This probably won’t be a terribly popular post, however, I think it’s important. Rick Warren and those like him are a detriment to the church and to the world. His folly is viewed by the world as “Christianity.” Christianity it is not; they believe and teach a god other than the True and Living God of the Bible, and the [false] gospel they preach falls under the condemnation of Galatians 1:8-9.
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (anathema, or eternally damned). As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.“
Below is a post from The Expositor about Rick Warren’s recent speaking engagement, hosted by the Salvation Army. It is followed by a link to Warren’s weak message.
Once again Rick Warren blows a wonderful opportunity to preach the Gospel. Warren was a part of the first ever Christmas Carol Concert presented to all locations of Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club in America which was also presented by the Salvation Army.
Warren spoke for 1 minute 50 seconds and spoke of celebration, salvation and reconciliation, but in his inimitable way, he managed to do it without speaking the Name of Jesus, and of course presented a light and fluffy, back-rubbing waste of time.
What is it that compels people like Warren, Bill Hybels and others to leave the Lord Jesus and the Gospel out of what they describe as Christian messages and events?
Is Rick Warren stupid, dumb or suffering from some physical or mental defect? Of course not, he is a very talented, gifted and articulate person. His worldly success is rivaled by few, generating billions of dollars in the sale of his Purpose Driven empire, from the books to purpose driven merchandise.
So why? What is so wrong with presenting a clear and scriptural Gospel message? My only conclusion has to be that Warren and those like him CHOOSE to deny the Lord. They CHOOSE to be ashamed of the Gospel. They CHOOSE to present a weak and watered down Gospel. They CHOOSE worldly success and fame and acceptance over the self-denial and offense that comes when one presents the Gospel as it should be.
Jeremiah and Isaiah and Paul and Peter and all the others just went about it the wrong way. They should have toned down their presentation. Obviously if these men had been more loved by the world, they, the world, would have loved God, right? Great martyrs of the faith should have tried to get along, and be more tolerant and sensitive. If Polycarp had not been so nick-picky and so bold and direct, perhaps he would have been murdered.
Rick Warren is not only a joke, he is an embarrassment. He is an embarrassment to the Lord and to the cause of Christ. Pray for Warren. I call on him to repent while there is still time, and to lay down all of this purpose driven trash, and do not be ashamed of the Gospel.
Here is a link to the message.
The above can be found here.
I stand in agreement with your post. I am grateful to see another speaking the Word of Truth. We, as a church have sat silent, unaware as these wolves crept into our fold. It has now become a soul stealing battle and to remain silent against the backdrop of this Warren-heresy would be a sin of omission against our Father in heaven. Warren may deny the Lord, but let his shameful example be a warning and encouragement to us all, that, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
I look forward to visiting more of your journal.
~el
SOUND THE ALARM
Subject: Huckabee Purpose Driven
http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Blogs.View&Blog_id=658
Don’t know if you all know this yet …but baptist preacher 2008 Rep. Pres. candidate Huckabee is Purpose Driven (PD).
Ref. Link is to Huckabee’s official web page above…his blog…Huckabee uses PD’s founder, Rick Warren’s quote…hoping for an official endorsement from him. Purpose Driven is a cult that has taken over the mainstream church.
SERIOUS PROBLEM: There are 38.8 million baptist in the USA. This is what has spiked Huckabee ahead in the polls suddenly. This could spell disaster for the US if these millions of baptists vote. Approx. 50% of voters vote, then say, the last election went something like 62 million for Bush vs. 59 million for Kerry-Dems. —you see, now in 2008, we have 38 million baptist….then, add on to that, millions of foolish nonbaptist christians who will get on the bandwagon–especially, if Dobson and other ‘leaders’ endorse Huckabee? Huckabee has the baptist’s vote…then, think if PD Warren does official endorse him. Huckabee is the worst choice on the republican ticket–and the ‘chrisians’ are fixed to give us another Bush. I’ve friends personally who were PD ‘resisters’ and were thrown out of Lamar Baptist Church in TX. Huckabee (and you know the baptist demonination has fully accepted PD false teachings) does not recognize the error of PD—what kind of christian is he–another deluded one, like universalist GW?
You wrote: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (anathema, or eternally damned). As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.“
ME: I would encourage you to be very careful with how you direct this accusation at another individual — I would also encourage you to not believe everything you read on the internet, have a knee-jerk reaction, or join a bandwagon.
This galatians condemnation is reserved for those who “preach a false gospel” (i.e., salvation by any other means than by grace). Contrary to most of what is said about Rick Warren, he absolutely preaches salvation by grace alone through faith alone in th life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Second Person of the one and only Triune God, who nailed our sins to the cross in His body.
