The Falling Away (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3)

So this morning we're going to be looking at the subject of Deconstruction who's familiar with the term deconstruction. You've you've at least heard of it half of you. So I've dealt with this a little bit already here at Morris Corner Church.

I preached a sermon. I think two months ago titled Universalism and deconstruction and I think we might have touched on it a little bit last week. But most of the time I've spent talking about it was on the radio and on my podcast.

So I haven't brought it up a lot here at Morris Corner Church. So I just want to cover it in this lesson I'll give you a chance to ask questions a little later on and if we have time, there's a video of a very famous pastor who actually praised people who are deconstructing their faith and he said this isn't such a bad thing and It's a name that you all know.

So if we have time, we'll look at the video. So what is deconstruction mean in this context? It refers to a person who over time. It's called deconstructing your faith. Basically the teachings of biblical Christianity that they once affirmed now, they don't believe that anymore.

They've deconstructed. They've left behind their former beliefs and now they've turned to embrace new beliefs that line up more with the culture. So really this is called falling away from the faith so deconstruction is just the new trendy term for it so let's turn to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2.

And let me just say this if if somebody is watching online later on who is in the process of deconstructing. I Want to help honestly, I'm for you. I Want people to go to heaven so even if there is someone who has almost fully deconstructed.

If you or if they will repent and turn back to faith in Christ. This church and any other Bible believing church will welcome you with open arms. That's our prayer for you that you would turn back to Christ.

So we're not against anyone, but we are against false teaching and we must Uphold what the Bible teaches about these things. So I think there's two types of people in local churches. There are the the Saints who are being conformed to the image of Christ.

And then there are people in the visible church who are being conformed to this world. I think of what Paul said in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 10. He talked about his partner in ministry Demas. He says Demas has left me he has departed.

Because he loved this present world. So you really have to make a decision. Am I with Christ in the church or am I just gonna follow along with whatever the world's doing and Demas made his decision? He didn't just leave Paul.

He left the ministry and it sounds like he left maybe the faith altogether. So maybe even Demas is a first century example of someone who deconstructed. We don't know all the details. So this is an important subject because people are Becoming apostates that's sort of the old term for apostasy falling away from the faith.

So someone someone deconstructs they leave behind the beliefs of Bible believe in Christianity. One verse before we get into the second Thessalonians thing a very sober warning in James 4 for James writes.

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God. Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world. He makes himself what? An enemy of God. So deconstruction or apostasy. It's a defection.

You're leaving the Lord's army and you're you're siding with the enemy you're siding with the. The wrong team. Remember that guy he was in Afghanistan that soldier I don't know if he was a marine or what he what he was in Afghanistan.

But he snuck away in the middle of the night and he joined the Taliban. And he started fighting against the United States. That's what apostates do. They leave the church. They leave the faith and then they join the other team and now they're fighting against Christ.

So that's what's happening here. All right, second Thessalonians 2 1 through 3 Paul says now brethren. Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him. We ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled either by spirit or by word or by letter.

As if from us as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means for that day will not come unless the falling away comes First so Deconstruction is really a falling away. It's apostasy one who falls away from the faith.

I Think this is the clear teaching of the New Testament as we get closer and closer to the return of Christ as we approach the end Times we're gonna see a great falling away from the faith. You can see this in Europe already all the churches the cathedrals.

They're all empty. Europe was once you know, we get it. It wasn't really a hundred percent Christian or anything. But Europe was a Christian continent and now Bible believing Christians in Europe. It's like two percent or so, you know.

It's very small and that's starting to happen here in the United States. We've seen that. Yes, can we clarify right at the.

Outset here falling away from the faith. When you when you place your faith in Christ when you are born again. That is an eternal matter so I just don't want anyone to be confused that you can be saved and then Lose your salvation when you talk about falling away from the faith, right?

Yeah, yeah, so there's two types of Christians to beliefs out there. There's people who believe you can never lose your salvation and there's people who think you can lose your salvation. So we do not believe a person can lose their salvation.

However, if it looks like people lose their salvation, that's what it looks like. But that's not what's happening. People who truly leave the faith were never saved to begin with. It's now becoming evident First John 2 19 they went out from us, but they were not of us.

If they were of us They would have continued with us. But they went out that it might be made manifest that none of them were truly of us. So if somebody leaves the church and they leave the faith and I don't believe the gospel anymore. They start teaching a different gospel.

