When Apostasy Runs Amok
By Jan Markell
In the
early days of all things "purpose driven," I didn't say
much. I was, admittedly, skeptical. I had a hunch churches
might experience the promised growth thanks to the
movement behind "purpose driven," the seeker-sensitive
movement; however, it might not be a healthy growth.
But as the years moved on, I started hearing about wreckage.
Calls and e-mails told me that beloved congregations were
caving to all things unsound and even unscriptural.
Members were told that the ends justified the means. In
other words, numbers trumped everything.
So, I
began to watch Pastor Warren more carefully. When he
praised the freedom in Syria in 2006, I just shuddered.
When he spoke to the Islamic Society of North America
(ISNA) and withheld the gospel, I reacted again. ISNA is a
front for the Muslim Brotherhood. When he told
Alan Colmes to "give Jesus a try for 60 days," I came
close to writing him off.
When
Rick began featuring occultic "New Agers" in his church
sanctuary in January 2011, I further realized that
"America's Pastor" wasn't as sound as he had been
portrayed. Rick allowed a year-long effort at fitness to
headquarter out of Saddleback Church and concluded the
event by cheering that Saddleback members lost 250,000
pounds. Rick,
some souls might have been lost during that time because
Drs. Amen, Hymen and Oz represent the dark side of the
world, not the light of Jesus. These men are
secularists. At one time, Dr. Oz even had a link on his
Web site that took you to a place where you could learn
how to talk to the dead.
A
Saddleback Church spokesman says this effort "is a path to
end the 1,400 years of misunderstanding between Muslims
and Christians." The root of this madness goes back to "A
Christian
Response to a Common Word Between Us and You"
This was a joint effort between Muslims and Christians to
deepen dialogue and relations at the Yale Center for Faith
and Culture. Pastor
Warren was one of the signers, along with
hundreds of other Christian leaders. They also
acknowledged that neither Muslim nor Christian would try
to evangelize each other. Just like that, evangelism
evaporates in the minds of major Christian leaders. We've
got to all get along! Rodney King, you would be
proud of us!
One of
the statements of this "Common Word" effort was that
religious peace would bring world peace. No, the return of
Christ will bring world peace. Evangelical signers of this
document should have known better.
I stand with Joseph Farah on this issue. He states,
"If you compare the personality of the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob -- the Christian and Hebrew God -- with
Allah, Islam's god, the contrast could not be more stark.
The Hebrew-Christian God is characterized by love. The
Islamic god is characterized by war and vengeance. The
Hebrew-Christian God provides a clear path to redemption
and personal salvation in a fallen world -- through
repentance. The Islamic god provides only one certain path
to personal salvation -- martyrdom. The Hebrew-Christian
God elevates the status of women. The Islamic god does the
opposite.
"The
Hebrew-Christian God encourages followers to be a light to
the whole world. The Islamic god encourages jihad on the
non-Islamic world and, ultimately and unambiguously, calls
for the death of unconverted Christians and Jews."
Farah
concludes, "Into this breech, Warren seeks common
theological ground. It would be easier to find common
theological ground between Christians and atheists than
Christians and Muslims."
What
becomes immediately apparent is that while making friends
with Muslims is certainly an admirable goal, Warren has
prioritized the three goals of making friends, building
peace and working together on shared social service
projects over and above the commandment of Jesus to
baptize and make disciples of the whole world.
Author Joel
Richardson says that rather than obeying the
Great Commission and creating disciples of the Jesus of
the Bible, Warren is "building a Tower of Babel that leads
to nowhere."
Richardson
concludes, "I would agree in that when Christian groups
join together with other groups that have such
fundamentally divergent goals and doctrines, the danger is
always compromise. Throughout the Old Testament, the
commandment of God to the Israelites was to never enter
into agreements, covenants or marriages with the
surrounding peoples, lest the Israelites would find
themselves led away to worship other gods. In such a
postmodern culture, these concepts may sound amazingly
intolerant, but the wisdom of the Lord's prescription
against treaties and partnerships is seen in Warren's
agreement not to evangelize his Muslim 'friends' and
co-laborers for mutual social causes."
The
ultimate hope of Christianity is the Lord's return. Islam
awaits a Mahdi who would eradicate Christianity. Thus, I
agree with Richardson's conclusion: "If Warren was
pursuing friendships for the purpose of evangelism, I
would openly stand with him in this goal. But I think it
is clear that Warren is pursuing an agenda far more in
line with the spirit of the age than with the goals of
the early Christian Church."
Being a critic of Rick Warren costs one plenty! I have
lost friends and other loved ones because I have not always
been supportive of all things purpose-driven, or
market-driven church growth. Do I think Rick loves God and
is serving Him to the best of his ability? Yes. I just think
"Peace Plans" and global initiatives don't belong in the
house of God. Cozying up to Mullahs and uttering words they
want to hear produces nothing but a laughing Mullah. Such
agendas morph into ideas and plans that are counter
productive to God's ultimate call on the church.
What we can
agree upon is that Pastor Rick Warren needs our prayers.
While he vehemently denies that he is involved in the
Chrislam
movement