Rick Warren, seeker sensitive, purpose driven, church growth

FLOOD WATCH

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Colossians 2:8

Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. 10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. 12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." 13This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith
Titus 1

And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.
Revelation 15

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What is the Church Growth Movement?

What Could Possibly Be Wrong with the Purpose Driven Life?

The information below describes the abberrant trends in church life across Protestant and Evangelical denominations. It is clear that there is a battle raging for the hearts and minds of pastors and their congregations, specifically in regards to the efforts of numerical church member growth.

Business professionals such as Peter Drucker, John Maxwell, George Barna and others with the sincerest intentions developed church growth models in response to the dwindling numbers of church attendees in the eighties and nineties. Despite the best of intentions, and the actual man-measured success of some of these programs, it is clear that these techniques are in opposition to the Scriptures.

It is also obvious that the eroding of expository preaching and the disappearing ministry of equipping the saints leads down the slippery slope of "experiential" religion, as evidenced in what has now been called the evolving of the seeker sensitive church to the sensory driven, mystical and ecumenical model of worship. Difficult to believe that such a thing could exist in any Protestant church. So significant is this movement that it's proponent, Brian McClaren, was named by Time Magazine in the February 7, 2005 issue as one of the top 25 major evangelicals. Of course, our instinct is to say "That won't happen in our church !" The sad reality is it that there are resemblances of the church growth techniques in so many churches today. From vision statements, to drama services, and other events, it seems we have attempted to respond to the very real threat of declining membership with concepts from the marketplace, in a vain attempt to make "doing Church" attractive and relevant to unbelievers.

Pray for pastors and congregations to resist the temptations of following the business world and these church growth models. Pray that as shepherds of the flock, they follow the leading of the Spirit in the feeding, protecting and nurturing of the flock, and not be driven by marketing models. Pray that church families grow and mature spiritually as individual Christians, which can only be accomplished with the whole counsel of God, nothing added, nothing diminished. Pray that those who come behind us find us all faithful.

Commentators on the Recent Trends of Deception and Error in the Church

2 Peter 2
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you...
The danger of trusting the book store for your theology... Catholic mysticism and New Age spirituality, on the same shelf as the Bible. All at your local "Christian" book store. See Article I See Article II See Article III

Acts 20
29 "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
Pastor Anton Bosch writes...So how can we spot these wolves? I hope to give you some pointers by which to examine those to whom you have entrusted your confidence and spiritual care. While no leader is perfect, there are certain traits that are clear warnings to the flock. If you find just one of these signs, you need to be careful and on your guard. Also, don't be afraid to examine your leaders and their lives. If they resist this kind of inspection then you need go no further, they are dangerous. Any leader who is not open to scrutiny and examination has something to hide, or is so arrogant that they think they are above being in submission to anyone else. See Article, Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI

Jeremiah 23
16Thus says the LORD of hosts,"Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you They are leading you into futility;
They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the LORD.
Dan Southerland's book, Transitioning; Leading Your Church Through Change. The book is designed to show pastors how to transition their traditional church into a Purpose Driven one...
Reading Southerland’s book will help people whose churches have changed from gospel preaching and Bible teaching churches to “seeker” churches understand what has happened to them. Southerland characterizes those who resist this transition as “leaders from hell”... There is, however, another side of the story. I have heard from many of these “evil Sanballat types” and they are heart-broken over what has happened to their churches. They love the gospel and hunger for solid Bible teaching. Besides being starved spiritually, they are now chastised as being evil doers.
“Are the resisters really leaders from hell or are they solid Christians who know the difference between the gospel as preached by Christ and His apostles and the Purpose Driven message that is tailored to appeal to the unregenerate and carnal minded?” ...

Their pastors have been taught that “traditionalists” who do not get on board with the new vision will have to go if they cannot be placated or converted to the new paradigm. The reason for this is that the Purpose Driven franchise cannot succeed without conformity to its protocol. Warren’s campaign to convert existing churches to become Purpose Driven creates a far different situation. It displaces thousands of people who know what real gospel preaching and Bible teaching are. They know that the synthetic alternative that pleases the unregenerate masses is not the same message. They, who were previously the stalwarts of the congregation, are now the “problem people” who have to be dealt with.

Why Christians are only Important if They Join the Vision Team. The goal of the transition from a Bible church to a Purpose Driven church is to get everyone to buy the vision and agree to work to implement it. If this is happening in your church your pastor has probably already bought into the Purpose Driven franchise and is convinced that he is on a serious mission from God. He thinks that everyone who resists being Purpose Driven either has bad motives, or is a tool of Satan. Such people will only hinder the implementation of the vision. In a chapter on dealing with opposition, Southerland admits that he was accused of not preaching the gospel. So his “evil” opponents want the gospel preached, much like the many people who have emailed me after their churches were hijacked by Rick Warren’s movement...

