This past week, a story broke in the news concerning the legitimacy of the Bible in Dalton that reportedly flows with oil and the ministry associated with it. Additionally, because this ministry
held a weekly prayer meeting in the Wink Theatre, some have questions about
Rock Bridge’s involvement. I know numerous people are hurt,
confused, angry, and disappointed. Others testify positively to how God used
this ministry in their lives and are struggling to understand the reports they
are reading. Personally, I see a great
opportunity to thank God for grace and to remind ourselves that the greatest
miracle of all is that sinners like us can even be saved at all. I see an opportunity to affirm the
value and importance of organized and biblical church leadership. I see an
opportunity to remind ourselves of God’s sovereignty and our complete
dependence on Him. Finally, when our public discourse and interactions lack
civility and are marked by divisiveness, I see an opportunity to put on the
virtues of “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” (Colossians
3:12). When Rock Bridge purchased the Wink
Theatre, we believed we should continue to make this historic building
available to various community groups and local events. Schools, faith-based
organizations, various non-profit groups, local businesses, and other entities
use the theatre on a regular basis. We have sought to be gracious, generous and
hospitable without necessarily endorsing or promoting these various groups. Our relationship to “Flowing Oil”
ministry was similar in many ways. To answer a question several are asking,
“Flowing Oil” was not a ministry of Rock Bridge. Before “Flowing Oil” was officially
formed, there was a very organic and informal group of people gathering
downtown for prayer and fellowship in a local store. When this store ran out of
space, the prayer group requested to use our facility. This practice continued
until the group recently decided to cease meeting. Then the news story broke … In this news, I believe we have
several opportunities worth pursuing. First, we must affirm God’s grace—both
our need for it and God’s provision of it in Jesus. When a person makes a
mistake—especially a very public one—it is easy to get upset, give way to
cynicism and bitterness, and perhaps even let a seed of self-righteousness take
root. While hurt and bothered by all of this, I do not want to become a
Pharisee. I am reminded that Paul called himself the “worst” of sinners (I
Timothy 1:15). So let’s not stand on a pedestal but
kneel at the Cross and thank God for grace. God saves sinners and then uses
them in His Kingdom work (Ephesians
2:5-10). Yes, there are risks in using
sinners, and yes, there will be failures and mistakes but grace always
wins—it’s God’s way … and all of us can thank Him for that. However, we are also called to be
discerning and to speak the truth in love (Ephesians
4:15). The ministry has acknowledged mistakes were made. I do believe they should
be more forthright and forthcoming concerning those mistakes–alleged or
otherwise. Personally, I am not in a position
to comment on exactly what those mistakes were nor to their extent. The leaders
of Flowing Oil ministry were not operating under the leadership of our Elders
at Rock Bridge. In saying this, I do not condone any action that is potentially
misleading, deceptive, or fails to align with the whole counsel of God as
revealed in the Scriptures. Perhaps the wisest position for us to adopt at this
time is one of caution, not cynicism; and prayer, not pessimism. I do see an opportunity to affirm
the value and importance of having biblical leadership structures in place and
for all Christ-followers to see the value of such leadership (Hebrews
13:17). Rock Bridge believes that
this leadership includes at a minimum a plurality of biblically qualified elders
(Acts
14:23; Titus
1:5-9) whose responsibility is to shepherd, discern, teach, and oversee a
local body of believers. Within a church body, these leaders are called upon as
needed to test and discern various prophecies and teachings as well as reports
of the miraculous, and then lead the church forward in wisdom as it is collectively
discerned. Finally, we have an opportunity to
realize that God’s Kingdom and His redemptive purposes are never dependent on
one person, one church, one ministry, or one denomination. God is God. He works
by grace and His Spirit for His glory. His Kingdom is both here and coming; it
is both now and not yet. Today, we are reminded that all is
“not yet” as it should be, but let’s not allow that to cause us to think that
God can be stopped or His word be bound. Rather, we affirm that His triumph
is inevitable and that His purposes will prevail … and often in spite of us! May this truth re-kindle our zeal
for His glory, our burden for those who do not know of Jesus’ gospel love, and
our commitment to share this gospel with as many as we can—all by His grace all
the time! Matt Evans
About Matt Evans

Matt Evans is the Founding and Lead Pastor of Rock Bridge Community Church in Dalton, Georgia. Matt and his wife, Beth, grew up in the Dalton area and saw the need for a church that would reach the lost, broken, de-churched, and spiritually wounded.
[…] bomb in the middle of everyone.” Evans, the pastor of Rock Bridge Community Church posted an response online about the controversy. He described the ministry’s “mistakes”, as a reminder of […]
[…] bomb in the middle of everyone.” Evans, the pastor of Rock Bridge Community Church posted an response online about the controversy. He described the ministry’s “mistakes”, as a reminder of […]