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Church Growth Methods—Strengthening or Weakening the Cause of God?
Presenter: David Qualls
Location: Internet
Delivery: 2010-02-21 17:56Z
Publication: GreatControversy.org 2010-02-21 17:56Z
Type: Article
URL: http://greatcontroversy.org/gco/rar/quad-cgm.php
Elijah Project Series, #2
Experimentation with questionable church growth methods and worship styles has negatively impacted many parts of the world field. Faithful people are increasingly waking to the dangers these pose. Concerned for the welfare of God’s church, many faithful Adventists are rising to meet the crisis by shining a light on the issues involved. This article is one such example for the Oklahoma Conference in the North American Division. Recently, concerned constituents in that territory have begun an effort to research and educate its members as to the issues confronting them and to call for revival and reformation. These articles, along with DVDs and other resources, are being mailed to every Seventh-day Adventist home in that conference.
See also “My Lord Delayeth His Coming” by Leonard Tucker
— Editors
God deserves our best worship. His majesty and splendor are unsurpassed. His glory is sublime and without match. Living in light unapproachable (1 Timothy 6:16), our God is full of grace and beauty; justice, truth, and mercy are His ways. He is our Creator and our Redeemer. We, His creatures, are called to worship Him “in the beauty of holiness” (Psalms 96:9). That is our privilege, delight, and duty.
From our very beginning, Seventh-day Adventists have found especially significant, the First Angel’s Message of Revelation 14, telling us to fear (reverence) God, to give glory to Him, and to worship Him. The reason given is startling: the hour of His judgment is come (Revelation 14:7). The unique thing about this is that those living during this judgment still have a chance to prepare for it while it is in session.
This judgment hour spoken of in Revelation 14—a time Seventh-day Adventists believe is our present time—is highly significant and distinct from all other times. The stakes could not be higher for us and for God. The great controversy war between Christ and Satan is climaxing at this very point. Something really big is about to happen. Both sides are pulling out all the stops.
Two mighty powers are vying for our worship. God deserves it. Satan demands it. The prophecies contained in the books of Daniel and Revelation clearly reveal that the end time issue concerns worship.
Satan knows something about worship. From the time he boasted of his plan to exalt his throne in place of God (Isaiah 14:12-14), until our day, he has honed his skills brilliantly. And he has a plan for the church. It involves worship. And it involves distracting church members from the one thing that he wants to avoid—the judgment.
Why does he seek to avoid this judgment? Because this judgment is unique. It is the only judgment where the Judge helps the guilty prepare to pass with flying colors! And it is the judgment that finally proves Satan to be the master deceiver he is. If he can get our attention off of the judgment, Satan scores big in his game plan.
So there are significant dangers facing the church at this time. Let’s see how this fascinating drama plays out.
If You Can’t Beat Them…
You’ve heard the maxim, if you can’t beat ’em, join them. As we shall see, that is exactly what Satan has done with the church. It has happened throughout history. Failing to defeat the early Christian church, Satan switched tactics, converted himself to the new church, and worked from the inside. We now know those days as the “great falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3), where Satan successfully brought into the church many worldly customs in the name of making Christianity more appealing to the people. It worked.
We shouldn’t be surprised to see Satan trying the same tactic today in our own church. In fact, Satan puts more energy into deceiving members of our church than anyone else. “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17, emphasis supplied throughout).
Who is this “remnant”? Those who (1) “keep the commandments of God,” and (2) “have the testimony of Jesus Christ,” which Revelation 19:10 defines as the “spirit of prophecy.” Thus, this is talking about the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Revelation warns us that Satan is especially targeting our church. He wants two things from Seventh-day Adventists: (1) he wants our worship, and (2) he wants us to ignore or underestimate the judgment.
What’s the Game Plan?
Satan figured out a long time ago that he can’t make a frontal assault on us and expect to get results. How is it then that he expects to gain our worship and lower our interest in the currently ongoing judgment?
He uses the same tactics that have worked in the past. How did he get Cain to worship him instead of worshiping God? By making a slight alteration in God’s worship plan. He allowed Cain to think he was still worshiping God. He allowed Cain to follow God’s plan almost completely. But Satan introduced a small change—a creative and innovative new way to worship that was well-adapted to Cain’s needs. Did God accept Cain’s worship? No.
our worship and to downplay the judgment
So we learn that right from the beginning, Satan’s strategy is to use God’s worship plan, add in his own small variations and get God’s people to adopt the counterfeit. It has worked brilliantly and repeatedly. Take for example, Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai. Moses is still up in the Mount talking with God. The people are getting restless. They are accustomed to a certain style of worship from their years in Egypt. What happens next?
