I Fear for Men Like Hybels and Furtick

Over and again I marvel at how our Lord has not left us without instruction and warning regarding false teachers in the church.

Case in point.

As I have been researching, reading, digesting the current attack against God's sheep by men who have been called to be their shepherds I have also been searching the scriptures in search of a clear word from The Lord to help us in this dire time of trouble in church history. Sadly, I think I've found it and what I've found shakes me to my core and throws me on my knees in fear and prayer.

My friend Jim from Old Truth pointed me to a blog piece written by Steven Furtick regarding those people in the church who are complaining that they are not being fed. This is a growing complaint as more and more pastors abandon expository Bible preaching and replace it with topical sermons designed to meet the felt needs of so-called seekers. Said Furtick in the most un-kind and condescending tone possible:

"Proverbs 26:15


The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

What a great picture of nominal, noncommittal church attendees!
We all know that one of top 3 reasons people leave churches is the (infamous) claim:
“I wasn’t getting fed there.”
Maybe you weren’t.
Or maybe the church set the table, presented the bread of life, and you were too stinking lazy to bring it back to your mouth, chew it, swallow, and digest it, like a big boy.
You know, I don’t mind helping my 2 year old eat his Easy Mac. 
But if he can’t pick up a fork and bring the food to his mouth by age 20, we have a problem.
Churches are filled with those who have known Christ for decades, and still need a bib, a high chair, and want Daddy to do “open wide, here comes the airplane” tricks with the fork before shoving it into their mouths."

As I have shown in a previous post, don't expect to be fed God's word when you go to Furtick's church. His Church isn't for Christians.

This terrible attitude of disdain and condescension towards feeding God's sheep is also shared by Bill Hybels of Willow Creek. His speech regarding the findings of his people's own survey of the effectiveness of their methods when it comes to making mature disciples of Christ is every bit as ugly as Furtick's. But, Hybels shamefully tries to make it into a joke. Said Hybels to those complaining that they were not being fed and were wanting more meat of the word and more serious minded Bible study:

"I'll feed those people! I'll hire some old seminary prof. I'll feed them til they barf!"

Rather than truly repent and show his repentance through a change in behavior, Hybels' solution regarding those who aren't being fed at his church is NOT to feed them. Instead, he is going to teach them how to be SELF feeders! In other words, rather then obey God's word (read the scripture passages supplied at the end of this post) and feed God's sheep with God's word, "Pastor" Hybels and other "pastors" like him are now going to tell their hungry sheep to go and get their own &*$! food.

The reason I put the word Pastor in quotes above is because the word Pastor is literally a shepherding term that comes to us from the Latin word "pascere" which means "to feed". Therefore, it is a sick irony that has befallen Christ's Church that we are now plagued with "pastors" who refuse to feed Christ's sheep. What are we supposed to call these men? They are NOT feeders! They are withholders. They are NON-Feeders, no worse, they are ANTI-Feeders! Should we not then be referring to these men as NON-Pastors or ANTI-Pastors?

Now, here is where the REALLY terrifying word from The Lord comes in.

In the Epistle of Jude we are admonished to contend for the faith against deceivers who've secretly slipped in among God's people, the Church. Jude gives us a very clear description of what these men would be like so that we can spot them. He also tells us their fate. Said Jude:

Jude 11-13   Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.

12   These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm — SHEPHERDS WHO FEED ONLY THEMSELVES. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted — twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

Jude describes the deceivers he is warning us about as "shepherds who feed only themselves" and warns that blackest darkness has been reserved for these deceivers. This description fits nearly all of the seeker-sensitive preachers and their "sinless", "Repentance-less", "positive spin" gospel of meeting felt needs.

Jude's words should terrify us and spur us to do everything we can to call these men to repentance.

Pray for these men.

Comments

[The_Observer]

It is important that we keep each fellow believer accountable. Period.

However, are we going to push that concept to the point where we now strike a line between "expository" and "seeker-friendly"? Creating a "us versus them" mentality?

Are we unknowingly dividing up the global church community (the body of Christ) with our fundamentalist zeal?

Comparing ourselves and judging others (in the body of Christ) is not prohibited but it has to be done with caution. Matt 7: 1-6 is a good and well-known passage regarding this matter. So is 1st Corinthians 12. Hence, I'd pause and rethink before I launch any comments against a brother/sister even on the wide world of the Internet. Surely there must be a better way, because...at this rate, nothing is going to stop some people from calling other individuals with the term "heathen" and that is a very strong word indeed.

