Arise Jonah Go to CA that Wretched State w/ Pastor Chad Vegas

Rev. Chris Gordon sits down with Pastor Chad Vegas of Sovereign Grace Church in Bakersfield to think through what faithfulness actually looks like for believers planted in one of the most challenging—and most populous—states in America. Drawing on Chris' well-known article "Arise, Jonah," the two pastors press into the hard questions: Are Christians obligated to stay? What does biblical separatism actually mean? And what role does God's providence play in where we live?

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
4:03 The Exodus from California
6:32 Acts 17 & God's Providence in Where We Live
7:10 Are Christians Obligated to Stay?
11:06 The Financial Reality: Housing, Gas & Schools
13:26 Biblical Separationism — "Come Out and Be Separate"
18:01 Salt and Light: Matthew 5 & John 17
24:45 Why Has God Left Us in the World?
29:44 The Pastoral Calling vs. the Layman's Calling
37:57 The Book of Jonah and California as a Mission Field
45:09 Build Your Life Around a Good Church
50:05 The Danger of Leaving a Good Church
53:12 Zacchaeus, Gavin Newsom & the Gospel Need in California

Guest Information:
Pastor Chad Vegas is the founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Bakersfield, California. After completing his M.A. in Theology at Talbot School of Theology and serving as high school pastor at RiverLakes Community Church, Chad was called to plant a church in Bakersfield. He is also the founding board chairman of Radius International, an organization that trains and sends workers to plant churches among unreached language groups worldwide. His passion is to know Christ and to make him known. He has been married to Teresa since 1994 and they have two children and one grandson.

🔗 Chad's Church: bakersfieldchurch.org

Mentions:
- Book of Jonah — "Arise, Jonah" article by Chad Vegas (referenced throughout)
- Acts 17:26 — God appoints times and boundaries of dwelling
- John 17 — Jesus's prayer: "I do not ask that you take them out of the world"
- Matthew 5 — Salt and light; the lamp under a bowl
- Psalm 73 — Why do the wicked prosper?
- 2 Samuel 6 — The Ark in the house of Obed-Edom; blessing through God's presence
- Radius International — missions organization for unreached language groups
- James Montgomery Boice — challenge to Christians to move back to the cities for gospel witness
- Belgic Confession — referenced regarding freedom of worship
- Tabletalk Magazine — Chad Vegas article on separationism: "Come Out and Be Separate"
- Zacchaeus (Luke 19) — tax collector saved; Jesus going to the home of sinners
- Founders Conference 2021 (Florida) — Gordon's experience of contrast with locked-down California
- Gavin Newsom — mentioned as an example of the gospel need among political leaders
- Chevron — departure from Bakersfield as example of California's economic decline
- Proposition 13 — California property tax law
- Two Kingdom Theology — referenced in passing

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Chad Vegas is the founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church. After completing his M.A. in Theology at Talbot, and being the high school pastor at RiverLakes Community Church, Chad was called to plant a church in Bakersfield. He is also the founding board chairman of Radius International, an organization that trains people to plant churches among unreached language groups. His passion is to know Christ and to make him known. He has been married to Teresa since 1994, and they have two children and one grandson.

Church: bakersfieldchurch.org