Being On NYT Best Seller List Mean Your Doctrinally Correct?

[Eightball]

I'll be more specific.

"The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren.

Warren is setting some kind of record for the above named book staying on the NYT best seller list for over 2 year I believe.

Christians are buying this book in droves.

In fact since the gal that was held hostage and shared her "Purpase Driven Life" book with her captor and defused a dangerous situation, the book's sales have been rejuvenated again.

Rick Warren made it on Time magazine.......he's basically making the popular route or circuit in the media now.

My question is this.....Is his approach totally biblical?

My concern follows the line, that Jesus said, that some will come that will say words that will "tickle" the ears of many and these people will be led astray.

Rick Warren does encourage what is called, Seeker churches. He believes that if a church is doing things right, it should have a lot of people coming, or seekers.

If the scriptures/bible is taught unabashed, will this cause a church to experience monumental growth in membership necessarily?

I just wonder if this Rick Warren movement could be likened to the "Wide Road" that many will take? Those that are Christians will know what I mean.

Worldwide, over 20,000 churches have embraced Warren's book/teachings for church growth.

Does phenomenal books sales mean he's scripturally sound?

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/questions/RickWarren_growth.html

http://www.biblebb.com/files/pdl.htm

http://www.bereanbeacon.org/articles/rick_warren_purpose_driven.htm

His books are being embraced by most of the denominations.

 

[dmp]

Being Popular doesn't mean it's inherently wrong.

 

[dilloduck]

It's certainly more positive than secularism---I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth here.

 

[5stringJeff]

The book itself is not a theological heavyweight, but there is scripture all over it, and it basically describes how God infuses out lives with purpose. I say, good job!

 

[Eightball]

It's certainly more positive than secularism---I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth here.

As Christians we must try to discern "Gift Horse" from "Trojan Horse".

Are we as Christians supposed to work hard at getting the "world" to accept us?

I thought the church was not supposed to mimic the world, but be a bastion from the world?

Warren, wants to keep the messages from the pulpit from conveying any guilt, but change the messages to love, and acceptance.

Now, truly God desires that we fellowship with Him, and He conveyed this most assuredly at Calvary, through His Son, but is the grace of God understood by avoiding how bad-off we are without Him and His forgiveness?

Warren wants "hell" eliminated from the pulpit. He doesn't want to turn away "seekers". So what is the Gospel or Good News? "Jesus loves you".........the end.....?

How does one come to having a contrite spirit or heart if a seeker is kept from realizing their true spiritual(lost, and depraved) condition before a Holy, Righteous, and of course Loving God?

 

[dmp]

As Christians we must try to discern "Gift Horse" from "Trojan Horse".

Are we as Christians supposed to work hard at getting the "world" to accept us?

I thought the church was not supposed to mimic the world, but be a bastion from the world?

Warren, wants to keep the messages from the pulpit from conveying any guilt, but change the messages to love, and acceptance.

Now, truly God desires that we fellowship with Him, and He conveyed this most assuredly at Calvary, through His Son, but is the grace of God understood by avoiding how bad-off we are without Him and His forgiveness?

Warren wants "hell" eliminated from the pulpit. He doesn't want to turn away "seekers". So what is the Gospel or Good News? "Jesus loves you".........the end.....?

How does one come to having a contrite spirit or heart if a seeker is kept from realizing their true spiritual(lost, and depraved) condition before a Holy, Righteous, and of course Loving God?

Are we christians because we Love Christ, or because we're afraid of Hell? Hell shouldn't be a motivation to Love and accept Christ - just the certain alternative if we don't.

 

[Eightball]

The book itself is not a theological heavyweight, but there is scripture all over it, and it basically describes how God infuses out lives with purpose. I say, good job!

Warren quotes scripture all over the book.....and utilizes various translations.........and I mean various. In fact he uses some very obscure translations as well as liberal use of the Living Bible, which is a para-phrase.

I have talked to many Christians whose most notable critique is indeed Warren's use of so many different translations in order to support his shaky Hermeneutics (Interpretation of Scripture).

