Buried Under the Snow
The sermon emphasizes the importance of teaching truth, highlighting the consequences of not doing so and calling for a renewed focus on the Holy Spirit's ministry.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the danger of allowing vital truths, such as the power of prayer and the fullness of the Holy Spirit, to become neglected and unpracticed within the church. He illustrates this through the experience of a couple seeking healing, who found their church's teachings lacking despite the pastor's belief in prayer. Tozer calls for a revival of these truths, urging believers to not only acknowledge their existence but to actively teach and live them out. He prays for the church to experience the active presence of the Holy Spirit, rather than letting these essential doctrines remain buried under the snow of inactivity.
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Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. --Matthew 13:58
How many blessed truths have gotten snowed under. People believe them, but they are just not being taught, that is all. I think of our experience this morning. Here was a man and his wife, a very fine intelligent couple from another city. They named the church to which they belonged, and I instantly said, "That is a fine church!" "Oh, yes," they said, "but they don't teach what we came over here for." They came over because they were ill and wanted to be scripturally anointed for healing. So I got together two missionaries, two preachers, and an elder, and we anointed them and prayed for them. If you were to go to that church where they attend and say to the preacher, "Do you believe that the Lord answers prayer and heals the sick?" he would reply, "Sure, I do!" He believes it, but he doesn't teach it, and what you don't believe strongly enough to teach doesn't do you any good.
It is the same with the fullness of the Holy Ghost. Evangelical Christianity believes it, but nobody experiences it. It lies under the snow, forgotten. I am praying that God may be able to melt away the ice from this blessed truth, and let it spring up again alive, that the Church and the people who hear may get some good out of it and not merely say "I believe" while it is buried under the snow of inactivity and nonattention. How to Be Filled With the Spirit, 18-19.
"Lord, don't let me be guilty of keeping the truth of the Holy Spirit's ministry 'buried under the snow.' Help me to both teach and live the active presence and controlling power of the Holy Spirit today. Amen."
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Teaching Truth
- The Example of the Church
- A Call to Action
- Praying for the Holy Spirit's ministry
- Teaching and living the active presence and controlling power of the Holy Spirit
Key Quotes
“How many blessed truths have gotten snowed under. People believe them, but they are just not being taught, that is all.” — A.W. Tozer
“Lord, don't let me be guilty of keeping the truth of the Holy Spirit's ministry 'buried under the snow.' Help me to both teach and live the active presence and controlling power of the Holy Spirit today. Amen.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must teach truth in order for it to be effective and bring about change in our lives.
- The fullness of the Holy Ghost is not experienced due to inactivity and nonattention.
- We must pray for the Holy Spirit's ministry and live the active presence and controlling power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.