Rick Warren, dubbed by some as “America’s pastor,” addressed America’s largest muslim group about the need for Muslims and Christians to work together to “combat stereotypes and solve global problems.”
Was Warren at this conference to address the need for salvation of the attendants? Sadly, no. Once again, his own agenda was front and center, and the great commission was nowhere to be found. Warren saw an opportunity to promote his P.E.A.C.E. plan, and did so at the expense of the gospel. Stating that Muslims and Christians should partner together to end the five global giants “of war, poverty, corruption, disease and illiteracy,” Warren proves his focus is not the gospel of Jesus Christ, but his own agenda. Jesus Himself said He did not come to bring peace on the earth, but to bring a sword - and this sword causes division. (Matthew 10:32-34) It divides those who carry the message of Jesus Christ from those who don’t. It divides those who hold to the truth of Scripture from those who believe a lie. Warren stands in complete opposition to the foundational doctrines of Christianity when he
skirts salvation, and partners with the lost to focus on issues that will not be erradicated until the Lord returns to this earth and sets up His Kingdom. For now, it is the responsibility of all pastors to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost and dying, not unite with them to fight issues that will not and can not be solved by the effort of man. It’s a sad testament to a pastor’s character when they care more about social issues than eternal ones. Those who are standing in darkness can not join hands with those who are standing in the light; for they will either be surrounded by darkness, or they will be surrounded by light, but both can not coexist together. This is fundamental, even kindergarten Christians know this. I just wish “America’s Pastor” would get it!
Matthew 10:32-34:
“Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. ”But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. ”Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18:
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. ”Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. ”And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.
The main question you ask is why Rick is speaking at the ISNA conference? While I do not wish to offer an apologia for ISNA, I would refer you to multiple articles that describe the organization’s goals in reaching out to other faiths, including Judaism, and denouncing terrorism (Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the leader of the largest branch of American Judaism, addressed the convention two years ago; also see the AP story on July 1 by Zoll, and stories in the Christian Post, Church Solutions and even the Washington Times in the past week).
What I would like to clarify is Rick’s message and motive. You claim that Rick probably doesn’t have an agenda, but I would like to assert that it is his lifelong agenda that led him to accept the invitation to speak at ISNA. You may have noticed that outside of Saddleback Church, and Rick’s 30 year Purpose Driven Ministry to pastors, he does very little speaking to Christian groups of believers. Instead, he invests his time speaking to groups of unbelievers that most pastors never get the opportunity to share with. He carefully considers the opportunities that God has given him to address these audiences. These are folks that Jesus died for, but would never enter a church to hear the Good News. Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Luke 5:31 (NIV) Rick believes strongly that if you want to actively demonstrate the love of Christ to others as He commands us to, then you have to reach out to a variety of audiences. No one is ever convinced of God’s love by labeling, condemnation, or anger. Rick strongly believes that if we want to behave in a Christ-like example, we must not waste any time judging others (Jesus didn’t), but instead, do everything we can to build relationships of love and respect and trust with others.
In our secular culture, there are about a dozen different groups of influencers that we at Saddleback seek to serve and reach out to including those in academics, business, military, sports, health care, media, prisoners, entertainment, other faiths, and government. If we are to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission in the world, we must build bridges to all of these, and more. Just know the goal of every speaking engagement Rick accepts is always the same: The global glory of God. We seek to build bridges of love – from our hearts to hearts of even those we may disagree with – so that Jesus can walk across!
The theme of the session at which Rick will speak is “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” a theme most appropriate for a message on perhaps our country’s most sacred day, Independence Day. Rick will bring a message appropriate to the values of the meaning of this day on what America and all Americans, not just Muslims or Christians, need to maintain our independence. Freedom and independence were at the core of our country’s founders and those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect this country across its history. As a pastor, Rick intimately understands these values, particularly the value of religious freedom, and will fiercely advocate for them unashamedly in front of any audience. But religious freedom means the right to practice the religion of one’s choice regardless of whether or not others agree with a particular religion’s tenets, and the freedom to associate for the common good of all Americans and for those less fortunate than us around the world. That is a value that is not only part of our heritage as Americans, but also a commandment of Jesus Christ.
