, "God Wants to Talk With You" says Rick Warren

If you are interested in this topic, please listen to the March 21 broadcast of Fighting for the Faith with Chris Roseborough and his Sermon Review, "God Wants to Talk With You" by Rick Warren.
On a scale of 1- 5 pretzels (to be awarded for extreme scripture twisting) Rick Warren maxes out at 5 pretzels! 

If you are a Christian, and you believe what Rick is telling you.... think again.  Read your Bible and listen to Jesus instead.

On "The Prayer That Changes You" - Part 1

"The Prayer that Changes You." a sermon given Jan 23, 2011, by Rick Warren at Saddleback church.

The reason sermons are posted on the internet is 

so that they can be listened to, and if you listen to them,

you might as well think about what they have to say. 
You may want to watch it yourself!

The following is an observational review.  

After a worship song, Rick Warren began this Sunday service celebrating Pastor Tom, his staff member and fellow "pastor,"  (not to mention- brother-in-law,)  He wished him a happy birthday, noting that he had been at Saddleback for twenty years, and saying what an amazing Bible Teacher he is... mentioning how so many people listen to him every week.  We also heard about how brilliant Rick Warren, and his sister, (especially his sister,) is.

Observe here, that Rick takes every opportunity 

to ensure that his listeners can be impressed 

by numbers and the perception of  "greatness."

---Worship Song---

Rick came back,  after the worship song and "welcomed" the Saddleback congregation as well as “ten” different campuses, including of course, their pastors, introducing some of them by name, all while making mention of more numbers to make sure we all know how big his church is and how much it is growing.  He talked about some pastors that serve to "represent" Rick in their various locations... on the internet and across the United States, "everywhere.”

You can rest assured that if you are a part of Sadlleback 

anything, you are part of something measurable and "BIG!"

Then, he talked about his new partners, Mark Hyman, Mehmet Oz, and Daniel Amen, and his newest endeavor, the "Daniel Plan." He defended, and promoted, his choice of these associates saying that these were "nationally known" doctors and telling his church how fortunate they were to have these three great and knowledgeable guys as their "personal" coach for a year!  He gave us his slogan for it too... telling us all how the Daniel Plan is the launching point for "a New You for a New Decade."  

Rick has joined forces with these men,

“experts” in how to have healthy  minds, bodies and spirits,

 In order to bring “health” to the church

and he calls them, “personal coaches.” Really?

                  This is as personal and as one-sided
as a pre-recorded, video seminar. 

 

He also gave an update to the congregation of his" Decade of Destiny," making sure to announce how popular the Daniel Plan is turning out to be, saying that the whole thing was “Just exploding!" Then, in order to impress us even more he began sweeping out numbers left and right, to impress us no doubt… to grow our understanding of how big and great and popular his projects should be thought of as by us who were listening to him speak.

Amidst all the numbers and figures, he said 6,000 people have put their Daniel Plan profiles on the web, and we heard about the 1,000 people who has signed up for the "clinical trials," which of course, made this all sound so very scientific.  He mentioned that churches everywhere want to do this program, dropping more numbers, as he told us how  30,000 churches in America wanted to do the Purpose Driven Life when it first came out, but to the request to do the Daniel Plan, Rick decline, telling those inquiries that they could do it…” next year,” and to his immediate church, (obviously the lucky ones who could be a past of this highly sought after program, he said that all the eyes of America are on them, so they "better not screw up."

(Ha-ha. The crowd was pleased by the joke, and so was Rick.) 

Additionally, we heard about how there were  "some very exciting things happening" (things that he, for some reason.. could mention , but he couldn't talk about. Apparently they were still secret... but we were assured that big names were involved and it would be profitable.  Whatever it was,  we would "probably hear about" these exciting things that were in the works, (thanks to Rick and the Daniel Plan,) sometime soon in the news. 

Do you get the idea that something GREAT and BIG is going on?  

Do you get the impression you should be impressed 

with Rick and just how GREAT and BIG

this all really is?

