#WHY NARCIGESIS DOESN’T WORK.
Narcigesis – A biblical hermeneutic where one reads themselves into the bible and writes God out of it.[Source]
Steven Furtick is internationally recognized as King of the Narcigetes for a good reason: he seems to only read himself into the biblical text. The problem with this hermeneutical approach is that Jesus says that the scriptures point to Him.
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” John 5:39-40
Because of this, many people consider Elevation Church a cult because how Steven Furtick elevates himself to a messiah-like status. The below video snippet further strengthens the case that Elevation should be avoided.
This linked video below was uploaded by Elevation Church on to Steven Furtick’s Facebook account.
Learn to prepare yourself in advance for the temptations you will face. http://sfm.cta.gs/034
Source: Steven Furtick, FaceBook,https://www.facebook.com/StevenFurtick/videos/1139336036087810/, 26/05/2016. (Accessed 30/05/2016.)
Remember, Steven Furtick is reading himself into the passage where the devil tempted Jesus to turn stones to bread. Remember what Satan said to Jesus: “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” (See point 6 below.)
RECOGNISING A SERVANT OF SATAN
“And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness…”
2 Corinthians 11:14-15
A few observations:
- Furtick is talking/preaching to the devil (not wise). (Jude 1)
- To those he acknowledges in his sermon who don’t believe in the devil, we can only conclude that they are to assume that they have the devil within themselves to speak to.
- Furtick applies the title ‘the Son of God‘ to himself. This can be considered a slip up. But…
- Furtick claims the “Father” spoke to him that morning, reminding “me that He loves me and that He’s pleased with me”. So Furtick is NOT talking about Jesus here – he is talking about himself. The Messianic Furtick is the one on stage now speaking.
- When he is about to slightly declare the good news that he is forgiven by God – he snuffs the gospel nugget out by changing the subject: “help me preach!”
Why did he do this? We can be considered sons of God if we are forgiven through Christ’s atoning work and born again by His Spirit. Why did he change the topic? - Finally – and the most important: It was Satan that tempted Jesus to turn the stones to bread. Although Jesus claimed the scriptures and did not follow Satan’s instruction, Furtick is doing the exact opposite to Jesus and says his god will make him do it: “I’m not going to do it because I think I can, I am doing it because God says I can!”
We’ve often observed in the church how Satan is using ministers to tempt the body of Christ to speak to their circumstances (turn stones to bread); to step out in faith (or off the boat) so God can work the miraculous to make their testimony powerful (step off the temple); and to submit to “the vision” so you can expand your ministry through the nations (bend the knee to Satan to gain the world).
In this snippet that Elevation Church uploaded, Furtick isn’t even hiding it. He is claiming his (lower case) “god” will turn the stones to bread “because god says I can”.
At least Furtick has made it clear who his god is.
Steven Furtick says the following to Satan (Satan asking Furtick to turn stones to bread),
“If you are the son of god? You don’t have to tell me who I am! I know who I am. I’ve always been the Son of god. I’ve always been a child of god. In fact I just spoke with my Father this morning and He reminded me that He loves me and that He’s pleased with me!
I’m not the ‘son of god of god+’ that you say I am! I’m a son of god because god says I am. I’m not confident because of what I can do, I am confident because of what god says He WILL do! I’m not forgiven because I’ve earned acceptance, I’m forgiven because god says He has forgi- help me preach!
I’m not going to do it because I think I can, I am doing it because god says I can!”
Source: Steven Furtick, Whatever, Whatever, Elevation Church, http://elevationchurch.org/sermons/whatever-whatever/, Uploaded 09/02/2014. (Accessed 29/05/2016.)
Probably would chill on throwing stones of judgement. You can choose to take things out of context on purpose if you’d like, but I think you’re fighting the wrong enemy here.
And would that observation be because you have invested a large part of your life into C3 School of Ministry as some former students (now set free from those false ties that bind) and who comment here?
Steven Furtick by Matt Slick
Steven Furtick (born Feb. 19, 1980) is the founder and pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He “attended North Greenville University, received a B.A. in communications, and went on to complete a Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.”1 His church has over 10,000 attendees on a weekly basis.
He has experienced rapid church growth, and he is building various campuses where church services are expanding. His church started with 19 people in 2006 and is now at over 9,000 as of 2012. He attributes the growth to “the jars.” As he says, “the oil is something only God can give. It represents his spirit, his presence, his power . . . “, etc. 2 He is right to give God the glory. He promotes Christ, has positive messages about what God wants for his people, and reaches out in faith to expand the kingdom for God. This is admirable, and we should applaud him for it.
Steven Furtick says that he wants Elevation Church to be . . .
” . . . . a church for the overlooked, for the unloved . . . . we preach Jesus so people far from God can know Jesus. And then we train them up so that others can know Jesus. It is called Kingdom multiplication. It is what Elevation Church is all about.”3
This is fine. Preaching Jesus so people can come to know Him is admirable and is one of the things the Christian church is supposed to do.
Mocking the doctrines of grace
However, shortly after the above quote in the same video and after speaking of multiple conversions occuring at his church, he said . . .