If you believe that the church should preach the law and gospel and feed the flock solid food through expository Bible preaching, you likely have enemy status in the eyes of the pastor and leaders of your church—especially if the decision to transition has already been made. Your church, once the transition is implemented, will no longer exist to feed God’s flock and preach the gospel to the lost, but will exist to meet the “felt needs” of religious consumers (the target market niche). See Article for All of the Above

Galations 1
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;7which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.8But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.
FORTY DAYS: TAKE A CLOSER LOOK...Did You Really Hear and See the Gospel? David Sheldon writes.."So how is it that in the 21st century “church” we have come to the place where we can fail to even mention the cross of Jesus Christ in a gospel presentation! Not only that, but most importantly we fail to even hear that it happened! How is it that people can come to “faith” through a message both proclaimed and evidently believed that is not the Biblical gospel? A few undercurrent reasons come to mind: My pastor said! It is all well and good that a pastor seeks that profession if they are called of God to do so. But that does not mean we acquiesce our own obligation to make sure we are hearing the Word of God. We must depend on God telling us truth from His Word, the Holy Bible." See Article

Click here: From Rick Warren's website: "There is really only one thing that you and I must do to be with the Lord for eternity That is to trust in Jesus Christ as the one who forgives our sins and leads our daily lives. Trusting in his son is the one thing that gives us life with him forever." Ed. note: Does your Bible say that ? The Roman Road is now an Expressway...you can express it any way you want under the "new way of doing church".

Click here: "Warren leads in a prayer for those who have not yet "opened their life to Christ." But what does it mean to "open your life to Jesus Christ" when you have not considered the sin issue? Whatever happened to the "sinners' prayer?"

Click here: Pastor Bob DeWaay: " Let us consider how he presents the gospel: “If you learn to love and trust God’s Son . . .” It is true that we must love and trust Christ, but this is not how Christ or His apostles presented the gospel. They did not suggest that one has to “learn to love Jesus,” implying that were He just dressed up better He would be more lovable. Here is how Jesus said it, “And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14,15)

Click here: The Dallas Morning News asked him ( Rick Warren), “have you noticed any local differences in how your message is received?” Warren: “Not at all.… It’s cross-cultural -- I get letters from Hindus, from Muslims...[The Purpose Driven Life] didn’t get niched as a religious book.”

Ezekiel 13
6 They have envisioned futility and false divination,saying,‘Thus says the LORD!’ But the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. 7 Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The LORD says,’ but I have not spoken.”8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord GOD. Is it a Biblical vision used in the church growth model or is it really a business vision in disguise ?

Guide to Executive Coaching

Vision Casting & Leadership for Pastors

Rick Warren & Vision Casting

George Barna says that the number-one motivation for sacrificial giving is a compelling vision

The Dark Side of the Vision

Isaiah 9:16
16 For those who guide this people are leading them astray;And those who are guided by them are brought to confusion. Ed Young Jr., & Robert Schuller's Possibility Thinking Conference: Featuring emerging church leader Chris Seay, New Age sympathizer Leonard Sweet, and Pastor Ed Young, Jr. Schuller says the purpose of the event is to "bring the classical, contemporary and emerging churches together." Will Robert Schuller's efforts to bring together the mystical with the evangelical add to Rick Warren's efforts and Bill Hybels efforts to do the same? And will these efforts help to further merge together a mystical, Cross-less religion that all faiths can embrace without being offended?" See Article

Snapshot of Schuller's False Gospel

Schuller: "I don't think anything has been done in the name of Christ and under the banner of Christianity that has proven more destructive to human personality and, hence, counterproductive to the evangelism enterprise than the often crude,uncouth, and unchristian strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful condition.
Time Magazine,March 18, 1985

Schuller's Influence on Rick Warren

1 Timothy 4
1But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,2by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron A picture you would not believe unless you saw it yourself... Click on Illustration link for the roots of the Purpose Driven Life

See Illustration #1

See Illustration # 2

Read the research behind Illustrations

Exodus 20
1Then God spoke all these words,saying,
2"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3"You shall have no other gods before Me.

Page by Page Exposure of the Blending of Religions and New Age Philosophies in the Purpose Driven Life

The Mystical Association Matrix of The Purpose Driven Life

Colossians 2
18 Let no one cheat you of your reward,taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind CNN interviewed John MacArthur about The Purpose-Driven Life. He highlighted some significant points where the thrust of the book is [at] odds with the message of Scripture. For example, that the true gospel is a call to self-denial, not self-fulfillment. The gospel is a message about redemption, not about life's purpose. The gospel according to Scripture deals with God's law, His grace, human depravity, redemption from sin, justification, sanctification, holiness, the nature of saving faith, and the lordship of Christ. And the true gospel's most essential features are the cross of Christ and the truth of the resurrection. None of those subjects is dealt with adequately or biblically in The Purpose-Driven Life. See Article and Resources

Page by Page PDL Discernment Tool

Rick Warren using exact Jungian psychological (occultic) typology in his SHAPE program

Rick Warren Connections - Especially to the Ecumenical Third Wave New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and "Positive Thinking" Movement

HOW THE "PURPOSE DRIVEN" PHILOSOPHY HAS MISHANDLED THE "PURPOSE" OF THE SCRIPTURES

40 Days that Start with a Different Gospel

Rick Warren's New Age Connections

Warren's Global Peace Plan vs. God's Global Peace Plan

Warren's P.E.A.C.E. Plan & UN Goals

Rick Warren Promotes and Endorses Contemplative Spirituality

CAUTION: S.H.A.P.E. Book May Actually Spell T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

