Thousands paid $15 a ticket to hear Joel Osteen preach on Friday night at The Palace at Auburn Hills, in Detroit. Osteen’s message, replete with the positive, feel-good messages he’s known for, was the “word” the mass crowd gathered to hear.
People don’t want to hear they are sinners whos righetousness is as filthy rags. They don’t want to hear our merit is void of any saving or redeeming quality. It’s plain that thousands will gather to hear a celebrity preacher tell them how wonderful they are, and how God wants us to think positive about ourselves despite the fact the Bible paints a clearly different picture of us.
Osteen tells the crowd:
“I’m not going to be sour, I’m not going to be negative, I’m going to rejoice today,” Osteen said. “2008 is going to be your best year so far, a year of increases, a year of promotion, a year when you get healthier. …You got to draw the line in the sand and say this is the year.
“Your best days are still ahead of you.” Source.
This is playing fast and loose with God’s Word. How does Osteen know what God’s will is for every single person sitting in that audience? How does he know that 2008 is going to be their best year so far? Only in America, folks. I’m afraid this fluff doesn’t apply to the persecuted church overseas who are being tortured and martyred for their faith.
In some ways, 2008 has been a pretty tough year for me. I’ve had health issues, surgery, medication that has, in some ways, done more harm than good, family health crises, opposition to my faith in the work place, and the list goes on. Were I sitting in Osteen’s audience listening to his version of the gospel, and I were ignorant of God’s Word, I would somehow think I had done something wrong, or perhaps that I didn’t have enough faith as a result of all these trials.
It’s a sad but true statement that many in Osteen’s audience probably aren’t even saved. How can they be when Osteen teaches the exact opposite of what the Bible declares? How can people brokenly humble themselves before God and declare that they are sinners when all they want to hear is soft and unoffensive messages from people like Joel Osteen who tells them they are special, and they just need to think positive.
We know we are a peculiar people…we are in the world but not of it. How can we sustain increase in a world that is diametrically opposed to God’s Word without compromising the principles of scripture and embracing the very worldly system we are told to eschew? This type of heresy doesn’t strengthen the church, it weakens it. By teaching man they are special and only to be blessed, it neuters their ability to 1.) get saved, and 2.) grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Man’s heart is wicked above all, and will constantly rebel against God. If Osteen were a true minister of the Gospel he would expose the sin and death within these people, and point them towards the Savior, who is LIFE! While Osteen is urging thousands to think positive, I’m thankful there are others like R.C. Sproul and Paul Washer, to name only two, who are not afraid to stand for the truth of scripture and point man to the cross of Calvary.
You asked, “How does Osteen know what God’s will is for every single person sitting in that audience? How does he know that 2008 is going to be their best year so far?”
Answer: He knows nothing, other than he can make a bundle off of gullible Christians and others who want their ears tickled.
Men making merchandise of the people of God goes back a long, long way and the word has much to say about it.
It should have been free! I’ve never heard of anyone having to pay $15 to hear someone preach. I can guarantee you the Swaggarts wouldn’t charge a dime if someone wanted to hear them preach.
Amen and Amen!
People are being hornswoggled into thinking that being positive will bring blessings. Sorry, but I never found a verse in the Word of God that told the believers to “think positive”. OF all the passages I read about blessings, they came through sorrows. When I read my old time devotionals, those old time preachers knew that suffering came with the cross! The SERVANT is no better than his Master. Who does Joel Osteen think he is? I can tell you what he is.. A pied piper of prosperity and positive thinking. A grinning false teacher that would be better used as a motivational speaker for corporations and not be called “pastor”.
Indeed, how can a man charge people $15 a clip and tell them God’s will for their life? God does NOT reveal His Will to people through a false teacher. If a person does not serve Him or follow Him, how can they expect to know His Will for THEM?
It’s NOT a formulated candy-coated message that blankets a large audience. Some people find themselves in the midst of God’s will through pain, suffering and loss. That does NOT mean a person did something WRONG, or that they are out of God’s Will. Suffering is part of God’s way of bringing His children blessings. But you won’t find that etched on any fancy schmancy plaque and sold at the local “Christian” bookstore.
