Why Joel Osteen Should Stop Calling Himself a Pastor and Put a “Self-Help” Sign Outside His Building
I don’t mean to pick on Joel Osteen. I really don’t. But the truth of the matter is that several publications are now referring to him as “America’s Pastor.” While other descriptors have been used, this is one that I have been thinking about for quite a while. I’ve actually gone back and forth about posting on this because any time something critical of someone like Osteen is written, we have to wade through a lot of issues. The accusation of sour grapes is always just under the surface. After all, Osteen leads what many now refer to as North America’s largest church and I don’t. He’s on television and I’m not. But as much as I can know my own heart (Jeremiah 17:9), I’m not jealous. Then there’s the charge that I’m writing about Joel Osteen just to get more traffic on my blog, because, let’s face it, he’s a draw no matter how you look at it. But again, my blog is not a main focus in my life. It’s a form of relaxation for me, it’s a place to explore ideas and put them out for feedback. I’m not really concerned with the traffic that comes through. Of course, I hope at least some people read and benefit, but again, as much as I can know my own heart, I’m not writing about Joel Osteen today because I want more traffic.
So why am I writing again about Joel Osteen? I wrote recently about why I feel that his his book should not be sold in Christian bookstores. Since that time I have received several e-mails and comments defending Osteen. All the while the move to make him “America’s pastor” is becoming stronger. I don’t think it’s healthy to either ignore or dismiss Osteen but I also don’t think it’s right to pick on him because he’s popular. However, because of his popularity, he is held to a high standard and it would do us well to consider whether he aligns well with the standard of Scripture.
In my recent post, I featured a quote from the transcript of Osteen’s recent 60 Minutes appearance, which we’ll get to in a bit. In the meantime, I find it interesting that ABC News says that Olsteen’s message is a: “gentle, positive one that often sounds more like self-help than sermon.” ABC has picked up on an important aspect that we’ll return to, but in the meantime, let’s turn to Scripture. At Grace Community Church, where I pastor, we have been prayerfully considering men for the position of elder. The result has been not only a lot of good introspection, but much searching of the Scriptures. One of the fist things ought to be obvious: there are indeed biblical qualifications for pastors (elders).
We find the most extensive treatment of the position of elder (which we associate with pastors. Though not elders are “pastors” in the sense we have come to understand the term, biblically, all pastors are elders and therefore held to these biblical standards) in 1 Timothy 3. It’s interesting that the main thing separating the list of qualifications of elders and deacons is found in 1 Timothy 3:2 and is the ability to teach. But Paul means more than a generic ability to convey information and we know this from Titus 1:9 where he again speaks of the qualifications of elders, saying: “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” Paul challenged Timothy to be “a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (1 Timothy 2:15). Few would dispute Osteen’s skill as a communicator, but is this the same thing as being a sound biblical teacher? Paul says that pastors must be able to understand and communicate the truth of the Word and they must be able to protect the church against false doctrine. And yet, in his 60 Minutes appearance, note the following exchange:
“To become a better you, you must be positive towards yourself, develop better relationships, embrace the place where you are. Not one mention of God in that. Not one mention of Jesus Christ in that,” Pitts remarks.
“That’s just my message. There is scripture in there that backs it all up. But I feel like, Byron, I’m called to help people…how do we walk out the Christian life? How do we live it? And these are principles that can help you. I mean, there’s a lot better people qualified to say, ‘Here’s a book that going to explain the scriptures to you.’ I don’t think that’s my gifting,” Osteen says.
Notice what Osteen says: don’t come to him for help understanding the Scriptures, because he doesn’t feel that that is his “gifting.” Osteen may not feel that explaining the Scriptures is his gifting, but since he has stepped behind a pulpit, since he holds up the Bible, since he calls himself a pastor and since he calls his gathering a church, this is exactly what he will be held accountable for. Paul specifically says that elders must be able to “give instruction in sound doctrine” and yet Osteen says that this is specifically not his gifting.