Aaron, their leader, helps them put together a dynamite worship plan that is relevant, user-friendly, and meaningful. It is upbeat and exciting. It meets the people where they are. But best of all, it is a worship service that is dedicated to “the Lord” (Exodus 32:5). Did God accept their worship? No.
Once again, we see Satan’s tactics. He persuades God’s specially chosen people—His church, or at least part of it—to worship God, but in a manner that is more in keeping with the surrounding culture of the time (the world) than in harmony with God’s requirements.
Fast forward to the end times—our present time. What tactic will Satan likely use to get God’s remnant people to worship him? The same one he’s used in the past. After all it works!
help decide which day we will worship
on at the final showdown?
An interesting thing happens here. In all these instances where Satan influences God’s people to adopt his form of worship (while thinking they are still faithfully worshiping God), he is able to get them to move on to directly break one or more of God’s commandments. Cain’s mixture of true and false worship led him to commit murder—breaking the sixth commandment. Israel’s mixture of true and false worship led them to worship idols and later to openly rebel against God and His appointed leader (Moses). What about our times?
Could it be that Satan has a plan to get some in God’s Remnant Church to adopt a mixture of true and false worship to prepare them to break God’s commandments, specifically the fourth commandment? It’s worth considering.
We know the final showdown will involve the Sabbath. That is because the Sabbath epitomizes the Ten Commandment law—containing its Author, His title, and His territory—in other words, His seal of authority (Exodus 20:11). And thus, the issue comes down to loyalty. Will we worship God His way and on His day? Or will we worship the beast (and ultimately Satan), his way, and on his day.
If Satan is trying to get us to worship in a different way from what God prescribes, what is God’s way? What does true worship look like? And more specifically, what is it like for our times—during “the hour of God’s judgment”? What are its characteristics?
True Worship
True worship has, at a minimum, the following characteristics:
- True worship is God-focused, not man-focused. Therefore, worship must be designed to please God, instead of meeting our own perceived needs.
- True worship is based in truth (God’s Word). “They that worship him [God] must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
- True worship means that man’s preferences take second place to God’s requirements.
- True worship always makes a clear distinction between the sacred and the common. See Leviticus 10:1-10; Ezekiel 22:26. This is crucial and often overlooked.
- True worship recognizes the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. See Isaiah 6:1-8.
- True worship is always reverent. “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all” (Psalms 89:7). See Habakkuk 2:20.
To this list, we could add the following:
- True worship will be characterized by praise, joy, and thanksgiving (Psalm 100).
- True worship will be “lively and interesting” (Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 145).
- True worship will allow God’s “still small voice” to speak to us (1 Kings 19:12).
- True worship will promote a “meek and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4).
- True worship will lead to willing obedience to “all” God’s requirements and “continual advancement” in our knowledge and practice of His will (Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 156).
Sadly, trendy, modern worship styles often fall short of God’s true worship plan as we shall see.
In a Judgment Hour Context
As Seventh-day Adventists, we teach that we presently live in the judgment hour. This judgment began in 1844 and continues until the close of probation in the near future.1 What should our worship look like in light of this fact? The following passage from the book, The Great Controversy, gives us a clue:
We are now living in the great day of atonement. In the typical service [Old Testament times], while the high priest was making the atonement for Israel, all were required to afflict their souls by repentance of sin and humiliation before the Lord, lest they be cut off from among the people. [See Leviticus 23:26-32.] In like manner, all who would have their names retained in the book of life [those who seek assurance of salvation] should now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by sorrow for sin and true repentance. There must be deep, faithful searching of heart. The light, frivolous spirit indulged by so many professed Christians must be put away. There is earnest warfare before all who would subdue the evil tendencies that strive for the mastery…. Everyone must be tested and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
Solemn are the scenes connected with the closing work of the atonement. Momentous are the interests involved therein. The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. For many years this work has been in progress. Soon—none know how soon—it will pass to the cases of the living. In the awful presence of God our lives are to come up in review….
