Rick Warren: Don’t let fear hold you back
By Rob Cunningham
Fear will limit the effectiveness of a pastor’s ministry and the vibrancy of a Christian’s life, but God has other plans for every leader and believer, pastor and author Rick Warren told the General Council on Friday.
“The one thing that will keep you from using [what’s in your hand] for the glory of God is fear,” he said. “Fear is the No. 1 enemy of ministry. It keeps you from trying new things, it keeps you from learning from other people, it keeps you from mentoring the next generation. Fear is what keeps you from developing the talents God gave you.”
Warren spoke during the morning gathering of ministers and delegates, but his crowd included many other General Council attendees interested in hearing from the pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California. This was Warren’s second appearance at a General Council. He spoke during a leadership seminar at the 1997 Council in Indianapolis, Indiana.
General Superintendent George O. Wood said Warren’s visit Friday was part of the Assemblies of God’s continued commitment to learning from leaders outside the Fellowship.
It was also a reflection of a desire to avoid the exclusionary attitudes that many early Pentecostals experienced in their denominations, when they were often asked to leave, “and not always gracefully,” Wood said.
“We learn from our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and we don’t exclude, we include,” he said.
Rick and Kay Warren founded Saddleback Church in Orange County, California, in 1980. The first service, on Easter Sunday, had an attendance of 205 people — most of whom had never attended church before. Today, more than 20,000 people attend services on an average weekend.
This was one of only three speaking engagements Warren committed to this year; the others were the inaugural gathering of the Anglican Church in North America in June, and the July meeting of the Islamic Society of North America.
He offered a challenging word to the General Council, based on Exodus 4:2. God asked Moses a simple but profound question: “What is in your hand?” The answer: a shepherd’s staff that represented Moses’ identity, income and influence.
In this story, God tells Moses to throw the staff to the ground, and it becomes a snake. When Moses obeys God’s instruction to pick up the snake, it turns back into a staff.
God issues the same challenge to us today, Warren said: to lay down our identity, influence and income. “God says, ‘If you give it to me, I can do great things with this,’” he said.
His life priorities
About eight years ago, Warren’s life was radically changed by two events: the publishing of his book The Purpose-Driven Life and his wife Kay’s diagnosis with cancer.
“Life is a railroad track, one rail is good and one rail is bad,” Warren said, explaining why he doesn’t see life as a series of peaks and valleys. “There’s never a time when it’s all good or all bad. In fact, no matter how good things are in your life, there’s always something bad you need to be working on. And no matter how bad things are, there’s always something you can thank God for.”
His book went on to become the best-selling hardback in English in history, which opened the door to tremendous affluence and tremendous influence. But Warren didn’t set out to be a best-selling author. He said he’s only had two priorities for his ministry: pastor one church for his entire adult life and support and encourage other pastors.
But even with the money coming in from book sales, the Warrens decided they wouldn’t change their lifestyle at all. They’ve lived in the same house for 17 years, and he drives a 10-year-old Ford.
He also stopped taking a salary from Saddleback Church, and he repaid the congregation for all the salary he had received over the previous 25 years as pastor.
“I do what I do, not for money, not for fame, but because I love Jesus Christ,” he said. “I love Him with all my heart. And if He never did another thing for me, I owe Him the rest of my life.”
The Warrens established charities and became reverse-tithers — they live off 10 percent and give away the remaining 90 percent. That includes contributions to the AGTrust’s support of church planting efforts around the nation.
“We just wanted to (become reverse-tithers) because I want to be like Jesus, and you can’t be like Jesus until you learn generosity,” he said. “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”
Handling the influence was a different kind of challenge. Warren was drawn to Psalm 72, a prayer from Solomon asking for God to bless his reign as king — not for selfish reasons but to help the marginalized people of society.
Much of Warren’s efforts have targeted the cause of AIDS in Africa, where 14 million children have been orphaned by that disease. In Botswana, 34 percent of the population is infected by AIDS/HIV, he said. This is an opportunity for the Church to demonstrate God’s love to the world.
God desires faithfulness
Jesus offered a different definition of faithfulness than the one many denominations think of, Warren said. It’s not about keeping doctrine true or pure. It’s about taking risks.
“If you’re not taking any risks in ministry, then you don’t need any faith, and if you don’t need any faith, you are being unfaithful,” he said. “You cannot grow a church unless you’re willing to fail, unless you’re willing to be criticized, unless you’re willing to do the things you’re scared to death to do.”
Too many pastors leave because of a handful of critics in their churches, he said. Godly leaders will redefine failure as being too scared to attempt a goal.
“You are never a failure until you quit, and it is always too soon to quit,” he said.
A leader’s character is revealed by what it takes to create discouragement, Warren said. Commitment to the long-term health of a congregation will produce long-term results.
“When the pastor stays, the problem leaves,” he said. “But if the pastor leaves, the problems stay. If you don’t face it down, you’re leaving it for someone else. Don’t do that.”
Grow a healthy church
Warren spent part of his time sharing principles that he’s taught for years through his Purpose-Driven Church conferences. Pastors should focus on the health of their congregations. When systems are in balance, you have health. When systems are out of balance, you have disease, he stated.
“Growing a church is like growing anything,” he said. “The church is an organism, not an organization. It is a body, not a business, therefore it is alive. All living things grow.”
Health can be achieved by pursuing a balanced approach to the biblical purposes of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism.
These principles are rooted in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, and as Warren explained it in one of his most well-known phrases, “A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will grow a great Christian” — or a great church, company, communion, organization or denomination.
Churches must be committed to loving God, loving others and sharing the message of salvation, Warren said, noting that in the next year, 74 million people around the world and 2.4 million Americans will die — and most will go into eternity without Jesus.
“If you want the blessing of God on your life, if you want the anointing of God on your life, if you want the power of God on your life, you must care about what God cares about most,” he said. “And what does God care about most? Well, it ain’t politics. It isn’t changing American culture. He wants his lost children found.”
He encouraged pastors and leaders to develop systematic plans for helping people grow spiritually. Jesus started with a “come and see” invitation, and only later did He talk to His disciples about such things as eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Similarly, Warren said, churches need opportunities for people to begin following Christ, with intentional efforts to move deeper in discipleship.
Questions from the crowd
Warren ended his time with about 45 minutes of questions that people in the audience sent via text. He encouraged leaders to avoid the bitterness that can come from opposition and criticism. If it’s true, listen to it and respond. But it’s false, don’t let it discourage you.
He shared a story from earlier this year, when he was preparing to share the invocation at President Barack Obama’s inauguration. Warren’s hat had been stolen, but before the inauguration he received a box with a hat from Billy Graham. And it wasn’t just any hat — it was the hat Graham had worn when he had offered prayers at previous inaugurations.
Maintaining emotional and spiritual health is important, he said, recommending a pattern of diverting daily through something enjoyable, withdrawing weekly by truly taking a day off and retreating yearly for an extended time with God.
Warren also shared insights into the process of spiritual awakening and renewal. He said every great revival begins with personal renewal with God and then relational renewal with other people. But a church must then move into renewal of its mission and purpose. Then structural renewal can happen, and only after all of those four stages can there be cultural renewal, where Christians’ impact stretches far beyond the walls of the local church.