Purpose Driven or Purpose Drivel?

The discerning side of my mind

[Lasher]

Would like to know if there are any other Christians out there that have not swallowed Rick Warren's version of the Gospel. I left my "seeker-friendly" Church after much prayer and ponder, and it took several months to make the split. I still must speak with my former pastor about this, so until I do, I will not name my former Church. I have noticed that most who follow the "Purpose Driven" material are emotionally attached to it, much like true Christians are emotionally tied to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

[Quix]

It's comforting that you show so clearly and persistently your

total cluelessness of me and my spirituality.

[Quix]

No agenda except the Word?

Then you should be cheering Rick Warren on loudly, vigorously and persistently.

[Quix]

I encourage you to read more of Bonhoeffer--particularly LIFE TOGETHER.

God may be merciful and help you understand it more fully in His time.

[pro610]

AMEN!
Thanks

[pro610]

If Rick Warren tells Quix to Jump,Quix will respond"How High Rick"
When do you receiver your paycheck from Harper Collins Zondervan or saddleback church?
You are obsessed with this Guy,its reminds me of the Beetle fans of the 60,s.

[Quix]

If Rick Warren tells Quix to Jump,Quix will respond"How High Rick"
When do you receiver your paycheck from Harper Collins Zondervan or saddleback church?
You are obsessed with this Guy,

Every line of yours above is a brazen lie. I forgive you. But clearly only God can break through your noggin with the truth.

For the record for those with hearts and ears to hear:

1) I admire Rick's humility and faithfulness to the path God has laid out before him. I admire his very potent and very Biblical writing and ministry. I admire his simplicty of living and living on only 10% of his income. I admire his giving the rest to the poor via community development and other lastingly beneficial Christian good works. I'm utterly confident that Jesus The Christ is delighted with Rick.

2) Rick's books are excellent. I plan to get a good supply of the booklet to give out on an upcoming midWest trip. My Lord is my source, my supply, my high tower. I need nor want nothing from Rick. I certainly receive nothing but encouragement in my faith from Rick. You know that somewhere in the depths of your . . . heart.

3) You know absolutely nothing, it appears, about my passions, knowledge, understandings, spirituality etc. You are also far less an expert, it appears, on obsessions than I am. And, evidently, your mirrors are exceedingly shattered.

God have mercy on you for your wholesale inaccurate judgments and unfounded assaults.

[Gamecock]

Are you saying that Rick Warren is today's John The Baptist?

[fortheDeclaration]

Here is a good analysis of what is wrong with a Purpose Driven Life

http://www.fundamentalbiblechurch.org/Foundation/fbcAnalysis.htm

[Gamecock]

Hey ftd,

Great link. Thanks.

[Quix]

Am a bit shocked.

Are you minimizing or laying aside the

importance, efficacy, viability, functionality, crucial priority Christ gave to and his prayer that

we might be One even as He and His Father are one?

And, I'm NOT talking about satan driven, shallow, pseudo ecumunicism of folks not really Christian to begin with toward a one world government/religion. That evil plan and movement IS from the pit.

HOWEVER, HOLY SPIRIT is fostering some authentic UNITY BEFORE THE CROSS IN THE BLOOD AND HOLYS SPIRIT OF JESUS. And all who fight that will be broken on, crushed beneath THE ROCK, CHRIST JESUS.

tHIS IS A MORE THAN CHALLENGING AREA TO ARTICULATE ABOUT--THERE'S SOOOO MUCH HYPER VENTILATING, BRAZEN ERROR AND UNBIBLICAL FEAR MONGERING that the word "unity" has almost come to be seen as a totally satanicly possessed and appropriated term of no use to authentic Christians any more.

My God is bigger than that.

And His Children who refuse to allow HIM to make THEM bigger than that are in danger of rejecting Him as their true Father.

Some of our congregational distinctives have been used of God to highlight aspects of Him and His Gospel which have gotten somewhat lost in the shuffle in this or that era or spiritual/geographical locale.

A lot of them are merely ego driven doctrines of men and doctrines of demons wounding the heart of Jesus afresh and driving sharp prickly unnecessary daggers between the sheep. God is not amused and will be cleaning up that mess with all who truly submit to Him as LORD GOD ALMIGHTY in their hearts.

I read your linked article anticipating that I might learn something instructive or edifying given my great respect for your typical spiritual judgment. I found the article a disgrace to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The article wholesale reminded me of the disciples who were ready to rebuke or worse folks who were spreading the Gospel while Jesus was still walking dusty paths because such folks were not doing it precisely THEIR WAY. Jesus rebuked them harshly, sternly.

It also reminded me of the pharisees who were so chronically eager to take up rocks against folks who were not memorizing and practicing their thousand and one added on rules and regulations of their law which they so deadly used to burden and kill people while avoiding shouldering the burdens themselves.

What a travesty. What an outrage against our Lord and His Passion for His priorities.

[fortheDeclaration]

You don't have unity for the sake of unity, you have unity only with the truth.

The truth always divides (Lk.12:51-53)

[Quix]

Those are quite true statements. They do not negate mine, imho.

