Did Michael Todd Just REPENT?!

Michael Todd’s Sermon Response and the Question of Repentance

Hey guys, Colin here, and welcome back to Fight For Truth, the channel where we bring you Christian commentary about the things that matter. In today's video, we're going to be talking about a clip from Michael Todd's recent sermon entitled, Kingdom.

Now, by this point, we've made many videos on Michael Todd detailing his man-centered interpretation of Scripture and concerningly flawed preaching. But of course, this channel is hardly the first to talk about these things.

Many discernment-focused YouTube channels have spoken about Michael Todd since before this channel was even created. In other words, there is no shortage of discernment content involving Pastor Michael Todd.

And yet many have noted that Todd does not really respond to the criticism. This has led to the widespread belief that the complaints of discernment Christians on YouTube have never been seen by Michael, or at least if they have, he's ignoring them entirely.

But last weekend, ladies and gentlemen, something altogether unique happened. Something that really has never happened before. It seems that Michael Todd has finally responded. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think that Michael was responding to this channel specifically, but he did respond to YouTube criticism in general, of which we are a large part.

So in this video, we are going to watch his response carefully and analyze it with a few questions in mind. Most importantly, let's ask this. Did Michael Todd just repent of his false teaching? If so, this changes everything.

So let's see the first clip and find out. Watch this.

I told the team, there's some messages I'm going to have to go back and watch and see if I need to take them down. See you too prideful for that. I said, I was king dumb.

The Prosperity Gospel and Transformation Church’s Doctrine

So, Michael says that there are some messages that he needs to review to analyze and see if they need to be taken down. And if that is true, this would certainly be a step in the right direction. I hope we can all agree on that.

But I want to make something very clear. The issues that many discerning Christians have with Michael's teaching goes far deeper than just a few sermons. As Justin Peters aptly noted in his recent video, link in description, Michael Todd's Transformation Church teaches a form of the Prosperity Gospel as one of the core tenets of their church's doctrine.

You see, under the subtitle of Health and Prosperity, Transformation Church says the following, "...we believe that, as part of Christ's work of salvation, it is the Father's will that believers become whole, healthy, and successful in all areas of life.".

And of course, this includes health and finances. And guys, that is the Prosperity Gospel, obviously. They literally just said that part of the Gospel's effect in the life of the believer is that you will have financial success and health guaranteed.

That is absolutely the health and wealth gospel. But this promise is not given in Scripture to all Christians. In Matthew 19, Jesus tells the rich young ruler to, quote, "...sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.".

So if financial prosperity was the guaranteed result of this man's salvation, as it is according to Transformation Church, why would Jesus tell him to leave his prosperity in search of a higher calling?

And more than this is the plain fact that not all Christians throughout history have been rich and successful by worldly standards. In fact, that's the minority. And 1 Timothy 6, 8 tells us to be content with food and clothing, the basics of life.

But here's the problem. If great wealth is promised in the Gospel, why should we deny this great wealth in settling for these basic provisions from God? The fact is, the Prosperity Gospel simply does not fit with the biblical narrative.

Yet Michael Todd's church absolutely preaches this message as a core doctrine. So again, I say to you, it would be a step in the right direction for Mike Todd to take some sermons down. That would be great.

But the real problem is not just a few sermons. It is the core beliefs and overarching ministry model of Transformation Church at a systemic level. That's the issue. But of course, let's take a look at what Mike Todd says next.

Watch this. I was king dumb.

So I was telling people stuff. I did the best. You know that Mariah Carey thing? I'ma do the best with what I got. Oh! That's what I was doing. With the understanding I had. That's why when people make YouTube videos and do all that other stuff, I'm doing the best with what I got.

Why “Doing My Best” Is a Red Herring

So here, Todd implies that all of the false doctrine and man-centered messages that he's preached for years have come as a result of him simply, quote, doing his best with what he's got. Unfortunately, this makes all of those pesky discernment YouTubers look, essentially, like a bunch of big bullies.

This seems to be meant to pull at your heartstrings emotionally. Michael Todd was just doing the best he could. Why do all of you YouTubers have to be so mean to him all the time? That is the reaction that they're looking for.

At least, that seems to be the case here. But the problem is that no one has an issue with the fact that Michael was, quote, trying his best. That's not what we've been critiquing or making videos about this whole time.

Rather, we've been focused on the false doctrine and improper teaching consistently coming out of Transformation Church week after week. All we do is watch Michael Todd's sermons and then compare them to the Bible.

And when those two things do not match up, that's the issue. There's nothing wrong with you doing your best. In fact, 2 Timothy 2 .15 commands pastors to, quote, do your best to present yourself to God as one approved.

A worker who has no need to be ashamed rightly handling the Word of Truth, end quote. And that last part, well, that is the sticking point, isn't it? The reason so many YouTube videos have been made about Michael Todd is that, quite simply, he does not rightly handle the Word of Truth.

Instead, he consistently preaches things that are unbiblical for the sake of motivational self-help style ministry. So to put it simply, the trying your best argument is a red herring. It's a distraction from the actual issue at hand.

And it doesn't allow you to recognize and take responsibility for preaching false things. Romans 16 .17 says that we ought to mark and avoid those who teach unsound and unbiblical doctrine. It doesn't say to mark and avoid false teaching unless, of course, the teacher is trying their best.

So please, I would encourage those of you who are in the audience, don't take the bait here. Do not get caught up in an argument that we really shouldn't be having. We don't need to argue about whether or not Michael Todd is trying his best.

