What is wrong with Joel Osteen?

If he is so popular with so many followers, how could he be wrong?

What is wrong with Joel Osteen?

Let me start by saying what is right about JO.   He is positive.  He is friendly.  He is encouraging.  He is a great communicator.   He says many good things.  Very little that he says is on its face wrong. 

The problem is what he does not say.    

Truth is a multi-faceted thing.  

Suppose I hired a person to teach my kids to drive.   That person taught them how to parallel park, drive in a straight line, and stop on a dime. These are all needful things.  However, one of the greatest lessons in driving is not handling the vehicle, but how to drive following the traffic laws. 

If, for the first time, after having spent weeks and months with the instructor, my son got in the car and began driving a hundred miles an hour, ignoring red lights and stop signs, and driving on the wrong side of the road, I would have a problem with my driving instructor.

Before anyone gets to start driving with a permit, they must first learn the basic rules of the road.   They must study and be able to pass a written test demonstrating a knowledge of the traffic signs and laws.   Driving is more than traffic laws.  However, driving in a way that ignores or is ignorant of those laws is a danger to everyone.

There is a balance between enjoying the blessing and walking in a way that honors God.

Joel Osteen is all about the promises of God and is silent on what God forbids.

One cannot preach continually about the blessing and never preach about the curse.

In summary that is Joel Osteen.

He only preaches half of the truth.

A Righteous Balance

There is a necessary tension.   There is a need for us to be fervent in doing what the Bible declares as our purpose and commission while at the same time avoiding, abstaining, and contending with those things that are sinful and abominations to God.

A Biblical example of that is the man named Job.

"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil."    Job 1:1

This man had a strong faith in God that mandated that he lived in a way that honored God.  Part of that honoring God was to avoid everything evil.   If it looked, smelled, or or could lead to even the appearance of Evil, Job was not involved.

Job was a man who was so aware of the weakness of flesh and its destructive capability that he was in constant intercession for the mercy of God for his Children.   This respectful reverence for God, this fervent avoidance of evil, and constant intercession built a hedge around him so impenetrable that Satan himself knew he could not even come close to touching him.

In fact, in a conversation with God, Satan acknowledges this fact.      The enemy could only touch his life if God gave him direct permission.   

Sadly, today, the Devil doesn't need to ask God's permission for many people because they live a life without boundaries.   You hear words like, "No one is perfect"; everyone sins a little bit every day, and other trite excuses to live an undisciplined life. 

This kind of living gives the devil so many avenues of attack and permission because of the permissive lifestyles "Christians" live.

However, God is not mocked; whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.   And reaping we do.

A man who does not preach, teach, warn, and rebuke as needed on the dangers of unrighteous living is doing no one any favors.

This is the problem with Joel Osteen.

Read this scripture and notice the Biblical responsibility to anyone who would preach.

2 Timothy 4
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

A pastor friend wrote the following on this subject, which I have included for your thoughts.


A PAINSTAKING OBSERVATION - By Jason Pagan

I have often heard, "I wish more preachers were like Joel Olsteen."

I launched out to do a little study. I listened to Joel's podcast for six months.

This is what I observed.

In six months, he never preached against any sin one time.
He never named a sin.
He never asked anyone to repent.
He never once echoed a warning or taught about sin or sin patterns in the Lakewood congregation. He did not even talk about "victory over sin".
He never repeated anything Jesus or the Apostles stated about sin.

The Bible mentions over 600 different sins.

So, if a saint says they wish our preachers were more like Joel Olsteen, they are asking for a preacher who wants their money but will not be a solid voice to echo the inspired word in every area of their lives.