Same goes for the Modern Age church, calling traditions and the "old" way of preaching with terms such as "stale" or "irrelevant" isn't going to help unify any church community. It is interesting how single words can make or break other matters.

In the mean time, do your quiet time and devotions regularly. Serve in your local church and please live out God's grace in your real life. Oh, and don't forget to invite the fella in the cubicle next door to your church!

Isn't it easier to just compare yourself with another believer and point out all his mistakes? <-- please note sarcasm

[Chris Rosebrough]

Observer,

Here is more from the Epistle of Jude

Jude 17   But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

It is not we who are contending for the faith and the feeding of Christ's sheep with the Word of God who are causing divisions. Scripture is clear it is THOSE men who are Shepherd that feed only themselves who are dividing the body of Christ.

Despite the fact that Christians should daily be in God's word, Pastors are called to feed the sheep with the Word of God. This is not optional. It is the job.

[James]

Observer - I fail to see how pointing out the error in someone's teaching and calling on others to pray for them for fear that they may face God's judgement is "divisive". Chris didn't call them names or attack their person. He soberly and fearfully called out their false teaching and ask people to pray for their repentance. That is a godly way to deal with error. I can't think of a nobler way to handle this current mess the church is in.

[Paula]

"What a great picture of nominal, noncommittal church attendees!
We all know that one of top 3 reasons people leave churches is the (infamous) claim:
“I wasn’t getting fed there.”"

There's a difference, Steven Furtick, in 'not being fed' as in being spoon-fed and not being given good food to eat!

Matthew 24 tells us these things will happen before the Son of Man returns:

45Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

47Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

[Paula]

"Are we unknowingly dividing up the global church community (the body of Christ) with our fundamentalist zeal?"

Observer -- no.

Those are bringing division and quarrels who are bringing in the world and who are refusing to abide in the doctrine of Christ. Christ's church will not be divided, because each member has received the gift of the Holy Spirit and faith in the true Christ, in which the only true unity is found.

The rest of what calls itself 'the church' (which may or may not be the true church) can pretend all it wants and scream and holler when someone points out that they are not Christ's... but that won't cause division in the Body of Christ.

[Mark P.]

Love your blog - thanks...

I agree with your position, but would caution you on quoting Hybels as above. His statement "I'll feed those people! I'll hire some old seminary prof. I'll feed them til they barf!" was a sarcastic remark about his own sinful reaction to the situation.

That said... his conclusion that we become self-feeders is well... deplorable.

What if Jesus told Peter, "Do you love me? Feed yourself."

[Jodie B.]

I understand and believe that the church, pastors, Sunday School teachers ect. should "feed the sheep" at church, but surely you see the need for Christians to read their Bible at other times, study Gods word for themselves on their own time, pray every day ect. We cant expect the church pastors and teachers to be solely responsible for feeding us. I dont agree with the seeker sensitive churchs in many ways but I see nothing wrong with what these 2 guys are saying in this instance. As a baby/young child, you have to be fed by others but as you get older, you take over this task for yourself. I think a Christian would be irresponsible to NOT feed themselves by Bible study and praying on a daily basis. Mature Christians should not expect this just to be done at church.

[Paul]

"we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world." www.yale.edu/faith/abou-commonword.htm

The fact that Hybels signed a letter to the Muslims stating he asked the all-merciful one, the god of Islam, for forgiveness is enough for me when I consider 1 John 5:14-21, to not pray for Hybels but to pray for his unfortunate flock.

The fact that Hybels, Warren and many others indicate that they prayed to an antichrist while professing to be Christians is enough evidence for me to close the book on them. Anything that they preach, teach, market or promote is tainted and Jude describes them exactly as they are.

[Anonymous]

"Said Furtick in the most un-kind and condescending tone possible"

well, well, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black...

[James]

Hey Annoying-mous put a cork in it. Calling out error and rebuking false teaching is neither un-kind nor condescending. I've read nearly every post on this site, listened to every Sunday school lesson and I've never once seen the arrogant and condecending attitude from Chris, Steven or Brian that I've seen and heard from Furtick.

If you're offended by what is said on this site then my guess is that you are offended by the truth and don't like it when the light pierces the darkness of your sinful heart.

[Anonymous]

James,
Your entire comment is a brilliant illustration of my point. Congrats.

[Larry - KY]

Regarding doctrine excerpt from "Let God Be God":

Our adversaries, says Luther, object against us that we are contentious, obstinate, and intractable in defending our doctrine, and even in matters of no great importance. But he reminds them that, as ‘a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump’, ‘so in divinity, one little error overthrows the whole doctrine’.

