First Baptist Church of Palos Verdes

First Baptist Church

Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
Phone: 310-378-1253
Email: FirstBaptistPV@yahoo.com

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changes us as we live out the love of God in the lives of others. Whether we follow the path of outward ministry, becoming visible to the body of
Christ or work behind the scenes to help and care for the needs of God’s people, our lives become something we never could have imagined.
Without our active participation in God’s Kingdom, laboring for His goals and purposes, we remain dwarfed in our humanity.

Step Three: I am to build up the local church. God’s heart screams out for our contribution to strengthen His body – the Church! You see, we
become what He has desired us to be when we exercise the compassion, mercy and grace we have received from God. As those around us are
lifted from their problems and pain through our service, they quickly share their happiness with others. This draws new people – those from
their spheres of life – into the Church, building the size and strength of the Body of Christ!

The character of Christ develops in us to the extent that we follow this process. In our next issue, we will examine God’s four major objectives in
this process. Help us strengthen and encourage others in their spiritual leadership – forward this email to a friend and encourage them to
subscribe!

© 2007 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith. All rights reserved.

How Does Personal Transformation Take Place? (Part 2)

Taking on the character of Christ – the essence of personal transformation – reaches its apex when we take on “the measure of the stature of
the fullness of Christ.” As we work within the body of Christ (previous issue), we constantly need more equipping by our pastors so that we can
work with and through the pain and agony of others. Each new encounter with one of God’s people, as we serve them, allows us fresh
opportunities to achieve Christ-likeness. What is God trying to accomplish in our hearts and souls? Paul describes these transformational
changes when he writes...

“ … till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ …” Ephesians 4:13 (NKJV)

PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION WORKS TOWARD DIRECTED OBJECTIVES

God transforms us as …

I seek the unity of my local church – since I am serving God’s people, I always want to work to keep them right with God and right with
each other. Bringing people into God’s presence can be challenging. Personal injuries and hidden sins can easily destroy the fabric of
the local church. As I work to help people stay close or return to God’s heart, God changes me on the inside forming my heart of
compassion and mercy.

I study to know Jesus Christ – as I serve the people of God, the Word of God takes on new life a reality as I imitate the Master of my life.
Opening God’s Word every day prepares me for whatever situation I will face as I minister to God’s people. The challenge I will face each
day is attempting to live out the heart and character traits I see in Jesus’ on the pages of the Bible. Each new challenge allows me to
become more like Jesus.

I grow up into spiritual maturity – each time I touch a life within the body of Christ I am challenged to set aside my own needs and desires
for others, the very definition of maturing. Jesus told us “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends
(John 15:13 NKJV).” The path to spiritual growth is sacrificial love. Serving others – setting self aside – is the process whereby we are
transformed into the character of Jesus.

I measure up to Jesus’ stature – as I continue to serve others out of the sacrificial love of Jesus, I take on more and more of His very
essence. Ultimately, repetition erases more and more of our natural inclinations and, in its place, we begin to bear more and more of the
personality and persona of our Lord of glory.

God’s process of personal transformation is the repetitive service we give to his people. This week, as you serve the men and
women, boys and girls who make up your local fellowship of the redeemed, enjoy the Spirit of God at work within you!

Next time we will discuss this process further by revealing three of the most powerful enemies to God’s work of transformation within
your soul. Help us strengthen and encourage others in their spiritual leadership – forward this email to a friend and encourage them
to subscribe!

© 2007 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith. All rights reserved.

How Does Personal Transformation Take Place? (Part 4)

As we jettison our childish nature of selfishness in exchange for the character of Jesus, we find the days may pass slowly unless we find the
strength to persevere and enjoy the greater evidences of being like Jesus! In the process of becoming more Christ-like, having our eyes on the
prize is what provides us with the motivation to reach out and become like Christ. How we become like Jesus is described by Paul when he says,

“… but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ …” Ephesians 4:15 (NKJV)

PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION TARGETS A GLORIOUS GOAL

Personal transformation is all about where we are headed. While many make up rules and create some form of unnatural architecture for
spiritual growth, the Bible informs us that we become like what we pursue. If I am to continue the process of becoming like Christ …

I am to speak the truth in love. In our world of “political correctness” it seems we are stumbling over ourselves not to offend people by
what we say. While we would all agree “being offensive” is not our intention in becoming more godly, we discover in this passage that
“being pleasant” is not always godly as well. Paul is telling us clearly that the motivation of our heart in every communications with other
people is a deep-seated and sacrificial willingness to give our lives (and our relationship) in order to demonstrate our love to them. That
means we tell people exactly what God instructs us to in His Word, but we do so from a compassion that desires the best for those we
speak to. This can often be a challenge. It requires that we seek the correct words and the proper tone each time we must share
something that is, at first, difficult to swallow. With each interaction successfully completed and those we have spoken to becoming more
like Jesus, we realize God’s workings deep within us. Repeating this scenario allows us to see our next responsibility become a reality …