Looking at the sermon outline with the crowd, Rick Warren then talked about how people, like us, have good intentions in starting off to make changes- in things like finances or health, "but we loose our momentum" and "nothing really happens."  The obvious came next…  he was there to help remedy all of this as he told us that the subject of the day was going to be about, "What it really takes to change. "This week, in particular, it was going to be, "the Prayer That Changes You,” taught by Rick Warren, specifically, he was going to teach how the “Lord's Prayer is actually a model for our lives."

Pointing out the importance of breakfast in starting your day, which was a truth that he said could be testified to "by any doctor," he told the crowd, that the way you start your day, (not only physically, with breakfast, but spiritually and emotionally too,)  was important. 

"Write it down," he said...  and the people all write down, ”My time alone with God, every morning"... (is important,) "…because that's going to set the pattern of my attitude and my response to every event and every person for the rest of that day." 

He taught that the most important start to our day was a “quiet time" with God”  He said, this is "where you do three or four things,"  and this time with God goes by many "names." Pointing out how it is sometimes called, "quiet time," or "morning devotions" or even, "daily devotions," he said he "really doesn't care what YOU call it..." It's a time when YOU spend time alone with God and you do three or four things, and  it sets your thermostat spiritually for the day.

Do you get the idea that there are three…or maybe four

 things you are supposed to do in your quiet time with God?

You can be sure that this list of  

"three or four things" consists of things that 

he will teach  in a moment.

To prove the importance of this morning time spent with God, Rick said this was the habit of all great people of God in the Bible.  He then made note of Jacob, David Samuel, many of the kings... Elijah, and Elisha, emphasizing that they all had a quiet time with God in the morning.  He mentioned Jesus too and told us how it was Jesus' "pattern" to have a "quiet time" with God like this. Then quoting Psalm 5:3 (in the NCV) Rick said, "Lord, every morning you hear my voice, every morning I tell you my need and I wait for you to answer," stressing for us all the "every morning" in David's words.  He reiterated that these words of the Psalms was David speaking about his "quiet time with God. 

Observe how he selectively displays for us 

a sample of how God hears "my voice" 

and how God is poised to respond to what "I tell" him. 

This might be the reason for using this particular version

The NCV.  But, God is not "at our command" No.

David is writing here about 

being secure in God, 

knowing his care.  He is talking about how he, David, 

makes supplication to God and 

looks up to  and looks to God,

awaiting His deliverance

from enemies...

from evil.

Rick said what he wanted to do this weekend was first explain the four components of a "quiet time" and then explain six elements that REALLY  "will help you change your life" using this method." 

 But, hark!  After going on and on about how important, "quiet time" with God is, Rick says something quite the opposite.  He says that you can have a quiet time with God every day and it doesn't change your life.  In fact, he said that he knows a lot of people who read the bible everyday and they never change; that "it is not what you do that will make a difference, but how you do it that makes a difference;" and he said that he was going to… "teach you [how to do it right,] a little bit different that you have learned or known about it the past."

That's right.  You have to learn the right methods from Rick ... 

because he wants you to know that your time with God is useless, unless of course you are doing it the way he here presents it.  In other words... no one ever until now did it right....

$Rick is the expert....  and he is the change agent...

making sure you will get it right....

and he will teach you new meanings of words.. like mediation

he will give you new presentations of what it means to pray...

new presentations of ancient texts...

teach you to pray...

teach you how to spend time with God in "mediation"

Teach you  how to pray....

(like David) because just you spending time with God... is not enough and you have to do it RIGHT, like he does.

Rick is wrong.

but he wants you to listen to him so he can change the church....

Because if you are not purpose driven....

if you are not listening to "healthy" Rick...

if you are not purpose driven

you are obviously "unhealthy"

You can be assured what Rick teaches will be 

 "a little different that what you have learned or known in the past."

