Shepherd s Conference An Analysis of Rick Warren s, The Purpose Driven Church. By Sean Ransom

Transcription

1 Shepherd s Conference 2003 An Analysis of Rick Warren s, The Purpose Driven Church By Sean Ransom

2 I. Introduction A. In 1995 Rick Warren wrote the book the Purpose Driven Church. He is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest California, one of America s largest congregations. Over a half-million copies of this book have been sold in 17 languages. It was also included in 100 Christian Books That Changed the Century, which was a result of a national survey. This is one of the reasons why it is important to examine this work and to think about it biblically. B. His writing is easy to read and is full of great illustrations, and practical suggestions for church planting, church growth, and ministry. However, some aspects of Rick Warren s philosophy of ministry are found to be lacking when measured in light of Scripture. C. Many churches are rushing to use the Purpose Driven Model because of the apparent results like the large number of people who go to Saddleback Church. However, results should not be the measure to determine if our ministry is successfully in God s eyes. If they were one could conclude that we should be serving God like Catholics, Muslims, and Mormons because of their size and growth rates. Instead of evaluating our ministries based on apparent results, we should ask: Is what we are doing biblical? D. Discernment is Key There is much that we can learn from Pastor Warren s book. There is also much that can hurt the body of Christ is we are not discerning. However, rather than rejecting a whole body of ideas because some of them are bad, lets discern which ones are profitable so that we can benefit from them and which ones are not so we won t be seduced by them. E. Saddlebacks Five Purposes 1. Magnify: We celebrated God s presence in worship 2. Mission: We communicate God s Word through evangelism 3. Membership: We incorporate God s family into our fellowship 4. Maturity: We educate God s people through discipleship 5. Ministry: We demonstrate God s love through service These are Saddlebacks purposes on paper, but in practice, Saddleback s main purpose seems to be evangelism. If that is the case then what will we do in heaven? 2

3 F. What Is The Purpose Of The Church 1. To glorify God Eph. 1:5 6, 11 12, 14; 3:21; 2 Thes. 1:12 2. To love God Rev. 2:4 3. To display God s grace Eph. 2:7; 3:6, 10; 1 Pet. 2:9 4. To evangelize the world Matt. 28:19 20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; John 20:21; Acts 1:8 5. To baptize believers Matt. 28:19 6. To instruct believers Matt. 28:19; Phil. 4:8 9; 1 Tim. 4:6; 5:17; 2 Tim. 2:2, To edify believers 1 Cor. 14:16; Eph. 4:11 12, 16; 1 Thes. 5:11; 2 Pet. 3:18; Jude To discipline believers 2 Tim 3:16-17; Gal 6:1; Matt 18: To provide fellowship for believers 10. To care for its own in time of need 11. To provoke Israel to jealousy Rom. 11: To prepare rulers for the millennial kingdom 13. To act as a restraining and enlightening force in this present world 14. To promote all that is good Gal. 6:10 Acts 2:42 ; 1 Cor. 1:9 ; 2 Cor. 8:4 ; 13:14 ; Gal. 2:9 ; Phil. 1:5 ; 2:12 ; 1 John 1:3, Cor. 8 9 ; 1 Tim. 5:1 16 ; James 1:27 Rom. 8:17 ; 2 Tim. 2:12 Matt. 5:13 16 ; 2 Thes. 2:6 7 1 II. Being Purpose Driven A. What Drives Your Church? (PDC, pgs ). 1. Churches Driven by Tradition 2. Churches Driven by Personality 3. Churches Driven by Finances 4. Churches Driven by Programs 5. Churches Driven by Buildings 6. Churches Driven by Events 7. Churches Driven by Seekers 1 Willmington, H. L Willmington's book of Bible lists. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill. 3

4 Warren comments that, In an honest attempt to reach unbelievers for Christ and be relevant in today s culture, some churches allow the needs of the unbelievers to become their driving force. The primary question asked is, What do the unchurched want? While we must be sensitive to the needs, hurts, and interests of seekers, and while it is wise to design evangelistic services that target their needs, we cannot allow seekers to drive the total agenda of the church. (PDC, pg. 79). Unfortunately, this seems to be exactly what Saddleback has done. They have let the seekers drive the preaching and focus of their church. B. We should be purpose driven? If we aim at nothing we will hit it every time. Understanding the purpose of the church and why we exist helps us to be on track to accomplish God s will as effectively as possible. Having a plan to help us accomplish God s purpose for our lives will help us to maximize the time and resources that He has given us. III. A Biblical paradigm: Purpose-Driven Churches A. The importance of being purpose driven (PDC, pg. 81). Pastor Warren says, The starting point for every church should be the question, Why do we exist? Until you know what your church exists for, you have no foundation, no motivation, and no direction for ministry. Absolutely nothing will revitalize a discouraged church faster than rediscovering it purpose. He encourages pastors to lead their congregations through a study on the church, and offers the following list of verses to do that: Matt. 5:13-16; 9:35; 11:28-30; 16:15-19; 18:19-20; 22:36-40; 24:14; 25:34-40; 28:18-20; Mark 10:43-45; Luke 4:18-19; 4:43-45; John 4:23; 10:14-18; 13:34-35; 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2:41-47; 4:32-35; 5:42; 6:1-7; Rom. 12:1-8; 15:1-7; 1 Cor. 12:12-31; 2 Cor. 5:17-6:1; Gal 5:13-15; 6:1-2; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:6; 3:14-21; 4:11-16; 5:23-24; Col. 1:24-28; 3:15-16; 1 Thes. 1:3: 5:11; Heb. 10:24-25; 13:7, 17; 1 Peter 2:9-10; 1 John 1:5-7; 4:

5 B. A Clear Purpose Builds Morale (PDC, pg. 86). Warren writes, Paul says that the key to harmony in the church is to be united in purpose. C. A Clear Purpose Reduces Frustration (PDC, pg. 87). A clear purpose not only defines what we do, it defines what we do not do The secret of effectiveness is to know what really counts, then do what really counts, and not worry about all the rest Pg 87. D. A Clear Purpose Allows Concentration (pg 88). In my opinion, most churches try to do too much. This is one of the most overlooked barriers to building a healthy church: We wear out people (pg. 89). A good question to keep in mind when dealing with programs in your church is Would we begin this today if we were not already doing it? (pg. 89). E. A Clear Purpose Attracts Cooperation F. A Clear Purpose Assists Evaluation IV. Defining Your Purposes A. How Do We Know What Our Purposes Are?? It isn t our job to create the purposes of the church, but to discover them. (PDC, pg. 97). Our duty is to understand the purposes Christ has for the church and to implement them. While the programs must change in every generation, the purposes never change. We may be innovative with the style of ministry, but we must never alter the substance of it. (PDC, pg. 98). B. In Discovering Your Purposes look for answers to four questions 1. Why does the church exist? 2. What are we to be as a church? (Who and what are we?) 3. What are we to do as a church? (What does God want done in the world?) 4. How are we to do it? 5

6 C. Communicate Your Purposes In a Memorable Way Condensing your purpose statement into a single sentence is absolutely important. Why? Because if will have limited value if people can t remember it! (PDC, pg. 99). IV. What Makes an Effective Purpose Statement? A. It is biblical B. It is specific C. It is transferable D. It is measurable Saddleback s Purpose Statement (PDC, pg. 107) To bring people to Jesus and membership in his family, develop them to Christlike maturity, and equip them for their ministry in the church and life mission in the world, in order to magnify God s name. VI. Communicating Your Purposes A. In communicating your purposes use: 1. Scripture 2. Symbols (American flag, the cross, baseball diamond) 3. Slogans: Slogans, maxims, mottoes, and pithy phrases are remembered long after sermons are forgotten 4. Stories 5. Specifics: Always give practical, clear, concrete action steps that explain how your church intends to fulfill its purposes. (PDC, pg. 114). 6

7 B. Explaining the Church s Purposes (PDC, pg. 119). Purpose Task Acts 2:42-47 Objective Target Life Component Basic Human Need Outreach Evangelize added to their number daily those who were being saved. Worship Exalt They devoted themselves to breaking of bread and prayers praising God. Fellowship Encourage devoted to the fellowship all the believers were together they ate together. Discipleship Edify They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching Service Equip They gave anyone as he had need. Mission Community My Witness Purpose to Live For Magnify Crowd My Worship Power to Live on Membership Congregation My Relationships People To Live With Maturity Committed My Walk Ministry Core My Work Principles To Live by Profession to Live out The Church Provides A Focus for Living A Force for Living A Family for Living A Foundation for Living A Function for Living Emotional Benefit Significance Stimulation Support Stability Selfexpression VII. Organizing Around Your Purposes A. Organize Your Church Around Your Purposes It is not enough to merely define a purpose statement and communicate it, you must also organize your church, around your purposes. (PDC, pg. 122). B. Being Balanced 1. A balanced church will be a healthy church (PDC, pg. 128). 2. Without a system and a structure to balance the five purposes, your church will overemphasize the purpose that expresses the gifts and passion of its pastor. 3. It is the natural tendency of leaders to emphasize what they feel strongly about and neglect whatever they feel less passionate about. (PDC, pg. 122). Most churches tend to focus on only one purpose (PDC, pg. 125). 7