What’s more, there is an expectation that God’s people will move towards spiritual maturity, part of which is certainly doctrinal understanding and application. In Ephesians 4:13-14, Paul says that we must grow into maturity “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” The writer to the Hebrews says that we ought to move beyond the “elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1) and in Hebrews 5:12-13, he chastises his readers, saying: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.” God expects his people to grow in spiritual maturity, of which a great part is understanding and applying the Scriptures.
Clearly Pastors are to be leading their congregations into the ever deeper truths of the Word. Yet, Michael Horton says of Osteen’s message: “I think it’s a cotton candy gospel” and in 2005, Larry King said to Osteen: “people call you cotton candy theology. Someone said you’re very good but there’s no spiritual nourishment. I don’t know what that means …” Clearly people from Michael Horton to Larry King recognize that Osteen’s message might be a mile wide (which it is not; it is in fact quite narrow), but it is only an inch deep (at best). It doesn’t take long to realize that Osteen’s message is not just stuck on the repeat button, but it’s rather shallow.
One of the difficulties about being in leadership of any kind is learning how to take criticism. Leaders must learn to discern what criticism is valid and what is not. One thing to watch for is hearing the same critique from different people over a period of time. This still doesn’t make it true but when you begin to hear the same critique from a variety of people over an extended period of time, that’s a sign that you’d better at least begin considering what’s being said. Here we have Larry King in 2005 and Michael Horton in 2007 both critiquing Osteen for being “lite” in his message. He is certainly not leading people into spiritual maturity but simply giving them sips of milk.
Another criticism that continually appears is that Osteen does not preach the full Gospel. Osteen himself said: “I like to see myself as a life coach, a motivator to help them experience the life of God that God has for them. People don’t like to be beat down and told ‘You’ve done wrong.” Osteen is right that people don’t like to be told when they’ve done wrong, but he’s got it wrong if he believes that he can call himself a pastor and avoid this responsibility (notice that he did not refer to himself as a pastor but as a “life-coach!”). First of all, Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 18:15-20 that confronting sin is the responsibility of every believer. In 1 Corinthians 5:11-14, Paul says specifically that we are to confront sin in the midst of the church and “purge the evil person from among you.”
But not only are pastors, along with every believer, to confront sin, without sin, there is no need for salvation. And yet, when asked if he uses the words “sin or sinners” by Larry King, Osteen responded: “I don’t. I never thought about it. But I probably don’t. But most people already know what they’re doing wrong. When I get them to church I want to tell them that you can change. There can be a difference in your life. So I don’t go down the road of condemning.” Notice that Osteen’s response is not the Gospel. Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:15: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” Did Paul have it wrong? Did he just need to be told that he could have a different life, or did Paul mean it when he said that apart from Christ we are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-10)? Clearly Paul believed that everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23) and deserves death (Romans 6:23). Without sin there is no need for salvation. If Osteen is not willing to preach about sin then he is not preaching about the Cross and if he is not preaching about the Cross then he is not preaching Christ and if he is not preaching Christ then he is not a pastor.
Instead of preaching sin and salvation, Osteen gives tips on becoming a better you. He is encouraging millions of people to do little more than rearrange the deck chairs on the sinking ships of their souls. In place of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), Osteen is teaching people to put another coat of paint on the tomb walls (Matthew 23:27). Without seeing God in His holiness, without seeing our sin in light of God’s holiness, without crying out in need of a Savior, without the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit, we are still rotting tombs on the inside, even if we have a better parking spot and a big smile along the way.
Paul very clearly warns Timothy that “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3). Joel Osteen is nothing more than an ear-tickler. The Christian community must pray for Osteen and those caught in the glimmer of his smile and we must not be afraid to stand with the Word and point out where even popular people do not stand in agreement with God’s revelation. If we do not, many will follow the intoxicating flute song of being a better person to that dreadful day of “Depart from Me, for I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23).
