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These lessons are part of a series of bulletin inserts at Blainesburg Bible Church. The online versions contain minor edits for the expanded online audience. This lesson originally released on April 14, 2019.

Introduction

Lessons 1-3 establish who Jesus is, the necessity of his followers producing fruit demonstrating a changed life (repentance), and that we belong to God, which should make our conduct disciplined and under submission to hierarchical authority with Jesus being the head of this authority. Lesson 4 includes the main body ministry text from 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Before continuing with this lesson, please read that text in your bible again.

When the Body Is Healthy or Not Healthy . . .

“And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it” 1 Corinthians 12:26 KJV.

How would you like it if you were perched high up on a ladder and your feet just decided to dance? Would it make you joyful if your hands and arms decided to take a nap while you were driving down a highway at 70 mph? Do you think you may have some concern if your stomach decided it felt under-appreciated and decided to stop working until it could go to another church, er, I mean body, where it felt more at home?

Continue reading “Body Ministry Lesson 5”

These lessons are part of a series of bulletin inserts at Blainesburg Bible Church. The online versions contain minor edits for the expanded online audience. This lesson originally released on April 7, 2019.

Introduction

Lesson 1 establishes who Jesus is, what he did for us, and how we are supposed to be in full communion with him as part of the Body of Christ here. Lesson 2 explained the need for producing fruit that demonstrates repentance as well as how we were bought back from eternal separation from God and belong to God and not ourselves (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Lesson 3 discusses Apostle Paul’s use of military references that describe how followers of Christ need to fall in line under the authority of Christ as the head of the church as well as understanding church hierarchical authority established by God and understanding the need for obedience and punishment of disobedience (2 Corinthians 10:6).

Body Ministry

Shortcuts are a cultural trend in the United States. The ability to instantly search for information online along with our society-driven need to have everything fast has made us impatient. However, one does not put the roof on a building before the foundation and walls are built first. Spiritual development is the same. Our foundation is Christ, and our spiritual learning begins with the milk of the word (1 Corinthians 3:11, 1 Peter 2:1-3). The prior lessons laid the foundation for understanding body ministry.

Continue reading “Body Ministry Lesson 4”

These lessons are part of a series of bulletin inserts at Blainesburg Bible Church. The online versions contain minor edits for the expanded online audience. This lesson originally released on March 31, 2019.

Introduction

Lesson 1 establishes who Jesus is. He spoke you into existence (Colossians 1:12-17, John 1:1-3) and established the way for your freedom from paying the penalty of sin by paying the price for your sin himself. The payment for sin is death (Romans 6:23). Not having sinned himself, death had no hold on Jesus (Acts 2:23-24). He laid his life down for us and took it back up again (John 10:17-18). Jesus is the head of the church body of his followers (Colossians 1:18, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 5:23, Colossians 1:24 partial “. . . for his body’s sake, which is the church . . . [emphasis mine]).

Lesson 2 firmly establishes that Christians must produce fruit that demonstrates their repentance. Using the example of 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 we see that Paul demonstrates that we are responsible to become obedient to the will of God, and there absolutely is church authority to punish disobedience after those who will become obedient do so. That is a tough lesson for many church folks to accept nowadays. We live in a time where too many in our culture, legal system, celebrities and celebrity politicians, peers, coworkers, family, friends, neighbors, fellow churchgoers and others proudly walk as if they can do whatever they want without facing any consequences.

. . . Punish All Disobedience

Why discuss this before getting into other details of church body ministry? Well, a body is disabled, to one degree or another, unless all of its parts are present and functioning in full health and strength. The church in America, along with our local body, is under the unction of the Holy Spirit to fall in line with obedience to God’s Word or be removed from God’s presence (1 John 2:18-20). If you want to know more about that, study the meaning of the seven candlesticks in Revelation 1-3.

Continue reading “Body Ministry Lesson 3”

These lessons are part of a series of bulletin inserts at Blainesburg Bible Church. The online versions contain minor edits for the expanded online audience. This lesson originally released on March 24, 2019.

Introduction

Reading the lessons in order provides the best results as each lesson builds upon the prior one.
Lesson links:
Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Following Jesus Requires Repentance

When John the Baptist was working his ministry as the one to prepare the way for the Christ, he was baptizing people in the Jordan River. When the religious leaders of the time—Pharisees and Sadducees—came to where he was baptizing, he said in Matthew 3:8-10 (ISV), “You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! Don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have father Abraham!’ because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree that isn’t producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Continue reading “Body Ministry Lesson 2”

Body Ministry

These lessons are part of a series of bulletin inserts at Blainesburg Bible Church. The online versions contain minor edits for the expanded online audience. This lesson originally released on March 17, 2019.

Introduction

I have a responsibility to teach you what the Lord puts on my heart. The example the Apostle Paul used about the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12, and how we are to function as a unified body with every part in place and spiritually healthy, has been strongly placed on my heart to teach.

As the Lord wills, my goal is to use these bulletin inserts to teach things God puts on my heart. This is the first of, hopefully, many bulletin inserts. This first lesson begins the series on Body Ministry for us at Blainesburg Bible Church. If you have any questions, ask, call, text or email me as I want these lessons to be clear in everyone’s mind.

I strongly recommend that you look up the scripture references in parenthesis as you read these lessons.

Cody S. Alderson
Assistant Pastor Blainesburg Bible Church

Lesson 1 of Body Ministry

First Things First: Who Jesus Is

Jesus was with his disciples and asked them about who the people were saying he is. They replied that some people thought he was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. Then, Jesus made it personal, asking his disciples who they thought he is. Peter spoke up and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” Jesus then blessed Peter, telling him how flesh and blood did not reveal that fact. Instead, it was Jesus’ Father in Heaven who revealed it. Then Jesus told Peter that the fact revealed from the Father would be the rock—the foundation—the church would be built on, and even the gates of hell would not have any power over it.

Continue reading “Body Ministry Lesson 1”