8 Types of Churches and Their Emphasis Paradigm Soul Winning Church Experiencing God Church Family Reunion Church Bible Classroom Church Social Conscience Church Purpose Driven Church Primary Focus Pastor s Role People s Role Primary Target Key Term Central Value Evangelism Evangelist Witnesses The Save Decisions Community for Christ Worship Worship Worshipers The Crowd Feel Personal Leader Experience Fellowship Chaplain Family The Belong Loyalty & Members Congregation Tradition Edification Instructor Students The Committed Know Bible Knowledge Ministry Reformer Activists The Core Care Justice & Mercy Balance All Five Equipper Ministers All Five Be & Do Christlike Character Tools Used Visitation & Altar Call Music & Prayer Fellowship Hall and Potluck Notebooks & Overheads Petitions & Placards Life Development Process Source of Legitimacy Number Baptized The Spirit Our Heritage Verse by Verse Teaching Number of Needs Met Changed Lives C. Saddleback s Circles of Commitment Saddleback church is organized around two simple concepts to insure balance. We call them Circles of Commitment and the Life Development Process. These two concepts symbolize how we apply the five purposes of the church at Saddleback. The Life Development Process (a baseball diamond) illustrates what we do at Saddleback. The Circles of Commitment (five concentric circles) illustrate who we do it with. (PDC, pg. 129). 8

9 1. The Community (pg. 131) a. Your starting point is the pool of lost people that live within driving distance of your church that have made no commitment at all to either Jesus Christ or your church. They are the unchurched that you want to reach. Is this not seeker driven and unbalanced? b. Four visits to Saddleback a year and your are considered a part of the community 2. The Crowd (pg. 131) a. The crowd is everyone who shows up on Sundays for services. They are your regular attenders. b. The crowd is made up of believers and non-believers c. They have no commitment beyond Sunday services d. A crowd is not a church but a crowd can be turned into a church. (PDC, pg. 136). 3. The Congregation (pg. 132) a. Official members of the church b. They have been baptized, taken Class 101 (Discovering Saddleback Membership), signed a membership covenant, and are committed to fellowship. c. Warren says, Having more attenders than members means the church is being effective in attracting the unchurched and building a pool for evangelism. A good indicator of a church s evangelistic effectiveness is when you have at least 25% more people attending as part of the crowd than you have members in the congregation Currently at Saddleback, the crowd is 100 percent larger than the congregation. Our 5,000 members are bringing their unsaved friends, so we re averaging 10,000 in attendance. (PDC, pg. 133). This is another example of evaluating ministry pragmatically. Having a crowd that is 100% larger than the actual members of your church could indicate that the gospel is not being preached and that the crowd keeps growing, but decisions for Christ are not being made! This could also be and indication that your congregation is a club and not a church? 9

10 4. The Committed (pg. 133) a. This group has taken the 201 class ( Discovering Spiritual Maturity ) and has signed a maturity covenant card which indicates their commit to (1) a daily quiet time, (2) Tithing 10%, and (3) being active in a small group. b. These are people in the church who pray, give, and are dedicated to growing in discipleship but they have not gotten involved in ministry. This calls question to the depth of the level of their commitment to discipleship. If the natural response of their relationship to God is not a desire to serve Him, then how can you call them The Committed? 5. The Core (pg. 134) a. They have taken 301 class ( Discovering My Ministry ), filled out a SHAPE profile (for discovering their spiritual gifts), had a personal ministry interview, and have been commissioned as a lay minister in the church. They also attend a core-only monthly training meeting. b. The core is the smallest group, but they have the deepest level of commitment to minister to others. (They are your Sunday School teachers, deacons, musicians, youth sponsors, and so forth). c. What happens when people finally get to the core? We move them back out into the community for ministry! Saddle back moves people in to ministry even when they are not mature enough or qualified to minister. Interview VIII. Applying Your Purposes A. Ten Ways to Be Purpose Driven A purpose-driven church must go one step further and rigorously apply its purposes to every part of the church: programming, scheduling, budgeting, staffing, preaching, and so forth. (PDC, pg. 137). 1. Assimilate new members on purpose a. Notice that I suggest you grow the church from the outside in, rather than from the inside out. Start with your community not your core! This is the opposite advice given by most books on church planting. (PDC, pg. 138). 10

11 Jesus started with a core group, the disciples! Paul also worked with believers in planting church. Why start with the unregenerate? b. Pastor Warren warns that, To often, a core group planning a new church spends so long in the small group stage that they become comfortable with it and lose their sense of mission. (PDC, pg. 138). Would that be the case if the core were a group of Spirit filled believers who knew that their purpose is to glorify God through making new worshipers of Him? That small group should make evangelism a part of their discipleship time. c. Emphasize that every member is a minister. d. I stressed that a non-ministering Christian was a contradiction in terms and exploded the myth that spiritual maturity is an end in itself. I stressed that maturity is for ministry. (PDC, pg. 140). e. You build a multidimensional ministry by assimilating new members in a purposeful way, focusing on one level of commitment at a time. (PDC, pg. 141). 2. Program around your purposes (PDC, pg. 141) a. Choose and design your program to fulfill each of your purposes. b. Always clarify the purpose for every program in your church. Kill any program that doesn t fulfill a purpose. c. Some of Saddleback s programs are: 1. Bridge events Community outreach 2. Holiday events 3. Seeker services 4. Small groups 5. Life Development Institute Church based training 6. SALT Saddleback advanced leadership training, a monthly meeting for the core 3. Educating your people on purpose (PDC, pg. 143) a. The Life Development Process (PDC, pg. 144) 11