I appreciate the opportunity to clarify Rick’s appearance before ISNA and would refer you to a recent issue of Rick’s “News and Views” in which he thoroughly discusses why he speaks to a variety of audiences.
http://www.saddlebackfamily.com/blogs/newsandviews/index.html?contentID=2625
By: cunderwo on July 5, 2009
at 6:24 pm
Hi cunderwo,
Thank you for your kindness and civility. I appreciate that.
Yes, Jesus did say it is not the healthy who need a physician, but when the physician shows up and does not give the sick the medicine they need to get well, that physician is completely useless to them. How much of the gospel did Rick Warren share with the people he spoke to? None? That’s the point. As a minister of the gospel, his first and foremost desire should be the gospel. The gospel was not preached to this group of people. When Paul was brought before governors and kings, he presented the gospel – no matter who or where it was. That was his calling. As a minister, Rick Warren should have this same calling, yet he does not exercise this; instead, he focuses on temporal issues and leaves the eternal ones behind.
I agree with you, Jesus did die for these folks, but they’ll never know the importance of that if they aren’t presented the gospel message. No man’s agenda is more important than Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That is what Warren should seek to know among these people, nothing else.
By: Chrystal on July 5, 2009
at 8:39 pm
The greatest need of unbelievers is not for Christians to ‘build relationships of love, respect and trust with them’. Their first greatest need is to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ…to hear that they are sinners in need of a saviour…that they are evil and will be judged by a Holy God someday…that without Christ they have no hope ..but are headed for an eternity in hell. Not a popular message these days, is it? But it is the truth and a truth that must be heard by the unbelieving world. Working together with unbelievers to solve worldly problems such as poverty/disease is futile. Mankind’s real problem is spiritual. Poverty and disease and all other ills of society exist BECAUSE OF SIN and its effects on mankind/creation. You can’t solve them by working together. What is needed is changed hearts…a change that only the Holy Spirit can accomplish. This life is passing away and every day millions pass from this world into eternity. The gospel…not cooperative relationships… is what people need and the need is desperate today. Preachers are running around doing everything but preaching the Word. We need to get back to basics….PREACH THE WORD! It is tremendously powerful and it the only thing that can truly change people….and the world. Warren is wasting precious time on works of the flesh that will never make even a dent in the problems of the world …let alone change hearts
By: wearymom on July 5, 2009
at 11:53 pm
Cunderwo said: “These are folks that Jesus died for, but would never enter a church to hear the Good News. Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Luke 5:31 (NIV) Rick believes strongly that if you want to actively demonstrate the love of Christ to others as He commands us to, then you have to reach out to a variety of audiences.”
You are correct in saying that they would never enter a church, but what message are they receiving outside the church? The “love” they are being shown is not the saving power of Christ, but a gospel reduced to a sandwich. They are not being told that God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Having come from The Salvation Army, I understand full well how the gospel can obscured by our good works. These deeds cease being done “in Jesus name” when Jesus death, burial, and resurrection is no longer central. Our main job is to reconcile sinful men to a holy God, preaching repentance and a new birth. Our deeds are out of gratitude, and give substance to our message.
The modern error is to do “good” deeds and hope that people see the twinkle in our eye to know there’s something special about us. But it does not take a reborn, saved person to do good deeds. The good deed doers can just as easily be moral lost people, “good” people by the world’s standard, and the gospel may be far from them.
Warren’s “deeds not creeds” reformation is doing much damage to the true gospel. It is another gospel that has no saving power.
By: eeellama on July 6, 2009
at 10:05 am
If Christians were commissioned to go and give political pep talks about religious freedom, then I would say that Rick Warren was doing the right thing. However, Christians were never told to do such things, we are to make disciples. Simply put, Warren is pursuing his own agenda of political change. Yeah, I know that warren gets the privilege of speaking to groups that most preachers don’t ge. However, if he would take those opportunities to preach the Gospel, I would bet you that those opportunities would stop presenting themselves. What is the deal with that purpose drivel magazine? Is Warren on every cover? If so he is emulating Oprah.
By: hopeandchange on July 6, 2009
at 11:25 am
THe idea may be that if they hear he is not preaching hatred and judgmentalism as are so many other so called Pastors then maybe then will come to church to hear the Gospel message. I think they know -and I can agree- that if they go to other churches they will hear arrogange and pride instead of the humility and love we should offer to non-believers. Yes, they were created in God’s image and Jesus CHrist died for them. When will we understand that? When will we realize without CHrist ourselves we are just as lost as they are?
