Pastor Rick Warren recently delivered his final message at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, where he was met with a chorus of applause.
In June of last year The WinePress reported that Warren announced he would be stepping down after ministering for over four decades, where his search for a new lead pastor began.
Ultimately he reached a decision to make Andy Wood, and his wife Stacie, to be the new co-pastors for Saddleback. The WP noted that the Woods openly affirm the LGBTQIA+ lifestyle by taking a very lukewarm approach.
For his final sermon, Warren ended his tenure preaching where his success began and spread like a wildfire: his book, “The Purpose Driven Life.”
‘The book, which promotes living life to satisfy God through worship and ministry, is now one of the bestselling nonfiction books in publishing history, according to publisher Zondervan which is part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. It has been translated into 137 languages and sold over 50 million copies in multiple formats,’ The Christian Post wrote.
As Warren came to the stage he was met with a chorus of cheers and applause, where Warren had to hold back tears. “You’re going to make me cry,” he told the congregation. “Have I told you lately that I love you?”
As you know by now, today is my last message to you as your senior pastor. For 43 years, it has been my privilege to love you, to pray for you, to serve you, to encourage you, to be at the bedsides, to be at the gravesides, to be at the counseling when you’re going through a tough patch in your life; and to teach you.
And during these 43 years, I have preached 6,500 plus messages, sermons and studies. But in this […] our final, our last farewell message, I have decided that of all those 6,500 messages plus that I want to share with you, to repeat and re-preach, the very first message I preached to start this church, word for word, 43 years ago.
One of the values — purpose-driven values — that we hold on to here at our church is, ‘begin with the end in mind.’ Whatever project you’re starting, begin with the end in mind. That’s called being purpose driven. You know your purpose in advance. And we knew from the very beginning what kind of church this was going to be.
We had no money, no members, no building, no nothing, but we knew what God wanted us to be. We announced it at that very first service. Now, the message you are about to hear today illustrates this value of, ‘begin with the end in mind,’ because I wrote this message and I preached this message only one time in 43 years. The very first service. It was on March 30th, 1980, [a] week before Easter in a little theater at Laguna Hills High School to about 50, 60 people.
There was no church when I preached this sermon. It was the start, the very start.
Warren said
Saddleback will be celebrating his tenure this weekend, September 3-4th, and the Woods will be officially ordained the following week.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
[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. [2] And 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: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.2 Peter 2:1-3
Rick Warren was highly instrumental in destroying and tearing down so many righteous standards, and watered everything down to be far more inclusive. ‘Church buildings’ are not a scriptural practice, but Warren’s philosophies have damned entire generations of people, and completely destroyed the ‘traditional’ buildings, leading them back to Rome.
An article by Alan Yusko titled “Purpose Driven Hersey and Catholicism” really encapsulates Warren’s heresies. I do not know who Yusko is, so I am not giving him a blanket recommendation, but he succinctly demonstrates why what Warren taught is heresy and blasphemy.
What is the foundation of Rick Warrens purpose driven heresy? The goal is to build a big church. With many members money will greatly increase and so will the “pride” of having a big church. The root of a purpose driven church is money. Increased numbers equals increased donations and the flow of money. With increases in money the church can build better and bigger buildings.
How is this goal to be accomplished? Here are some of the ways:
- Remove the Gospel message of repentance for sin
- Redefine sin so it is not what the Bible says it is
- Remove the Gospel message of consequences for sin
- Remove the doctrine of hell. Perishing for eternity in the lake of fire is considered negative and will turn people away and reduce church growth. This will reduce the numbers of people and hurt the donation levels.
- Format the gospel in such a way that the lost will come to church and be happy about themselves and their lost condition. They will not get saved but the lost will enjoy coming to be entertained. Just get the lost into the church so they will be happy and the donations will flow!
- Turn the church into an entertainment center for all to come for enjoyment as the latest fads and rock groups are presented.
- Use a perverted and watered down version of the Bible. Do not use the KJV which God has blessed since the reformation. After all, the KJV is written at a 3rd grade reading level and that is just too much for some folks to bear!
- Teach diversity where other doctrines and faiths are tolerated for the truth that they contain. Those who hold to the Bible as the Word of God are considered to be intolerant, judgmental, unloving, and narrow-minded. The spirit of diversity seeks those with an open mind that will accept everything!
