What is Bod 4 God?

Posted on January 11, 2014 by dkoop

Bod 4 God with logoBod 4 God is a message series we’re doing at The Ridge based on a book by the same name.

In Bod 4 God you learn small simple changes that will lead to a new lifestyle—a path to a new life. These are not complicated or even profound changes but they will work for you as they have for thousands of others around the world.

Discover the four keys that will unlock the door to health and fitness:

  • Dedication:  Honoring God with Your Body

  • Inspiration: Motivating Yourself for Change

  • Eat and Exercise: Managing Your Habits

  • Team: Building Your Circle of Support

In the book, Bod4God, author, Steve Reynolds – whom the media labeled “the Anti-Fat Pastor” after he lost more than 100 pounds – shares the simple lifestyle changes, both inside and out, that have led to his incredible weight loss.

In the series and in the book you will see how you can change your life forever by committing your body to God’s glory. One of the biggest reasons most people fail on traditional diet plans is that they are required to eat what the plan tells them to eat. This approach simply doesn’t work, because we don’t all have the same appetites, background or circumstances! Bod4God helps you craft your own personal plan that you will follow gladly for the rest of your life.  For more about Steve or the Bod 4 God book check out the website:  www.Bod4God.org

Bod 4 God Growth Groups

To go along with the Bod 4 God series we will have Bod 4 God groups!  Don’t lose weight alone, join a group of losers! There will be mid-sized groups meeting weekly on Wednesday nights for 12 weeks at the Ridge in Leander and Taylor. They will use DVDs (2- 25 minute video sessions).  There are also other Bod 4 God groups that will meet for 6 sessions (2 DVD sessons at a time) in Leander and Jarrell you can choose, Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays for group days.

To sign up for Leander go to:  http://leander.ridgefellowship.com/#/get-connected/interests-activities

To sign up for Jarrell go to:  http://jarrell.ridgefellowship.com/#/get-connected/interests-activities

To sign up for Taylor go to:  http://taylor.ridgefellowship.com/#/get-connected/interests-activities

Steve Reynolds (Bod 4 God Author) will be here!

Steve Reynolds will be at The Ridge Fellowship (Leander location) on Saturday February 8th 2014 from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.   All invited! Childcare provided.

For more about Steve or the Bod 4 God book check out his website:  www.Bod4God.org

“Losing to Live” Weight Loss Competition

During the Bod 4 God series, we will have a weight loss competition that lasts 12 weeks.  There will be prizes for the winners at each location and 1 Grand Champion.

See the next blog post for more about “Losing to Live”

I’m looking forward to the Bod 4 God series, Growth Groups, weight loss competition and Steve’s visit!

Darrell

www.RidgeFellowship.com

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“Clergy/Laity”: Good or Bad for the Body of Christ?

Posted on January 9, 2014 by dkoop

clergyDoes the New Testament teach that there is a separate class of church leaders designated as ‘clergy’ who are over the ‘laity’?  Is it biblical? Is it helpful?

The idea is that the pulpit and other church work can only be occupied by certain people – the “clergy”. The rest – the “laity” – sit in pews. In this dichotomy is a system of doing ministry whether Catholic, Protestant, or otherwise. In a nutshell: the “clergy” are paid to give and the “laymen” pay in order to receive. This distinction permeates our religious vocabulary, and unfortunately captures the heart of our practice: we pay the “clergy” to do the necessary religious activities.

This practice of dividing God’s people into two classes – pulpiteers and pew-sitters. It is a pattern that certainly reflects the hierarchical patterns of the world, but which does not square with New Testament teaching.

In fact some would argue that the New Testament is actually against the class system such a “clergy” class. James D. G. Dunn suggests that this class system does more to undermine the canonical authority of the New Testament than other heresies.

The Clergy’s job to keep the religious machinery going means the expectations are very high for those who wear the many hats this profession demands.

The deadly problem with this unscriptural system is that it eats up those within this role. Burnout, moral lapse, divorce, and suicide are very high among the “clergy.” Its why 1500 pastors leave the ministry each month[i] Is it any wonder such repeated tragedies occur in light of what is expected of one person? Christ never intended anyone to fill such an ecclesiastical role. In light of Paul’s remark in 1 Cor. 12:14 that “the body is not one part but many“, we should be able to discern that the “clergy” position is neither healthy for those in it, nor is it beneficial for the body of Christ.

While the “clergy/laity” distinction is embedded and assumed in religious circles, it cannot be found in the New Testament. It reared up its ugly head in the second and third century, long after Christ’s apostles died.

