Pastor's Perspective - Going or Becoming?

Dear FCC Family & Cherished Friends,

As a parent of four children under ten, the following questions are frequently asked in our minivan – “Where are we going?” and “Are we almost there?”

As a pastor of over four hundred, the following questions are frequently asked in our gatherings – “Where are we going?” and “Are we almost there?”

The Bible is the infallible authority on God’s plan for every member of the human family and every congregation that waves His banner in Christ. From Genesis to ‘Maps’, we read that our Father is more interested in our character than our short-sighted summit attempts. He is more concerned about the authenticity of our kingdom ambassadorship than our self-pleasing success quests. He is into the journey more than the destination – the drive more than the resort – the flight more than meeting Mickey! In other words, He is more interested in who we are becoming, than where we are going – as individuals and as an FCC family. We’ve gotten it backwards! Success, as defined by God, is our transformation, and not our destination.

Where we are going hinges entirely on our ability to surrender to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Only through yielding to His Christ-glorifying work in us daily can we become the congregation and individuals the Lord predestined and desires us to become. Tragically, too many in the Body are hyper-busy and hyper-involved, yet, are not actively becoming. Admittedly, we as the sign-up-sheet-friendly clergy are partly to blame.

Just a reminder, that Christ didn’t suffer for us just to be busy. He suffered that we would become - acceptable and pleasing to His Father; that real life transformation could begin and never cease.

So, the questions are simple, ‘Are you cooperating with Him, or contending?’, ‘Grieving Him, or pleasing Him?’, ‘Going, or becoming?’

The choices are yours.

‘And we all, who with unveiled faces reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit’ – 2 Corinthians 3:18

In the Fight,

Steve