When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven… (The Great Controversy, pp. 489, 490).
Putting the pieces together, we now begin to better understand the significance of the call of the First Angel of Revelation 14 to, “fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him…”
From the Great Controversy passage above, we see that our worship must take on a dimension unique to all other generations. It is a most solemn and momentous time to live. We have the privilege to be joyful—yet we must recognize how serious are the times we are in.
As we grasp the implications of this judgment hour and what it really means for us (and for God), we now begin to see why Satan desperately seeks to change our focus away from the judgment onto something more “pleasant.” Will he succeed in his plan for us or will he fail? And what do worship styles and church growth programs have to do with his plan to divert our minds away from the seriousness of the present judgment hour?
Getting Practical
Some are likely to be uncomfortable with the concepts that Inspiration spells out. But the command to “afflict our souls” is not optional.
Wouldn’t it be a tragedy if at the end we find we made the wrong decision because we were not comfortable with certain aspects of God’s message? But we ought to know better. Satan is a master deceiver. His half-truths about how miserable we will be if we focus on what God wants us to focus on, are just that—half truths; in other words, they are lies.
The truth is we have nothing to fear from the judgment if we have made a full surrender to God (to all His requirements) and we continue in that commitment. He will finish the work He has begun in us (Philippians 1:6).
Satan tempts us to think this life of “afflicting our souls” will be a gloomy, sorrowful struggle. He tells us, “When the Christian life begins, all fun ends.” But that’s a lie of Satan. Christ tells us He came to give us a more abundant life (John 10:10). God’s Law of Liberty sets us free from the bondage of our pet sins (James 1:25; Romans 6:16).
impacts the way we worship
Satan has a master deception that works on many of us. It goes like this, “You can have your cake and eat it too,” he says. “You can be a Christian Seventh-day Adventist and at the same time keep the pleasures of the world. You can keep the music, fun, games, food, entertainment, friends, and joking good times that you enjoyed before. You don’t have to deny yourself these pleasures. God will understand. In fact, we’ll Christianize those things and you can enjoy them guilt-free.” So says Satan. And why not? It’s worked splendidly for him before.
But God says, No, I have a better way. In fact, the Day of Atonement judgment time we live in now is a fantastic opportunity to be transformed so we can pass the judgment. God has wonderful plans for our life in these end times. He wants to use us to help solve the Great Controversy. Christ has promised to provide us the righteousness and merit for this (His merits, not ours are those that will count). Our job is to believe, accept, surrender, and cooperate fully with Him in this grand work.
A Sobering Parallel
As Seventh-day Adventists, we believe we are on the borders of the heavenly Canaan. We are about to cross over into the Promised Land. Our long journey through the wilderness is about over. But there’s something we need to note that happened to Israel as they were on the verge of crossing the Jordan.
Satan desperately wanted to thwart God’s plan. Balak, King of Moab, wanted to defeat Israel in battle. So he attempted to hire Balaam, a prophet, to come curse Israel. Balaam was unable to curse them. God only allowed him to bless Israel. But Balaam coveted Balak’s rich payoff. So Balaam thought up a plan.
Balaam knew that the prosperity of Israel depended upon their obedience to God, and that there was no way to cause their overthrow but by seducing them into sin. He now decided to secure Balak’s favor by advising the Moabites of the course to be pursued to bring a curse upon Israel (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 451).
The plan was to have Israel attend the worship services of the Moabites, see how they did things, and then to import that back into Israel. It worked splendidly. Soon, many in Israel were seduced into apostasy.
The results were tragic. Satan won a victory, many in Israel lost their lives in the judgments that followed, and the people were delayed from entering the Promised Land.
That is why God commanded Israel to not look at how the other nations around them worshiped. “You must not worship the LORD your God in their way” (Deuteronomy 12:4, NIV). See also verses 29-31.
Do you think Satan would try that same strategy again? In our day? Is God’s command to Israel relevant in our times? Should we examine what the other churches are doing around us to get ideas on worship styles and church growth programs?
The Two Angels’ Messages?
The heart of the Seventh-day Adventist message has always been the Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14:6-12. These powerful, God-given proclamations contain the key to end the suffering and sin in this world and to usher in God’s eternal kingdom of love. This is Present Truth for the end times. Therefore, Satan would like us to water those messages down.
