Adoring Worship
The sermon emphasizes the importance of cultivating a deep and personal love for Christ, rather than just a strong and intellectual respect for Him.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the profound nature of adoration in worship, noting that while the term may not appear in the King James Bible, the essence of loving God is vividly present. He reflects on the passionate love that biblical figures like David and Paul exhibited towards God, suggesting that true love for Christ can lead to actions that may seem irrational to outsiders. Tozer critiques modern Christianity for lacking this deep, personal love for Christ, arguing that much of the worship in conservative circles is often insincere and lacks genuine fervor. He calls for a revival of heartfelt adoration that transcends mere ritualistic praise.
Text
Neither the word adoration nor any of its forms is found in our familiar King James Bible, but the idea is there in full bloom. The great Bible saints were, above all, enraptured lovers of God. The psalms celebrate the love which David (and a few others) felt for the person of God. As suggested above, Paul admitted that the love of God was in his breast a kind of madness: ?For whether we be beside ourselves, it is of God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us? (2 Cor. 5:13-14).
In Weymouth?s translation the passage reads, ?For the love of Christ overmasters us.?
The idea appears to be that Paul?s love for Christ carried him beyond himself and made him do extravagant things which to a mind untouched with the delights of such love might seem quite irrational. Perhaps the most serious charge that can be brought against modern Christians is that we are not sufficiently in love with Christ. The Christ of Fundamentalism is strong but hardly beautiful. It is rarely that we find anyone aglow with personal love for Christ. I trust it is not uncharitable to say that in my opinion a great deal of praise in conservative circles is perfunctory and forced, where it is not downright insincere.
Sermon Outline
- The Idea of Adoration
- The Nature of Adoration
- The Problem of Modern Christianity
- Lack of Love for Christ
- A Strong but Not Beautiful Christ
Key Quotes
“For the love of Christ constraineth us” — A.W. Tozer
“The Christ of Fundamentalism is strong but hardly beautiful” — A.W. Tozer
“Perhaps the most serious charge that can be brought against modern Christians is that we are not sufficiently in love with Christ” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should strive to cultivate a deeper love for Christ by spending time with Him in prayer and Bible study.
- A lack of love for Christ can lead to perfunctory and insincere praise, and can also lead to a lack of passion and devotion in our lives.
- We should seek to understand Christ's character and nature, and to see Him as a beautiful and loving person, rather than just a strong and respected figure.