Mastering Our Medium
Ministers must master language to effectively communicate the gospel and honor God.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the divine honor bestowed upon human speech as the primary medium for conveying God's message of salvation through the Scriptures and various languages. He laments the neglect of this precious gift, particularly by busy individuals and ministers, who fail to master the language necessary for effective preaching. Tozer argues that just as artists and musicians must master their mediums, so too must ministers be skilled in language to communicate God's truth effectively. The sermon calls for a renewed commitment to the art of language in preaching, highlighting its importance in glorifying God and blessing humanity.
Text
God has honored human speech by using it as a medium through which to express His message of salvation, first in the inspired Scriptures and afterwards in a thousand languages and dialects among the nations of mankind. Language is the mighty organ upon which may be played the joyous oratorio of redemption for the blessing of men and for the high honor of God.
Among the countless gifts of God, one of the most precious to us is our beautiful, expressive English tongue. That such a gift should be neglected by busy men and women in their wild race to make a living is at least understandable, if unfortunate; but that it should be neglected as well by the ministers of the sanctuary is not only impossible to understand but completely inexcusable.
For the very reason that God has committed His saving truth to the receptacle of human language, the man who preaches that truth should be more than ordinarily skillful in the use of language. It is necessary that every artist master his medium, every musician his instrument. For a man calling himself a concert pianist to appear before an audience with but a beginner's acquaintance with the keyboard would be no more absurd than for a minister of the gospel to appear before his congregation without a thorough knowledge of the language in which he expects to preach.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Human Speech
- The Neglect of Language
- Mastering Our Medium
- Every artist must master their medium
- Ministers must master language to preach effectively
Key Quotes
“Language is the mighty organ upon which may be played the joyous oratorio of redemption for the blessing of men and for the high honor of God.” — A.W. Tozer
“For a man calling himself a concert pianist to appear before an audience with but a beginner's acquaintance with the keyboard would be no more absurd than for a minister of the gospel to appear before his congregation without a thorough knowledge of the language in which he expects to preach.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Ministers should prioritize mastering language to preach the gospel effectively.
- Neglecting language is a serious oversight for ministers, and they should take steps to improve their skills.
- Mastering one's medium is essential for effective communication and conveying one's message.