Where's the Bible? Purpose Driven In... Bible Out!

Once again, we have evidence of error with the Purpose Driven Life approach to the Gospel, of the lack thereof.

In a recent story on Baptist Press (http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=20889) the Barna Group did a survey of “ministry leaders” (I take that to mean pastors) and asked them to 'identify the three books that had been most helpful to them as a ministry leader during the past three years'.

The book at the top of the list? You guessed it, ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren. Out of the 200 different titles listed, PDL was at the top. Other books and their authors that the most mentions included, included "What's So Amazing About Grace?" by Phillip Yancey, "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" by Jim Cymbala, "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge, "Courageous Leadership" by Bill Hybels, "Spiritual Leadership" by Henry Blackaby, "Next Generation Leader" by Andy Stanley and "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John Maxwell. (I would note here that with the exception perhaps of Henry Blackaby, all of these titles are of the “user-friendly” persuasion.)

Now, with all that said, I ask this question….WHERE IS THE BIBLE IN THE LIST?

PASTORS were asked what book helps you the most as a leader in ministry, and no where, in the story, was it noted that anyone said the Word of God made the biggest impact in the life and work. This is amazing ,but sadly not unbelievable.

This highlights one of the major problems that exist with the Purpose Driven Life and with the user-friendly/seeker-sensitive concept of growing church, and that is the backseat position that is given to the Word of God, and to the preaching of His Word.

Remember the courthouse shooter case in Georgia and the young lady who was taken hostage in her apartment. This particular part of the case got a lot of attention as the hostage ‘calmed’ the suspect by reading to him from the Purpose Driven Life. The secular media jumped all over this, as did a lot of religious media outlets. Rick Warren’s website wasted no time in pasting the story on their website and heralding the awesome power of PDL.

But again, only a slight mention of God’s Word, the Bible, in that the hostage went to her room and got her bible and a copy of the Purpose Driven Life and read to the shooter from PDL. That was the extent of credit and recognition given to the Holy Scripture.

Again folks, this is just more, of many, reasons why the Purpose Driven Life/Church, and all of it’s many entities, are an offense to the Gospel and causing an unbelievably strong delusion within the church.

Psalm 119:89 says “Forever oh Lord thy Word is settled in heaven”. It does not say forever Purpose Driven is settled in heaven.

The Baptist Press story closes by saying, “The fact that less than half as many young pastors considered the Purpose Driven books to be influential in their ministry suggests that the new legion of young pastors may be primed to introduce new ways of thinking about Christianity and church life."

“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God” 2 Corinthians 3:5