Tim Challies’ post today is entitled “Smilingly Leading You to Hell”… in which he says that nice guys many times do not give a full gospel message.
He cites Brian McLaren and Joel Osteen as examples in point.
On Joel Osteen, he writes:
Both the history of the church and contemporary Evangelical church are replete with nice people who are in complete rebellion against God. Is there anyone nicer than Joel Osteen? Yet is there anyone whose message has less of the gospel and more anti-biblical nonsense? You can watch him in this video, sitting with Oprah, receiving accolades, nicely, smilingly leading an eager crowd farther and farther from the cross. He is nice, but he, too, will nice you straight to the gates of hell, flashing that brilliant smile all the while.
OK… I agree that the niceness of a person does not indicate the level of their gospel presentation.
But my question for you is… is this a bit strong?
Is it fair to say that Joel Osteen is leading people straight to the gates of hell and that he is in complete rebellion against God?
Easy question. Difficult answer. What do you think? Yes or no?
I have a whole blog post inside of me on Joel Osteen… maybe this will give me reason to actually write it.
Todd
Personally, I can find more of the Character of God in the likes of Joel Osteen than his detractors. I am not a Joel Osteen fan, but the way in which he is attacked by lesser men in my mind proves the veracity of his effectiveness (1 John 4:7-8).
Biblically speaking, in my view there is more evidence to support people who spend time running down other people publicly being closer to the “going to hell” side of things than someone like Joel (See Matthew 7, 1st John 4). However, ultimately it is not our place to make decisions about who is saved and who is not or who is going to “nice you straight to the gates of hell” and who is not.
I really think it is very harsh to say that Joel Osteen is leading people to hell.
Our first source of knowledge should be straight from the Bible FIRST, then we will be able to discern which Bible teacher we can glean from. But I am a firm believer that we can not get all our knowledge and wisdom from just one person either.
Love your blog!
my problem with Joel is that I have seen him on several tv talk shows have the opportunity to say that Jesus is the only way to heaven, and he has not taken advantage of it, once even saying something to the effect of there are different ways to God…that is NOT true..and he should never say something like that, ever..
JESUS SAID THAT IF YOU ARE ASHAMED OF HIM AND THE GOSPEL, HE WILL BE ASHAMED OF YOU IN THE JUDGEMENT. OSTEEN IS OBVIOUSLY ASHAMED OF THE REAL GOSPEL. THAT BIG BRIGHT SMILE IS NOT EVEN REAL. IT IS PERMANENTLY PASTED ON HIS FACE AND DOES NOT INDICATE JOY, BUT SPIRITUAL BONDAGE AND FAKERY. SOMETIMES IT APPEARS TO BE ABSOLUTELY SPOOKY
Is Billy Graham also leading people straight to hell with his acceptance of Mormonism as Christian. Joel is no more or no less true to the Gospel.
Unfortunately, our friends who are Mormon are not Christian. Mormonism is another religion that Christianity because it fails on the very basic tenet of who is Jesus?
It seems like there is a reaction to the strength of Tim Challies’ language. However, let’s reflect on the sober truth that Joel Osteen does not preach the gospel. He offers a buffet of Bible lite, moral therapeutic deism, success speak & performance based spirituality ( i.e. candy coated legalism). And ..what does this aberrant teaching lead to???
Joel Osteen has departed from the message that his father, the late John Osteen preached.. He uses the same introduction that his father used before preaching. Holding up his Bible this is said:
“This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive; Ill never be the same. In Jesus name, God bless you.”
We hear Joel allude to some scripture, but we also hear some of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and positive thinking preached, some of which is new age and anti-biblical.
BUT, what we hear in our local churches is not much different. I can tear apart sermons, but have come to know, as it has been said, “sermons are like watermelons, you gotta spit out the seeds”.
