F4F | Steven Furtick Teaches Modalism Heresy

Stephen Furtick’s Modalism in the “Ghosted” Sermon

Welcome to another installment of fighting for the faith. My name is Chris Roseboro. I am your servant in Jesus Christ. This is the channel that compares what people are saying in the name of God to the Word of God now.

If you've ever heard of Stephen Furtick. Who hasn't? Yeah, go ahead and hit the like button on the video. Don't forget to subscribe. Ring the bell.

We've.

Been given information that Stephen Furtick in a sermon that he preached recently Full-on taught the heresy known as modalism. Modalism. Modalism is the belief that there is only one God who manifests in three different manifestations or forms.

Sometimes he manifests in the form of God the Father. Sometimes he manifests in God the Holy Spirit. Sometimes he manifests as God the Son and this is a heresy. It's absolutely not what the Bible teaches.

The Bible teaches that there is one God. Three persons Father Son and Holy Spirit and there are not three gods. There is only one God. We'll explain that along the way we'll do a little bit of a primer on it, but the offending bit of Information we're gonna take a look at it out of context and then we'll go to the official sermon that's posted on the Elevation Church website so you can see what Stephen Furtick is doing and.

And then I'll give you a place to go we'll do a just a little bit of biblical work to show you that the the Bible teaches there's one God three persons and. And so we'll go from there. Alright, so here's Stephen Furtick and let me pull up my Safari web browser.

That's the one where I you know, I go into the jungle with. Anyway, here is a Stephen Furtick from the ghosted sermon. Yeah preached about a month ago a little more than a month ago almost to the end of January now and listen to what he says about John 16 verse 7 now this little segment is not in the official sermon.

That's on the Elevation Church website. But I want you to hear what he says because he put this out on his Twitter feed because he thought he was really Bringing the thunder here, but he was bringing was an actual for real heresy.

In John 16 verse 7, he said I tell you the truth. I know you're mourning. I know you're sorrowful I know you don't want me to leave you but I tell you the truth. It is for your good that I am going away.

How could you say something like that Jesus? How could you say it is good? If you go away, we followed you we trusted you and now you're leaving us. No, I am NOT leaving you. I am changing forms.

Yeah.

No, Jesus was not changing forms. It makes you wonder. Is the Stephen Furtick's friendship, you know, and yeah, I would say, you know slavish friendship. I mean, he's practically the lapdog of Bishop TD Jake's.

It makes you wonder has TD Jake's is heresy and modalism finally worn off on Stephen Furtick. Yeah, it looks like it. So he says Jesus isn't saying I'm leaving. I'm not leaving you. I'm changing forms.

John 17 doesn't say that but you say it is good. If you go away we followed you. We trusted you and now you're leaving us. No, I am NOT leaving you. I am changing forms. See up until now I have walked with you, but when I send my spirit I will be in you.

No.

So I am NOT leaving you. I'm just changing locations. God said I didn't walk away. God said I'm working in this season. God said it doesn't matter who changed their mind about you. I chose you from the foundation of the earth.

Yeah, now I couldn't find that particular soundbite in the official Elevation Church version, but let me Get the help of my my friend and a fellow Lutheran pastor Hans Feeney the guy who put together the Lutheran satire website and his video titled st. Patrick bad Analogies because I think this will help us out here.

Let's listen in as as Donald and Connell end up correcting st. Patrick. The Trinity is like Water and how you can find water in three different forms liquid and ice and vapor.

That's mortalism Patrick.

Right different forms. That's modalism. That's exactly what Stephen Furtick is teaching here.

What mortalism an ancient heresy confessed by teachers such as Noatus and Sibelius which espouses that God is not three distinct persons. But that he merely reveals himself in three different forms. This heresy was clearly condemned in canon one at the first Council of Constantinople in 381 AD.

And those who confess it cannot rightly.

