This is topic Purpose Driven in forum End Time Events In The News at Christian Message Boards.


To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://thechristianbbs.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=002051

Posted by Roy Jones (Member # 4574) on :
 
I have just recently left my local Southern Baptist Church because they are going to begin Rick Warrens Purpose Driven Church program ' Fourty Days of Purpose". I am now attending a Conservative Baptist Church that preaches and teaches the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe Rick Warrens teachings are New Age and could result in being a part of the End Time falling away. Below are a list of Purpose driven teachings compared with the Bible teachings. What do you think?
Purpose Driven VS the Bible

There are many things about the Purpose Driven /Church Growth movement that does not line up with Scripture. Below are some examples:

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
The church needs a new purpose.

The Bible: The church already has a purpose since it's beginning, "Go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature" Mark 16:15
"Ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" Jude 1:3

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Conform the Church to the image of the world and culture in order to make the church more palatable and comfortable to the unsaved.

The Bible: "And be ye not conformed to the world..." Romans 12:2
"Know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God?" James 4:4

THE PURPOSE DRIVIN POSITION:
promotes self love

The Bible:
"He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal" John 12:25

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
the goal of the church is happiness and personal fulfillment

The Bible:
The goal of the church is holiness "Because it is written, be ye holy for I am holy" 1 Peter 1:16, and obedience to God and His Word.

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
man made 12 step programs toward psychological healing and deliverance.

The Bible:
One step deliverance program: being Born again in Christ.
"If the Son therefore shall make you frww, ye shall be free indeed". John 8:36

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Scriptures are insufficient for perfecting the saints. Psychology and sociology help the church where the Bible seems to lack.

The Bible:
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" 2 Timothy 3:16-17

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Need to discover the key to unchurched Harry & Mary's heart to reach him for Christ.

The Bible:
Condition of man's heart is already known, Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful above all else, and desparately wicked, who can know it?
Thus the only help and hope for man is a new heart [the new birth].

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Christ's Salvation is equal trade for worth of man, and focus on man's worth.

The Bible:
Unequal trade: It was not man's worth that sent Christ to the cross, rather God's Grace, mercy & love. We did not deserve it, but still God so loved the world..."All our righteousness is filthy rage" Isaiah 64:6

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Entertain the world into the kingdom of God.

The Bible:
Convict the world unto Salvation:"No man can say Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost"[1 Corinthians 12 :3]
Also it is the foolishness of preaching God uses to save lost souls.[1 Corinthians 1:21]

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Pleasers of men. Reaching the lost is of equal or even greater importance than being faithful to God and His Word.

The Bible:
PLEASERS OF GOD: "We were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts." [1 Thessalonians 2:4]

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
The answer to low self esteem is high self esteem.

The Bible: Concept of self esteem is non-existant in Scripture, instead it says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Nature of man: man is a victim.

The Bible:
Nature of man: Man is a sinner.
"For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God." [Romans 3:23]

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Focus on self.

The Bible:
Focus on God and others: "A new commandment I give you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Be loved by the world.

The Bible:
"Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake." [Luke 6:22]

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Integrates Psycology with the Bible.

The Bible:
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." [Colossians 2:8]

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Invites false teachers to pulpit, such as Muslim clerics, or presents false teachings in a positive light.

The Bible:
SHEPHERD, PROTECT, AND GUARD THE FLOCK OF GOD FROM WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING[Acts 20:28]

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Invokes imaginary "jesus" [spirit] with help of spirit guide to search for past wounds, generational curses, and lost memories.

The Bible:
"FORGETTING THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND, AND REACHING FORTH UNTO THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEFORE, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ. [Philippians 3:13-14]

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Never critisize what God is blessing. [in other words if it brings in numbers, don't speak against it]

The Bible:
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God, because MANY false prophets have gone out into the world." [1 John 4:1]

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Principal of pragmatism: If it works, it must be good.

The Bible:
BE FAITHFUL TO THE MESSAGE WHETHER THEY RESPOND OR NOT.
"And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear."

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Makes the highway to heaven as wide as possible.

The Bible:
"Because straight is the gate, and NARROW is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:14

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Preach only positive messages from pulpit.

The Bible:
Preach publicly the whole councel of God which includes both the love and wrath of the Lord.