. because it is unbiblical, not in the Bible,

a weird twisting of truth and notably worthy of scrutiny

So then, in teaching the elements of spending time alone with God, Rick began by saying that that it didn't matter "where" you spent time with God, he said that it just needed to be someplace special, quiet....secluded, and silent.  He suggested even in a car would be acceptable, if that was the only "quiet place" around, especially for a busy om.  But, back to the Outline...

The Four Components of Spending Time with God

1.Read God's Word...

Rick teaches that you do not have to read a lot... he says, "just read until God speaks to you."  He says also that you do not have to read it if you do not like to read; you can simply listen to it, in any version... or you can even watch it, like when it is acted out on video.  Above all, just be sure to use the four components!   

Then he made a point to mention how famous the King James Version of the bible is, how it is "the most famous version.  He called it, "beautiful,"  "poetic" and "a classic," stressing to us how the King James Bible "established our English Language" and our "English culture..."

But observe...he neglected to mention how it established our "Christian" faith.

....and then he dismissed it’s use for today, saying that it was archaic, because today, nobody really talks in "thee's and thous"... and so, he said "it's okay" to get a more modern version.  

He then recommended various bibles, including the NLT and the NIV specifically mentioning that these were available in his book store...  and he recommended his church e start reading through the book of Proverbs and the book of John. 

Using Isaiah 50:4 as an example... Rick said that spending time with God will give you wisdom... and he asks if people have ever come to you in a discussion, someone with problems, and you "didn't have an answer for them?" He said that if you didn't have an answer for them it was probably because you didn't spend some "quiet time" with God that day.  He said if you do spend time with God then God will tell you what to say to people you meet with that day and then he made it a point to let everyone know that HE SPENDS TIME WITH GOD EVERY MORNING.  He added that he "can't tell you how many times he was able to share with someone this way."  Then he tells us that this is what happened to a guy named Isaiah.

Observe how Rick has just demonstrated for us, that he has answers from God. 

Not only is he is told by God, what to say to people, but he’s  like that guy, Isaiah. 

Rick read from Isaiah 50:4 while it was posted on the screen in the room he was at

He read: "The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom," (... interrupting the reading, Rick interjects: "God wants to give YOU His words of wisdom... " and then he repeats it all from the top.)  

"The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know what to say to all these weary ones... (Rick interjects again, saying: "...and all around you, there are weary ones. People tell me all the time, 'Rick, when you get up and you teach, I feel like you are speaking right to me.' Well, I am, and the reason I am and  I'm speaking directly ....(garbled words)… is because I spend time with God, and as I spend time with God, the Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom so I know what to say to all these weary ones."  

Observe how he has just given you the opportunity

to think that he, like Isaiah, is hearing from God, “The Sovereign Lord.” 

And he also takes opportunity to present this notion 

that people are attracted to his teachings…People, "all the time"

recognize, this wisdom, and since they do,

the premise is set that we too, should somehow, join in with the trend.

Apparently, there is a bandwagon of people who

tell him “all the time” that when he teaches 

they feel like it is a direct word for them, from God.

 He continues the reading in Isaiah,, " Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will."  (Rick interjects again saying  Notice, the reason why Isaiah was so wise...is 'cause every morning he got up and he spent time with God in the word and if you do that, you will become wise.. I don't care how much or how little schooling you had , you will become a wise person if everyday, you spend time in this book."

Really?  Did he just say that?

Hold on a moment.  Let's .think back to that unveiling of 

that old PEACE PLAN...in September 2003, 

when Rick talked about the second "evil giant"  in the world,

("Corrupt leadership" he called it, 

placing it in category with  "poverty" and "disease,")

One  the day he announced that he intended to conquer

all these evil giants with his P.E.A.C.E. PLAN he talked about

“leaders” in the church 

and he explained “corrupt leadership” saying,   

"Not only have these leaders 

not gone to seminary or Bible school, 

they haven’t even gone to high school or primary school.

They have no training whatsoever -- 

and yet they lead the church. 

This must be remedied."

