Some have questioned the authenticity of our Christianity, since we do not follow the popular Purpose Driven Life and Purpose Driven Church scheme of Rick Warren. We left a church whose leadership took up this church growth movement. We did not know until later that it was the Purpose Driven Church program; it was, as Warren said, "a stealth movement." Here is a brief summary why we reject it.

          Mr. Warren and others in the church growth movement think God's blessing is measured by the popularity of their books, and pragmatic results in drawing a large following. Warren told his followers to "never criticize what God is blessing," but God's standard for success is how faithfully we have adhered to the Scriptures.

          God's blessing cannot be equated with popularity. Noah was truly blessed of God, but after preaching for over a hundred years, only eight souls were saved. "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." (I Sam. 15:22)

ADOPTION OF SECULAR GLOBAL MARKETING TECHNIQUES

          Warren claims his way is a new reformation. The true character of his reform is readily seen when we note its popularity with New-Evangelicals, cults, apostate denominations, and even large corporations who use his "40 Days of Purpose" campaign. Warren said, "I read everything Peter Drucker writes." Drucker is a business guru whom much of the world has followed in communitarian general systems theory. This system is derived from philosophy, the main goal being a united community of all people in a return to a global Babel. Warren uses Drucker's marketing and management techniques for promoting his church growth movement.

A THEOLOGICAL HERETIC AS A SPIRITUAL MENTOR

          Robert Schuller has also heavily influenced Warren. Schuller's "Positive Only" gospel and psychological heresy of self-esteem are echoed throughout Warren's books. Warren attended Schuller's Institute for Successful Church Leadership. He also has been a speaker there, with participants including over 80 homosexual clergy types.

          Christians who were not fooled by Schuller are submitting to the same folly in Warren's more subtle books. Col. 2:8 warns us to "beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

BORROWING FROM NEW AGE LEADERS AND NEW AGE ORIENTED BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

          Mr. Warren continuously reads his own scheme into Scripture, misquotes Scripture many times, and quotes and promotes false teachers. Without identifying them as such, he quotes new age occultists and Catholic mystics as if they are spiritual giants. Many of his sayings are re-phrasings of new age leaders whom Warren refers to as good examples of those who have his "hope" and "purpose," while using Isaiah and Job as examples of those who were without hope and purpose.

          Warren recommends using "breath prayers," or "centering" prayers of eastern mysticism that empty the mind, instead of Biblical meditation with understanding. "The Message" is his favorite "Bible Version," a repulsive private interpretation laced with new age phrases and words. He quotes whatever parts of other paraphrases and translations he can make fit his purpose. He builds his doctrine on paraphrases, and alters words of meanings of passages, reading into them his own program. II Peter 1:20 says, "No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation."

A PIOUS SENTIMENTALISM THAT REINVENTS GOD IN OUR IMAGE AND DIMINISHES DOCTRINE

          His "gospel" is pious sentimentalism that reinvents God to be like one of us. "Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such as one as thyself." (Ps. 50:21) Warren, like Schuller, tells only the positive side of the truth, emphasizing "love" and "Unity," and minimizing sin and repentance in order to attract a large following.

          "Speak unto us smooth things, prophecy deceits." (Isaiah 30:10) Mr. Warren said that God won't ask about your religious background or doctrinal views. He says that "doctrine divides," and he seeks to achieve an ecumenical unity based on relationships rather than doctrine.

          The Spirit of God has already achieved real unity in those who hold the truth in purity. God accomplished the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17. It is not something man can do. When doctrine is laid aside, what results is a religious confederation God hates.

          The New-Evangelical way of evangelism is to bring the world into church fellowships, conforming churches to the world. "For the time will come when they shall not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables." (II Tim. 4:3-4)

SMALL CELL GROUPS THAT AVOID DIDACTIC BIBLE STUDIES AND EMPHASIZE PSYCHOLOGICAL BASED MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

          Warren pushes his materials, not the Bible. He said that it is his book that will lead anyone to God's purpose, and that the last thing the world needs is another Bible study. He prescribes dialectic studies in his 40 Days of Purpose for small groups of believers and unbelievers together. His ground rules are based on psychology, with guidelines for social transformation that match the "Total Management" of most of the world's corporate and government management systems.

