Driving Purpose ...Under the Influence of Rick Warren

First, before reading this, ask yourself... does God "drive" the church or "lead" the church? What is the spirit of the things he does?

"Be willing to let people leave the church. And I told you earlier the fact that people are gonna leave the church no matter what you do. But when you define the vision, you're choosing who leaves. You say, "But Rick, yes, they're the pillars of the church." Now, you know what pillars are. Pillars are people who hold things up ... And in your church, you may have to have some blessed subtractions before you have any real additions." - Rick Warren
"Building a Purpose-Driven Church" seminar at Saddleback Church, January, 1998.

Pillars  "hold things up"?

There is Tricky, word manipulating Rick, again.

Pillar of the church...do they "hold things up"

or do they "hold things up?"

Galatians 2:9

" And when James, Cephas, and John, 

who seemed to be pillars, 

perceived the grace that was given unto me, 

they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; 

that we should go unto the heathen, 

and they unto the circumcision"

1 Tim 3:15

 "But if I tarry long,

that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave

thyself in the house of God, 

which is the church of the living God,

the pillar and ground of the truth.." 

According to Rick, the body of Christ is not "healthy."  "Balance" is what it needs, and Rick will help everyone learn how to balance and be "healthy" again, the way church ought to be....

"When a human body is out of balance we call that disease.... Likewise, when the body of Christ becomes unbalanced, disease occurs.... Health will occur only when everything is brought back into balance. The task of church leadership is to discover and remove growth-restricting diseases and barriers so that natural, normal growth can occur." -Rick Warren

Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren, pg 16 

Rick apparently thinks the body of Christ is disease ridden

and he has the cure.

Also Rick believes it is the responsibility of the pastor 

to weed out from his congregation those

diseases (those "pillars")  who (to Rick) 

are nothing but "growth restricting "diseases."  

Many a pastor has been listening to Rick's advice...

implementing Ricks plans and methods and teachings.. 

but thank God they can always change their minds

and submit to God instead of man.

Many Christian people demand from their pastors

the things Rick tells them to demand..

.but the question is... who's word 

is profitable to listen to?  God's or Ricks?

And, consider also, 

What is the task of being a leader.. or an overseer of the church?  Is it their job to remove the people they think are tares... or "growth-restricting diseases and barriers"?

Matthew 13 27-30

"So the servants of the householder came and

said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? 

from whence then hath it tares? 

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this.
The servants said unto him, 

Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, 

ye root up also the wheat with them.  

Let both grow together until the harvest: 

and in the time of harvest 

I will say to the reapers, 

Gather ye together first the tares,

and bind them in bundles to burn them: 

but gather the wheat into my barn."

Titus 1:6-9

"An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, 

a man whose children believe and are not open 

to the charge of being wild and disobedient.

Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, 

he must be blameless—

not overbearing, 

not quick-tempered, 

not given to drunkenness, 

not violent, 

not pursuing dishonest gain.

Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, 

who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught,

so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine

and refute those who oppose it."

All one who follows Rick has to do is follow Rick's Rules:

 "Rick's Rules of Growth.... Third, never criticize what God is blessing,"`

Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren  pg 62

Translated, this means never criticize Rick.