Transformation a Work in Progress

By Al Edmondson

God created us for good works that were planned in ages past. He knew the future and our place in it. While participation is a duty clearly stated in scripture, many Christians are unaware of God’s desire for their mobilization. Others may not be carefully listening for his voice or, regrettably, dismissing him as if their participation is optional. No Christian is exempt from his command to be transformed into spiritual awareness, to grow in biblical knowledge, and in parallel, to participate in the building of his kingdom. The disengaged miss the joy-filled opportunities that enable personal growth through work that fulfills their responsibilities within the church body. The earth is blooming with 7.5 billion souls. More than ever before the entire body must mobilize to effectively represent the stature of Christ. We are his hands, his feet, his fragrance, and his voice in our world. This twelve-week study lays out God’s plan to advance the gospel and discipleship through the work of his redeemed family, endowed by the Holy Spirit with gifts and power to change our world. The study addresses issues that weaken Christian resolve, compete for our attention and time, and even cripple his people. These issues require a serious call to duty.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973650492

Al Edmondson

Al Edmondson is an engineer residing in the Pacific Northwest. He and his wife Linda continue to lead mid-week home groups, and have been instrumental in coaching other leaders. This book is motivated by his love for the Church, knowing that participation with the Body is necessary to advance the Good News and fill the soul. He and Linda are enjoying the blessing of grandchildren. They are thankful for the pastoral leadership of their local church who invested themselves in training and encouragement in the exercise of their Spiritual gifts.

Book preview

TRANSFORMATION

A WORK IN PROGRESS

AL EDMONDSON

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Copyright © 2019 Albert D. Edmondson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-5050-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-5051-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-5049-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019900228

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/30/2019

Contents

Preface

Week 1

A.   Introduction

A.1   Duty

A.2   Transformation

A.3   Transformation

A.4   Plan

Week 2

A.5   Investment

A.6   Creation

B.   Partnering

Week 3

C.   The Transformation Process

C.1   Transformed Images

C.2   Transformation Commanded

C.3   Work Analogies

C.4   God and Work

C.5   Born-Again Transformation

C.6   Transformation Growth in Christlikeness

C.7   Proving Transformation

Week 4

D.   The Critic’s Objections

D.1   Assess the Motivation

D.2   Unwittingly a Critic

D.3   Three Possible Objections

E.   The World

E.1   Don’t Straddle the Fence

E.2   A Blessing and a Curse

E.3   False Comfort in Conformity

E.4   This Evil World

Week 5

F.   Renovation

G.   The Mind

G.1   Carefully Select What Goes into Your Mind

G.2   An Inclusive and Exclusive Mind

H.   The Transformation Journey

H.1   Where Am I?

H.2   The Holy Spirit Is Guiding

H.3   Faith in Your Map and Compass

Week 6

H.4   My Compass Isn’t Directing

H.5   I’m in Too Much Pain

H.6   I’m Fearful

Week 7

H.7   A Team Player or a Team Slayer

H.8   The Slayer Murmurs

H.9   Growing Up

Week 8

I.   Crossing the Line

I.1   Loop 1: Flee from the Snare of Temptation

I.2   Loop 2: Confess and Repent

I.3   Loop 3: Expect Pain

Week 9

J.   Transformation Momentum

J.1   Avoid Controversies

J.2   Present Yourself to God

J.3   Rejoice

J.4   Small Groups

Week 10

J.5   Get the Old You Off Life Support and Let It Die

J.6   Forgive and Move On

J.7   Throw Yourself into Your Work

J.8   Drive Out, Destroy, Demolish, and Take Possession

J.9   Summary of Best Practices

Week 11

K.   Each Day, How Do I Know What Is Right to Do?

K.1   Are My Actions and Decisions Christlike?

K.2   Am I Subject to Enslavement?

K.3   Am I a Stumbling Block?

K.4   Who Is Honored?

Week 12

L.   Wrap-Up

L.1   Get On Board

L.2   Don’t Be Misdirected

L.3   The God of Peace Will Be with You

Appendix: Tabulation of Spiritual Gifts

Preface

There was a man from Asia who was sitting alone in a Good Friday service. My wife and I sat down next to him, and I noticed he was holding a new Bible. After our pastor had been teaching for about five minutes, the man turned to me and whispered, Where can I find the words he is talking about?

While he held his Bible, I reached over, turned the pages, and put my finger next to the verse. I said, It’s right there. This is the book of John. It’s divided into chapters, and this is chapter 3, verse number 16.