Be considered a part of the Church Catholic. Yeah Church Catholic small see the Universal Church. Not Roman Catholic. So Donald and Connell got it. This is this is what we call modalism. Now what I want to do here is I want to go into the official sermon that was released at the Elevation Church YouTube channel for January 27 2020.

The name of the sermon is ghosted and We're gonna listen to a little bit more of a Stephen Furtick on this to you know, basically say is he really teaching? Modalism because when you consider the way he emphasizes his points here.

The reality is he's teaching modalism. Ten days. That's a long time when you don't know it talking about the time between Jesus's ascension and Christ sending the Holy Spirit.

That's a long time to wait for something invisible. That's a long time to stay in faith.

Ghosted.

The Lord told me to preach on ghosted. I said like so now he's direct revelation.

The Lord told me to preach on ghosted. Why didn't the Lord tell you that you were teaching heresy called modalism. Can't do that.

This isn't a therapy session. It's a sermon, you know. And in little ways in big ways I think we all can relate to something being taken suddenly from you that you had depended on and it was actually like a part.

Of you.

It isn't always a person. Sometimes your season of life changes and you didn't get any warning or a training manual for the next phase. I Remember when my oldest son stopped letting me hug him in Public.

I mean, I'm one of these. I'm one of these embarrassing dads. I Just really love the gig no matter how much I joke about it. I remember going to hug him one time. It's about two years ago. He's 14 now went to hug him and he did this Heisman move that I never saw before.

It's like dad my dad. I'm daddy consonant in the vowel. Sometimes why. I mean, no, no, no. No, he didn't stop loving me. The love just changed forms.

Yeah, the love just changed forms. Yeah, so note he's he's. It's part of his different illustrations for the sermon here about how Christ is ascended. And he's gonna send the Spirit. He's trying to reiterate and really push into this idea that Jesus.

Changed.

Forms.

Christ Did Not “Change Forms” in John 16

Yeah, my question for Stephen Furtick immediately is going to be what does he do with a passage, you know, like Let's see Matthew chapter 3. Yeah in Matthew chapter 3. Where Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River.

So here's what it says. Jesus came from Galilee. Matthew chapter 3 verse 13 To the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him saying I need to be baptized by you. And do you come to me?

But Jesus answered him let it be so now for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. So then he consented and when Jesus was baptized Immediately, he went up from the water and behold the heavens were open to him and he saw the Spirit of God.

Descending like a dove and coming to rest on him and behold a voice from heaven said this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased. So my my question is if Jesus had to go to heaven in order to change forms So that he can send the Holy Spirit which happens to also be him because he's changed forms.

Which is how modalism works. Then. How does he explain that God the Holy Spirit descended on Christ? How does he explain that the voice the father was heard from heaven saying this is my beloved son was Jesus.

Was God just engaging in theatrics? What was going on there? Yep. So we got some problems.

Major.

Problems here because in his supporting analogies here. He's he's basically saying things, you know.

Things just change form and now what he's going to need for me in this season is going to be different.

He did not leave them. He changed forms. So Jesus didn't leave them. He just changed Forms. That's modalism.

And if people understood this I wonder wonder would more marriages make it. We think love goes away when butterflies do.

So.

Now we think there's no more love in the relationship. Maybe the love didn't leave it just changed forms and Maybe we don't need to give up on.

Relationships when feelings it just changed forms. Love didn't leave it just changed for you. Like the way Jesus did when he went to heaven and sent the Spirit. He just changed forms. That's modalism Patrick.

Go away.

But maybe we need to go deeper to a place of maturity that realizes I'm not always gonna get a goosebump I'm a grown-up and I'm gonna do what I've got to do and I'm gonna stay in Jerusalem and wait for the gift.

Such a good sermon Lord. Thank you for showing me this. It's not a good sermon.

That's flat-out heresy and God didn't show you this. And maybe you weren't ghosted. Maybe you were gifted.

We can all look back and see some things that God put in our lives that were amazing. Sometimes what God allows to be removed from our life is just as significant as what he allows to be brought to our situation.