Before PDL, There was The Purpose Driven Church

Isaiah 5
12 Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute,and by wine; But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD,Nor do they consider the work of His hands. 13Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge
 Ed Young Jr. says "I decided if I ever had a church, I wanted it to be relevant to non- Christians," Fellow C3 conference speaker Andy Stanley..." The context, or physical environment, determines appeal, Stanley said. It should be shaped by culture and tailored to the church's target audience." See Article

Feeding the flock or entertaining the goats ?
Rick Warren features Ed Young, Jr. who says "One of the keys to creativity,is avoiding predictability. The worship experience shouldn't be exactly the same week after week; instead, look for ways to do things differently so that you retain the interest of those attending." See Article

The Plasma Pastor Franchise ?
"On most Sundays, the Rev. Ed Young takes the stage at Fellowship Church in Grapevine.And at Fellowship churches in Plano, downtown Dallas and Justin. And in South Miami,Fla. He's live in Grapevine. The other "Ed Youngs" are recorded –projected in high-definition on screens so large that the images are life-size, almost holographic. What Mr. Young and a few other pastors are offering is a religious take on a successful business model, like that of Wal-Mart or Burger King. Instead of the old tradition of big churches planting new, independent churches, these congregations are using their size and power to duplicate themselves over and over." See Article

Grand Opening marketing isn't just for convenience stores anymore... give away $5 gas cards, free coffee and have a rock band for your new customers!
Ed Young Jr's marketing blitz for new video casting church ! See Article

Church growth got you down? Here's some direct marketing techniques from Ed Young, Jr. to help you with your sagging numbers ! See Article

2 Corinthians 2
17For we are not like many, peddling the Word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God. The consumer-driven hall of fame...
Bill Hybels (seeker sensitive guru), Bishop T.D. Jakes (prosperity guru), Erwin McManus (emerging church guru) join Ed Young's Creativity Conference See Article

Mark Batterson and Ed Young, Jr. at THE BUZZ Conference for theater churches...
"the church ought to be the most creative place on the planet; the greatest message deserves the greatest marketing; and the Church is called to compete in the middle of the marketplace." See Article

The False Doctrine of The Buzz: "the Holy Spirit is no longer leading the church but business practices and marketing strategies are taking His place. Enter Buzz. Buzz is one play in the large marketing playbook. However Buzz is different then traditional Madison Avenue style marketing. Buzz is a way capturing peoples attention and more importantly the media so they begin talking about your brand in an entertaining and fascinating way." See Article

Matthew 7
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits.

The Wall Street Journal fallout and the impact of Purpose Driven on churches...
"Charles Jones, is the man in Mississippi who is discussed in the WSJ article. Mr. Jones told us that, prior to he and other members leaving Iuka Baptist Church (where he had attended for over 59 years), he had been removed from a deaconship position and said that when the new Purpose Driven shift took place, "the older folks were totally left-out," and leadership positions were given to younger members, sometimes new believers. Jones said that two other deacons were pressured to resign. See Article

WSJ & PDL Article # 2: W.S.J. CHRONICLES THE UNREPORTED PLIGHT OF PURPOSE DRIVEN REFUGEES See Article

WSJ & PDL Article # 3: Baptist Press Reports See Article

Read the original Wall Street Journal article here: See Article

Rick Warren's guidance to Purpose Driven Pastors: "If your church has been plateaued for six months, it might take six months to get it going again. If it's been plateaued a year, it might take a year. If it's been plateaued for 20 years, you've got to set in for the duration! I'm saying some people are going to have to die or leave." See Article

Purpose Driven change agent Dan Southerland tells readers that "some folks are going to get very angry (about the "new" way of doing church)." He goes so far as to liken opposers of Purpose Driven to "leader[s] from hell." See Article

2 Timothy 4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. It was Norman Vincent Peale who called Templeton “The greatest layman of the Christian church in our time” (found on Jacket of Discovering the laws of Life, 1994). This he attributed to a man who is an evolutionist, universalist, pantheist, a non-Christian and even against Christian doctrine. How is this possible?
Templeton and his New Age views were first introduced to the church by none other than Robert Schuller in 1986. Schuller put Templeton's picture on his Possibilities Magazine front cover. In it he wrote, “The Christ spirit dwells in every human being whether the person knows it or not nothing exists except God.”So now we see Rick Warren who learned from Robert Schuller involved with Templeton. See Article

Another Former Southern Baptist Convention president says "NO" to Seeker Sensitive... Jimmy Allen says "We've learned to study the market, and now the marketplace is dictating the message," said Allen, the last moderate to lead the SBC..."The marketing studies are so precise and so constant that they figure out what you want," Allen said. "We have folks who are looking at that and saying, 'Now if this is what they want, then I'll give it to them.' And so we find ourselves with seeker churches. The fact is that we build to match the market." See Article

Matthew 7
21"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but [only] the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name? ' 23Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers! In the name of AIDS: "Warren is happy to join alliances and enlist allies everywhere: "I don't care why people do good, so long as they do good." So while he keeps returning, as a theme, to the transformative power of faith, he doesn't limit his vision to the Christian faith. He counts more than a billion Muslims, nearly a billion Hindus, and some 600 million Buddhists as fellow soldiers. He even includes atheists..." See Article

