Joel Osteen and “Joel-Likeness”

When I was in the eleventh grade I decided to study Latin. I don’t remember what it was that compelled me to study the language, but I suspect it had something to do with the small class size. Where most classes in my high school had twenty five or thirty students, Latin usually had only seven or eight. And so it was that for a year I studied Latin. The teacher, Dr. Helder, quickly became my favorite teacher and grade eleven Latin stands out as my favorite class in all my years of high school. Dr. Helder was faced with the daunting task of making a group of teenagers enjoy Latin, a dead language. Yet he succeeded in making us not only learn the language but also in making us enjoy learning it. How did he do that? He proved to us that Latin is not dead, but in fact, is still in common use. One ongoing task throughout the year was to collect Latin words and phrases we found in books, newspapers and magazines. We were to collect all these examples and at the end of the year, part of our grade was based on how many of these we found. The more of the language we learned, the more Latin we found. As our eyes were opened to the language, suddenly we saw it all around us - in print, in law, in theology, in advertising, and just about everywhere else.

Six months ago I had never heard of Joel Osteen. I first came across his name when reading about American mega-churches, and having learned a little bit about him, I suddenly found myself seeing him everywhere. If I turn on my television on Sunday morning, I am sure to see his smiling face. When I browse the shelves at Christian bookstores, I see his book, and lately he has begun to make appearances in the media. In this case I do not know whether his increased visibility, like my experience in Latin class, is due to my awareness of him, or if it is due to his rising popularity. I suspect both are true. Either way, it seems that Joel Osteen is quickly becoming one of the big names in the Evangelical church. And how could it be any other way? Evangelicalism is obsessed with numbers and it just so happens that Osteen preaches at the most mega of the mega-churches.

Lakewood Church was founded in the late 1950’s by Joel’s father, John. John Osteen was originally Baptist, but just prior to founding Lakewood, was apparently baptized in the Holy Spirit and became Charismatic. His ministry, in which he preached thousands of sermons and wrote over forty books, ended in 1999 with his sudden death. At the time, nearly 10,000 people packed his church every Sunday. When his father died, Joel was unwillingly thrust into the pulpit. Within a few years, attendance has nearly tripled and the church has been forced to buy the 18,000 seat Compaq Center, former home of the Houston Rockets, to house the congregation. Osteen’s ministry has already eclipsed his father’s in scope and has gone worldwide, as television stations across the globe have begun to air his messages. Today over 100,000,000 households in 100 countries have access to his messages. Joel recently wrote his first book, entitled Your Best Life Now, which promptly became a New York Times best-seller. It is the stuff dreams are made of.

Not surprisingly, Joel Osteen is becoming the poster boy of the mega-churches. He is known to some as “the smiling pastor” and with his good looks, charming personality and beautiful wife, he seems ready to take Evangelicalism by storm. Because of this, it is expedient for believers to take a long, hard look at Osteen and determine if this is a man we want to represent Christians to the world. The next time terrorists strike, do we want to have Osteen speaking to the press on our behalf? The next time tragedy strikes, do we want to see Osteen’s face on Larry King Live and in the newspapers? Is this a man we want to stand as our representative?

Todd Wilken, of the radio program Issues, Etc, often evaluates the sermons of popular preachers on his broadcast, and has done this for several of Osteen’s messages. He evalutes the sermons on the following three criteria:

1. How often is Jesus mentioned? For his purposes, a simple tally will suffice. 2. Is Jesus the subject of the verbs? Is Jesus the one who acts, or are you? 3. What are the verbs? What has Jesus done and what is He doing?

I find this a fair, though basic, framework to evaluate a sermon. Here is what one would expect to hear from a typical sermon in Lakewood Church.

Osteen’s preaching follows a distinct formula. He always begins with a joke, often a “Charismatic, Baptist and Catholic arrive in heaven…” type of joke. He then tells the congregation how great they sound and has them recite the Congregational Confession which goes as follows, “This is my Bible. I am what it says I am, I have what it says I have, I can do what it says I can do. Today I’ll be taught the Word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive, I’ll never be the same, in Jesus name.” He affirms his love and respect for the congregation once more, and then begins the message.

An Osteen sermon is what a fellow blogger calls skyscraper preaching as it is constructed from placing one story on top of another. Each of his sermons is divided into two distinct parts. The first lasts about eight to ten minutes and describes a problem. The predominant words and phrases in this section are “a lot of people,” “some people,” and “many of you.” For example, if he is preaching about joy, this part of the message will focus on how many people, including those in attendance, do not have enough joy in their lives. If he is preaching about integrity, he will tell about people he knows who have lacked integrity. After about ten minutes of this, he moves to the second part of his sermon where the focus changes to himself. Now the predominant words and phrases become “I used to,” “Victoria and I,” and “When I…” I call this the “be like Joel” portion of the sermon, for he shows how he has overcome the problems he described in the first section. In short, his sermons follow the formula of “you’re the problem, I’m the solution.” He nags the congregation for ten minutes and then holds himself up as the example of better Christian living.

