I Don't Believe This Stuff Anymore! Series

“I DON’T BELIEVE THIS STUFF ANYMORE” 1 Cor. 1:18

FBCF – 9/10/23

Jon Daniels

INTRO – Here are some names I want throw out to you:

- Derek Webb (Caedmon’s Call – now a drag queen who calls himself “Flamy Grant”)

- Kevin Max (DC Talk)

- John Steingard (Hawk Nelson)

- Michael & Lisa Gungor

- Joshua Harris (former pastor of megachurch, author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye – 2018 disavowed the book – 2019 – walked away from his wife & his faith – no longer considered himself a Christian & was recanting his teachings)

- Abraham Piper (son of pastor John Piper)

Just b/c someone is a celebrity, or has a large social media following, or has a national or international platform doesn’t mean that they are an expert or an authority on a matter. And yet, many people have been & are being greatly influenced by these “former” Christian artists & pastors as they deconstruct their faith.

So much change & upheaval in the last few years. One crisis after another – pandemic, supply chain issues, political (upcoming Presidential election has huge ramifications in every area of our lives), economic issues, global unrest, criminal activity in the most unbelievable ways, explosion of social media influence in our lives - & they’re all interconnected in so many ways. We don’t know who to believe anymore. We are now questioning everything – things we’ve never had to question before. Sociologists- “DESTABILIZING at every level of society away from the norm which will a create a new normal”…

That’s where this issue of DECONSTRUCTION comes in. Pastor friend, Brady Canright: “We are seeing a DECONSTRUCTION of norms, beliefs, knowledge, & values & a RECONSTRUCTION of those things into a new framework.”

And FAITH is one area where deconstruction is growing, seemingly by leaps & bounds.

Start new series today – “DEEP-Construction” – play on word “deconstruction.” Take next 7 wks to wrestle w/ the issues of deconstruction & hard questions of our faith: questions about suffering, the Bible, doubt, & other issues. End the series w/ a Q&A time on Sun AM, Oct. 29 – Dr. Wayne VanHorn & I will try to answer some of YOUR questions that you struggle with. Write them down & turn them in to me – anonymously if you’d like. We will try to answer as many as we can on that Sun morning.

Def. of DECONSTRUCTION: “Depending on who’s using the word, deconstruction can be a complete demolition of Christian belief, a critical re-appraisal of one’s faith tradition, or an honest acknowledgment of doubt and questions.” (https://careynieuwhof.com/five-real-reasons-young-people-are-deconstructing-their-faith/)

“Christian deconstruction is the process by which a Christian critically reevaluates the tenets and doctrines of traditional Christianity and emerges with a different perspective on their faith.”

According to Brian Zahnd in his book When Everything Catches Fire, deconstruction is “a crisis of Christian faith that leads to either a reevaluation of Christianity or sometimes a total abandonment of Christianity.” (Ibid.)

This is not inherently a bad thing that should be condemned outright or avoided altogether. Asking hard questions – questioning the status quo when the status quo is not biblical – pushing back on hypocrisy & lack of integrity in institutions that are supposed to be bastions of upright, moral behavior – these are all good things.

One writer said this: When DeConstruction is OK: When it

- Dismantles Unnecessary Practices

- Disengages from False Teaching

- Disrupts Complacent Christianity (https://sermons.logos.com/sermons/725488-03-29-2021-deconstructing-christianity...)

APPLICATION: Deconstruction is not a wrong thing as long as you reconstruct the right way.

EXPLANATION – 1 Corinthians 1:18, 27-28; 2:2

Let’s lay some groundwork. Lot of similarities between the culture of Corinth & the culture of today.

- Corinth known for sexual immorality

- Corinth known for religious diversity

- Corinth known for corruption in all arenas of society

- “…Paul’s Corinth was at once the New York, Los Angeles, & Las Vegas of the ancient world.” (Gordon Fee)

- Another commentator describes Corinth as “Intellectually alert, materially prosperous, but morally corrupt.” (Leon Morris)

The Apostle Paul dove into this desperately needy, desperately wicked culture & planted a church. What better way to show & share the love of Christ & the life-changing Good News of Jesus w/ these people than to plant a church right in the middle of them!

Unfortunately, the church floundered & struggled under the influence of all the divergent views of the culture. Got mired in all sorts of controversies related to aberrant religious beliefs, contamination related to sexual perversion, & compromise related to idolatry. When you get all of these powerful, Satanic influences converging in one place, there is the very real danger that Christians will give in to temptation & wander away from the faith, or that they will abandon their faith & be permanently shipwrecked. We are definitely seeing that happen in our day.