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| Carl Lentz. Mega Preachers Exposed Part 4 |
Up and coming Celebrity Pastor or Mega Preacher causing a stir, Carl Lentz of the incredibly popular and famous Hillsong Church founded by Brian Houston and his wife in Australia 30 years ago. Brian Houston is one of the biggest False Preachers from the Word of Faith Movement and the Prosperity Gospel. Carl Lentz is Head and front man for this Pentecostal denominational Church in America in New York. It has 75,000 members in twelve countries. On an average day 6,000 people attend his church which is spread over 5 services. This preacher when he is in full swing, you can see his veins popping out if his neck.
This article came about after writing a previous article on Joel Osteen which featured one video where he is being interviewed by Larry King who asks him what do you think of "Carl Lentz" and Joel Osteen replies that he is "Great" or something similar, hence the closer look. So is this one false preacher recommending another or is Carl Lentz a modern funky hip and cool version of the "Real Deal"?
Hillsong Hypocrisies
A very good video on Vimeo called "Image v Substance in the Body of Christ" by Chris Roseborough made in connection with exposing Carl Lentz as a false preacher contains some very strong points and what the very foundation of what Carl Lentz´s preaching is based on. Some thoughts lifted from that video. Video at end of these thoughts courtesy Chris Roseborough.
Carl Lentz and the embracing of Celebrity Culture
The Carl Lentz approach is in a nutshell where the Greater Body of Christ has adopted the same values as in Celebrity Culture which are Image and Numerical Success as in followers, wealth, chart highs and sales etc, etc. If you are a celebrity then your ideas and views become important. Celebrities become celebrities by entertaining us and nothing more. The substance of celebrity lives doesn´t match up to the image that they try to artificially create as we have witnessed many times in their private lives. A large number of the new evangelicals have adopted the same celebrity mindset as the world and created an elite world of Celebrity Mega Preachers who are media savvy but their image does not add up to their Biblical substance. If you know your Bible and have just a slight Biblical Discernment, you will realise the Celebrity Pastors are no more than your normal celebrities, it´s all smoke and mirrors and nothing more.
Carl Lentz has a distinct image and his preaching caters to a specific market and that is New York Hipster types and is as far removed from the "Traditional Church" as you can get, people want to hear this stuff, they don´t want to hear sound doctrine any more. But here´s the problems
1. He doesn´t even meet the Biblical qualifications to be a pastor. The Bible disqualifies someone like Carl Lentz (See Vid below Image V Substance)
2. Lentz´s image is hipster and of "The World", and this image is very expensive to make and maintain and also just like in the Celebrity World has a short shelf life.
3. What qualifies somebody to preach as part of Jesus´s Church. Is it the image he projects or the substance of character and the doctrine he teaches?
4. There is no mention in the Bible that a Pastor has to portray a worldly image such as Carl Lentz in order to portray his message.
5. When interviewed by Katie Couric and asked about Joel Osteen he says he loves Joel, he states his message of hope is similar to ours. Joel Osteen is a false preacher so he is basically saying he is more of the same, but as he says "louder".
6. If Jesus didn´t mention about Homosexuality during his earthly ministry and people say that means that Jesus therefore is saying Homosexuality is not a problem. How about Incest and Paedophiles which were not mentioned either by Jesus....does that make that OK as well? You can see the reasoning here and this is a False Preacher tactic, to either twist what is there already or focus on things that were not mentioned and if they were not mentioned ....that must be OK then? Confusion is the realm of evil.
7. Carl Lentz is projecting the image of Christianity that people really want to see, the problem is the substance that backs up the image is false, will not lead you to Christ, in fact will probably lead you further away from the truth than somebody who is a non church goer or even a non believer!.
Titus 2:1. But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
Video: Carl Lentz: Image Vs Substance
Video:
Carl Lentz: Image vs Substance from Chris Rosebrough on Vimeo.
My Observations on Carl Lentz
1. He reminds me of a Rock Star crossed with a Stand Up Comedian in a Comedy Club in his delivery and stance, preaching laced with hip humour, delivered fast and furious and whipping the audience into a frenzy with his energetic biblical? rap. Got to give it to him he is Charismatic.
2. He has been banned from preaching in Prison Institutions because he looks more like a criminal than a member of the cloth. That surely is not a good sign.
3. He get´s the masses into his club land style service and they probably leave buzzing with what they think is some sort of religious experience, but in reality, is that something that these people can build their own faith on, or is it dependant on next weeks sermon from Carl Lentz to top up this spiritual vaccuum that probably appears 24 hours later?
4. Your faith shouldn´t be based on a Pastor first and Jesus second it should be based on Jesus first and a Pastor way down the line if at all.
5. He has created an image but has no Biblical substance to back up this image that has been created..it´s simply tapping into the power of Celebrity Culture which is rampant in our society and applying it in a Religious environment. It´s blasphemy plain and simple.
6. Carl Lentz and his cool version of Christianity has been referred to as Christianity Light, Christianity without the heaviness. But take the heaviness away as in the real deal, and what are you left with..............not a lot.....what I call a lot of hot air, froth and foam. I liken it to having a quick intake of those helium gas miniature canisters, you will feeling good and will be laughing ecstatically for a couple of minutes and then it´s back to reality until the next canister. Is that the work of God or the Devil?