Galations 1:10
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.
Galations 3:3
Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? "We've been through this before with another best-seller that wasnt supposed to be about you. But the YOU-centeredness of this new Christian self-help book should be unmistakable. Why? Well, for starters - the book is called "YOU"! Need more proof? The mega-church pastor (Ed Young, Jr.) who authored the book, uses these words to describe it on his website: "This book is all about you". It even promises to give you "Three steps to rebuilding your self-esteem". But you know the drill; the book's description contains the familiar double-speak that we've seen before, claiming that it's "not self-centered" after all. " See Article

Romans 7
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries writes... "Peale To Schuller To Your Pastor... Schuller’s effect on Warren and Osteen is simply undeniable to anyone who listens carefully to their message of “feel good” and “positive” seeker sensitive Christianity today. And it is itself rooted firmly in the “mind over matter” message of first century Gnosticism" See Article

Amos 3:3 “Shall two walk together, except they have agreed?” Rick Warren on his global tour, attends Cho's Church, Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest congregation in the world. See Article

2 Corinthians 6:14
14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? Why would an alleged SBC Pastor align himself with a man who says "that when Paul spoke of the "inner man," he was actually referring to his fourth-dimensional power to visualize things and incubate them into life. (He does not explain why Paul fails to say one word about this himself, nor why Christendom has had to wait 2,000 years before this should be revealed through a personal revelation from God to Dr. Cho.) Paul (David) Yonggi Cho's teaching is a system of mind over matter (or rather, imagination over matter).He frankly admits that it is a "Christianized" version of precisely the same methods practiced by Buddhists, exponents of yoga, and the followers of other pagan, mystical and occult systems." See Article

Matthew 6
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Article # 2 Cho says Use the power of God to improve your business

You are what you eat... Look who Rick Warren is having for breakfast. See Article

Galations 1
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;7which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.8But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! BEWARE OF DAVID YONGGI CHO(& his associates)AND YOIDO FULL GOSPEL CHURCH See Article

Revelation 17
3Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. What does Catholicism, Islam, New Agers, Politics, and Commerce have in common? Rick Warren's global unity and prosperity plan. See Article

Romans 16
17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. 2006 Annual Southern Baptist Founders Conference speaks out against Seeker Sensitive movement:
"Malone identified three places in American churches today where the Gospel has, in recent years, fallen prey to dangerous revision. He argued that the Gospel has been lost among:
-- Proponents of the “seeker-friendly” movement, (Ed. note: i.e. Rick Warren, Ed Young, Jr.) which attempts to make the Gospel less offensive to lost people. Malone pointed out that this approach typically offers Christ as a means to fulfillment, contentment or prosperity and deals neither with sin nor the cost of discipleship."
 See Article

1 Corinthians 2
1 When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on men's wisdom but on God's power. "The 69th General Synod of the Bible Presbyterian Church, meeting from August 4-9, 2005, at Olympia, Washington, urges our congregations and all believers of whatever denomination to fiercely repudiate and expose the egregious error espoused by Rick Warren and other proponents of the so-called “purpose-driven” paradigm of Church growth." See Article

Luke 22
25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. "Spiritual abuse occurs when a leader uses his spiritual position to control or dominate another person absent from biblical wisdom, Christlike humility and the clear command of Scripture. At the very least this is legalistic pride on steroids--the doctrines of men instituted, accepted and embraced as biblical truth, yet, outside the pervue of God's holy Word. At the very most it is absolute power corrupting absolutely..." See Article

An extraordinary event occurred during the last week of April. 3000 bible believing, God honoring pastors assembled to focus in on the centrality of the Gospel, and stand against the commercial christianity and other man - centered movements in today's church. "Together for the Gospel" included Dr. Albert Mohler, John Piper, John MacArthur, RC Sproul, Michael Devers and others assembled to expose the error that exists, and exhort pastors to get back to the first work of the church: Teaching the Word of God and equipping and building up of the saints for good works by the Holy Spirit to the glory of God. Read what they had to say...

Read the 18 Affirmations that distinguish a biblical ministry from a commercial, seeker-sensitive , purpose-driven,consumer driven,and user friendly ministry: "We are also brothers united in deep concern for the church and the Gospel. This concern is specifically addressed to certain trends within the church today. We are concerned about the tendency of so many churches to substitute technique for truth, therapy for theology, and management for ministry." Will your church affirm this statements and stand and be separate? Click on paragraph to read article

Together for the Gospel Archive

The first session features Dr. Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. The message, which has the theme of "The Pastor's Understanding of His Own Role" is titled "Three Marks of a Faithful Pastor." It is drawn from 1 Corinthians 4 which contains a striking contrast between the real ministers of Christ and the imposters. This passage shows us three marks of a real minister. How pastors should preach and teach the Old Testament, revealing the salvation of God by Ligon Duncan

Dr. Albert Mohler: The primary task of the pastor is to be faithful to the text of Scripture, not to the culture and everything else is subordinated to this task. The application of Scripture will unavoidably lead to the discussion of culture, for we must apply Scripture within the context we find ourselves in. Our concern for the culture is that within the culture is where we will find sinners. It is not for the culture itself for it is only fleeting. The authority of the Bible must always be in view for the Scripture's authority is transcultural.

