AMARILLO, Texas (ABP) — Developing a heart for missions can be simple, according to best-selling author and California pastor Rick Warren.
“If you want the blessing of God in your life, the power of God in your life, the anointing of God in your life and ministry, you must care about what God cares about most and get on God's agenda,” Warren said during a keynote address at the Baptist General Convention of Texas' annual meeting.
“God's agenda is the kingdom of God,” said the author of The Purpose Driven Life. “It was the most preeminent thing on Jesus' mind.”
In his 70-minute address to the group meeting in Amarillo, Texas, Warren described the need for churches to “release the pent-up power and talent sitting in our pews.” He is the pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., which has 15,000 attendees every weekend.
Utilizing resources requires people to recognize their strengths and turn them over to God, much like Moses did when he threw down his staff and it became a snake, Warren said.
“The staff of Moses represents three things: his identity, his income and his influence,” Warren said. “God told Moses, ‘If you lay it down, I will make a miracle of it. When you give it to me, surrender it to me, I will do miraculous things.' And that is the turning point of history.”
Warren told the people that one day, God will ask them how they responded to Jesus Christ and what they did with their talents, education, health and freedom.
Like Moses, Warren said, church members must learn to use their own “staffs” for the work of the kingdom. The PEACE plan presents an opportunity for Christians to do just that, he added.
The PEACE plan, announced in 2003 at Saddleback and since expanded, reflects Jesus' example of how to combat the five major problems, identified by Warren, that face the planet: Spiritual emptiness, self-centered leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy. Warren identified the issues after training ministers and helping his wife, Kay, in her work with orphans around the world.
“In reading the word of God, I found that the things Jesus did while on the earth are the exact antidote to these five problems facing the planet,” Warren said. His plan calls for Christians — ordinary people with common talents and skills — to practice five steps around the world.
He urged Baptists to:
— Promote reconciliation. “Jesus said be right with God and be right with each other; he called it the Great Commandment,” Warren said.
— Equip servant leaders. Warren noted that Jesus trained 12 disciples but only mentored three, investing time with those who would bear the most responsibility.
— Assist the poor. In his first public sermon, Jesus announced his purpose of preaching good news to the poor, Warren said.
— Care for the sick. “Jesus didn't just care about people's spiritual health but also their physical health,” Warren said. “Jesus was a healer, unlike any other religious leader.”
— Educate the next generation. Jesus was a teacher, and he focused on teaching the next generation. “Every generation is one generation away from Christianity's extinction,” Warren said.
Putting the plan into practice is sometimes difficult, Warren admitted, but Jesus gave instructions about how to do it. In Matthew 10, he told Christians to avoid throwing money at problems, to leave any symbols of power at home, to adapt to local customs as much as possible, and to find a “man of peace” in villages in order to start the ministry with someone who is open and influential.
Although business and government entities can make an impact, Warren said, change will not come until the church gets involved.
“The church has the mandate of the gospel, the longevity of history and the promises of God, so what are we cowering about?” he asked BGCT participants. “Let's take Texas and the world and tell them that this is the kingdom of God.”
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