No, it's not a theological heavy-weight.

Have you checked out his book, "The Purpose Driven Church"? This is designed for the ministry.......and you will see good old big business, secular "marketing" techniqes to the hilt conveyed with "Christianized" window-dressing to keep it Kosher.

Personally, I'm worried about this phenomena. This is becoming a Rick Warren movement.........not a Church movement. Just because 90% of Christians hail it as the great harbinger of revival, doesn't mean it is. Revivals haven't always been authored by God either.

Warren is now cozying up with many very unscriptural pastors...........such as Robert Schuller, and Keneth Copeland.........I see Red flags.

I say, do as the bereans do.......and test everything that is said against the ultimate source..........the bible. Even the Apostle Paul was double-checked by the Bereans for his scriptural integrity, and he praised them for that.

 

[Eightball]

Are we christians because we Love Christ, or because we're afraid of Hell? Hell shouldn't be a motivation to Love and accept Christ - just the certain alternative if we don't.

We are Christians because we believe that Jesus is our Saviour and Lord..........Now how do we get to that point? We need to be convinced that we aren't capable of goodness in and of ourselves...............We aren't self-sufficient........but need a Saviour. We were born sinners,,,,,and can't escape that judgement. We can do good deeds until the end of our worldly lives and not be Christians.......

Saving faith is placing all your trust in the one perfect man from God.........Jesus.......who took upon Himself your past, present, and future sins, and also your sinful nature.

Many will call out His name, but He'll say, I don't know you.

If you believe in a Jesus that's not biblical.........then where are you placing faith or trust? Mormons have a Jesus that had siblings, and one of them most notably named Lucifer. This is not the biblical Jesus. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus was a created being(Archangel Michael)....just like an angel or regular created human, though scripture says emphatically that Jesus was and is God, and has now beginning or end to His life.

Even a Pharisee named Nicodemus approached Jesus and wanted to know what it was to be "born-again".

People have to come to terms with their lostness, or sinner's status, before they can embrace a Saviour.

It's just that Warren wants to remove the alleged, "sting" of hearing that we are not so good, and replace it with some syrupee sounding phrases that keep us from feeling rejected.

God isn't the one that rejected us.........initially, we have rejected God, by living without Him........being selfers...Little gods....of our own. making our own terms for salvations..........and defining in our own terms what we want God to be like.

Hey, we are the clay, he's the potter! It's His terms.....not ours...............That's why there's a bible that has stayed miraculously uncorrupted for thousands of years. The Dead Sea Scrolls have substantiated that.

If the potter says we have need a lot of pounding, forming, and work to become His master-piece.......then so-be-it. Whose in charge?

Yes, Christians love God............We love Jesus.......This love comes from gratitude.........because of God's grace.

Grace=unmerited love, and forgiveness.

It must be taught that we didn't deserve to be saved.....that's what grace is...........unmerited favor. An underserved gift from God. A gift is not earned......You can't work for a gift.........Sadly many people live there lives as though salvation is "worked" for......... How can we appreciate God's salvation if we feel we need to make ourselves "good" first...........then God will accept us. God does accept us as we are, and it's God that changes us inside, where it counts...........in our very lost, dead spirit.

You can't have gratitude if you think your pretty good, and loveable to start with.

Why did Apostle Paul say in his letter to the Galatian believers, "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me."

 

[dmp]

We are Christians because we believe that Jesus is our Saviour and Lord..........Now how do we get to that point? We need to be convinced that we aren't capable of goodness in and of ourselves...............We aren't self-sufficient........but need a Saviour. We were born sinners,,,,,and can't escape that judgement. We can do good deeds until the end of our worldly lives and not be Christians.......

Saving faith is placing all your trust in the one perfect man from God.........Jesus.......who took upon Himself your past, present, and future sins, and also your sinful nature.

Many will call out His name, but He'll say, I don't know you.

