Is Joel Osteen My "Christian Brother"?

Question: Is Joel Osteen my Christian brother? I recently heard of an up-and-coming preacher by the name of Mark Driscoll. He spoke at the 2008 Desiring God conference and was praised by John Piper. I heard about him from a few brothers I respect. So, I had to check him out. The first video I downloaded had me floored and asking a very relevant question that needs to be asked by every true believer in order to discern the times.


PLEASE NOTE: This is the first I've heard Mark Driscoll. I hope to listen and learn more from his ministry and be blessed by it. What I am calling out in this blog entry is merely an issue that fits into the current series "Would God Save Through a Lie?" and worthy of bringing to question in my opinion.

According to Mark, he considers Joel Osteen "my Christian brother, I do believe that."

Oh my! Mark, Joel Osteen is NOT our Christian brother. It's not merely that he is soft on his doctrine. Joel Osteen doesn't even know the gospel. He is soft because he knows that it appeases the masses and draws large crowds so that he might profit from those whom he has deceived.

To prove my point, below is a transcript from his interview with Larry King:

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CALLER: "... I'm wondering though why you sidestepped Larry's earlier question about how we get to Heaven. The bible clearly tells us that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light and the only way to the Father is through Him. That's not really a message of condemnation but of truth."

OSTEEN: Yeah, I would agree with her. I believe that.

LARRY: So then a Jew is not going to Heaven.

[SOME CROSSTALK]

OSTEEN: Here's my thing Larry. I can't judge somebody's heart, you know. I don't know. Only God can look at somebody's heart. So, I don't know. To me, it's not my business to say this one is and this one isn't. I'm just saying here is what the bible teaches. I want to put my faith in, uh, you know, in Christ. I think it's wrong when we go around saying "You're not going, you're not going, you're not going" cause it's not exactly my way.

LARRY: But if you believe your way.

OSTEEN: I believe my way. I believe my way with all my heart.

LARRY: But someone who doesn't share it is wrong.

OSTEEN: Well, I don't know if I look at it like that that. I would present my way but I'm just gonna let God be the judge of that. I don't know. I don't know.

LARRY: So you make no judgments on anyone.

OSTEEN: No. I just...

KING: What about atheists?

OSTEEN: You know what, I'm gonna let God be the judge of who goes to Heaven and Hell. I just again, I just present the truth. I say it every week. I believe it's a relationship with Jesus. But you know, I'm not gonna go around telling everybody else if they don't want to believe that that's gonna be their choice. God's gotta look at your own heart. God's gotta look at your heart. Only God knows that.

KING: Do you believe there is a place called Heaven?

OSTEEN: I believe it.
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The only statement that Joel Osteen made in that segment which was not a lie was "I don't know."

Question: Is Joel Osteen my Christian brother?

My Answer: If God has sovereignly appointed to save him from his deception and lies and makes him to see Christ for who He is, then yes. At this point, he has been nothing more than a false prophet teaching lies.

"You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." - Mat 12:34-37

I'm curious to know Mark Driscoll's response. I sent him an email (though I doubt it would make the cut of the thousands he receives daily). My hope is that he begins to see that the lies being taught in Osteen's pulpit and others like him (i.e. Rick Warren, TD Jakes and the like) are nothing more than profiteers. It would be a shame to see up-and-coming preachers make such a compromise.

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