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  FLEEING THE RUT
  by A.W. Tozer
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Summary: The sermon emphasizes the importance of responding to God's
call and coming out of a state of spiritual stagnation, or 'rut'.

Topics: "Renewal", "Spiritual Growth"
Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:22-24, Hebrews 12:1, James 1:22, Revelation 3:15-16

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DESCRIPTION
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A.W. Tozer emphasizes the urgency of moving beyond spiritual stagnation,
urging believers to flee from the 'rut' that hinders their growth. He
illustrates the difference between a vibrant, responsive church and one
that is lifeless, comparing it to a living tree that reacts to being
pricked versus a dead one that shows no signs of life. Tozer challenges
his audience to reflect on their spiritual state and encourages those
who feel stuck to take action and seek renewal. He reassures that while
some may not resonate with his message, there are many who are alive in
faith and ready for transformation.

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CONTENT
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If we call Him Lord, how dare we sit any longer in the rut! The Lord has
called us to move on. But when people are in a rut, not even the angel
Gabriel can help them if they will not come out of it. This is not an
accusation but a suggestion. If you are not in a rut, don't get mad--
somebody else is. But if you are in a rut you ought to get out of it.
The difference between a wooden leg and a good leg is that if you prick
a wooden leg the person would never notice. The difference between a
church that has dry rot and a church that is alive is that if you prick
the live church it will respond. If you prick the other kind, it is
already dead. The tree that stands alive has lush, green leaves. Take a
knife, scar the bark deeply and the tree will bleed.

It is alive.

The old dead tree just stands there, a watchtower for old sentinel
crows. Take your knife and dig in as far as you want to, and nothing
will happen because the tree is dead. So it is with my message. If you
will get neither mad nor glad nor sad under my preaching, I know nothing
can be done. But there are some who are alive, and I believe it is the
majority.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/fleeing-the-rut/
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