The New Testament teaches leadership among the people of God, but not in a way that leads to the “clergy/laity” conclusion. The root words from which we derive the English words “clergy” and “laity” are found in the New Testament, but our usage of “clergy/laity” is far removed from the New Testament concepts.

Let’s consider the Biblical uses of these words.  The Greek form of the word “clergy” is “kleros”, which means “heritage, inheritance, lot, part” The Greek form of the word “laity” is “laos”, which means”people”.

So kleros and laos are clearly Biblical concepts.  But there is no suggestion in scripture that the kleros are a class or group of persons distinct  or higher  than the laos.

EARLY CHURCH HISTORY

So when did this unbiblical distinction between clergymen and lay persons come about?

Church historian Charles Jacobs, in The Story of the Church, writes:  “In the beginning most of the work of the congregation was done by people who had no official position.  It was voluntary service, freely rendered.  By the middle of the third century, it was done by the professional clergy.  Between clergymen and laity there was a sharp distinction.  The clergy, too, were divided into higher and lower grades. In the higher grades were bishops, presbyters and deacons; in the lower grade sub-deacons, lectors, exorcists, acolytes and janitors.  All of them were inducted into office by some form of ordination, and the idea of local organization had gone so far that in some churches even the grave diggers were ordained.  Thus the work of the Church was passing out of the hands of the many into those of the few, and these few were coming to be regarded as belonging to a higher class.”

Let us simply gather and serve in the name of Jesus, all Christ followers are God’s people (laos) and His inheritance (cleros).  Jesus is our great High Priest, our Head, our Teacher, and our Savior.

 

When I was facing burnout early in ministry, this verse helped ground me.

 “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for ministry  so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  Ephesians 4:11-13

Ministry is not done by a few but shared by all. Then we are all built up, have unity and maturity in Christ!

Darrell  www.RidgeFellowship.com

PS  There is still work to be done, but I want to do all I can to erase the class system by:

* Not use “Reverend” and other religious titles that reflect the “clergy/laity” distinction, or wear clothing that separates me from others: collars, robes, etc.

* Seeing myself as part of the “laos” people of God along with everyone else, for the good of the body (1 Cor. 12:7).

* Reminding others that “Clergy” roles and all the expectations that go with them are based on human traditions and not the gospel.

* Instructing that all aspects of caring for one another rest with the body, not on some spiritual elite.

* Moving away from “clergy” spoon-feeding the “laity”, to encouraging study/reading together from the Word and acting upon it. (Growth Groups!)

* Adopting a teaching style where dialogue can occur, testimonies, stories of life change and questions/insight from others are encouraged.

*Shifting in the way “church” is done from dependency on one person to creating participation from many.

For more information and history about Clergy and Laity see the sources below.

Sources:
The Distinction between Clergy and Laity – Is it of God?  By Steven Hesterman
http://www.plymouthbrethren.com/clergy.htm
The “Clergy/Laity” Distinction: A Help or a Hindrance to the Body of Christ?  By Jon Zens
http://www.searchingtogether.org/articles/clergylaity.htm
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Church: Everybody>Somebody

Posted on January 8, 2014 by dkoop

encyclopedia britannicaDid you ever have a set of Encyclopedia Britannica?  It was a 1000 lb set of books that once graced many homes.  This year they will no longer be printing them!  Since1768 this Encyclopedia has been printed continuously, until now.[i]

Did you ever have an encyclopedia on CD? In the 90’s when the personal computer was starting to take off, Microsoft had an entire encyclopedia on a CD that you stuck in your computer.

encartaLike Britannica, Microsoft hired a small group of writers, supervisors and professors to write edit and verify the information.  People with Doctor’s and Masters Degrees carefully researched information, a team of writers compiled it, a group of editors corrected it and Microsoft published it.

With the CD you wouldn’t need to wrestle your way through 26 volumes to find what you’re looking for.  Now, you had all of the world’s information on one CD-ROM.  It quickly displaced the Britannica as the #1 encyclopedia in the world.  The encyclopedia was digital.

Then a few years later, the game changed again.  Encarta decreased in popularity, and was eclipsed by another encyclopedia.

Do you know what the most popular Encyclopedia in the world is today?  Not Britannica.  Not Encarta.

wikipedia2 It’s Wikipedia.

