Updates from the Apprising Blog, just in case there are some of you still unsure whether or not Rick Warren is worthy of the title “Wolf in sheep’s clothing”, and just in case some of you feel that John Piper inviting him to the Desiring God 2010 Conference is more of a positive thing than a negative.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
The Reforming (Reinvention?) Of Rick Warren
Apprising Ministries reminds you that in John Piper’s March 31, 2010 video defense of his wrong decision to open upWarrengate by inviting Rick Warren to share the platform with him in the 2010 Desiring God Conference he tells us, “I think Rick Warren meant it when he began The Purpose Driven Lifewith: ‘It’s not about you.’”
Well, in his excellent July 2005 article The Gospel According to Warren Dr. Gary Gilley noted:
No one has exemplified the market-driven approach better than Rick Warren, pastor of the huge Saddleback Church in southern California and author of The Purpose-Driven Churchand The Purpose-Driven Life. While Warren is open and up-front about his philosophy, strategy and methods, nevertheless things are not always as they appear. For example, “purpose-driven” sounds better than “market-driven” but it is basically the same thing. In his book The Purpose-Driven Life, his opening statement is, “It is not about you,” then turns around and writes a whole book about “you.”
He belittles pop-psychology then repeatedly promotes it by simply calling it something else. He publicly cuts ties with Robert Schuller, then regurgitates some of the most odious things that Schuller has been teaching for thirty years. He claims commitment to the Scriptures then undermines them at almost every turn. He will tell his followers that he is not tampering with the message but only reengineering the methods, when in fact he has so altered the message as to make it all but unrecognizable… (Online source, emphasis mine)
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Read the rest: HT
I don’t know. Perhaps Dr. Piper is flat-out ignorant of any of the real issues surrounding Rick Warren. Either that, or his heart is hardened that he could not understand what is really going on here.
The article is a correct evaluation of Rick Warrren by Dr. Gilley. The attached video "MacArthur on the Purpose Driven Life" is where I am neutral on. The first half I agree with his accessment on the shallownessness of the gospel presented in "The Purpose Driven Life." The second half Pastor MacArthur overloads the gospel with what he believes should be included in its presentation to be adequate. When I present the gospel I keep it simple so my hearer can understand. I add the law, repentence, judgment, etc. only as it is necessary to the person I am preaching to. So balnce is needed between being shallow (Rick Warren) over being overbearing (John MacArthur)and leaving room for the Holy Spirit to finish the work.
Hello Jerry.
I don't know how you can see John MacArthur's overview of what the gospel presentation must be as "overloading". Are you suggesting that it is adequate enough of a gospel presentation with the absence of the preaching of the law, the preaching of repentance, judgment and sin? In that these things are auxiliary things that only should be mentioned depending on some individuals (not all)?
It is not overbearing at all to preach against sin. Without the preaching of sin, the holiness and justice of God, the gospel will never make sense to the hearer. Neither will repentance make any real sense. It is through the faithful preaching of the gospel, the gospel that includes all these things, that pleases God through His Spirit to save those who believe.
Only when men see their desperate wickedness, and the desperate condition they are in under the wrath of a holy God, will they ever seek a Savior. By the Holy Spirit this is what we endeavor to do in heralding the Gospel. Only then will His grace be truly beautiful.