12 b. An overview of the life development institute: level classes to lead people to Christ and church membership level classes to grow people to spiritual maturity level classes to equip people with the skills they need for ministry level classes to enlist people in the worldwide mission of sharing Christ. c. Our ultimate goal at Saddleback is to turn an audience into an army. (PDC, pg. 145). 12

13 4. Start small groups on purpose Some of the small groups at Saddleback Church: 1. Seeker groups Exclusively for evangelism These groups are a waste of time and energy if the gospel is not preached! 5. Add staff on purpose 2. Support groups Care, fellowship, and worship 3. Service groups Prison ministry, orphanages, short-term mission trips, etc. 4. Growth groups Nurturing, discipleship, and in-depth Bible study a. We don t just look for character and competence when interviewing staff; we look for a passion about one of the purposes of the church. People who are passionate about something they are doing are selfmotivated. (PDC, pg. 147). We need to be careful with this; if we add staff that is too focused on one aspect of ministry they will be unbalanced and model that to others. We should look for people who are passionate about all of God s purposes, but who are especially skilled and gifted in areas that compliment our own skills and gifts. b. Warren writes, If I were starting a new church today I would begin by recruiting five volunteers for five unpaid staff positions: a music director; a membership director to teach Class 101 and to oversee the care of members in the congregation; a maturity director to teach Class 201 and oversee the Bible study programs for the committed; a ministry director to teach Class 301, interview people for ministry placement, and supervise the lay ministers of the core; and a mission director to teach Class 401 and oversee our evangelism and missions programs in the community. 6. Structure on purpose (PDC, pg ) This is similar to adding staff on purpose; Warren encourages us to build our structures or ministry departments around teams that help us fulfill our purpose. a. The Missions Team 1. This team is in charge of evangelism. Their target is the community. 13

14 2. Their job is to plan, promote, and oversee all of the church s bridge events, seeker groups, evangelism training (including Class 401), evangelistic activities and programs, and mission projects. 3. Warren said, The church is in the sending business. It is our goal that eventually 25 percent of our membership will do some kind of mission project each year Another goal is to send out 200 career missionaries from Saddleback in the next twenty years. (PDC, pg. 148). b. The Magnification/Music Team 1. The music team is assigned the purpose of worship. Their target is the crowd (The crowd is made up of believers and non-believers). How can a non-believer worship a God that they don t know or understand? c. The Membership Team 1. This team is assigned the purpose of fellowship. Their target is the crowd. They oversee the weekend seeker services. 2. They run the monthly Class 101 for prospective members. 3. They oversee all support groups, weddings, funerals, pastoral care, hospital visitation, and benevolence within the congregation, and they operate the counseling center. d. The Maturity Team 1. The maturity team is assigned the purpose of discipleship. Their target is the committed and the goal is spiritual maturity. 2. This team operates the monthly Class 201. Since the crowd are regular attenders they too should be targeted and encouraged to be disciples of Christ. e. The Ministry Team 1. This team is assigned the purpose of ministry. Their target is the core. Their job is to turn members into ministers by helping members discover their SHAPE for ministry and guiding them to find either an existing place for ministry or a new ministry (PDC, pg. 148). 2. This group is also responsible for Class 301 and SALT meetings. 14

15 3. They assist, train, and supervise the lay ministers of the church. 7. Preach on purpose (PDC, pg. 149) a. Warren says that, To produce balanced, healthy believers, you need to plan a preaching schedule that includes a series on each of the five purposes over the course of a year. A four-week series related to each of the five purposes would require only twenty weeks. That is almost 40% of the year! That takes away a lot of time from teaching the full counsel of God. b. When you use the five purposes of the church as a guide for planning your preaching schedule, you are preaching with a purpose It is true that Warren preaches with a purpose, but the danger of this method of preaching is that you can end up preaching man s purposes instead of God s! He messages may be practical, but the problem still remains that the sermon topics are subject to the whims of the pastor and do not teach the full counsel of God. One could go live under this kind of teaching for years and end up biblically illiterate. 8. Budget on purpose a. The way we spend our time and the way we spend our money show what is really important to us, regardless of what we claim or believe. (PDC, pg. 150). 9. Calendar on purpose a. Rick Warren suggests planning out your preaching on the calendar so that you can emphasize each of your purposes through the year. He offers this example, January and June might each be Maturity months February and July could each be Ministry months March and August might be Missions months April and September could be Membership months May and October could be Magnification months. (PDC, pg. 151). This would only leave you two months for expository preaching. With 10 months of purpose driven messages, how will the congregation ever begin to learn the whole of what God s word says? 15