One of Satan’s ploys has been to get us to forget one or more of these messages. Earlier, we touched on how Satan is trying to get us to change our worship of God so that we end up worshiping Satan (unknowingly) and to thus turn away our focus from the judgment hour. Just as Satan seeks to lead us to ignore aspects of the First Angel’s Message, he has plans for getting us to downplay the message of the second angel.
The second angel warns us that, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” (Revelation 14:8).
Seventh-day Adventists have always understood this to mean that spiritual Babylon represents those churches that promote Sunday-keeping, the natural immortality of the soul and kindred errors. Our message is to call people out of fallen Babylon (Revelation 18:1-4) and all that she stands for. But Satan has a different plan. He would rather we look to the fallen churches to see how they are worshiping and growing, even while we claim to be calling people out of them.
Some Seventh-day Adventists have been beguiled by the growth and apparent success of other churches. Driving by overflowing parking lots on Sunday morning, they ask the question, “Why can’t we do what they’re doing”? “Why can’t God’s Remnant Church have the same success that fallen Babylon is currently enjoying?” And so we go to see how they worship. Are we repeating the mistakes of ancient Israel? Has Satan duped some in God’s church once again?
True Growth or Counterfeit?
We have been counseled that before God sends a true revival in the end times, Satan would introduce a counterfeit. Have we forgotten about this while we look to our Christian friends in other denominations to see how they are worshiping?
Notwithstanding the widespread declension of faith and piety, there are true followers of Christ in these churches. Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the Lord’s second coming. The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the time for such a movement shall come, he will endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he will make it appear that God’s special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit. Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world (The Great Controversy, p. 464).
Imagine it. God’s Remnant Church, privileged with enormous light in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, sees the success of the counterfeit revival and turns aside to investigate to see how it can duplicate that success! Could it be that while we are copying the “success,” we are in danger of copying the parts that make it the counterfeit deception God warned us about?
with Satan’s counterfeit?
Continuing from the above quote, she gives us a significant clue to help us detect these false revivals:
In many of the revivals which have occurred during the last half century, the same influences have been at work, to a greater or less degree, that will be manifest in the more extensive movements of the future [our time]. There is an emotional excitement, a mingling of the true with the false, that is well adapted to mislead. Yet none need be deceived. In the light of God’s word it is not difficult to determine the nature of these movements. Wherever men neglect the testimony of the Bible, turning away from those plain, soul-testing truths which require self-denial and renunciation of the world, there we may be sure that God’s blessing is not bestowed (The Great Controversy, pp. 464, 465).
What is one of the primary tell-tale signals of a false revival? When people turn away from “plain, soul-testing truths which require self-denial and renunciation of the world.” “Emotional excitement” also plays a part. Does this remind us of Satan’s ploy discussed earlier, in which he tries to get us to downplay the judgment hour focus and to adapt our worship so that it fits more with our ideas and desires?
Downplaying how Seventh-day Adventists view the judgment hour,* changing our worship to adapt to our surrounding cultural preferences, looking to the fallen churches around us to get inspiration to match their “success,” means we are watering down the first and second angels’ messages. If Satan is successful at getting us to devalue certain aspects of the first two messages, do you think he has any plans for us when it comes to the Third Angel’s Message? Surely not! We wouldn’t go that far, would we?
[*Note: “downplaying the judgment hour message” means failing to focus on the deep significance of the Investigative Judgment, 1844, the heavenly sanctuary, the antitypical day of atonement and what it means for our lives today, the impending close of probation, the 144,000 and how to be among them, how the last generation plays a part in helping vindicate God’s character, and associated truths. We could sum it all up with the phrase: Present Truth. See 2 Peter 1:12; Early Writings, p. 63.]
Purpose Driven Paradigm
How has Satan recently achieved his goals in making inroads into God’s Remnant Church in getting some to change their worship styles and downplay the judgment hour message? We will examine one popular example and see how it compares to God’s word.
The Purpose Driven phenomenon has swept through sections of American Christendom. It’s author, Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church, has been termed, “America’s pastor” by Time magazine. The concepts he teaches are typical of the larger church growth and worship styles movement that has taken the Christian world by storm in recent times.
