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  ADMIRING GOD
  by A.W. Tozer
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Summary: True worship involves not just gratitude, but admiration for
who God is.

Topics: "Worship", "Admiration of God"
Scripture References: Exodus 3:14, 1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 95:6, Psalm 100:4, Psalm 145:3, Isaiah 6:3, John 4:24, Romans 11:33, Hebrews 12:28-29, Revelation 4:11

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DESCRIPTION
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A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of admiring God, suggesting that
true worship transcends mere gratitude for blessings and moves into a
realm of elevated esteem and delight in God's nature. He notes that
while many Christians express thankfulness for salvation and answered
prayers, few truly admire God for who He is. Tozer argues that worship
becomes more profound when it shifts from self-centeredness to a genuine
appreciation of God's majesty and character. This transition from
thanksgiving to admiration signifies spiritual maturity and aligns
worship with the joy experienced in heaven. Ultimately, Tozer calls for
a deeper, more selfless worship that reflects God's greatness.

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CONTENT
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The dictionary says that to admire is ?to regard with wondering esteem
accompanied by pleasure and delight; to look at or upon with an elevated
feeling of pleasure.? According to this definition, God has few admirers
among Christians today. Many are they who are grateful for His goodness
in providing salvation. At Thanksgiving time the churches ring with
songs of gratitude that ?all is safely gathered in.? Testimony meetings
are mostly devoted to recitations of incidents where someone got into
trouble and got out again in answer to prayer. To decry this would be
uncharitable and unscriptural for there is much of the same thing in the
Book of Psalms. It is good and right to render unto God thanksgiving for
all His mercies to us.

But God?s admirers, where are they?

The simple truth is that worship is elementary until it begins to take
on the quality of admiration. Just as long as the worshiper is engrossed
with himself and his good fortune, he is a babe. We begin to grow up
when our worship passes from thanksgiving to admiration. As our hearts
rise to God in lofty esteem for that which He is (?I AM THAT I AM?), we
begin to share a little of the selfless pleasure which is the portion of
the blessed in heaven.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/admiring-god/
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