We just need to be good, consistent Bereans and compare his preaching to the Word of God. And if the Bible and his teaching do not match up, which they often don't, then we should get our teaching elsewhere.

Accountability, YouTube Criticism, and the Work of the Holy Spirit

But after that last clip, the one that we just played, Michael really starts rebuking the YouTubers who make videos about him. Watch this.

Well, what have I got? If I'm wrong, if I've done something in error, if I've messed something up, the Holy Spirit and my accountability can correct me. You making a YouTube video doesn't help me.

So there's two fundamental claims here. Claim number one, if I'm wrong after all, the Holy Spirit and my accountability partners can help me see that. I don't need YouTubers to make videos about this, says Mike.

And first off, it would be awesome and ideal if this was true. I would love it if I never had to make a video critiquing Michael Todd ever again. But this isn't reality. Regardless of whatever accountability Michael has, his church still habitually teaches subpar doctrine week after week.

With all due respect, if his accountability partners are incredibly good at what they do, why have they let him teach man-centered sermons for years? Why did they let him have female pastors, contrary to 1 Timothy 2 .12, at his church?

Why have they let him teach falsely about the Trinity? You see, if you look at the doctrinal track record alone, it becomes very clear that there is an astounding lack of accountability at Transformation Church, certainly not a surplus of accountability.

This needs to be understood. Regardless of these accountability partners, most importantly, this bad theology has consequences for the people who believe it. Thousands and thousands of people watch Michael Todd's sermons and believe what he says.

That matters. It has an effect. And this brings us right into the second claim that Michael makes. Quote, You making YouTube videos isn't helping me. End quote. Now this may be true enough. Of course, we want the videos to help him.

We want him to see his errors. That would be ideal. But if the Lord in His providence does not allow this to happen, then there's still an even bigger reason to make the videos. Again, thousands if not millions of people are believing false and unbiblical things as a result of Michael Todd teaching it to them.

And these people must be considered as well. Michael Todd suggests that the videos we make aren't helping him. But the fact still remains. The videos aren't primarily made for him. Again, Romans 16 -17 tells us to collectively mark and avoid unbiblical teachers.

It is perfectly Christian and loving, therefore, to help others do the same. And by God's grace, we have received many comments on this channel of people who have left unbiblical churches, like Transformation, because of these videos.

So to put it clearly, it's not all about Michael Todd. It's also about the people who are being spiritually disadvantaged by his false teaching. And unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be a concern to Michael at all.

Whether Critiquing Michael Todd Is “Working Against the Kingdom”

But watch this next clip where Michael takes things to a whole new level. Watch this.

You don't pray for me? You don't ask God, let there be illumination or light? You want a follower? And you're doing it in the name of Jesus? I don't know where this is coming from. But you are working against the Kingdom.

The truth hurts. So now, Michael suggests that none of us here on YouTube pray for him or want him to come to repentance. This is, quite simply, a false and utterly baseless claim with absolutely no evidence.

I indeed have prayed for Michael Todd before. And as far as I'm aware, we have asked you, the audience, to pray for him in every single video we've ever put him in. So the claim can just be disregarded entirely here.

There's no evidence to back it up. The second one is more important anyways. And the second claim is this. He suggests that these YouTubers and channels like this one, and by definition the people who watch these channels, you, are, quote, working against the Kingdom in doing so.

Now, this claim needs to be dealt with. In Acts 17, Paul interacts with a group of people called Bereans. Verse 11 of that chapter says this, quote,. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica.

They received the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. End quote. You see, these people were praised for comparing the message Paul preached to the inspired and inerrant Word of God.

Were the Bereans working against the Kingdom by questioning Paul? Of course not. The passage calls them noble for doing so. So when someone makes a YouTube video that is biblical and loving and discerning and analytical and all that good stuff, doing a fair critique of preachers like Michael Todd, they are not working against the Kingdom.

Rather, they are strengthening it. And this brings me to our first question that we asked at the beginning of the video. Did Michael Todd repent? Well, based on what we've seen in this sermon, unfortunately, we'd have to say no.

At no point did Michael acknowledge that he had preached false doctrine about health and wealth, female pastors, the Trinity, man-centered interpretation of Scripture, partnering with other false teachers, etc.

At no point did Michael take any serious responsibility for having taught improper theology to thousands and thousands of people. Instead, he made it his aim to paint himself out as a kind-hearted soldier of God who simply made a few small, almost insignificant mistakes.

Meanwhile, those who critique him, well, those people were painted out as mean-spirited bullies who are enemies of the Kingdom of God. You see, nothing in that message came anywhere near to a genuine acknowledgment of false teaching.

But of course, we pray that this would change in the future. We hope that Mike's intent to review some of his past sermons will be used by God to generate a real change here. Until then, we will continue to be good Bereans and compare his teaching to the Word of God.

Michael has established that he is not a solid teacher of Scripture, and that still remains true at this point. I pray that this has been a blessing to you, and please know that this video isn't meant as a sinful attack, but rather as a biblical critique.

Please pray for this channel and for anyone discussed in the video. And if you're looking for teaching resources or trying to find a new church, check out the teaching ministries and church networks linked in the description.

And by God's grace, let's move forward joyfully, holding to the truth of God's Word. Thank you so much for watching that video. Please like, subscribe, hit the bell, and subscribe to our Rumble channel.

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Thank you, and God bless.