These same ideas have been imported into an Adventist context in some parts of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, especially in North America and other developed nations. And thus we choose to profile The Purpose Driven concepts as representative of the larger church growth movement in Adventism, since the concepts found in the Purpose Driven paradigm are shared almost universally across all modern church growth programs, even if individual churches may not have derived their ideas directly from this source.
Obviously, we all want God’s church to grow. But tragically, many of the typical “church growth” programs of today have been influenced by ideas and concepts from fallen Babylon. It is in that sense that we use the term “church growth programs.”
Whatever It Takes
A Seventh-day Adventist church recently held a church growth seminar. The advertising flyer headline stated: “The Adventist Church in North America is Facing a Crisis.” How true this statement is, but not for the reason the flyer suggested. Beneath the headline, the flyer stated the following: “Too many of our churches are experiencing little or no growth.” This was followed by the question, “Am I committed to do whatever it takes to see the church grow?” (emphasis supplied).
Likely, the intent of the seminar flyer was not to suggest that “anything goes” without any limitations whatsoever in their drive to achieve larger numbers. Nevertheless, the actions and the fruit of the modern church growth movement say otherwise. All too often with this movement, it turns out that the underlying message is that the ends justify the means when it comes to gaining new members.
Rick Warren helps us to understand the large movements that have been shaping Christianity over the past 30-40 years. These paradigm shifts in how Christians worship and practice their faith are nothing short of breathtaking. Rick Warren’s positive outlook on these movements reveals where he is coming from.
He describes the “Worship Renewal Movement” of the past 30 years that included the “charismatic and liturgical renewals.” He describes how, “most recently, the contemporary worship emphasis has brought us new music, new worship forms, and a greater emphasis on corporate worship” (The Purpose Driven Church [PDC], p. 126).
Along with this, he describes the “Church Growth Movement” and the “Discipleship Spiritual Formations Movement” (PDC, pp. 126, 127). Extensive research into this movement, including the writings of some of the individuals Warren cites in his book, reveal an alarming level of mysticism and spiritualism.
Some of the terms used in the spiritual formation movement include, “contemplative prayer,” “centering prayers,” “breath prayers,” “Jesus prayer” (where you repeat some short prayer a set number of times), “centering down.” These are all part of ancient mystical practices used by Roman Catholic mystics and now being imported into Christianity in a mix of New Age-like meditation and Eastern mysticism. For example, the Crystal Cathedral, pastored by Robert Schuller promotes these exercises.2
Interestingly, early in his career, Rick Warren attended Robert Schuller’s church growth institute, was won over to his methods, and according to Christianity Today, put these methods into practice and “never looked back.”3
It doesn’t take much investigation to discover that Robert Schuller’s power of positive thinking is replete with spiritualistic concepts. This is not unique to his ministry. Throughout the modern church growth movement, there are startling signs of a subtle move toward the mystical. For example, Rick Warren recommends a well known pioneer of this mystical movement, Richard Foster (PDC, p. 126). Foster has been instrumental in shaping the opinions of modern evangelicals in the church growth movement to move toward these spiritualistic concepts. See “Monastic Evangelicals,” Christianity Today, February 2008.4
In another article5 entitled, “The Future Lies in the Past,” Christianity Today (CT), reports on the 2007 Wheaton Theology Conference, whose theme was “The Ancient Faith for the Church’s Future,” held at the Billy Graham Center. CT reports “the conference represented a coming of age for a worship renewal movement begun some 30 years before.” CT asked, “Had Catholics taken over?”
One of the papers at the conference stated, “evangelicals are beginning to ‘reach back behind the European Enlightenment for patterns and models of how to faithfully read Scripture, worship, and engage a religiously diverse culture.’” Translation: Protestants are moving back to Rome. And this is the “coming of age of the worship renewal movement begun some 30 years before.” Where are we headed?
For examples of these spiritualistic concepts appearing within the Adventist context, we refer you to the Summer 2008 edition of Adventists Affirm, which includes articles by a Seventh-day Adventist conference president and other influential voices within the church. The most revealing article (“How to Still the Hunger of the Soul,” by John Whitecombe) is not online, however, so you will need to obtain a copy of the issue at the link in the endnote.6
Some might protest that their church growth program does not embrace these mystical, spiritualistic elements. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. A more subtle danger lurks in the modern church growth programs found in our church today.
