A few days ago I mentioned that the latest issue of Good Magazine features an article on the pastor of the largest church in America, Joel Osteen.  I have read the article several times now, and I what grieves me the most is that even this secular magazine picks up on the fact that Osteeen does not preach the Christian gospel, yet millions of people (through TV plus the 35,000+ attending services) sit under his teaching every single week.  Consider these words from an agnostic Osteen fan:

“So why does she [an agnostic] identify with a Christian pastor?  ‘I look at him like a motivational speaker,’ Lee says.  ‘I don’t think people get that until they see [him on television].  Yes he’s a pastor and does it in a church, but the underlying [message] is just to live a good life, love yourself, and be happy.  He pretty much doesn’t preach religion.’“

Say what?!  Live a good life, love yourself, and be happy?  That’s it?!  That’s your gospel?  How is that any different than what the rest of the world is preaching?       

For me, there could be no more devastating description of my ministry than to hear it described as just motivational speaking.  If that’s all it is, then who cares?  I’m not interested in telling people to just be better people, that the answer to all their problems is just to love themselves more.  Why?  Because it’s NOT TRUE!

Surely the world and our own lives have taught us by now that we can’t help ourselves.  The truth is we are all broken, sinful people who desperately need a Savior.  We need to be saved from sin, from death, from hell, from ourselves.  The truth is that Jesus is God and he is good.  Jesus is our way of salvation, reconcilliation, restoration, healing, and freedom.  Only him.  We don’t need to love ourselves more, we need Jesus.  Let our message be that, not motivational self-help.

More to come…maybe…