The pastor continued, and we listened as the sermon transitioned to communion. When the elements were being distributed, I pointed to a cross mounted at the front of the auditorium and quickly explained what had happened to Jesus and what it meant.

At the conclusion of the service, we talked for a few minutes. He revealed that he was here on business for a few weeks. He had never been in a Christian church because they didn’t have any, but he knew about Christians and wanted to come to a meeting. He then excused himself and was gone. I hope and pray that he still has his Bible and is reading it, and I wonder from time-to-time whether I served him well. Consider this phrase: I serve at the pleasure of the King.

If there were a swearing-in ceremony for a person just joining the redeemed family of God, that phrase might be useful, provided that some explanation and training preceded the ceremony. While the angels celebrate a person’s rebirth, a new babe in Christ might want to ask some questions. For example, where in the Bible is the position description for a Christian and who is going to evaluate me? What’s expected of me and how do I help? What are our greatest challenges? How might I fail? For how long do I serve?"

I’m not serious about putting all of that up front in the Christian experience. But we seem to have missed asking many of those questions between receiving Christ and the years that follow. Things seem to be all right, but we may have a nagging understanding that our relationship with Christ has somehow fallen short. An honest assessment might conclude that the relationship is not well, that there has to be a dimension to our relationship with the Lord that needs strengthening, or perhaps is missing.

What a contrast between that man from Asia, who has phenomenal potential to change the lives, hearts, and eternal destiny of people in his home country; and the person who occupies the pew and has doubts about the word pleasure and who is supposed to be pleased.

Let’s go back to the beginning, briefly starting with some basic references, to hear again what Scripture says about our involvement in service. Then we’ll address deeper issues about effectively serving at the pleasure of the King.

Preface Discussion Questions:

1) We hear the term It was a God moment meaning a non-coincidental meeting or unexpected event. Have you had such a meeting or event in your life that definitely was out of the norm, something you believe was God’s plan for you at that moment? It so, what did it take for you to recognize and engage the moment? Were you giving or receiving?

2) What’s your biggest question about serving the King?

Week 1

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This is orientation week, investigating several key verses from Scripture that will come up repeatedly in our study. We’ll also answer the question, Why does God have great interest in the transformation of his people?

A.   Introduction

A.1   Duty

At some point along our pathway through life we eventually ask, What does God want from me? What am I supposed to be doing? Some know their calling at an early age, while others never seem to know. The one church that excitedly grew through the work of many hands gravitated toward a condition where too few people carried the work load while too many were thinking, I’m a member, but I don’t belong. I long for something to do. An assessment of how the church was doing scored an average; things are pretty much steady state, organized and under control.

Just down the road another congregation came to a different conclusion; it’s a sizable effort to even sustain the status quo. Attempts to solve the work load issue included adding staff, while the untapped resources in the pews were concerned about the budget and their potential burnout if they added two hours of volunteer work to their already busy schedule.

The solution for both congregations was not the scope of work and effort of the church staff, rather, it was within the pews. Their issues included one or more of the following: competition between the church and world for their attention; confused priorities; ignorance of scripture or its intentional disregard; fear of commitment to faith; unresolved conflicts such as the authority of Scripture versus enlightened progressive thinking, or even the color of the newly painted walls. Those who had a territorial claim on the pews had settled into place as listeners, perhaps with a mindset that good service is about what I get, or thinking that service is on a voluntary basis, maybe unconsciously possessing a sentiment of entitlement.

Since we’re momentarily looking at the church from a place in the pew, let’s daydream a bit. Imagine a call from the pulpit for volunteers to teach Sunday school during the summer months. Further, imagine that the unexpected happens. For some reason, the line of volunteers extends from the signup table down the corridor to around the corner. No, it’s not that people have mixed up the church picnic salad and hot dish signup with the Sunday school teaching. The people want to teach, encourage, mentor, and befriend the youth. Grandparents have decided to co-own responsibility for the youth by coming alongside parents to influence these precious young people for Christ while they still share the Church family bond. Volunteers are collectively and repeatedly praying, Lord, help them when they fall under the influence of the world.

What happens the following week? Everyone who didn’t get to be a Sunday school teacher is back in line to do volunteer work at the city mission, the one with the neon sign that says, Jesus Saves. The next week, people fill the needs of the elder care and jail ministries too. Still, the supply of volunteers remains greater than the demand.

Four weeks pass. On Sunday morning people are ramping up in volume, talking about their volunteer work. Someone whistles to get their attention, quieting them down so that the service can get underway.