In 2005, a prominent leader in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, warned of the far-reaching dangers that come packaged in the modern church growth movement. Elder Thomas Mostert, then president of the Pacific Union Conference, published a book, Hidden Heresy? with a subtitle, “Is spiritualism invading Adventist churches today?” This startling question raises immediate alarms in the mind of any thinking Adventist. How could it be that God’s very remnant people, who are supposed to be calling the faithful out of Babylon, could be tampering with errors of a most dangerous, spiritualistic nature?
Mostert’s book provides irrefutable evidence, demonstrating that these church growth movements are clearly teaching the modern form of spiritualism that we have been warned about by God. Here it is:
Spiritualism is now changing its form and, veiling some of its more objectionable features, is assuming a Christian guise….
Even in its present form…it is really a more dangerous, because a more subtle, deception. While it formerly denounced Christ and the Bible, it now professes to accept both. But the Bible is interpreted in a manner that is pleasing to the unrenewed heart, while its solemn and vital truths are made of no effect. Love is dwelt upon as the chief attribute of God, but it is degraded to a weak sentimentalism, making little distinction between good and evil. God’s justice, His denunciations of sin, the requirements of His holy law, are all kept out of sight [or minimized]. The people are taught to regard the Decalogue as a dead letter. Pleasing, bewitching fables captivate the senses and lead men to reject the Bible as the foundation of their faith. Christ is as verily denied as before; but Satan has so blinded the eyes of the people that the deception is not discerned (The Great Controversy, pp. 557, 558).
Of course, those Seventh-day Adventists who are falling into this trap don’t usually teach that the law is done away with. Nor do they explicitly reject the Bible as the foundation of their faith. And yet, do they? If people no longer accept the “harder” sayings of the Bible for their lives have they not rejected the Bible as the foundation of their faith? Satan wins if we partially reject it.
Once again, we note the features of this newfound spirituality that accepts Christ, but only part of Him. “Love is dwelt upon as the chief attribute of God, but it is degraded to a weak sentimentalism, making little distinction between good and evil. God’s justice, His denunciations of sin, the requirements of His holy law, are all kept out of sight.”
In the typical contemporary style churches, where is the deep soul searching, the “afflicting our souls” that we discussed earlier? Where is the meekness and humbleness of heart? Where is the call to holy living? Where is the exhortation to put away our worldly idols, to take up our cross and follow our Savior in the blood-stained path? Where is the solemn call to enter the narrow way, leaving off all worldliness, selfishness, vanity, and pride? Where is the emphasis on a judgment hour message?
A Flawed Premise
Rick Warren holds to a flaw that seems to be common among those adhering to the modern church growth methods, “But growth cannot be produced by man! Only God makes the church grow” (PDC, p. 14, emphasis in original). Unfortunately, this is not true. Both man and Satan can make the church grow as well. Not all church growth is from God!
“It has been the continual endeavor of the enemy to introduce into the church persons who assent to much that is truth, but who are not converted” (Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 159). Satan uses these members “to advance his own ideas and retard the work of God” (Ibid.).
Hasty baptisms, fostering a culture of growth, growth, growth, “whatever it takes,” leads to carelessness in preparing people for the responsibilities of church membership. This is especially crucial in these end times. Listen to God’s counsel:
“There is one thing that we have no right to do, and that is to judge another man’s heart or impugn his motives [how true!]. But when a person presents himself as a candidate for church membership, we are to examine the fruit of his life, and leave the responsibility of his motive with himself. But great care should be exercised in accepting members into the church; for Satan has his specious devices through which he purposes to crowd false brethren into the church [!!], through whom he can work more successfully to weaken the cause of God” (Evangelism, p. 313). Could our church growth methods actually be weakening the cause of God instead of strengthening it?
Another Flawed Premise
Rick Warren talks about “surfing the spiritual waves” that God sends to the Christian church. He states, “I believe God is sending waves of church growth wherever his people are prepared to ride them.” And, “we are experiencing an unprecedented movement of God’s Spirit in many parts of the world today…. God’s Spirit is moving mightily in waves around the world” (PDC, p. 15).
Sadly, Rick Warren does not see that this grand movement is none other than Satan’s counterfeit just before the true. But we, as a people, have been warned and ought to know better. (See section above, “True Growth or Counterfeit?”)
Called to Faithfulness or Success?