Yeah, they didn't lose their salvation. They were never truly born again in the first place. Yes. Okay, so that you see the screen second Thessalonians 2 3 Let no one deceive you by any means for that day.

That is the return of Christ will not come. Unless the falling away comes first unless the apostasy comes first. So the Greek word Translated falling away refers to a defection from the faith. They leave Christianity in order to side with the enemy and the enemy is the world the flesh and the devil and.

There are.

Individuals including pastors of churches that I spoke to you about. Men who once professed to believe the true gospel who wants preached the true gospel now. They are fighting against the truth. They have joined the other they have joined Satan's army or so it appears.

So sometimes this will happen and it's not just pastors who deconstruct all sorts of people are Deconstructing and this kind of I think a turning point in our country was just my opinion the Supreme Court ruling regarding gay marriage back in 2015 people saw the handwriting on the wall if I'm gonna be you know.

If I'm if I'm gonna be accepted in this culture if I'm gonna get a promotion at work if I'm gonna keep my friend. You know, I'm gonna go along with the world. I see this is the way the culture is headed.

I'm just gonna go along with it because they they knew if I stand where pretty much everybody stood 40 years ago. I'll be called names. I won't get promoted. I'll lose friends. So people kind of open the floodgates work since 2015.

I mean I wouldn't Do this necessarily. But I get to give you a long list of names of people who used to attend Morse corner church have a testimony and now They're posting rainbow flags on their Facebook page.

Well, how do you? Explain that apostasy falling away from the faith. Deconstruction, that's what it is. So people some people when they deconstruct they become an atheist. And they just deny any belief in God but it's becoming more common for people to kind of hold on to some semblance of Spirituality and they well, I still believe in Jesus, but I don't believe all that stuff that the church taught.

You know now I believe this other stuff and it's what you're getting from Hollywood TV, you know politics the university so they're swapping one set of beliefs for another but I still believe in God and This is really just an apostate form of Christianity and You know some of the terms they want to be very tolerant.

Right. They want to be very Inclusive. Well, but they're not very tolerant towards Biblical beliefs are they see that's the one thing they do not tolerate. Why are they so open and friendly to? Buddhism and Islam and all you know, they'll they'll be tolerant towards Anything and everything except the truth.

The one thing they will not tolerate is biblical Christianity. So what causes people to deconstruct? What are the teachings that people? Most likely to compromise on or abandon here. It's always the same things.

Here's the top three. Jesus is the only way of salvation. I mean, that's one of the first things to go. I Don't believe the gospel because then there's all these other ways and then the gospel makes no sense Why did Jesus have to die on the cross if you can get to heaven all these other ways?

So that's the first thing to go. Usually that Jesus is the only way of salvation. Number two that's tied in with this idea of universal Salvation the denial of hell. Okay, so Universalism right everyone goes to heaven.

So the first two are I think linked together and then number three the acceptance of so-called.

LGBTQ.

Lifestyles throw in abortion support whatever the Establishment and Hollywood are pushing. So those are typically the issues they want to compromise on. Why what's what's the motivation? Did they believe that?

10 years ago 20 years ago 30 years ago. No, why are they believing that now? Because that's what the world is really against. Biblical view of marriage Jesus is the only way only people who believe in Jesus go to heaven.

The world hates that with a vengeance. So those are the most unpopular beliefs. Those are the first things to go exciting in with a culture. Okay, so you can either be a friend of God or a friend of the world.

It's their choice. Yes, Stacy.

In your thought earlier about why why true Christianity is the thing that is Shunned the most tip and it is because it's or in my eyes. It's convicting. Yeah, you can't be tolerant and accepting of something that's gonna convict you.

So that's the first thing that goes right. Anything that's convicting. Yep.

Yeah, because the. The prevailing attitude is hey do what you want. No judgments. If it feels good do it let people do what they want. Of course, they still have their morality their twisted form of morality.

They still have the things they're against but they again they just swap one. You know today's morality is just yesterday's immorality. Really Larry.

Similarly.

It's always been Satan's His way to divide and conquer and he's getting These things because there are some.

Christians.

That think well, we don't shouldn't be so hard on. You know this way of life. But what does the Bible say. So they're taking a little kind of a softer approach however, it's. Dividing up Christianity and churches.