By: Rebecca on July 6, 2009
at 1:20 pm
Rebecca,
Scripture tells us to come out from among the world and be separate. You can apply this to any false religion. Was God being arrogant and prideful when He inspired Paul to write that?
By: Chrystal on July 6, 2009
at 5:51 pm
“…he is not preaching hatred and judgmentalism as so many other so called Pastors…”
Would you qualify exactly what you mean by the ‘hatred’ and ‘judgmentalism’ that you say so many other pastors are preaching? Are these other pastors truly preaching hate or are they calling out sin for what it is? Is telling people they are sinners damned to hell without Christ being judgmental? Saying, for example, that homosexuality is sin…would that be judgmental? People cannot come to Christ without first understanding the the Law of God and their failure/inability to keep it perfectly. That is the first step to true salvation…conviction of sin. The Law DOES judge us… rightly so. Once a person sees and understands that they have failed God’s test of rigtheouseness, then they understand their need of a Savior and are ready to hear the gospel message. If there is no real conviction of sin, then they are just ‘playing church’ and worshipping a god who suits their own way of thinking.
Preaching the true gospel is not hate…it is love in action because man’s greatest need is salvation. He can’t get saved unless he knows he is not good, can never be good, and then casts himself down in repentance at the foot of the Cross. I thank God He brought me very low …revealed the evil in my heart through the Law… so I knew I needed the grace found only in Christ.
By: wearymom on July 6, 2009
at 11:05 pm
It seems like all the most well known pastors are falling or have fell (Warren, Cerullo, Graham (go to youtube and watch how Grahm denies Jesus is the only way to the Father), and of course, Joel Osteen (not sure if he even believes in Jesus Christ).
By: Rob on July 8, 2009
at 4:29 am
Thanks be to God that I am not the only one to challenge Rev. Warren. Islam is the religion of Satan. Anyone with the simplest understanding of the Bible knows this to be true. Yet, Rev. Warren enters the lions den and offers up Christians as a feast to the beast. That’s what his P.E.A.C.E. plan will accomplish!
He should have attached Islam in a respectful way with truths and planted the seed of salvation to leaders of Islam.
Rev. Warren is not America’s pastor, but the lacky for Obama.
By: Frank on July 8, 2009
at 10:30 pm
I have to toss my $0.02 into the ring. Rick Warren is probably well-meaning and probably a nice guy. I’m sure he is generous, loves his family, loves his church, and loves the folks around the world who are poor and hurting.
That is all great but it is not all that a ‘pastor’ should be made of. The greatest need of the lost and dying world (whether needy or not) is to hear the gospel message.
Some say that Rick preaches the gospel and he may. He does not seem to preach it in public however. He is so careful with his words and paraphrasing techniques that it is doubtful if the gospel message ever makes its way into anyone’s ears from his speeches.
The great commission did not say to take peace, tolerance, purpose-driven hyperbole, and softball religious speak to the world. It does say to take the authentic gospel of Christ, however.
Is Rick a good man? It depends. Is he misleading many, many people and giving them a quasi-religiousosity instead of the truth? I’m afraid it’s the latter. If so, he is not a very good man.
I see him as a businessman peddling a product. He does good works sometimes but he does some bad ones also. His speeches (they are not really sermons) mislead. I once heard him say that he is often asked what sin is. He said he tells people that sin is what keeps us from being fulfilled.
What? Sin will keep us from being fulfilled but that is hardly what sin is. It is exactly this type of shallow talk avoiding the real depth of the matter that results in what I conidser to be his misleading of people.
I do not consider this to be the hallmark of a good man. Too many people salivate over his numbers. I do not believe God will be impressed with numbers that have been ginned up from replacing the Bible with entertainment. After all, Jesus said He could create children of Abraham from stones… God wants faithfulness to Him and His word (or at least that is what the Bible says).