Wherefore, he continues, we must separate life and doctrine far asunder. The doctrine is not ours, but God’s, whose ministers we are called; therefore we may not change nor diminish one tittle thereof. The life is ours: therefore, as touching that, we are ready to do, to suffer, to forgive, etc., whatsoever our adversaries shall require of us, so that faith and doctrine may remain sound and uncorrupt. Christians must expect to suffer, and must suffer patiently, hostility toward themselves; but if the doctrine, when it is preached, is condemned, that concerns the glory of God and the salvation of the world. Here we must be forward and not patient.

Luther is not to be moved by those ‘cavillers which say, that we break charity to the great hurt and damage of the Churches’. He desires nothing more than to be at unity with all men; but not at the price of compromising the doctrine of faith. They may ‘extol charity and concord as much as they list’; but ‘when men teach lies and errors under the colour of the truth, and seduce many, here hath charity no place.’ The corrupting ‘leaven of doctrine’ may be never so little, yet if it is tolerated, it will mean that ‘little by little the truth and our salvation shall be lost, and God Himself be denied.’

[Larry - KY]

These are indeed false teachers/preachers. And it needs to be clearly spelled out for the sake of the people of Christ, for their faith, hope, assurance and love. These are those robbers and thieves that jumped the fence and did not come by way of the narrow gate of the Gospel. They do not give the sheep pasture nor care for them. And not being fed, the sheep will not listen to their voice for their voice is not the voice of Jesus the head Shepherd (pastor). Since their voice is sans the Gospel there is no food, being no food the sheep will not at length receive what they say because what they say is not food and leads to starvation. They preach other christ’s, WWJDs and other jesus’s and other gospels, none of which is food for the sheep but in fact poison. And their sacraments are recrucifixions of Christ that take away rather than give.

It is most telling that Paul warns the church (inside) not against “other religions” but other gospels, other christs, other spirits. That is to say the greatest deception will not say, “I’m another religion altogether (although these do crassly deceive on the outside),” but, “I have the real Jesus, Gospel and Spirit”. However, in reality they are in motif and principle other jesus’, gospels and spirits though in naming they say this “jesus”, “gospel”, “spirit” is the Jesus, Gospel and Spirit. E.g. 1 WWJD is not Jesus but another jesus. That is their stealth, that is their “slipping in among”. E.g. 2 Islam (works religion) under that name would not slip INTO the church under that moniker. BUT, works religion under the name “Christian” very easily slithers in. Yet both Islam crassly and Christian “works religion” surreptitiously are exactly the same fallen religion once the outer mask is removed.

This is nothing less than the negative assertion of the positive assertion that “the church stands and falls on justification by grace alone (Divine disposition not substance) faith alone (naked dead passive trust in another namely and only Jesus) in Christ alone (His active and passive works FOR US/YOU), pure imputation from start to finish an NOTHING else. All else is fallen religion and utterly cursed no matter the name. Such is not theoretically nor hypothetically cursed and cut off from Christ, but is in reality cut away from Christ ALREADY - under ANY name, under ANY teacher/preacher, under ANY message/teaching.