R.C. Sproul: "The Center of Christian Preaching: Justification by Faith Alone."

Why Expositional Preaching is Particularly Glorifying to God."

C.J. Mahaney: "Our characters must be more persuasive than our speech." The presence or absence of godly characteristics display whether or not a pastor is watching his life in this way. The effect on the pastor, his family and his church can be devastating when this commandment has been neglected.

MacArthur believes that a committment to expository preaching will bring about the following benefits:

John Piper: Preaching as Expository Exultation for the Glory of God

More than a decade ago, John MacArthur called modern churches to return to sound doctrine—we need to hear that call again

John MacArthur: What’s Wrong with "User Friendly"?

Order Audio CD's of the Together for the Gospel Conference

Dr. Paul J. Dean Director of Applied Ministry of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Greenville, SC "...we suffer from a failure to evaluate the spiritual condition of our supposed converts and in so doing we fail to evaluate our evangelistic message, method, and motive. Questions should be raised in our own minds. Are we preaching a pure gospel or a watered-down version? Are we engaging in biblical gospel proclamation or man-centered, manipulative, powerless techniques? Are we motivated by the glory of God and the salvation of souls or the numbers that we can boast to one another?...Do those individuals you have led to Christ bear evidence that they have received the gospel not in word only, but in power? Is it time to evaluate not only your converts, but also your message, method, and motive? " See Article

One of the tragic results from the “How to Sell Jesus” market driven, church growth movement which has swept out the mega churches and across the churches of America is that we are just beginning to see the lives of young adults whose worldview sadly reflects what they have been taught from the pulpit. Namely, God is only love, that Jesus came and died for you so you could have eternal life and be happy every day in this mortal life... We have raised a generation of kids, many of whom have simply left the church and many more who have become what Paul Proctor aptly labeled “Secular Christians”. It is really pretty easy to believe that Jesus died for me so I could spend eternity with Him in heaven, and no strings attached. No expectations, no repentance, no changing my life, no demands. Just try to be a good person, go to church and worship Him, as long as it is positive, uplifting, entertaining, happy, and if they start with all that sin stuff, just go to church down the street where they have had the good sense to remove anything that might make you uncomfortable or feel guilty. See Article

Editor's note:
LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention is one of the world's largest providers of Christian products and services, including Bibles, church literature, books, music, audio and video recordings, church supplies and Internet services. Lifeway has joined forces with the Leadership Network, a group of individuals who are linked with the start of the "Emergent" Church. The Emergent Church movement described throughout FLOOD WATCH embraces experiential religion, New Age & Eastern mysticism. Nothing short of modern day forms of spiritual adultery.
Like a tightly woven mystery novel, the association matrix becomes clear when the dots are connected. See Leadership Network's Partner page

Who founded and how did the Leadership Network start? See Article

Lifeway promotes the pursuit of "God and Mammon": Characteristics of Entrepreneurial Pastors See Article

Lifeway promotes the book and website "The Ooze".
"Using the most compelling e-mail conversations from theOoze.com, an online meeting place for those interested in postmodern spirituality, author Spencer Burke comments on and guides the reader through subjects such as authentic community, experiential worship, the internet and God, and more." See Link

Click here to visit The Ooze website (use caution and discernment)

Lifeway regularly endorses Rick Warren and the ecumenical, consumer driven church growth model. See Article

Lifeway promotes Leonard Sweet and Brian McClaren...
"This witty, yet substantive, primer explores the basic concepts and vernacular of postmodern ministry. This 'postmodern ministry for dummies' will help 'immigrants' learn to speak this 'language' so they can better live, minister and make a difference in the emerging postmodern context." See Link

"The following is a fact sheet that summarizes some of the major characteristics of the Emerging Church movement and the direction it is headed." See Article

Leadership Network remembers Drucker:
"Drucker's writings on management had inspired Buford when he took over a family business in his early twenties, and Buford eventually called him for a consultation. Their friendship grew over the years as they talked about management, the "Halftime" phenomenon of successful business...and other common interests-including the phenomenon of the large pastoral churches emerging in the United States since 1980.As the N.Y. Times noted (11/19/05), Drucker "devoted much of his energy to analyzing and advising" nonprofits, including church leaders, with a particular "prescience about the growing role of megachurches in American society...He was devoted to his local church and its leaders, but advised leaders of many Christian and other religious traditions. " See Article

Leadership Network's Bob Buford, Rick Warren and Peter Drucker connection. See Article

"A flood of mystical temptations are sweeping through churches and culture. They beckon us "let go" of the old inflexible Word and explore the new ways of the world and spirit. Naturally, a growing consensus of "open-minded" seekers claim that God's truth is "too divisive" to fit their new vision of global unity or experiential spirituality." See Article See Article Part II

Editor's note: Albert Mohler, author, speaker, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is on the front lines fighting the Flood...
"The rise of therapeutic concerns within the culture means that many pastors, and many of their church members, believe that the pastoral calling is best understood as a "helping profession." As such, the pastor is seen as someone who functions in a therapeutic role in which theology is often seen as more of a problem than a solution.
All this is a betrayal of the pastoral calling as presented in the New Testament. Furthermore, it is a rejection of the apostolic teaching and of the biblical admonition concerning the role, and responsibilities of the pastor. Today's pastors must recover and reclaim the pastoral calling as inherently and cheerfully theological." See Article

