Admiring God
True worship involves not just gratitude, but admiration for who God is.
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.
Text
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.
Sermon Outline
- The Definition of Admiration
- According to the dictionary, admiration is regarding God with wonder and pleasure
- This definition is often lacking in Christian worship
Key Quotes
“Worship is elementary until it begins to take on the quality of admiration.” — A.W. Tozer
“We begin to grow up when our worship passes from thanksgiving to admiration.” — A.W. Tozer
“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.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must strive to move from thanksgiving to admiration in our worship.
- Admiration for who God is is essential for growing in our faith.
- Our worship should be characterized by lofty esteem for God's character.