16 10. Evaluate on purpose a. Build review and revision into your process. Evaluate for excellence. In a purpose driven church, your purposes are the standard by which you evaluate effectiveness. b. One of the ways that they evaluate the church s health at Saddleback is through a process they call Saddleback Snapshot. This process tracks how many people are moving through the Life Development Process (baseball diamond). 1. Pastor Warren offers this example of how this assessment works. The Snapshot forces us to take an honest look each month at how well our church is fulfilling its purposes. Bottlenecks in the system become easy to spot. For instance, if worship attendance increases 35 percent in a year but membership and small group attendance only increase 20 percent, we know we ve got to rectify some gap in the process. (PDC, pg. 152). This is an excellent practice, but Warren s reference of evaluation can be improved. It is assumed that our purposes are based on biblical principals, but our reference point should be the whole counsel of God s word, not our purposes. To measure success by this standard is pragmatic, but not necessarily biblical. IX. Reaching Out to Your Community A. Who Is Your Target? 1. Warren says, No single church can possibly reach everyone. It takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people. Because human beings are so different, no single church can possible reach everyone. That s why we need all kinds of churches. Together we can accomplish what no single congregation, strategy, or style can accomplish by itself. To reach all of these people for Christ will require a variety of styles of evangelism. The message must stay the same, but the methods and style of communicating it will vary greatly. (PDC, pg. 156). It is true that there are all kinds of people who have many different preferences. We should determine which people and preferences we are going to focus on, but we need to be careful not to be ashamed of the gospel. Our target should not shape the message, our Savior should. 16

17 2. Imagine what would happen to a commercial radio station if it tried to appeal to everyone s taste in music. (PDC, pg. 157). It would fail! 3. The Bible determines our message, but our target determines when, where, and how we communicate it. (PDC, pg. 157). If our target prevents us from declaring the whole counsel of God, then we are seeker driven rather than saint driven. B. Targeting for Evangelism is Biblical 1. Jesus targeted his ministry Matt 15:24 [Jesus said], "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 2. The disciples targeted their ministry Matt 10:5-6 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 3. Peter targeted Jews and Paul targeted Gentiles Gala 2:8 [Paul said] For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. 4. Warren wrote, Even the gospels were written with specific target audiences in mind. Have you ever considered why God used four writers and four books to communicate the one life of Christ? (PDC, pg. 158). 5. The practice of evangelistic targeting is especially important in small churches. In a small church with limited resources, it is vital that you make the most of what you ve got. Focus your resources on reaching the people your church can best communicate with. (PDC, pg. 159). X. Surveying Your Target Area A. Getting to Know Your Community In starting Saddleback Church, Pastor Warren used five questions when he went door-to-door in his community. 1. What do you think is the greatest need in this area? 17

18 2. Are you actively attending any church? 3. Why do you think most people don t attend church? 4. If you were to look for a church to attend, what kind of things would you look for? 5. What could I do for you? What advice can you give to a minister who really wants to be helpful to people? I think that this is a great idea. It is a good way to get to know the people of your community, how they think, and what they think they need in life. However, since the non-believer do not know what they really need, we need to be careful not to design our purposes, church, and messages to appeal to their sinful desires. This doesn t mean that we can t offer programs to minister to legitimate needs. I would use their felt needs as a bridge to share the gospel. XI. Church Growth A. Saddleback as a Model for Church Growth 1. Methods vs. principles Warren says, Methods are many, principles are few; methods change often, principles never do. (PDC, pg. 68). 2. A case for Saddleback being a model for church growth In an effort to establish biblical precedence for Saddleback being a model for church growth Warren wrote: Paul was certainly not afraid of using models for the churches he started. He told the church at Thessalonica, You become imitators of us and of the Lord And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia (1 Thes 1:6-7). This is my prayer for your church. I hope you ll be able to learn more from Saddleback s model, and that you will, in turn become a model for other churches. (PDC, pg. 69). Is this passage teaching about churches modeling methods, strategies, and ideas? Lets look at the text. 1 Thes 1: because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 18

19 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia--your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. Paul is not saying that the Thessalonians are a model of church methods, strategies, and ideas, he is saying that they are a model of faith and repentance in spite of suffering. B. Churches Need to be Healthy to Grow 1. I believe the key issue for churches in the twenty-first century will be church health, not church growth When congregations are healthy, they grow the way God intends. Healthy churches don t need gimmicks to grow they grow naturally If your church is genuinely healthy, you won t have to worry about it growing (p.17 PDC). 2. Church growth is the natural result of church health. Church health can only occur when our message is biblical and our mission is balanced. Balance in a church does not occur naturally; in fact, we must continually correct imbalance. Intentionally setting up a strategy and a structure to force ourselves to give equal attention to each purpose is what being a purposedriven church is all about. (PDC, pg ). C. Using Non-Believers to Plant/Grow the Church 1. I decided that we would make no effort at all to attract Christians from other churches to Saddleback. We would not even borrow workers from other area churches to start Saddleback. Since I felt called to reach unbelievers, I determined to begin with unbelievers, rather than with a core of committed Christians Our focus would be limited to reaching the unchurched for Christ, people who for one reason or another did not attend any existing church (PDC, pg. 39). D. Jesus Attracted Crowds by Showing Love 1. I know many churches where the members love each other, and they have great fellowship, but the churches are still dying because all the love is focused inwardly They don t attract unbelievers because they don t love unbelievers. Of course, every congregation thinks their church is loving. That s because the people who think it is unloving aren t there! (PDC, pg. 209). 19

