I enjoy Joel Osteen’s sermons. He quotes the Bible often and uses everday language to get his points across.
No, he is not a Hell and brimstone preacher who yells and tells you “you’re going to Hell if you don’t do what I say”.
He preaches on the love of God and how to live a Godly life. Jesus didn’t go screaming and yelling at people either. His message was one of love and faith.
I remember somewhere reading judge no that ye be not judged.
I will take Osteen’s positive message anyday over one that uses the negative approach.
“Jesus didn’t go screaming and yelling at people either.”
““Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” - Matt 23
I think we need to hear both. God is Love, but He is also Justice tempered with Mercy.
Remember, Jesus cleared the Temple for a good reason. And He wasn't happy when He did so.
Yes, His message was one of love and faith. But it was also about holiness, God's hatred of all sin and finding the one true path to Him. Osteen tells half the Gospel -- at best.
Preachers (of which I am one) do not just preach from the Gospels. The Gospel message, which Joel is supposed to preach, comes from the ENTIRE scripture. Jesus spoke MORE on Hell than he did Heaven…and He did His fair share of yelling. And it’s NOT “you’re going to HELL if you don’t do what I say.” REALLY? No. It’s: YOU ARE GOING TO HELL IF YOU REJECT THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.
Yes…God is a God of love…but Exodus 20:5,6 says, “For I Jehovah your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generation of those that hate me and showing mercy to thousands of those that love Me and keep My commandments. “
So tell me…when was the last time you heard any sermon from Joel that focused verse 5…or was heavy on verse 6b? Probably not too much. You can’t just have “the God of Love” without having “the Jealous God” and “the God of Mercy to those who OBEY me.” It doesn’t work that way…and anyone who preaches one facet of God and not the others is a liar.
But you know why people follow such? It’s a fulfillment of prophecy: 2 Timothy 4:3: “ For a time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but will heap up teachers to themselves according to their own lusts, tickling the ear.”
Paul said it clearly. People will want preachers who scratch their ears like a dog and make them feel good…not those that preach sound doctrine…because sound doctrine makes us uncomfortable.
He preaches on the love of God and how to live a Godly life. Jesus didn’t go screaming and yelling at people either. His message was one of love and faith.
I remember somewhere reading judge no that ye be not judged.
At any rate the Gospel has already been preached so how hard would it be for any preacher to just read the Bible to people who do not know how to read it or just don,t want to read it for them selves?