Transform. Transform.

Transform Transformed said it twice there changed form change form Transform transform change form.

This is modalism. He did not leave. He did not leave you. He is calling you deeper. He did not abandon you.

He.

He no longer wants to just be with you. He wants to be in you.

So he had to change forms in order to be in you and this flat-out heresy man this flat-out heresy.

That's what he could not get them to understand. They kept thinking it was something they could see they kept thinking that it was something that their eyes could verify and I'm glad for what he told them in John.

16.

John 16 Teaches That Jesus Sends the Spirit, Not That He Becomes the Spirit

Now this gives us another crack at the same verse from the the Twitter soundbite near video soundbite that he put up and Let's see what he does with it in the official Version of this sermon that was released by Elevation Church.

He said in John 16, I think it's verse 7. Is that the right one? Yeah. Before he left he said I tell you it is for your good that I'm going away.

It is for your good.

That I'm going away. Unless I go away the advocate will not come to you.

But if I go I will send him to you. I will send him. Mm-hmm. Yeah, so Jesus sends the Holy Spirit. He doesn't transform or change forms and become the Holy Spirit. Yeah, I just exegete the grammar here and you can see that Jesus considers himself To be a different person than the Holy Spirit, although they are the same God.

I'll explain that in a minute.

If I go I can send you something greater. I Know your hearts are filled with sorrow and mourning and you have reason to mourn and be sorrowful. Nothing hurts like having something leave or change in your life.

Even if it's a positive change, it's painful. Even if something negative leaves your life, it still requires a recalibration to try to figure out how does life work without this? But he said it's for your good.

Paul comes along later and says all things work together for good and When it doesn't feel good, it can be for good. This is the transformative power of faith. It's for good. He said it's good that I'm ghosting you.

It's good that I leave in physical form because then I can give you in spiritual form. Then I can direct you from a deeper place and God is working for you right now. But it might not feel good to you, but it doesn't have to feel good to you to be good for you.

Yeah, he's teaching modalism. No way. No way around it. I do believe his friendship with TD Jakes has sent him Into the well into the abyss at this point. So the question comes up, you know What does the Bible say here?

And by the way, if you do not believe what God has revealed about himself, but you make a god of your own making. That's called idolatry whether or not you called, you know, Jesus the Son of God or to whatever.

Modalism is a heresy because it's a different deity and that deity doesn't exist. It can't save you. It's one that that human reason can understand yet at the same time. It's that you know human reason is not the dictator of what is true regarding the nature of God.

The Trinity in Scripture: One God in Three Persons

Now I'm gonna point you to a resource. So we'll put a link to it down below. This is from the website blue letter Bible org. And this is if you google Robert Bowman biblical basis of the doctrine of the Trinity you can also find it that way, but we'll put a link down below and Robert Bowman used to work for the late Walter Martin, and he wrote a book years and years ago and actually decades ago I bought it when it's brand new why you should believe in the Trinity written against the the heretics the Aryan heretics in the Jehovah's Witness cult and.

And this is just the simplest way of understanding What the Bible teaches. Regarding regarding the Trinity now the word Trinity doesn't appear in Scripture. And I know some of you are already gonna be coming in here.

You're a Roman Catholic Conspiracy person you're under the sway of the papacy. No, I'm not and you're slandering me. The Bible teaches that there is one God and three persons. How do we know this real simple real simple the scriptures are very clear that there is only one God.

I'll walk you through those texts yet scripture clearly calls Three different persons God and we also see those persons interacting with each other. And so we'll take a look just a real quick. Look at how this works.

And so we're going to go into our Old Testament first and we're just gonna look at a few verses. Isaiah 43 10 is probably the clearest on this you are my witnesses declares Yahweh my servant whom I have chosen.

So that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he before me. No, God was formed nor shall there be any after me. All right, really clear. There's only one God. All right, and there are other texts that make this also explicitly clear.

