How the Church Makes Decisions!
Reflection: In the business world there are many models for running a business, from a sole proprietorship to a corporation. Within those models, there are various ways to make decisions. Anywhere from a Board of Directors, which gives a lot of input and discernment in the decision making process, to a company where the CEO has a lot of power and authority in making the ultimate decisions. Some choose to stay as privately owned business, so there is less scrutiny in their decision making process.
In the readings today, we see some of the various ways the people of God made decisions and God’s role in that. In the Old Testament, as King David prepared for the temple being built by his son, Solomon, we see the order of the priesthood through the line of Aaron and Moses. Aaron, the Levite, and his sons were in charge of ministering as priests in the temple. Since there were so many duties and there needed to be an ordering of the administration of the duties. Lots were cast to decide who would be in charge of what. Since Eleazar had 16 heads in his family and Ithamar only had 8 heads, they cast lots for the order with one going to Eleazar, and one to Ithamar to keep it fair. They trusted God in the casting of lots to be the final judge of who should serve and where. The casting of lots was a method used throughout the bible, to take decisions out of the hands of subjective personalities and allow God to enter into the decision making process. But we also see David the king playing a big role in the ordering of the process.
Then in the book of Acts we see, after Pentecost, where the disciples were given the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit’s influence on the decision making process. Paul and his companions are kept from going into the province of Asia, with the Holy Spirit warning that only trouble awaits them there. Then, in the night, Paul receives a vision from the Holy Spirit of the Macedonian man begging him to come there and share the Good News. On the Sabbath day they are led to go down to the river where they heard was a “place of prayer”. They meet Lydia, who is a purple cloth dealer. Purple was an expensive dye and one of the reasons Philippi was such a bustling place of commerce. Lydia becomes a disciple and key leader in the early church at Philippi.
In Acts 16:4 we see the role that the elders and apostles played in decision making as it says, “As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.” So in summation, we see lots of different ways that God led the church to make decisions but never leading them away from the principles in His revealed Word (at that time the Old Testament). We see individual leaders like Paul, led by the Holy Spirit, given a vision for where the church needed to make inroads, and also the gathered leadership of the apostles and elders discerning next steps for the new community of believers.
Since the Holy Spirit is no less active in the church today, it would make sense as the church seeks to make God honoring decisions, that God would act through giving leaders vision and also in concert with appointed leaders (elders) discerning God’s will. We see a “both/and” situation which helps provide accountability and guards from one person being set up for failure. We would do well to study the church in Acts, and how God led them to make decisions, so that we might also see God doing a similar work of adding to the church daily those being saved today!
Psalm 17:8-15
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.
10 They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
13 Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down;
with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
may their children gorge themselves on it,
and may there be leftovers for their little ones.
15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
1 Chronicles 24
24 These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron: The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests. 3 With the help of Zadok a descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelek a descendant of Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering. 4 A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than among Ithamar’s, and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar’s descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar’s descendants. 5 They divided them impartially by casting lots, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.
6 The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelek son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar. 7 The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, 8 the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, 9 the fifth to Malkijah,
the sixth to Mijamin, 10 the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, 11 the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shekaniah, 12 the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, 13 the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, 14 the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, 15 the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, 16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, 17 the twenty-first to Jakin, the twenty-second to Gamul, 18 the twenty-third to Delaiah and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
19 This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the Lord, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their ancestor Aaron, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded him.
Acts 16:4-15
4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia
6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi
11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
Your way, O God, is holy. Psalm 77:13
O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! Romans 11:33
Holy Lord and God, you are the way the truth and the life. Fill us with your Holy Spirit; teach us your wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Move self out of the way and direct our paths. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
In the readings today, we see some of the various ways the people of God made decisions and God’s role in that. In the Old Testament, as King David prepared for the temple being built by his son, Solomon, we see the order of the priesthood through the line of Aaron and Moses. Aaron, the Levite, and his sons were in charge of ministering as priests in the temple. Since there were so many duties and there needed to be an ordering of the administration of the duties. Lots were cast to decide who would be in charge of what. Since Eleazar had 16 heads in his family and Ithamar only had 8 heads, they cast lots for the order with one going to Eleazar, and one to Ithamar to keep it fair. They trusted God in the casting of lots to be the final judge of who should serve and where. The casting of lots was a method used throughout the bible, to take decisions out of the hands of subjective personalities and allow God to enter into the decision making process. But we also see David the king playing a big role in the ordering of the process.
Then in the book of Acts we see, after Pentecost, where the disciples were given the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit’s influence on the decision making process. Paul and his companions are kept from going into the province of Asia, with the Holy Spirit warning that only trouble awaits them there. Then, in the night, Paul receives a vision from the Holy Spirit of the Macedonian man begging him to come there and share the Good News. On the Sabbath day they are led to go down to the river where they heard was a “place of prayer”. They meet Lydia, who is a purple cloth dealer. Purple was an expensive dye and one of the reasons Philippi was such a bustling place of commerce. Lydia becomes a disciple and key leader in the early church at Philippi.
In Acts 16:4 we see the role that the elders and apostles played in decision making as it says, “As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.” So in summation, we see lots of different ways that God led the church to make decisions but never leading them away from the principles in His revealed Word (at that time the Old Testament). We see individual leaders like Paul, led by the Holy Spirit, given a vision for where the church needed to make inroads, and also the gathered leadership of the apostles and elders discerning next steps for the new community of believers.
Since the Holy Spirit is no less active in the church today, it would make sense as the church seeks to make God honoring decisions, that God would act through giving leaders vision and also in concert with appointed leaders (elders) discerning God’s will. We see a “both/and” situation which helps provide accountability and guards from one person being set up for failure. We would do well to study the church in Acts, and how God led them to make decisions, so that we might also see God doing a similar work of adding to the church daily those being saved today!
Psalm 17:8-15
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.
10 They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
13 Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down;
with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
may their children gorge themselves on it,
and may there be leftovers for their little ones.
15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
1 Chronicles 24
24 These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron: The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests. 3 With the help of Zadok a descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelek a descendant of Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering. 4 A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than among Ithamar’s, and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar’s descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar’s descendants. 5 They divided them impartially by casting lots, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.
6 The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelek son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar. 7 The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, 8 the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, 9 the fifth to Malkijah,
the sixth to Mijamin, 10 the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, 11 the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shekaniah, 12 the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, 13 the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, 14 the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, 15 the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, 16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, 17 the twenty-first to Jakin, the twenty-second to Gamul, 18 the twenty-third to Delaiah and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
19 This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the Lord, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their ancestor Aaron, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded him.
Acts 16:4-15
4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia
6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi
11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
Your way, O God, is holy. Psalm 77:13
O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! Romans 11:33
Holy Lord and God, you are the way the truth and the life. Fill us with your Holy Spirit; teach us your wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Move self out of the way and direct our paths. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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