But here’s the interesting thing.  Wikipedia didn’t hire professors and editors to write the content.  They didn’t build a giant staff to make sure everything was correct.  Do you know who writes the articles at Wikipedia?  Everybody, not just a few somebody’s.  Regular people like you and me, not few professionals.

And you don’t have to pay for this software…it’s free.  Wikipedia, a free web-based encyclopedia, basically put Microsoft Encarta and Britannica out of business.

What’s the point?  Everybody can accomplish more than somebody.

 Like Wikipedia the church is a volunteer organization…it’s the power of everybody working together!

We are not a small collection of people doing God’s work.  We are a large army of many all with important parts to play.

We are not a bunch of spectators watching a few professionals.

We are people that believe in the mission and know that we were created to join Christ in fulfilling it.

We are not kicking back on cruise while a small crew does all the work.  We are all rowing the boat in the same direction.

We serve because it’s a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.  It’s the most fulfilling thing we do. We are changing the world one life at a time.

We don’t just go to church, we are the church.

We are a body, not one solitary member.

Everybody is greater than somebody.

Growth Groups are the best way to be connected with everybody!

Growth Group signups are going on now.  Will you join the movement?

 

Go to www.RidgeFellowship.com  to sign up.

 

[i] Fox News, March 2012

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Believers Are The Body Of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-27)

Posted on January 5, 2014 by dkoop

Bod4 God12:12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.NIV 

 LIFE APPLICATION – BODY LANGUAGE
Paul compares the body of Christ to a human body. Each part has a specific function that is necessary to the body as a whole. The parts are different for a purpose, and in their differences they must work together. Diversity can maintain unity as long as all submit to one Lord.

Christians must avoid two common errors: (1) being too proud of their abilities; and (2) thinking they have nothing to give to the body of believers. Instead of comparing ourselves to one another, we should use our different gifts, together, to spread the Good News of salvation. We speak Christ’s “body language” when we practice our unique gifts under his sole authority.

12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.NIV

What gives believers their unity is the one Spirit—the very same Spirit who also gives their diversity through the many and varied gifts.

LIFE APPLICATION  – BASIS FOR UNITY
The church is composed of many types of people from a variety of backgrounds with a multitude of gifts and abilities. It is easy for these differences to divide people. Despite the differences, however, all believers have one thing in common—faith in Christ. On this essential truth the church finds unity. All believers are baptized by one Holy Spirit into one body of believers, the church. We don’t lose our individual identities, but we have an overriding oneness in Christ. When a person becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit takes up residence, and that person is born into God’s family. As members of God’s family, we may have different interests and gifts, but let us pursue a common goal—deep unity in Christ.

12:14-15 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.NRSV

Having established that the church, the worldwide community of believers, is indeed one body—the body of Christ—Paul went on to show the necessary diversity in that body. A human body does not consist of one member but of many. For a body to function, such diversity is essential. Individual members cannot separate themselves without harming the body. Paul explains, through this metaphor, that all the different gifts given by the Spirit to believers must be utilized in order for the church to function well. Likewise, the gifts are interdependent. Like the body, they cannot function without each other.

12:16 And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.NRSV As with the foot and the hand (12:15), so it is with the ear and the eye. The parts of the body should desire to perform only the functions for which they were made, not seeking other parts. The ear may prefer to be able to see, like the eye, but that does not mean that the ear is any less a part of the body. The ear will no more be changed into an eye or given the ability to see than a believer will be able to exchange one gift for another. Instead, each believer should discover his or her spiritual gift and then use it to its fullest capacity for the Lord.

12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?NIV Every spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit is vital to the functioning of the body. If everyone wanted to be an eye, then the body might see very well, but it would not be able to hear. If the whole body were an ear, there would be no sense of smell.

LIFE APPLICATION – EAR REVOLT
We respond to the mental picture of an ear’s declaration of independence from the rest of the body with a chuckle. A conference between body parts would make one thing laughably clear: As important as any one part might be to the whole, their reliance on the rest, even to accomplish their vital role, is far more crucial.
The idea that Christians can somehow function and flourish outside of the body of Christ sounds as ludicrous as a rebellious ear or foot. Solitary Christianity has no basis in God’s Word. We need the church, and we are needed by other Christians.

12:18-20 But God made our bodies with many parts, and he has put each part just where he wants it. What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.NLT

As God created human bodies to function with their many parts working together, so the body of Christ—the church—needs all the various gifts working in harmony. The picture of a body with only one part illustrates the absurdity of a church with everyone trying to have the same gift. It would not be a body at all, and it would be unable to function. While there are many parts, there is only one body, because God ordained it that way, putting each part just where he wants it. All believers—those with the spectacular gifts and those with the quieter gifts—are placed right where God wants them so that they might serve effectively together. They are one body with many parts, because God made it that way.

