Osteen and Oprah Teach False Doctrine RE: I AM

Alright, so Joel Osteen has appeared on Oprah's life class and the name of the life class that we'll be referring to today, well, the topic is, I am, and you're thinking, I am? Yeah, I am. See this, this is, this is some dangerous stuff.

The Divine Name Revealed in Exodus and John 8

Here's the reason why. In Exodus chapter three, remember God, the Lord appears to Moses in a burning bush, okay? Moses asks the Lord, what is your name? Okay, so that I can, you know, tell the people, what's your name?

And the Lord gives his name as I am, okay? This is the name that God gives himself from the burning bush. Now Jesus himself picks up that same phraseology several places in the book of John. This is the, you know, the, the, the disciple John, the apostle John writes about this.

For instance, okay, Jesus, okay, has this long running battle with the, with the Pharisees and the Jews of his days in, in his day in Luke chapter eight. And he makes some wild statements in there that have got to be listened to and heeded because what Jesus is saying here is super important.

In fact, this divine name, I am, Jesus applies it to himself and he does so, so that you won't mistake who he is, okay? In fact, let me read to you a passage from the gospel of John chapter eight. If you have your Bible, go ahead and flip on over.

We're going to be looking at John eight, starting at verse 21, I'm going to just do a couple of highlights here. Okay. John eight, 21. So he, Jesus said to them, I am going away and you will seek me and you will die in your sins.

Where I am going, you cannot come. So the Jew said to him, will he kill himself since he says where I'm going, you cannot come. Now he said to them, you are from below. I am from above. You are of this world.

I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins. Okay. Now the Greek construct there could not be clear. It's a strange construct because, you know, it's, it's an emphatic sense here because Jesus says, I, I, unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.

Jesus is not saying unless you believe that he exists, that you're going to die in your sins here. He's invoking the divine name from Exodus chapter three and basically applying it to himself. Okay. But we continue.

Okay. I'm going to fast forward a little bit in this exchange that Jesus has. John chapter eight, 48. So the Jews answered him, are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and you have a demon?

Oh yeah, this, this, this conversation is going really well, right? This is, put your big boy pants on here. This is a politically incorrect confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. This would not be tolerated today, by the way, Jesus would be arrested for upsetting the Pharisees and breaking politically correct rules.

So, but just so you know how this would go down today. So that's anyway, so, so are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and you have a demon? Jesus answered, I do not have a demon, but I honor my father and you dishonor me, yet I do not seek my own glory.

There is one who seeks it and he is the judge. Truly, truly. I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death again, keeps his word. He basically is equating his word with the word of God, right?

So the Jew said to him, well, now we know you have a demon. Abraham died as did the prophets. Yet you say, if anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham who died and the prophets died?

Who do you make yourself out to be? Okay, great question. Jesus answered, if I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my father who glorifies me of whom you say he is our God, but you have not known him.

I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father, Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. Now Jesus here is giving some information regarding Abraham that ain't recorded in the Torah.

It's as if he knows Abraham, right? So he says, Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. So apparently Abraham knows Jesus, right? He saw it and he was glad. So now the Jews said to him, you are not yet 50 years old and you have seen Abraham.

Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you before Abraham was, I am. So here, you know, you take a passage like Exodus three, you take this passage from John chapter eight, and there's a couple more passages you can look to and you got to understand what we're dealing with here.

When we start talking about, I am language, we are talking about the very name of God. One of the revealed names of God and one of the names that Jesus applies to himself to demonstrate and prove that he is God.

This is, that's who Jesus is making himself out to be. Jesus isn't some fly by night angel. Jesus isn't some self-appointed human. Jesus is none other than God in human flesh and he's, the reason why he's using this, I am language is to demonstrate that point, okay?

Joel Osteen and Oprah Redefine Faith as Self-Trust

So now we come to the Oprah life class that aired last night on the Oprah, you know, network and she had Joel Osteen on to discuss the topic of I am. Now I happen to have the recording of when this was being taped, not when it aired.

And I think that that's going to be instructive to help you figure out what's going on here. So who's Oprah with? Well none other than America's most favorite pastor, Joel Osteen, who is not a Christian pastor in any sense of the word.

