Good message

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[Peacemaker03]

In my time on this forum, I have tried to remain neutral, and bring a spirit of a peacemaker.  I have at times shown frustration with my church and the missteps I believe they've made, and at times that may have colored my opinion to be less than neutral.  To counter that, I'd like to call any who've been troubled by some of the recent messages from the different ECC locations (don't get me started on BKnox "unfair and unjust" message) to listen to the message from last week from the Urban Refuge.

http://subspla.sh/zrcmqph

Maybe I coloring this too much in the light of the current investigation, but my hope is that Chad is also coloring his message in a similar light, and it's starting to get a bit under his skin as well.  Has ECC become a bit of little kingdom, with many parties that are working against any form of opposition to protect that little kingdom they've built.  Many applications from the message can be found:

• Starts with Eden and "a day when everything was exposed", and ends with "Coming back to being exposed and naked, a place of truth and justice".
   How about the church live up to this goal by releasing the full report when they release their findings, so truth can be exposed?
• Making the parallel to Pharaoh being able to turn water to blood, but not being able to separate the blood out.  "We can reek havoc, but we're not the best at undoing what we've done.  We're great at destruction".  I've witnessed a lot of stories on this forum about destruction that may have been at the hands of the church's little kingdom.  Maybe it's time to begin to find a healthy path forward with and for these people.
• Description of the human response to their kingdom being threatened, "My kingdom is threatened and I'm going to eradicate the new kingdom and King... kingdoms when threatened, they attempt to kill"
• Describing Egypt as a place "where power makes right" as the polar opposite of God's Kingdom.  "Very, very few people can handle power well"

I think it was a very timely message, and I call on all within my church to work to make sure that we are making our church (little "c") a part of the Lord's Kingdom (and his big "c" Church), and not it's own little kingdom here on earth that we have to work to protect and defend from anything that threatens it.  Well done Chad, I was proud to call you my pastor after that message, a feeling that has been rare in the last five months.

[Differentstrokes]

You know, as much as I take issue with some GC practices and the hurt they have caused, I have always respected Chad and Andy... I was never a member of their church, but worked closely with them in some ministry things. They're probably the only pastors I would say I still respect.  very interested to hear what Chad had to say.

[zeal4god]

You know, as much as I take issue with some GC practices and the hurt they have caused, I have always respected Chad and Andy... I was never a member of their church, but worked closely with them in some ministry things. They're probably the only pastors I would say I still respect.  very interested to hear what Chad had to say.

I will second this, particularly with respect to Andy. I can't say I knew Chad as well.

[OneOfMany]

I know someone who recently left Urban, they left this year after being at Urban for years. They left because the pastor shared inappropriate sexual information during the Sunday Service. I can find out the details.

The lack of healthy personal boundaries is a systemic problem with the church.

[araignee19]

I know someone who recently left Urban, they left this year after being at Urban for years. They left because the pastor shared inappropriate sexual information during the Sunday Service. I can find out the details.

The lack of healthy personal boundaries is a systemic problem with the church.

Rather off topic for this thread, isn’t this?

[OneOfMany]

I know someone who recently left Urban, they left this year after being at Urban for years. They left because the pastor shared inappropriate sexual information during the Sunday Service. I can find out the details.

The lack of healthy personal boundaries is a systemic problem with the church.

Rather off topic for this thread, isn’t this?

Maybe.

[Peacemaker03]

I'd like to bump this one back up.  If any of you have time to listen to this message, I'd like your opinion on it.  Maybe I colored my opinion of it too much in the way I wanted to hear it, and would like further thoughts and opinions.

[Linda]

I did listen. Chad has an easy to listen to speaking style. I thought he made some good points about leadership and casting crowns before Jesus. I wasn't quite sure how or if he intended to relate it to the current situation, but maybe that was one of the things I liked about it. It wasn't specifically tailored to fit a particular agenda, but rather to speak a truth about God's kingdom.

[GodisFaithful]

Peacemaker03,

I listened to this sermon, some yesterday and some today. It's a lot to take in and digest. When you go from Garden to Garden, Genesis to Revelation, and try to tie it all together with a big theme, it can get really tricky to communicate and be accurate with that much stuff.  I personally felt like it would have been better if broken down into a series.

I guess if I would break it down into one sentence it would be, "Am I setting up a little kingdom for myself on earth or am I submitting to the King of Kings?" The one place where I feel he could have been more clear and encouraging is that, if you are a believer and have given up being on the throne of your life and have received Jesus, then you do have the Holy Spirit, no question about it as the Holy Spirit does not come and go but is here to stay, will never leave us or forsake us. So, as a believer, I do not need to *strive* really hard to have Jesus as my King, He is my King and will always be. I may not act like it at times and I may start to stray to the gods of this world, but the Holy Spirit does not leave me alone in this struggle against sin, because I am His child.

But more along the lines of what you were asking about as to if we see some kind of underlying message that applies to the problems at Evergreen with the accusations of sexual and spiritual abuse and the investigation, I really tried hard to pick up a hint about that, but I personally did not see it. He made some points about humility and abuse of power that *we* who are looking might see some applications to current events, but I am not so sure that he had that in mind. However, I have never met him, and he is your pastor so you know him to some extent, therefore, maybe you are right that there was kind of an undercover message. On the other hand, in the past, Evergreen pastors try for unity and behind closed doors there may be some push back but when it comes to making a statement, but will they all stand together? Do they think that in order to move the kingdom forward the best thing is to have a united front, united with each other and not necessarily united in how they think the scandal should be handled?  I think it is complicated that Evergreen has multiple campuses as they deal with this, and my impression is that they *share* pastors and consider themselves to be one church, little "c". Is that right? I was there with only one campus.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.