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What is your opinion of the 40 Days program being used at your church? It is kicking off at our church with the Rick Warren satellite broadcast this coming Saturday evening.

At the outset, it appeared to be an idea that our Pastor had (having returned from several months of sabbatical). As such it was at first encouraging as such. How can one disagree with repeating that "man was created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever"?

I do not know where the "40-day" program might possibly differ with what is being preached by our Pastor (except his Powerpoints look professionally done), but from that perspective it is repackaged post-modern evangelicalism mixed with truth. I say that with the utmost caution. It is difficult to argue against correct method when it is being taught as purpose - because there is truth in method - but confusing the two is EXTREMELY dangerous, and indeed, is where the Pharisees went wrong - they thought that the God's commands defined righteousness BY them (i.e. the Pharisees), rather than righteousness UNTO them. Therein lies the problem I see with so many of these popular series - they use truth, to teach a lie. I have been arguing for YEARS that it is a LIE to say, "the purpose of the church is to win the world for Jesus". Evangelism is indeed a task of individual believers, but it is NOT the reason for which they were created - it is NOT our purpose. So to hear a more correct purpose coming out of "40-days" begins as an encouragement - I heard from the 2nd week's study that one purpose we were created for was to worship God (Amen to that), but then I heard the DEFINITION OF WORSHIP being tied to a "worship service" in a "worship center" in a church building, I see that truth is being used to teach a LIE. Worship is not punctual, or even temporal in a sense (i.e. Sunday morning at 11:00AM at the corner of Vine and Madison) - it is persistent - ongoing - a LIFESTYLE lived by FAITH. To define it any less is to turn the hearers into "Sunday Believers". THAT is not our purpose, and it shows that (at least the way this is being presented where I attend) the "purpose" for this is to increase the prestige and power of a man-made institution that has the gall to repeatedly call itself, "The Church of Jesus, and the Bride of Christ". Sorry, WE [believing PEOPLE - individuals, collectively] are the bride of the Messiah - NOT the businesses located at various street addresses around the nation that call themselves "churches".

I fear for our nation, and for our "churches" that God has not seen fit to give us more men from days past like Watchman Nee, Andrew Murray, A.W.Tozer, R.A.Torry, etc. Instead we are seeing the popularity of pablum and the glorification and enrichment of the "person" and men, instead of The Person of Y'shua HaMashiach - Jesus, the Messiah. God incarnate, the spotless Lamb Who alone is Worthy!