There's just no way around it. Isaiah 45 5 I am Yahweh. There is no other beside me. There is. No, God, I equip you though. You do not know me. Isaiah 45 22 turned to me and saved all the ends of the earth.

For I am God and there is no other so real quick. How many gods are there? One there is only one. One God, that's it one. And so that being the case then we have a little bit of explaining to do. Because of the fact that well more than one person is called God for instance First Corinthians chapter 8 I will read verse 6 only because when it comes to the father being God I don't know of any heresies that deny that the father is God everyone Universally says yes, the father is God.

So it's so but it's good to get at least at one verse into the mix and you'll notice that Robert Bowman in his Document gives many more verses than this. So first Corinthians 8 for us there is one God the father from whom all things and for and who.

From whom are all things and for whom we exist and in one Lord Jesus Christ though. Through whom we are all through are all things and through whom we exist. You seem to Fumbled over that one, but you get the idea the father is God.

There is a text that clearly says it but what about Jesus being God is Jesus God? The answer is an emphatic yes, and let me give you some just a handful of passages that clearly state this in here for instance Colossians 2 8 9 see to it that no one takes you captive by Philosophy and empty deceit according to human traditions.

According to the elemental spirits of the world and not according to Christ for in him in Christ the whole fullness of the deity dwells bodily. Titus 2 13 waiting for our blessed hope the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Clearly states that Jesus is God here another text. That is just just over-the-top simple to grab John 1 in the beginning was the word the word was with God and the word was God. Now you sit there and go how does that work?

Listen, I don't exactly know how it works. I just know that there is one God and that there are three persons and Father son and Holy Spirit are not three gods. They're one God that they are three persons.

And so when you say father son and Holy Spirit, that's not three gods. And so here we got in the beginning was the word and RK and halagas. So in the beginning was the word halagas and the word was with God and RK and halagas.

Kai halagas and proston theon and and so and and the word was face to face a proston theon was facing God and. And RK and halagas, kai halagas, proston theon, kai theos and halagas and God was the word.

That's what the text says in the beginning was the word the word was with God. Say face to face with God and the word was God. How many gods is that? It's not two. It's only one because remember what Isaiah says there is only one God there are no others.

And then one of the most amazing Texts, I mean that is super clear on this one. So remember when Jesus was resurrected in the Gospel of John the night of his resurrection. He appeared in the upper room and Thomas wasn't there and they and the disciples told Thomas.

We've seen the Lord and he says I'm not gonna believe it. I'm not gonna believe it unless I touch his hands and you know put my finger in his you know. In his scars and things like that. So here's what John 20 26 is eight days later.

His disciples were inside again and and and although the doors were locked Jesus came and stood among them and said peace be with you and. Then he said to Thomas put your finger here and see my hands put out your hand and place it in my side.

Do not be disbelieving but believe now watch what happened what Thomas says here. And this is an amazing confession of faith. And so Thomas answered him. Haku Rios Mukai atheist move my Lord and my God you can say you are my Lord and my God.

And.

That's his confession now seeing the resurrected Jesus Thomas says to him you are my Lord and my God straight out. Well that being the case if Jesus isn't God then he has an obligation Biblically to rebuke Thomas and say no no, no, no.

No, I'm just a creature. I'm not your God. What are you talking about? But notice what Jesus said have you believe have you believed because you've seen me blessed are those who have not seen and yet Have believed and then there are other just amazing passages like in the gospel of John chapter 8.

One of my favorite texts here is in John chapter 8, there's this long-running, you know verbal battle and sparring that Jesus is having with the With the the Jews and and so I'll start at verse 31 and let me grab just a little bit of context here in Exodus chapter 3.

In Exodus chapter 3 Moses asked God his name at the remember at the burning bush and and so in Moses wants to know all right it so if you know. You want to send me to? To the people of Israel and let them know that you're gonna set them free from slavery and rescue them from Pharaoh.