So, let’s put so called “Seeker Friendly” into perspective. First the church is not for this fairy tale of “seekers” but for the “called out ones” who were SAUGHT. Second, a ‘seeker friendly church’ might be more openly stated as “free will friendly church” or even “wolf friendly church” rather than a “sheep friendly church”. Because there is no “seeker of God” and when we think we are “seeking” God in fact that is in paradox “fleeing from God”, the God of free Grace. So a “seeker friendly” or “wolf friendly” church, in order to be so, must at length become in reality a “synagogue of Satan” so as to be friendly to that which it seeks to draw in. If you want sheep you need pasture, the pure 200 proof Gospel in Word and Sacrament. If you want wolves you need wolf food, that is flesh, that is works. Because you have to leave them in their deception of ‘they are seeking God’, working their way to heaven, doing what is “within them to do”. Thus, going to such churches they, the wolves, lay and remain very deceived but resting in their deception, enjoying their flesh and gnawing the bones clean of the flesh. They will “search the Scripture and think that by them they have eternal life…”. They will not read and find, “…but these bear witness of Me (Jesus)”. And the wolf keepers, head wolves themselves called “pastors”, will continue to throw at them in the “preaching service” nothing but more flesh for them to feed upon. The sheep that need pasture and grassland, the Gospel, cannot chew, eat or digest the flesh, the works and ill use of the Law preaching/teaching. This flesh starves sheep to death just as works starve Christians into death and despair. Grass (Gospel) gags wolves and they vomit it out because to them it (the Gospel) is death (and it is to the religious doer), for they desire flesh (works). And they will even kill by either open sword or word the sheep, the grass/Gospel eaters to make for themselves more flesh (works) to eat. This is principally what you see in such statements from men like Furtick, Hybel (and let us not leave Warren or smiling happy jack Olstean out of this), et. Alii. Such don’t, today presently in America, so much persecute with the open sword or the butt of a gun or hold us in jail houses like our brothers over seas receive, but with words they beat, threaten and hold in verbal jail, that is like Ishmael they laugh and scoff at us (which Paul calls in Galatians persecution) those trusting, hoping and assured of free Grace by Christ alone. Word persecution is like war time propaganda leaflets being dropped, designed to break the confidence of that which is hoped and trusted in so that you will leave Christ’s side of trusting Him nakedly and begin working your way into heaven. Because both the open sword and works words equally persecute the living faith that nakedly trusts. Both say, “See God is not so for you unless you “do” something”. Nothing attacks faith in the soul more harshly than that and brings a man to despair of God even if his outward life is rich and good. Persecution by the open sword upon the body comes by way of a theology of glory to attack the soul’s trust in Christ/God nakedly, the words/teachings/preachings of merit mongers attacks most nakedly and immediately the Good News and its receiving vessel, naked passive faith.

Thus, what men like Hybels and others do in their “preaching” is NOTHING different than persecutors in Pakistan or North Korea. The attach method and route only differs, the object of attach, Christ and faith, is still the same and ultimately the real pain and suffering of the believer. Either Satan will try to beat and kill you to not trust in Christ nakedly and alone, or he will drive you to despair of trusting in Christ nakedly and alone and into doubt and unbelief so that you might hang yourself. The ultimate goal is, however, not the death of the body, but the murder of the soul. Here is seen the common goal of persecution from the open sword & merit mongering salvation preaching/implying; and the devil shows himself to be what he is from the beginning, a liar in order to be a murderer.

Blessings,

Larry KY

[Paul Siems]

Larry, this is an awesome post! Wow!

I really hate to disagree with you, but I do find one point to make. You seem to excuse those who choose to follow and reside with these wolves and wolf-pastors. Yet with the exception of a tiny few, they are not doing this from complete ignorance. They are choosing to be misled, starved, and devoured.

Is this not an important point? If these were truly sheep of Christ’s fold, would they not flee to those shepherds who truly echo the Shepherd’s voice? Truly some are lost sheep, as Jesus calls them. But does Jesus not also identify sheep that are not His sheep, who are not merely lost sheep but truly not His sheep?

The reason for this “clarification” is that unless the lost sheep are confronted with their waywardness, they will not realize that they are being devoured.

[Kevin M]

My family and I recently got out of one of these churches. A lady that still goes there had a dream a few weeks ago where God brought fire down on 1/2 the church and the other 1/2 escaped. This sounds like the story of Korah. Sounds like the Lord is warning the true believers of this church. Others have left, others yet have been warned.

[Larry - KY]

Paul,

My aim is for the suffering brothers and sisters. Yet in so doing, wolves who will become sheep will hear and believe and be converted, wolves who will not will ever more hate the very message, Christians already who need to hear the Gospel will be healed and grow in the faith. Part of the problem that has produced these ‘seeker friendly’ churches is the message of “evangelism” at all cost. Love for the lost, at least the pretend version of that, has become a new idolatry, and love for the people of Christ has been usurped. Don’t hear me wrong here. We are to love our neighbors and take the Gospel to the lost, but not at the expense of effectively hating our brothers nor at the loss of that very message…we are to have a special and particular love for those of Christ and when we don’t 1 John has something to say about that. Thus, when one makes evangelism the message over the evangel, you’ve lost EVERYTHING. By making the message “evangelism and missions”, making THAT the message, one has become a “seeker friendly” church or “wolf friendly” church. The irony is if one is to truly become a “mission or evangelism” church is that you should never preach that as the message but the evangel. The Gospel begets its self, the –ism beget absolutely nothing but zealots without the Gospel. To deny the Gospel does this is to deny its power.