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Don't preach the fear of the Lord.
Quoting Bill Hybels, Willow Creek, "I don't think fear, as a tactic, really moves people toward faith these days. So, tactically, I think there are better ways to interest the uninterested in the clains of Jesus Christ.

The Bible: "There is no fear of God before their eyes."Romans 3:17-18
 
Posted by Ripp (Member # 3832) on :
 
Well, from what I have studied over the last few days I'd say you made the right decision. Here are some other links posted recently about the same thing:

Rick Warren's P.E.A.C.E. Plan for the World...

False Prophets

Biblical Christianity or the Church of Laodicea?

Welcome to the board, I hope to see more posts from you in the future.

God bless and stay strong. [Bible] [Cross] [Prayer]
 
Posted by HisGrace (Member # 3438) on :
 
quote:
THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Scriptures are insufficient for perfecting the saints. Psychology and sociology help the church where the Bible seems to lack.

This alone should trigger red flags and set off warning bells. [Eek!]

The Word is God and God is the Word. The scriptures are our spiritual food - we can't survive without them. The answer for every problem lies in the scriptures.
 
Posted by SoftTouch (Member # 2316) on :
 
AMEN His Grace!!! AMEN!
 
Posted by Ripp (Member # 3832) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by HisGrace:
quote:
THE PURPOSE DRIVEN POSITION:
Scriptures are insufficient for perfecting the saints. Psychology and sociology help the church where the Bible seems to lack.

This alone should trigger red flags and set off warning bells. [Eek!]

The Word is God and God is the Word. The scriptures are our spiritual food - we can't survive without them. The answer for every problem lies in the scriptures.

Absolutely! I'm going to do some more digging later. I believe that this problem is way deeper than we think.

God bless. [Bible] [Cross] [Prayer]
 
Posted by Roy Jones (Member # 4574) on :
 
It breaks my heart to see people that I love in my former Southern Baptist Church fall into this New Age deception. Even though I've left the church I will continue to pray for these people and proclaim the truth to as many who will listen.
We are warned in scripture, that many would be decived, even the very elect if possible.{ Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.}
We are living in that time of deception. We as God's children must in prayer compare all that we hear to God's word, The scriptures
 
Posted by TEXASGRANDMA (Member # 847) on :
 
Roy,

I do agree with the book on two points. It is important for anyone to love themselves and have self esteem. I grew up with out either. This makes a person feel they deserve anything they get. Finally, a preacher told me that God did not make trash. That God loved me enough to give His Son to die for me. Until I learned to have love for myself and self respect, I was not able to love anyone else. I have know women who stayed in a relationship were they were the punching bag because they thought that was all they deserved. I have also seen women who left those kind of relationship, give their lives over to Jesus and become whole people. I always told my children that they were sepecial because all children were special to God. I told them to have respect for themselves and for others.

betty
 
Posted by Roy Jones (Member # 4574) on :
 
What Rick Warren refuses to proclaim in his "40 Days of Purpose" is found in these passages found in Romans chapter 3.
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Rom 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Rom 3:13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Rom 3:14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Rom 3:15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
Rom 3:16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
Rom 3:17 And the way of peace have they not known:
Rom 3:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
We in our natural state are in a condition of total depravity. There is no place for this truth in Rick Warrens "40 Days of Purpose program". In the above passages Paul doesn't give me any reason to love myself or have any self esteem. He on the other hand shows me what I really am in my natural state. We are born into this world as hopeless, worthless sinners. "NO ROOM FOR SELF ESTEEM"
But I am so thinkful that while I was still in this worthless sinful condition that God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die and shed His Blood on an old rugged cross To atone and pay for all those sins. The only self worth or self esteem that I can have is based on Christ's atonement for my sins. My self worth does not come through the worldly programs of men. The following passages spoken by Paul sums up my self esteem.
Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
The bottom line is, that Rick Warrens teaching will lead to destruction!

God Bless
 
Posted by SoftTouch (Member # 2316) on :
 
AMEN Roy!!!
 
Posted by Niedziejkore (Member # 2773) on :
 
have any of you actually read the book?

I have a copy laying around somewhere.
 
Posted by TEXASGRANDMA (Member # 847) on :
 
My sister gave it to me. I read part of it then got side tracked with something else.
 




Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM 6.5.0