Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. - Ephesians 4: 29 (ESV)
Current Senator from the State of Minnesota, All Franken, used to be a cast member on Saturday Night Live. One of the more endearing facets of SNL was that it gave the actors the opportunity to create characters that would often transcend the hour and a half program. Characters that would resonate and appear in future episodes. Characters that could become a part of American folklore. In 1991 Franken created just such a character. His name was Stuart Smalley and he hosted a self help program called, "Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley." The tag line was when Smalley would gaze fondly at himself in a mirror and say, "Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me." It was a brilliant social commentary using satire to illustrate the sheer narcissism we ascribe to in this country. That we merely need to change what we say about ourselves instead of actually changing ourselves. Take this next example:
"I am strong. I am healthy. I am in shape. I weigh what I am supposed to weigh. I am full of energy. I am passionate. I am talented. I am secure. I am valuable. I am confident. I have a good personality. People like me. I am fun to be around. I am happy. I enjoy my life. I am a person of excellence. I am full of integrity. I am successful. I am prosperous. My future is bright. My children are mighty in the land. My legacy will live on to inspire future generations. I run with purpose in every step. I am blessed. I am victorious. I am a child of the most high God."
For the first 90% of that, you thought it was from the SNL character Stuart Smalley but no beloved. This was part of a sermon this week from Joel Osteen. I am just going to highlight a couple of things from this sermon entitled, "Your Words Become Your Reality." There is little reason to review the entire sermon because there is very little new. It is the same old recycled narcissism that Franken satirized 24 years ago. The problem is that this narcissism is in the church and not the world. The problem is that this narcissism is being packaged as the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is a huge problem.
For a great part of this sermon, Osteen does what he seems to do so often and that is completely miss the Scriptural point from the verses he casually references and apply things that belong to God to his listeners. The point he was making today, which is a central component of his word faith heresy, is that our words have creative power. This of course is attributing the literal power of creation to man. Osteen implores his congregation to stop speaking negatively and start "prophesying" over your situations. That we have to prophesy victory. Prophesy breakthroughs. Prophesy what you are believing for. Call in health. Call in abundance. Call in restoration. That child that has been off course - don't just pray about it, prophesy to it. You're struggling with addiction - don't just pray about it prophesy "I am free." Get your checkbook out, prophesy to it. All it looks like is dead bones, debt, lack, I will prophesy to these dead bones that I will lend and not borrow. Just like with Ezekiel, if you prophesy to the bones God will resurrect what looks dead. Beloved I pray that you realize how deceptively wrong this is. First of all, not everyone prophesies:
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. - 1Corinthians 12: 27-31 (NIV)
The notion that we can all just randomly prophesy over our selves is absurdly unbiblical. It also removes a crucial element from the reality of what prophecy is - God! The originator of prophecy must be God or else it is a false prophecy by definition. Osteen completely ignores this and instead is teaching his followers that they are the originator of prophecy. Not only that but look at how prayer is marginalized! Don't just pray over it - which is you deferring to the sovereignty of God, no no - YOU decide what will and will not be. The logical next question is why bother praying at all? If our words essentially carry the same authority as God. If our spoken desires are prophetic in nature that means they come from God anyway so why bother praying at all? We cannot merely look upon the dry bones and do as Ezekiel did because Ezekiel was commanded by God to do so! Osteen keeps removing the Lord from his theology!
Not only that but how dearly does he miss the theological forest for the little trees he keeps propping up? The portion of Scripture regarding the valley of dry bones follows the prophesy Ezekiel gave regarding the rebirth of the nation of Israel. The vision of the dry bones also reemphasizes the dependence Israel needs to have on the Lord and not their own power or strength, which is the complete opposite of the independent, narcissistic use Osteen employs. Lastly, it signifies the second coming of Christ and His millennial reign. Yet despite all of these grand Christian truths, Joel Osteen has reduced it all to speaking life over your checkbook and calling in abundance. How pathetic and criminal what he does to the text and what he robs his listeners of. The true Word from the Lord. Unfortunately, he was far from done:
"Psalm 2 says I will declare a decree. A decree was something that was written down. Like an official document. The Psalmist was saying there is something that was written that I am going to start speaking. You and I can do the same thing. Declare a decree. You should write down your goals. Write down what you want to see happen in your life. Any areas that you are struggling in. where you need to improve. Write it down like it's already done. And then every day declare that decree. Read over it a couple of times out loud. It's not enough to just think it, something happens when we speak. You have to prophesy your future. You can personalize yours but let me give you some suggestions""
Beloved those suggestions were listed earlier in this devotional. It was the laundry list of positive self affirmations that are so ridiculous they look like they could have easily come from a Saturday Night Live skit. Joel Osteen channeling Stuart Smalley telling everyone to look in the mirror and declare that they are good enough. They are smart enough. And gosh darn it, people like them. Except one little problem. This is NOT what Psalm 2 actually says:
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. - Psalm 2: 7 (KJV)
I understand that people like Joel Osteen. I understand that people think he just an encourager. It is time we take our blinders off and see this wolf for what he is. Savaging the sheep of the Lord. This is either a willful deception on Osteen's part or he has no command over the English language, let alone the Word of the Lord. Psalm 2 does not simply say I will declare a decree. There is more that follows. Specifically that it is what the Lord had said unto the Psalmist. A decree is not necessarily something that is written down and in fact it appears in the example of Psalm 2 it was not written down at all! Not only that but what is this decree from the Lord? Is it some trifle that we can twist it into a declaration of positive self talk? No! It is the commissioning of Jesus Christ! Thou art my Son and this day I have begotten thee! Dear Lord how do you take something so crucial to the salvation of the world and cheapen it down to a stale self help caricature from the days gone by of Saturday Night Live? I chose the Ephesians verse for the key verse for this writing because it serves as a reminder of what ought to be coming from our mouths. Our words ought to build people up but Osteenology turns this on its ear. Everything is all about me. It is all about improving me. It is narcissism to its core. It is a gospel of me that may lead to seven steps to a better you but that will be followed by eternal separation from God. We have to stop falling for it. If we must channel Mr. Smalley, the least we could do is try to stay true to Scripture:
Because I was never good enough. I was too smart for my own good. And gosh darn it, Jesus saved me anyway. Hallelujah!
Rev. Anthony.
