Things are ch-ch-ch-changing.
Watch the world for a week and you’ll see things change. I’ll bet your cell phone or your laptop is already out of date-and you just got it last year. There are a few families getting used to a quieter house this week after a child went off to college. Dunkin’ Doughnuts announced that they have reformulated all their recipes to remove transfats. One preseason football preview of the SEC football actually had this line: “Even Kentucky’s good.”
Things change. That’s just a fact of life, a reality of our world. Life is a dynamic process. Things shift, age, move, adjust. And then we respond.
Things change - even at a church. Many of you were here last Sunday when worship pastor Rich Cowan announced that he had accepted a call to serve a church in the St. Louis area. For the past 5 years, Victory has been blessed to be led by such a gifted, humble, servant-hearted man. And we’re pretty crazy about Kelly and Caris, too!! They have been faithful to Jesus and have loved us.
Now, we celebrate the Cowans’ ministry and send them with our blessing to a new place of service. Then, we will prepare for whoever God has to join our church family as pastor who will equip us to live out the worship vision we have been talking about for the past few weeks. It means calling and embracing a new pastor, adjusting to new staff dynamics and more. Things change.
Of course, that’s not all. As we move into the fall, we will spend a few weeks walking through the new articulation of our mission and strategy that will define our lives and church ministries for years. In response to that, we’re talking about Life Groups instead of Sunday School, moving Wednesday night starting time to 6;33pm, and more. Things change.
How do you respond to changes like this? Change may make you feel nervous or angry or excited or cautious or happy or any number of emotions. Usually, our response to change is based on how we view the change before us. Do we generally see it as a positive or a negative thing? Do you lean in or back away? However you respond, let me suggest some things to remember in seasons of change.
First, remember that God is sovereign- in control of all things, at all times, whether we perceive them as good or bad. When things changed drastically for Job, he asked “shall we receive good from God and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10) In other words, He is in charge of both. So, no change is random. God is in control!
Second, remember that God providentially orders all of life for your good and His glory. “God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” (Rom.8:28) In other words, no change is pointless. All change is in the hand of your Father, who is using it to accomplish His plans (even if we can’t understand it — see Is. 55:8-9). Those plans include bringing people to faith in Jesus, shaping our character to resemble Jesus (Rom.8:29) or simply displaying His glory more clearly. I love the old hymn that says, “trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment, I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure gives unto each day what He deems best.” What a comfort to rest in our Father’s wise and loving plan!
Third, remember that sometimes change is faithfulness to Jesus. The Bible talks a lot about Christians living in repentance. Repentance is changing our mind and our actions away from sin and towards the obedience of faith that reflects God’s glory. To resist that change is dangerous for our souls.
Fourth, remember that change enables us to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25) as we live out our mission, to be where God wants us to be at every moment. Reaching people is a dynamic and ever-changing process-and the Lord will stir His people in order to reach those still outside. That’s a part of what Jesus was getting at when he said, “neither is new wine put new wine in old wineskins.” (Matt.9:17). Change is often a signal that we are still in the middle of the adventure of God’s redemptive plan.
Next, remember that in our church, no change is made simply for change’s sake. Every decision is intentionally related to our mission to “lead all people to know and treasure Jesus above all things” by making disciples who pursue intimacy with God, interaction with believers, imitation of Jesus and influence in the world. When we encourage people to orient their lives around Jesus and to take the next step in these i4 pursuits, we are living out our commitment to Jesus’ Great Commission. (Matt.28:19-20)
Finally, always remember that our circumstantial changes never change the most important things of all. “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stand forever.” (Is. 40:8) “Jesus Christ is the same-yesterday, today and forever.” (Heb.13:8) The glory of God, the gospel of Jesus in His cross and resurrection, the wonders of grace-never falter for an instant.
Things change. That’s life. In the middle of change –no matter how it affects you emotionally — trust your sovereign, wise, active, redeeming, loving God. That’s faith. And that’s our life.