” . . . . if that doesn’t get you excited and you need the doctrines of grace as defined by John Calvin to excite you, you in the wrong church. Let me get a phone book. There are 720 churches in Charlotte. I am sure we can find one where you can stuff your face until you’re so obese spiritually that you can’t even move.”4
The problem with Mr. Furtick’s comments is both subtle and profound. The Doctrines of Grace are often described by the acronym TULIP. Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. This is often called Calvinism. In other words, the doctrines of grace affirm that man is completely lost in his sin and it is only by the grace of God through the person of Jesus that salvation is possible. It is not up to man’s sinful free will but God’s sovereignty over His creation (Rom. 9:22-23, Eph. 1:4-5). It further states that because of man’s enslavement to sin, he is unable to freely choose God (1 Cor. 2:14). Therefore, the doctrines of grace include God’s electing and predestining people to salvation (2 Thess. 2:13), which is by God’s choice, not man’s (John 1:13, Rom. 9:16) and that the saved are eternally secure because their salvation rests in Christ’s work, not man’s faithfulness (John 10:27-28). Now, whether or not you agree with these doctrines, the truth is that they affirm the greatness of God and His sovereign work of saving people. They are held by millions of Christians all over the world.
Mr. Furtick is entitled to not agree with the doctrines of grace but to mock them as he did is uncalled for and is potentially a serious spiritual error on his part. It seems that he is not only ridiculing those who hold to the doctrines of grace but also he is mocking the very doctrines which the Scriptures teach. Is not God a God of grace? Of course He is (Rom. 3:24, 11:6, Eph. 2:8, 2 Thess. 1:12). Mr. Furtick’s mockery divides the body of Christ, helps to create a holier-than-thou attitude, and potentially risks a direct violation of Scripture.
Furtick supports a woman pastor
Steven Furtick introduced Pastrix Christine Caine to preach on a Sunday morning at Elevation Church.5
Women pastors in the church have been debated for many years. However, just because something is debated, doesn’t mean that both sides have valid arguments. The issue is not if a woman is an international speaker, great musician, great parent, etc. Instead, we must ask if having a woman preacher is what the Bible affirms. It is not.
“But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet6, 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve,” (1 Tim. 2:12-13).7
“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6 namely, if any man be above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion,” (Titus 1:5-7). (Literally in Greek, the phrase “husband of one wife” is “a man of one woman’).
A woman pastor is by definition in the place of authority when she is preaching on a Sunday morning. She is violating what the Scriptures teach concerning such teaching (1 Tim. 2:12-13) and, as Titus 1:5-7 says, the elder (a pastor is an elder, see 1 Tim. 5:17) is to be a male. Furtick contradicts God’s Word when he supports a woman pastor by having her preach in his church. His intentions might be in line with political correctness, liberal thinking, and contemporary applications of the “needs of the church,” but they are not biblical.8 I recommend that the reader do a serious study of the issue and see exactly what is Biblical.” https://carm.org/steven-furtick
Cheers, Team Churchwatch
“Probably would chill on throwing stones of judgement.”
That’s because Bible-illiterate you listens to the devil. The devil loves your anti-biblical “do not judge” doctrine.
Furtick doesn’t preach the true Gospel, doesn’t teach the Bible in accordance with rightly dividing, and has collected goats in a place to hear him speak about how wonderful he is. If we were forced to examine fruit of someone’s eternal state, I’d have to say that Furtick needs to hear the true Gospel preached to him.
I think that shirt’s enough not to watch it….
Uhm…I think Fertick (hahahaha – auto correct wanted to call him ‘fruitcake’) is role playing Jesus speaking to the Devil in that segment – he’s not at all saying that HE is the son of God. At 1.52 Fertick points out that Jesus was “pre-loaded with the answer – because you’ve got to decide what to tell the Devil before he ever knocks on the door” and then he goes on to paraphrase or dramatise what Jesus was saying based on a very correct biblical point of view. There is not a single thing that Fertick says in that clip that is not correct.
There is a whole lot of other stuff that Fertick has got going wrong with out yo laying false accusations against him.
So – anyone going to say something about this? Fertick is NOT calling himself the Son of God – for dramatic effect he is dramatising what he thinks jesus was saying the Satan as he talked to him in the desert.
“… for dramatic effect [Furtick] is dramatising what he thinks …”
Furtick is a clueless moron; no one cares what he thinks.
Except that he;s being accused of saying that he is the son of God when clearly he hasn’t. I don;t like Steven Furtick either – but there’s enough that;s wrong that’s true, without having to make up things he’s saying that are wrong.
I sem to be blocked on your other cite…Iv’e been trying to comment and my comments go off into cyberspace – so I expect my comments won’t make it through on here either – if this is true, and not just some technical glitch on my side of the fence, I don’t understand why you’re blocking me. IF you only want people who agree with your position to post; which I can see is not your goal as other commenters who disagree do post and then get mocked as biblical illiterates, then by all means block me – but I’d really like to comment on some of your posts – not all – most i do;t care about – but some I really get annoyed at,
Sop how about it = let me post and I’ll be a nice boy?
You’re not blocked – all comments go into moderation. Moderators have a life apart from approving comments 24/7.
Cheers, Team ChurchWatch.
And please, don’t limit yourself to HillsongCW and C3CW – there’s a whole world of heresy to practice your liberal leanings on, over at https://churchwatchcentral.com
Cheers, Team ChurchWatch.
I realise that sometimes comments go into moderation – but the comments I’ve made on some posts don’t even appear after I hit POST COMMENT – its a mystery wrapped in a conundrum wrapped in a riddle!
I’m not a liberal
That’s what liberals say.
good grief.