7. He states just like many other Prosperity Gospel preachers that Tithing is encouraged? Tithing is an Old Testament....Old Covenant model that was used back in the day and was like a Temple Tax. With the New Testament and Jesus came The New Covenant where Tithing was replaced by Giving as in Giving to the needy such as homeless, poor, hungry, the naked, old and infirm, orphans and widows. NOT giving to the rising wealthy, certainly not a church that is in the format of a nightclub/live music venue and people who are not in need and certainly not to people who are distorting the Gospel or creating a new one from the words that Jesus didn´t say.
8. He has a celebrity following which is a sort of Celebrity endorsement further reinforcing the Image over Substance Theory by Chris Rose Roseborough in his video Image over Substance in the Body of Christ.
9. Just like Joel Osteen when interviewed and asked a tricky question he´ll come out with evasive answers such as "that´s not something open to public debate" or other answers that skirt the issue.
10. A true Christian is not of the world and doesn´t follow wordly values, Carl Lentz is very much without a doubt a product of "The World" and not the product of an overwhelming faith in Jesus Christ "Saved" or otherwise.
Carl Lentz on Creflo Dollar's Jet! - False Teachers
11. All that aside, his manner is hyper and nervous the exact opposite of the "Peace" you will find in Christianity. He looks shifty, never gives a straight answer and the tattoos are the final trimmings to a package that screams something but it isn´t Christianity, and that´s his appeal and secret of his success. He talks about the narrow gate in one of his sermons, you will never find it with this man, I can guarantee it, but you will have a great time being led up the garden path to something, but it will not be God.
12. He states that Jesus lived in a time just like now where Homesexuality was rampant but he never addressed that issue, it is not mentioned in the New Testament. Carl Lentz is pushing this regarding Jesus and his views on Homesexuality and same sex marriage, it´s a False Teacher tactic. Perhaps the most common argument issues from silence: Jesus never mentions homosexuality or same-sex marriage; therefore, he must be for it. But this argument from silence presents another set of troubling conclusions. Namely, that whatever Jesus didn’t specifically address, he must endorse. Creating your own Gospel from silences is a False Gospel and a dangerous and False Preaching. The Bible clearly states many times that Homesexuality is a sin and an abomination. But the Bible also teaches that no sin is wider than Christ’s mercy if one will only repent and believe to be Saved. Anything outside of this is False Teaching and promoting Sin and Homesexuality. There is no getting away from that fact. This is why False Teachers don´t like answering this question because it´s a dead giveaway.
13. FINALLY: If what he teaches are distortions and twistings of the Gospel and the creation of New Gospels implied from what Jesus "didn´t say" then these are quite simply "deceptions" which are lies, and lies are the work of the Devil himself.
Summary
This is the fourth in the series of Mega Preachers Exposed and Carl Lentz is yet another variation but in a younger and more hip form of the Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel movement. As you are starting to see, things are not clear cut initially when trying to fathom whether a Pastor is a false Preacher or not. He is not like Joel Osteen or Victoria Osteen, the current top of the pile amongst Mega Preachers or Celebrity Pastors, I would say he is more like Paula White, catering to a younger audience with in places an almost religious rap like quality infused with energy and lashings of the word Jesus and Love to make it sound all spiritual and Christian like.
The normal views on Fasting, Prayer and a look at his Testimony and his past have been thrown out the window here, there is no need to delve any deeper........... there really is no need!
This man though, is seriously on the rise to Celebrity Pastor and Mega Preacher fame, is appearing on a lot of TV Interviews and comes out just like Joel Osteen sort of smelling of Roses, any tricky questions that that could prove devastating to his image he just like the others will come out with some evasive politician style answer such as "we have a stance on love and everything else we have conversations" line? As Katie Couric stated in the interview "What does that mean". If you are a man of God you do not talk remotely like that, you speak the truth and you have nothing to hide.
Vid: A video featuring the owner of this website sheds some light titled 15 Signs of a False Preacher
The bottom line is though, this preacher hails from Hillsong so it is going to be more of the same, as in Heresy and a good excuse to mix Christianity with a Club like environment. Carl Lentz could be the next Joel Osteen, maybe not, but this kind of preaching is worrying not because of it´s rising popularity, that´s bad enough, but it´s where it leads people that is the problem. It confuses them, leads them away from Christ, when they think they are walking through the narrow gate, ultimately it can lead to a damaged faith, so much so ,they abandon what they think is Christianity, never to return. The other bizarre things is this, as always, these False Preachers are so sucked into the lie that they are preaching, they really believe that what they preaching is the real deal and that they are doing everybody an amazing service and they are utterly convinced that this is what Christianity is all about?
Bible Quotes:
On False Preachers and how to Preach
2 Timothy 2:15
15. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Meaning God want´s Pastors to teach sound and true doctrine and not to twist his words.
Titus 1:7-14
7. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8. But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9. Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
10. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11. Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
12. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14. Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
2 Timothy 4:1-5
1. I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
2 Peter 2:1 (ESV) But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
Acts 20:29-31 (ESV) 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.
Matthew 24:24 (ESV) For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
2 Corinthians 11:4 (ESV) For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
On Same Sex Marriage and Homosexuality
Eph. 5:31-32
32. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Matthew 19. In verses 4-6
4. And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5. And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
1 Timothy 1:8-10
8. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
9. Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10. For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
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