By: Wally on July 31, 2009
at 6:27 pm
I have to direct all those who comment to Rick Warren himself explaining why he does things the way he does. The first poster gave us a good run-down of this. Rick does more than just wish that people see the twinkle in his eye. People know that he is a Christian pastor with some notoriety. We have to agree with scripture that tells us that it is the Holy Spirit who convicts people of sin, and not the preacher. Wait a minute. Jonah did his share of convicting, and so did Peter after Pentecost. So, we do need to be unafraid to point out error.
On the other hand, if you approach people as a lawyer arguing for the other side, you will get the defensiveness we all feel when we receive notice that someone is calling us into court by some shady lawyer. We feel trapped and defensive. I did not come to the Lord because people argued me into it. I heard the Good News and was compelled by it. I believe that “The Purpose Driven Life” states the Good News very clearly. Many have turned to Christ because of it. Many will quietly turn to Christ because of Rick’s ministrations in areas where Christians are too judgmental to enter. Rick Warren is an evangelist, not an apologeticist. We are called to evangelize a whole lot more than we are called to apologize for Christ or even defend Him.
Jesus is a big guy. He can handle the attacks.
As for Islam being from Satan, I think it is definitely in error. But I believe that God is trying to speak to a people through Islam, and they are not understanding His message. We will reach the Muslim world by proclaiming the Good News of forgiveness and acceptance, not by attacking their cherished doctrines. They themselves will renounce their doctrines if they take up the gospel. Islam accepts all of the gospels as legitimate teachings from God. We can use this fact to reach many people from within the doctrines of this rapidly-growing faith.
Rick Warren’s example of leading by love and taking the Good News with us is exactly what the Muslim world needs from us! (And I’m no member of a Saddleback Church, just in case you were wondering!)
By: John R. White on August 2, 2009
at 11:11 am
RE: John R. White’s comment.
Sir, you are mistaken. Islam is from Satan for it denies the one true God, Jesus. Islam commands its followers to murder non-believers. Islam commands that it is the duty of followers to kill Jews and Christians.
God is not working through Islam to bring them the Truth! He is working through Christians to do that. However, the Koran calls for the murder of any believer of Islam who converts to Christianity. The hater of Christians hates Jesus.
Jews and Christians are descendants of Isaac. Muslims and Arabs are descendants of Ishmael. Calling for the murder of Jews and Christians is the same as killing Abraham himself for the descendants of Abraham are Jews and Christians. The great deceiver, Satan, has millions of adherents killing God’s promise to Abraham. There can never be peace between Islam and Jews and Christians.
Mr. Warren sinned by thinking his P.E.A.C.E. initiative is God’s work. He failed the Gospel message of Jesus. It is, what it is!
Finally, Islam says that Jesus was a prophet. It says that Judas was crucified, not Jesus. Stop misleading the flock. Save as many of Ishmael’s descendants as possible by planting the seed of the Gospel in their hearts. There is no other way. Given the opportunity, followers of Islam would slaughter your family, children , and rape your women and little boys and girls.
I had a terrible dream. The Church’s of America were cut off from God’s blessings. They angered God because their god became money, prestige, and greed. Their pastors lacked faith and purpose. He asked, what have the people of the Church done for me? Their pastors live in big houses while their neighbors sleep in tents. Where are the believers who leave the comfort of their home and spread the Word of salvation? They are not here. How can America allow the beast to prosper within. The beast of Mohammad is everywhere, growing converts, yet; my house is but glass, and full of hypocrites.
Wake up!
By: Frank on August 2, 2009
at 8:04 pm
To John R. White:
With respect, the PDL book is not really the ‘Good News’ if you analyze it closely. It spins concepts of truth into ‘almost truths’ and ‘redirected truths’ that are not really truth at all. The implication made by PDL is that God is a post-modern genie giving out goodies to everyone who says some magic words.
The idea that people today will respond to a spin of the gospel when they reject to real gospel is absurd. God does not need to be repackaged in order to be seen as acceptable to man. God is sovereign not man.
Warren repackages concepts to gain man’s approval and ‘decision’. However, if we repackage God, we can be guilty of creating an idol if we represent God in a different light from the way He represented Himself (the Bible).
Gaining a raised hand or a signature on a committment card is not necessarily bring a lost soul into the kingdom. Warren is probably well-meaning but I am afraid he is mistaken in his approach.
Thanks.
By: Wally on August 3, 2009
at 11:24 am