Are we living in a day similar to what it was like before Noah’s flood came and destroyed the world? While that question might sound harsh, think about this for a moment. When Jesus was asked by His disciples for signs of the times regarding His return, He answered them by telling them it would be just like it was in the days of Noah. [1] The days of Noah were characterized by a terrible apostasy. [2] If the return of Jesus is at hand, should we not see some parallels? See Article

Through "Churches Together", hundreds of churches in the United Kingdom are uniting by setting aside their doctrinal differences. The driving force behind this movement is the drastic decline of Sunday church attendance and with it, the fear of extinction. With this fear comes the concept that since “we are so few in number” we cannot allow “minor” doctrines to divide us. Thus, churches pressure any who hold a divergent “minor” doctrine within the churches. One such divisive “minor” doctrine is the premillennial view of Christ’s Second Coming.[86] Believing such divisiveness “hurts the cause of Christ,” churches seek to eliminate its cause. As a result, the premillennial view is rapidly disappearing in the United Kingdom with the intent of promoting “unity” among Christians. With this “small step”, people are being “geared up” to a larger aspect of doctrinal compromise through ecumenicalism. Churches Together states:
Being ecumenical means looking up to see the big picture: what God is doing through the whole Church in the whole world. It means engaging with others in ways that bring in the Kingdom of God[87], where God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven. It means holding our remaining differences in conversation rather than conflict, engaging in dialogue rather than denouncing each other.
Unity is not singing in unison and losing our distinctiveness:
Unity is singing in harmony, each person and tradition enriching the others.
Churches Together respects the distinctiveness of the “Churches”, but looks to a time when they will be “Together”.Today’s membership includes the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, Methodists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Quakers, Free Presbyterians, and many independent groups.

A similar movement, the Emerging Church in the United States, is following the same pattern. See Article

In Leonard Sweet's Book, Quantum Spirituality,: Under the topic of Sevening (On the seventh day [God] rested and drew breath.) he gives some 10 deep breathing exercises. “1. Get in touch with your lungs by closing your eyes. Visualize in your mind a tennis court” 8.“Hold your Bible and breathe meditatively. The breathtaking, nay, breathgiving truth of aliveness is more than Methuselean in its span: Part of your body right now was once actually, literally part of the body of Abraham, Sarah, Noah, Esther, David, Abigail, Moses, Ruth, Matthew, Mary, Like, Martha, John, Priscilla, Paul... and Jesus. 9. Keep breathing quietly while holding your Bible. You have within you not just the powers of goodness resident in the great spiritual leaders like Moses, Jesus, Muhammed, Lao Tzu You also have within you the forces of evil and destruction.” Resident in each breath you take is the body of angels like Joan of Arc and devils like Gilles de Rais, Genghis Khan, Judas Iscariot, Herod, Hitler, Stalin and all the other destructive spirits throughout history” (Quantum Spirituality p.300-301)On the 7th day- did God need to breathe? So while Sweet promotes visualization (Guided imagery), breath (contemplative?) prayers, he slides in the belief of the interconnectedness of life and a synthesis of religions, presenting the founders of these other religions as co-equal in their spiritual teachings with Jesus Christ because of the goodness within them. Like the Bahai’s, and Rosicrucians Jesus is then demoted to one of the many in a great line of spiritual leaders. Why have your Bible in your hand doing this spirit exercise unless you read it to see that what Sweet is leading you into is some pantheistic metaphysical process. So we are so interconnected that we breathe in both good and bad angels, all the dead people in history along with the fumes of cars. Sweet needs to take time to breathe some fresh air. What does this have to do with the Bibles teaching??? Nothing. but it has much to do with new age concepts. See Article

Apparitions of the Virgin Mary..."She appears as a living, breathing, three-dimensional lady enveloped in exquisite light. Visionaries and seers describe a beautiful, young woman glowing in radiant splendor. Seers, while describing her as brilliant to behold and arrayed with every splendor, admit that the "Queen of Heaven" transcends human description.
Visionaries also report seeing strange lights and glorious visions that often accompany an apparition. Visions of angels, glowing orbs, tongues of fire, mysterious solar phenomena, and peculiar luminous clouds have been sighted. Because of the tremendous pleasure and joy experienced by seers during an apparition, the term ecstasy (1) is the word most often used to describe this event. Those who have witnessed her, admit that they are paralyzed and enraptured by her beauty and charm." Don't look now but Mel Gibson is preparing a film called "Stealing from Angels", a fictional account that weaves in the historical events of the Apparition of Mary and the prophecies given to three children in Fatima, Portugal. See Article

