It seems like every time you turn around, someone else in the Southern Baptist Convention is getting direct revelation, or at least, direct conversation, from God. Indeed, God has been quite chatty, it seems, with the uppity-ups in the SBC lately.
God revealed to Ronnie Floyd that “Awaken America” wasn’t sufficient enough, apparently, to stem the continued bloodletting of membership during his term at the helm. God told him that “racial unity” must be achieved. Thus, we now have the Ronnie Floyd Racial Restoration Extravaganza at the upcoming annual SBC meeting. (I mean, come on. Even former SBC president Fred Luter said that America didn’t have a SKIN problem. It has a SIN problem. He seemed to be on track with something rather Biblical there … maybe we oughta chase that line of thinking instead?)
We’re already aware of how the SBC’s favorite female false teacher, Beth Moore, has claimed to receive extra-biblical revelation from God. That anyone would take this faith-threatening femme fatale with any grain of seriousness is beyond ludicrous, but is great evidence of Biblical illiteracy. It brings to mind that whole Biblical concept of “strong delusions” being sent. Maybe that’s what’s happening.
Today it was reported that another stalwart of SBC intelligentsia – that provocateur of purpose, that hawker of Biblical diets, that Pope-admiring, Rome-hugging wanna-be bishop – Rick Warren had a two-way conversation with God “the other day.”
The Christian Post article Rick Warren Reveals What God Told Him About How To Help Pastors describes not what we might hope. Honestly, if God were speaking to bishop Rick about how he might best be useful to the clergy, we can be absolutely sure that “charge them to come to another conference” would not be a Divine decree. More likely, any legitimate dialogue between God and Warren would surely seem to have a clap of thunder and flash of lightning associated with it, in a sort of “stop defiling My Word” judgment.
But, in a lightning-bolt free dialogue, Warren says, “Then, the other day, God said, ‘I don’t want you to just pray for these guys. I want you to share with them all the lessons in ministry that I taught you the hard way. It will save them a lot of time and pain.” (Cuz God, you see, is fretting about our time and our pain. A shame the Apostle Peter didn’t have Warren’s insights; he might’ve avoided his inverted crucifixion.)
Folks, this article will now pause briefly so you can flip in your Bible somewhere between the Book of Revelation and the maps so that you may record the latest Warren-received divine revelation. Closed canon? Not in the SBC … apparently.
We now resume our consideration of the latest heresy from a leading false teacher of the SBC. Thank you.
Showing complete disregard for the long-held doctrinal, Baptist position that God speaks in His Word, Warren doesn’t attempt to veil his received revelation with even a slick veneer of Scriptural citations. He just spews the nonsense as if no one cares. (Is anyone in the SBC paying attention to this charlatan? Anyone care about Scripture there any more? Hullo???)
The revelatory purpose (cuz, you know, there’s a “purpose” driving everything Rick does) was for Warren to relaunch the “Purpose Driven Conference.” Well, there you go. There’s apparently a whole new batch of young pastors who have no purpose and from whom Warren can fleece Ben Franklins in the further perpetuation of his unbiblical teachings.
In presumably a very humble tone (Sarcasm font right there, folks), Warren says, “I will be doing all the teaching – downloading 36 years of learnings from Saddleback. In that time we’ve baptized more new believers (43,108), put more people into small group Bible study (over 38,000 meet weekly in 8,420 small groups), and sent out more members on mission (26,846 members have served in 196 countries) than any American church.” Praise God. (No, Warren didn’t include “praise God” in his “praise me & Saddleback” remarks. That was added for effect, FYI.)
A statistic that Warren did not report, but is no doubt equally sizable among his self-touted accomplishments, is the actual number of false converts resulting from his “it’s all about you and your purpose” false gospel. Methinks when “purpose” becomes your “lord,” instead of Jesus, you prolly aren’t truly converted, regardless of how many times you’ve been baptized.
Warren closes his conference announcement with an apology for the short notice – it’s scheduled for June 28-30 – but he quickly puts the blame on God. “I know this invitation doesn’t give you a lot of time, but God didn’t tell me to do it until a few days ago. I’m just being obedient.” Uh huh.
Brethren, I don’t even know what to say. Why is such nonsense as Warren, or Floyd, or Moore, or any of the other alleged recipients of divine revelation tolerated within the SBC? Have we moved that far from Scripture that we just no longer care? Have we just become so discernment-free that this nonsense passes our purview without our batting a Berean-like eye at all?
Given our acceptance of this kind of charlatanry, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the SBC will serve as a cosponsor of next year’s Bethel Azusa Raise The Dead and Travel To Heaven Tourism Rally. What’s goin’ on here, people?!
I can tell you this … If God IS speaking directly to Rick Warren, then maybe I’m the guy under a strong delusion, cuz I just see nothing of the sort in Scripture.
Do me a favor. If you get a message from God for me – even if it’s tardy -drop me a note, will ya? I’m gonna be reading something from an Apostle and see if I can’t make this delusion go away.
God bless.
Contributed by Bud Ahlheim