Sure because now. You know with this. This whole deconstruction and heresy thing. We've been discussing the last couple of weeks. We're seeing other churches. Line up or not line up with Scripture and so then.

Okay, now we have to draw the line of separation.

Yeah.

You know, okay either you. Go by what the Scripture says.

What are you done? Yeah, I think. What churches are doing again? They see the handwriting on the wall. They see the way the country's going and they think well if I still preach what the Bible says That means less people are gonna want to come through the front door.

So in order to get more people through the door, we'll just compromise them this and this and this will still believe everything else. But we'll just compromise on these few things to get people through the door.

Yeah, but once you open that door of compromise it never ends because the world doesn't agree with any of it. They are implacable you cannot satisfy. The whole the eld and I don't mean to single them out.

They've made this the issue of the day not me. I've just assumed never talk about it again. But they've made this the issue of the day. Next month is completely devoted to pride. Gay pride, right? So they've made this the issue not us.

But you cannot satisfy that crowd. It'll never be enough unless you fully support everything they're saying. So don't don't give an inch or they'll take a mile.

Yeah.

Right, yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, and I do want to Be clear that this didn't just happen, you know seven years ago or whatever. This has been going on for a long time. So and we I am NOT blaming. You know one group. Actually, I stand I'm more upset with the churches and the pastors more than the average person in the world Who's living some life?

Hey, they're unsaved. We want them to be saved. I'm not against you know people who are unsaved because I want them to come to Christ. I'm really against the pastors who are Preaching that read the book of Jeremiah and what God said about the shepherds of Israel and what they were doing and leading people astray.

Yeah, this goes back to the seeker sensitive movement and just kind of get rid of all the churchy stuff. But we'll still preach the gospel, but then they stopped preaching the gospel too. And then the church became an inner tent entertainment center.

Yeah, and that was 40 years ago that that movement started is not longer. So, okay. Yes.

Judgment and justice. A Little bit as a retired police officer and I think part of the reason why this is such a problem Is because we all have gotten away with so many things and never been penalized for them.

The basic problem is that we are all guilty. And I've so many times but and I just saw a crime after crime after crime. Sometimes I knew who did it, but I couldn't prove it. But I knew they did it but they got away with it.

Yeah, and we would always just say and my sergeant and why sergeant would say don't worry. They'll keep doing it and one of these times we'll have enough to put them away. There's a biblical truth. All sin must be judged.

That's all the sin that I've done too. I'm ashamed of it and I'm sorry that I did it because Jesus had to bear. But it all must be judged fortunately for me and all people who are truly saved is Jesus took that judgment.

They are on the cross. I was guilty. I should have been nailed. I should have gone to hell. But I don't have to you know because he did that. Yeah, and that affects your whole life and then there's the one that we use all the time if we confess our sins.

He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Go like that and every day we use it. Confessing and you know when we take people to court that were guilty. They plead not guilty or a guy that did say yeah, I'm guilty.

I'll take the penalty and the judges say oh no. No, I'm not gonna accept that plea of guilty. You need to be assigned to court. You know, you need that. Yeah, we 're all guilty.

Right. Well, here's the difference between a Christian and someone who's deconstructed. A Christian realizes they have sinned and they.

Do sin and they do.

You know if you say you have no sin you deceive yourself. So but the person who's deconstructed They have embraced sin. They promote sin. They're teaching sin in that that it's night and day. No Christian.

I know is saying I'm I'm the perfect guy and all you are damned and I'm so Righteous because I never do anything wrong and it's the self-righteous attitude. I know that's how people want to paint it, but that's That's not it we would all be in in Hot water we would all be under condemnation if it wasn't for Christ and the gospel.

But as soon as you get rid of that get rid of judgment get rid of hell. Then yeah, you've you've just dropped out. So people here's the thing people are Deconstructing so they can kind of fit in with what everyone else is doing.

So the unpopular Christian beliefs they go. People are sheep. Okay, people are sheep they're either going to follow the Good Shepherd or they're just gonna follow the pack or the herd or whatever you call like a Flock.

Yes. Well, I think of the flock is you know, the church but the the lost sheep. They're just kind of out wandering okay, so any Questions or comments from someone who hasn't had a chance to speak yet.

