"MANAGING THE SEASON OF TRANSITION"

                                              LIKE 8:22 - 25

INTRODUCTION:

          HOW DO WE DEAL WITH TRANSITION?

          TRANSITIONS ARE UNIVERSAL IN LIFE: YOUNG CHILD INTO ADOLESCENCE; TEENAGER INTO YOUNG ADULT; SCHOOL TRANSITIONS; WORK TRANSITIONS; GRIEF, DIVORCE, RELOCATION, ETC.

          WE HAVE TRANSITIONS IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE; CHURCH TRANSITION, PASTORAL DEPARTURE, AND PASTOR ARRIVALS.

          IT IS A PROVEN SCIENTIFIC FACT THAT CHANGE IS ONE OF THE MOST FEARED THINGS HUMAN BEINGS ENCOUNTER. WE RESIST CHANGE WITH EVERY FIBER OF OUR BEING.

          WE LOVE STABILITY.  WE LOVE FOR THINGS TO REMAIN AS THEY ARE.  BUT THE INEVITABLE ASPECT OF LIFE IS THAT IT ALWAYS CHANGES.

          ONE PERSON SAID: "THE ONLY THING CONSTANT IS CHANGE."

          YET, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET FROM WHERE WE ARE TO WHERE WE ARE GOING WITHOUT MAKING A TRANSITION.

          I FEEL THAT A GREATER PART OF OUR SUCCESS AS A CHRISTIAN, AND AS A CHURCH IS HOW WE MANAGE TRANSITION.

          WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO FUNCTION AND ULTIMATELY BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE SEASON OF TRANSITION.

          FIRST OF ALL, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF TRANSITION.  A TRANSITION IS MOVING FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER POINT  IT IS ESSENTIALLY MOVING FORWARD.

          WHEN WE AS CHRISTIANS BEGIN TO ENCOUNTER TRANSITION, WHEN THINGS BEGIN TO GET SHAKY AND UNFAMILIAR, WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT GOD IS TAKING US SOMEWHERE. HE IS REPOSITIONING US.

LUKE 8:22-25, (22) "NOW IT CAME TO PASS ON A CERTAIN DAY, THAT HE WENT INTO A SHIP WITH HIS DISCIPLES: AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, LET US GO OVER UNTO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE. AND THEY LAUNCHED FORTH.

(23) "BUT AS THEY SAILED HE FELL ASLEEP: AND THERE CAME DOWN A STORM OF WIND ON THE LAKE; AND THEY WERE FILLED WITH WATER, AND WHERE IN JEOPARDY."

(24) "AND THEY CAME TO HIM, AND AWOKE HIM, SAYING, MASTER, MASTER, WE PERISH. THEM HE AROSE, AND REBUKED THE WIND AND THE RAGING OF THE WATER: AND THEY CEASED, AND THERE WAS A CALM."

(25) "AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, WHERE IS YOUR FAITH? AND THEY BEING AFRAID WONDERED, SAYING ONE TO ANOTHER, WHAT MANNER OF MAN IS THIS! FOR HE COMMANDETH EVEN THE WINDS AND WATER, AND THEY OBEY HIM."

          HERE WE FIND JESUS WITH HIS MINISTRY TEAM--HIS APOSTLES.  AND HE SAYS THERE IS SOMEWHERE THAT THEY NEED TO GO.

          IF WE READ FURTHER INTO THE STORY WE SEE THAT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE WAS A MAN IN DESPERATE NEED OF DELIVERANCE.

          JESUS NEEDED TO POSITION THIS APOSTOLIC TEAM SO THAT THEY COULD MINISTER TO A NEED AND IMPACT A CITY.  HE KNEW THAT THEY COULD NOT REACH THAT NEED WHERE THEY WERE.

          IN OTHER WORDS HE KNEW THAT THEIR PRESENT POSITION WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR THE NEED.  HE REALIZED THAT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BE IN A PLACE OF EFFECTIVENESS, THEY WOULD HAVE TO CROSS A SEA AND WEATHER A STORM.

IN VERSE 23, WE SEE:

          THEY WERE IN JEOPARDY.  IN OTHER WORDS, THERE WERE REAL CHALLENGES.  THESE WERE NOT JUST PERCEIVED DIFFICULTIES!  THIS WAS NOT FIGMENTS OF THE IMAGINATION!  THIS WAS A REAL PHYSICAL OBSTACLE TO THEIR MISSION.

