(Google video link)
This video describes the techniques used to bring in heresy within the church. The purpose driven model has been read and accepted by many church leaders of our day, and his techniques only weaken the Church with unrepentant converts.
The following are some examples used by Warren to create change in his church, and change the practices of the Church as a whole for the purposes of church growth.
- The model of church growth used by Warren requires the new members to sign a covenant, which requires them not to gossip (compare deception noticed by other members), commit to the leadership, required to participate in small groups, and pledge to tithe. Church covenants are used for manipulation of the membership.
- Warren also encourages the pastor to be the CEO of his church, as his form of proper management style. He has a website where pastors can download sermons, so they can spend more time on managing the church and its programs, instead of studying the Word. To counter this, 1 Tim 5:17 says that the elders of the church should be laboring in the doctrinal study of the Word. The Word should be his first priority; managing should take second priority.
- Warren gives justification to bringing unbelievers into the Church, and says that the tares and the wheat should grow together - and they can be sorted out later. But Jesus was interested in purity within the Church, because He instructed they should be excommunicated if they one cannot be restored (Matt. 18); we are not to eat with sinning Christians (1 Cor. 5:11); Christ wants to present a Church without spot or blemish (Eph. 5:27); and there is an example of church purity in 1 Tim. 1:19-20.
- We are to be judging those within the Church to see that they are faithful to the Word of God, and remove those who continue to sin (1 Cor. 5:12,13).
