Rick Warren's Top Eight Reasons To Join His "Church": Loving Christ Jesus and Obeying HIM Didn't Make the List

Slice of Laodica gave the heads up and here it is from Saddleback's Ricky Warren:

Quote (caps original, bold is mine):


Dear Saddleback Family,

I'm not sleeping much. I'm too excited.

THIS SATURDAY, March 28, will be THE GREATEST DAY in Saddleback's history.

OVER 2,000 people have already signed up to become members of our church family on a single day! They're joining me for:

BREAKFAST, BAPTISM & CLASS 101 WITH PASTOR RICK THIS SATURDAY AT 8:30 AM TO NOON IN THE WORSHIP CENTER.
SIGN UP TODAY!

Two thousand years ago - the Day of Pentecost was the first day of the Christian Church. Acts 2:41 tells us, "About 3,000 people were baptized and joined the church that day." If you'll join us this weekend, history could be repeated at Saddleback! Want to make history?

Which of these requirements do you need to complete this Saturday?
1. Open your heart to Jesus Christ. Click here to learn more.
2. Attend Class 101: Discovering Your Church Family. Sign up.
3. Sign our membership covenant (explained in class).
4. Be baptized the way Jesus commanded and modeled for us.

(Many of us were baptized as kids on our parent's faith. Jesus modeled believer's baptism at age 30 when he was baptized in the Jordan River) It would be my privilege to baptize you after Class 101.

YOU CAN FINISH ALL 4 REQUIREMENTS IN ONE DAY - THIS SATURDAY!

EIGHT REASONS TO JOIN THIS SATURDAY & NOT PROCRASTINATE:

1. I'm personally teaching Class 101 for the first time in ten years.

2. I'm personally baptizing after Class and you'll receive a photo & baptism certificate.

3. You'll get a free one year subscription to Purpose Driven Connection magazine. (Never offered before)

4. You'll get free copy of The Purpose Driven Church book.

5. Your name will be included in the historical list of Saddleback Pioneer Members who joined in our first 30 years. (This Easter is our 30th Easter and I want you included in this list.)

6. The class is 1 hour shorter than normal. You can watch session 3 here online now.

7. You'll be a part of making Christian history! The largest membership class ever!

8. We love you & want you in our family. There is no good reason to procrastinate.

I was asked, "Rick, If you could wish for anything to celebrate your 30 years of service at Saddleback, what would you dream of?" I said, "To experience a repeat of Pentecost - and see 3,000 people affirm their faith and join our church family on a single day." Will you be a part of making this a reality?

Just do 2 things:
1. Sign up for this Saturday by clicking here.

2. Watch the session 3 video!

This is going to be fun. You're the greatest. See you Saturday!

End quote.

Fun? Really. Well, I don't think God declares spiritual things to be FUN. Look what happened in Acts 5. Besides, Acts 2 also doesn't talk about FUN. Rather we see a disturbance because the Holy Spirit was powerfully present, convicting people of their sin as Peter put the blame of the death of Jesus on their heads, which struck them at the heart. No FUN there.

Anything about pleasing the Lord Jesus Christ? Anything about loving the soul of God-haters? NOPE.

Warren defenders need to wake up and smell the java: this man is ONLY IN IT FOR HIMSELF.

What audacity to think he can repeat what the Lord did in a historical event in Acts 2.

What pride to think that getting taught, baptized, and photographed with him are the top reasons to become members! Do you see what Warren is doing? He's saying following him is enticing enough for people to become members of his organization. He clearly thinks TOO HIGHLY OF HIMSELF to think that HE is the big draw. He violates Scripture and proves himself yet again (for anyone who doubted) that he is unqualified to be an elder:

Gal 6:3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Php 2:3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

He doesn't speak about being obedient to Christ out of love for HIM. Its about being linked to a pompous man so he can yet again, claim numbers. Isn't it interesting that Scripture never worries about the numbers of anything. In fact, the Remnant by definition will be smaller than the rest, after all, Jesus sais that the road to eternal life is NARROW and FEW that find it.

One more thing. We have an example of how God grew HIS church in Jerusalem, and purity and fear were part of it:

Act 5:1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?

God then struck both Ananias and Sapphira dead inside the church itself. Here's what followed:

Act 5:12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,

God grew His church HIS way. God demands purity in private and public; personally and corporately. And God demands that we fear HIM.

Rick Warren promotes NONE OF THIS. Absolutely NONE. In fact, Warren goes against Scripture and is only interested in inflating his ego.

But pride goes before the fall.

As noted by another, Saddleback out-did God's Pentecost as described in Acts 2, a few Easters ago (on their 25th Anniversary) by adding 4,000 people to their group--and his message? Was it about Jesus Christ and HIM crucified? NOPE. Allow me to quote Saddleback: "Pastor Rick focused his Easter sermon on what has become his life message: The Purpose Driven Life."

God's churches are for believer's only, not God-haters who want to play religion. That is why Scripture commands believers to be in a local assembly and for there to be church discipline. 2Cor. 6 calls believers OUT of the world, to be separate from it. It says that there is NO FELLOWSHIP between unbelievers and believers! No common ground is there. Yet Warren denies this; he is PROUD to recount the way he went around his neighborhood to make a temple that was pleasing to the enemies of God. In fact Warren boasts that his first member was an unbelieving real estate agent he met when he first came out to California.

Rick Warren is a sham, a fraud, and a false teacher. He is pleased ONLY in bloating his ego. He WILL have pre-eminence over Christ Jesus, as demonstrated at his website for his country club membership.

May God deal with him justly.