Church Growth

As I was studying to lead a discussion on the prosperity gospel I came across many ideas for a blog entry. However, in light of the corporate church worship this morning at FBC Durham and a great web site resource, discerning reader, I was compelled to write on the significance of church growth. What does the rate church growth at one specific local church tell us about the church and pastors?

My answer is A LOT!

What is the number one question people in the world want to know? I would argue it is: How can I be happy? What will make me happy? Joel Osteen tells his church God will make you happy. FBC Durham would say God can make you happy. So then the only difference is can and will. God will or God can make you happy. Which one is it?

Psalm 16:11 tells us: in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Joel Osteen tells us a more rewarding life can be obtained if you change the way you think about your life.

Four Christians who gave their testimony before being baptized today at FBC Durham each spoke clearly about the sin that entangled them and of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ that has cleansed them of their sins in the past, present and future. Only because of Christ are they able to experience the fullness of joy.

Where is that message at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas? It is not coming out of Joel Osteen's preaching. He gives a straight forward guide to improve you life for good and help you experience victory, joy, and satifaction every day! (taken from the inside flap of his book Your Best Life Now). He claims to know God's best, but when asked on Larry King Live he did not have an answer for if a Jew or a Muslim was a Christian. All these inconsistencies are easily found with a few minutes on Lakewood's website, a few glances at his book, and a couple interviews with him. The amount of error he produces would take an entire book to address. So I will just consider church growth.

How might one go about joining Lakewood church? How might one join FBC Durham or any other Bible believing baptist church? The testimonies this morning were given after months or in most of the cases years of questioning and learning the deep concepts of the Christian faith, sitting under the teaching of a pastor who has studied and memorized the Word of God for 20+ years, and after God revealing the ugly deception of sin. It was only after much revelation of Christ and his atoning sacrifice were these believers able to believe. That is how the church should grow.

Sadly this is not how Lakewood has grown. According to the Discerning Reader:


On October 3, 1999, Joel Osteen assumed the position of Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church. Under Pastor Joel and Victoria Osteen's leadership, Lakewood has grown in every area of ministry. Lakewood has added two additional worship services in order to accommodate its growth in an auditorium that seats 7,800. With nearly 30,000 adults in weekly attendance and over 2,500 children attending weekly children's programs, Lakewood has doubled in attendance in the last two years. In addition, Lakewood's weekly television program can now be seen in an additional 100 million households in the US and Canada

All the church knows is attendance not salvation. I desire for you to hear the testimonies of suffering and sin spoken from the baptismal this morning. That was true salvation! This positive/motivational crap that Osteen gives is empty and hopeless. I do not serve a God that is empty or hopeless! I will go as far to say that what Osteen preaches is not the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Observe for yourself. He's probably on tv right now... go listen... or just go on you tube.

Other questions I have thought about-
Why is his picture taking up the front of his book and church website?
Where is a cross, Bible or Scripture in his book, website, or in his church?
Why does he never even say the word sin?
Why does he say, "the Bible says..." but then misquote it horribly?
What translation does he read?
Why won't he publish his financial statements?
Why are all the leadership of the church related to him? (I'm suspecting the answer is that they'll keep all his secrets safe because they profit.)

Any comments are welcome!