          MANY TIMES FOLLOWING GOD'S WILL DOES NOT TAKE US DOWN THE EASY ROAD.  IT WILL NOT PROVIDE US WITH THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE.

          MANY TIMES WE WILL FIND OURSELVES IN THE MIDST OF A STORM AND FEELING AS THOUGH WE ARE IN JEOPARDY.

          LOSING A JOB IS A REAL CHALLENGE.

          MOVING TO A NEW CITY AND GETTING TO KNOW NEW PEOPLE IS NOT JUST A PERCEIVED TRAUMA--IT IS REAL.

          DEALING WITH TRANSITIONS IN OUR HOMES AND FAMILIES--THERE ARE REAL THINGS THAT ARE REAL JEOPARDY TO OUR LIVES.

          BUT, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT IF GOD BROUGHT YOU TO IT, HE WILL SEE YOU THROUGH IT.

          AND, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT THE STORM IS NOT THE DESTINATION, BUT THE PATHWAY TO A DESTINATION.

          GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN US IN THE STORM, AND WE ARE STILL GOING SOMEWHERE--THERE IS STILL DIVINE PURPOSE IN OUR LIVES.

IN VERSE 24, WE SEE:

          WHEN WE ARE LED BY GOD INTO SITUATIONS THAT WE CANNOT HANDLE, WE CAN BE SURE THAT HE IS GOING TO SHOW UP AND SHOW US HIS POWER.

           IF GOD PRESENTS US WITH A CHALLENGE BIGGER THAN WE ARE, YOU CAN BE SURE THAT HE US GOING TO SHOW UP AND SHOW US HIS POWER.

          IF GOD PRESENTS US WITH A CHALLENGE BIGGER THAN WE ARE, YOU CAN BE SURE HE IS PREPARED TO INVEST IN US THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO MEET THE CHALLENGE.

          THIS TRIAL DID NOT COME TO MASTER YOU, IT CAME TO MATURE YOU!

IN VERSE 25, WE SEE:

          WHERE WE MANY TIMES MISS IT, IS IN THE TRANSITION.

          WE KNOW WHERE WE NEED TO GO, AND WE KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN WE ARRIVE, BUT SOMEHOW WE LOOSE SIGHT OF ALL OF THIS WHILE MAKING THE TRANSITION.

           WE FORGET WHO WE ARE, WHO IS ON BOARD AND WHAT HE HAS SAID.

           WE FORGET WHAT GOD HAS SAID ABOUT US.  WE LOOSE OUR IDENTITY.

           WE MUST NEVER FORGET IN THE DARKNESS, WHAT GOD HAS PROMISED US IN THE LIGHT.

           HE NEVER SAID THERE WOULD BE NO STORMS.

           HE NEVER SAID THERE WOULD BE NO CHALLENGES.

           HE NEVER SAID THAT IT WOULDN'T BE SCARY AT TIMES.

           BUT HE DID SAY WE WOULD MAKE IT THROUGH IT ALL. OUR DESTINY IS GREATER THAN OUR STORMS.

           THE TRANSITION IS NOT JUST AN UNFORTUNATE SIDE EFFECT.     IT IS PART OF THE PROCESS.

           BEFORE WE CAN GET FROM WHERE WE ARE TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE, WE WILL HAVE TO BE CONVINCED THAT WHAT GOD HAS SAID ABOUT US IS TRUE.

           WHEN WE REALIZE THAT WHAT WE POSSESS IS GREATER THAN THE CHALLENGES WE FACE, THEN WE WILL BE READY TO FACE THE TRANSITION.

           YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU USE TO BE.

           YOU ARE GROWING -- BECAUSE -- OF THE TRANSITION.

CONCLUSION:

         WHAT MAKES THIS SITUATION TOUGH FOR ALL OF US?     TRANSITION!

           HOW DO WE DEAL WITH TRANSITION?

          COMMIT TO ABIDE IN CHRIST.

          LIVE OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT'S PROVISION BY FAITH.

          NO REDEDICATION -- BUT SIMPLE FAITH AND TRUST IN GOD DURING TIMES OF TRANSITION.

REMEMBER THIS:

          TRANSITION IS: PASSAGE FROM ONE FORM, STATE, STYLE, AND OR PLACE TO ANOTHER.

GOD IS IN CHARGE:

          WE MUST YIELD AND SEEK HIS LEADERSHIP AND UNDERSTANDING AS WE EXPERIENCE TRANSITION.

          AMEN!