The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum John Piper Interviews Rick Warren

Tom you asked me to respond specifically to the Interview which due to my carelessness I didn't see the OP (doh!).

I think Warren speaks a great game. He can speak to those of both a Reformed and a Baptistic background. However, I think that Warren lets the "Cat out of the bag" when he starts talking about making Christians, as he talks about in the interview,"Self Feeders" and there by plucking the branch from the fire where it will shrink and finally be extinguished. God commands us to be in fellowship, and by virtue of our stance in Christ we should love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and desire fellowship for joy, edification, and worship. This idea of "Self Feeders" strips the Teaching and Ruling Elder of his God commanded Duty. And that is where the crux lie. No true Calvinist would tell his flock of sheep, "Leave the pen, you need to take care of yourself now." All the while wolves are all around looking for a way to carry off the flock. It is a foolish and unfortunately dangerous and unbiblical idea, and that is one of my biggest complaint. Unfortunately I started the book "Purpose Driven Life", but never finished it. I have also heard a few of his sermons and they are too shallow, so I have not really had experience with him. My big Fish to Fry is the plague in my generation, the Emergent Church, and more specifically Rob Bell and his influence on Youth Groups with his teaching materials.

So in short, he may very well have a confession such as the "London Baptist Confession of Faith" which would be really cool. However, I don't think it ever comes out of the filling cabinet where it only sits there and collects dust rather than be used and taught.