ONLY WARREN CAN GO TO NORTH KOREA

The spokesperson told Associated Baptist Press that Warren is expected to speak during the summer of 2007.
Warren acknowledged his trip could be used by the Korean government for propaganda or further persecution, but he said it is worth the risks.
He also asked church members to pray for him in his travels.
According to a Religion News Service report, North Korean leaders will allow Warren to preach in a stadium that will seat 15,000 people. Warren may preach in a larger venue if he can fill the seats, he said.
Saddleback members celebrated the news as a victory for religious freedom. But some critics said it will only bolster North Korea's oppressive regime.
Ingrid Schlueter, producer and co-host of a Christian talk show on the VCY America Radio Network, called Warren’s visit a “massive propaganda event in promotion of the world's most brutal and oppressive regime." In a July 4 column for the right-wing Christian Worldview Network website, Schlueter said Warren won't "call the communist faithful to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" because he preaches a “man-centered, counterfeit gospel.”
“Not for a moment do these leaders worry that they will have a Christian revival on their hands by letting Mr. Warren speak," she said. "Rick Warren is loved and feted because his message is absent the cross and Christ's call to die. That's why he is popular and politically useful.”
Schlueter also compared Warren’s trip to Billy Graham’s visit to communist Russia in 1982, during which Graham "became a shill for the Communist Party in Russia."
Warren had told his congregants that he called Graham to ask for advice on his trip, since Graham traveled on a brief, tightly controlled tour of North Korea in 1992.
Warren acknowledged North Korean leaders may exploit his trip. "I know they're going to use me, so I'm going to use them," Warren told reporters.

A few points of comment:

- Because North Korea is a closed, poor and backwards society in relation to the rest of the world, I question the awareness of the North Korean people to the nuclear issue that is otherwise known throughout the rest of the world.

- Warren is correct: this is a great opportunity (from God!) to preach the Gospel message to the people of North Korea at a time when the threat of nuclear war is growing in that region. To not go would be unchristian.

- For the last fifteen years (after the fall of European communism), the remaining Communist countries (Asia and Central America) have been slowly adopting an approach of “religious glasnost”. The Spirit is moving in these societies and the communist leaders are attempting to deal with it. Part of their response is to allow some greater freedom of religious expression. Hence, Billy Graham to North Korea, Pope John Paul II to Cuba, and Warren to North Korea. But just like the economic glasnost of the Soviet Union, such a policy, I believe, will ultimately lead to the downfall of these communist regimes. I have considered the possibility that perhaps the current communist regimes no longer see Christianity as the threat it once did. However, if so, they are quite blind and let’s let them continue to be so.

- Christianity has a great track record of helping to liberate people from communist societies. Examples:

o The ministry of Pope John Paul II in Eastern Europe
o The writings of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
o The underground Christian movement in Romania
o The ministry of Billy Graham
o Christianity’s general opposition to the Soviet Union in Europe

- In many respects, this is the modern equivalent of Paul going to Rome.

- In most respects, Rick Warren is our generation’s Billy Graham. I say that quite seriously with not any aspect of hyperbole.

- I am anxious to hear Warren’s message.

I myself considered a scenario in which I was given such an opportunity in order to state what my message would be. Naturally, in an actual event, I would precede such considerations with copious days of prayer and fasting, but for this exercise I did not seem necessary.

Certainly, the sermon would be a presentation of the THE Gospel message. Of course, the focus of the sermon would be JESUS. I note that the critic cited in this article Ms. Ingrid Schlueter, labeled any message that Warren would give as a “man-centered, counterfeit gospel.” I do believe this person is ignorant either of Warren’s message or the message of the Gospel. I am always intrigued by those who deem another persons gospel message or theology as “man-centered”. Usually (though I do not know in her case), the person making such a statement prefers a “God-centered” gospel and theology. In my own exploration of the gospel and theology, I have always seen both the positives and negatives of both “man-centered” and “God-centered” gospels and theologies. To this end (in the great tradition of Protestantism, neo-orthodoxy, “moderate” Baptist theology, and basically what I believe to be the approach most obviously advocated in the NT), I have a adopted a Christ-centered gospel and theology. One plus to such an approach is that it has all the benefits of both “man-centered” and “God-centered” gospels and theologies with none of the drawbacks. Therefore, I would preach Christ. I will always preach Christ. The day that I decide not to preach Christ in a message is the day I hope that God “calls me home”.

In this vein, here are my hypothetical N. Korean sermon topics:

• Christ
• The Gospel
• Man made in the image of God
• The Greatest and Second Greatest Commandments
• NT Ethics in General
• Soul competency
• Priesthood of the believer (equality)
• Peace, love of enemies, etc.
• God loves them.
• “End of the Spear” as illustration
• Salvation by Grace through Faith in Christ


Given enough time, I would weave all of these topics and points together to make one grand presentation of the Gospel message of Christ in their context and what their appropriate response should be. But that is just me.

I am sure that Warren will give a good message which I am anxious to hear. Really, what an opportunity! I do believe that every Christian should pray for Warren and his message during this missionary visit. I am sure (given Saddleback’s modus operandi) that they will have people praying constantly (Billy Graham does a similar thing during his crusades). Nevertheless, I would like to see very many Christians praying for this mission. One would hope that “pastor envy” will not get in the way of an individual’s desire to see the Gospel preached – though I know it does.

I do have one question, though: will Bibles written in Korean be allowed? I would certainly hope that Warren and company will be able to distribute Bibles to the people. In a communist country it may not be allowed. Or it might be allowed in order to easily find and persecute believers. Again, it is a risk to take in order to preach the gospel.