Saddleback Church founder and renowned evangelist Rick Warren, issuing an appeal for Christian leaders to mirror Jesus’ ministry model, outlined five essentials he says believers must practice to win the world for Christ.
Addressing an in-person audience at SaRang Church on Monday evening during day one of the World Evangelical Alliance’s 14th General Assembly, Warren said the approach he follows is not American or from any nation but God’s own method, which means “it's perfect.”
Drawing on his experience leading what he described as the only church in Christian history to plant churches in 197 countries, Warren contrasted that missional focus with some megachurches he said “are not healthy” and uninterested in sharing the Gospel globally.
Calling attention to John 12:49, Warren observed, “Probably most pastors in this room have never preached on this verse,” and quoted Jesus: “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.”
He then presented “five things that Jesus did in His ministry” that he believes the global Body of Christ must embrace to complete its mission, stressing from the Gospel of John that knowing “how to say it” forms “the biblical foundation for finishing the task of the Great Commission.”
“If there was a better way to win the world, Jesus would've used it,” he added, lamenting that “Many of us in our churches only get half the blessing of Jesus because we adopt this message, but we do not adopt this method.”
Warren said he has witnessed it work “in the desert, in very small villages and in giant megacities,” calling it “transcultural,” and summarized the steps with the acronym PEACE: pass on the good news; equip disciples; alleviate suffering — preaching, teaching and healing; continually pray; and establish new churches.
Appealing to shared priorities, Warren declared, “If you want the blessing of God on your life, if you want the power of God in your life, if you want the anointing of God on your life, you must care about what Jesus cares about most. He wants His lost children found. And as long as there's one person that doesn't know Him, we are commanded to keep reaching out,” pointing to John 4:34, John 5:36 and John 6:38.
Explaining that Jesus’ example for the Twelve extended beyond a single act, Warren said He “wasn’t just talking about washing their feet,” but to everything taught over three-and-a-half years, insisting “That's the model,” with references to John 13:17 and John 17.
Warren stated, “This is something most Christians don't understand. We don't get blessed for knowing the Bible. We get blessed for doing,” adding, “The Bible says be doers of the Word. Almost every sermon, Jesus says, ‘Go and do likewise.’”
Linking proclamation and compassion, he noted that Jesus preached and healed and that the global Church has mirrored this through churches, schools, and hospitals, asserting, “This is part of the model of Christ. This is why in every nation of the world, the first hospital and the first university were started by a Christian mission.”
Concluding with a call to action, Warren exhorted, “Do evangelism as He did; disciple as He did, and do ministry to the poor and the sick and the hurting. Pray like He did and build this church like He did.”
