Recently, somebody brought the book Sun Stand Still (the title is a reference to Joshua 10) by Stephen Furtick to my attention. I looked it up on Amazon.com and saw more than 100 five-star ratings. I was curious. I wanted to read it for myself. To say the very least, I was disappointed. Furtick's concept of “audacious faith” is lacking theological depths and orthodox Christian teachings. It is pop-theology pure. In short, it preaches what many people's itching ears want to hear to make them feel good about themselves in a success-oriented world.

Furtick claims, a theology that does not activate one's audacious faith is “heresy” (see page 7). Saying that all other theology is heresy is audacious in and by itself. Even more so since the entire book breathes the heresy of Semi-Pelagianism: salvation is not built on the cross of Christ, but it becomes possible through our (human) efforts and doing, which become visible and tangible in wealth, success, and recognition.

Faith understood this way is nothing more than a tool for self-serving fulfillment dreams based on a prayer of entitlement, which can be summarized as follows: 'I believe, therefore I deserve all these (good) things. All I have to do is get – what Furtick calls – my “Page-23-vision” right, and bring it before god' (spelled so on purpose). This, however, is not audacious faith in a great God. Rather, this is confidence in my own achievements. God is only seen as the great sugar-daddy who can't say no and is expected to deliver what I desire because he loves me.

Here are some examples where Furtick misrepresents the biblical message:
– Furtick is so fixated on Joshua's prayer, and the rewards that God subsequently will swing in one's direction, that he fails to use Jesus' prayer, the Lord's Prayer, as a model prayer.
– Furtick's own father's advice to deal with adversity by throwing the first punch is appalling (pages 142- 143). What about Jesus' words to turn the other cheek? What about Jesus' command to love your enemy? It is hard to see Jesus as one who puts on his boxing gloves, “step[s] into the ring and fight[s] our battles” (page 143). Instead, Jesus had nails driven through his feet and his wrists.
– Furtick writes that “the glory of God often shines the brightest when the sun goes down.” However, just a few lines below he continues by stating that it is up to us “to start developing a practical plan for how to convert your crisis into opportunity” (see page 140). It seems there is little trust in God's abilities, but greater confidence in one's own human strengths.
– Furtick tells his sons “to be the greatest men of God” (page 31). This brings to mind the request of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who sought their places of honor next to Jesus (Mark 10), or that Jesus reminded his disciples that their greatness is exercised in servanthood.
– Furtick recounts the story of Peter walking on water (Matthew 14). But he conveniently leaves out the rest of the story: as soon as Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, he noticed the wind and started to sink. He then said, “Lord, save me” (see page 118).

This is what faith is about: to believe in a Lord who can save. The key to salvation is through Christ alone; this means, it is for us. Salvation does not lie within our selves; it cannot be had through our work. Christ has brought us salvation, not by paying gold and silver, but by paying with his own blood and death. Audacious faith is not that God will enable us to do great things. Rather, it is faith in a God who can do great things, for instance: to raise Jesus to new life and grant us as well the prospect of new resurrection-life, despite our fallenness. Salvation is God's audacious work for us through Jesus' death on the cross!

The following prayer for humility from the Lutheran Service Book (LC-MS) is in place: O God, You resist the proud and give grace to the humble. Grant us true humility after the likeness of Your only Son that we may never be arrogant and prideful and thus provoke Your wrath but in all lowliness be made partakers of the gifts of Your grace; through Christ, our Lord.

 Yours in Christ Jesus,
 Bjoern E. Meinhardt, Pastor