Mike Winger teaches bible stuff on his YouTube channel. He’s not afraid to cover difficult or controversial topics. Among Mike’s MANY MANY MANY videos on various subjects, there is a critique of one of Joel Osteen’s sermons. The video has gotten a lot of views and the Lakewood Church (where Osteen operates) has filed a copyright claim against Mike so that he is unable to use Osteen’s sermon in his analysis video.
This is great news for anyone who can’t figure out what to do with Joel Osteen! You need not be confused any longer by Osteen’s winning smile and gentle voice. You don’t need to wonder whether or not his ministry deserves your attention. You can regard the ministry of Lakewood Church in the same way they regard themselves. They block their own content, so you can toss Osteen’s teachings in the dumpster. You shouldn’t cling to a preacher’s doctrines when he doesn’t support them himself!
When you’re confident in your sermon, it won’t bother you if Mike Winger makes a video critiquing it. Criticism doesn’t worry someone who is primarily interested in finding the truth. The people who won’t allow criticism are the people with something to hide.
I’m somebody who says things publicly for a living. I’ve been misrepresented by critics more times than I can count (and I can count pretty high). When I am criticized, I don’t block the critic from accessing my content. That only proves that I don’t have faith in my convictions. If I don’t believe what I’m saying then I shouldn’t say it.
When it turns out that I’m wrong, I need to admit my error. If I was wrong in public, I need to own my mistake in public. When I start blocking my own content, you can conclude that my ego is in charge and throw my teaching in the dumpster.
Never trust a preacher who won’t defend his preaching. Ignore ANYONE who refuses to allow themselves to be scrutinized. Righteous teachers do not fear criticism. They welcome it.
“Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
(John 3:20)
