As someone has said, "The only constant in life is change."  How many of us have come from somewhere else?  Pastors come and go.  Congregants come and go.  At some point all of us move on.  Congregations are always in flux.

 

Paul says, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.  So then neither the one who plants, nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth... for we are God's fellow workers" (1 Corinthians 3:6,7,9a).

 

We are vessels in the hands of the Master Potter, His instruments, His tools which work the harvest of the world's fields.  The ministry of Creekside is His ministry through us.  We are God's fellow workers.

 

In a world of increasing change, two truths can be encouraging for us:

 

First:  Paul writes to the church in Philippi:  "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).  What God is working in and through us He will continue to work in and through us as we remain faithful and obedient to Him.  What is of Him, what He has begun, He will complete.  There are amazing possibilities ahead for all of us because God is faithful to accomplish what He wills to accomplish.

 

Second:  Paul writes, "Now you are Christ's Body, and individually members of it" (1 Corinthians 12:27).  "He is also the Head of the Body, the Church..." (Colossians 1:18).  Wherever we may be serving God, we are linked through the broken body and shed blood of our Savior and Lord, the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ.

  

In the midst of constant change - whether that is in a congregation, or in our families, or school, or work place...  we may be apart, but, we are united - supporting each other in prayer, empowered by the same Holy Spirit, sharing the common goal of glorifying God in the doing of His will.  Fellow workers, we are always in service together.

 

How exciting to know that God's purpose for our lives does not change as He moves us around in His Kingdom service or wherever in the world we may be serving Him.  We are one in Him.  May we raise up children who will live serving Him.  May we strive to disciple others who will continue to serve Him.  May we be found faithful in our serving Him.  May we stand together, even across man's national boundaries and the physical boundaries of oceans and continents, as one Church together serving our Head, Jesus Christ.