I’m glad it’s not 2006…
I have no idea whether or not CJ addressed what’s going on at MLC yesterday, as I only listened to a short part of the message. What I have is MLC’s account of what was said on June 6, posted below, with some editing. MLC stated the unedited version in front of children and guests on a Sunday morning, then sent the unedited text below to the Florida pastors and to MLC home group leaders.
___________
DJ: We have a serious situation that we need to make you aware of today. It would have been much more preferable to have been able to share this with you in the context of a family meeting but the circumstances have prevented that.
If you are our guest this morning or are new to the church, I would want you to know that we are a spiritual family. It is our sincere desire, when we go through difficult situations as a church family, to handle them in the most biblical and God-honoring way that we can. What you are witnessing this morning is a demonstration of our love and care for one another.
MN: Church, this morning I’ve got some news that’s connected with our family that I’d like to share with you. Today is my youngest son J’s last Sunday with us. This week, he will travel to Virginia, where he will begin a new job. As many of you would know, this is the only church home J has ever had.
In addition to that, on the following week, Saturday June 19th, J will be getting married. Now, I know that’s a lot of news to digest at one time, but there is more for me to share. These major events in J’s life are significantly tempered by the fact that_______ _____________.
We’ve known about this situation for several months now, and have been in very close contact with the _____________, as well as the pastoral team in the Sovereign Grace church there.
Obviously, this has been one of the most difficult and trying seasons for us as a family. But walking through this has caused me to examine more closely than ever my life and ministry. L and I have been examining our parenting. A key issue in all of this is our lack of listening to the patient voices of friends, leaders and members of this church that have appealed to us for a long time.
Scripture is clear that one of the qualifications for serving as an elder in a local church is this: “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?”
We as a church, and I personally, take this passage very seriously. Over these last several weeks our leadership team as well as homegroup leaders and other members of the church have had many long and difficult discussions about this situation, about my parenting, and how it affects my role as an elder of this church. Our local leadership team has been patient with me as I’ve wrestled with my own sins in my parenting, and believe me that are several that I’m owning: laziness in my parenting, pride reflected in my love of reputation, and not listening to the council of others.
I don’t believe I’m seeing all I need to see at this point, but I’m trusting the Lord to open my eyes in the season ahead to all that He intends to reveal to me and us as we continue to seek him.
All concerned have been gracious to me and my family, and I greatly appreciate that. Our home group leaders have been carrying us in their hearts since they’ve heard the news and I’m very grateful for their care, concern, and prayers for us.
I’m grateful to God most of all because I see this as His kindness towards me to continue the work of conforming me into His image. I’m affected daily by the Gospel, as I preach it to myself, and benefit from the precious Truth that it is.
The good news is that J and X have confessed their sin and are moving aggressively towards the Lord in this season.
In conclusion, I’d like to say that If you have any observations for me and L concerning our parenting, or any other areas in our lives , please don’t hesitate to come to us and share them. And while this certainly is a difficult and challenging situation for us, please know that we definitely desire your prayers! Thank you.
DJ: Providentially, we had already set aside a week for prayer and fasting June 20-26. The details are in your bulletin but we’d also like to call the church together on that Wednesday night, the 23rd for a night for all of us to be able to pray together.
As we’ve walked through this situation with the N family here, as well as the family and leadership in (the young lady’s church), we’ve also been in close contact with Dave Harvey and CJ for council from these men who give extra-local care to our church. Some of the other pastors among our churches here in FL have been helping us as all. What a joy to not be independent and on our own at a time like this!
We do ask that you abstain for sharing this information in electronic forums such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs because our purpose in sharing it with you is redemptive, not just informational. The Scripture gives us clear direction in Galatians 6:1 – “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”
In this verse, the spiritual ones are those in whom the Spirit of God dwells, not a super-spiritual class of Christian. We are called to restore our brother in a spirit of gentleness. At the same time, let this be a sober warning to us all of the need to keep watch on ourselves.
We also ask for your prayer as we process the implications of this for M as an elder of this local church – which is the reason this needed to be brought to the entire church.
As soon as the N’s return from the wedding in _______, we will be walking M through a season of evaluation and discipline. It will be a time that is motivated by a desire to posture M to humbly receive all the Lord has for him.
Remember, discipline is redemptive – it is “proof” of our sonship. M will be relieved of his pastoral duties for a season for the purpose of seeking the Lord, spending time with his family and the study of
Scripture – particularly as it pertains to this situation.
We are planning a church-wide family meeting to follow up on all this with you as well as update you on the changes and responses that have been and are being made as a result of our recent season of assessment.
So please pray! The pastors, leaders, friends and family affected by this sin are humbling themselves before the Lord and seeking His face.
And now, let’s pray for the family and for J as we send him off to a new season of life.
_______________________________
I still have the same questions. Why is a pastor held accountable for the actions of his adult son, whose covering is Christ, not dad?
If this is the oral law at MLC, why did Danny get a pat on the back from CJ, and a promotion when his adult sinned in a way that although similar (sort of), was much more serious in regards to those effected by it?
I really don’t get it…
METRO BRETHREN,
We are praying for you and the upcoming ‘family meeting.’
