I’m not a fan of the kind of religious yellow journalism that is constantly out to nail heretic hides to wall. I think we have better things to do than sift through someone’s web site sermons and articles looking for heresy. I’ve had that happen, and it can be annoying. Anyone who preaches and teaches long enough are going to say things that are imprecise and therefore erroneous. It isn’t helpful to root around and find those and publish them on your blog.
Saying that, I stumbled across a video on you tube of Joel Osteen's TV show. Osteen preaches for Lakewood Church, largest church in America; his sermons are broadcast to millions each week. Osteen is a leading advocate of the Prosperity Gospel, sometimes called “Word of Faith” or “Health and Wealth” or “Name-It-and-Claim-It” (or as someone put it, “Blab-It-and-Grab-It”). Whoever posted the video put in their own comments, and while most are fairly accurate criticisms, they aren’t exactly done in a sweet spirit. Watch the video and try to ignore the comments.
What Osteen says in his sermon is that Jesus died on the cross so that we could have a financially prosperous life. He doesn’t say it quite that bluntly, but then he ALMOST says it that bluntly. He suggests that Jesus resurrection gives us the abundant life, which is a life of total victory—
Not partial victory where we have a good family and good health but we constantly struggle in our finances. That’s not total victory.
The point of the death and resurrection of Jesus is financial prosperity? Osteen says nothing about sin or forgiveness. He talks about, well, health and wealth. One of us is missing the point of the cross, and I don’t think its me!
Here’s my point. I wonder how many of us act like the point of the cross is finances? What do we focus on, spend our time on, and worry the most over? Maybe ol’ Joel is just preaching like many of us are acting. Maybe that's why so many people listen to him.
5 comments:
Justin Peters speaks a great deal on Osteen although it is not in this particular video, it is well worth the watch on his site:
http://www.justinpeters.org
He is an expert in this area and comes highly recommended by my pastor, Dr. John MacArthur.
Tuck you make some very good points and a Good and fair point concerning this subject. Luke 6:20 says so much about the abundance of the real treasure poured out by the Lord of lords.
You have touched on this before but it bears repeating. Sin has been and is the problem of mankind. There has been provided. . . and is available. . . a solution. . . as we enter in with repentance there is found forgiveness, grace and mercy in Love.
It has been said that "The 'love of money' is the rot of all that is evil." and it is still true today. Money is useful tool (it should not fall into evil working hands). Finances can do much good, yet if we love and focus more on that tool and make it our focus and aim. . . we will be in real danger of falling into and leading others into the pursuit of a soft and easy way.
Many who are hurting and without will feel unworthy that they did not ‘measure up’ and are not receiving the favor that some preach and speaks of. A life of luxury is not what we should seek. That should not be our aim. We should look for good work to do and do it and help others who are wanting to help in anyway they can. Being able to work and contribute what we can with our God given talents is what we should seek. To contribute and increase as we can. In that way we will all benefit and prosper in an abundant way.
I just read again Romans 16:18 and 6:18 and I know I want to be a slave to that first and foremost (yet, I am not always what I want to be).
Having found that the “positive” preaching of some is very encouraging but not so balanced, perhaps more likely to cause smiley faces, like candy, when what is needed is proper nutrition, is those who pervasively teach shallow financial prosperity in the name of The Lord, health and happiness. And they are setting up people for a great fall, as there is often difficult times. Job knew was aware of this. . . that even those who love and are loved by the Lord will not be without struggle, even as they live an abundant life here and now.
After taking a closer look at his message, and story I can understand the reason such a style was developed and adopted by him. And it is very “positive”; almost to the point of pumping so much sun shine as to blind the listener to any and all painful realities.
Is it damaging to the cause? Does it lift up or tear down? Perhaps the question is. . . is it a waste of time? Are there other places we should be and other more productive things we could be engaging in? What is it that requires our attentions first and foremost?
To much negative preaching can and does instil an attitude of quilt and shame that can be just as.. . and maybe even more debilitating in some ways. Constant exposure to such things can leave a person in a very bad way. And there is that sunshiny style of someone who made an oath very that he would not go down that negative road that he had seen others lead down.
The number of people attending a lecture or pep talk is not a true measure of the effectiveness of the ‘doctrine’. You can catch a lot more flies with honey than you can sour grapes and vinegar.
The number of people attending a concert or other gathering does say something about the time and money that is being dumped into that community and there will always be those who encourage and welcome those with resources to spend time with them and why not? People have to eat and they all need a place to sleep. All that means they will be spending there ‘abundance’.
What about those who can not get out? Why not go to them and spend time with them? Everyone needs to be around other people, to engage and be engaged to be lifted up and encouraged.
I have listened to the one who was on that video and have found it difficult to agree with all that has been said about him. I expect that beneath all that hair and teeth he is probably just as poor and needy as any of those who stand out in the freezing rain looking for a warm, dry, soft place to lay there heads in the early hours of the morning. And we should pray for them, shall we do that.
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