Okay, I want to read this article I got from got questions dot o-r-g. I find this to be a very Reliable website that I would if you're ever searching online for questions, you know biblical answers.

I would recommend this website. It says deconstruction is the heading most recently applied to the process of questioning Doubting and ultimately rejecting aspects of Christian faith. This is an application of deconstructionism an approach that claims to dissemble beliefs Or ideas while assuming their meanings are inherently subjective both the trend and its title reflect backlash against the unfortunate habit within some religious circles to Downplay deep questions and ignore those who hold to them to openly investigate the nuances of belief even changing one's conviction is a biblical concept in Practice though deconstruction almost always acts as a polite cover for demolition.

Modern deconstruction Usually means replacing uncomfortable tenets with culturally or personally popular Ideas, so there's there's people in the church that have Doubts, right? I suppose there are churches that will come down on you if you ask a question.

Or they don't allow people to question things or they don't allow Anyone to have a different I mean, I've heard of these churches I've never I've never seen it personally but like the churches where if you're not pre mill pre trip like you're not even saved if you have the wrong view of The rapture or if you have if you have a question about the mode of baptism I'm I'm against the whole idea of baptizing infants.

But if somebody well, I know I can sort of see that. All right, you're out of here. You know, like there's there are some churches that I suppose are very heavy-handed in the way they deal with people.

That's never been my experience, but I hear they exist. So yeah, that would be a bad situation if the church was abusive and as soon as anyone had a question or a little doubt that they just You know drop the boom on them.

Okay, that would be a problem. But um, I Just don't think that's the majority of churches. So we do want to allow people to express Their doubts. I would encourage you not to do it in the worship service.

Come and talk to me or something. But if you have a doubt if you have a question, hey, listen, doesn't this church? Allow people to ask questions. I Think it does. There you go proof. So but this is what deconstructionists will say they say well and there's actually one Deconstructionist that was on Facebook saying, you know, if if your church doesn't allow you to ask questions.

Come and join our gathering, you know, and and we will allow you to ask. Well, what what church? Isn't allowing people to ask questions. I think it's a straw man to a large degree, but those churches probably exist.

But that's what they'll say. Try to make the church look bad, but we're just so tolerant and inclusive. Well God knows. Continuing with the article of fundamental belief in biblical Christianity. Is that of man's limited understanding compared to God's unlimited understanding.

Scripture often draws this contrast explicitly. Scripture also teaches this truth indirectly. Noting how sincere Christians often come to different conclusions. I think you know that this church isn't one of those churches that yeah.

If somebody has a different belief on a secondary issue, we anathematize them. That's not what we do. That type of thing might lead to Deconstruction that's the argument, but we don't do that. Can someone deconstruct from wrong ideas?

Can someone leave behind? Some doctrines and it would be a good thing. I think so. Let's say there's a professing Christian and they're praying to Mary and then they deconstruct. That belief about praying to Mary and that would be a good thing.

I want I want you to watch this video and. And I'm gonna play it through and I'll get your reaction and then I'll go through it again. This is probably the guy that I refer to the most Andy Stanley, I think of all the well-known pastors that I brought up many times.

I usually bring him up. Because he's the best example of this, you know someone like a Joel Osteen. I don't even people that like Joel Osteen. I think I don't know that they take him that seriously. I think they realize he's kind of superficial but he smiles and he makes them feel good.

So, I don't know that Joel Osteen is you know the biggest threat Andy Stanley on the other hand from what I see from what I can tell he is he is he has Deconstructed and he is now attacking the faith.

That's my perception of it. Andy Stanley is the son of Charles Stanley. He was brought up in a home where Charles Stanley's doctrine was taught and he Stanley Deconstructed he doesn't believe the doctrine of his father and he's merciful to his father and took him home.

Yeah. And Andy Stanley went to Dallas Theological Seminary. What he's teaching today is not the beliefs of Dallas Theological. So I would argue the point is I would argue Andy Stanley himself is deconstructed and now he's trying to get Other people to follow him in deconstruction.

So listen to what he says. He actually praises people who are.

Deconstructing they just leave church, right they Deconstruct they deconstruct their faith and this may be you as well. And again, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. You're you stepped away from organized religion to rethink your faith because you still believe you still believe in God.

