What to do when change comes

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Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. --Hebrews 13:7-8 I remember back in 1965 when our church got its very first drum set. Up until then, all we had was a piano and an organ. Well, I thought we were going to have to put cardiac arrest equipment in the foyer. And the interesting thing is I was the drummer… so I heard the worst of it! “How could you bring that instrument into the house of God?” one lady asked. Another said, “It’s terrible that our church has come to this!” Well, after some time passed and some very delicate conversations took place, we kept the drum set. Today, drums are commonplace in many churches, and most people don’t think twice about them. But the battle over drums in my church was just an example of the different perspectives that are present in any church. It may be instruments, preaching style, or carpet color, but each of us comes into church with a pre-conceived idea of how things “should” be. But the reality is that we’re not always going to get our way and, at times, will have to acquiesce to change. So while you may have a different background than others in your church, keep the main thing the main thing. Stay unified in the Body and work together to worship and serve the Lord! KEEP UNITY THE FOCUS IN THE BODY, EMBRACE CHANGE, AND WORK TOGETHER IN THE SERVICE OF CHRIST! Defeat from Victory Thursday, October 31, 2019 by Dr. Paul Chappell “Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.” Luke 22:1–5 In 280 BC, the expanding power of Rome reached into what is now the Balkans and was confronted by the Greek state of Epirus. Led by Pyrrhus, their king, the Epirote army defeated the invaders. The next year they launched an attack against Roman territory. In the Battle of Asculum, Pyrrhus was once again victorious, but his army suffered great losses. According to Plutarch, “Pyrrhus replied to one that gave him joy of his victory that one other such victory would utterly undo him. For he had lost a great part of the forces he brought with him, and almost all his particular friends and principal commanders; there were no others there to make recruits.” This is where we get the term Pyrrhic victory. The ultimate Pyrrhic victory in all of history was Satan’s at the cross. Satan conspired, plotted, and worked to end the life and ministry of Jesus. To human observers it must have looked like an utter defeat for the rabbi from Nazareth whose preaching and miracles had drawn so many to follow Him. But it was this “victory” of Satan that sealed his doom. This was the fulfillment of the promise God made to Adam and Eve. “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). This was the ultimate victory over Satan, sin, death and the grave, and Jesus won it for us. Today's Growth Principle:  Our hope of victory over Satan was eternally settled when Jesus went to the cross and defeated him.