I understand your point and don’t disagree. But I think there is a fine dividing line we have to be careful of here. I was once one of those sheep stuck in that crap and I prefer a more accurate word here to rightly describe its true value but I will be civil. I followed their protestant indulgences and protestant penance systems, their Christ denying/covering vomit, practically enumerable as it is. We have to be careful in that sheep stuck in that, such as I was, were trapped in Egypt because they don’t know why they are starving to death. They have never nor do not see a strong enough difference between Law and Gospel to know there is a problem. They trust their pastors and are exercising not being rebellious. I see it as a sad situation here and not to blame them. Keep in mind that all of us are still simul Justus et peccator 100%/100% both and that old man leads all of us astray in many doctrines of Gospel. In other words if your useless disobedient “pastor” and useless disobedient “teachers” and your useless disobedient denomination, all that you know to be leadership, do not clearly give killing Law and clearly give 200 proof Gospel, how can they understand or know they are not in a church? In a way we are seeing today just how it was in Medieval Rome. When 99% of the church institution and leadership has gone sour and little retains the faith as a whole and as that which is visible, and you came to Christ, heard the real Gospel to “become a Christian”, heard of the free grace, and then joined a “church” packed full of wretched pietism (and there are MANY of these in ALL denominations, some more than others) and that 99% is all you know (your very green and young in the faith and you trust in a childlike way these 99%), after “getting in” you then think you are the failure because sin remains. Keep in mind it is WOLVES devouring SHEEP, the sheep are sheep even in those wolf houses.

And keep this in mind too, James ENTIRE POINT was this, a church or group can say with their mouths and nicely worded confessions ALL day long, “We profess and believe in justification by faith alone. And every time asked about this they will reaffirm it, even angrily if they think you are doubting their confession. YET THE ENTIRE life of the church proclaims louder than words by its life, actions and generally “piety”, “Christ is not nearly enough”. This later is always implicit and counter to the confession, even when the confession is asserted with GREAT vigor and quotation. Such churches and people have in fact - and this is the root of what James is getting at, he is not reasserting justification by works, James is indicating/describing a reality not commanding things to do – by their actions denied the faith (Paul warned the same exampling Peter). This is what happens with things like the whole alcohol argument, all forms of “more spiritual things” arguments, and etc… Ever been around a group of Christians or a church in which you felt like, “Ooops, I shouldn’t have said/done that” and there’s that awkward silence? That’s pietism and legalism. And that bears weight on the deception.

All that to say: For those sheep we need to be sure we call them out by the Gospel and not by the “l”aw per se (because then its just one law weighed against another law). The word “obedience” is abused MUCH here, for there is a difference in being obedient to a tyrant because he’ll kill you otherwise, and being obedient to your Good Father because He is doing Good to you even if it doesn’t appear that way (beware of this subtle deception in Christian language today). In a way we need to do it like Luther said concerning the Sacraments (AS Gospel). We ought not teach them in a way that makes men compelled to come to them out of a compulsion from “the opinion of the Law” or a “Law way”, fear of punishment or hope of reward…but from a desire to joyfully come to them for their Gospel/Gift. A child doesn’t run to a Christmas gift under the tree because you will beat him if he doesn’t! (e.g. This is why I can never return to “believers baptism” it is fundamentally starving law as opposed to a Gospel meal, no clever argument even over my head can deceive me – in a sense this is a child’s faith: “But here’s food how is your argument going to move me?” A child runs to mom and dad out of naked trust of their goodness and not even Einstein can argue them into his arms with rewards or punishments. Beware that one’s faith is not the faith of a mobster unto his mob boss!). To a lavish meal one does not whip a man and say, “eat or off with your head”, that would be wolf preaching/teaching and he/she could only weigh, “which law do I obey out of my fear of punishment or hope of reward”. You let them see the lavish meal and they will flee to it and THEN when the wolves howl their works sermons or clever snarling arguments with cherry picking bible verses, trying to call them back, the hungry sheep will not look back and NOW realize and say in reply, “Here is a feast before me to hell with your howling starvation, kill me if you must but where Christ is there I will be also even unto death by Sword or words.” No argument can so with stand the mighty power of the 200 proof Gospel, this weakness is greater than the wisdom and strength of men no matter how clever man formulates his folly. This is the peace that surpasses, infinitely, all understanding. It boils down to suffering, in a way death and suffering is a blessed thing, for then we finally see our real need and “works salvation” evaporates as the gift/Gospel shines in glory to us and we say, “THERE is my salvation, coming to me”. A wolf’s food of works to a dying man who has no works is utterly worthless, there the Cross shines in glory and is salvation, the thief on the cross saw this in his last hour. He had no works nor time to do them, in the face of impending death, for sin even, salvation found him, just to the right of him.