I am to grow up in all things. Wrestling with the words from our culture, our conscience and our Christ is the crux of the growth process.
Choosing to place God’s revealed will at the center of our souls and measure everything else we say and hear by God’s revealed words
demonstrates we are growing into spiritual adulthood. We challenge our selfishness and our culture’s sinfulness when we return God to
His rightful place in our souls – as Lord and Master, King and Ruler of our lives. When we willfully choose to restore God’s will to our
lifestyle, He guides and leads us to communicate the fullness of His wisdom with every person we meet. While we may not be popular
with everyone, our growing maturity provides the encouragement to take the next step …

I am to grow up in Christ. Enjoying the life of Christ means following the path of life with Jesus as our guide. It is a journey of joy and
pleasure (Psalm 16.11) because our Companion walks with us. With each new turn of the road, each new challenge to “tell the truth with
compassion,” Jesus Himself helps us and trains us to show respect for those we communicate with and keep the integrity and reverence
of God’s Word. This balancing act is the maturing process – we grow into the image of Jesus as we hold people accountable to the heart
and will of the God of the Universe with His compassion and His tenderness.

Growth and transformation into the image of Christ is the process of growing up, out of the childish nature of self. Choosing to take on
the nature of the person we are traveling through life with – Christ – is the root from which transformation grows. Growth is the synonym
for transformation. Speaking the truth in love to those who disagree or who are on the road to disaster is the stuff of growing up in Christ!

In our next installment, we will discover how personal transformation culminates in a joyous conclusion.

Would you help us strengthen and encourage others in their spiritual leadership? Please forward this email to a friend and
encourage them to subscribe!

© 2007 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith. All rights reserved.

How Does Personal Transformation Take Place? (Part 5)

Growing up is often a difficult process, but the benefits are always worth the pain. Personal transformation yields incredible fruit. Paul explains
some of what we can come to expect when he says …

“ … from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part
does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:16 (NKJV)

PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION CULMINATES IN A JOYOUS CONCLUSION

Wrapping up this important discussion on the dynamic of personal transformation and its implications to our individual faith communities, we
now focus on its ultimate benefits. While many people use a false bravado today to express their lack of interest in the recompense of honoring
God’s will, it is essential to see why we go to all this trouble in the first place. For the record, let me state clearly Paul says that the reason we
must be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ is for the health of the local church! In becoming like Christ …

I am to supply unity to the local congregation – which brings peace of mind. Paul is saying that under God’s direction, the whole body is
fitted together perfectly. In doing this, he tells us of God’s work within the local assembly. How that work happens has already been
explained through the passage we are examining. God calls us to be “speaking the truth in love” which means the motivation of our
hearts is the best for each and every person. It is only the truth that brings us free of sin, Satan and self. When we work with the Spirit
and accept God’s will as revealed in His Word through the exhortation of another, we bring about the unity of God’s body – our local
church. Such unity brings peace of mind to everyone willing to align themselves with God’s heart.

I am to work within my local church – which brings others help. As each person seeks the unity of the church by speaking the truth in love
and abandoning the childish life, self-sacrificing love manifests itself. We let go of our own needs to meet the needs of others (Philippians
2.3) – this is true love (John 15.12-13). Such is the fruit of spiritual transformation. And as we are transformed, our loving sacrifices bring
help for each and every person we touch within our local church. As a result of such love and transformation, my local community of faith
becomes healthy.

I am to cause growth within my local community of faith – which brings health and abundant love. This process of transformation,
repeated in the hearts of more and more of the people who make up our faith community, brings health. Like cells within our body, as
more and more become healthy, so goes the health of the entire body of Christ. Health in God’s body happens when each individual
lovingly sacrifices themselves for the good of others. This repetitive, daily process of self-sacrifice within the lives of each person inside
our community of faith yields the very things we seek for every day: significance, maturity, personal peace and the assurance of God’s
love.

Spiritual health, both of the individual and of our local church, is the end result of personal transformation. As we walk with Christ,
becoming more like Him as we learn from Him, we enjoy the benefits of life in Christ for both ourselves and our family of faith.

In our next lesson, we will begin to explore how God brings about transformation in our local church.

Would you help us strengthen and encourage others in their spiritual leadership? Please forward this email to a friend and
encourage them to subscribe!

© 2007 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith. All rights reserved.