That you are putting on the full armor of God (Eph 6: 10-17 )
That you will take courage to require full truth of your leadership (PS 27:14)
(Micah 3:8)
That you will remember that YOU are the church “choice and precious in the sight of God,living stones being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (IPeter 2: 4-5)
That you will “remember the Lord Who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters,your wives and your houses.” (Neh 4:14)
During the Chesapeake battle, almost 2 years ago, intercessors were praying for the “Gideons” to come forth. In that large church- by the Spirit of God –only 4 men answered Holy Spirits call. None held a church position. But they pressed in, took Gods courage, went to meetings to “see” for theirself…and opened their mouths to fight.
(These men were in addition to the men in “the 3 couples”).
We are praying for your Gideons, and your fighting men — there is a battle for truth and untangling the effects of destructive polity in sgm.
We pray that leadership or any ‘apostle’ will not seek to whitewash or ‘spin’ the issues brought forth. The mentality that “protecting the church” involves manipulations of truths
is actually resisiting the powerful, thorough cleansing…..and thus, healing, which the
Holy Spirit would readily bring forth.
Samuel Wesley:
“The churchs’ one foundation, is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is His new creation by Spirit and the Word:
From heaven He came and sought her, to be His Holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.”
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit (Philemon 1:25),
– Waters
To the Saints at Metro:
In addition to Waters’ scriptures, may I offer a song?
Rise up O Men of God!
Have done with lesser things.
Give heart and mind and soul and strength
to serve the King of kings.
Rise up, O men of God!
The kingdom tarries long.
Bring in the day of brotherhood
and end the night of wrong.
Rise up O Men of God!
The church for you doth wait,
her strength unequal to her task;
rise up, and make her great!
Rise up, O men of God!
Tread where his feet have trod.
As brothers of the Son of Man,
rise up, O men of God!
(I love Phill Keaggy’s version of this song. It’s like a march into battle.)
Time to do battle for the Truth.
Truly. They can’t hurt you.
i don’t know. This whole thread seems pointless. If you left the church, forget about it. Jim, why are you still listening to sermons from this church? Just get on with your life and forget about it
Thanks Jon. Doggonnit, that’s just what I’ll do.
The post at the beginning of this thread was the text of an email. I don’t listen to MLC sermons.
Jim.
Holy crud.
I bet you never thought of that before! If you leave a church, forget about the blood-bought saints left behind!! So clear to me now!
I’m so glad Jon dropped by.
“Dropped.” Hm. That reminds me of something. (scratches head.)
Oh yeah–”dropped.” Kind of like what happens when those who lead the flock astray get “dropped” with a millstone around their necks into seas and stuff like that:
Luke 9:42: “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown (kind of like “dropped,” n’est ce pas?) into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.”
Perhaps Jim is pouring his time. cash and life into snatching back a few: not only the hurt sheep, but the millstone-bound shepherds, too, who lead Jesus’ beloved into legalism and away from the grace of the Gospel.
So if you escape from slavery, you should never go back to help others be set free. Apparently Sojourner Truth and the others were bad.
If you see abuse, you should turn a blind eye. Don’t report it to anyone. Forget about it.
If you’ve been through a trauma, don’t process it or work through it. Just move on. Get on with your life. Ignore the pain and the problems that ignoring this abuse brings.
Did you take a bullet in a drive by or a war? Just get on with things. Don’t get the shrapnel removed. Just pretend it didn’t happen. Move on for goodness’ sake.
God would never want us to deal with our problems, help others to be set free or cause us to love others so that they could experience the same kind of love and comfort He’s given us, He’d never want us to warn others of abuse or create a place of comfort, education or encouragement. Nah, God would never want anything like that. He much prefers when we pretend nothing ever happened and move on. Good idea.
PS. Lay off of Jim. He’s doing a loving thing here that had brought healing to many, truth to the light and freedom to those still struggling.
Jon–i don’t know. This whole website seems pointless. If you’re still happy in the church, forget about it. Jon, why are you still obsessively reading this blog? Just get on with your life and forget about it
Jon,
These are among the types of cul…um families of churhes that encourage deep meaningful exclusive friendships within the church which leaves the leaver with a lot of brainwas….um gung-ho churched friends making listening to the swilll…um, I mean messages relevant to the dismember…um I mean leaver.
Sorry about the paragraph long run on sentencce.
Jon-
Thanks so much…I feel so much better now that I just forgot about all the people I love being abused by my old pastors and Apostles.
And the point of the good Samaritan was…..?
(PS…little advice for you, I wouldn’t utter that advice to any veterans of war or Holocuast survivors.)
Jon,
I’ve been holding my tongue, (Okay, my fingers really) long enough.
So, Let’s say you were on a journey, and came across a man in the ditch who had been robed and beaten. By your post, it looks like you might be inclined to pass by on the other side of the road, rather than to help him, bind up his wounds, take him to the inn, and leave money for the inn keeper to do what ever needed to help him heal till you return.
Right???
How much more might you be willing to come to the aid of people you actually LOVE, when you find that they have been mistreated, perhaps verbally beaten up by a pastor, or “Apostle” of some kind.
NO! Some of us have INVESTED years of our lives and fortunes into this “church”.
We may have left, but we are not inclined to leave the wounded and loved ones behind.
(In my best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice:) “I’ll be back!!”
(Or to borrow from another movie:) “I’m BAAACK!”
Musicman,
I might say great minds think alike, but I wouldn’t want to lower you to my level.
You just used so many fewer words to say the same.
Love ya bro!
Aw Shucks…..:)