Yup, It Happened

Well, John Piper went and done it. He invited one of the least qualified men in America to stand and teach at one of the most prestigious bible conferences in America. My own opinion of John Piper has gone down more than a few notches. Piper knew that there would be an outcry against this decision. And yet he obviously is convinced that he has a good enough reason to invite Warren to speak. It's his conference, I guess he can invite whoever he wants to. The problem is, John Piper is a leader amongst leaders, and people pay attention to what he says and does.

There are plenty of churches out there that have not succumbed to Warrens purpose driven drivel. But with this announcement, they may have a rethink of their decision, and run down the pragmatic path of purpose driven dopiness. Churches that have been spared the totally pragmatic approach to ministry will now think it to be an acceptable format for church growth and overall ministry. The preaching of the gospel is not about pragmatism. The church grows as God gives the increase. And it's tied directly to the preaching of the gospel. This is the means (preaching the gospel), that has been given to draw men to God.

I hope John Piper will consider what the unintended consequences of his invitation might mean to the greater evangelical movement in America. A movement that is already in a boatload of trouble, just got another torpedo amidships. I hope that pastors will pay close attention to what Rick Warren says while he is at the conference, and compare it to what it means to preach the gospel in a biblical manner, vs. the pragmatism that is espoused in the Purpose Driven books.

Don't Believe Everything You Hear

There seems to be a rumor floating around the internet that John Piper is inviting Rick Warren to speak at the 2010 Desiring God conference. The only reference to this supposed travesty is on a fundamentalist blog that seems to be KJV only in nature as well as a few other problems with the theology. Not the least of which is the guys suggested reading list.

The rumor really got a huge kick when a well known blogger posted something about it on his Face Book wall and really got the comment thread going. Now don't get me wrong. I like the guy who did the FB posting, but I wish he had waited to see if any of the dirt was true before he went and spilled the beans to the general public that otherwise would not have been any the wiser.

I think we need to be careful how much we feed the trolls so to speak. Guys that write on sites like the one advertising the supposed Rick Warren @ Desiring God thing, just love to get people stirred up and start the fur flying so to speak, and watch their hit counts go up on the blog.

I suppose it could be true, but their is just not enough evidence for it to get me riled up right now. John Piper has invited people to speak at Desiring God before that raised more than a few eyebrows. A few years ago he invited Mark Driscoll to speak which at the time was a huge chance for Piper to take. Driscoll was known for his, shall we say, spicy language from the pulpit. But Piper took him under his wing and Driscoll is the better pastor for it. I have listened to many of Driscolls sermons, and can say that the man knows what the gospel is and how to preach it, and is not ashamed of it.

The difference between Driscoll and Warren is, Driscoll had no real problems with his theology, only his methodology. He was at times deliberately abusive from the pulpit, and swearing in the middle of a sermon was not unheard of. Rick Warren on the other hand, has massive problems with his theology.

Tim Challies says it like this -

Warren does not appear to have a biblical understanding of the Gospel the Good News of Jesus Christ. He teaches a typical decisional regeneration that will surely lead many to believe they have made commitments to Christ when they have not. In The Purpose Driven Life he leads unbelievers in a short prayer which he says will usher them into God's family. Prior to this he has made no clear presentation of the Gospel. He has not spoken about how our sin has separated us from God and condemned us to an existence apart from God. He has not spoken about the necessity of Christ's sacrifice and His substitutionary death for us. Yet he leads people to say Jesus, I believe in you and I receive you (page 58) and then follows with the astonishing words Welcome to the family of God! How can people believe in One they do not know? A decision no more makes us part of the family of God than does baptism. We become part of God's family when God regenerates us and adopts us into His family. This may take place at the moment of decision, but a decision does not necessarily cause it to happen. By declaring that anyone who said those words and meant them is a believer, he is giving false hope and shows a glaring misunderstanding of conversion and the Gospel.

Warren's confusion about the Gospel is shown also in that he extends his Purpose Driven seminars to include Catholics and even Mormons. Presumably he must see some good in their systems of doctrine, both of which deny the very heart of the Gospel.

Warren first supported prop. 8 in California, then later denied that he did, when there was video all over You Tube of him saying that he did support it. He was only worried about offending the gay rights activists in California! The man has a problem with the truth, and preaches a self help gospel that is no gospel at all.

I would hope that John Piper is NOT going to invite Rick Warren to speak at the Desiring God conference this year, or any other year unless Warren repents of his false doctrines and begins preaching the gospel as it is presented in the scripture.