"Leaders From Hell"?

[LindaR]

One of the tools Rick Warren uses to help churches become Purpose Driven is a book called Transitioning: Leading Your Church Through Change. The book is sold on Rick Warren's website and is written by Dan Southerland. According to pastors.com (Rick Warren's website to pastors), Southerland is the director of "Church Transitions Inc., an organization that trains pastors and church leaders to effectively manage major transitions. Southerland ... is the leading expert on implementing the Purpose Driven paradigm in existing churches."

Southerland tells readers that "some folks are going to get very angry." He goes so far as to liken opposers of Purpose Driven to "leader from hell." He says:

If you have read Nehemiah recently, you will remember that Sanballat is Nehemiah's greatest critic and number one enemy. Let me put it plainer than that. Sanballat is a leader from hell. We all have some Sanballats in our churches. This is the guy who opposes whatever you propose.... You cannot call this guy a leader from hell to his face - but you could call him Sanballat (p. 115).

http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/resistersdieorleave.htm

I don't think this Purpose Driven Movement/Emerging Church Movement is going to die out any time soon. IMO, I believe it is going to grow much bigger and those who are "departing from the faith" will also increase.

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

[RayJr]

I believe that you are right. There are many false teachers today and people will flock to them. the devil has his teeth in a lot of people today and his hold on the world does nothing, but get stronger every day. We must be aware of these people and their false teachings.

[Pastorj]

This movement is wrecking our Good churches. It is causing people to leave good churches and go to churches that do not teach sound doctrine.

[JerryNumbers]

There are many itching ears out there, they will go where they can get their ears scratched.

I suppose them leaving for such a church would be better than wrecking the one they're in.

[John81]

I agree. I don't see this mess coming to an end anytime soon; in fact I do believe it will continue to grow and fit the bill for those with itching ears, those who want to feel okay with God but want to be worldy at the same time, and those who want to flee the "boring" churches so they can be entertained but still be able to tell everyone they are church goers.

A nearby church has held a "40 Days of Purpose" each year now for the past two years. It's the largest church in this town but it's much more of a social club than what an actual church should be.

Several of the churches in neighboring towns have adopted much of this Purpose Driven stuff, and a few are now more like entertainment centers rather than churches.

The larger these grow, the more people who become involved, the more influence they will have and the more they will denounce true Bible believers and the more they will be used by the enemies of Christ to work against true Bible believers.

[JerryNumbers]

A local church did the "40 Days of Purpose". They divided into many groups to meet at homes.

The problem was, that in most of these groups there was no one who was qualified in any manner to teach the Bible.

By the word qualified I don't mean they had not been to Bible school, I mean they were either brand new Christians who did not know the Bible or people who were nothing but babes in Christ, none of them knew what Baptist teachings are.

It was the blind leading the blind.

Of course that is what the "40 Days of Purpose" is all about, leading the blind further away from God.

[John81]

That's what this local church did. Those "40 Days" meetings in peoples homes seemed to be more about popularity or trying to be "more spiritual" than anything else. The pastor let whoever wanted to host these meetings do so without regard to maturity in Christ or anything else.

One of the families who led meetings lives a very worldly life. They accept all sorts of worldy entertainment, they drink alcohol, they cuss, the husband and wife fight like cats and dogs, they have separated several times and one time the wife even attempted to commit suicide after an argument.

[LindaR]

My youngest son and family attend one of those "Purpose Driven" churches in Santa Monica, CA. It is affiliated with the Amereican Baptist Association...in other words, it is a very liberal church. When we were in California in 2006, we attended there twice. NOBODY brings their own Bibles...they had pew Bibles (NIV). NIV scriptures were shown on an overhead...as well as the CCM lyrics. They only sang ONE traditional Christmas carol (we were there during the Christmas season). These churches preach a "social" gospel. Nothing about those churches is biblical! Talk about "itching ears"....plenty of them in that church!

Pray for my son Robert, his wife Anne and their two precious daughters (one of them is in my avatar), Miranda and Molly-Jo.

[John81]

I visited the local church that did those "40 Days" things on the Sunday before they began their first one. No Bibles (my oldest son and I were the only ones with a Bible). The preacher didn't even carry a Bible! The preacher came out and placed a few papers on his podium and that was it. They have two big screens, and when the preacher would cite some Scripture, that verse would appear on the screen in whatever Bible version he decided to read that particular verse from. I think he used four different versions the day we attended.