By watering down and removing the salvation part of the gospel message the purpose driven church will increase in numbers. The latest fad is for Catholic churches to get involved in the purpose driven church. Since the saving gospel has been eliminated, the Catholics see no problems at all with the purpose driven heresies. They too would like to see numbers increase in their churches. Remember that increased numbers results in bigger donations!
Here is a short note of the growing trend of purpose driven Catholic churches:
Purpose Driven Catholic Churches
-Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Church Seminars are now being hosted by Roman Catholic Churches. The marketing message on the seminar’s logo reads: “Implementing the Purpose Driven Church – Growth Without Compromising Your Message or Mission.” Since we know the Roman Church cannot, and never will, compromise its infallibly pronounced gospel of works and sacraments, we must wonder if the “Purpose Driven Seminar gospel is indeed the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” It should not surprise us that Roman Catholic churches are participating in Rick Warren’s seminars. He often quotes Roman Catholic leaders favorably. (Calvary Contender Feb 2005)
CONCLUSION: As you can see the purpose driven church is a major deception in these last days. It seeks to strip God’s people of the saving Gospel of the Lord Jesus. You see, there can be no heaven unless there is a hell. There can be no forgiveness unless people are lost hellbound sinners.
The main goal of a purpose driven church is money, pride, and membership. Rather than being faithful to the Lord, many pastors have given up their faith for 30 pieces of silver in their quest for money and a large church.
[…] The purpose driven church is a direct attack against the Gospel and the Lord Jesus. Those who do not love the Lord will follow after the riches and glory of this perishing world. The faithful pastors will reject and remove the evil of Warren’s purpose driven church from their church assembly!I strongly suggest if you attend a church given to the purpose driven way by Warren, that you get out and do so immediately. Be assured that the Lord has also rejected that place!
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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That blubber boy boomer, Rick Warren! He is condemning so many people to Hell and attacking the King James Bible and the true Jesus of it.
“Remove the doctrine of hell. Perishing for eternity in the lake of fire is considered negative and will turn people away and reduce church growth. This will reduce the numbers of people and hurt the donation levels.“ hurt the donation levels. Translation: I will lose out on my big paycheck the goats and sheeple are giving me and I won’t be able to afford my private jet to fly to Paris and Tahiti in – I want a Cessna Citation V corporate jet and needless to say, it doesn’t come cheap.
I first saw that book the purpose driven lunacy, and just by looking at the cover I already hated it, that I believe was the Holy Spirit telling me that book and the author is NOT of Him.
I saw Bryan Denlinger throw the purpose driven life and it makes me laugh and smile every time.
Rick Warren and also that other devil, Francis Collins that (clears throat) “christian” yeah right if Francis Collins is a Christian then I’m a related to the Partridge Family, christian my foot! And for all I know he could be Jesuit as well, he sure does act like one at least – they’re both responsible for bringing out the SHAMdemic and being part of the WEF and the CFR plus bringing out the death shots.
“Format the gospel in such a way that the lost will come to church and be happy about themselves and their lost condition. They will not get saved but the lost will enjoy coming to be entertained. Just get the lost into the church so they will be happy and the donations will flow!”
“Turn the church into an entertainment center for all to come for enjoyment as the latest fads and rock groups are presented.”
Why do you think now these false churches have super bowl parties, rock music and not just CCM, rap music, skits and sketches, petting zoos, community “outreach” festivals, concerts, and what have you? Because it’s hirelings entertaining the goats and it’s all for M-O-N-E-Y (see 1 Timothy 6:9-10.)
Romans 16:18
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Yup, Warren serving his big, soft, greedy belly.
It looks like it brought him a lot of flab & ill health. I wonder if he ‘visualized’ that from the beginning and purposely planned that.
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And 10x more about ‘greed’ and ‘covetousness’ most certainly applies to sodomites (homosexuality) for they are not content with God’s bounds, typically have hundreds, if not thousands, of partners in their lifetimes; and steal & use one another’s ‘favorite’ all the time. Disgusting & vile ….& they speak of it all in philosophical or seductive pornographic, not real & plain, honest terminology for a reason. Meanwhile…they’re obsessive about ‘success’, appearances, and wealth. Good grief.