He is an ear tickler extraordinaire. And I'll explain to you a little bit about, you know, how to identify a false teacher in just a minute, but you got to understand what's going on here is that this is a blasphemous program because of the topic itself as it was billed as the I am life class.

But here's Oprah and Joel Osteen from partway through the, basically the opening of the program to discuss their topic and Joel's going to talk to somebody who's called in. You're going to hear Oprah give some advice.

This segment is going to run a little bit long. We've got about eight minutes that I want to cover here, but here's Oprah and Joel Osteen.

We're talking about the power of two simple words. I am. Saul from Miami lakes, Florida is in our audience. Stand up, Saul. What's your question for pastor Joel Osteen?

Well, it's an honor to be here with you guys. My question was when I was 11 years old. Okay. Got to back it up already. See, I have the shoot. I can tell this is going to be a long segment.

Work with me. Okay. Listen again to Oprah. We're talking about the power of two simple words. I am.

We're learning about the power of two simple words. I am. Biblically this, there's no power in these words. The power is the fact that these words reveal who Jesus is none other than God in human flesh.

It's not as if the words I am have any special magical power to make anything happen in our life. In the Bible, the words I am, the word I am, or the words I am, the significance is as they point us to the one true God, Jesus Christ.

We continue. Saul from Miami lakes, Florida is in our audience. Stand up, Saul. What's your question for pastor Joel Osteen?

Well, it's an honor to be here with you guys. My question was when I was 11 years old, my father passed away. He committed suicide. He left my mother to raise four kids on her own. I developed this inability to trust people that I looked up to, authority figures, people I respected because I felt that if I trusted them, that they would fail me.

Now as an adult, I find that this is blocking me. I find that my inability to trust people is keeping me from feeling my full potential. So my question for you is, how can I heal this inability to trust in order to fulfill my full potential?

Yeah, Saul, our heart goes out to you.

You know, I think the starting point... Notice the complete narcissistic focus.

...point, Saul, is you got to realize that nothing that's happened to you is a surprise to God. You know, it's as hard as that is and, you know, a heart breaks for you, but God knew everything you'd go through.

So he's already equipped you and empowered you with everything you need. So I think every day you have to remind yourself, you know what, I had some hardships, but I'm well able to live a victorious life.

And, you know, it just, it comes to a part to where you say, God, you know, I didn't have a father, but I'm gonna let you be my father. You trust in him and God will give you that, you know, because it goes back, Saul.

Now this, this has gotten an applause line, my question, trust in God for what? To reach my full potential? Um, we're just going to skip right over the cross. So now we're going to just utilize God so that I can achieve my full potential using the words, I am.

I think it goes back to this because it's hard when you've been hurt, but you got to, you got to say, I'm not going to try to get my approval from people. I'm going to get my approval from God because, you know, people as good as they are, they'll disappoint us.

And what a disappointment, what a hurt that to have a father like that. But you got to say, you know what, God, it's not a surprise to you. I know I'm a person of destiny.

You breathed your life into me. So I'm, I know I'm a man, seriously. Okay. Now I want to point something out to you. Now, those of you who are familiar with Joe Loestein or have, you know, have people that are friends or family who think he's just the bee's knees, you know, one of the things though, Oh, he's just the nicest man.

He's just, he's so positive and he's so uplifting as if somehow that exonerates him and doesn't make him a false teacher. I'd like to read to you a little red passage of scripture, Romans chapter 16. I'll start at verse 17, warning us about false teachers.

Okay. Here's what the apostle Paul writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says. He says, I appeal to you brothers to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles that are contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught.

Avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but they serve their own appetites. Now listen to the description and by smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the hearts of the naive. But Joe Loestein, bless his heart.

He's just the, he's just as nice as chocolate milk. Right? Oh, he's. Let's see. How does the apostle Paul writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit describe those who teach false doctrine as those who by smooth talk and flattery deceive the hearts of the naive.

Listen again. Okay. This is smooth talk and flattery.

God. Cause you know, people is as good as they are. They'll disappoint us. And what a disappointment, what a hurt that to have a father like that. But you got to say, you know what, God, it's not a surprise to you.