He often closes his television broadcasts with a brief prayer, after which he assures the viewers that if they prayed this prayer they are born again.

If we look once more at Wilken’s framework, we will find that Osteen does very poorly. He seldom mentions Jesus, and only mentions the Bible in passing. Osteen preaches a message that is not distinctly Christian, and in truth is not much different from what you might hear coming from Anthony Robbins or any other motivational, feel-good speaker. He deliberately avoids preaching the full Gospel message. The following quote is from a story in Fox News. “I think for years there’s been a lot of hellfire and damnation. You go to church to figure out what you’re doing wrong and you leave feeling bad like you’re not going to make it…We believe in focusing on the goodness of God….I think it’s a place of life and victory. They want to be encouraged and uplifted.” Michael Horton correctly summarizes Osteen’s preaching, saying that it “sort of treats the Bible as a collection of fortune cookies. If you claim the right verses, then you can have health, wealth and happiness.”

Here are two testimonies of other bloggers who have invested time into researching Osteen. Don Elbourne watched a webcast and concluded that there was “No Christ, no cross, no mention of man’s moral bankruptcy, just the feel-good positive message of assurance that God always rewards human effort and virtue.” Michael Spencer, who says he has listened to over twenty five hours of Osteen says “Osteen’s messages are about “God’s Favor” on marriage, finances and career. Sin is never mentioned. In well over 25 hours of preaching that I listened to this year, Jesus was almost never mentioned, and when he was mentioned, it was in a perfunctory prayer in the last minute. Sin, the Cross, the atonement? Not there.”

Jesus is rarely mentioned. If He is mentioned, it is as our helper in becoming better people.

My pastor likes to relate a story of when he was considering leaving a church he pastored in Alberta to begin a new church in the Toronto area. One of the members of his church was a wildly successful businessman who was a marketing genius. My pastor asked this man how he would appeal to the upper class residents of Toronto’s suburban sprawl. The man’s answer was simple: appeal to their guilt. So many of them live in constant guilt that they do not have more time for their wives and children. Play on their guilt and you will have an open door to reach out to them. And that seems to be exactly what Osteen does. He finds the areas in which every person needs to grow. We all need to live with more joy! We all need to live lives of greater integrity! But instead of providing a solution grounded in Scripture, Osteen provides a solution grounded in self. He nags his congregation, daring them, begging them, to try harder. As for God, He is not here to save us from our sin and to meet our greatest need. Instead, God is here to help us try harder as we strive to be just a little bit more like Joel. Osteen’s message is one of Joel-likeness, not Christ-likeness.

A damning indictment of Evangelicalism comes from Wilken, who, with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, says that Osteen has everything going for him. He has “good hair, good teeth, nice fingernails…” Wilken’s point is that many Evangelicals are hopelessly shallow, deliberately opting for style over substance. In an interview with MSNBC, Osteen admits as much. When asked about his success he says, “Maybe it’s the fact that I’m younger, I’m not beating people over the head, and that I’m saying that there are good things in store - you can make it in life. Most of the stuff that I minister [is] not real complicated deep things.” The interviewer reacts with surprise saying “You admit that it’s not complicated and not deep.” And Osteen reaffirms, “No, I admit that. It’s [the] simple things.” He may as well have said “it’s the shallow things.”

The problem with this is that life is complex. And even more importantly, Christianity is complex. Even the apostle Peter had to admit about Paul’s writings that “there are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.” (2 Peter 3:16) A message that is always simple and never complicated, will only appeal to spiritually shallow people - to people who have a thin veneer of faith coating their lives, but have little desire to allow the message to go deeper and to penetrate every area of their lives. And what is most tragic, is that what is most simple in Scripture, the message of sin, death, forgiveness and life, is the very message Osteen forsakes because that is the message his congregation has no interest in hearing. He preaches a shallow message that perfectly suits shallow Evangelical Christianity. Joel Osteen is the posterboy for shallow, feel-good, meaningless, powerless, Gospel-free Christianity.

MinistryWatch.com’s Take
March 2003
By Andy Preslar, Research Fellow

To the Jew and Also to the Greek: A Ministry Divided?
John Hagee Ministries’ (JHM; incorporated as Global Evangelism Television, Inc.) express mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. The primary means by which JHM implements this mission are television and radio broadcasts, crusades and outreach ministries, and book and magazine publications. All of the above feature the preaching and teaching ministry of John Hagee.

