Encountering God
To receive God's best and bring renewed spiritual life to others, a person must first experience personal revival by seeking God alone and meeting Him personally.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that to receive God's best, one must engage in a personal relationship with Him, independent of the collective state of the church. He asserts that individual revival is essential before one can influence others, as every significant leader in faith has first encountered God alone. This personal encounter with the Holy Spirit allows individuals to be transformed and equipped to bring renewal to their communities. Tozer encourages believers to seek personal revival, highlighting that God's attention is focused on the individual heart.
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The man that will have God's best becomes at once the object of the personal attention of the Holy Spirit. Such a man will not be required to wait for the rest of the church to come alive. He will not be penalized for the failures of his fellow Christians, nor be asked to forego the blessing till his sleepy brethren catch up. God deals with the individual heart as exclusively as if only one existed.
If this should seem to be an unduly individualistic approach to revival, let it be remembered that religion is personal before it can be social. Every prophet, every reformer, every revivalist had to meet God alone before he could help the multitudes. The great leaders who went on to turn thousands to Christ had to begin with God and their own soul.
The plain Christian of today must experience personal revival before he can hope to bring renewed spiritual life to his church.
Sermon Outline
- The Personal Attention of the Holy Spirit
- God's best is reserved for those who seek Him personally
- The Holy Spirit deals with individual hearts exclusively
Key Quotes
“God deals with the individual heart as exclusively as if only one existed.” — A.W. Tozer
“Religion is personal before it can be social.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- To experience personal revival, seek God alone and meet Him personally.
- Recognize that religion is personal before it can be social, and personal revival is necessary to bring renewed spiritual life to others.
- Do not wait for others to catch up before seeking God's best, as the Holy Spirit deals with individual hearts exclusively.