20 2. The most overlooked key to growing a church: We must love unbelievers the way Jesus did. (PDC, pg. 209). 3. Great churches are built on love for God, for each other, and for unbelievers. (PDC, pg. 210). 4. This love must be shown in practical ways. Pastor Warren suggests: a. Memorize the names of people in the church b. Personally greet people before and after services c. Touch people (Hugs, handshakes, pats, etc) d. Use a warm, personal style in writing to visitors E. Jesus Attracted Crowds by Meeting People s Needs (PDC, pg. 219) 1. Jesus began his public ministry by preaching repentance Matt 4:17 Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Preaching the gospel was the reason that Jesus attracted crowds, He meet the people s needs as a bridge to share the gospel. His mission was to provide peace with the Father, not take care of temporal needs. We should do the same, meet the needs of the lost as much as we can, but for the purpose of declaring that Jesus has provided peace with the Father. F. Jesus Attracted Crowds by Teaching in a Practical, Interesting Way (PDC, pg. 223) 1. Our preaching should show how God s word applies to our lives. We do not have to make the Bible relevant it already is! But just as Jesus did, we have to show the Bible s relevance by applying its message personally to people s lives. (PDC, pg. 224). 2. Warren says that, What people need today are fewer ought-to sermons and more how-to sermons. (PDC, pg. 229). The most practical how-to sermon that we can preach is How to have peace with God. 3. Practical preaching can be used as a bridge to share the gospel. While most unbelievers aren t looking for truth, they are looking for relief. This gives us the opportunity to interest them in truth. (PDC, pg. 226). 20

21 The most practical message that we can preach is the fact that our sin separates us from a holy God who desires to remove that separation so He can have a personal loving relationship with us. This will bring true relief! 4. Our preaching should show love. I often hear pastors enthusiastically admit, I love to preach! What I want to ask those pastors is this: Do you love the people you preach to? (PDC, pg. 212). 5. Our preaching can unnecessarily drive visitors away. Long before a pastor preaches, the visitors are already deciding if they will come back. (PDC, pg. 210). XII. Seeker Services A. Being Sensitive in Our Worship Services Warren says that, God expects us to be sensitive to the fears, hang-ups, and needs of unbelievers when they are present in our worship services. This is the principle Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 14. In verse 23, Paul commanded that tongues be limited in public worship. His reasoning? Speaking in tongues seems like foolishness to unbelievers. Paul didn t say tongues were foolishness, only that they appear foolish to unbelievers. So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? (1 Cor. 14:23). In this passage, Paul is not making a case to be seeker sensitive like Rick Warren is claiming. Consider the context: Paul is simply saying that revelation from God that is understood by the church is far greater than revelation that is not understood. If an unbeliever walks into a church seeing and hearing disorder and does not hear the word of God, he will think that they are mad and will not be convicted by the word of God. 1 Cor 14: If the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" 21

22 If you back up one verse to verse 22, Paul actually said that speaking in tongues is a sign to unbelievers. How is that? It was obvious that only an act of God could cause men to spontaneously declare the might deeds of God in a language that they did not know. Because of this, the message was not foolish to them, it actually caused unbelievers to worship God when they knew that it was genuine and when it was interpreted and understood by all. Warren continued: I believe that there is a larger principle behind this advice to the Corinthian church. The point Paul is making is that we must be willing to adjust our worship practices when unbelievers are present. God tells us to be sensitive to the hang-ups of unbelievers in our services. Being seeker sensitive in our worship is a biblical command Where does Warren find this command? In the words of the Evangelical Free Church, Show me where it is written. Rather than Scripture, Warren gives the following pragmatic illustration to make his point. When you have guests over to your home for dinner does your family act differently then when it s just your family at the table? Of course they do! You pay attention to your guests needs, making sure they are served first. The food may be the same, but you may use a different set of china or present the meal in a more thoughtful way. The table conversation is usually more courteous. Is this being hypocritical? No. By doing these things, you are being sensitive and showing respect to your guests. In the same way, the spiritual food is unchanged in a seeker-sensitive service, but the presentation is more thoughtful and considerate of the guests present. (PDC, pg ). We should be sensitive to unbelievers, but not at the expense of believers. We should communicate God s word as clearly as possible and in a way that reaches our culture, but we should do that through the consistent preaching of God s word and trust the Spirit to save those He has called to Himself. In Warren s book, The Purpose Driven Life, on page he writes, God wants us to love everyone, but He is particularly concerned that we learn to love others in His family. He quotes 1 Peter 2:17 from the CEV, which says, Show special love for God s people and Gal. 6:10 from the NCV, which says, When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers. This seems to contradict his suggestion about giving preference to unbelievers. I observed the spiritual food given at the seeker sensitive services as Saddleback Church, and in my estimation it was changed. Instead of being the full counsel of God, it was the wisdom of men wrapped up in God s word. Warren speaks of not changing the message, but in his effort to be seeker sensitive he serves his guest milk instead of a meal that will satisfy their hunger to be right with God. 22