[Quix]

I don't know how God is going to wind up/deal with the unity issue in these end times.

BUT HE WILL. And, I suspect it will shock most all of us.

I suspect He will do it AVOIDING ALL OUR prescriptions, sensibilities, notions, pet doctrines, "requirements," 'minimals,' prissy-nesses, perspectives, standards, criteria, comfort zones, constructions on reality etc.

His ways really are higher than our ways. He really does NOT fit in any of our tidy boxes.

[fortheDeclaration]

The unity issue will be resolved in the end times with the church (all true believers) being removed.

Then a false unity will occur with the growth of a great ecumenical church, headquartered in Rome (Rev.17)

[Quix]

imho:

I don't believe that The Lord is going to wait until that point to squeeze all of our cheeky egos onto the Rapture bus.

He WILL HAVE a Bride without spot or wrinkle or unfitting disunity WELL BEFORE THEN. I just don't know how. I'm not saying it will be a LONG TIME BEFORE then. But I do believe it will be before then.

I suspect it will be some sort of emphasis on the unity in HIS BLOOD and in HIS SPIRIT. And that if that level and focus and priority of unity IN HIM is not submitted to, then folks will be at great risk for being OUTSIDE THE CAMP.

Pettiness will NOT be tolerated in the final analysis. It will NOT be the case of

Yes, Jesus YOU ARE LORD of my life

. . . EXCEPT IN THIS TINY LITTLE AREA OF PETTINESS WHICH REALLY CONSUMES ALL MY EGO, INTENSITIES, COMPULSIONS, EMOTIONS, OUTRAGE, SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, PAROCHIAL-NESS, ARROGANCE, SELF-ISHNESS AND PRISSYNESS.

The Lord is not about to allow such stuff on the Rapture bus.

[fortheDeclaration]

You are suppose to love other brother and sisters in the Lord, but do not join them in their errors.

[Quix]

Agreed.

But precious little of that occurs and I think even when it does occur--much of it is quite at inadequate levels and depth and breadth compared to what Christ expects.

[pro610]

Why do you always have to write using all the BIG important words.
Are you insecure or are you trying to confuse simple minded people who have no clue to the meaning of the word you are using?

Let me give it a try.
Purpose Driven life leaves me feeling beleaguered.
I don,t see the capacity in it for caprice in someones life.
You are obviously ebullient about Warren and PDL,it seems to leave you feeling gemutlichkiet inside.
I guess I,m being a bit facetious.
I think we should all cool down and chortle a bit.

Quix ,Some of the most simple minded people I know seem to have the strongest faith and relationship with Christ.
When they walk into a room the whole room lights up..

Why do you feel the need to leave them out when you write that way?
I,m just giving you something to think about.
Don,t take it to much to heart,I actually think you are very sincere and God loving person.

We will probably never agree on PDL,but we do agree on what,s important.
That Jesus Christ died for our sins and Salvation can only be through the acceptance of HIM.
(John3:16)
Yes,God so loved the world
that he gave his only son,
that whoever believes in him may not die
but have eternal life.

[RobRoy]

No. I am saying that both good (John the baptist) and bad (David Koresh) people have been called saints and devils and based on that, one could as easily lump Warren in with John as someone attempted to lump him in with Koresh.

Warren liked dogs. But that does not mean he is a slaughterer of Jews because he has the same love of dogs as did Hitler. It is a bogus argument. And comparing Warren to Koresh was as well.

[RobRoy]

I was so troubled by this bashing of this book that I emailed my pastor with this thread. Here was his response:

In the 40 years that I have been a Christian I have seen and read
critical reports of every new ministry that has come on the scene.
That includes Billy Graham, Promise Keepers,MOPS, Awana and you name
it.
My response has always been to study the reports and see if there is
any real merit to what they are saying and then decide for myself. If I
believe it is totally heretical I reject it but if not I don't want to
through the baby out with the bath water.
The criticism of Rick Warren has to do largely with his use of modern
paraphrases to support his 5 purposes for God creating you.
I am bothered by his use of modern paraphrases for they take too
much liberty with the text. Rick wants so much for the unchurched to
come to Christ that he wants to be sure that they can understand the
Bible. I appreciate his heart on this and can't really fault him for
it.
The reason that I can't fault him is because the 5 Purposes For Your
Life is easily demonstrated from other Scriptures that are found in
standard translations. I have taught those 5 purposes for years but
have never used a paraphrase to do it with therefore I had no problem
leading our church through them this last year.
Secondly, I believe that he often gives a rather anemic presentation
of the Gospel. Again, I know that he really believes in the Gospel but
has not dealt with some of the issues that I am talking about on
sundays.He is like all preachers (myself included) in that he needs to
keep growing spiritually in all aspects of his faith. I want to give
him the freedom to do just that.
Much of the criticism of him and his ministry is unfair and often
unkind. He is no where close to being a heretic as some have said.
The doctrinal statement of his church is right on and evangelically
solid.
When I first read some of the criticism leveled at him I was
surprised how often the criticizers quoted scripture out of context in
order to rebut something that he said in his book.
Whenever I see that happen that person's credibility dies with me.