Izdaari said:
You guys really don't get Osteen do you? He fools you because he has a pulpit and quotes a little Bible sometimes. But it isn't that he's a bad preacher; what he is is a good motivational speaker, in the New Thought self-help tradition - Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale, Napoleon Hill, Zig Ziglar, et al. Those guys are where he gets all his material.
So you can look to him for some good advice about having a positive attitude, persisting in the face of adversity, etc. It mostly does work, and helps people have a better life, even if it doesn't make them rich. He's got that stuff down, and I'd even call him an expert in it. But for the Gospel, or anything Christian even? Not so much.
Once in a while, I'll watch him on TV. But I know better than to depend on him for Christian doctrine. He doesn't seem to know any. And he freely admits that he's never gone to seminary or even bible college.
But all that said, maybe he does do a little bit of Christian good anyway. Each show he does the following:
1) Starts by telling people to believe the Bible.
2) Finishes by inviting people to say the "Sinner's Prayer".
3) Advising those who did to get in a good Bible-based church (which his isn't, but most of his viewers can't come to Houston anyway).
Sure, he has his place, but
not as the pastor of a church.
I expect someone who fulfills the role of shepherd of God's flock to have a doctrinal grounding in the Word and know it better than just for pithy, Christianized motivational psychology. The Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 20 warned about "grievous wolves" who would come in among them "not sparing the flock." If Osteen is not a wolf, then he has no pastoral ability to protect his flock from the wolves.
I expect a pastor to have the ability to expound the Word of God (any passage) competently (and admit places when he doesn't know).
I expect a pastor to be able to preach (and possibly even debate) against doctrinal heresies. Where are his sermons/articles/books exposing
and disproving Islam, Mormonism, JW, and other false religions/cults? Where are his sermons/articles/books "giving an answer" per 1 Peter 3:15 against modalism, Arianism, henotheism, baptismal regeneration, works salvation, and so on? Not to say that his church should be focused on nothing but defending doctrine, but he should demonstrate that he has the
capacity to protect his flock and demonstrate the truth of their faith. Members of his church are ripe picking for cults and atheists who pose the slightest challenge against these sheltered, feel-good members.
A preacher should not be a novice. Good speaking ability is meaningless. The Scriptures command that someone who fills the office of an "overseer" should be "apt to teach," "not a novice," (1 Tim 3:2,6) and be able to "[hold] fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers." (Tit 1:9)
Clearly, Osteen is not the above; therefore, he is not fit to be anyone's pastor until he is.
Just my (not so?) humble opinion. :-\
