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  'RELIGION' DETERIORATION
  by A.W. Tozer
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Summary: Religion deteriorates like people and institutions, and it
requires constant revival and renewal to avoid degeneration.

Topics: "Vigilance in Faith", "Spiritual Decline"
Scripture References: Exodus 14:10

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DESCRIPTION
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A.W. Tozer addresses the inevitable deterioration of religion, comparing
it to the natural aging process and the decay of fruit. He illustrates
this decline through the history of Israel, noting how they began to
falter shortly after their deliverance from Egypt, even before reaching
the Red Sea. Despite experiencing revival, the Israelites quickly
degenerated during their wilderness journey, leading to a prolonged
period of wandering. Tozer emphasizes that this pattern of moral decline
is evident in the succession of Israel's kings, where each generation
continued in the evil ways of the previous one. The sermon serves as a
sobering reminder of the need for vigilance in faith to prevent
spiritual decay.

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CONTENT
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This is hard for people to face up to. Religion deteriorates just as
fruit rots and just as people get old in spite of all they try to do at
the drug stores. It is inevitable that we get old, and so it is with
religion. It is built-in that we start to deteriorate shortly after God
comes and blesses us. Look what happened to Israel. God called Israel
out of Egypt, and it began to deteriorate before it reached the Red Sea.
Then He gave it a revival by taking it through the Red Sea and into the
wilderness. But Israel started to degenerate before it had gone 20 miles
in the wilderness. As a result the people eventually wandered for 40
years. You can follow the history of Israel and see the story of the
kings. It is a depressing story.

Here is a man.

He lived and did evil in the sight of the Lord. He had a son, and his
son did evil in the sight of the Lord as his father before him. The
status quo was maintained.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/religion-deterioration/
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