Great new article from Wood and Steel-We choose Our Outrage Against Rick Warren
This is from my brother in the Lord Scott MacIntyre-All guitarists as well as Christian and secular musicians should check Scotts site out. He has a lot of really good biblically based articles.
http://www.woodandsteel.net/
We Choose Our Outrage Against Rick Warren
By Scott MacIntyre
It's probably about time I posted something new on my site…not that I have anything new to say, but regarding recent developments with Mr. Warren (he may be "America's pastor", but he ain't mine), I guess I'll throw my two cents into the ring. Or was that a hat?
Perhaps by now, a few more people are beginning to get a glimpse at the multi-dimensional, multi-purposed Rick Warren. I was never convinced that Warren's purposes for being on the scene were limited to just the five he espoused so vigorously in the Purpose Driven Life. I can't pretend to understand and know everything that motivates Warren, but it is abundantly clear that his agenda has grown over the years.
It seems that Rick Warren, whose right hand always seems to know what his left hand is doing, is feeling a bit of heat from various quarters of conservative Christianity for the blunder he accomplished in Syria by misrepresenting his visit. But of seemingly greater impact, Warren is receiving heavy criticism for inviting Senator Barack Obama, an aggressive proponent of abortion to speak as a featured lecturer at the AIDS/HIV Conference held at Saddleback church recently. Some of this has been written about quite poignantly from Joseph Farah of World Net Daily. This latest article by Mr. Farah is quite concerning.
While I am pleased that some more folks are starting to wake up to Warren's true intentions, I am not entirely pleased that this same level of outcry did not occur many years ago when Warren led untold thousands of churches, and perhaps millions of people away from the Word of God and into his invention of the purpose driven church. Where was the outrage 10 years ago when the Purpose Driven Church was written to pastors? Surely more pastors than just a handful recognized the deviation from a New Testament church. But pastors will be pastors, and lure of a bigger church was just too enticing.
When Warren wrote the Purpose Driven Life book 5 years ago, the outcry got a little louder with concerns over Warren's theology and rather loose use of Scripture. But most of the dissenting voices were drowned out in the ensuing rush to jump on the 'purpose-driven' bandwagon. Warren had graduated from writing to an audience of few thousand pastors to millions in the church. He had seemingly found the right combination of levers and buttons to give people the spirituality they desired, and he created a huge following in the process.
So as Warren's shine has tarnished a bit, I am trying to comprehend why there has been more outrage over his embrace of Senator Barack Obama, than his disgrace of Scripture in the Purpose Driven Life? Yes, I understand that our conservative ways are often founded on biblical teachings, and I'm certainly not desiring to minimize concern over Warren's left hand turn to partner with Obama. Perhaps in my mind it is a matter of priorities. Warren's biblical transgressions barely made it upon the radar screen of the church, but his political transgressions are raising a broader outcry than I have previously seen.
Perhaps if the church had stood firm against Warren and his misuse of Scripture years ago, he may not have had the power and influence he has today to accommodate his ever-expanding agenda. Senator Obama might have responded to Warren's invitation with "Rick who?" By the way, I am grateful to those who have identified the error in teachings of Warren, and his misuse of Scripture. There are some strong Bereans who have taken the unpopular challenge upon themselves to teach us discernment.
But the church at large is asleep. Several decades ago, we began to allow Christian leaders to redefine the church. On a large scale, the church now fails to recognize the spiritual clash when someone like Rick Warren introduces strange teachings. The sheep have been gradually led away from the Bible, and led to the strange fire of the teachings of men.
Rick Warren started to exercise his influence with a church, then with pastors, then with the church at large, and now he's going for the whole world. But not with the Gospel of the Bible, mind you. Who knows what the real message of Warren will be in the end…it is changing and unfolding before our very eyes. Several years ago, I wrote on my web site that Warren would not end his public fling with the five purposes. Within weeks of my article coming out, someone wrote to tell me of Rick Warren's P.E.A.C.E. plan for the world. Where does he come up with all these acronyms? As was pointed out on the Slice of Laodicea blog, the "P" in the P.E.A.C.E. plan has now changed…a little more compromise to accommodate the world. Rather than "planting' churches, the plan is to "partner" with churches. Who and what those churches are is problematic.
As for Warren, I doubt his latest missteps will dissuade his legion of followers. The well-oiled public relations machinery will do its job well. Most will miss the agenda neatly embedded within a self-deprecating nature that disarms the masses, and his audacious conversation that is continually laced with self-honoring statements and achievement. There will always be another plan, and another round of products.
But perhaps the sheep suit came unzipped a little this time, enabling some in the church to see the wolf. Some will take note and move away quickly to be closer to the true Shepherd. I pray that the church will recognize the foundational errors in Warren's teaching and his monumental move away from the truth of Scripture. May it become an even bigger offense to us than Mr. Warren's friendship with the World.