          In his 40 Days of Purpose, he uses trained change agents in these small groups to facilitate compromise in church thinking toward a global community. These leaders steer the group clear of didactic Bible study, conditioning the participants to reach a collective compromise based on feelings and experiences, rather than through didactic Bible study. It appears that Mrs. Warren is himself a master change agent in the Christian religious sector for global social restructuring.

THE BIBICAL ANALYSIS OF RICK WARREN'S PURPOSE DRIVEN MOVEMENT

          The Bible says "Be not conformed to this world [age]; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Rom. 12:2) The real purpose of the Purpose Driven Church is to conform churches to the contemporary age, and the true goal of the Purpose Driven Life is to move professing Christians from the Biblical Christ Jesus to a universal "Christ" of collective man's making.

          "This people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men." (Isaiah 29:13)

          *[see article end] The only reformation happening today is one of apostasy. The Bible warns of a great departure from the faith in the end time before the day of Christ. "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition" (II Thess. 2:3) "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving need to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." (I Tim. 4:1)

A PROFESSING EVANGELICAL WHO IS REALLY A FALSE TEACHER

          Warren does not wear a sign on his chest identifying him as a false teacher. Like Schuller, he speaks of Christ, quotes the Bible, and by good words and fair speeches deceives the hearts of those who do not have a firm Biblical foundation. The "old paths" (Jer. 6:16) of Biblical Fundamentalism embarrass New Evangelical teachers like Warren.

          They think they are doing God a favor by making the narrow way very broad, so that it appeals to the natural man. Warren forces Carl Jung's psychology and new age occultist ideas on the Biblical texts. Carl Jung was a man who learned his false science of psychology from a demonic spirit guide, and many modern church teachers have added this to the Bible.

THE TRAGIC IMPACT OF WARREN'S INFLUENCE

          By integrating this "science falsely so called" (I Tim. 6:20), along with new age occult concepts into popular programs couched in redefined Biblical terminology, millions are being purposely driven away from the cross of Christ to "another Jesus, whom we have not preached." (II Cor. 11:4)

          Without a firm foundation in Bible doctrine, millions are being driven by popular man made schemes, instead of being lead by the Spirit of God. "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out broken cisterns, that can hold no water." (Jer. 2:13) "Beloved believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (I John 4:1)

          Ed: For reading easibility purposes, the F.D. editor has supplied the capitalized subheadings. This article serves as the substitute for the item the F.D. editor was planning to pen for this issue on Rick Warren entitled "New Evangelicalism's 'Feel-Good' Guru.'" In penning the above article, Mr. Melick consulted the following sources: § An Analysis of Rick Warren's 'The Purpose Driven Life' by Matt Costella, FEA, P. O. Box 6278, Los Osos, CA 93412; § What About the Church Growth Movement? Ibid; § Deceived on Purpose: The New Age Implications of the Purpose-Driven Church by Warren Smith, Discernment Ministries P. O. Box 254 Hugh Bridge NJ 000829-0254; § Reinventing Jesus Christ: The New Age Gospel-Ibid; § The Pied Pipers of Purpose by Lynn D. Leslie, Sarah H. Leslie and Susan J. Conway-Ibid; § What You Need to Know about the Purpose Driven Church by Larry Spargimino, Southwest Radio Church Ministries, P.O. Box 100, Bethany, OK 73008; § Who's Driving the Purpose Driving Church by James Sundquist, Bible Belt Publishers, Ibid;§ http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/2003/1purpose.htm;§ http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/;§ http://erwm.com;§ http://www.pawcreek.org/articles/endtimes/ThePurposeDrivenLifeGoldenCalf.htm§ http://www.psychoheresyaware.org/

          *While the Bible predicts this apostate deluge in the last days in several passages, and N. T. local churches are under intense Satanic pressures today, it is refreshing to note the counterbalancing truth in Matt. 16:18 where just before His departure, Christ promised to build His church in this church-age dispensation. This is a pledge He has been fulfilling for over 2,000 years as sinners are converted, believers baptized and N. T. churches established around the world via obedience to the Great Commission Mandate-Matt. 28:18-20. Hallellujah