You still hold Jesus in high esteem. In fact, you haven't really changed what you believe about God and Jesus. It's just the whole organized religion in the church tradition. It just didn't seem to line up and now you're kind of in no man's land a little bit.

You had to step away from organized religion kind of catch your breath. To figure out what is fundamental or what's not what is essential and what's not? You had to figure out what you needed to leave behind and you're pretty confident what you want to leave behind.

Because if that's the way you have to treat people in order to be a Christian I'm not sure I can be a Christian. I can't be that kind of a Christian because I don't think Jesus would treat people That way.

I don't think Jesus is going to send my brother to hell. He's one of the finest people I know I have I just have to step away and Think about this, you know, it needs to be left behind and if you know what needs to be left behind look up here.

Good for you mature of you.

Honest. Okay So.

Any reactions and I promise if you Have a question or if you see things a little differently, I'm not going to come down hard on you. Okay, but What's your response?

You yes when it comes to liars He's better at it than Satan himself in the garden. Hmm, and boy I can just see these heretics around. Scribbling down just these little phrases. Oh, that sounds so good.

Yeah. Oh, I'm gonna say that I'm gonna sound so wise. Especially to somebody who is kind of stupid.

Yeah, they deceive Paul in Romans 16.

Yeah, yeah.

Paul in Romans 16 They the false teachers they deceive the hearts of the simple or the naive. And it might not even be that somebody's, you know stupid. We talked about it last week. Romans 16 17 and 18, I believe it is.

But you know, it might not be that somebody isn't. It's not that they're not intelligent. It's just they they don't know yet. They haven't been taught. Maybe they're a new believer and they just haven't got their feet under them.

But any so, okay, we got one who you see some problems with what was said. I Think it's safe to say that. Right, yeah, and as much as I have appreciated Charles Stanley's ministry. That is just something I can't get over how.

At the end of his life he affirmed the ministry of his own son and that but here's the problem that tells the world. But hey, well Charles Stanley agrees with it. Charles Stanley's okay with it. So it must be.

All right. That was very unfortunate to say the least. Yes, Aaron.

In his mind, he's not lying. Yeah, he really truly believes that and some of what he said is absolutely true. You do sometimes need to take a step back and say What am I doing here? Am I really fully on board with this?

And if not, why not?

Yeah.

The only example I can give is our church just had a major, well that's why we're here. Over the issue of women becoming pastors. Right.

Yeah.

Right Right Yeah.

Deceiving and being deceived so Andy Stanley himself is deceived. I'm sure he really believes everything he's saying. Well, he might not. I don't know but he probably does I wouldn't doubt that. So he's deceived and he's deceiving others and if someone's had a bad church experience.

Or they are in one of these churches that were maybe abusive. I mean I can see where people would be sympathetic to this buy into some of this and some of what he says, you know. There's a point to be made but let's just go through it because false teachers one thing they do is they speak out of both sides of their mouth and I think we see an example here in The beginning where he says some people they they haven't left the faith.

They've just left church and then he talks about them deconstructing their faith. Well, it's like which is it? So you can sort of hear what you want to hear. If you wanted to give him the benefit of every doubt which I know enough about Andy Stanley.

I've heard enough of this preaching that I am no longer willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But the person who has never heard anything from him. Yeah, you don't you don't really know where he's coming from so I can sort of see both sides but I Agree with you.

He's he's dangerous and you agree that he's dangerous and there's any other comments before we go through it a little more closely.

Yeah.

One thing I can say with certainty. He doesn't preach the Bible. Pick any sermon. He doesn't know that he's not reading the Bible and explaining the Bible. He just doesn't do that. So I would just say do not go to a church.

Don't listen to a pastor who doesn't preach the Bible. I mean, how basic is that? So email. You had something.

Yeah Right.

And so they can't compare and say as you often say.

What does the word say?

Right.

Right, yep. Thank you. Anyone else before we go through it again?

I just would say I saw this many many years ago in the issue of Homosexuality when it was first becoming Disapproved of or approved of I should say and and then police department one of my fellow police officers the most bigoted, unkind, unloving guy would.

Would.

Insult. Racism sexism race. He'd insult everybody until his son became homosexual.

Yeah, he changed.

He changed very 180 degrees because it was his son. Yeah, this is why this is why it makes it real hard when it's your when it's a.