In addition to its evangelistic purpose and programs, JHM also works to become a part of fulfilling biblical prophecy. This is done primarily through helping ethnic Jews relocate to the land of Palestine. Actually, the motivation behind this aspect of JHM’s mission is twofold: (1) Hagee’s view of biblical eschatology, and (2) his understanding of the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12: 1-3). The important feature of JHM’s ministry to the Jewish people, relative to the ministry’s express mission of evangelism, is that JHM declines to share the Gospel message to the Jews. This is not merely a matter of emphasis, but one of principle. In short, John Hagee believes and teaches that Jewish persons should not be evangelized because they can be saved apart from faith in Jesus as the Messiah (Christ).

We will explore JHM’s ministry to ethnic Israel in more detail below. The point we are making now is that there appears to be a fundamental tension in JHM’s mission. JHM claims to be an evangelistic ministry, but in one important sense (regarding the Jews) it cannot be evangelistic. Surely JHM “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” [1 Tim. 2:4]). Hagee, however, has split salvation in two- salvation by faith in Christ for the Gentiles, otherwise for the Jews; hence, the divided nature of JHM.

“The Rich in Faith”
John Hagee is not a man to be ignored. For one thing, his imposing physical presence and orotund homiletic style command attention. For another, his preaching and teaching ministry is widely disseminated through his best-selling books (fiction and non-fiction) and television and radio preaching ministry. Finally, much of the content of Hagee’s message is eyebrow raising (see “worldview considerations,” below). Hagee’s preaching and teaching ministry features “old-fashioned” Gospel proclamation and Word-Faith distinctives such as “positive confession,” divine healing (although in a more balanced manner than some Word-Faith teachers), and (especially) the material prosperity which God desires every believer to experience.

As has already been indicated, JHM implements its mission of sharing the Gospel through the following mediums:
Television and Radio Broadcasts: JHM’s television broadcasts (Cornerstone, Cornerstone Live, and John Hagee Today) are available in 92 million homes on 120 television stations throughout the U. S. The ministry’s radio program, John Hagee Today is broadcast on 110 radio stations. JHM states that the purpose of these broadcasts is to proclaim uplifting messages that magnify God and give witness through “old-fashioned Gospel preaching” to the fact that “[t]he gospel of Jesus Christ is still ‘The power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth’ (Romans 1:16).” The lion’s share of JHM’s program expenses is related to its broadcast ministry.
Crusades and Outreach Ministries:JHM conducts a number of Crusades each year (2 are upcoming in 2003). This year’s crusades feature the preaching of John Hagee and the singing of country music star Randy Travis. Hagee also has several speaking engagements scheduled for 2003. In addition, JHM conducts a “Christian Heritage Tour.” A 10-day tour of Italy is scheduled for 2003. These crusades, in consonance with Hagee’s doctrine, and like the services at Hagee’s own Cornerstone Church, are charismatic in nature.
Publication of John Hagee’s Writings: JHM publishes a bi-monthly magazine, JHMagazine. The ministry’s catalog features several books written by Hagee, including the popular end times trilogy: Beginning of the End, Final Dawn, and Day of Deception. Popular works of fiction by Hagee include, Devil’s Island and the newly released, Avenger of Blood. JHM has also produced the Prophecy Study Bible. Many of these publications promote Hagee’s peculiar brand of dispensationalism, particularly as regards the modern nation of Israel.

All of the above is funded largely by charitable donations. JHM’s website features a number of fund-raising programs, most of which offer the donor some tangible form of recognition in return for a gift of $xx - $x,xxx. A couple of examples of this technique for raising money are the “Salt Covenant Partners” program and the “Dedication Opportunities” program. A “Salt Covenant Partner” agrees to donate a minimum of $xx a month to JHM (for ongoing expenses related to the television outreach ministry), and in return is granted certain privileges such as a discount on materials in the ministry’s catalog and special reserve seating at Cornerstone Church. The “Dedication Opportunities” program allows donors to dedicate memorial pavers leading to the ministry’s new Media Center, have their name inscribed in JHM’s “Book of Remembrance,” or to be acknowledged on the Center’s “Founder’s Wall” in exchange for a gift of $xx - $x,xxx. Further details and information regarding other fund-raising programs can be obtained at JHM’s official website.