I know I'm a person of destiny. You breathed your life into me. So I'm going to dig my heels in. I know I'm equipped and powered.

I'm well able. Smooth talk and flattery. He's a false teacher. This is exactly who the Holy Spirit was warning you about in Romans 16.

It's just that attitude of moving forward. And you know, again, I said it earlier, but the Bible talks about how God pays you back for the wrongs that have been done to you. So you keep moving forward and I believe the rest of your life, this may sound odd, but it'll be better than if, if your father had been with you the whole time, smooth talk and flattery.

God has a way of making it up to you because that was all a part of the plan for your life. Nothing is happening out of order with the divine order of your life. And so the truth is that wherever you are in any given moment, that's where you're supposed to be.

And, and, and, and the faith, you know, again, we were talking earlier about faith. True faith is knowing that no matter what, you are going to be okay.

Biblical Faith Versus Oprah's Self-Esteem Spirituality

So whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. True faith in who, for what? Listen, whenever you hear the word faith, okay? Understand that the Greek word underlying that New Testament word that you read in your New Testament where it says faith, okay?

If it's the, if it's the noun, it's the word pistis. If it's the verb form, you know, faith, it's pistou. And what it means is a firm and certain belief and, and trust. Now understand this, trust always has an object.

Now here, Oprah is saying that faith is believing that things are going to work out well for you. That's different than New Testament biblical faith because New Testament biblical faith is faith and trust and certainty in Christ, Jesus Christ, the virgin born son of God for the forgiveness of sins.

We've been given the ministry of reconciliation. Okay? That, you know, announcing to the world that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not counting men's trespasses against them, right?

But that Christ became sin for us so that we can become the righteousness of God. That's what's going on in the cross. So we have a very specific person whom we trust in and we trust in him for the forgiveness of our sins and right standing for God and the good news that we have been redeemed, purchased off the slavery block, that we, that God's wrath has been propitiated and that we are, we stand justified and reconciled before God as a result of what Christ has done for us.

We're not hearing that here. By the way, therefore the biblical call, the call to everybody is to repent of their sin and believe in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. That's the call of biblical faith.

That's New Testament faith. What she's describing is something very different. So add to this blasphemous attempt at mishandling the I am concept, but now we got Oprah saying things like this.

That's where you're supposed to be. And, and, and, and the faith, you know, again, we were talking earlier about faith. True faith is knowing that no matter what, you are going to be okay. So what is, what are the I am's you've told yourself?

I think that, what a weird question.

What are the I am's you've told yourself as if, so the solution is you have to say these I am's to yourself. You got, you're going through a bad time where you've got to say some I am's. We're going to hear Joel Osteen lead Oprah's life class in some I am's man.

Talk about smooth talk and flattery. Joel Osteen excels in that. See that's why God, the Holy Spirit warned us false teachers. They're the nicest people in the whole world. They build you up. They're very positive.

They excel in smooth talk and flattery. And the thing about flattery is it points you to you, not to Christ. Christ's messengers call sinners to repent and to be forgiven. Big difference.

The, some of the, I guess one of the primary I am's I repeat is that I'm afraid to trust. I'm unable to trust because I feel that.

Trust Yourself, Not Christ?

Okay. I would say to you, and I have, I'm no pastor at all.

But I would say to you, I'd say amen to that. That's why you shouldn't listen to her and you trust yourself. Would you say that? Got to back that up. Listen to this biblical New Testament faith is faith, faith and trust in Christ.

We are trusting him for the forgiveness of our sins. Listen to who she just said we should trust in.

I'm unable to trust because I feel that.

Okay. I would say to you, and I have, I'm no pastor at all, but I would say to you, can you trust yourself? Would you say that to pastor? Absolutely.

Can you trust? And there's Joe. Absolutely. Just trust yourself. If I were sitting there and say, are you out of your mind? You're the problem. I'm the problem. We don't trust ourselves. We trust in Christ.

We had to be rescued, redeemed and saved by God's mighty hand. And you're telling people to trust in themselves, really?