So Moses said well if I come to the people this is Exodus 3 15. If I come to the people of Israel say to them the God of your fathers has sent me and they ask well What is his name? What shall I say to them and God said to Moses I am who I am.

He said say this to the people of Israel. I am has sent me to you. So what's the name that God gives to Moses to give to the people of Israel? The name is I am keep that in mind because Jesus uses that for himself on many occasions Throughout the Gospels.

It's in fact all four of them, but it's very predominant in the gospel of John. So John 8 31, so the Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him if you abide in my word. You are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

So they answered him. We are the offspring of Abraham. They've never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say you'll become free? So Jesus answered them. Well truly truly I say to you everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

The slave does not remain in the house forever. The Sun remains forever. So if the Sun sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham yet. You seek to kill me because my word finds no Place in you.

I speak of what I have seen with my father and you do what you have heard from your father. So they answered him Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them if you were Abraham's children. You would be doing the works Abraham did but now you seek to kill me a man who's told you the truth that I heard From God, this is not what Abraham did.

You are doing the works your father did so they said to him. We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one God one father even God now. No, they don't believe Jesus is God. They are not listening to him at all.

They're fighting him and Jesus is making clear if you were really of God, you'd be listening to me. So he says this if God were your father you would love me for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.

Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning.

It does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him when he lies. He speaks out of his own character for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth you do not believe me.

Which one of you convicts me of sin if I tell you the truth. Why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God. Now the Jews are a little more than just a little bit upset and Miffed that Jesus would say that their father is the devil.

And so now they're gonna get really dirty and they're gonna accuse Jesus of being a Samaritan which is kind of a racial slur at the time more than kind of it was and And claim him a claim that he's Demonized that he has a demon.

So the Jews answered him. Are we not right in saying that you are Samaritan and that you have a demon. Jesus answered? I do not have a demon, but I honor my father and you dishonor me yet. I do not seek my own glory.

There is one who seeks it and he is the judge. Truly truly I say to you if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death. So the Jews said to him will now we know you have a demon. Abraham died as did the prophets and yet you say if anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death so no Jesus is putting his words on par with Scripture even in their minds above Scripture because Abraham heard the word of God and he's dead right?

And so they're saying now you're totally demonized Jesus. You're delusional. You're saying if anyone hears my words and keeps them and believes and you'll never taste death. Abraham died. Israel died, you know Jacob died.

Who do you think you are? Right. So are you greater than our father Abraham who died and the prophets who died? Who do you make yourself out to be? Right, so they can see that Jesus is making himself out to be more than human, right?

So Jesus answered if I glorify myself my glory is nothing. It is my father who glorifies me of whom you say he is our God, but you have not known him. I know him if I were to say that I don't know him I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word your father Abraham Rejoice that he would see my day.

He saw it and was glad now in verse 56 Jesus does something quite fascinating and that is is that he gives extra biblical information about Abraham as if he knew him personally. Because there is no biblical text in the Old Testament that says that Abraham Rejoice that he would see Jesus's day and that he saw it and was glad no text says it and they know this.

Yeah, they know their Torah inside and out and they're going no way. So at this point they detect that Jesus is acting like he knows Abraham so the Jews said to him you're not yet 50 years old and you've seen Abraham and Jesus said to them watch what he says.

Truly truly I say to you before Abraham was Ego a me I am so Jesus takes the divine name from Exodus 3 and Applies it to himself and he says I am now.

The.

Punishment in Israel and according the ancient theocracy of Israel and the civil code of the Mosaic Covenant the the the punishment for Blasphemy is what? Death. Right, so they knew exactly what Jesus said, you know before Abraham was a go away me.

I am. And so they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus hit himself and went out of the temple. A little bit later, by the way in John chapter 10 the the drama we hear continues and They're the Jews are wanting Jesus to just come right out and say you know who he is and all this kind of stuff and and so.

Let's see here.

Mmm.

