World Class or Worldly

Becoming a World Class Christian by Rick Warren  was posted May 2003, (at

 http://www.pastors.com/RWMT/?ID=103.)  It is posted in blue ink below...
but first let's look at this short article by Rick title Your Comission which says the same thing.
He writes.

Your Comission by Rick Warren (http://sbcfamily.multiply.com/notes/item/6)

The Great Commission is your commission, and that means you have a critical choice to make: You will be either a world-class Christian or a worldly Christian.

Worldly Christians look to God primarily for personal fulfillment. They are saved, but self-centered. They attend concerts and enrichment seminars, but you’ll rarely find them at a missions conference because they aren’t interested. Their prayers focus on their own needs, blessings, and happiness. It’s a “me-first” faith: How can God make my life more comfortable? They want to use God for their purposes -- instead of being used for his purposes.

World-class Christians, in contrast, know they’re saved to serve and made for a mission. They’re eager to receive a personal assignment and excited about the privilege of being used by God. World-class Christians are the only fully alive people on the planet. Their joy, confidence, and enthusiasm are contagious because they know they’re making a difference. They wake up each morning expecting God to work through them in fresh ways.

Which type of Christian do you want to be?"

 Rick tells us that there are two choices for the Christians, “ world-class" or " worldly.”  He asks the reader, "Which one are you?"  This warrants some discussion.  Which are you ?

Hmmm….Wait a minute!  Only two choices? 

What is with the adjective? What about being (simply) “Christian?  And, what about being God-centered in your life, as in, holy or godly?  Instead he suggest that Christians be "world centered." that is//WORLD class.  The main question is:  "Are there "kinds" of Christians?"

More importantly, is it true that there is only two kinds?

Rick tells Christians that to be "world-class" Christians, (the obviously "correct" choice between the two options, (since you know to be worldly would be bad, and note that it is the only "other " choice you have in this decision making process he is leading you through,) we Christians must be “others centered” .. not “self-centered.”  He is inferring here, that "Christians" who are not "others centered" are "self-centered."  These who are not "others centered" would also, by default, not be  "world-class"....as defined by Rick, but be worldly.

When he tells Christians to be "WORLD CLASS." he is telling them to be in a class that the WORLD will appreciate and love... forgetting, (or dismissing) the fact that God's word declares, "friendship with the world is enmity with God." He is also forgetting or dismissing the notion that if the world hated Jesus, it will also likely hate his disciples who remind them of Jesus.

So are you world-class or worldly?

Here is the next  article by Rick Warren as published at pastors.com. in 2002  My comments are in brown and Warrens text is in blue.

How to think like a world class Christian

by Rick Warren

Shift from self-centered to other-centered thinking

The Bible says, “My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people...” Children only think of themselves; grown-ups think of others. This is the first step to becoming a world-class Christian. God commands, “Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too.”

Of course, this is a difficult mental shift because we’re naturally self-absorbed and almost all advertising encourages us to think of ourselves. The only way we can make this paradigm switch is by a moment-by-moment dependence on God. Fortunately he doesn’t leave us to struggle on our own. “God has given us his Spirit. That's why we don't think the same way that the people of this world think.

Begin asking the Holy Spirit to help you to think of the spiritual need of unbelievers whenever you talk to them. With practice, you can develop the habit of praying silent "breath prayers” for those you encounter. Say "Father, help me to understand what is keeping this person from knowing you.”
Your goal is to figure out where they are in their spiritual journey and when do whatever will bring them a step closer to knowing Christ.  You can learn how to do this by adopting the mindset of Paul who said, “I don't think about what would be good for me but about what would be good for many people so that they might be saved.

 Shift from local to global thinking
God is a global God. He has always cared about the entire world. “God so loved the world...”  From the beginning he has wanted family members from every nation he created. The Bible says, “From one person God made all nations who live on earth, and he decided when and where every nation would be. God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him.”
Much of the world already thinks globally. The largest media and business conglomerates are all multi-national. Our lives are increasingly intertwined with those in other nations as we share fashions, entertainment, music, sports, and even fast foods. Probably most of the clothes you’re wearing, and much of what you ate today was produced in another country. We’re more connected than we realize.

  Do you think like children?

In this article, Rick also tells his readers, to “stop thinking like children.”  This is an odd sounding remark to make at those who are the "children" of God. It could be that he means, "stop being imature in your thinking," It depends.  There is a difference between being immature and  being like a child, and thinking like they do, but he is not so clear in his meaning.

He is not so clear on his meaning, but you can bet that once you latch on to his words, once you come into some sort of agreement with him, he tells you, that you need to make a “paradigm shift" in your mind..(this means,  as he defines it, to "switch our thinking"  Note that it is not that he is telling you to switch your thinking from immature to mature, he just says stop thinking like children and it is better to think like adults because "grown-ups" think of others."

Could it be that there aren't any selfish grow ups areound?  Are all the selfish people on this planet children?  No.