Rick Warren disagrees with the statement, “‘God has not called us to be successful. He has just called us to be faithful’” He states, “I strongly disagree because the Bible clearly teaches that God expects both” (PDC, p. 64). At first glance, this might sound reasonable. But when we take into account the premise of his argument, we begin to sense a fundamental flaw in his approach. The truth is that God calls us to faithfulness first and foremost. Yes. He expects fruit, but that will come if we are faithful. Note this quote: “obedience to the laws of God is the condition of fruit bearing” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 305; also Testimonies, vol. 7, p. 245).
Continuing his line of reasoning, Rick Warren goes on to define “successful” as fulfilling the Great Commission. Elsewhere, he makes it clear that to be considered successful, a church must experience numerical growth. Is this biblical?
If we use Rick Warren’s criterion for faithfulness and fruitfulness (success), Noah would be a colossal failure—perhaps the premier example of utter failure in history. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and a host of others would not fare much better in the modern church growth paradigm.
And what about poor Gideon? He had huge negative growth right at a critical time before launching his mission. Even Christ had to ask His disciples, “Will ye also go away?” (John 6:67), after the multitudes forsook Him, once they discovered that His message involved more sacrifice than they were willing to endure.
What’s In a Name?
Those who adhere closely with the modern church growth movement often select local church names that tend to distance themselves from their denominational affiliation. Rick Warren, like many others who follow the modern church growth movement concepts, chose a generic name for his local church (PDC, pp. 198, 199). He did this based on the opinion surveys he conducted in his community. Seventh-day Adventist churches, who adhere to this paradigm, do the same. But is this following God’s plan?
What does Inspiration say?
We are Seventh-day Adventists. Are we ashamed of our name? We answer, ‘No, no! We are not.’ It is the name the Lord has given us. It points out the truth that is to be the test of the churches (Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, p. 156).
No name which we can take will be appropriate but that which accords with our profession and expresses our faith and marks us a peculiar people. The name Seventh-day Adventist is a standing rebuke to the Protestant world. Here is the line of distinction between the worshipers of God and those who worship the beast and receive his mark (Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 223).
The name Seventh-day Adventist carries the true features of our faith in front, and will convict the inquiring mind. Like an arrow from the Lord’s quiver, it will wound the transgressors of God’s law, and will lead to repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 224).
Survey-Driven Church?
Rick Warren describes how he made use of community opinion surveys to help him achieve success at Saddleback. This is how he determined their worship style, church name, musical style, and preaching style, among others. Do we not have a higher calling? Has not God provided us with enough information in His word so that we don’t have to rely on the opinions and tastes of unbelievers we are trying to reach? This goes to the heart of true worship. Is it God-centered or man-centered? Who decides, God or man?
Music—A Universal Call
Rick Warren states, “Now, at Saddleback Church, we are unapologetically contemporary... [and we have] exploded with growth.... I'll be honest with you, we are loud. We are really, really loud on a weekend service.... I say, ‘We’re not gonna turn it down.’ Now the reason why is baby boomers want to feel the music, not just hear it.... God loves variety!”7
He continues, “Worship has nothing to do with the style or volume or speed of a song. God loves all kinds of music [remember this phrase!] because he invented it all—fast and slow, loud and soft, old and new. You probably don’t like it all, but God does!” (Purpose Driven Life, p. 65).
Speaking of his earlier years at Saddleback Church, Rick Warren states, “We covered the gamut, ‘from Bach to Rock’…. We used classical, country, jazz, rock, reggae, easy listening, and even rap…. You must decide who you’re trying to reach, identify their preferred style of music, and then stick with it” (PDC, p. 280).
This reminds us of the worship service conducted on the Plain of Dura. It was a large service, complete with visual props, and a live band. The three Hebrew worthies caught up in this worship service, along with everyone else, were told to bow to the image. What was the signal to cause the people to worship the image? The Bible tells us, “all kinds of music” (Daniel 3:4, 7, 10, 15).
Not only the prophecies, but the stories of Daniel are significant. They help us understand the meaning of the prophecies. A signature mark of Babylon is its use of “all kinds of music” in its worship services.
