Recently Rick warren, Senior Pastor of Saddleback Community Church in Orange County, California, spoke at the annual meeting of the Islamic Society of North America. He called for the world’s two largest faiths (I’m assuming he meant Christianity and Islam) to work together to combat stereotypes and solve global problems; stating that some problems were so big that we need to ‘Team Tackle’ them. Warren said that Muslims and Christians should partner together in working to end what he called “the five global giants” of war, poverty, corruption, disease, and illiteracy.
I have so many problems with this that it would take an entire book to list them all. Unfortunately Mr. Warren is falling into what the Bible has warned us of; namely Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect. What a wonder it would be for such opposite faiths to come together and combat these problems. What a sign of UNITY and cooperation.
First off, so many of us, the Church included, believe that the world is full of a multitude of diverse faiths. How wrong we are. Matthew 12:30 says ‘He that is not with me is against me…’ I don’t know about you but that tells me there are only 2 real faiths in the world; those for Jesus and those against Him. There is the Spirit of Christ and there is the Spirit of Anti-Christ. All humans follow one or the other. Trust me when I say not all ‘Christians’ follow the spirit of Christ. Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. When you stand before Jesus on judgment day He will not ask if you were a good American or if you were true to your faith. He just wants to know if you ‘KNEW’ Him. Were you in an intimate relationship with Jesus? If not then I pity you.
Another point I have is that NOWHERE in the Word of God do I see Jesus ‘Partnering’ or ‘Team Tackling’ a problem He encountered. Jesus never spoke to those who followed the Greek gods and asked for their help. He never once asked for the help of the Pharisees or the Sadducees. When Jesus encountered a problem that needed to be solved He sought only to team up and partner with His Father; GOD ALMIGHTY! The account of the 5000 fed John 6:5-11 When Jesus then lifted uphis eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip,Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?6And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.7Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,9There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?10And Jesus said,Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.11And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
I don’t know about you but that is a huge problem! Yet we see here that Jesus went to the father for the solution and used His brothers and sisters to help Him ‘Team Tackle’ the problem. Now I know your going to say ‘what about the lad with the loaves and fishes? Didn’t Jesus partner with Him?’ Yes He did. The thing is that lad was already there following Jesus to hear Him preach the Kingdom of God. Notice I said the Kingdom of God not the Kingdom of Allah. Allah has come to mean god in Arabic but the truth is Allah was the name of a Babylonian Moon god. Mohammed adopted it as the name of god for his new religion. Anyway, my point is Jesus only sought the help and guidance of God the Father and His brothers and sisters.
Now lets look at these ‘5 global giants’ we face today. I agree totally with Mr. Warren that war, poverty, corruption, disease, and illiteracy are huge problems that this world faces today. They are truly giants in our society. The thing is that giants have always been a problem in a Christian’s life as they were in the Jews lives. Giants have always been with us and they will be with us for a long time to come.
Now how does the word of God tell us to deal with giants in our life? Well, the first thought that comes to my mind is David and Goliath. How did David defeat Goliath? He used the word of God and called upon his God for help. No He didn’t you say. He used a sling and a stone. Yes these were the tools used but where did he get the tools and who gave him the ability to use the tools and where did the courage come from to face down a veteran warrior that was 5 times your size and at least 3 times the size of any other warrior there? Remember David was just a boy around 12 years of age.
I Samuel 17:4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height [was] six cubits and a span. I Samuel 17:8-10 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set [your] battle in array? [am] not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. I Samuel 17:45-51 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle [is] the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang [it], and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but [there was] no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
David didn’t even ask for the help of his brothers. He went straight to the man at the top. He called upon God and spoke that nothing would prevail against the living Him. He then used what God gave him to take down the enemy and then used the enemy’s own weapon to kill him. It’s interesting that the word is likened to a sword and David uses Goliaths own sword to kill him. Goliaths own words were his downfall.
Well what about Jesus you ask? Well Jesus didn’t exactly call them giants he called them mountains. Matthew 17:20 …for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. He never said seek the help of anyone except the Father and he never sought the help of anyone except His Father in Heaven and His brothers and sisters.
Why would we want to seek the aid of those who do not believe as we do and unequally yoke ourselves to them by partnering and teaming-up with them? We have God on our side. Who can be against us? Do we not believe the word of God anymore? Have we fallen so far into unbelief and foolishness that we see God as merely there and nothing more? Have we fallen so far that now we act as they did in the time of The Tower of Babel when God confused the languages? We seek to solve the world’s problems by working together to solve them in ourselves. We glory in our own magnificence. Genesis 11:1-4 1And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.2And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.3And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.4And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose topmay reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
Sounds a lot like us now doesn’t it? Who needs to seek God and ask His council? We’ll just work by ourselves and show Him that we don’t need Him anymore. Let’s make a name for ourselves and put humans on the map. We will all become one and then we will be like gods. It’s scary to think that those who proclaim to be Christ’s are so easily deceived.
I fear for Rick Warren and those who are so influenced by what he is saying and doing. The path he is walking and leading others down is a path to destruction. Islam is not our friend! Nor is any other religion in this world! Jesus is our friend; one who sticks closer then a brother. How many of us have forsaken that friendship for the friendship of the world. The world hated Jesus and still does today. How can we believe that those of us who truly follow Him will be loved and accepted by the world? Matthew 10:24-25 The disciple is not above [his] master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more [shall they call] them of his household? The world hates Jesus. They will hate His followers too.
Very well Said.