The purpose driven leaders are teaching pastors to demonize Christian leaders that are against their purpose driven program. All that is documented in the link below.
Are Those That Oppose The Purpose Driven Agenda Leaders From Hell? : “Think carefully about what is being said in that statement. Southerland is encouraging pastors to think of those who may be their brother or sister in Christ as actually ‘leaders from hell!’ Why? Because they question the validity of a
church growth program which lacks Scriptural basis to support it. Talk about
demonizing your opposition because you don’t have a solid argument with which to respond to them except ‘Everybody’s doing Purpose Driven’ or ‘it gets results.’
I guess this motes operandi is not reserved for pundits and politicians alone.”
I don’t know where the Bible teaches that church gathering for fellowship, teaching and worship were to be designed to Evangelize the world through a water down entertainment service? Seems to me that these people think the Church gathering should now become the place to tickle unbelievers ears of unbelievers.
Gee, I always thought the Church was to go out to the world to tell them the good news so that they would believe and become part of the Body of Christ and then join them because they are part of the Body. But no. They would have us believe that sinners need to come to the Body and get an entertainment service so that they may someday be persuaded to attend a program that they may or may not lead them to Christ. Heck, even the seeker creekers have admitted that this approach has been a failure and they now need to rethink everything. You might think the purpose driven people would realize at least that much, but I guess not.
Good article. I also read that lengthy article in PDF from Eric Barger. I thought it was a very good read.
I remember a couple of a years ago, I came at a point that I realized I had been forsaking God and living life for my own. Somehow I wanted to read the Dutch translation of the Purpose Driven Life that my dad has on his bookshelf. I started reading and was pretty overwhelmed by it emotionally. I was compelled to read on but as I continued, I noticed something wasn’t quite right. I quit reading when I got halfway the book because I began questioning Warren’s teachings. Yes, I say Warren‘s teachings because they’re not Biblical teachings at all. Frankly it got me to a point where the book struck me as repulsive; it’s a perverse distortion, a watered down version of the powerful Gospel of Christ missing any power to lead people to REPENT. I had enough of the Purpose Driven Drivel and know what I did next? I started reading the Bible! Perhaps that’s the only good thing Warren’s book did, leading me back to reading the real Word of God!
I’ve said it a number of times before, Warren is a false teacher. People are heaping up teachers for themselves who tell them what they like to hear and because they have itching ears and hate sound doctrine.
Sound doctrine is the teaching that sin separates us from God and that only through Jesus Christ we can be reconciled with God. Sound doctrine is the teaching that we are all sinners who deserve to be punished, and that man ought to repent and depart from his evil ways. Sound doctrine is the teaching that faith saves us, and with faith comes obedience to God’s commands, through the Spirit.
And what is the purpose of life but to please God and honor Him? That is the purpose God created us for. Then how do we honor God if we do not revere Him? We honor God by hating evil, by having genuine faith in Him, by working out our salvation, by having a relationship with Him and not forgetting but keeping His Word, by putting our God-given talents to use, by confessing our sins, by being humble before God, by being fruitful through the Spirit, by being content no matter what situation or state where are in, by leading others to repentance and faith in the Lord.
The purpose of life, which is to honor God, cannot be fulfilled in the flesh but only through Jesus Christ.
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” — Luke 5:32
“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”” — Acts 5:30-32
I first read “The Purpose Driven Life” when my wife was asked to lead a “Bible study” using that book in the local church we were members of.
Since the book was so popular in the churches when I first started reading it I thought the book had to contain truths. But by the time I got through the book I could see some poison mixed in.
I marked up the parts I disagreed with and gave the book to my wife who brought up those issues in her “Bible” study.
Because everyone else was nuts about this book.I felt a little guilty for criticizing the great Rick Warren. So I did some research and checked out what some astute discernment ministries were saying about his book compared to what the Bible really said.
I soon became aware that there was much more poison in that little book then I caught. That research led me to write the articles I have on my website that speak about the purpose driven movement.
Just a few poisons in the book are:
Pop Psychology poisons.
Deliberate use of paraphrases to change a biblical passage to prove a questionable point posion.
An attack on Bible prophecy teachers and Bible prophecy students poison.
Equating children of the world with children of God poison.
No clear salvation message poison.
Seeker friendly church poison.
Confusing the great commission for the church with Rick’s purpose for everyone in the world poison.
Etc. poisons.
Later, I noticed a general lack of a Biblical message in Rick Warren’s media interviews. and then his dominionist world PEACE plan came out.