Come Sunday Page #6

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I don't know, Bishop. I just...

I guess I'm just trying

to make it all make sense.

Um...

Uh...

I started seeing someone.

And...

Misery just...

It felt good to finally just...

be able to be with someone

and feel like it's okay.

It's not okay.

Bishop, what is this?

Hm?

Is this God, just, like, punishing me?

Just 'cause there's no hell, that...

that don't condone sin.

You don't get to just...

do whatever.

That's not what we're saying.

That's not the message.

Well, what is the message?

Hey, Ma, it's Carlton.

- What? What happened?

- No, no. Everybody's fine.

I'm sorry to call so late.

I just wanted to talk to you.

I've been thinking about Uncle Quincy.

I should've helped him.

Not with getting saved.

I just should've helped him, and...

been thinking

about Mama George and Patrick.

Rudy.

Just everybody I let down.

They gave up on God because they thought

God gave up on them, but it was me.

Carlton.

Now, you listen to me,

and you listen good.

Quincy,

and Mama George, and Patrick

did what they did and no one made them.

God didn't put them in hell.

They put themselves in hell.

Now, you read your Bible, boy,

and get your head straight.

You read it and you teach it,

like you always did. You hear me?

Yes, Ma.

Thank you.

Thank you.

- You didn't have to do this.

- Oh, are you kidding?

I'm proud of you.

I don't know, it's just a clerical job.

Something to celebrate.

It's gonna be okay.

It's gonna be okay.

Everything's gonna go back to normal.

- I hope not.

- Huh?

Well...

you preach differently now.

- It feels more connected.

- Gina...

The church is three-quarters empty.

Okay, so let's find a smaller space.

You said you were worried

about the mortgage.

Just...

Just support me, okay?

I am supporting you.

Well, it don't feel like it. Feels like...

you're asking me to crawl back

to some storefront,

preach to 20 people, and...

talking about...

Crawl back?

Wow.

Let's just order.

The theology doesn't surprise me.

Why would it?

We've been preaching this kind

of inclusion for over a decade.

The only surprise is who's preaching it.

Bishop Pearson is just articulating

what a lot of people in the church

really think.

I never thought

she'd be agreeing with me.

Who'd have thought?

I told you Julian I'd take him

to his game today.

Bishop Ellis is on the line.

Yeah, put him on.

Bishop Ellis, how are you?

- Bishop, thanks for taking my call.

- Not at all.

What can I do for you?

Well, we're having our annual conference

here next month and, uh...

we've been following

what you've been preaching.

We feel we ought to give you

a chance to...

explain these new positions you're taking.

In a formal setting.

Well, I appreciate

the invitation. Thank you.

I'd have to know the context, though.

Context?

Yeah, what's the format?

Is this a discussion?

Bishop, we think you owe it

to the body of Christ.

We're offering you an opportunity

to speak directly to your peers.

Frankly, uh, I thought you'd jump

at the chance.

You might as well just call it what it is.

It's a trial.

- Oh, Nicky.

- It's a heresy trial.

Do you have any idea what kind of circus

they're putting together?

This was J. D. Ellis last week.

"If Bishop Pearson is taking the position

we think he is,

he will be no more welcome

at African-American pulpits

than Louis Farrakhan."

I'm not intimidated by these guys.

That's not the point.

- Just ignore them.

- I can't.

Then put out a statement

rejecting their legitimacy.

The Joint Council

of African-American Bishops?

- You want me to deny they're legitimate?

- No, but we don't need them.

Look, our numbers have leveled out.

The church is stable now.

If I can go there

and get them to understand...

That's not gonna happen.

Bishop, the members that we have now,

they're loyal to you.

But most of that's just racial.

I mean, Henry took all the white folk.

If you go down there

and you make some kind of stand-off...

and...

and you lose,

then we could lose the church.

This is God's will.

He's not gonna take my church.

What if he does?

How many people did Jesus lose, huh?

Five thousand, in a day. He back down?

God spoke to me.

And I'm not backing down.

Now, either you're with me or you're not,

but if you're not strong enough, Reggie...

This is a gift.

It's how we win the congregation back.

Okay?

You know I love you, Bishop.

Then wish me luck.

There has been...

considerable interest about some

of the things our guest today...

has been preaching.

Bishop Pearson is no stranger to us.

We valued his contribution

to the Body of Christ.

So I thought it'd be important...

before we make a judgment...

for us to bring him to the pulpit.

And let him speak for himself.

Bishop Pearson?

I was counseled not to come here today.

I've been...

spending a lot of time

thinking about this.

I prayed and fasted.

I asked God for the anointing

to speak with conviction and clarity.

I studied.

Bishop Ellis?

I want to ask you something.

Is there anybody you've loved

in your own life?

Anybody you were close to?

An uncle?

A brother? A friend?

Who backslid and is in hell right now?

This ain't about me, Bishop.

It's a simple question.

I'll get to the point.

My daddy's in hell. What about it?

How do you know?

- I just want to understand.

- Bishop Pearson, we have a process.

How do you know he's in hell?

- If you can't answer the question...

- Bishop Pearson...

then either you're not sure,

or you're afraid to answer.

Because he sinned until the day he died.

That's how I know.

How long's he been there?

- Fifteen years.

- Fifteen years.

And did you love him?

'Course I did. He was my daddy.

But he beat my mama. He beat me.

- He was a fornicator.

- And now God's punishing him.

He's suffering in hell,

he's tortured and tormented

for all eternity.

So, let me ask you something.

Would you get him out of hell

if you could?

That ain't up to me.

How about if it was?

If there was a way we could negotiate

with God, with Jesus and the blood,

you'd get your daddy out of there

quick as you could, wouldn't you?

- I can't answer that.

- Of course you would, anybody would.

So, the question

we have to ask ourselves is this:

Are we more merciful than God?

No.

I thank God that reprobate is in hell.

- You just said that you loved him.

- I adored him.

And you wouldn't get him out?

Hell is where he's at

and hell is where he belongs.

This foolishness. This arrogance.

You come in here telling us

we all wrong and you all right?

Perverting scripture

and arguing that God don't punish?

It's false doctrine you're preaching

and it will not be tolerated

in our churches.

Amen.

We believe if you confess

the Lord Jesus with your mouth

and believe in your heart

that God raised Him from the dead,

you will be saved.

And that is the only way

you will be saved.

Amen.

Next up, we have

a six-octave keyboard

with a market value of $9,000.

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