It is a theory that Mr. Osteen may have received too much of the hell fire and damnation preaching in his younger days and chooses to present another side of the loving God. Regardless, he feels in his own eyes that is is right to preach what he is preaching. I have a family member who listens to him and his name was brought up in a conversation. I would feel uncomfortable commenting on him or his teachings having not listened to him. I had heard others speak of him but I never watched him and I never followed any posts on SI concerning him. I wrote him off, categorizing him as yet another WOF teacher.
So I committed myself to listening to a few of his sermons for the sake of my relative. I heard a very pleasant message with several jokes and anecdotes. He is somewhat charismatic and reminds me of a young jovial boy who is always smiling. This is what people see and hear. It is pleasant and uplifting but is it gospel and does it have within it the true joy of being a child of God?
it appeals to the one who would benefit from listening to it. So how would I judge it according to scripture which would be the test for any truth. I would liken it to watching an enjoyable movie in a comfortable theater. However, in the lobby there is a raging fire. It has enveloped most of the building and there is but one exit that is temporarily free of the flame. No one in the theater is yelling fire. There is no smell of smoke so there is no concern or alarm and so all sit there content unaware of the eminent danger. It is a one sided gospel that speaks well of man and when man is elevated he is in grave danger. Men should rise up to who they are in Christ and that is a position of blessing beyond description, but to hear a gospel that does not humble men before the Almighty is robbery in the greatest sense. In our humility He is glorified. Do not even the Angels in His presence cover their eyes. How dare anyone treat the Holy God in such cavalier fashion as to have no fear of looking into the Ark. The message I heard, being tailor made to men, catered to the desire to better their condition in this world but It was delinquent of unselfish love, trembling, and reverence that one should desire toward the God who is everything to them.
Having felt that I had given a good listen to Mr. Osteen I felt I could then see what was recorded by others that would never be posted by his ministry. I saw a recording of a man who stood on a parkway corner as the thousands of people leaving this mega church were being ushered out and to their respective parking facilities. The man on the corner was yelling," repent". All of the people leaving the church ignored the man. Not one in this clip addressed the man or did anything but ignore him. What would I do if I were leaving a gathering of the saints and a lone man stood on the corner for the purpose of telling me to repent? This picture has not left my mind for a month now. Although this man may be a crazy, and I don't know anything about him (the man on the corner that is), what a picture of the churches scattered across this land it could represent. Families are leaving facilities, where supposed saints have gathered, and as they leave a lone man stands on the corner yelling repent and no one listens. Not to pagans, and those in obvious rebellion against God, but the very churches across the land. It is a frightening picture I fear that is not just fitting for Joel's church but for a great majority as well.