It’s interesting to note the parallels between the story of the worship service in Daniel 3 and that described in the last half of Revelation 13, with its worship of the image to the beast. Compare the two by examining the chart below.
| Daniel 3 | Revelation 13 |
|---|---|
| Image | Image to the beast |
| Literal Babylon | Spiritual Babylon |
| Issue over worship, obedience, and loyalty | Issue over worship, obedience, and loyalty |
| Universal, forced worship | Universal, forced worship |
| False worship based on truth and error | False worship based on truth and error |
| Music used as the call to worship | Music is used (Revelation 18:22) |
| A day is set aside for worship | A day is set aside for worship—Sunday |
Number 6: 60 cubits x 6 cubits |
Number 666 |
| Death penalty imposed | Death penalty imposed |
| God’s people pass through the trial | God’s people pass through the trial |
| God’s people delivered | God’s people delivered |
| God’s people vindicate His name | God’s people vindicate His name |
| God’s people few in number (3 people) | Only a remnant (Rev. 12:17) |
Music and worship styles have played a significantly crucial role in the grand and sweeping movements shaping the Christian world in recent years. Whether the liturgical changes brought into the Roman Catholic Church at their Vatican II Council (1960s), the fast-spreading charismatic and worship renewal movement beginning in the 1970s, or the church growth movement beginning in the 1970s to the present time, music has been the catalyst to galvanize these trends into one large grand movement to change Christianity forever. Tragically, some Seventh-day Adventists are embracing this movement, many not realizing where it is headed.
Rick Warren recognizes this: “For the first time in history, there exists a universal music style that can be heard in every country of the world. It’s called contemporary pop/rock…. This is the primary musical style we’ve chosen to use at Saddleback” (PDC, p. 285). Sadly, so have some Adventist churches. Where are we headed?
Rick Warren makes a profound statement we would do well to ponder: “Once you have decided on the style of music you’re going to use in worship, you have set the direction of your church in far more ways than you realize” (PDC, pp. 280, 281). What a significant statement! And far truer than, perhaps, Rick Warren himself understands.
Rick Warren boldly declares: “I reject the idea that music styles can be judged as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ music” (PDC, p. 281). Discerning people, the principles of the Bible, and explicit counsel in the Spirit of Prophecy, not to mention the Seventh-day Adventist Church, heartily disagree (see Church Manual, p. 180).8 Warren repeats the same mistake that so many others have made before. This mistaken idea is that those taking a stand on the rightness or wrongness of certain types of music do so out of preference (personal tastes, likes or dislikes based on cultural background) as opposed to principle. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Just as Babylon used “all kinds of music” as the signal to bow down to the image, so modern Babylon is using “all kinds of music” to gather the churches together in a universal worship that will ultimately end in bowing to the image to the beast. May our eyes be opened before it is too late.
Summary
We have seen that Satan seeks to gather as many Seventh-day Adventists as possible into his snare. His plan involves getting us to worship him, while thinking we are worshiping God, and getting us to downplay the judgment. The modern worship styles, music, and church growth methods are designed to accomplish his goals. He allows us to hold onto the skeleton of our beliefs (28 Fundamental Beliefs), but he removes the heart out of these beliefs so they are rendered less effective. This he does at the most crucial time in earth’s history when we need all the power we can get. The stakes could not be higher. Will we wake up to Satan’s devices?
Praise God! His faithful church will survive (after a fierce shaking), and His truth will be vindicated. Satan will be defeated. Let us all choose the side of truth. GCO
Endnotes
- See Daniel 7-9; Revelation 14:6, 7; The Great Controversy, chapter 28, “Facing Life’s Record”; SDA Fundamental Belief #24.
- http://www.crystalcathedral.org/ministries/come_and_grow/psalms23_wk2.php
- http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/november18/1.42.html?start=3
- http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/february/23.28.html
- http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/february/22.22.html
- http://www.adventistaffirm.org/article.php?id=231
- (Rick Warren, similar quote located at http://www.pastorport.com/ministrytoday.asp?mode=viewarchive&index=18). Also see The Purpose Driven Church, p. 285.
- “Any melody partaking of the nature of jazz, rock, or related hybrid forms, or any language expressing foolish or trivial sentiments, will be shunned” (SDA Church Manual, p. 180). Also, see SDA General Conference Guidelines on Music at: http://www.t3asda.org/articles/1972_Music_Guidelines_Text.htm and http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/guidelines/music_guidelines.html. Also, see Ellen White statements: http://www.whiteestate.org/issues/music.html
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