Copyright 2006 by Scott MacIntyreWood and Steel MinistriesContact: woodandsteel7@hotmail.com
http://www.woodandsteel.net/
We Choose Our Outrage Against Rick Warren
By Scott MacIntyre
It's probably about time I posted something new on my site…not that I have anything new to say, but regarding recent developments with Mr. Warren (he may be "America's pastor", but he ain't mine), I guess I'll throw my two cents into the ring. Or was that a hat?
Perhaps by now, a few more people are beginning to get a glimpse at the multi-dimensional, multi-purposed Rick Warren. I was never convinced that Warren's purposes for being on the scene were limited to just the five he espoused so vigorously in the Purpose Driven Life. I can't pretend to understand and know everything that motivates Warren, but it is abundantly clear that his agenda has grown over the years.
It seems that Rick Warren, whose right hand always seems to know what his left hand is doing, is feeling a bit of heat from various quarters of conservative Christianity for the blunder he accomplished in Syria by misrepresenting his visit. But of seemingly greater impact, Warren is receiving heavy criticism for inviting Senator Barack Obama, an aggressive proponent of abortion to speak as a featured lecturer at the AIDS/HIV Conference held at Saddleback church recently. Some of this has been written about quite poignantly from Joseph Farah of World Net Daily. This latest article by Mr. Farah is quite concerning.
While I am pleased that some more folks are starting to wake up to Warren's true intentions, I am not entirely pleased that this same level of outcry did not occur many years ago when Warren led untold thousands of churches, and perhaps millions of people away from the Word of God and into his invention of the purpose driven church. Where was the outrage 10 years ago when the Purpose Driven Church was written to pastors? Surely more pastors than just a handful recognized the deviation from a New Testament church. But pastors will be pastors, and lure of a bigger church was just too enticing.
When Warren wrote the Purpose Driven Life book 5 years ago, the outcry got a little louder with concerns over Warren's theology and rather loose use of Scripture. But most of the dissenting voices were drowned out in the ensuing rush to jump on the 'purpose-driven' bandwagon. Warren had graduated from writing to an audience of few thousand pastors to millions in the church. He had seemingly found the right combination of levers and buttons to give people the spirituality they desired, and he created a huge following in the process.
So as Warren's shine has tarnished a bit, I am trying to comprehend why there has been more outrage over his embrace of Senator Barack Obama, than his disgrace of Scripture in the Purpose Driven Life? Yes, I understand that our conservative ways are often founded on biblical teachings, and I'm certainly not desiring to minimize concern over Warren's left hand turn to partner with Obama. Perhaps in my mind it is a matter of priorities. Warren's biblical transgressions barely made it upon the radar screen of the church, but his political transgressions are raising a broader outcry than I have previously seen.
Perhaps if the church had stood firm against Warren and his misuse of Scripture years ago, he may not have had the power and influence he has today to accommodate his ever-expanding agenda. Senator Obama might have responded to Warren's invitation with "Rick who?" By the way, I am grateful to those who have identified the error in teachings of Warren, and his misuse of Scripture. There are some strong Bereans who have taken the unpopular challenge upon themselves to teach us discernment.
But the church at large is asleep. Several decades ago, we began to allow Christian leaders to redefine the church. On a large scale, the church now fails to recognize the spiritual clash when someone like Rick Warren introduces strange teachings. The sheep have been gradually led away from the Bible, and led to the strange fire of the teachings of men.
Rick Warren started to exercise his influence with a church, then with pastors, then with the church at large, and now he's going for the whole world. But not with the Gospel of the Bible, mind you. Who knows what the real message of Warren will be in the end…it is changing and unfolding before our very eyes. Several years ago, I wrote on my web site that Warren would not end his public fling with the five purposes. Within weeks of my article coming out, someone wrote to tell me of Rick Warren's P.E.A.C.E. plan for the world. Where does he come up with all these acronyms? As was pointed out on the Slice of Laodicea blog, the "P" in the P.E.A.C.E. plan has now changed…a little more compromise to accommodate the world. Rather than "planting' churches, the plan is to "partner" with churches. Who and what those churches are is problematic.
As for Warren, I doubt his latest missteps will dissuade his legion of followers. The well-oiled public relations machinery will do its job well. Most will miss the agenda neatly embedded within a self-deprecating nature that disarms the masses, and his audacious conversation that is continually laced with self-honoring statements and achievement. There will always be another plan, and another round of products.
But perhaps the sheep suit came unzipped a little this time, enabling some in the church to see the wolf. Some will take note and move away quickly to be closer to the true Shepherd. I pray that the church will recognize the foundational errors in Warren's teaching and his monumental move away from the truth of Scripture. May it become an even bigger offense to us than Mr. Warren's friendship with the World.
Copyright 2006 by Scott MacIntyreWood and Steel MinistriesContact: woodandsteel7@hotmail.com
posted by Tim Wirth | 5:18 PM
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