Consider this, you can see how it upsets those of us who hold to the Word of God and are made fun of as being “fundies” or “Bible thumpers”. How do you think this is looked upon by God and The Lord Jesus?
I have to ask “How Long, Oh Lord, How long?”
God is longsuffering, but there is coming a day very soon when He will shortly return. I don’t want to be spending my hard earned money listening to alot of “fluff” when I could be spending it in prayer or Bible study.
God is a good god and does not want man to continue to be so negative and downtrodden about everything. Not everyone in this country is a bad person with no morals and I don’t believe that God would want his children to suffer endlessly.
Joel Osteen is a great man and does not deserve to be put down for his messages to have faith in the good things in the world. If you don’t like the message, find another reverend. Everyone is entitled to worship God in his or her own way.
The problem with Pastor Osteen and others who adapt a similar “feel good” doctrine is this: they have faith in the “good things of this world” . We are not to put our faith in things of this world, but put our hope on things above. The world, no matter how candy-coated, has nothing to offer us…but praise God we have been redeemed by Jesus Christ. Pastor Osteen closes each of his messages with a prayer inviting people to ask Jesus in their hearts…although after listening to his messages I don’t often see how someone would feel a need for Christ. I’m glad that the Holy Spirit works in ways we do not see and I pray that God will use the bits and pieces of truth that are shared to bring souls to him.
I think a harmful side effect of preachers such as Osteen is that it has led to what I’ve heard termed as “biblical illiteracy” in the body of Christ. In my opinion, Pastor Osteen uses the Bible as a source for inspirational messages, rather than teaching the Word in spirit and in truth. The effect is that the masses of Christians in this country do not know what the Bible says about almost anything…and are very susceptible to being led astray. Pastor Osteen can not take all the blame…it is our own responsibility to know the Word of God, have it abide in our hearts and grow in our relationship with God – but a huge responsibility has been given to these pastors!!!!
Joel Osteen is NOT a good shepherd! I’ve heard his babbling on television and when given an opportunity to present the gospel message when on something like Larry King and just sit there and smile through things.
You may subscribe to his babblings, but I will not listen to a man who shepherds over an arena. This man cannot possibly be a true shepherd to thousands of people. This mega church ministry, and others like it is WRONG. You cannot meet these people and minister to them in a true shepherd’s way with such a large crowd.
Teaching “Your Best Life Now” is not the way the true Believer’s life. Our best life is to come, not NOW.
He’s a false teacher! His lifestyle and teachings do not line up with Scriptures.
Diana,
You bring up a good point in that we can sometimes get used to being negative all the time. It is almost like we need to be critical to be happy.
However, we need to discerning. There are alot of people that speak the name of Jesus, but what they say about Him is wrong. Mr. Osteen does mislead people. You also use the word “reverend”, please think about what that word means. You are saying that a man is to be revered. What happened to us decreasing so that Jesus can increase.
Also, you say that we are entitled to Worship God as we please. That sounds cute and very democratic. However, it is quite possible for people to be wrong when acting on all of their entitlements. Jesus said that true worship is worship conducted in spriit and truth. Sometimes we try to democratize Christianity and say we have the right to do this and we are entitled to do this.
That is a good point Matthew that many of us need to be mindful of. We don’t worship God as we please, but how He instructs us. How do we know this? By reading His Word and hearing what the Spirit has to say.
All too often we accept things handed to us by “spiritual leaders” and not question where their ideas came from. We follow blindly and this is a dangerous thing. We need to know truth and line up what they are telling us and if it’s not in line with the Word of God, we need to get out of their churches. In spite if it “feels good” to our flesh, if our spirits are troubled, it’s an indicator that something is wrong.
Oh America, America, you stone the true servants of God while you place false teachers on pedestals!
You follow after the lusts of your flesh rather than the truths from the Word of God.
You would rather listen to candy coated heresy rather than hear the truth and be reminded we are nothing and can do nothing apart from God!