Last night I was watching Billy go through his Google Reader (yes, folks...this is my exciting life), and a couple of posts about Joel Osteen came up.
One of them included this video:
Needless to say, it sparked some discussion around here.
So, let me begin stating my opinion by saying that I'm not a "fan" of either of these guys. I think Driscoll's jerky, and I think Osteen is creepy.
And in the end, I think they are both wrong.
Osteen's side is simply stated: We are victors and that is evidenced in our physical and mental lives. We will be taken care of as children of the King to the extent that our physical ailments will be healed and our mental anxieties will be quenched.
Driscoll's take is also simple: Osteen paints too pretty of a Christian picture. Driscoll's rebuttal focuses on how bad life is in the interest of discrediting Osteen's health and wealth gospel. He uses Jesus as an example of how disheartening earthly circumstances can be.
My Authoritative Verdict:
Osteen, of course, is glossing over the truth of John 16:33, which reminds us that we will have trouble. Not all of our problems will vanish simply because we are children of the King.
However, in all Driscoll's passion against Osteen's "heresy," he ignores the truth that is preached from the pulpit of Lakewood Church.
While I think Osteen's application of truth may extend too far, the fact is that he is basing his teachings on promises of scripture, such as 1 Corinthians 15:57, Romans 8:28-39, Matthew 6:33, and Philippians 4:6-8.
But what does Driscoll say about verses such as the ones above -- with the truth that we are more than conquerers (a.k.a. victors), we will have all our financial needs met, and we shouldn't be anxious? In this video, he neglects that Osteen's ideas come from scripture, and he gives all the reasons why these truths are not true.
See, I am not defending Osteen's implications (and at points, his outright statement) that God will heal all physical ailments. But I think this is simply an over-compensation, swinging far from people who are constantly reminding us that this life is hard.
I think Osteen's message is popular because we aren't called to be defeated, and people know this inherently. We aren't called to always focus on how screwed up the church is. We aren't called to simply accept hardship and remain in a victim mentality.
We are called to live with Christ's victory. We are new creations, and we are in Christ.
When this truth permeates our Christian circles, we won't need to have extremists like Osteen remind us that we are children of the Most High God.
When we trust that our position is truly what the Bible says it is, we do have victory, even though we may still have physical pain.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
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I'm so proud of you girl, this is such a good post.
ReplyDeleteGood call on the extremism of both of these clips. The Gospel is a messy complex thing and when we try to reduce it down to a simplistic formula we bound to leave out core elements of importance.
Although I have seen other clips of Driscoll speaking that would lead one to believe that he agreed with the more complex/moderate view point you put forth. (and simply didn't articulate that in this short clip.)
As for Osteen I've seen clips of his that were even more heretical than this one. I actually didn't think this one was that bad compared to other stuff I've heard come out of this guy's mouth.
Ya know, I'm just bias toward Driscoll becuase he wears cool jeans.
Amen sister!!
ReplyDeleteYeah, everything in this life is a tension... we are after Christ but before his second coming; we are victors but still must fight and experience pain; we want Jesus to come, but then again don't because there are still those who don't know Him. We live in-between.
ReplyDeleteThat is so funny that you posted this because just the other night hubby and I were flipping through the channels and there was a show on with Osteen. I have many friends here in the Bible belt (midwest) that like this guy and the more I watched the less I liked him. I have been a Christian for many years and I have never believed in the name it and claim it bs. We went to a church here that spoke the very same thing and needless to say, we don't attend there anymore.
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteMy wife used to watch Osteen until one time his wife was interviewed and she said she was never tempted....that was it!!The realness we though we were getting from the disappeared. Thanks for your post.
Miguel,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment.
This video is the only Osteen I've actually watched, and I didn't find it offensive.
But since I posted, I have read a little of his book "Your Best Life Now," and I'm not digging it.
For his wife to say that she's never tempted edges on heresy, I think. Even Jesus himself was tempted, for goodness sake!