Their worship service consisted of repeating a couple of very simplistic and vague chorus' over and over and over again.

We didn't return.

[Pastor Matt]

The purpose driven church is such a clever way for the devil to water-down the Word of God. To many, church is now a casual thing to do and we dress the same to church as we do to the park. We act many times like God is not Holy, and it is shown in the worship of these services. I've heard many rock songs played that had nothing to do with God being sung in these churches. My prayer? Lord, come quickly.

Linda, I'll be praying for your family.

[John81]

The purpose driven church is such a clever way for the devil to water-down the Word of God. To many, church is now a casual thing to do and we dress the same to church as we do to the park. We act many times like God is not Holy, and it is shown in the worship of these services. I've heard many rock songs played that had nothing to do with God being sung in these churches. My prayer? Lord, come quickly.

Linda, I'll be praying for your family.

I agree.

Much of the preaching is of the "God/Jesus is your buddy" sort. They preach about how God wants us happy carefree rather than how God wants us to be holy for He is holy. Rather than preach submitting to the Lordship of Christ in our lives and doing the Fathers business, they preach how to be happy and enjoy the world. Instead of preaching the biblical Spirit-filled life, they preach emotionalism.

It's sad to see professing Christians who come out of church receiving no meat from the Word of God yet they "feel" super spiritual because the music made them feel good and the pastors message made them feel good. Sadder still is how defensive most get when you try to reach out to them.

[JerryNumbers]

My youngest son and family attend one of those "Purpose Driven" churches in Santa Monica' date=' CA. It is affiliated with the Amereican Baptist Association...in other words, it is a very liberal church. When we were in California in 2006, we attended there twice. NOBODY brings their own Bibles...they had pew Bibles (NIV). NIV scriptures were shown on an overhead...as well as the CCM lyrics. [b'] They only sang ONE traditional Christmas carol (we were there during the Christmas season). These churches preach a "social" gospel. Nothing about those churches is biblical! Talk about "itching ears"....plenty of them in that church!

Pray for my son Robert, his wife Anne and their two precious daughters (one of them is in my avatar), Miranda and Molly-Jo.

Notice the part above I put in bold, this is in reference to it.

Was the traditional Christmas song Frosty the Snow Man or Jingle Bells?

My mother was the piano player in the church as I grew up, and she had a piano at home so I was always around music.

I remember asking her when I was quite young, why doesn't the Hymn books at church have those real good Christmas songs like Frosty the Snow Man & Jingle Bells. :roll

[LindaR]

Notice the part above I put in bold, this is in reference to it.

Was the traditional Christmas song Frosty the Snow Man or Jingle Bells?

My mother was the piano player in the church as I grew up, and she had a piano at home so I was always around music.

I remember asking her when I was quite young, why doesn't the Hymn books at church have those real good Christmas songs like Frosty the Snow Man & Jingle Bells. :roll

It definitely wasn't Jingle Bells or Frosty the Snowman...I believe it was "Hark the Herald Angels Sing"...I think...or "Angels We Have Heard On High". But that doesn't justify all the other nonsense which goes on at that "social" gospel/PDC preaching church...especially when it comes to bringing the Bible to church. :roll

[JerryNumbers]

I agree with you, as I read your post I had one of those flash backs and remember asking my mother about those songs and could not help but ask.

I just can't imagine going to church without my Bible, I would feel lost.

On another board carrying your Bible to church came up. The Catholics and some other group asked why you needed a Bible at church. They describe their service to me, but it surely did not sound like a church service.

[LindaR]

I agree with you, as I read your post I had one of those flash backs and remember asking my mother about those songs and could not help but ask.

I just can't imagine going to church without my Bible, I would feel lost.

On another board carrying your Bible to church came up. The Catholics and some other group asked why you needed a Bible at church. They describe their service to me, but it surely did not sound like a church service.

My husband and I looked like the "odd couple" because we were the only ones with our Bibles--and the KJV too!! Of course, they were reading the NIV (and sometimes The Message) from an overhead. Their pew bibles were NIV. Since my husband is legally blind, he couldn't even see what was being shown on the overhead. Needless to say, we were anxious to get back home to our church and sound biblical preaching and teaching.