Note too that he does not talk about being a "child of God," encouraging people to think like He does, or to, as the Bible says, "have the Mind of Christ" or listen to Jesus.  Nope.  Rick tells the church that we need to think like world-class Christian.. think globally like everyone else in the world.

Really?  globally... like everyone else in the world?  What is this man thinking?  Mores importantly, what is this man preaching? 

" With practice you can develop the habit of praying silent “breath prayers” for those you encounter."

 What are breath prayers?    Are they really something to be practiced??? I looked up "breath prayers" on the Internet and Breath prayers are equivalent to mantras used in Hinduism, occult practices and roman catholic mysticism.  One must surely ask if this is an appropriate way to pray when Jesus answered the disciples about prayer quite differently.  I have to wonder if "breath prayers, particularly as describes is  nothing more than “vain repetition.”

Rick tells his reader:

"Breath prayers are nothing more than mantras. Say “Father, help me to understand what is keeping this person from knowing you.”  Your goal is to figure out where they are in their spiritual journey and then do whatever will bring them a step closer to knowing Christ. You can learn how to do this by adopting the mindset of Paul who said, “I don't think about what would be good for me but about what would be good for many people so that they might be saved.”

"nothing more than....mantras?"

So then, every Christian should have a mantra, and practice praying repetitiously like he is advising.  Isn;t it the Hindus who chant short words, or make soulnd when they meditate,  like "OM"?  

and, is it really the goal of the Christian to  figure out what others need and where they are on their spiritual journey?   Why does he say such things?  God knows what people need, he just laid a heavy burden antithetical to trusting God and praying... on those who would listen to him telling them what and how to bring a person to Christ.  The Bible tells us what to do... love them and preach the word.

"Shift from local to global thinking "

HE is  really saying the same thing the world says, which is make the “shift from local thinking to “global, "one-world thinking". *Des he mean also government perhaps?

"God is a global God."

Actually God is a more than global, he is a HOLY God. HAs he ever heard of Gaia?  Gaia is probably a "Global" god, but God, the Christian God is omnipresent...from ever lasting to everlasting... much more than merely "global"!

What is he preaching when he says, (to the Christian and to the Christian pastor) that we should become a “global partner” with God?  

 IT doesn't sound much like he is telling us what the Bible does... that, "friendship with the world is enmity with God." 

(James 4:4)

Rick also says, “Quit studying and discussing your mission and just do it! I dare you to dive into the deep end”.   Does he mean the quit studying the scriptures? Do these words of his sound like anything you have heard in the scriptures before?

He uses the qualifier of "mission" here, but people don't "study" their mission... they go on a mission or they have a mission.  What Christians do "study" and "discuss" is doctrine and bible scripture, things like that.   Warren is mixing things up, being unclear, hoping people will stop studying the scripture and listen to him tell them how to be a "world-class" Christian, the kind more palatable to the world.. the world  he thinks we are supposed to love so much. 
.

 "I dare you." he says.

What kind of talk is this?

Somehow I think this is not the character of God.   It is in fact, more the character of Satan, when he DARED Jesus to jump from the temple.

 

"He has always cared about the entire world."

Bible tells us Christians this...John 3:16...“For God so loved the world...”  Why does Warren act like Christians didn't know that?  It must be so they can think he is talking now to unbelievers and think he is evangelizing them while really he is wanting to try to make Christians "think globally; his version of global thinking....(as if they do not.)"

"From the beginning he has wanted family members from every nation he created.  The Bible says, “From one person God made all nations who live on earth, and he decided when and where every nation would be. God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. Much of the world already thinks globally."

He might as well add, "But you MR and Mrs. America.... there is a problem: "You are too patriotic... and thinking like Christians.... what kind of Christian are you?

HE says, "Much of the world already thinks globally." but apparently the American Christian yes, that means you... , "you don't"  and so Rick Warren is here to give you that paradigm shift in your thinking....

"The largest media and business conglomerates are all multi-national. Our lives are increasingly intertwined with those in other nations as we share fashions, entertainment, music, sports, and even fast foods. Probably most of the clothes you’re wearing, and much of what you ate today was produced in another country. We’re more connected than we realize. ...."

Ahhh yes....those Christians in America he addresses with such wisdom, they just have no idea the world is connected and no idea how much God  want's family members from every nation.

And, you, American Christian.... if you are not a "world class" Christian, one who is busy serving the world... (connecting with Rick, adopting his programs and thinking his views of how things ought to be,)  then you are simply now labeled as "selfish" or "self-centered," by Rick and those who listen to him. After all, he says... you are either world class, or worldly."

He is wrong though.  In his view of Christianity, one is either a "healthy," Rick Warren defined "Purpose Driven" brand of Christian.(aka "world Class")  or  unhealthy... aka..."worldly."  There is no other way to be.  If you are not just like him and his church you are obviously unhealthy...

which is like telling a hand, that it is not part of the body because it is not a foot, and to do so, is just plain WRONG.