The other night, I was with a friend and Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston was on television. So we found ourselves listening to one of Joel's sermons. As is usually the case, he was quite captivating and very smooth in his delivery. I couldn't help but look at his smooth skin and giant smile and think, "Wow, what a nice looking, great sounding guy!" As I settled in and started listening I found myself being carried along on his words which were extremely well designed and delivered with maximum punchiness.
He was sharing simple truths, and some real common sense. In this particular sermon he was discussing the nature of groups having barriers to understanding other groups. He discussed why we should be accepting of people of other races, ethnic groups, and cultures. I agreed with everything. He talked about a woman who came to his church and told him that she had never before been to a church with a white pastor, and had never had a white friend. Mr. Osteen shared with the audience her victory as she overcame her own barriers, and to this day is a member of Lakewood Church and is still friends with the very woman he challenged her to get to know on a personal level.
It was an amazing success story and something that both the lady and Mr. Osteen could be proud of. Then Mr. Osteen started getting very excited about something. He talked about how God was color blind. He moved on to discuss Paul's conversion and dealings with gentiles in Damascus. I was a little lost in the moment when all of a sudden I came back to reality when I heard what he said next. Using Paul as an example he said, very emphatically, "God will save who he wants to save!"
If I were a horse, my pointy ears would have shot up so fast they would have moved air masses. If I were at that moment, a horse, I probably would have kicked Joel Osteen right in the teeth. WHAT? Let me repeat that. He said, "God will save who he wants to save!" I was stunned. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Like I said, Mr. Osteen used Paul as an example, discussing his persecution of Christians and conversion on the road to Damascus as an example of God's awesome saving power.
Let's just pick that one apart. In providing Saul with an amazing conversion experience, he never once took away his power to choose. The man was blinded, but he could have cried out and said, "Leave me alone! Leave me!" The Lord would have obeyed his wish. But he didn't. He accepted Jesus as Lord right at that moment. In order for God to save who he want's he must damn those that he doesn't want. This takes the power of choice and the virtue of obedience out of the picture. If we were in Mr. Osteen's world, I wouldn't have a chance. My own personal opinion, created ability to have free will, as well as momentary choice would cease to exist. If God wanted me, he would save me. It doesn't matter what I want, or what I believe. Essentially the idea of grace by faith is dead according to Mr. Osteen's statement if God really saves who he wants to save (and damns who he wants to damn).
Am I out of line here? The man said it. He said it right out of his scripted mouth. In front of millions of people. He didn't stop to correct himself, apologize, or indicate an error. He shouted it and then repeated it, twice! WOW! Well folks, let me tell you the truth. Jesus will save you, and he will save every single person on this Earth, but they have to believe in Him! The burden isn't on God. It's on man. You can give me a great sermon that sounds really good. You can say all the right things and make wonderful common sense. You can give me great wisdom to live by. But after all of that, if you fundamentally err on a point so important as to be the basis of the entire Christian doctrine, well buddy, you really, really messed up.
So Mr. Osteen, if you are reading this, come up with a better epiphany to draw home your point. Lead your flock by the doctrine that Christ established in His word. Give people the bad along with the good. And please, PLEASE, keep your facts straight as taught from the basis of God's inerrant and Holy Word, not on the playability of a sound bite.
God Bless You All,
Dan Darden.
Amen Brother! John 3:16,probably the most well known verse even to those who do not know Christ,says: For God so loved the WORLD that He gave His only son,that WHOEVER BELIEVES in Him shall not perish but have eternal life! God's word teaches that it is His desire that ALL have eternal life with Him! John 3:15 says "that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.
ReplyDeleteWhoever doesn't mean the "good" people,the "church" people the ones "that He WANTS TO SAVE!"
Therefore it is our choice whether we accept HIM or not! He loves us when we are at our worse. At calvary there was another man hanging on the cross we seem to forget about. He spent his entire life not believing but, just before his death, he asked how he could have eternal life in heaven and Jesus knew he BELIEVED, therefore Jesus told him you will be in heaven with Me. It was his choice even though he did not live his life believing.God WANTS us to love Him because He ALWAYS loves us,no matter what! We are His creation,beautifully and wonderfully made.If God only wanted certain people to be saved there would be no reason for our instruction book....His word. He gives us instructions on how to be saved...BELIEVE,CHOOSE HIM. It's OUR choice,Christ has already made the sacrifice by giving His son. We have to choose to accept the gift,accept the forgiveness,accept eternal life. It was a gift! He is all knowing so,He does know who will accept and who will reject Him. That doesn't mean He picked who would enjoy eternal life in heaven.We all have the exact same opportunity,we all have something inside us that desires more,desires better,desires happiness and peace. Some choose money,power,relationships,the bottle or drugs but,none satisfies the thirst within. He says come to me and you will not thirst anymore.Joel Olsteen is a GREAT motivational speaker. He says what itching ears want to hear. "you can be prosperous,you can live a life of joy and happiness" Well,yes you can WITH CHRIST. The world is full of hurt and pain,temptation and hatred. The only way to live the way Joel talks about is with Christ not just a POSITIVE MINDSET! 2 Timothy 4:3 says "for the time is coming when people will not endure SOUND teaching,but have itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,and will turn away from listening to the TRUTH and wander off into myths." Hey Joel, let's face reality. You have a huge congregation and it is full of people who leave feeling motivated,excited and pumped but, if they are not given truth about sin and Satan then you are not equipping them the way you are suppose to.The Word also says that those who teach and preach will be responsible for those they speak to. If you lead them in myths and your understanding and not the TRUTH of God's word you will answer for that! You are held at a higher standard,you chose that role. By the way Joel Satan is real,Christ spoke of him,it's ok...you can too!