquiesce. He insisted on a commitment first. He didn’t accept every person who said they would follow him. Actually, he rejected many of them, knowing that their decisions were based on emotions.

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’

He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But he replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.’

Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord. But first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God’ (Luke 9:57-62).

Jesus really blasted that last guy. He told him straight to his face that he was not fit for the Kingdom. No “buts” allowed! It seems harsh, but it was an exhortation in love.

Jesus used a method, a strong call to commitment, to summon people to the Kingdom. Why? Because that approach produces the kind of fruit that glorifies the Father. It produces fruit that will last. He declared:

My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples (John 15:8; NASB).

Spiritual Health

The Faith of the believers to whom Paul and Silas ministered was a healthy Faith. It was based on sound Biblical doctrine. It produced spiritual well-being. And the church communities that received Paul and Silas’ message, because of this spiritual health, became fruitful. They were useful for bringing people to salvation.

As they [Paul and Silas] traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So, the churches were strengthened in the Faith and grew daily in numbers (Acts 16:4-5).

Their strength in the Faith made those churches productive. It made them fertile ground for fruitful outreach. People wanted to join those churches and the Holy Spirit, through the Scriptures, accredits that evangelism to the strength those churches had in the Faith.

How strong is your church in the Faith? If it's strong in the Faith, is it growing? Are people getting baptized in water and the Spirit? Are they remaining strong in the Faith after their conversion? God is seeking fruit that will last.