4,000 saved during Saddleback’s Easter services
For the past 25 years, Easter services at Saddleback have been a time dedicated to changing lives. This year was no different as more than 4,000 people, the highest one-weekend total in the church’s history, checked boxes indicating they were committing their life to Christ.
"We just had a Pentecost, where God came down, God showed up and God worked," Pastor Rick [Warren] told the Saddleback staff on the following Tuesday morning, explaining that 3,000 people became believers on the Day of Pentecost detailed in Acts 2 ...
The message was a condensed presentation of Pastor Rick’s best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life. Each new believer received a copy of the book along with the items normally included in a new believers’ packet (a New Testament, worship CD and two helpful tapes on spiritual growth).
"We just had a Pentecost"? Only if we make one or two edits to Acts 2:
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, "Repent Commit your life to Christ and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ tick a box indicating that you have done so for the forgiveness of your sins to discover God's wonderful purpose for your life, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit a copy of my bestselling book, a New Testament, a worship CD and two helpful tapes on spiritual growth.
There are times I
really wish no-one had bothered with a headcount at Pentecost. Wonderful to know that "there were added that day about three thousand souls", but I'm not sure it set the healthiest example for those who came after...
