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| Crown of Favor or Crown of Selfishness? |
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OK, I'm not the biggest fan of this guy, but these comments are just my thinking out loud and are not an attempt to bash him. I happened to watch Joel Osteen's program last night. As usual, he used Bible verses out of context, but the part that concerned me was that he used a verse out of 1 Peter that, in context, refers to the blessing that we will receive when we see Jesus face to face in heaven. He used it to say that we can claim "divine favor" in this life and we have the right to expect people to give us preferential treatment. One example he used is waiting in a long line at the grocery store. He said that if you are at the end of that long line and a cashier taps you on the shoulder to come to a line about to open - that is God showing you His favor.
Well, stop and think about that for a moment. Are we called to live as Jesus did? Didn't Jesus say that He came not to be served, but to serve? How does this fit with the line at the grocery store? If I am at the end of a long line at the grocery store, tha means that there are several people in front of me who have been waiting in line even longer than I have. As a Christian, do I really have the "right" to claim my "divine favor" and take the first spot in the next line? Is that serving or being served? Would Jesus jump at that spot in the next line or let the people in front of Him know that another register is opening?
Perhaps this is why, when my wife and my mother (who is in a wheelchair) went to a Christian women's conference recently and found it to be the rudest crowd they have evern experienced. An arena full of people not looking out for others, but claiming their own right to divine favor and preferential treatment. I guess divine favor means you can make it hard for someone in a wheelchair to get to where they need to go! Pretty sad that my mother is treated better by sinful people at the mall than she is by fellow sisters in Christ.
Mr. Osteen suggested that, if you are born into the Kennedy or Rockefeller families, you can expect people to treat you better than they do other people, and so children of God can expect the same. Does that fit with...
2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
I know many enjoy Mr. Osteen's talks (I can't call them sermons) because he encourages people to have a positive attitude. But if that positive attitude comes at the expense of others, I would say it is not worth it.
To be honest, I see the Bible portray the joy of the Lord as coming from walking in obedience to the Word of God and living as Jesus lived, not by claiming your right to divine favor.
I welcome your thoughts. But please address what Mr. Osteen said and do not defend him. I am calling this particular teaching into question, not him personally. I'm sure he is a very nice man. |
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| To add a comment to "Crown of Favor or Crown of Selfishness?" |
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| August 06, 2007 |
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wow...that's weird. I was flipping through the channels last night and caught the end of his show...and his whole message seemed to be the like the 'parachute that improves your flight' mentality. That people who accept Christ would be favored in this world and would have happy-go lucky existence. |
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| August 06, 2007 |
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| Yes, he is very much a "this parchute will make your flight better" guy. |
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| August 09, 2007 |
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And this whole time i thought I became a Christian to live.....here all along I could of not been waiting in line... who would of guessed? |
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| August 09, 2007 |
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Great blog! (I thought I'd already commented, oh well, guess I'm going senile early.) ~mike |
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| August 09, 2007 |
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| Joel Osteen is a preacher of the feel good gospel of materialism. He doesn't stanfd for Christ when he comes under questioning, just find his Larry King interview. He's a great motivational speaker but thats about as far as I would take him. I would never trust him to expound the scriptures to me. Can you say wolf in sheeps clothing? |
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| August 10, 2007 |
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| The Larry King interview was one of the saddest and revealing things I have ever seen him do. |
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| August 10, 2007 |
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That which proceeds from the mouth (and pen) of Osteen is good, there's no doubt. But to call it great, or "convicting", or deep, or profitable, might be a stretch. Perhaps even a big one. Not to slam brother Joel. I believe God may well have given him a purpose. But I think we go overboard on him. Like trying to survive on a diet of candy.
I haven't seen the King interview. Maybe I'll look for it online somewhere. Anyway thanks again for the blog, Paul! ~mike |
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| August 10, 2007 |
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To sum up the King interview, Osteen was asked point blank if he agrees with Billy Graham in that only those who receive Jesus Christ as Savior can go to heaven. He said that he can't say that because he knows of many good Hindus and Muslims and Jews and it is not for him to say that they will not go to heaven. I didn't like him before that interview, but that sealed it for me. If there is one question we cannot be weak on, it is that one! John 14:6! I'm not saying that everything he says and writes is bad, but for someone to miss the Jesus only question and to misquote Scripture the way he does leaves me content to stay as clear of him as possible.
Again, I'm sure he's a nice man and means well. I would have no problem with him being Dr. Phil's sidekick rather than "behind the pulpit."
Thanks to all for your discussion! |
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| August 10, 2007 |
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| God's messengers are also held to a higher degree of accountability and to call Joel Osteen a messenger of God is a stretch at best and blasphemous at worst. |
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| August 10, 2007 |
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I am specifically speaking against what Joel Osteen is teaching. I have never met him and cannot comment about him as a person. With that, I am also trying to be faithful to Scripture. No matter who it is speaking, we ought to test it against the Word of God...
Acts 17:11 - "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."
1 John 4:1 - "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
Paul told Timothy to warn people about deceitful spirits, and in so doing..."In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus."
As a pastor myself, I would never warn people against testing me. To do so is often an attempt to get people to follow a leader blindly. I believe it is our duty as believers to test everything that comes out of the mouth of every pastor/teacher out there. Any true messenger of God would not be afraid of such scrutiny.
If a man like Joel Osteen's teaching hold up under scrutiny, I will give them double honor as a messenger from God. If the teaching does not hold up under scrutiny, they are not a true messenger of God and do not deserve that double honor.
Again, if I or any Christian leader were to go on national television and deny that Jesus is the only way to heaven, I think that would disqualify one from being a true messenger of God.
Now, to Mr. Osteen's "credit" he sent a letter of apology to people in his church clarifying what he meant during the Larry King interview. However, as the pastor of the nation's largest church and for a comment made on national television, his clarification needed to be very public.
This conversation has gone deeper than I thought it would. But I think it raises a good point. What do we do when a preacher that we love and whose books we buy misuses Scripture and publicly denies that Jesus is the only way to heaven? Again, personal feeling for Joel Osteen aside - wat is he saying? Sure it feels good, but is it the Word God God? And just because he can quote a few verses, does that mean it is the Word of God? There are plenty of cults that can pull select verses and make them say what they want.
Many gravitate toward Osteen because he encourages positive thinking. Fine. But is positive thinking worth compromising the authority of God's Word over? The joy of the Lord can be found through more faithful teaching. |
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| August 14, 2007 |
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Thought occured to me while in a store today. I was waiting in line for several minutes. I lady got in line behind me and immediately a new register opened - the lady behind me bolted to the new line, leaving me to keep waiting.
So, if I am supposed to have a crown of favor and, if she is a Christian, she would have one as well. What happens when two crowns of favor collide? Can one person's claiming of divine favor steal the right of another to claim divine favor? What did I do wrong that my crown of favor lost out to hers?
Am I sounding ridiculous? Good - point made! |
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| August 16, 2007 |
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| Lol...thats great! |
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