If you believe in a Jesus that's not biblical.........then where are you placing faith or trust? Mormons have a Jesus that had siblings, and one of them most notably named Lucifer. This is not the biblical Jesus. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus was a created being(Archangel Michael)....just like an angel or regular created human, though scripture says emphatically that Jesus was and is God, and has now beginning or end to His life.

Even a Pharisee named Nicodemus approached Jesus and wanted to know what it was to be "born-again".

People have to come to terms with their lostness, or sinner's status, before they can embrace a Saviour.

It's just that Warren wants to remove the alleged, "sting" of hearing that we are not so good, and replace it with some syrupee sounding phrases that keep us from feeling rejected.

God isn't the one that rejected us.........initially, we have rejected God, by living without Him........being selfers...Little gods....of our own. making our own terms for salvations..........and defining in our own terms what we want God to be like.

Hey, we are the clay, he's the potter! It's His terms.....not ours...............That's why there's a bible that has stayed miraculously uncorrupted for thousands of years. The Dead Sea Scrolls have substantiated that.

If the potter says we have need a lot of pounding, forming, and work to become His master-piece.......then so-be-it. Whose in charge?

Yes, Christians love God............We love Jesus.......This love comes from gratitude.........because of God's grace.

Grace=unmerited love, and forgiveness.

It must be taught that we didn't deserve to be saved.....that's what grace is...........unmerited favor. An underserved gift from God. A gift is not earned......You can't work for a gift.........Sadly many people live there lives as though salvation is "worked" for......... How can we appreciate God's salvation if we feel we need to make ourselves "good" first...........then God will accept us. God does accept us as we are, and it's God that changes us inside, where it counts...........in our very lost, dead spirit.

You can't have gratitude if you think your pretty good, and loveable to start with.

Why did Apostle Paul say in his letter to the Galatian believers, "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me."

thus....who cares if Hell is being preached or not. We weren't called to 'go into all the world and proclaim the dangers of Hell!" last I checked.

 

[dilloduck]

Damn---we aren't going to have to burn this one are we ?

 

[Eightball]

Damn---we aren't going to have to burn this one are we ?

Sure hope not!

Anyway, I just don't like jumping on the old evangelical bandwagon, just because it's popular.

So many folks have been disappointed when the person they venerate lets them down.

It happened with Jim Baker(Tammy Fae's husband), Jimmy Swaggert, and innumerable charismatic Christian leaders.

The more you become "the" "teacher" the more you become accountable for every "jot" and "tittle" of your life.

Right now Rick Warren is accepted by the White House, and mainstream Christianity........

I'm not trying to find fault where there is none........

Maybe it's just because I've been "burned/deceived" by Amway Distributors on three ocassions in my life. lol

 

[dmp]

All I'm seeing is, you don't trust the guy because he's popular....

 

[Eightball]

All I'm seeing is, you don't trust the guy because he's popular....

I respect your opinion, but I based my statements on some links in my initial thread. Did you happen to open them? They were articles by some Christian writers on Rick Warren's theology, and his book, "The Purpose Driven Life".

Popularity isn't a bad thing........that's not the premise of my concern, although, I am concerned that Warren's popularity might not be totally scripturally based.

I don't speak for the church.......I'm just one person that expressed my concern, and was interested in some inpute from other folks on the board. This is the Religion/Ethics board?

I don't think Rick Warren is a bad person. However I'm aware that a lot of people.......are following his teaching.....and are not closely checking his theology. That of course is my opinion to.

 

[Eightball]

thus....who cares if Hell is being preached or not. We weren't called to 'go into all the world and proclaim the dangers of Hell!" last I checked.

Last time I checked, what I wrote, I don't think I said anything like that. Who would listen to someone that just preached "fire insurance". lol

Just mentioned that it seems that all aspects of the Gospel need to be preached........forgiveness, judgement, love, acceptance, man's human condition versus God's justice, and holiness......etc.

 

[Avatar4321]

If it brings people closer to Christ, I don't have a problem with it. I doubt Christ does either.