Any preacher that says there’s many ways to God is a false teacher… no matter how nice that preacher is… Paul said in the latter days many would be decieved and led astray like preachers like this… on another note… any preacher that’s not living what they preach is not fit to be a preacher… doesn’t matter who they are or how large of a following they have…
It is always tempting to consider the success of a leader to be a sign of their failure to tell the whole story. Smacks of modern day phariseeism. I know that we are in more danger of erring on the side of judgment than of being like Jesus.
Jesus was pretty hard on those who were religious but presented other options for a relationship with God. And Jesus judged them harshly – “whitewashed sepluchers full of dead men’s bones”
Cindy: If you have seen Osteen on many talk shows then you have indeed heard him say that Jesus IS the only way to God. In fact, he refers to it as “a basic tenet of Chritianity.” After his appearance 7 years ago on Larry King where he was admittedly squishy on that answer, he posted an apology on his website and then appeared on Larry King again where he unequivocally declared Jesus as the “The only way to God.” He has been asked on many, many talk shows his position and each time he has clearly stated that Jesus IS the only way. So, if you have watched him as often as you say, then you have indeed heard him say this.
Now, I understand that many of the self-righteous who read my comment will certainly ask, “Why was he not clear about this when he did the Larry King interview 7 years ago?” The answer might be that perhaps he was trying not to offend anyone… and, even though Osteen’s personality is non-combative, I would agree that it is not a good answer. A better question might be, “How come the Apostle Peter denied Jesus 3 times, yet was forgiven for his error?” Joel Osteen asked for forgiveness after the Larry King interview 7 years ago, yet so many “loving, devoted, merciful Christians” choose not to forgive him. I refer all of them to Matthew 7:2; For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
The size of a church has nothing to do with anything. If that were the case, Hudson Taylor was a magnificent failure. It would also quite honestly, most of pastors, pastoring most of the churches in the world, as well. The sad fact is that bigtime pastors are saying some extremely crazy things about salvation, hitching their rides to blatantly heretical teachers and teachings. That is a recipe for destruction.
A pastor stating that they shouldn’t have made a video about homosexual marriage is blatantly trying to sidestep a pretty serious issue in God’s vision of the world. That pastor should be shouting from the rooftop at every opportunity God’s statements on that just one issue. Hooking your wagons with that… is absolutely wrong. No matter how we want to shake that stick.
Joel is one of those men. He has had many opportunities recently and did the same thing. He can’t say that certain sins are sins, nor can he state when point blank asked if a person continues to stay in those sins what the recourse is.
And again, there are some names on this website who are connected. Tweeting with this one, this one is my bud. I’m preaching at this church, who is connected to this one, who is hanging with TD Jakes and preaching modalism and WF.
Preach the gospel, preach what the bible says and let the chips fall where they may. In the end, preaching another Jesus isn’t getting anyone to heaven anyway.
Giving weight to the issues we discern… From what perspective do we witness the gospel of Jesus Christ being layed out in public only to be dissapointed by those we expect much from such as Joel Osteen, determines our reaction. Being passive as the comment above is, doesn’t help. And knowing that Mr. Osteen adds to his weak public testimonies by endorsing Mormonism which is in direct conflict with scripture, kinda buries the “works of unrighteousness hatchet” in His forehead where it belongs… The Holy Spirit put it there brother, not me.
There’s a Jewish man in a nursing home who listens to Osteen because he’s so “pleasant” and not too heavy on Jesus. I know people who quote Osteen rather than the Bible because they prefer’s Osteen’s prosperity message, and they want to have lots of THINGS. I agree with Chris that endorsing Mormonism as Christian was very wrong. I have never run across an Osteen admirer who had sound Biblical knowledge. I won’t go so far as to say he leads people to hell, but I think he leads people astray, Christians and nonChristians.
It’s an interesting one isn’t it? I see why Tim would come down so strongly in naming such teaching for what it is… after all, Osteen’s teaching might be the only ‘Christian’ teaching people will hear and that would be a shame to see them go down a wrong path in ‘faith’ after taking on board his guidance… Jesus did not often mince his words either when addressing the Pharisees and their wrong theology either. Interesting indeed!
He believes Mormon’s are Christians. How is that saving people?