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Rick Warren reminds Christians that 'Earth is just a temporary assignment'

Megachurch Pastor Rick Warren advises Christians to set their goals up high and not confine themselves with worldly goals as he reminds the temporary nature of man's life on Earth.

A screengrab from a video of Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church delivering a sermon about trust. | Youtube / Pastor Rick Warren

The senior pastor and founder of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California reminds Christians that God did not intend them to make Earth their home.

"It's important to remember that life on Earth is just a temporary assignment. Knowing this truth should radically alter your values and fix your attention on the things that are eternally important," wrote the 62-year-old pastor on his blog on Aug. 8.

Pastor Warren quoted 2 Corinthians 4:18 TEV to encourage fellow Christians to set their sights up high.

The verse says, "For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever."

The New York Times best-selling author of "The Purpose Driven Life" also blasted the teachings of prosperity preachers and warned the dangers of falling into such fallacy. He believes that God didn't put His people on Earth merely to attain material success or abundance. He cited how the lives of leading Biblical figures such as that of Paul and John the Baptist shows this. He reminded readers that Paul ended up in prison while John the Baptist got his head chopped off. He also pointed on the millions of Christian martyrs who lost everything even until the end of their lives, yet, all these people proved their faithfulness in God.

"Faithfulness to God does not guarantee success in a career or even in ministry," he concluded.

"Remember that you are not home yet. At death you won't leave home — you'll go home," wrote the pastor as a consolation for faithful Christians.

In an earlier blog, Pastor Warren described God's kingdom and God's family as the only things that would outlast everything else when the time comes. In this view, he urged Christians to join a spiritual family and thereby make the most significant thing they can do in their lives.