Relative or a close friend. Okay. Well since you brought that up and since. That is one reason why people do shift their beliefs because a loved one comes out of the closet. Here's the thing. You don't have to decide between your child and Jesus.

You can still Keep the faith and believe all of the Bible and still love your child. But what people do is yeah, they want to just Fully affirm what they're doing. I don't affirm everything my kids do.

I don't affirm everything I do. You know, but you don't have to make that choice. But a lot of people do. I saw another hand emo.

In.

Sin they create acceptance. Yeah, and that's what they want acceptance except me except my sin. And. Don't even call us in because you're judgmental, right? Yeah. Yeah, but the truth we accept the truth right and just and our discernment relies on.

The word.

Amen. All right. Let's go through this again.

And I'll stop and make comment. A lot of people don't leave the faith. They just leave church, right. They. Deconstruct they deconstruct their faith. Hold on a second.

You hear what he said? They don't leave the faith. They just leave church and then he says then they deconstruct their faith. Like isn't he saying like one thing that now he's saying the opposite if you're.

Yeah, yeah, I mean are there circumstances where people leave the church, but they don't leave the faith. I mean, you know, nothing comes to mind. But like I accept that there could be there could be a bad church and you would want to leave that church.

But you know being part of the church and being part of the Christian faith I mean it kind of goes hand-in-hand, doesn't it? But yeah, so he's sort of talking out of both sides of his mouth right away.

Deconstructing faith or leaving the church. Well, so people can hear what they want.

Because you still believe you still believe in God and you still hold Jesus in high esteem effect. Oh, hold on.

Hold Jesus in high esteem.

What.

The Muslims hold Jesus in high esteem. Now, it's a different Jesus there. Jesus isn't the Son of God and all the rest. There's a lot of people in this world who hold Jesus in high esteem.

But.

To say he is Lord of all. I mean, come on. Oh, they said they still believe in God. That's meaningless. Oh you believe in God? Well, okay. What. God tell me something about God. That doesn't matter. Hold Jesus so that that part kind of.

Yeah, but yeah, they said they still believe. Believe in what.

Okay in evaluating Jesus. Then you're gonna have to evaluate him by the things that he said and the things that he did.

Yeah, he claimed to be God. How do you know that? But because it's written in his work, okay, so this is this is the whole thing. Here's what they want they want Christianity without this. They want faith without this because this you can have something concrete.

Something certain the Bible says this Andy Stanley wants to unhitch. He says Christians should unhitch from the Old Testament. So I quote two-thirds of the Bible if now it's it doesn't matter because it's just the Old Testament.

Then in a recent sermon, he said really but not all parts of the Bible are equally important. Which I guess there's you could argue there's some truth to that. But he's what he's doing. It seems like is only the Gospels matter only Jesus matters.

But then it's going to be certain parts of what Jesus said, but this is what they're attacking. They're attacking the Word of God. Okay, let's continue.

Change what you believe about God and Jesus. It's just the whole organized religion in the church tradition. It just didn't seem to light up and now you're kind of in no-man's land a little bit. You had to step away from organized religion to kind of catch your breath.

To figure out what is fundamental and what's not. What is essential and what's how do you know? What's fundamental?

See he's doing a Sermon called the fundamental list like a list of fundamentals course. It's a play on words the fundamentalist. Of course, he thinks fundamentalists are ridiculous. Well, how do you know what's fundamental?

Yeah, the scripture would let us know what Jesus said was fundamental. Jesus said in John 14 verse 6 I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes unto the Father except by me. Jesus his view of marriage and Matthew 19 Between one man and one woman.

Yet Andy Stanley allows People two men who are married to one another to join his church and to serve in his church and he defends them. Defends them. He has no problem with that. They're attacking the Word of God.

They don't want to go by the Bible.

So.

He and there's one one more thing. I need to cover on this.

You had to figure out what you needed to leave behind and you're pretty confident what you want to leave behind. Because if that's the way you have to treat people in order to be a Christian I'm not sure I can be a Christian.

I can't be that kind of Christian because I don't think Jesus would treat people. That way. I don't think Jesus is gonna send my brother to hell. He's one of the finest people I know I have. I just have to step away.

Okay, so you need to figure out what you need to leave behind. What are those parts of Christianity that we need to deconstruct and just get rid of. The idea that Jesus would send someone to hell. I mean, there's such a good person.