A Church Church
The ideal church is a healthy, fruitful vineyard that honors Christ, marked by beautiful simplicity, Christian love, and childlike candor.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that the church should embody a healthy and fruitful vineyard that honors Christ, characterized by simplicity, love, and humility. He envisions a community where gossip is absent, and each member serves selflessly, fostering an atmosphere of childlike honesty and reverence. Tozer asserts that the presence of Christ should be palpable, with answered prayers and miracles being commonplace, reflecting the church's alignment with scriptural standards. He challenges the congregation to believe in this vision and to pursue a radical transformation that recaptures the ancient power of God. The call is for a reformation that breaks away from the prevailing religious mood to achieve this ideal church.
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The church should be a healthy, fruitful vineyard that will bring honor to Christ, a church after Christ's own heart where He can look at the travail of His soul and be satisfied. Among the people should be a beautiful simplicity and a radiant Christian love so it would impossible to find gossips and talebearers. There should be a feeling of humble reverence and an air of joyous informality, where each one esteems others better than himself or herself, where everyone is willing to serve but no one jockeys to serve.
Childlike candor without duplicity or dishonesty should mark the church, and the presence of Christ should be felt and the fragrance of His garments smelled by His beloved. Prayers should be answered so regularly that we think nothing of it. It would be common because God is God, and we are His people. When necessary, miracles would not be uncommon. Is that, in the light of Scripture, unreasonable and undesirable to expect of a church? . . . Is this impossible? Is anything impossible with God?
Is anything impossible where the Lord Jesus Christ is? Is this unscriptural? No! The only thing that is unscriptural about this vision is that it is not up to the standard of Scripture yet. The scriptural standards are still high. If you answer, "No, it is not unreasonable, undesirable or impossible," then you are saying you believe in this. If you believe in this, if you would like to become the church that could begin this reformation, this change toward the better, this recapturing of the ancient power of God in the souls of people, then there must be a radical psychological break with the prevailing religious mood.
Sermon Outline
- The Ideal Church
- Characteristics of the Ideal Church
- Expecting Miracles
- The Call to Radical Change
- Breaking with the prevailing religious mood
- Miracles not uncommon
- Childlike candor without duplicity
Key Quotes
“A church after Christ's own heart where He can look at the travail of His soul and be satisfied.” — A.W. Tozer
“Childlike candor without duplicity or dishonesty should mark the church, and the presence of Christ should be felt and the fragrance of His garments smelled by His beloved.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must be willing to break with the prevailing religious mood to achieve the ideal church vision.
- A church that honors Christ must be marked by beautiful simplicity, Christian love, and childlike candor.
- With God, nothing is impossible, and with the Lord Jesus Christ, anything is possible.