What made them corrupt?

HE called the “corrupt.”

But really, the only thing he described wrong with them,

was that they were untrained, unschooled, ordinary men

who had never been to seminary. 

Now he says, "I don't care how much or little schooling you had,

you will become a wise person if you spend time in this book." 

Seems these people must read their Bible, or at least know Jesus,

after all he is talking about them as pastors of a church.

 2.  Be quiet before God

This leads Rick to then begin talking about the reason for us experiencing stress and  poor health ... (the very things his Daniel Plan with the personal coaches, is supposed to remedy.)  Rick quotes Isaiah 30:15, "In quietness and confidence is your strength"

Then  before quoting Isaiah 40:31, (Those who hope in the LORD  will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint,) Rick Warren says to those listening.... the ones interested in the Daniel Plan, to those learning how to be “healthy” from him, and their new personal coaches, "The reason you have stress and poor health is because you do not have enough quietness in your life."

"A lot of you are like Job," he says, going on to say that we have "no peace," "no quietness" and "no rest," but "only turmoil." He read a portion of Job and reminded his listeners that God wants you to just be quiet before Him, in order to "recharge" your emotional battery, which one does by, he says, being "connected to God." 

Rick uses Job, as an example of someone… "not connected" to God? 

Poor Job.  HE, like us, was just  too busy and stressed out… unhealthy. 

Thanks to Rick...now we know why Job was so sick.

Yes, Job sure looked "unhealthy" to his friends, as well as to his dear wife. 

In fact, in his trials, Job lost all his family, all his possessions and  his health.

Wow.  Did you know that this was all because he probably neglected that “quiet time” in the morning… was not, "connected to God?"  

THEN… came the whole reason for this lengthy introduction

about spending “quiet time” with God..

Rick commented about how he had been receiving some unwarranted criticism regarding his use of the word, "meditation." 

It was now apparent  he was going to give this talk

about quiet time with God EVERY morning,

to help derail and deflect some of the criticism

he has received from outspoken individuals

in the Christian community,

whom Rick called,

"confused Christians."

Rick said, there is no reason why Christians should be wary of something as benign as "meditation." To show how confused those people were, he suggested that words have different meanings, causing confusion for people.  Then, he used the examples of words like "grass" and "pin," to prove that there was only some confusion on this issue.  He demonstrated for us that he was being biblical and they were simply confused Christians, saying, "the Bible says," meditation means "focused attention on the word of God."

It's a little hard to point out 
something wrong with meditation

when Rick asserts that 
"meditation” is a biblical word.- and truly, it is.

How can anything be amiss if
"meditation" simple means, “quiet time”

like he says... 

after all, the word is in the bible!

(Maybe it is not the word meditation itself,

--it is a very fine word--

but rather, maybe it is the kind of meditation 

 it is... like the kind of "pin" you are using...

and how it is being done, that matters...

. What do you think?) 

 Taking this a step further, he said that another word for meditation is "rumination."

He explained that this idea of “rumination” is like when the cow who has just eaten grass  is "ruminating" it, "soaking that grass,” “getting every once of nutrition out of it, in a relaxed way."  He insisted that when he mentions "meditation," he is not talking about "putting your mind in neutral" and "contemplating your navel," (No… far be it from Rick to do that.)   No, he is obviously teaching , right now what meditation means; "meditation," like he just said, is biblical and means, "focused attention on the word of God.

~Continued on PART 2

On "The Prayer that Changes You." -Part 2

But if that was not enough to convince the skeptical, Rick then went on to teach that the synonym for meditation is "rumination," (something he says, “you probably will not know…” that is, unless you grew up on a farm, like he did.) Then Rick talked about how the cows who ruminate are "soaking" in the nutrition of the grass they just ate.  Then he encouraged everyone to meditate every morning. And that  all this talk by those confused people is "nonsense,"  because, "The Bible talks about meditation, and commands it."

Commands it?  The Bible "commands" meditation? 