These poor sheep are “sheep without a shepherd”, whom Christ had pity, tears and mercy upon, sheep nonetheless.

What I find most amazing today, having myself come from the outside, completely outside, in is that most of those who have grown up in Lutheran/Reformed traditions are often the LEAST capable of really defending the faith at ministering level. They are academically brilliant but ministeringly deficient. It’s as if they have forgotten the great Gospel they have held for so long even though they can intellectually articulate it. The best pastors and theologians and brothers I’ve run into that are now in a reformed or Lutheran traditions almost always have came from some form of evangelicalism, fundamentalism, baptistic, Pentecostal…some form of strongly pietistic/victorious Christian living denominational background and now are blowing the dust off of the great Gospel which has laid low so long in the Lutheran/Reformed traditions. It’s like a bunch of poor starving raiders of the lost ark, rediscovering an old treasure hidden some two or three centuries or so ago. What is a bit concerning now, is seeing these same Reformed/Lutheran bodies starting to be tempted to “grow” like these evangelicals (like in that scene from the old Poseidon Adventure, the ship is upside down and the tiny group is going to the bottom of the inverted ship to get to the sea’s surface. But in so doing they pass this larger group going “up in the ship” which is deeper into the ocean…there’s a brief temptation for the small group to follow the crowd). For us coming from the outside in I want to yell, “STOP, we just fled from there with all due speed, you do not want to go there, that is where hell is…don’t look at their growth and numbers and be tempted…and by the way your confessions make it so that even on a pragmatic level…you don’t do it well…its unbecoming.”

I understand and agree with the strong desire to call them out of Babylon and we should, we just need to be careful in how we do it, by the Gospel and not by the ‘opinion of the law’ as someone once advised me well to say. Else all we are doing is calling them from Babylon to Egypt and not Jerusalem. If we do use “law” then let it be true hammer of God Law, a killing Law. That’s the point they don’t see enough of that Law and Gospel contrast in that amalgamated whoredom they are hearing to know what the problem is. There’s just enough of a false mixture to keep the old Adam alive and trying, and yet keep the new man in a constant state of poisoned critical condition that may die.

Does that make some sense and help?

Yours truly,

Larry KY

[Kevin M]

Larry,

Makes sense to me. Thanks for your faithfulness to the true gospel.

[Ben]

Thy truth defend, O God, and stay
This evil generation;
And from the error of their way
Keep Thine own congregation.
The wicked everywhere abound
And would Thy little flock confound;
But Thou art our Salvation.

[Laura]

Isn't church the place where the saints are to be equipped with the teaching of the word in order to go out and spread it to unbelievers so that they can be saved from eternal damnation? Where can a person find the true church? Where can the saints go to be truely edified and equipped?

[Ron]

Here are some thoughts that may be of interest.........my ecclesiastical journey into and out of a seeker sensitive church.

http://webpages.charter.net/clickfam/seeker_sensitive.htm

[Anonymous]

Pastor Steven Furtick is a man of God. Be careful what you say.

[Steve Newell]

"Anonymous"

The first responsibility of a pastor or "man of God" is to feed their sheep. The pastor makes disciples through baptism and instruction in the Word. I see Pastor Furtick, as well as many other pastors, abdicating their responsibility to perform this important function of their office.

[jimmy]

Pray for this man-Steven Furtick-to repent for what he is doing or he will say when he meets the Lord,"Lord,Lord why has Thou forsaken me!

[geef]

WHAT exactly are his 'false' teachings that you continue to accuse him of?

[anonymous]

Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God. Acts 5:38-39

[Yelena Pecheny]

wow. i go to pastor furtick's church and what this chris guy is saying about him is total baloney. and all of these so called "christians" condemned furtick to hell already need to be careful how much they rely on one man's opinion (chris'). Christians are getting so "soft" these days they need to be woken up. Kindly nudging them to salvation won't do it. Prosperity preaching in America has fooled everyone into believing all pastors should be nice and speak kind words- thats the only way to get people saved right? ha.
You didn't grow up in a pentecostal church like me, with a red-faced, angry, spittin' pastor in your face, and crying the next second, for MY soul. that kind of love for his sheep is what WAKES people up and convicts them to reflect on their life.

[Yelena Pecheny]

The words Furtick preaches are truth and life. I came to Elevation with a critical eye and mind, weighing his words against the Bible. and I've found that it all measures up. his method may not be pleasing or appealing to every audience, especially for the sensitive and feint of heart. But his message lines up with the love of Christ every time.
Check it out for yourself at elevationchurch.org