A Visit to Lakewood
I went to Lakewood Church tonight...it was an interesting experience. And sadly, it was exactly what I expected-health and wealth Gospel. Everything sounded nice-it was like honey flowing from Osteen's lips. But it was vapid speech that meant so little...
Joel Osteen: "All things work out to your advantage..."
Bible: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Osteen: "God will give you the credit you deserve..."
Last time I checked, I don't deserve credit. Sometimes I crave it, but I never deserve it. The whole sin things corrupts me and makes me unworthy of credit.
Osteen: "God is fair"
God is just. Romans 12:19 - "It is mine to avenge, I will repay...." But the Bible does speak of judging "fairly" so it is doable. However, hearing "fair" makes me think about children who constantly whine about how life is not fair.
Fair - Webster's Dictionary - definition #8 is "Consistent with rules, logic, or ethics" which is what Osteen talked about. The seven previous definitions don't fit with God's character.
Osteen: "Job had a restoration attitude"
Job was bitter...and sad. And he also believed that God was in control. Restoration wasn't what God was looking for in Job. God was looking for obedience and trust. Because Job had those things, God restored the tangible things in his life.
Osteen: "We are more than conquerors...[conquerors are winners]"
The interesting thing is that in Romans 8, a preceding verse says, "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered" and is followed by "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
These verses don't tell me that I'm a "winner." They say that I face great strife and great hardship because of Christ. My life isn't defined by worldly success.
Osteen: "God will pay us back double and triple."
God doesn't owe me anything. Period. I am not entitled to anything. And I can't think of any biblical promise that guarantees triple blessings. It sounds nice, but it's not biblical.
Osteen: "If you believe, all things are possible"
Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." The key to this statement is "through him" - Him being Christ. The key isn't me and any random belief I choose but the person to whom I believe. Matthew 19:26: "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Once again, the key isn't necessarily the belief, but once again, it's whom you believe.
I can believe that my coffee table will save me. But that doesn't mean anything. I can believe that I'll be making 6 figures next year, but it doesn't mean much.
It's really too bad...I was hoping there would be more.
Comments
Janae Said: (August 21, 2005 11:51 AM)
1. good summary 2. that sermon disappoints me in a way 3. i still want to visit lakewood....just to experience it.