The Purpose-Driven Latte...

So I went out to coffee with my good friend Ben Blakey tonight at the Starbucks on Bouquet with the expressed intent of getting homework done... I believe that in the hour we were there, I might have done about 5 minutes worth of homework. Anyway, I've become accustomed to evaluating the little bits of worldly philosophy typed onto the side of my paper coffee cup and matching it up to what I know the Bible says, and then usually smugly smirking at how "wise as a serpent yet harmless as a dove" I am being (amazing at how I can take sinful, self-exalting pride in doing something as mundane as critiquing a quotation). Well, back to my story. Imagine how surprised I was to read on the side of my Venti Caramel Macchiato (which, sad to say, was probably one of the worst Caramel Macchiatos I've ever had) something I actually began to find myself agreeing with!! In shock, I quickly skipped the rest of the quote and moved the little, oft-annoying sleeve thing to see who the author was, only to discover, lo and behold, the infamous name of Rick Warren, purported seeker-friendly preacher and pastor of San Dimas mega-church, Saddleback Church. I'll reprint the entire quote here:

You are not an accident. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He wanted you alive and created you for a purpose. Focusing on yourself will never reveal your purpose. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense. Only in God do we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny.

Ok, this question is for you if you are a TMC student (like myself) or a G-Comm attendee/member (also like myself): Is there anything wrong with this quote? Anything that flies in the face of Scripture? Anything you wouldn't hear a TMC prof say? I think I've actually heard Behle and Owen and Jensen each say something like this (or to the same effect) in one or more of their occasional didactic digressions. But the difference between Behle/Owen/Jensen and Warren is that I strongly believe that the first group of men are men of God, completely sold out for His glory.... and much of what I've heard of Warren is that he is man-centered and more interested in seeing the size of his congregation grow rather than the spiritual maturity of his congregation grow. I've never met Warren myself and I've only skimmed his work, but many godly men whom I trust claim that he's a bit sketch (to use a Master's term).

So what do we do with the coffee cup (please grant me the fact that we need to do anything at all)? Basically, what I'm asking, do we agree with correct teaching that comes out of the mouths of wayward brothers (don't get all over my case that I just called Warren a wayward brother-- let's face it, he's not always preaching the truth)? Paul seems to shed some light on this issue in Philippians 1:12-18a:

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Hmmmm..... in this case, Warren's quote is biblically accurate. Maybe I shouldn't flip out over the fact that it made the side of a Starbuck's coffee cup. Of course, I'd be more stoked if a quote from, let's say, Edwards, Mahaney, or MacArthur made the cut; but if it's the truth, then it's the truth. And possibly, just maybe, next time, if I get another of the same cup, I might be able to use it to witness to someone... that is, if I'm not too hung up on the fact that Rick Warren is on my Caramel Macchiato.