12:21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”NIV Not only should each individual part realize its own importance, but all the other parts should realize their interdependence as well. One part of the body cannot say it doesn’t need another part. Those in the church who have the more spectacular gifts should not look down on or dismiss those with other gifts because, in reality, all are needed.

12:22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.NRSV The more honored members must not look down on the more humble members (12:21); in fact, those who seem to be weaker are indispensable. These “weaker” members are those who appear to be less important in the body. These people may not be always visible, always up front exercising their gifts, but they are in the background. If they are using their God-given gifts, they are actually indispensable to the body. Those with the visible gifts could not function to their full capacity without the other indispensable members utilizing their gifts. The pastor in a church may be well versed and eloquent, but he will not be effective if the other members are not utilizing their gifts to greet newcomers warmly, to make sure the building is maintained and clean, to plan the worship service, to make sure equipment is working properly, to follow up on people with needs, or to pray faithfully for the ministry. The church needs the visible members, but it needs everyone. In reality, the less-visible members are the “indispensable” ones.

 LIFE APPLICATION  – DISCOUNTS
Paul argued for diversity of gifts and acceptance of the full range of gifts that God gives to his people. No one should feel superior about his or her gift; instead, all should use their gifts to willingly serve. Too often the “up-front” gifts, like speaking or teaching, are more highly regarded than the “behind-the-scenes” gifts, like helping and serving. No one should discount the contribution of another person, no matter how insignificant it may seem. We should not be dissatisfied with the gift God has given us but be eager to serve. Nor should we envy those who seem to have more gifts than we do. In love, treat everyone’s gift, yours included, as valuable to God.

12:23-24 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.NLT “The parts we regard as less honorable” refers to the sexual parts of the body, the parts that we carefully protect from the eyes of others. The point of this verse is that appearances are deceiving; all parts of the body are necessary, even the ones that should not be seen and the parts that have less dignity. No one should dismiss anyone else as unimportant in the body of Christ; neither should undue prominence be given to anyone. The reason for this is explained in 12:25.

LIFE APPLICATION-   CONNECTED
What is your response when a fellow Christian is honored? How do you respond when someone is suffering? We are called to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). Too often, unfortunately, we are jealous of those who rejoice and apathetic toward those who weep. When that happens, we have overlooked our connection with them in Christ.
Believers are in the world together—there is no such thing as private Christianity. Christ makes us one, even when we wish otherwise. When we follow Christ, we find ourselves in mixed company. We shouldn’t stop with enjoying only our own relationship with God; we need to get involved in the lives of others. That’s also the best way to break through our mere human reactions to them.

12:25-26 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.NLT

 The harmony Paul wanted among the members had already been discussed in 1 Corinthians 1:10: “Let there be real harmony so there won’t be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose” NLT. Such harmony happens only when all the members—the weak and the strong, the flamboyant and the quiet, the up-front and the behind-the-scenes—use their gifts, appreciate one another, and care for each other equally. Such caring is demonstrated as they share in one another’s joys and sorrows. As with the physical, human body, one part’s suffering causes every part to suffer.

When the head aches, the whole body suffers. When a thumb is hit with a hammer, the whole body knows it. In the body of believers, therefore, if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it. Believers should share one another’s burdens in order to help lighten them. Likewise, if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. There is no room for jealousy or strife when one person receives praise; instead, all should be glad.

Believers need to be able to empathize with others—to join in with their feelings as if they were experiencing the feelings themselves. Christians should rejoice with others, with no hint of jealousy; and they should suffer with them, offering kindness, concern, compassion, and a shoulder to cry on if needed. Following Jesus will mean that believers will have a wide variety of experiences. Christianity neither denies life’s hardships nor dulls life’s excitements. Both laughter and tears are appropriate before God. Identifying with the joys and heartaches of others is an important way for believers to show love and unity.

12:27 Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.NLT The words “all of you together” refer to all believers across the world. All believers together are Christ’s body. As new believers come to salvation in Jesus Christ, they join that body, receive a gift from the Holy Spirit, and are used by God. Therefore, each and every believer in the body of Christ is a separate and necessary part of that body. No believer is unimportant—each one has a gift to share in order to make the body function that much more effectively.

www.RidgeFellowship.com

Source— Life Application Bible Commentary

 

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