No, it's not just a casual "
GCC is 501c3, so they have to obey the orders," because we have to remember that 501c3 means the church organization is an
INDIRECT GOVERNMENT ENTITY, which means, if the state chose to do so, they would be in the right to shut down GCC by force. The only reason they will not do it right now is because it would not be popular with the community, and currently, most citizens are not pleased with their state government lock downs, which means it would not be a good move because media would immediately jump on it and get the public hyped up in anger, despite the fact that the government would be justified to do so, and yet, with the danger of the Marxist, communist, domestic terrorism going on right now from Black Lives Matter, it would not be wise to divert resources, and thus, GCC knows the government will do nothing at this time.
GCC is required to close its doors until their true master, the government, says otherwise. We, however, have signed no contract with the government, and therefore, those orders are nothing more than suggestions that we will ignore.
The reason we are justified and GCC is not is because GCC is an indirect government entity (and their church building U.S. military infrastructure) via the 501c3 contract they agreed to in order to take special tax benefits from U.S. citizens (i.e. U.S. taxpayers who have to make up for GCC, who does not pay taxes).
John MacArthur is violating his contract, I am convinced he, and his staff,
KNOW they are violating their contract, and they have all heard the Word of God, so they know they will be judged, but again, as any typical mainstream megachurch, they think being "under grace" means you have free ticket to sin, despite that they might stand on pretense to teach their audience otherwise.
They know that, while their doors are closed, they will not make as much money in donations. That's what it really comes down to; because GCC are a den of robbers, and therefore, their attitude is that everyone else should carry a burden, not being able to work and do their jobs, but not GCC.
And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
-Luke 11:46
Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
-Jeremiah 7:8-11Thus, they are sinning by lying against their government contract (i.e. breaking their word), and at the same time, violating Romans 13, which
John MacArthur himself has hypocritically preached the following:
"Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. That is an unqualified statement. It doesn't qualify who those governing authorities are and it doesn't qualify what subjection might mean. Therefore we can conclude that we have an unqualified, unmitigated command to be subjected to the governing authorities, whatever they are."-John MacArthur, "Why Christians Submit to the Government," Grace To You, Jan 30, 2011, retrieved Aug 27, 2015, [gty.org/Resources/Sermons/80-364]unqualified (adj): complete, unlimited
unmitigated (adj): absolute(See 'unqualified' & 'unmitigated', Random House Dictionary, 2015, [www.dictionary.com]; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2012)John MacArthur is a very wealthy liar and hypocrite, and I have had him on my radar for some time, considering doing a "Wolves in Costume" to expose him for what he is.
See 501c3: The Devil's Church for more details.
