A Good Husbandman
A good husbandman prays for the church to be a healthy and fruitful vineyard, reflecting Christ's glory and being an honor to Him.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the role of a pastor as a good husbandman, urging that a church should strive to be a healthy and fruitful vineyard that honors Jesus Christ. He reflects on the high priestly prayer of John 17, expressing a desire for the church to align with Christ's heart and fulfill His longing for a faithful community. Tozer prays for the church to be a source of satisfaction for Christ, where He can see the results of His sacrifice and be pleased. The sermon calls for pastors and congregations alike to cultivate spiritual vitality and commitment to God's purpose.
Text
Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. --John 17:24
I believe that a pastor who is content with a vineyard that is not at its best is not a good husbandman. It is my prayer that we may be a healthy and fruitful vineyard and that we may be an honor to the Well Beloved, Jesus Christ the Lord, that He might go before the Father and say, "These are mine for whom I pray, and they have heard the Word and have believed on Me." I pray that we might fit into the high priestly prayer of John 17, that we would be a church after Christ's own heart so that in us He might see the travail of His soul and be satisfied....
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. Rut, Rot or Revival: The Condition of the Church, 112,119.
"Lord, I long that Jesus Christ might indeed be satisfied with my own life and the lives of those whom He has called me to lead. Help me to be a faithful husbandman in whatever vineyard You place me. Amen."
Sermon Outline
- The Call to be a Good Husbandman
- The High Priestly Prayer of John 17
- The Condition of the Church
- Rut, Rot, or Revival
- The church should be a healthy and fruitful vineyard
Key Quotes
“I believe that a pastor who is content with a vineyard that is not at its best is not a good husbandman.” — A.W. Tozer
“I pray that we might fit into the high priestly prayer of John 17, that we would be a church after Christ's own heart so that in us He might see the travail of His soul and be satisfied.” — A.W. Tozer
“Lord, I long that Jesus Christ might indeed be satisfied with my own life and the lives of those whom He has called me to lead.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should pray for the church to be a healthy and fruitful vineyard, reflecting Christ's glory and being an honor to Him.
- We should strive to be a church after Christ's own heart, where He can see the travail of His soul and be satisfied.
- We should long for Jesus Christ to be satisfied with our lives and the lives of those we lead.