Read Acts 5:12-16
Commitment with Results
The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. The believers were meeting together in Solomon’s Colonnade. People highly regarded the group of believers, yet no one else there joined them. Why not? If God was blessing the church in all they were doing, and meeting the needs of the poor and physically and spiritually sick, then why were some not wanting to be a part of it? I can only speculate that perhaps their hearts were not in it 100%. Perhaps their commitment would be ” sloppy” at best. If there were rumors of how Ananias and Sapphira had died from lying to God and the church, that may have scared people away because their hearts were not where God wanted them to be.
Despite the fact that some people were not joining in with the believers, God blessed the hearts of those who were committed and continued to add more believers to their numbers. With the increase in numbers came an increase in lives being impacted for the kingdom: the sick and those tormented by demons were all healed.
I hear people say the focus should not be on numbers. I agree with that, if numbers are the only goal. When I plan for an outreach, I confess, I pray God blesses it with as many people as he desires. But that’s not my ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is to draw in as many people as God would allow that we might minister God’s word to more people in hopes of drawing more people into a committed relationship with Jesus.
That’s what the early church did. Lives were being impacted and more and more people were coming into a relationship with God through Jesus. I want to get as many people at an outreach event not so we can say we got a lot of people to an event. I want to get as many people as God allows so we can build relationships and minister to the needs of the people and see an increase in believers and followers of Christ. Because with commitment will come fruit and results. Lord, bless the ministries of the church with fruit and changed lives.
