Rick Warren & Purpose-Driven Strife Tonight on ABC's Nightline

Rick Warren and Purpose-Driven Strife - ABC News

Article & 1 Minute Video Preview of Martin Bashir's interview
with Pastor? Rick Warren tonight on "Nightline" at 11:35 p.m.

Article Excerpt:

So the debate goes on: Is the purpose-driven method simplifying Christianity in exchange for church growth? The founder of the movement says the conflicts and divisions are inevitable costs.

"You know, I wouldn't intentionally want to cause pain to any person or to anyone," Warren said. "Am I willing to put up with pain so the people [that] Jesus Christ died for can come to know him? Absolutely."

Warren said that if some churches may suffer as a result of applying some of those principles, then "that's the price."

"Every church has to make the decision. … Is it going to live for itself, or is it going to live for the world that Jesus died for?"

When asked if he thinks that some of these splits are actually because Christians themselves are indulgent and refusing to change, Warren said, "Oh, without a doubt." And when asked if he blames them, he replied, "I do blame them."

Beloved,

I will let Bishop Ryle speak on this matter.

And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. ~ Hebrews 11:4c, ESV

Selected Excerpts From J.C. Ryle's book, "Warnings To The Churches" Chapter 6, "The Fallibility of Ministers."

"Do not put implicit confidence in any man's opinion, merely because he is a minister.

What are the best of ministers but men--dust, ashes and clay-men with a nature like our own, men exposed to temptations, men liable to weaknesses and failings.

They have often driven the truth into the wilderness,and decreed that to be true,
which was false. The greatest errors have been begun by ministers.

Yes! Peace without truth is a false peace; it is the very peace of the devil.

Unity without the gospel is a worthless unity; it is the very unity of hell.

We ought to contend jealously for the truth and to fear
the loss of truth more that the loss of peace.

We have no right to expect anything but the pure Gospel of Christ, unmixed and unadulterated; the same Gospel that was taught by the Apostles; to do good to the souls of men. I believe that to maintain this pure truth in the Church men should be ready to make any sacrifice, to hazard peace, to risk dissension, and run the chance of division. They should no more tolerate false doctrine than they would tolerate sin. They should withstand any adding to or taking away from the simple message of the Gospel of Christ.

Never let us be guilty of sacrificing any portion of truth on the altar of peace.

We should no more tolerate false doctrine than we would tolerate sin.

To regularly hear unscriptural teaching is a serious thing.
It is a continual dropping of slow poison into the mind.

Let us receive nothing, believe nothing, follow nothing which is not in the Bible,
nor can be proved by the Bible."

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

God bless,

Des