(You can read my thoughts here on why what the Olsteen’s said is a false teaching)
The Bible on false teachers:
Romans 16:17-18 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
The Bible on God wanting us to be happy:
Romans 5:3-5 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed
2 Corinthians 4:8-10 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
The Bible on worship being about us:
Isaiah 1:11-17 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the LORD.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;a
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.d
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!a
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!
16 Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.
Amos 5:21-24 “I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
your assemblies are a stench to me.
22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Ephesians 5:19-20 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Hebrews 12:28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
Psalm 95:1-6 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
Psalm 29:2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name
Psalm 99:5 Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!
Psalm 96:9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!
Psalm 77:13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?
Psalm 66:4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah
Psalm 27:4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.
Psalm 100:1-4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
Psalm 145:3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
Psalm 96:4 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.
Psalm 145:3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
2 Samuel 22:4 “I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies.
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Very sad to see what Victoria is preaching (and why is she being encouraged to violate I Tim 2:12 while we’re at it?). No doubt God delights in our joy when it is for good purposes. Scripture, as shown in this post, is full of examples where it is, in fact, his will for us to suffer and be frustrated so that we can be refined to a higher purpose. Unending bliss, however, will have wait for heaven.
What if later on you realize your take on scriptures isn’t perfect, or something you say is out of context, and then you realize that this entire article you published makes you the false teacher?
Hi Steve, I apologize for my long delay in response, I’ve been really swamped. What you mention is a risk that all pastors / Christian teachers take on. It’s why James explicitly says to us in James 3:1
If you look at the comment you made, you could use that same line of thinking to refute anyone who ever critiqued anyone’s doctrine, no matter how out of what the doctrine in question was. If someone said Jesus wasn’t God and a person make a biblical critique of that, you could simply say:
As if we are never allowed critique wrong doctrine under any circumstances because none of us our Jesus himself. This would be similar to saying you can never confront someone in their sin because you too are a sinner. Yet the Bible tells us to confront other Christians in their sin, as it tells us to be on the lookout for false teachers and tells teachers to teach correct doctrine. Titus 2:1, 2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Tim 4:16, & 2 Tim 1:13 are all good examples of this. Titus 1:9 even explicitly tells us to refute those who oppose sound doctrine:
This is all I’m attempting to do with Osteen, something that the Bible definitely allows for. All I can do is present what the Bible says, which is what I’m doing my best to do. It’s my duty to point this out to Christians. They can then take what the Bible says and compare it to Osteen’s teaching, but at least I’ve done my part to make sure they know the parts of the Bible that Osteen is keeping from them. My hope and goal is that the Bible speaks, not me or my blog article.
If you or anyone else were to show me in the Bible where I have said something other than what the Bible says, I would definitely listen and allow the Bible to sharpen and correct me, as it has done so many times to me in the past.