“Thus, It Was Fulfilled”
Another fund-raising program of JHM, dubbed “Exodus II,” calls for special attention. By way of continuing the work of JHM’s “Operation Exodus” program, which helped to effect the return of thousands of Jews to Palestine from the Soviet Union, “Exodus II” allows people to help Jews from around the world relocate to Israel. To date, some $ 3.7 million has been donated, helping over 6,000 Jewish people relocate to Israel.

JHM’s motivation for this project is two-fold. First, Hagee believes, based on God’s promise to Abraham recorded in Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you,” that individuals and nations which minister in a practical manner to the nation of Israel will receive in return blessings of healing and prosperity. Therefore, giving aid to ethnic Jews is one way for Christians to secure material blessings from God (the other principle means, according to Hagee, is to regularly tithe). Secondly, Hagee takes it that certain Bible prophesies (cf. esp. Jer. 3:14-18) indicate that there will be a significant return of Jews to the land of Palestine leading up to and during the last times (thus, the reconstitution of Israel as a national/ political entity in 1948 was a significant eschatological event). JHM’s project of aiding Jews who wish to return to their home land helps to ensure that the recently reconstituted nation-state of Israel continues to exist. Thus, to take part in JHM’s “Operation Exodus” and “Exodus II” programs is to participate in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

One would imagine that an evangelistic ministry like JHM would consider its outreach program to Jews a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel with them. Not so. Hagee discourages Christians from attempting to evangelize Jewish people for two reasons: (1) The Apostle Paul indicates that the Jews have been blinded by God to the truth of the Gospel (Rom. 11:8-10, 25). It is, therefore, useless to attempt to witness to a Jewish person. (2) According to Hagee, any Jew who devoutly follows his or her Torah “has a relationship with God and will come to redemption.” Thus, evangelizing Jews is an unnecessary “waste of time.”

JHM’s ministry to the Jewish people does relate to its overall ministry in a couple of ways. As we have noted, Hagee believes that it is God’s desire for every Christian to be wealthy. Poverty, he says, is a curse from God. One way to avoid this curse is to tap into the blessings promised to the friends of Israel. This is done by giving practical help to Jewish people (e.g., “Exodus II”). In addition, Hagee’s dispensational teaching regarding the future of Israel applies to Christian believers in that they are encouraged to put feet to eschatology by helping restore ethnic Jews to the promised land. With respect to salvation (which is the ultimate good for every individual, Jew or Gentile), however, JHM remains a ministry divided.

Supporters Might Say
Hagee does much to combat anti-Semitism.
Hagee has been publicly commended by Jewish community and religious leaders for JHM’s work on behalf of Israel.
Hagee’s published works (fiction and non-fiction) have been extremely successful in the marketplace.
Hagee is more balanced in his teaching than others of the Word- Faith persuasion.
JHM takes seriously the biblical promises to bless those who help Israel.
JHM reaches many people in the U. S. with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Critics Might Say
Most conservative Christians will object to a ministry that teaches salvation apart from faith in Christ (for Jews).
Hagee’s view on salvation for Jews does not take progressive revelation into account. The Torah is certainly the Word of God, but when God reveals more information about himself (i.e., the New Testament) everyone is rendered accountable to such revelation.
Hagee’s views on prosperity are extreme and unbiblical.
Hagee’s teaching on “positive confession” is more akin to Eastern spirituality movements (e.g., New Age) than to anything Christian.
The idea that a “Salt Covenant” partner would receive special seating in the church seems repugnant in light of James 2:1-7.
Many of Hagee’s criticisms of those who oppose his teachings (particularly regarding Israel) are unwarranted, irresponsible, ascerbic, and otherwise indefensible.
Many people will view Hagee’s salary as excessive (as reflected in Form 990 for the year 2000).

Worldview Considerations
JHM’s doctrinal statement is somewhat evangelical, but lacks a clear affirmation of the essential doctrine of the Trinity.
JHM’s statement on salvation, in keeping with Hagee’s views concerning Israel, fails to affirm that faith in Christ is the only means of salvation (contra Jn. 14:6).
Hagee’s teaching on salvation for Israel seems to fly in the face of several Bible passages (e.g., Acts 11:1-18; Rom. 1:16, Gal. 3:28).
Hagee maintains that the Jews did not so much reject Jesus as their Messiah as he refused to be their Messiah.
Hagee teaches from a broadly dispensational, pre-tribulational perspective.
Hagee believes that one day the Jews will recognize Jesus as their Messiah. Until that day, however, they can still be saved apart from faith in him.
Hagee dismisses Covenant theologians as “heretics.”
Hagee holds to many of the distinct teachings of the Word- Faith movement.

Ministry Response help
This organization has not offered MinistryWatch with a response for their profile. At such a time that MinistryWatch receives a response from the ministry, it will be posted immediately.

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