- Read my recent post “Why Joel Osteen’s Newest Book Should Not Be Sold in Christian Bookstores”
- Read the transcript of Osteen’s recent 60 Minutes appearance
- Read the transcript of Osteen’s Larry King appearance
- Read Heresies and How to Avoid Them: Why It Matters What Christians Believe, edited by Ben Quash
- Read Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem
Hey Brent…enjoyed the post here, hope others from my blog will read it from the link I gave. God Bless
[...] 11, 2007 Why Joel Osteen Should Put a Self Help Sign Outside His Building … Posted by Doug under culture, ministry, news, quotes My friend, Brent Thomas, has aprovoking post about why Joel Osteen should stop calling himself a pastor and put a self-help sign outside his building: I don’t think it’s healthy to either ignore or dismiss Osteen but I also don’t think it’s right to pick on him because he’s popular. However, because of his popularity, he is held to a high standard and it would do us well to consider whether he aligns well with the standard of Scripture. (Read the rest here) [...]
I agree totally, and unfortunately there are many pastors and churches out there who are doing the exact same thing as Joel Osteen. I used to work at a church that put on a message series called “Self-help in Sandals”. This is what too many Christians have boiled Jesus down to…
It’s tragic.
But we(local churches) must get on the business of being outposts of the Kingdom, swearing allegiance to a King who demands our all.
[...] 11, 2007 · No Comments In this article Brent from colossiansthreesixteen talks about why Joel Osteen shouldn’t beAmerica’s Pastor or a pastor at all. No offense Brent but if America, for the most part, rejects the gospel isn’t Osteen ‘their pastor’? Isn’t he the fellow who tickles their ears and tells them they deserve that beemer and six figures? Besides, I thought Rick Warren was America’s pastor… [...]
Have you read Dr. Michael Horton’s review of Osteen’s newest book? It is a great look at the THEOLOGY of Mr. Osteen and how “biblical” that book is.
For more related resources check out this link:
Oops, My previous post didn’t come through correctly. I wasn’t paying attention. The link above goes to the book review. Here is a link to some other related resources to Dr. Horton’s appearance on 60 Minutes:
Related Resources
When an anchor from a national news channel calls you out on not preaching about God/Jesus/the Bible, you might be in trouble…
Thank you for writing this piece so well and so thoroughly. I have been telling friends to steer clear of Osteen’s books and teaching.
He is all granola and no Gospel!
Brent:
Wow! You have made an excellent case for why as Christians we should be mature enough to be able to recognize cotton candy from meat and potatoes and more importantly, why we should desire and seek the latter. I’m glad to see someone voice out what perhaps many of us are thinking but don’t have the gifting you do to put those thoughts in humble and yet eloquent writing. If Joel Osteen is truly America’s Pastor than other pastors from Billy Grahm all the way back to Jonathan Edwards will have wasted their lives.
Thanks for the thoughtful articles Brent.
I wish I had time to write like this…
Thanks Brent. I have long since settled on the fact that Joel Osteen should not be standing behind the “podium.” If that is how he views his sermons, then he should not be leading a church, but a self-help organization. He could probably solicit help from Tony Robbins too and make one dynamite weekly conference of positive lectures.
This quotes says it all, “If Osteen (any preacher) is not willing to preach about sin then he is not preaching about the Cross and if he is not preaching about the Cross then he is not preaching Christ and if he is not preaching Christ then he is not a pastor.”
That pretty much should sum it up concerning the responsibility from the pulpit.
Preach Christ and Him crucified!
Semper fi in Christ.
“WHY DO YOU LIKE JOEL OSTEEN?” [12/27--2007]
Joel Osteen of nearby Lakewood Church has a new book, Become a Better You, and he has been a recent guest on several TV programs being interviewed about the new book and his ministry.
I have seen some of the current criticisms of Joel’s interview with Chris Wallace, but the critics have generally ignored what was said at the end of the Wallace interview:
>>
WALLACE: And beyond that, is there a message you would like to give our viewers before they watch your show, as they’re watching our show, a message this Christmas?
OSTEEN: Oh, my message is that — you know, that God is a good God, and that he’s on our side, and that he has great things in store and, you know, I believe that as we receive the forgiveness that Christ came and was born and died to give us, then we can live a great life.