23 B. Is there such thing as a seeker? 1. Rom 3:11 tells us, there is no one who seeks after God Cor 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God Cor 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. C. What A Seeker Service Is Not 1. It is not intended to edify believers 2. It is not a time for deep edification 3. It is not church, it is outreach C. In designing a seeker service Warren recommends: (PDC, pgs ) 1. Plan the service with your target in mind 2. Make it as easy as possible to attend 3. Improve the pace and flow of the service 4. Make visitors feel comfortable 5. Brighten up the environment 6. Create an attractive atmosphere 7. Print a simple order of service 8. Minimize internal church announcements 9. Continually evaluate and improve 10. Remember whom you are serving XIII. The Pitfalls of Seeker Services A. Many seeker churches don t fully share the gospel because they are afraid that they might offend non-believers. B. The saints are not built up because of the focus on non-believers. C. There is less time available to counsel the saints because of the counseling needs of the non-believers. 23

24 Many seeker sensitive churches in the states are drawing crowds of nonbelievers but, their staffs are being overwhelmed in the area of counseling as non-believers seek help in their marriages, family, and spiritual life. The problem is that there is an unbalanced over emphasis on reaching the lost and an under emphasis on building up the saints. This new counseling load makes church staffs unable to properly care for the saints. The result is that believers stagnate while non-believers receive counsel that they can t even understand or successfully apply. D. There is less time to disciple the saints because of the focus on non-believers. E. Quality leaders are not reproduced due to the lack of depth in the teaching. F. The saints are not taught to share their faith; instead focus is placed on them bringing non-believing friends to church so that the staff can share the gospel. G. Preaching is compromised so that the message does not offend unbelievers. XIV. Ministry based on felt needs A. The Reason Felt Needs Were Meet Regarding felt needs, Warren writes, Whenever Jesus encountered a person he d begin with their hurts, needs, and interests. Referring to Matt 10:8 where Jesus sent out his disciples to heal the sick, raise the dead, and drive out demons, Warren wrote, Notice the total emphasis on felt needs and hurts Jesus always ministered to people s needs and hurts. (PDC, pg ). The real needs of people should not be confused with the felt needs of people. Jesus did not always minister to peoples felt needs, some times he sent them away as he did when He called the Pharisees a wicked and perverse generation who would only receive the sign of Jonah. Jesus was not giving a mandate for a healing ministry in this text, if that were the case then Rick Warren would have to include that in Saddleback s purposes. He was sending out His disciples to declare that the kingdom of heaven is here and he was giving them the power to do miraculous signs to attest to that fact. a. Warren says, The only way a church can capture the attention of the unchurched today is by offering them something they cannot get anywhere else. (PDC, pg. 220). I doubt that any of us had absolutely unselfish, unmixed motivations when we asked Jesus to save us. We came when we sensed a need that 24

25 He could meet It is my deep conviction that anybody can be won to Christ if you discover the key to his or her heart the most likely place to start is with the person s felt needs. (PDC, pg. 219). First, that sure sells the Holy Spirit short. He is the only one that can capture the spiritual attention of the lost. Second, Felt needs can be used as an opportunity to share the love of Christ with those who are lonely, hurting, and hungry, but if our felt needs are not the spirit caused felt need for the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ, then we will not be in a place where we can be won to Christ. There is a key that God has given to us to unlock the hearts of the elect so that they can be saved. That key is found in Romans 1:16, which says, I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. XV. Preaching A. Adjusting Your Preaching According to Who Your Is Audience It takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people (PDC, pg. 61). Some church run with this saying and reason that God has called them to be a reaching church rather than a teaching church. Warren recalls the many times he was frustrated when bringing his lost friends to church because they always seemed to come during a message that wasn t relevant to them. He wrote, From week to week, I didn t know if the services would be a safe service to which I could bring unbelievers. The focus of the message was always unpredictable, alternating between evangelism and edification. (PDC, pg. 251). We should never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit to convict men through parts of God s word that we don t find particularly interesting, convicting or safe. B. Preaching based on Felt Needs Pastor Warren also addressed some complaints that non-believers have with church. He points out that many unbelievers say that, Church is boring, especially the sermons. The messages don t relate to my life. Warren also comments that, The unchurched aren t asking for watered down messages, just practical ones. They want to hear something on Sunday that they can apply on Monday. (PDC, pg. 191). 25