"Warren predicts that fundamentalism, of all varieties, will be 'one of the big enemies of the 21st century.'"[1] The purpose-driven pastor.Brian McLaren, the pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church in the Washington-Baltimore area, may not be speaking at the UN, consulting at the White House, or addressing the Council of Foreign Relations as does Rick Warren.[2] But his influence among evangelical pastors and postmodern seekers is soaring. According to pastors.com, one of Warren's websites, McLaren is "a key figure in the 'emerging church."[3] His books are converting countless pastors and skeptics to a revolutionary worldview. And his popular semi-fictional novel, A New Kind of Christian, promises to "open the way for an exciting spiritual adventure into new territory and new ways of believing, belonging and becoming."[4]
Believing what? Belonging to what? Becoming what? Those questions need answers, for McLaren's emerging Christianity is turning Biblical truth and faith upside down. See Article

"The Da Vinci Code, will start rolling in theaters on May 19th. Articles written by alarmed Christians, challenging its heretical content, are already appearing on various news and opinion sites across the Net..."
"..It's not really a quest for truth that will draw the mainstream to this movie but rather the marketing of excitement, adventure, crisis and rebellion, resulting in a greatly intensified polarity and outrage between Christians and the world, until a call for peace and unity goes out from the pulpits of America and a synthesized solution is offered by trained "Christian" facilitators waiting in the wings to help dispel our divisive differences and unite the "brotherhood of man."
"...We are witnessing the beginning of rather a large-scale exercise in the Hegelian Dialectic, orchestrated by the-powers-that-be to ignite hostilities between the religious and the secular for purposes of uniting them on the common ground of a convoluted Christ through Diaprax(consensus through dialogue)."
"Dr. Mouw, who contributed an essay on, 'Why Christians Ought to See the Movie,' said: 'It's going to be water cooler conversation, so Christians need to take a deep breath, buy the book and shell out the money for the movie. Then we need to educate Christians about what all this means. We need to help them answer someone who says, So how do you know Jesus didn't get married?'" - Laurie Goodstein. "See how the dialectic works? Hypothetical questions like the one Dr. Mouw posed, shrewdly steer Christians away from faithfully proclaiming a positive to instead, foolishly trying to prove a negative, something that is extremely difficult, if not impossible to do; thereby abandoning the presentation of the Gospel and the call to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ in order to participate in conjecture and controversy that only results in diversion and confusion." See Article

"We have figured out your problem. You're the only one here who believes in God." That statement, addressed to a young seminarian, introduces Dave Shiflett's new book, Exodus: Why Americans are Fleeing Liberal Churches for Conservative Christianity."Americans are vacating progressive pews and flocking to churches that offer more traditional versions of Christianity," Shiflett asserts. This author is not subtle, and he gets right to the point: "Most people go to church to get something they cannot get elsewhere. This consuming public--people who already believe, or who are attempting to believe, who want their children to believe--go to church to learn about the mysterious Truth on which the Christian religion is built. They want the Good News, not the minister's political views or intellectual coaching. The latter creates sprawling vacancies in the pews. Indeed, those empty pews can be considered the earthly reward for abandoning heaven, traditionally understood." See Article

" Dr. Drucker claims to be an Episcopalian, but his ideas and words are those of an atheistic humanist. In an interview in Forbes magazine of October 5, 1998, Drucker states: "For a social discipline, such as management, the assumptions are actually a good deal more important than are the paradigms for a natural science. The paradigm—that is, the prevailing general theory—has no impact on the natural universe. Whether the paradigm states that the sun rotates around the earth, or that, on the contrary, the earth rotates around the sun, has no effect on sun and earth. But a social discipline, such as management, deals with the behavior of people and human institutions. The social universe has no "natural laws" as the physical sciences do. It is thus subject to continuous change. This means that assumptions that were valid yesterday can become invalid and, indeed, totally misleading in no time at all."In other words, Dr. Drucker does not believe that there are any set moral or social absolutes that are existent for mankind for all time (like the Ten Commandments,(etc.). See Article

Aside from the outward aspects of these world philosophies coming into the church, what else has covertly been introduced with them in their "scientific" and "business" packaging? Looking for the source of the CGM concepts and of their worldwide truths, and into some of their recommended materials, over three years of research led us on interesting trails. In our research we found that woven in among the philosophies, and the materials provided and suggested by CGM experts and consultants, are the aspects and well know leaders of the New Age Movement and the occultism that go along with it. See Article

"...In his book, With No Apologies, Senator Goldwater described the strategy of the Trilateral Commission, Council for Foreign Relations, and other globalist entities as an attempt to control the “Four Corners of Power” in order to transition the world into their perceived planetary model. He described these “four corners” as political, economic, theological, and intellectual; and contended that those who control the Four Corners of Power control the world. (17) Drucker’s “3-Legged Stool” simply combines the theological and intellectual corners of power into the “private sector/ non-profit” leg of the stool. Goldwater theorized that control of the Four Corners of Power would result in a new world system, just as Drucker’s model to achieve “community” will bring forth a new society. However, the fact is that the non-profit sector --and the Evangelical Church in particular, posed the greatest threat to achieving the synthesis of “community”--or at least it did-- until Hybels, Buford, Warren, and Co. began to transition their constituents by the hundreds of thousands to a position that aligned with the whole systems model." See Article

Anne Rice's "Christ the Lord - Out of Egypt" is likely to speed today's social and spiritual transformation. So are "change" leaders like George Barna and Rick Warren, who minimize Biblical teaching. As Warren said, "The first Reformation was about beliefs. This one needs to be about behavior."[15] The church is now leading the race toward a global society with tolerance for everything except God's "divisive" and "offensive" old Gospel. It's message of hope is being silenced by the seductive illusion of humanist love, communitarian service, and global solidarity. See Article

