Who We Are (Fellowship)

As you know, we are a fellowship, an association—not a denomination. In this, fellowship is paramount, not only for the encouragement of one another but for clarity. CCA has already made the distinction regarding Costa Mesa, the Broderson family, and CGN. It has been shared in huddles, at dinner tables, on YouTube, in blog posts, and at our Pastors Conferences.

I’ve listened ad nauseam to pastors asking where we stand on these matters. It’s frustrating because unless you’re brand new, we’ve been told the answer. Pastor Don McClure shared with great heaviness about CCA’s stance on this matter and on their relationship with CGN a few years ago. Unfortunately, the room was only half as full as it was the day before, probably because a bunch of pastors forgot to schedule coverage for the one Wednesday night a year that they had a year’s notice to prepare for. Sadly, not only was it half full, many of our peers walked out on Pastor Don during his announcement.

That was a heavy and important announcement. As difficult as it was for them, our CCA leadership was faithful to communicate their decision following a long season of grace and hope. Their communication didn’t possess malice, bitterness, or pride; unlike many of these individual proclamations. It acknowledged the significance of the problem but also acknowledged the hurt attached to the decision itself.

 

Why This Week?

Claims being made or insinuated by a Broderson or their affiliates are nothing new. This has been discussed in years past and addressed by our CCA leadership. There have been so many responses and posts these past few days that it has been a lot to take in. One Calvary Chapel after another has issued the supposed bold proclamation that they are no longer affiliated with the Broderson family, Costa Mesa, or CGN. With each post I have grown more unsettled. I keep seeing the same AI-generated style of posting repeated over and over again. It’s obvious tht many have strong opinions on this matter.

With that, I would ask: why today? Why this week? Why this time? Why do you find it so necessary to tell the world who you aren’t? God hasn’t promoted the idea that we be defined by what we aren’t. He acknowledges what we aren’t, but we are told to bear our new title and move forward in it.

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And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
(1 Corinthians 6:11)

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Even the Lord Himself doesn’t take time to tell the world who He isn’t. He simply makes known who He is.

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And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’”
(Exodus 3:14–15)

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So, why are we bringing so much attention to what we aren’t? We’ve haven’t been taught to do this. I understand these Scriptures primarily apply to individual faith, but they can certainly apply to a group of believers’ forward movement.

Not only do we have it exemplified in Scripture that God and His people move forward in who they are, we also have the issue that this has already been addressed. Why are we as individual churches taking this time to make known what we already are?

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Maybe you did hear the announcement. Maybe you’re aware of CCA’s stance, but their approach isn’t to your satisfaction. Maybe you heard Pastor Ken Graves share his heart this week and felt emboldened to join him. Did you hear his follow-up video of repentance? Are you as willing to be as broken in this matter as you were to be heard? Is it really brave to wait until someone else takes the plunge to say what you’re thinking? I believe we know the answers to these questions.

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So why today? What’s the motivation or root to make a clear divide already made by our leaders more pronounced? Is it vindictive? Is it because you want to make a boast? Is it because you were unaware due to a lack of listening?

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Mourning

That leads to my next thought.

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My wife, in her wisdom and discernment, brought this to me. I couldn’t put words to my feelings, but the Lord brought us to Psalm 44 through her devotion time. Here you will read the prayer of a younger generation observing the heartache of a battle and asking for vibrant restoration. This is where I believe we should be today: mourning and hoping for the new day. This should be a time of grieving, not boasting or proud announcement. Death continues to be uncovered in this spiritual battle. In this battle we must remember that families and friends are involved. This devastation is very close to home for many of my peers and leaders. I’m passionate about this point. Every pastor in our movement, regardless of their age, might adopt a gracious mind in this consideration. Why? Because our brothers, our sisters, our pastors, and their families are heartbroken over this. In this season, we have an opportunity to be a minister to our ministers—a caretaker to our caretakers. To love them as brothers in Christ is to weep with them as well.

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To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn…
(Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4)

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Some of us have expressed displeasure at the graciousness and hope displayed in all of this, but we cannot abandon graciousness ourselves in our evaluation of it. There are grandparents, parents, and children involved. There are godparents, spiritual sons, spiritual daughters, and friends suffering. Hope is the inspiration for faithful contending among them. This is the very same gracious expression that we cherish from our Father.

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But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
(2 Peter 3:8–9)

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Don’t forget, “grace changes everything.” — Pastor Chuck Smith

We should also mourn because of the horrible results of sin. There is a sacrificed son in the middle of this, and it may be time to walk away and let the Lord lead us in our endeavors apart from this heartbreaking travesty.

As we do, let’s look to the Word. We’re going to look at 2 Kings 3. I remember the first time I read this story. It was revelatory for me. This spiritual battle is real, and the places sin can lead us are extraordinary. We’re going to fast-forward to the very end of the chapter:

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Now it happened in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water. And when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to bear arms and older were gathered; and they stood at the border. Then they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood. And they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely struck swords and have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!”
So when they came to the camp of Israel, Israel rose up and attacked the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they entered their land, killing the Moabites. Then they destroyed the cities, and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land and filled it; and they stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees. But they left the stones of Kir Haraseth intact. However the slingers surrounded and attacked it.
And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. Then he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall; and there was great indignation against Israel. So they departed from him and returned to their own land.
(2 Kings 3:20–27)

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We’re not going to look at the battle itself but the final result. A great man of authority loses his mind in failure and sacrifices his son for the world to see. The army of Israel beholds the results of a sacrificed son and is shocked to witness the result. Can you imagine being so proud in the face of failure that you raise up your children to bear the weight of your failure and sin? This was such a horror that instead of proclaiming anything at the end of this battle, Israel turns away, leaving the results of sin to continue to apply its own brutal torture on that household. The relationships lost. The families broken. The weeping, the mourning. What do you think that father’s reaction was when he saw the battle was over? Everyone is gone, sin has had its way with him, the silence is heavy. How long until he comprehended that the root of this was him? I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy the impending silence that will come upon the Broderson family.

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Some may think this is extreme, but it’s as extreme as the gospel makes it. Char adopted the soothing tone of the serpent as he coached what’s left of Costa Mesa to adopt sin. To some he may have been convincing that this is simply a secondary issue. But according to Scripture, it can’t be that simple. He’s stumbled the little children.

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It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
(Luke 17:2)

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He is right in citing Romans about our salvation:

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For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
(Romans 10:13)

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However, he overlooks the title, Lord. To call on the name of the Lord is to live under His Lordship, increasingly in cooperation with our sanctification. To reject the word of the Lord isn’t believing; it is willful disobedience. He has stepped into the function of teaching God’s creation to despise God’s order. To despise God’s order is to despise His Lordship, making a true calling out questionable. Now, I can admit that God can overcome poor teaching, but the teacher of bad doctrine has a grievous fate.

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My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
(James 3:1)

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The Lord may overcome for all who listen to these wicked teachings, but that still doesn’t absolve the teacher from teaching it. I don’t type this with gladness but with grief. Sin has had its way with another prideful leader. Scripture is true when it warns us that…

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If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.
(Genesis 4:7)

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So maybe we walk away now. Maybe we stop hyper-fixating on the results of sin because of all the ways we could have done better with it. Maybe we mourn with those who are mourning. Maybe we weep over the results of sin. Maybe we don’t bring further attention to the cause of our mockery and begin walking in blessing.

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Lord, arise! Do not cast us off forever. Please do not hide Your face from us; our soul is bowed down to the dust; our body clings to the ground. Arise for our help and redeem us for Your mercies’ sake.

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Ricky Rueda

Senior Pastor

Calvary Chapel Jacksonville, NC