Can Rick Warren Save the World?

Power Blog / Acton Institute ^ | August 23, 2006 | John H. Armstrong

[scripter]

[Warren] talks more about how we are to serve other's and that is how I believe he thinks the great commission is all about

Why do you believe that? I believe the documents I've provided state Warren believes:

• We were made for a mission (the Great Commission)
• The mission is mandatory
• The mission is to share Jesus

From what I can see, Warren's position doesn't align with your representation of his position.

He doesn't speak about how we are sinners and need to come to Christ.

Did you see my post 16? It quotes from Warren's church which says we are sinners and need to come to Christ.

I've seen enough to know I think he is full of crap.

Sorry to hear that. From what I can tell, Rick Warren's ministry is growing the Body of Christ and if true, that is something fellow believers should rejoice in.

[Cecily]

Rick pays lip service to the true Gospel when it suits him. When it doesn't, the Gospel gets jettisoned. Please note that Rick speaking in a synagogue is quite, quite different than the example set by Jesus and Paul.


http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/searchview.php?id=16029

[Cecily]

From the article I posted:


"Warren told Wolfson his interest is in helping all houses of worship, not in converting Jews. He said there are more than enough Christian souls to deal with for starters."


That tells me everything I need to know about Rick Warren and his view of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul would have run this fake off in short order.

[scripter]

As I see it, context is everything, and I haven't seen any context. You provided a link that didn't really tell me anything. I'm really interested in direct, in context quotes. That is, something specific Warren said along with the context of what he was discussing.

Again, from everything I can tell, the Body of Christ is growing through Rick Warren's ministry. I don't have a problem with that.

[Cecily]

Why isn't Rick interested in converting Jews? Why is Rick trying to help all houses of worship? Help them to do what? Why would a true evangelical preacher be trying to peddle his "seeker friendly" methods to a Reform or Conservative synagogue? To help them build up their numbers and get people to attend and still not know about Jesus? Why isn't "evangelical" Rick spending his time preaching the Gospel to those people and trying to get them to start or join a Christian congregation? Why is "evangelical" Rick spending his time helping to build up houses of worship which do not believe in Jesus?


Please allow yourself to consider that this man is a complete, worldly fraud who promotes nothing but himself and his brand of "wisdom."

[norge]

Hoo, boy. Now you did it (again).

[scripter]

I would really apreciate you providing some direct, in context quotes.

You asked what Warren's definition of the Gospel was. In your comments you included a biblical definition and another, non biblical definition. And from Saddleback's website I demonstrated Warren subscribed to the biblical definition of the Gospel.

And I really do appreciate your concern. And I ask the same of you, please allow yourself to consider that maybe God is using Warren's ministry to build the Body. Because that's what I see happening through his ministry.

[Dr. Thorne]

One last post. I saw Warren on FoxNews a few days before the "Purpose-Driven" special. Although interviewed extensively (by current news standards) he never once mentioned the name of Jesus. That is the bottom line.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..." - Romans 1:16

[Cecily]

Rupert Murdoch's corporation owns Zondervan, which is Rick Warren's publishing house. Don't expect anyone at Fox News to challenge him too strongly on any issue, if at all.

[Alex Murphy]

Hoo, boy. Now you did it (again).

What can I say? It's a gift. And I didn't get a receipt, so I can't exchange it.

[scripter]

Frankly, evangelicals who take shots at Rick Warren ought to be ashamed.

I couldn't agree more. A letter from Screwtape may be fitting here:

---

My dear Wormwood,

I was delighted to hear from TripTweeze that your work is finally paying off. Your patient is really getting libeled, and by their very own no doubt. I would never have imagined the saints would help our side to such an extent. The contemptuous way in which the saints eat their own is incredible.

While your patients ministry is busy pulling many from our grasp, with all the bad press he is getting, many pitiful little infidels are no longer thinking of checking out Saddleback, and that was their last chance for many will die in another disasater our loyal subjects are putting together in Iran.

This is the most entertaining war I've seen in centuries. You will be greatly rewarded for your success.

Your affectionate uncle,

Screwtape

---

Please stick to direct, in context quotes from Warren. For what I've seen from the Body here today is quite disappointing.

[Cecily]

You know, there is nothing stopping you from using Google and doing your own research. Warren has been analyzed and refuted all over the Web.


http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/psalm73.html

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/warren-drivenorbible-obedient.html

[scripter]

As I see it, what you call being analyzed and refuted is merely a disgreement in style. From what I can tell the Body is growing through Warren's ministry, and I can't argue with that.

[Cecily]

Let Rick drop his seeker friendly, "let me entertain you" ways and start preaching according to the example set by Jesus, Paul, and Peter, and you will see just how big the Body at his church really is. Many people won't be able to get out of there fast enough. A big crowd of people showing up to be entertained by the rock band, skits, multimedia shows, "I'm OK, You're OK" pop psychology classes, and other ineffectual pablum does not equal true growth in the Body of Christ.

[scripter]

Again you're referring to style. The Body is apparently growing and you're complaining that your personal preference of style would help the Body grow faster. Well, nobody is stopping you or anybody else from doing just that.

[Cecily]

No I am not talking about style. I am talking about substance, i.e., what these people really and truly believe, and how many of them would keep showing up if the rock band and other entertainment disappeared, and excellent, serious preaching and teaching that any real Christian would appreciate took its place. That would be an interesting experiment.

[scripter]

I am talking about substance

You said: Let Rick drop his seeker friendly, "let me entertain you" ways . That is style.

I don't pretend to know the hearts of others.

[Sue Perkick]

Oh yes it would. If we could have only had Spurgeon preaching in our time. And to hear what he would have had to say.

[scripter]

I recently found the following quote by Spurgeon in John MacArthur's commentary on Acts 1-12:

We might preach 'til our tongue rotted, 'til we exhaust our lungs and die--but never a soul would be converted unless the Holy Spirit uses the Word to convert that soul. So it is blessed to eat into the very heart of the Bible until, at last, you come to talk in scriptural language and your spirit is flavoured with the words of the Lord, so that your blood is Bibline and the very essence of the Bible flows from you.

That's one of my favorite quotes.

[norge]

Thank you for the reminder that souls are converted by the Holy Spirit, not Rick Warren, Billy Graham or any one else. Warren and Graham may lead people to Christ, but they don't convert them. Oh, yeah, Spurgeon smoked cigars.