I am by no means a fan of the of the guy…
but I must give credit where tis due.
What Did He Say?
On a recent CNN interview with Piers Morgan (the new Larry King) Joel Osteen was asked point blank if he thought Homosexuality was a sin. Twice. And both times he replied in the affirmative.
I was surprised seeing as how in the past Joel Osteen has been so wishy-washy regarding the most basic principles of the Christian faith. But he didn’t stop there and I am glad he did not…
What is a “Banner Issue”?
He went on to say that sadly Christians have latched on to homosexuality as a “banner issue”. A banner issue is an issue on which the majority of your congregation or group agrees so you tend to preach louder and stronger on that issue in order to garner favor with your flock, especially the wealthy and influential ones.
And banner issues are one of the biggest reasons the Church has ceased to be a voice of hope, faith, and love in the community.
Why are Banner Issues Bad?
Banner issues are bad because nine times out of ten they are over-emphasized, divisive, and not preached in love. One might hear sermon after sermon about how gays are going to hell, but hear nary a word about fornication, gluttony or gossip. Such a person will grow up hating gays but be no closer to God than the very gays he or she hates.
Furthermore, banner issues usually serve to further a secular or sinful agenda and are not in any way helpful to the Kingdom of God, nor do they educate, edify or enlighten the church.
What Can I Do?
Firstly you must develop a daily routine that involves prayer and reading through God’s word in some sort of orderly fashion. Apart from this I can assure you that you will never grow closer to God. Secondly, ask God to reveal to you how He views people and how He views all sin, not just some sins or the sins that you don’t struggle with.
Thirdly, start saving sermon notes and keeping track of what verses are studied and what topics are covered. If you begin to see a pattern…ie… the same issues being covered over and over again whilst other issues that the Bible clearly speaks on being ignored, it is time to set up a meeting with your pastor/elders.
Ensure that, according to Matthew 18, you speak to the person you have an issue with (in this case your pastor/elder) directly. Make sure you speak the truth in love, and make sure you pray before you meet with them. Let them know your concerns.
What Else?
The Bible teaches us to be Spirit lead and filled, to bear fruit, and to show love to even our enemies. We are to speak truth in a loving manner, find common ground with all so that we can lead them to Christ so He may save them, and to examine ourselves thoroughly on a daily basis before pointing out the sin in others.
In Conclusion
We are not to look the other way when it comes to sin…but we are also not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. We are all sinners, we have all missed the mark, and we all need a Savior.
Whether our sin be homosexuality, fornication, lust, pride, gluttony, slothfulness, etc…we all need help and it is high time we stopped acting like we are better than those around us who suffer from the effects of a sin different than ours.