I have attended Saddleback church for 15 years, was on staff for 2 years, know Rick Warren personally, have taught doctrinal/anti-cult discernment classes at Saddleback, and have written a book on Rick Warren explaining EXACTLY what Warren teaches/believes. I suggest you read “Rick Warren and the Purpose that Drives Him.”
If you want to see my credentials as an apologist, or look at my books, feel free to visit my website at abanes.com.
Dear friend, please, please be careful in making these kinds of charges against a fellow believer, not to mention a pastor who has led many people, by God’s Holy Spirit, to the Christ of the Bible. He may not use the words you like, or teh style you appreciate, or the traditional approach — but he is getting through to a whole new generation and segment of society who need Christ. And they are coming to Christ in droves. Personally, I am rejoicing over what God is doing.
I wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR.
in Christ,
Richard Abanes
For all those who attend a Purpose Driven/Emergent/Growth Church, God gave me 2 Scriptures within the past 24 hours.
Jer 14:15
Dan 8:25
I am not one who know’s were scripture by verse is in the Bible, so these are very important.
“Come out of her my people” says the Lord.
We got involved with a “Purpose Driven” church a few years ago. It was started by a small group of men who read the PDL book and decided they had a better way. When their Baptist church didn’t buy into it, they started meeting in their homes. To make a long story short, members of the Baptist church started leaving their church for the new fangled one. Result, a CHURCH SPLIT. This new church claims it is not about personalities, when in fact it is all about personalities! Very clickish. There was pressure to get involved in the various PDL programs. At first the rock music as awesome, because it was different from traditional church services. Then it became annoying, as it was too loud and the words mindless. I almost started to feel like I was part of the hairy chrishnas. The music would get louder and louder and the faster and faster and the lyrics repetitive. It was a frenzied type of thing and everyone is pumped, bouncing up and down. And when the noise ends, they think the Spirit has moved. My husband who got sucked into this church said the young people sit up front so that they can FEEL THE MUSIC. He unwittingly was admitting how superficial the worship service was. I told him that you shouldn’t have to give a rock concert to get people to listen to the gospel. He did not appreciate that, as I said he got sucked in. I stopped going to that church with him. He continued going and he got weird. He claimed he loved these people, he had not felt this way about people in any other church we’d been to. They made a big deal over him and told him how spiritual he was becoming, that’s the real reason he lived them. He began going to church activities 6-5 times a week. He ran himself into the ground for those people, getting little sleep and barely making it through the day at work. He went and helped these people do this and that at their homes and in the meantime our own house was falling apart. When he had to replace our deck because it was causing the side of our house to rot, he claimed all these wonderful PDL people were coming over to help. NOT A SINGLE ONE EVER DID! One of the more popular personalities at this church, basically the church mom walked up to me when we first started going to this PDL gathering and said ” You need to come on Wednesday nights to support your husband”. I just stared at her, couldn’t believe her rudeness. This is what happens when people are made a big deal of and put on a pedastol. They turn into self righteous horses rear ends. And my husband did just that too. He became too spiritural for the TV set claiming I had become caloused to the off color language said in this cartoon show. Never mind, he was hee hawing it up to an more offensive South Park program several days later. He wondered aloud if the dog figurines I have are idols and when I didn’t go along with that, he claimed he was just “throwing it out there”, a phrase he learned from the three times married leader of the men’s support group.
When I would point out unethical behavior and attitudes of some of these people, he didn’t want to hear it. They walked on water and could do know wrong. This purpose driven life church has caused a lot of problems between us and I started wondering if we were going to get a divorce for Jesus. We had many heated discussions about this church until he decided to quit going. When he told these people he would not be returning, they wanted to come over to our house to pray over us….actually I knew it was really to pray over ME, as I was the problem and didn’t get with their special purpose program. My husband told them not to come, as his wife believed they were a cult and would not be warmly received. We are now going to a Baptist church together and this whole experience has given me a new appreciation of the deep spiritual meaning of the traditional hymns. Yes, these hymns can be dry musically, at times. It is not a rock concert designed to entertain. They are worship of the one and only Holy God. These hymns are of reverance of Him, something very lacking in the frenzied bubble gum rock music of the PDL church.
Unfortunately, my husband learned to blame his long time insecurities on me, something he picked up from these people, especially the three times married support group leader, who should never have been put in that position. And at times my husband’s self righteous garbage rears its ugly head. So we are not out of the woods at any rate, as far as the damage the PDL church has done to our marriage.
At times it makes me very angry and surprised that my husband could get sucked up in this, as I used to think he was well grounded. It was because they made a big deal over him, something no other church had done. But then again, isn’t that what most cults do?