McLaren Redefines Christianity "After Brian McLaren of the 'Emergent' brand of neo-evangelicalism was named one of the top 25 most influential Evangelicals in America today by TIME magazine (Feb. 7, 2005), Homiletics Online published an interview with him entitled 'A Generous, not Suspicious, Orthodoxy.' In this interview McLaren discusses a new term that he has invented: post-colonial." See Article

The Calvin Institue of Christian Worship claims a reformed perspective and ecumenical community. This embrace of "all paths lead to God" is one result of the seeker friendly and consumer driven church model. The Calvin Symposium on Worship "What We've Learned Along the Way: Thirty Years of Worship Renewal" and will see noted authors Brian McClaren ( Endorsed by Rick Warren), Eugene Peterson and Nancy Beach examine such religious beacons as Vatican II (Catholicism), Willow Creek ("Sister" church of Rick Warren's Saddleback Church) and the Emerging Church movement. See Article

"Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action," The initiative is supported by groups that promote abortion and the homosexual agenda --and in conjunction with the Christian leaders, that constitutes an "unholy alliance."
"These are radical, leftist groups that have funded everything from same-sex marriage initiatives to abortion to distribution of abortion pamphlets and materials and 'education' on abortion," the columnist says, also labeling them as "United Nations-loving" groups. "They've sponsored United Nations conferences on the issues of same-sex marriage and global warming and abortion. "There's no way [that so-called] 'Christian' leaders should be hooking up with these guys to have their global warming initiative funded," he exclaims. "These 85 -- Rick Warren, Leith Anderson and the others -- chose to start their own group and not only go to the extreme, but be funded by the most extreme of leftist, secular groups."According to Howse "evangelicalism cannot afford to take its cues from ... Rick Warren and other leaders" who he says have shown "such unbiblical discernment" in signing on to such an initiative. Those signers, he suggests, are being used for stealthy purposes."These liberal foundations, these globalist foundations, have simply placed a Trojan horse inside evangelical circles," he continues. "They have just co-opted some of the nation's Christian leaders to now do their bidding and to give them cover." See Article

"The Emergent movement represents a significant challenge to biblical Christianity. Unwilling to affirm that the Bible contains propositional truths that form the framework for Christian belief, this movement argues that we can have Christian symbolism and substance without those thorny questions of truthfulness that have so vexed the modern mind. The worldview of postmodernism--complete with an epistemology that denies the possibility of or need for propositional truth--affords the movement an opportunity to hop, skip and jump throughout the Bible and the history of Christian thought in order to take whatever pieces they want from one theology and attach them, like doctrinal post-it notes, to whatever picture they would want to draw." See Article

"While Rick Warren, Dan Kimball and Dr. Robert Webber and others may be excited about the 'Emerging Church' and the direction it is presently headed, I am concerned the 'Emerging Church' may actually be a re-emergence of what has already occurred in church history. If the pattern continues expect to see evangelical Protestants become more and more Roman Catholic."—Roger Oakland, Understand the Times See Article

"Rick Warren is very supportive of “the emerging church.” This is what he wrote in a foreword for Dan Kimball’s book, The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations --
This book is a wonderful, detailed example of what a purpose-driven church can look like in a postmodern world. My friend Dan Kimball writes passionately, with a deep desire to reach the emerging generation and culture. While my book The Purpose-Driven Church explained what the church is called to do, Dan’s book explains how to do it with the cultural creatives who think and feel in postmodern terms. You need to pay attention to him because times are changing" See Article

From Rick Warren's Pastors.com website, Brian McClaren highlights his way of ecumenical and mystical church:
""I'm not interested in saving evangelicalism or reforming evangelicalism, although others might have that calling. My dream is that there could be a conversation and a friendship among grass-roots leaders and theologians in evangelical, mainline Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox communities, and in some small way that this kind of broad friendship could bring new possibilities to Christian churches around the world." See Article

International Conference Speaker Roger Oakland: "There is a spiritual tsunami coming. However, it will not be the Holy Spirit. The wave that is coming will sweep all denominations and eventually all religions. This wave will be “another spirit” accompanied by strong delusion. The only way to avoid not be swept away, will be to know what God has said in His Word." See Article

General Synod of the Bible Presbyterian Churches urges congregations and all believers of whatever denomination to fiercely repudiate and expose the egregious error espoused by Rick Warren and other proponents of the so-called “purpose-driven” paradigm of Church growth. We call upon Mr. Warren to repent of his heretical teachings. We are resolved to stand firm against this perversion of Biblical Christianity, and guard against its insidious intrusion into the lives of our churches. See Article

Pastor & Author Bob De Waay: "If we compare what the Apostle John said with what a famous Church Growth advocate says, we encounter a problem. John says that the world will not listen to a true, unsullied Christian message.Rick Warren says that anybody can be won to Christ if we discover a message that will interest them through promising to meet their felt needs. These concepts are contradictory. The Biblical idea is that we must speak God’s unchanging message of the gospel whether the world hates us or not." See Article