>>
It seems that critics will often look for something they can criticize and will ignore the foregoing type of comment.
Sometimes I have been asked about Joel — if I like him and why — so I thought I would share a few of my reasons for liking him. I have been an observer of Joel and Lakewood Church ever since Joel became pastor a few years ago. At the time, they were located just across the Houston Ship Channel from my store, and several members were my customers. One of the members does all of the store’s electrical repairs. I have also read both of Joel’s books, heard numerous sermons on TV, and have heard most, if not all, of his TV interviews about which he has been criticized by some critics. I have formed my own opinion about Joel, the critics notwithstanding. I only wish they were doing a tenth as much good in the Kingdom of God as Joel is doing.
1. Joel impresses me as being completely honest, humble, and one who is content to simply “be himself,” and does not attempt to put on the “airs” of a know-it-all, theological scholar, political expert, a “healer,” an “apologist,” or anything else of a high-falutin sort. He’s not a hot-dogger or show-off.
2. Joel impresses me that in his ministry he is focused upon emphasizing the positive biblical principles for daily living, seeking to help and encourage those who face the various challenges of life. He’s not hung-up, for instance, on ostensibly “equipping believers” to deal with all the heresies and cults, but with putting their lives in better order by getting right with God thru applying the principles of Scripture, thinking on the things of virtue and praise (Philippians 4:8).
3. Joel impresses me that he is not wedded to what is called “expository” preaching, or to what the alleged scholars say, or to what “the Greek says,” or other forms of peripheral embellishing palabber which characterizes some preachers.
4. Joel impresses me that he does not complicate the Gospel or any other major doctrine of the Bible. He keeps things on a level that children can understand them in contrast to bogging them down with some of the boggling theological controversy and terminology which characterize some other preachers.
5. Joel impresses me that he is not given to emphasis upon what passes today as “apologetics,” trying to “prove” or “defend” something. He seems content to simply believe the Bible and propagate its teachings. He gives the impression that he believes the Bible can stand on its own two feet, that the Bible says it, and that settles it.
6. Joel impresses me that he is not a “prooftext” type of preacher, yet it would difficult to find him teaching something for which there are not several Scriiptures which support it.
7. Joel impresses me that he does not claim some type of peculiar or extraordinary “anointing” or “gift” which sets him upon a unique pedestal of alleged “power” of some description. He is not into modern “charismaticism” nor “contemporary” pulpit attire such as clergy robes, T-shirts, or casual wear.
8. Joel impresses me that he is rather independent in his associations. He does not appear to be “thick” with a denomination, theological “camp,” other ministers, ministries, politicians, movements, etc. which would presumably embellish his own work. He and his church stand or fall on their own faith and practice, and are not looking around for “crutches.”
9. Joel impresses me in how he responds to critics. He simply ignores their yelps, and keeps on doing what he believes God has called him to do.
10. Joel impresses me in his family life. I know of no public figure who is demonstrating a better example of a Christian family than Joel.
In closing, let me once again give an example of Joel’s message:
“I believe there is a void in every person that only a relationship with God can fill. I’m not talking about religion or joining a particular church. I’m talking about developing a relationship with your heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. I believe that knowing Him is the source of true peace and fulfillment in life” (Become A Better You, page 377).
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Permission granted to copy and use this article.
Pilgrim Website: >www.pilgrimpublications.comhttp://members.aol.com/pilgrimpub/index.htm
Remember why God rejected Cain and his offering.
Notice the achievements of his lineage.
Image is everything in this age.
There Are Fundamental Theological (Biblical) issues that Must be dealt with.
What requires one to listen to another claiming to be a preacher of God? How does one know who to listen to?
Cain sought to gain God’s blessing by trying to be a good (an improved!) sinner, all the while refusing God’s Own Sacrifice Already Paid!
Cain continued to refuse and reject “the Lamb of God Slain from the foundation of the world”.
How do we know true Preachers sent from God from those self proclaimed ones? What do they proclaim?
Cain became world renown. Able was slain; but the message remains the same…No man comes unto the Father but by Christ and Him Crucified.
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