Joel Osteen Has Ushers With Guns

[Dave Likeness]

On Sunday, June 28, 2015, Joel Osteen was interrupted
during his sermon by six hecklers.  No problem......His
Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas has voluntary ushers
along with some paid law enforcement officers with guns.
The six hecklers were removed from the premises without
incident.

What would happen in your parish if six hecklers got up
during the sermon and started shouting?   Does your parish
have some muscle on the ushers staff?   Could your ushers
stop the type of commotion that Joel Osteen faced last Sunday?

[Dave Likeness]

Ladies and Gentlemen, Lakewood Church is the largest
Protestant church in America.  It averages 43,500 people
per week in attendance and offers 4 English and 2 Spanish
worship services to reach that total.  The church seating
capacity is 16,800.

Unfortunately, Joel Osteen went to college for one semester
and has no theological education.  He preaches the "Health
and Wealth" gospel rather than the Good News of Jesus Christ.
He was a TV camera man until his father died and then Joel
took over his father's church in 1999.

[D. Engebretson]

Joel Osteen is a highly paid motivational speaker with a thin veneer of Christian dress.  It's really hard to take him all that seriously.  For one thing he has no real theology to address suffering or genuine Christian sacrifice.  His preaching truly lacks the cross or the empty tomb.

[J. Thomas Shelley]

He preaches the "Healthand Wealth" gospel rather than the Good News of Jesus Christ.

In plain words, an accursed heretic. (Galatians 1:

[Matt Hummel]

In plain words, an accursed heretic. (Galatians 1:

Golly, you say that if it were a bad thing. 

[BrotherBoris]

What would happen in your parish if six hecklers got up
during the sermon and started shouting? 


Perhaps something like this?

The old babushkas would smack  'em over the head with their canes and purses, saying, "What are you doing? Did your mother not teach you how to behave in God's house?" I am sure some Orthodox woman would grab one by the ear. Meanwhile some of the more high-spirited altar boys could light pieces of charcoal and place it under the feet of the hecklers. The Processional Cross could be used as a lance. And the large bishop's candlesticks could be used a swords.  A censer with hot coals in it could be twirled like a sling shot and I am sure some of the Orthodox babies would do their job by either throwing up on the hecklers or screaming so loudly (as they often do) as to make it nearly impossible to hear anything.  It would probably be a horror show, but it could be entertaining.

[NCLutheran2]

Joel Osteen is a highly paid motivational speaker with a thin veneer of Christian dress.  It's really hard to take him all that seriously.  For one thing he has no real theology to address suffering or genuine Christian sacrifice.  His preaching truly lacks the cross or the empty tomb.

He's reaching people that otherwise would have no use for Jesus in their lives at all and gives them a bit of hope.

Our failure as a church with more actual substance to offer is not being there to take them in and guide them when they inevitably desire to go deeper. Making fun of him only turns people away who need to hear what we have to offer.

Joel is an easy target, but he could be just as successful without God, so we may as well be thankful he decides to include him...

[Charles Austin]

DAve Likeness writes:
What would happen in your parish if six hecklers got up during the sermon and started shouting?
I comment:
We would have one heck of a sermon dialogue. I can't wait for it to happen

Dave Likeness writes:
Does your parish have some muscle on the ushers staff?
I comment:
In the parishes I know, there is not enough "muscle" on the ushers staff to deter a two-year-old throwing a fit.

Dave Likeness writes:
Could your ushers stop the type of commotion that Joel Osteen faced last Sunday?
I comment:
See above. I wouldn't want them to stop the commotion; what would ensue would probably be more interesting than my sermon anyway.

[JMK]

Joel Osteen is a highly paid motivational speaker with a thin veneer of Christian dress.  It's really hard to take him all that seriously.  For one thing he has no real theology to address suffering or genuine Christian sacrifice.  His preaching truly lacks the cross or the empty tomb. - D. Engebretson

It is correct to say that Joel Osteen does not focus on second article theology. However, I really think his motivational preaching (which does frequently deal with how to respond to suffering) acts like a funnel to draw people into second article discipleship classes. For example, I look at his website and I see statements like the following:

"We believe Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins. We believe that salvation is found by placing our faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross. We believe Jesus rose from the dead and is coming again." - https://www.lakewoodchurch.com/pages/new-here/what-we-believe.aspx

As for his church not believing in the empty tomb, do you have evidence that Joel denies the physical resurrection of Jesus in some higher critical sense?