That is interesting.  

So see, he just proved that those  critics are wrong... he just proved it with the Bible. 

He also said, that "The Bible "commands" meditation.  

God… he is so demanding…  makes so many “commands” for us to adhere to.
Doesn’t he? 

He even “commands,” meditation?

Surely, you now see clearly that he was not talking the eastern 

type of meditation, deep breathing, guided imagery, 

or self-hypnosis, like those, .. those….

"whooo-ooo-ooo"(ßscary noise)

New Agers. 

And, never mind his new partners and what they teach...

like Dr. Amen, and never mind the kind of  

"meditation" he offers in his books. 

No, what Rick is talking about is just ruminating... 

like what cows do, you know, "soaking" in the 

quiet time, "soaking" in the word. Soaking in prayer before God..

every morning.

By the way, Rick never really showed us any such "command" to meditate in the Bible, 

but he did tell everyone,"  the bible commands it."  

He also went on to drop some influential Bible names... 

In order to spur us on to believe him nd to believe that all those critics are, 

as Warren concluded, simply wrong.

Did it sway you?

"You can have a quiet time with God every day and it will never change your life," he said.

Never?

Really Rick... it won't? 

Now wait a moment...Will it or won’t it?

Do tell!

It's a bit fascinating that he expects everyone listening

to believe him when he says that spending time with God in prayer 

and reading God's word, could ever, be useless. 

What he goes on to say after this, is that Christians who read their Bible and "spend time at the start of the day with God, get nowhere in spending time with God, if they are not doing it the right way. 

 This is of course to introduce his "Four Components"

and "Six Steps," which he is about to teach... using the Bible.

3. Rick says that the next component of time with God every morning is prayer noting that this prayer is talking with God, not to Him.

This is odd.  If one is talking with God, is one not also talking to God.?

The distinction he is making is so minute.
Perhaps he strains out this "gnat,"

 hoping that you will  swallow his "camels."

.

Rick does not spend much time on this subject of prayer. 

Point number 4.  Review.  

Rick says to review your day and goals with God; to know where you are going.  He tells the crowd that you have to set your goals, but you have to review them too.  This is apparently so important that Rick has them all write the words,  "Without review, I loose my view." (Something that is not a bible verse.)  He also suggests that they write down, and then display their goals around their home, to display them where they can be seen everyday. 

But consider...,

"You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. 

What is your life? 

You are a mist that appears for a little while

and then vanishes. "  

James 4:14

 As the Grand finale' Rick then uses the Lord's Prayer, (Mathew 6:7) to teach his congregation the Six Steps of Prayer.

First he took time to brag a bit about how he led the whole nation in the saying the Lord's Prayer at the White House during the presidential inauguration of Barak Obama in 2008.  Indeed it was an honor and a momentous event, and to think that a nation would pray that prayer together as one is astounding! But curiously, after he notes this,  after we are all convinced that  The Lord’s Prayer is and important prayer, having him tell us that it is something Jesus taught his own disciples, Rick makes everyone circle the word "like" in the scripture, in the Bible, where Jesus tells them to pray, "like" this.... and then in his tricky Rick style, he changes everything about what they previously believed when he makes the suggestion that praying this prayer, the way people have been taught,  is mere vain heathen repetition.

Yes, and he says that this is something the bible clearly warns against.   Rick says Jesus didn’t mean for us to pray it word for word, like that, but only to pray like… (circle that word will ya!) ..like that.

Yes, you are not suppose to pray those exact words,

you are just supposed to use it as a template...

a model, a pattern, that it is not really to just be repeated.

Rick is just about to teach the crowd how, really, they are to pray.

Interesting, isn't it.  

First he brags about leading the nation in this prayer.  

Then he suggests that praying in this manner is not what Jesus meant at all.  

Yes, Rick Warren, who teaches people the importance of praying mantra-like “breath prayers” in his Purpose Driven Life book, would really like to  have you and I believe

that to pray the Lord's prayer..