All right. So watch this in John chapter 10. I'll start at verse 22 at the time of the feast of dedication that this took place in Jerusalem in the winter. This is Hanukkah. Jesus was walking in the temple in the colonnade of Solomon.

So the Jews gathered around him and said how long you gonna keep us in suspense if you are the Christ. Tell us plainly. So Jesus answered them. I told you and you do not believe the works that I do in my father's name.

They bear witness about me, but you don't believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and They will never perish. And no one will snatch them out of my hand for my father who has given to me is greater than All and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hands.

I and the father are.

One.

Whoa, so that's quite the that's quite the claim. So the Jews picked up stones to stone him again and Jesus answered I've shown you many good works from the father. For which of these. For which of them are you going to stone me?

So the Jews answered it's not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy. Because you a mere man. Mm-hmm you being a man make yourself God and so note here that.

Jesus is.

Basically saying I and the father are one they pick up stones of stone and they knew exactly well you know what he was saying and they they were gonna kill him for blasphemy on the stop because on the spot because he a Mere man was making himself out to be God.

But the thing is is that Jesus is not a mere man. Romans chapter 1 makes this very clear. And here's what it says regarding Jesus. I'll start at verse 1 Paul a servant of Christ Jesus called to be apostle set apart for the gospel of God which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.

Who concerning his son was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in? Power according to the Spirit of Holiness by his resurrection from the dead. So you'll note that Jesus is both God and Man and so I'm gonna give you a document.

I'll put a link to it also down below. That'll help you out here for it to further expand this out. But no doubt about it Jesus claimed to be God claimed to be the Son of God and when we say Jesus is Lord.

Right. No one can say Jesus is Lord except for by the Holy Spirit when we say Jesus is Lord. What are we saying and Let's take a look at that in Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10 There's a very interesting Set of things that we need to consider here and.

And so when we say Jesus is Lord, what are we saying? We're saying he's God. He's Yahweh. I'll explain it here. So let me back up into the context. Romans 10 5 Moses wrote about the righteousness that is based on the law that the person who does the commandment shall live by them.

But the righteousness based on faith says do not say in your heart who will Ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down or who will descend into the abyss that is to bring Christ up from the dead.

But what does it say? The word is near you. It's in your mouth. It's in your heart. That is the word of faith that we proclaim because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is.

Lord.

What does it mean to confess that Jesus is Lord if you confess with your mouth that? Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart. God raised him from the dead you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one Confesses and is saved.

For the scripture says and you're gonna note here Paul here is quoting. From the Old Testament everyone who believes in him will not be put the shame for there is no distinction Between Jew and Greek for the same Lord is Lord of all bestowing his riches on all who call on him for quote.

Everyone who who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved now. So everyone who says that Jesus is Lord everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. That's quoted from Joel chapter 2 verse 32.

Let's take a look at that and see what it means to confess Jesus as Lord. Joel chapter 2 and We'll take a look at verse 32. I always want to make sure I get things in their context. And we'll see what's going on here.

So starting at verse 30, I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth blood and fire and columns of smoke. Okay, who's talking Yahweh is? The Sun shall be turned to darkness the moon to blood before the great and awesome day of Yahweh.

So when you see in the Old Testament capital L capital O capital R capital D. That's the divine name. That's God's actual name. It's Yahweh and. And so that's the tetragrammaton behind it. And so, you know what I had that highlighted here in the Hebrew.

That's God's name. So before the great and awesome day of the Lord. And so there's a tradition that when God's personal name shows up you say Lord instead of his name. I don't abide by that tradition.

But it's there nonetheless. So when the great awesome day of Yahweh comes it shall come to pass it everyone who calls on the on Yahweh Shall be saved. Everyone who calls on Yahweh shall be saved. So Joel 2 32 says everyone who calls on Yahweh will be saved and.

And what does that mean? Well, we just read it in the context there at At Romans chapter 10 everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame in other words to confess that Jesus is Lord.