Through the weeks, the words serve, service, and servant get confused. A few still think they are the object of service, as in Sunday morning service. From a different perspective, someone else says, It’s as if a chrysalis has split open and a beautiful winged creature has taken flight. Anyway, people tire of the speculation as to why this has happened to them and settle into the joy of their Master. They have engaged the kingdom.

Jesus told a parable that addresses our motivation to serve. Here’s what He said, as recorded by Luke:

Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’                   (Luke 17:7–10)

The words of the Master include two sobering points. He first suggests that we have nothing to say about our performance until we have done everything we were told to do. I don’t know anyone who can honestly claim that they have addressed everything. Second, let’s not overstate our performance; we have only done our duty. This tells us that a worthy servant does more than what’s been asked.

How sobering are those two points? I like it a lot more when the Lord’s parables address the shortcomings of the Pharisees.

Nevertheless, I’m glad to be numbered among the servants, and honored to be employed by the King of Kings. But I have done nothing that belongs on the same stage as the work Jesus did on my behalf.

The phrase, Well done my good and faithful servant (Matt. 25:23) sets me back on my heels in the light of the above passage from Luke 17. We need to ask ourselves, Have I been faithful to my calling? or perhaps Do I even know what a calling is? I wonder if I’ve ever volunteered for anything that amounts to a serious commitment or sacrifice. What steps am I ready to take, and probably more important, is a recommitment to Christ involved? Let’s work our way through these issues and many others. It’s what this study is about.

A.1 Discussion Questions:

1) What is your definition of duty?

2) Do you find the statement from Luke, We are unworthy servants, we have only done our duty to be harsh and unfair?

3) Do you strive for excellence at your secular place of work? Do you apply this same level of excellence when working for the Lord?

A.2   Transformation

Here is our theme found in Romans 12:2. It is one of the most important command statements that apply to every one of us:

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Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.                   (Romans 12:2)

This verse is much like another well-known Scripture passage regarding faith:

. . faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.                   (James 2:17)

That last phrase of Romans 12:2 begs the questions: Why does that verse include the word you? And what do I have to do with proving that God’s plans are good? If we apply this faith analogy to our transformation verse, then the renewing of our minds is demonstrated at some point by our action, and in turn, that action demonstrates just how good God’s plans turn out to be. His plans become reality with our obedience to His will. We perform the work, but He planned it.

Further, the Lord’s plans are always perfect. Perhaps we’d prefer not to have anyone judge God’s character when looking at our work, or our words. But what we prefer doesn’t change in any way God’s method of answering the question, What does God want from me? Nor do our preferences change our position before him as servants, nor the characterization of the fulfillment of this calling on our lives as duty.

Of course we pray along with many others, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. On the other hand, if I am praying for myself to be an agent of His will, then that’s a different kind of prayer. Maybe I could make this commitment: What I do in submission and obedience can be a testimony before mankind of the care and thoughtfulness of the Lord’s planning. Now that’s a shallow answer, almost hypothetical, made so by sidestepping the issue while restating the question at hand. In other words, I am willing to discuss the validity of God’s plans, but not my role in fulfilling his plans, i.e., what am I doing about engaging His work? Realistically, what we should say is this: What I’m doing is the will of God. That is exactly what Jesus said in response to questions about what He was doing.¹ He was the true manifestation n of God’s will.

The events of the world, right down to the here and now, right down to you and me, are marvelous and mandatory. His plans for our personal work are perfect. But nobody witnesses a single person joining the ranks of the redeemed until somebody, probably many people, fulfill their duty.

In order to grasp the purpose of our transformation, we look to Ephesians 2, Corinthians 12, and a sequence of events included in Romans 2. Together, these Scripture passages provide a big-picture view of God’s planning and desire for our growth as His disciples in a journey toward maturity. God did not save us to then set us adrift. He has plans for our future.

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For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.                   (Ephesians. 2:10)

The work God has prepared for every Christian was established long before our creation. He knew the future and our place in it. The phrase created in Christ Jesus requires a design with a purpose: anything complex requires design, and design is not carried out without a purpose, and a scope of work or performance criteria. Ephesians 2:10 describes people who comprise the church as having been created to perform spiritual work. Probably less obvious to many Christians is the preplanning that God accomplished long before we were born. God is not ad lib. His plans are intentional. The planned work we are to accomplish is based on a foundation of partnership between God and His people. He exempts no one; we are part of His workmanship. Within the context of partnership, we are both the product and the tools of redemption of all mankind.

At the birth of Jesus, gifts were presented