Oprah, False Gospels, Hungry People

Aw Ha!  I have finally put my finger on it!  For two weeks I have been receiving forwarded emails with a link to this video done about Oprah Winfrey.  It has been viewed 5,000,000 times.  It basically takes clips from things she has said in interviews and on her show that make it clear that she is not a Christian.  Also, she is accused of being the cult leader of the largest church in the world.  Okay, so I was laying in bed the other night about to doze off when a segment came on Showbiz Tonight about this Oprah thing. I have been thinking about this entire situation: about the possibility of Oprah being a cult leader, about the video circulating calling her a cult leader, and about the way the secular media is portraying those who are accusing Oprah.  It has caused a dull ache in my heart for reasons I have not been able to put my finger on until now (specifically point #2)… So, I think the following things should be considered.

1.  False Teachers DO exist, and when it taints the true Biblical gospel Christian Leaders are to speak out!  When Paul wrote to Timothy while he was pastoring in Ephesus there were false teachers in the church.  Paul told Timothy to guard, guard, and to suffer for the gospel.  Timothy is also instructed to stay away from foolish, ignorant controversies.  What seems apparent is that Paul’s remedy for the false teaching has little to do with spending a lot of time talking about the false teaching.  (Granted, Paul does call out two false teachers.  So identifying the false teachers DOES have precedence.)  What is notable is the fact that the false teacher in this situation where “members” of the church in Ephesus, not outside of the Christian church (i.e. Oprah).  Please correct me if I am wrong, but there are few (if any) instances in the New Testament where anyone spends much time focusing on the false teaching of admittedly non-believers. 

How did Paul tell Timothy to defend, defend, and suffer for the gospel?  First, Paul instructed Timothy to get the church leaders straightened out.  Call some Elder(s) who can teach the right doctrines, are morally pure, and have a strong character.   Find some Deacons and Deaconnesses who will do whatever needs to be done so that the Elders can study, teach, and pray.  Our first attention should be on our churches!  Do we have leaders who are trained, equipped, capable of teaching the orthodox doctrines of the church? (more on this at a later date).  Paul’s second instruction for Timothy goes something like this, “preach the Bible, preach the Bible, preach the Bible!”  Impart the truths of God in their hearts by getting the words of the Bible into their minds.   We must remember, the gospel will not be bound.  We have no need of fear that Oprah, Obama or Clinton, or any other public figure has influence over people that is greater than the kindness of God which will lead people to repentance when they hear the true gospel of Jesus Christ! So, quit wasting your time worrying about Oprah and her church!  Start using your time to pray, study the scriptures, and declare the wonders of God’s kindness in Christ Jesus to the person you sit next to at work, the person you pass everyday in the school halls, the person you share a bed with.

2.  The gospel is for many Christians merely words.  We hear the gospel preached, and by God’s kindness we are led to faith in Jesus Christ.  We believe the truths of the gospel.  Then, we go on with our lives working just like everyone else to raise good kids, do good at work, and save for a comfortable retirement.  Our evenings consist of watching our favorite television shows, eating half the food we prepare, and hopeing for Friday to come.  These things are by no means sinful, but they are not an outworking of the gospel we claim to believe.  

How should the gospel be fleshed out in our life?  At least part of the answer looks something like this, Matthew 25:35 ”For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” 

The dull ache in my heart over this Oprah thing is that by it I am reminded that five years ago I would have forwarded that email about Oprah to everyone I could for fear that she (the new gospel enemy) was going to win the race to convert people.  Now, however, when I hear stories like the one about Oprah it stirs me to pray, to study, to preach and live the gospel with greater fervor.  I preach the gospel from a stage every week, or while talking and playing ball with the neighborhood kids, or when I read bible stories to my children before bed.  I live the gospel by caring for those who have never heard it even it requires great sacrifice.  I live the gospel by responding to the plight of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned with my money, my time, and my energy. 

If I am doing those things (preaching the gospel and living the gospel) I will not have time to worry about Oprah Winfrey.