Yourself. I mean, you might be afraid of what somebody else is going to do, but can you trust yourself? Do you trust yourself enough to know that if somebody harms you, if somebody is not going to be advantageous to you, that you can make a decision to move out of that relationship?

Can you trust yourself enough to do that? I think so. You think so. All right. I love that. I love that. That's good. That's perfect.

I think. Now, does anyone find it shocking that Joel Osteen is having no problem with her bad theology whatsoever? Of course you shouldn't have. You shouldn't be shocked. He teaches the same nonsense that she teaches.

What I am's can he start today? What I am's can he start? I am not fearful. Uh huh. Okay. So now, so the solution to your problem is you say these I am's. I am not fearful. I am whatever. This is blasphemous, and it points us away from the real I am, and that's Jesus Christ.

I am confident. I am excited about my future. I think, Saul, you have to realize that, you know, God will bring the right people across your path. Part of that healing is to be open, to say, okay, God, I was hurt before and I couldn't trust, but God, I'm going to be open enough, vulnerable enough to trust that you're bringing the right people across my path.

And like Oprah said, you'll feel that his spirit in here, that the still small voice when something's not right, but you got to know that God has right people in your future and don't.

So rather than pointing him to God's word, the Bible, now we're pointing him to a still small voice, which is a complete mishandling of that text. The Bible does not teach and promise you that God's going to speak to you in a still small voice.

You know, don't let one bad break ruin the rest of your life. It doesn't have to.

And you can move forward. I am excited about my future. That's what you're going to say every morning when you wake up. Okay. Right. I am excited about what today is going to bring. I'm excited about the people God is going to bring into my life and watch things change.

I'm going to get this book signed just for you, Saul, and you're going to do this, we'll be right back. We'll be right back.

Oprah's Commercial-Break Theology of Faith and Discernment

Alright, what you're going to hear next is, was not broadcast last night because this was recorded when they recorded this live. You're going to hear Oprah addressing the crowd who showed up for her live class.

You're going to hear her addressing them during the commercial break and what you need, what you're going to hear, you need to hear. So listen carefully to this little quip. That was what Oprah said during the commercial break.

Because this one has my notes in it. Okay. Saul, I'll get you another book. Derek needs to do a little work.

Okay. Hey, Pastor. This time, I know we have all the information here for you.

This is the thing I say about faith, you know, everybody goes to church and do the big service and then they go home and they worry about everything. What kind of God is that? You go to church, you praise, you know that, then you go home and you worry.

What kind of God is that?

Well, I don't think the issue is God. Don't you? I think the issue is the people who don't trust him and believe that they have a loving and caring God and father. Why? Because they haven't had their sins forgiven and they don't understand the implications, the full implications of the gospel and what the forgiveness of sins really truly means.

We truly understand God only through the cross of Christ. And if that was really being driven home, then you would have people trusting him even through the difficult times in life. But listen to her snarkiness.

What kind of God is that?

We continue. I'm excited about my future. I'm excited about Saul's future. I wasn't trying to put you on the spot, but the question is, do you, can you trust yourself? Do you trust yourself? I do actually.

I do.

That's all you need. That's all you need. I mean, what kind of God is that now? Do you trust yourself? That's all you need. This was during the commercial break. Yeah, no, I don't trust myself. In fact, trusting myself would be foolish.

I know that I'm a sinner and I really am in serious and dire need of a Savior. If Christ hasn't died for me and risen from the grave, I have no hope and neither do you. That's all you need. I do trust myself.

I think I... That's all you need. Yeah. You don't have to worry about trusting other people because you can trust yourself. You trust your own discernment. And if you are listening to the still small voice, as Pastor was talking about...

Yeah, not listening to God's word, listening to the still small voice.

It always lets you know. Yeah, it does. If you can trust that, that's all you need.

Yeah, just trust the still small voice. Don't trust God. Don't trust his word. Just trust yourself and the still small voice.

That is God speaking through you.

See, the still small voice, that's God. That's all you have to trust. Thank you. Guarantee it. Yeah, and I guarantee you're wrong, Oprah. What you're giving is just absolutely satanic and deadly advice here.

When you do this, you are healed.

