On October 27, the first day of the World Evangelical Alliance's 14th General Assembly, Rev. Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life and founder of Saddleback Church in the United States, urged churches around the world to unite in spreading the gospel to every nation by 2033—the two-thousandth anniversary of Christianity—following the example of Christ.
He reflected on his five-decade relationship with the Korean church, recalling his participation in Explo '74, which gathered one million Christians on Yeouido Island in Seoul. During that time, he led a young Korean woman to Christ at the Shinsegae Department Store using the "Four Spiritual Laws." Although he did not speak a single word of Korean, he said that God's love transcended all barriers. "That is the power of the gospel," Warren remarked. "You build a bridge of love between your heart and theirs, and you let Jesus walk across."
Rick Warren noted that the conference's theme, "The Gospel for Everyone by 2033," holds profound significance. The year 2033 marks not only the 2,000th anniversary of Christianity but also the 2,000th Pentecost. "What do we give Jesus on the 2,000th birthday of the body of Christ?" he asked. "He wants his lost children to be found," Pastor Warren concluded.
He stressed that the sole motivation for sharing the gospel with every person over the next eight years is that "God loves people." "Every drop of blood that fell from the cross was saying, 'I love you, I love you, I love you,'" he said. "The Bible says God is love—it doesn't say He has love. Because He is love; it is His nature and His character." Rev. Warren added that there has never been a moment in anyone's life, whether on good days or bad, when God did not love them. Nor has there ever been a person whom God does not love, does not desire to know, or does not have a purpose for.
To win the world for Christ, Rick Warren urged pastors worldwide to take Jesus Christ as their perfect model and to follow Jesus's method. Citing Luke 2:49, he explained that Jesus understood the purpose of His life even at the age of twelve. Throughout His three years of public ministry, Jesus continued to talk about "doing the Father's work" and "doing the will of Him who sent me." At the Last Supper, He told his disciples, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."
Warren outlined five key activities that characterized Jesus' earthly ministry, summarized by the acronym PEACE: Pass on the Good News (preaching), Equip Disciples (teaching), Alleviate Suffering (healing), Continually Pray (prayer), and Establish New Churches (church planting).
Originally published by the Christian Times
- Edited and translated by Poppy Chan
