Video Posted: Horton at Saddleback
AN UPDATE FROM MIKE HORTON:
I had a great time at the Lausanne “Global Conversation” held at Saddleback Church and hosted by its pastor, Rick Warren. It was a privilege to be part of a distinguished panel of evangelical leaders from a wide variety of backgrounds. Before the panel discussion, Rick Warren interviewed me for his Purpose-Driven network. In the first interview he focused on my books and the work of White Horse Inn. In the second, he focused on the question, “What is the Gospel?” I appreciated the generous spirit in which Rick asked the questions and encouraged me to lay out the case we have for a new Reformation. It’s great to be able to discuss our differences as well as our common convictions in a spirit of friendship as well as mutual challenge. Our mission at White Horse Inn is to go to any forum that invites us where we have a chance to clarify what we are convinced is the proper message and mission of the church. Thanks for your prayers—and for making such opportunities possible. May God continue to open doors for an ever-wider hearing!
Michael Horton recently participated in a panel discussion on global evangelism at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. It was part of the 12 Cities / 12 Conversations tour sponsored by the Lausanne Movement, and a video of this conversation is now available online. In addition to Horton, other panelists include Skye Jethani, Jim Belcher, Jena Lee Nardella, Miles McPhereson, Soon Chan Rah, and Kay Warren. FYI, the discussion doesn’t get rolling until around 16 minutes into the video (after all the introductory remarks).
June 24th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
I don’t think most of the panelists were listening to Mike. Either they didn’t have categories for what he was talking about, or they were opposed to it and ignored it.
June 26th, 2010 at 8:07 am
Chris, I am sure they weren’t listening! I actually thought that the comment “burger king” after Michael Horton spoke was very distasteful.
Here’s something he said:
“I don’t think the church ought to be a peace and justice center, I think the church should be a salinization plant that incubates, grows and matures and waters Christians so they can go out and do things like “healers” in the world in medical missions, their various callings in the world. Out in the world is where we love and serve our neighbour, in the church we actually make Christians.” Michael Horton
E.
June 26th, 2010 at 10:00 am
I think Horton did an excellent job distinguishing himself from the modern evangelicals there without sticking out too much like a sore thumb. I would not expect them to agree with or understand what he was talking about. Those situations are always difficult.
June 28th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
What a great opportunity.
Is the interview between Mr. Warren and Dr. Horton going to be posted?
June 29th, 2010 at 8:15 am
You’re right Chris. You get the distinct feeling that what Mike is saying is anathema to most of the panelists, with maybe the exception of the other Presbyterian pastor. Mike is definitely the 800 lb. gorilla in the room.
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:20 pm
I was in an ethics class at Fuller Seminary a couple of years ago and they brought in a guest that was talking about the illegal immigrant problem. When I asked a question about evangelization of the people coming over the border, he waved off my question, saying most of them are Christians anyway. I no longer go to Fuller, but I certainly got the same casual disconnect of the Gospel from social justice and found it as disturbing during the interview as I did in the ethics class I took.
July 7th, 2010 at 11:28 am
I thought this was an awesome episode of truth talk done by Dr. Horton. I prayed nearly the whole time that when the camera moved to another person, while Mike was talking, that I would see them in agreement. In a few instances it happened; small seeds were planted; God was glorified through this.
July 9th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Is it “time for a global, humble, and effective conversation”?
For “A New World | Church | Conversation”?
Or is it time for proclamation of Christ’s truth regardless of its pragmatic, outward, humanistic effects?
Glad Mike got a place at the table, a foot in the door, blah, blah, blah. But WWP(orJ)D? Paul or Jesus: Would they merely want to plant seeds in this nefarious gathering, or would they reprove and rebuke and instruct in righteousness?
We are NOT all one.
July 9th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Mike’s final speech in Part 1 @ 60:58 is great:
“I just think we keep running away from the gospel in the name of ‘mission.’ Sometimes talking about ‘mission’ and ‘being missional’ and ‘being the gospel,’ and not talking about THE gospel, Jesus Christ, so that our children and grandchildren and we ourselves, really, uh, are deepened in it. We take the gospel ITSELF for granted, I think, in the church today.”
July 26th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Thanks for a great read and cool blog!
August 3rd, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Mike,
Why are you seeking to theologically ‘coexist’ with a panel of liberals?
Additionally, you are on record on this very blog criticizing Warren for his departure from that which accords with sound doctrine. (Arminianism) Also, his demotion of sin… What will it take for you to mark someone teaching a different gospel? He does not have the Gospel of Grace.
Why do you give the right hand of fellowship to a man deserving the left boot? Reprove this man. Warn him twice and then have nothing to do with him.
So called Christians in this Post-Christian, Post-modern culture need a coexist bumper sticker for themselves. Lines are blurred and false teaching is reduced to non-essential relativistic rhetoric.
Consider the sermon entitled ‘Outside the Camp’ by Charles Spurgeon and take heed. Read it here: http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols7-9/chs359.pdf
In love,
August 9th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Dr. Horton did a great job of keeping a cool head. I think I might have tore my robes, especially after the comment about “being silent” in prayer. We need less Roman Catholic mysticism and more saints fervent in prayer, petitioning God real concrete things according to His will. We do not have because we do not ask!
August 18th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
I just took a look at this. A friend of mine who subscribes to many of the same blogs I do pointed this out, and had reacted rather poorly to the idea of Dr. Horton “mixing” with the folks in the Social Justice/Purpose-Drive movements.
In part, I see her concern—I think it’s important to be clear about that with which we agree and that with which we do not. However, I also think that Dr. Horton has made it abundantly clear in his books that he is not “for” making the visible, evangelical church at-large into a social justice program, nor is he for following a purpose-driven/seeker-sensitive program. I think even Rick Warren was quite aware of this in his purposeful invite of Dr. Horton.
I also think that Dr. Horton did an excellent job representing what he knew would not be welcome to the folks in the same panel: the truth that the Gospel is the main thing, and should always be the main thing.
Thanks, Dr. Horton, for representing this perspective in one of the most difficult places to do so. I would have been a nervous wreck!
August 27th, 2010 at 10:16 am
My wife and I listened to this on Itunes. One thing was clear; when the gospel of christ was articulated as to project Him, the other panelists were somewhat ignorant or uneasy. You could almost insert, “Anyway, now moving to…” Their minds are untrained, and uneasy when they hear that message. Mike, “Preach the word, in and out of season.”
March 5th, 2011 at 6:34 pm
[...] at Rick Warren’s church at Saddleback Valley Baptist Church on June 10, 2010. Here is the link to the video of that. I watched it just a few days after the event and I thought that Dr. Horton was the one [...]
March 12th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
I would not expect them to agree with or understand what he was talking about.
Which is exactly why, if someone is going to participate in something like this, at the risk of appearing rude and confrontational (which I cannot imagine anyone applying credibly to Dr Horton even if he did speak more bluntly), he ought to have been more clear. Dr Horton is always a pleasure to listen to. But I don’t think that people who normally tune in to Saddleback goings-on would know that he is trying to take a poke at Rick’s methods, without saying that explicity.