(to repeat it word for word...)

is mere heathen-like "vain repetition."

Tricky Rick...

This is the Lord’s prayer…

Tricky Rick, this prayer’s for His kids!

Rick then uses the template of the Lord's Prayer to teach us the Six Steps of prayer, the “right” way to pray...

Step 1

You begin by praying the prayer of connection.  Beginning with "Our Father.. who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name" Rick says, this is where you think about "how much God loves you."   

He does not say,

think about how Holy God is, 

how holy His name is, 

and how Holy you and I, are not

. 

Rick says, not to think about your sins worries or problems.... just think of God and how "God is Love."

Rick goes on to say that there are a lot of names for God in the Bible... 

To which one might ask, "What does he mean exactly?""

 

Rick insists that there are so many names for God that there is a name of God that is the antidote and answer for every negative human hang-up, hurt or.. emotion you can have-- things like  worry, fear, impatience.... and he comments on how we just do not know God enough.... in fact, he says, "if we knew God" more, we would be more connected to God our Father.

Well ... first of all, we Christian give testimony to Jesus 

Which indicated that we know a little something bout who Jesus is… (God)

After all, Jesus is the exact representation of the Father..

But Rick Warren never takes the time to mention that..

  

Secondly, it's easy to note that in all the names, 

Rick Warren mentioned, he never mentions "the name above all names," 

He never mentioned "the only name under heaven by which men might be saved. "

  He never mentions the name of Jesus in his list. 

Step 2 --This is the prayer of surrender... 

Rick says, "Offer all of your life to be used for His purposes today."  

This is like a sacrifice to God. a sacrifice of ourselves.

Micah 6:8 comes to mind.  

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. 

And what does the LORD require of you? 

To act justly and to love mercy 
and to walk humbly with your God.

Who, which name of God… or what…exactly,
is he suggesting we surrender to? 

Is he suggesting we offer our lives to God in Christ,

or as part of his Purpose Driven paradigm and plan?

It's hard to tell.

We just heard how Rick has words from God…

 because he spends, time with God every morning,

.

It’s confusing…

Is this concept of the Christian church surrendering t

o “God’s purposes” have more than one meaning,

like his demonstration of  the words, "grass" and “pin”?

And what does he mean by the word, “surrender”?

Rick tells everyone in the audience who is probably already looking at him since he is the one speaking and on the stage,  to look at him, and then he says he is going to give to them the “ key to success in life!" The key to success, he says in a zen-like manner, is, "Stop trying to included God in your plans and instead... ask God to include you in His."

Funny.  Jesus is God’s plan and Christians are already “in.”.

Christians listening might wonder…as they remember Rick’s  teachings

of the miraculous nature of  words, like “grass” and “pin;”

They should ask, “What? (exactly,)

”What does Rick mean when he uses the term, “God's Plan?

 Does he mean God’s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ? 

Or does he mean his PEACE  PLAN? 

Does he mean his  DANIEL PLAN?

Yes, Christian should wonder,

 “What part of God’s audacious plan

is it that Rick thinks they should be surrendering to,

and since he talks to the church, which PLAN is it that they are not yet, “in”?

Rick would have you think that his wisdom 
comes from God himself… after all he is the man with the PLAN

for PEACE…  and he believes the whole purpose driven thing 
is being used by God...  
Rick insists that he  knows all about “healthy”

and holds a lot of "secrets" to this or that, 
(not to mention,  "keys to success.")

Rick tells us that he teaches everyone, 
everywhere, how to grow a big church,

 how to read the bible, 
and "how to pray;"

 He spends time every morning with God,

(just like all the Bible greats,)
however he says YOU 
can spend time with God every day 
and never grow 
unless you do it right, 
unless you 
do it like he will teach you to,
the "healthy" way.
.

And you… Christian, need to pray 
“the prayer of surrender..”

and ask God to include you in his plan.

What is wrong with that?

~CONTINUED ON PART THREE