After observing a bit of Awakening 21, and especially after listening to Rick Warren talk, hearing him announce that his now annual conference at Saddleback, called "Radicalis," was in the air again, it was time to take a look at the Radicalis web site to what was being offered this year. The remarkable discovery in this is that this conference is not for everyone. That's right. It is only for "radicals."
Are you radical?
The radicalis.com page asks, "Are you radical for God?"
Additionally, the webpage invites those who would consider themselves to be "radical" to sign the same Rick Warren "Declaration"that was also made popular at Awakening 21. (To read the declaration, as posted by /Rick, see: http://radicalis.com/declaration/) Even the Radicalis Facebook page, (www.facebook.com/radicalisonly) advertises that the conference is, "for Radicals Only."
Are you radical?
IF you are wondering what it takes to be a radical, according to Warren's webpage, the main criteria, is being willing to say "YES" to God.
The event is billed with the slogan,
"FOUR DAYS,
ONE GOAL,
SAY YES TO GOD."
Funny, Christians are not the ones who tell God, "No."
In fact, Christians are those in agreement with God.... the ones who believe what he said... and who have responded to his love. They have already said YES to God, agreed with him and his word.
However, when things are worded by Rick, like this, it tends to look like the Christians who jump on Rick Warren's program are the ones who "say yes" to God and that those who do not are saying "No."
Tricky... Isn't it?
Further on, we read in the billing,,
"Say yes to absolute surrender,
sacrificial lifestyle, authentic Christianity."
Apparently, if you are not listening to Rick, you are not saying YES to God; but more than that, you are not saying yes to being "authentic." But on the other hand, Radacalis Rick and his friends, (at least by Rick's own definitions).... are.
You see, according to Rick, if you are listening to Rick, you prove that you are one of those who want to say "yes" to God, and in doing so, you are also proving that you are "radical." You will likely give heed to the real drive of this Radicalis conference, and that is, "Say yes to becoming all that God created you to be, and say yes to building a healthy church."
Rick Warren unashamedly sells his "healthy church" concept, and he does it ad-nausea. He operates in such a way that if someone did not want to conform to his Purpose Driven methods or opposed Rick Warren's ideas, that person could pretty much rest assured that they will be deemed by the Ourpose Driven world that they were somehow in opposition to "health." (And you have to wonder, who can be against such a good thing as "health?") Then of course, if one is not on the health wagon, they will easily be labeled as the opposite of healthy...which would likely be, "unhealthy."
(This is quite tricky, is it not?
Which would you rather be, "healthy," or not healthy?. Which are you?
An even bigger trick in all of this, is that as a pastor, Rick Warren does not put his emphasis on preaching to the unsaved world.... that's right, he is a "preacher,"a "pastor" but his focus is on speaking to pastors and their congregations or really on making them his own. They are the focus of his webpages, his conferences, his messages, products and methods, and it is these people who fall prey to his bold assertions about church health, human potential and his steady stream of and promotion of church growth ideas. It is all quite intentional.
Now, if one is radical enough, if they are ready to say yes to God, the next step is solidifying that commitment to health and purpose. In Rick's dichotomy, this is done through formal church membership, which to Rick is like a "marriage." (He uses the term "spiritual adultery" when someone does not hold formal (radical) membership in their church.
Ris is regularly insisting that church "membership" means, “being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ, however, scriptures say things quite differently than this. Besides teaching us to love God above all else, and to do this with all our heart mind and soul, (Luke 14:26,) scripture teaches that there are things that will divide people...even close familial relationships, and that thing is often faith in Jesus Christ, (not faith in the church.) (See: Matthew 10:22 ) There is a big difference between loving God above all else... and what Rick says about being as committed to each other as we are to JEsus Christ.
At some point, one who loves God must be more committed to him than to their friends and family and more committed to Christ that a pastor who claims anything otherwise.. The Beatles sang, "I get by with a little help from my friends." but the Bible teaches something quite different, and that is that God is our very present help in time of need. (Psalm 46:1)
It is God who is our comfort in all our trials and tribulations. Friends, if they are anything like Job's friends who gave him unwise counsel, or like Peter, who denied Christ, just might let you down.
Last year, at the first Radicalis, in 2010, Rick Warren make it a point to teach his gathered crowd that "most Christians" were mindlessly going through the motions of church without even thinking about it. To remedy this, he taught about radical membership in your church.
(See session three .)
He also taught the rules for such radicals... or rather, the membership "requirements." His long list for this includes: salvation, baptism, signing a church membership covenant, (one that you obviously not dare not break, since it is a solemn vow, like a marriage,) and going through a membership class.
Rick Warren, of course, gladly provides a church with all the materials they need for a class of this nature, for a fee... It is purchasable at Saddleback Resources for about $100.00.) Of course, this will be one of the big things that will ensure that your church will be "healthy."
Radicalis.... It's "radical" alright, and it is self-described as a radical departure from the norm....
It is. It radically departs from normal Christianity.
It departs from a "normal "Christianity that preaches Christ and him crucified for sin; and preaches that God loves you and he made you for a purpose. It departs from a normal Christianity that lays no additional burdens on one who comes to Christ in sincere faith, in order to be saved, and it gives them all kinds of rule to follow. It departs from a normal Christianity that seeks to know and love the Lord and bring the unsaved to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and replaces this with seeking to enlarge one's influence over others and drive the "saved" to programs and products to enlarge one's own wallet and bank account.... or prestige.
Yes, Rick's ideas are radical indeed, filled with radically smooth talk, radical flattery... and surprisingly enough, some radical plans to make "healthy" churches that "think like unbelievers again."
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