Rick Warren on "Where We Learn To Love"

Rick sure does do everything he can to to get people on board his purpose driven propaganda.   He says, "church" is where people "learn to love."  (Read the article, here.) Rick calls the church a "family," (the "family' of God,) and pushes church as being a learning ground for love.  It sure sounds good and right to say such things. but curiously, it sure seems that when you adopt this kind of thinking, that real family goes by the wayside and church  becomes your family and your primary role becomes that of... loving the church.

When you think about this in light of the scriptures, you realize that time and time again, the Bible stresses the importance of loving God.  You remember how Jesus taught about loving others, even your enemies, and certainly not just "the church."   But Rick wants to rive this point home and so he teaches that believers MUST love THE CHURCH, and he lists several reason why:

1. According to Rick Warren, you must love the church because "Only the Church is going to last forever."
Question: Why is he not talking about loving God?
Question:  Why does he speak about you as if you are somehow excluded from this "eternal" being known as "church".

2. According to Rick Warren, you must love the church because it "is the most magnificent idea God or any human being ever thought up."

Pastor Rick has thought himself to be an expert on everything regarding church.  He's the self proclaimed expert on church growth, church management, church health, church mission, but he doesn't stop there.  No.  Rick knows everything.... even every idea that God ever had.  Yes, Rick has God all figured out... and "church" is the "most magnificent idea" that God EVER had... ever!


and man and God must pretty much be equals when it comes to magnificent ideas... for he says "God or man," as if somehow, man was God's equal in wisdom.  Rick, sure of himself, can attest, that the church is the most magnificent idea God ever had, as if he knows every thought God has had... ever.

3.According to Rick Warren, you must love the church because God created it,
Rick says,  " the entire universe was created for God’s family. What’s God’s family called? The Church."

Rick has the inside scoop on everything.   Here he says he knows why God created the entire universe, and just proclaimed this as truth without even using a Bible verse to support what he says.... you just have to take his word on this.  Did God create the entire universe so that there could be something called the church?

4. According to Rick Warren,  "It’s not enough just to love God. You must love the Church."

It is not enough to love God?  "Enough" for what? Is he talking about salvation?  And notice how God and something else  (church) just got lumped together and you MUST love them both.... But what exactly, is meant by "the church?" He doesn't say.  "The Church" could mean any church, really.

Does he mean "the church" headquartered in Rome?  Does he mean the little church down the street with (or without) a true  biblical doctrine about Jesus Christ or the cross?  Does he specifically mean "Purpose Driven Church?"  It's anybody's guess, so just fill in the blank with whatever suits you best. He is vague about it, leaving you to interpret "THE CHURCH" to mean what is familiar to you. - whatever you  like. Church for you, could mean Roman Catholic, or Baptist, or Mormon, or Lutheran, even Purpose Driven.. and you would never really know... would you?  And if you fail at some point in loving "THE church" you are, apparently, doomed, or gonna get in trouble for not doing what you have to do.

 Jesus mentions seven churches in the book of revelation.... not simply one "church." Rick on the other hand only uses the singular aspect of the word,  Jesus made no huge demand, but simply said, "Love one another as I have loved you."

That's encouraging rather than domineering.  Jesus is not commanding.... and he is not speaking only about loving the "church."Rick, on the other hand, suggests you have no option.  It's do this or else,  If you don't do what he tells you then  you are obviously not loving God properly.   IF you are not on board with Rick your labeled as something "negative,"(See Isaiah 5:20)...in this case, "immature."  

 "It’s not enough just to love God."

 The Bible says that Jesus is the only one who ever loved God enough to perfectly obey him and keep the law proclaimed by God as "Law."  The bible teaches that by faith in the one whom God sent, Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world....you are saved, completely, totally and without fail, because God is God and nothing you do can take you out of his hand if you are his.

 The Bible says it is enough, to hear the good news of Christ's gospel and love God, because he first loved us.... to put our faith and hope in Him.  God gave us not only His promise made sure, Jesus, but a new life in Him.  When God loves us so that we can love him and others.... it's a bit sacrilegious to say, "It's not enough just to love God."  This is especially true if he neglect to tell us for what our love for God is not enough.

We are told in the scriptures by Jesus himself, to love God.... and love..... (NOT just "the church") but more inclusively,  our neighbors and to do this as we love ourselves (See Leviticus 19:34; Galatians 5:14; Romans 13:9; Luke 10:27,) 

5. According to Rick:
 "Anybody who says, “I love Jesus, but I don’t need the Church” doesn’t get it. That person is an immature believer. A lot of people use the Church but don’t love it."

In a family, in a real family of any size or shape or definition, babies are nurtured  They are fed and changed and bathed,  They are carried about because they are "immature."  Babies are loved  simply because they are part of the family.  Interestingly, Rick, while promoting the church as "God's family" indignantly labels people who "love Jesus" but do not buy into his program for "CHURCH" with a negative connotation.... of  "immature."  Tricky Rick!   Instead of embracing people of faith who might be immature in that faith, Rick is harshly critical of them. 

God's word has a remedy for the immature people of faith, ( 1 Peter 2:1) and it's not mentioned here by Rick.  Rick's solution is his own programs, books and devotionals, not God's word direct.  Immature believers, like babies, need love and assurance and the pure spiritual milk of God's word.  He knows that if you fill in the blank regarding THE in  "THE church" and agree with him about those those other terrible people who are "immature" and simply "use" the church, then  your ego is boosted and you'll get on track with thinking like him. 

Beware of self-righteousness.  After all, YOU might get puffed up if you for one second think that YOU are not so  "immature" as they are... or if you think that you somehow  unlike them,  actually  love "the church" (of your own definition)... at least as much as you "love God." (without even considering his death on your behalf! and his love for you and others too.)  Far be it from the self righteous person to be something as awful as  "immature".... like  people who dare think loving God is actually "enough"...(See: Luke 14:26)

And for a Grand Finale'...Here is something else you must learn to do...( with Rick's help and expertise on the matter...) ....one more  thing you MUST do in, (apparently in your lifetime) and that is .....

"You must learn to love every believer in the Body of Christ."

Now, that is a pretty tall order. It's good to know that while you could never meet everyone who calls themselves a believer in the Lord Jesus, let alone learn to love them all perfectly, God can... and he also certainly does!

(See: Acts 15:28; Matthew 23:4 and Luke 11:46)