I do declare. All right. Now, I'm going to fast forward here to them coming out of the break a little later on and listen in as we continue with this I Am segment with Joel Osteen and Oprah and this very deadly, poisonous, heretical, false teaching that throws you back on yourself.

It doesn't teach you to trust in Christ, God and His word, to trust in Him for the forgiveness of sins and all things, but no, trust in yourself and the still small voice. We continue.

Joel got a sign. I declare for us all, and I declare that if you were to do the declarations for 31 days, your life would change.

That's what you did it for, right? Yeah, that's exactly right. One day a month, and you can continue to do them, but it's a great start.

You can watch Pastor Joel's entire I Am sermon. We have it on Oprah .com. Also, do the I declares.

Yeah, don't worry. I'll get to it and probably review part of it.

Do the I declares because I am, I do declare. In stores not.

Self-Exalting Declarations Versus the Tax Collector's Prayer

Final thoughts from you, Pastor Joel. Well, I think it's just so important to never speak negative words about yourself, your family. It may come to your mind, but don't give your words life by speaking them out.

Don't ever say anything negative. Now this is just flat out witchcraft and superstition. The Bible doesn't teach this.

Don't ever say anything negative about yourself. You may feel it, but just zip it up and make those positive declarations.

It takes time, though, because from the time I heard the I Am sermon, what it did, and I'm hoping this is what's going to happen for all of you who are watching, who are here, is that you start catching yourself.

Because if you're however old you are, you have the habit of feeding the negative tapes to yourself. I do, too. And so when you first catch yourself doing it, you switch it, just as we've been doing here today.

You switch the I Am, and it takes practice. That's why I declare the declarations help you get into the practice of it. Absolutely.

And it's not something you go out and have to do in public. You get up in the morning. You're in the shower. You're driving to work saying, you know what, Lord? Thank you. I'm strong. I make good decisions.

I'm healthy. Just simple things like that.

I'm looking forward to my future. Yes. Yes. I'm looking forward to my future. Yes. Could you lead us in a few I Ams today? Absolutely. Okay. Can we all stand?

Can we all stand? All right, let's stand. All right. Okay, so now they're going to stand and be led in a bunch of I Ams, and they haven't heard about the I Am. That's Jesus Christ, God in human flesh.

So now everyone's going to stand up, and they're going to declare their I Ams. All right. Just repeat after me. I am strong. I am strong. I am healthy.

I am healthy. I am confident. I am confident. I am secure. I am secure. I am talented. I am talented. I am talented. I am talented.

I am talented. I am talented. Heard all of those I am statements to a story recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Verse 9, Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and they treated others with contempt.

Two men went into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus, God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week. I am a tither of all that I get. I am great, right? The tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but he beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me.

I am a sinner. I tell you, this man, the tax collector, went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. But the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

Just repeat after me. I am strong. I am healthy. I am confident. I am secure.

I am talented. I am creative. I am disciplined. I am focused. I am valuable. I am beautiful, I am blessed, I am excited about my future.

Yet they were not taught to pray, I am a sinner, God have mercy on me. Instead they've exalted themselves. Therefore I fear that Christ's words will come true. That they will be humbled on the last day when he comes again in glory to judge both the living and the dead, because they've exalted themselves and trust in themselves rather than trust in Christ like the tax collector did and asked for a merciful God, asked that God be propitious and merciful to him and he was.

You see the difference between the true gospel and the false gospel? One throws you on yourself and teaches you to trust in yourself, to exalt yourself. The other gets you on your face, confessing what you truly are, a sinner in need of a Savior and in Christ Jesus we do have a Savior.

God is merciful and he is kind and he is forgiving, so forgiving that he will even forgive self-exalting sinners like you and like me. Pray that those who've been deceived by this false teaching will be brought to repentance and faith and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and believe the true gospel and reject this false, smooth talk and flattery that teaches you to exalt yourself rather than humble yourself in the sight of the Lord.

Alright, we're up on our second break. When we come back we have a good sermon from Phil Johnson about being men in church. Refreshing, blunt in your face, not politically correct and wonderful. You'll enjoy it.

We'll be right back. Sisyoprophied religiosity won't save you. You're listening to Fighting for the Faith.