26 Fortunately for preachers, nothing has better application to our lives than God s word. What is more applicable and practical to all human beings than how to have peace with God? Preaching on how to have a better life to those who do not know God is preaching to closed eyes, ears, and hearts. It is only after we have peace with God that we can begin to have good marriages, family life, and right relationships with others. It should not surprise Warren or us that unbelievers do not feel that God s word relates to their lives because it is completely foreign to an unregenerate heart and mind. Our preaching should be driven by what God commissions us to preach not on what an unbelievers feel they need! They will not even be able to apply it with full benefit unless they have the Holy Spirit living with in them. C. Non-believers don t know what they need 1. 1 Cor 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned Cor 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 3. Since the gospel is foolish to those who don t know Christ, should we tailor spiritual truth for those who are without the Spirit and unable to understand it? Rather then focusing your preaching at the deaf and the blind, focus it on building up the saints to do the work of ministry. Then they will be able to share the gospel to those who are perishing and care for those who are hurting. D. Preaching to the Unchurched (PDC, pg. 293). 1. It is important to note that preaching at the Saddleback worship services is aimed at the unchurched. 2. Pastor Warren on preaching to non-believers: Pastor Warren said, If I was going to start a church by attracting hardcore pagans, it would have to be a message to which they could relate I do not believe that verse-by-verse teaching through the books of the Bible is the most effective way to evangelize the unchurched Instead you must start on common ground The common ground we have in common with unbelievers is not the Bible, but our common needs, hurts, and interest as human beings. (PDC, pg ). 26

27 Warren s statement seems to reflect a low view of Scripture. This mancentered line of thinking seems to be saying that God s word is boring or not relevant for today and believes that the preacher knows what people really need and want to hear. Some would call this being ashamed of the gospel! Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. Warren continues, Each week I begin with a need, hurt, or interest and then move to what God has to say about it in His Word. (PDC, pg. 295). Our preaching should be practical, but we must be careful not to use the bible as if it were merely a book of wisdom literature. The cults use the bible in this way they make the points that they want their people to learn, but they do not teach them what the bible says as a whole. The product of this kind of teaching is biblically illiterate people. 1 Pet 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect How can you give every man an answer for the hope that you have if all you know from God s word are fell good messages like, How to have a better life? 2 Tim 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. While suggesting that we preach for commitment Rick Warren says that, It is pretty unrealistic to expect a forty-year-old man to completely change the direction of his life on the basis of one thirty-minute message. (PDC, pg. 304). This is another man-centered belief that forgets that it is the word of God that transforms the hearts of sinful men. We should do everything that we can to make our preaching interesting and understandable, but the message should not be compromised because the dead can t bear to hear it! 27

28 XVI. Turning Attenders into Members A. Assimilation 1. One of the greatest strengths of Saddleback Church is the way they assimilate people. Assimilation is the task of moving people from an awareness of your church to attendance at your church to active members of your church. (PDC, pg. 309). In America people tend to hop form church to church. This prevents them from assimilating into a local church, which prevents them from effectively using their spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ and it lessens their accountability. B. Twelve Questions that Saddleback asks to help them determine their assimilation plan: (PDC, pg. 311). 1. What does God expect from members of his church? 2. What do we expect from our members right now? 3. What kind of people already make up our congregation? 4. How will that change in the next five to ten years? 5. What do our members value? 6. What are new members greatest needs? 7. What are our long-term members greatest needs? 8. How can we make membership more meaningful? 9. How can we insure that members feel loved and cared for? 10. What do we owe our members? 11. What resources or services could we offer our members? 12. How could we add value to what we already offer? C. Warren gives 5 questions that he believes non-church members must have answered before they would commit to becoming members: (PDC, pg. 312). 1. Do I fit here? 2. Does anybody know me? 3. Am I needed? 4. What is the advantage of joining? 5. What is required of members? D. Warren on motivating people to become members of the church: Regarding motivating people to become committed members of your church, Warren comments, The way you motivate people to join today is to show them the value-for-value benefits they will receive in return for their 28

29 commitment You need to emphasize the fact that the church provides them with benefits they cannot find anywhere else in the world. (PDC, pg. 313). This is another very man-centered view. You must ask yourself, are people who are looking for what they can get out of your church the kind of people that you want to be the committed members of your church? Warren s methods of motivation may get him more numbers, but does it produce kingdom building and kingdom focused members? E. Establishing a Required Membership Class (PDC, pg ). Warren teaches that, The manner in which people join your church will determine their effectiveness as members for years to come. I believe the most important class in a church is the membership class because it sets the tone and expectation level for everything else that follows. The very best time to elicit a strong commitment from your members is at the moment they join. If little is required to join, very little can be expected from your members later on Saddleback s membership class (Class 101) is only four hours long and is taught in one day, yet it produces a high level of commitment in our membership because those who take the class find out exactly what will be expected of them as members. Pastor Warren says that, Your membership class should answer the following questions: 1. What is a church? 2. What are the purposes of the church? 3. What are the benefits of being a member? 4. What are the requirements for membership? 5. What are the responsibilities of membership? 6. What is the vision and strategy of this church? 7. How is the church organized? 8. How can I get involved in ministry? 9. What do I do now that I am a member? 29