More Than Religion
True worship is a constant and consistent attitude or state of mind within the believer, a sustained and blessed acknowledgement of love and admiration.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that true worship transcends mere religious practices and is rooted in a believer's constant attitude of love and admiration for God. He asserts that genuine worship is not confined to church services but is a continuous acknowledgment of our kinship with God, awakened by the Holy Spirit through regeneration. This inner response to God's forgiveness and the miracle of spiritual rebirth is essential for experiencing the kingdom of God. Tozer highlights that the Holy Spirit's primary role is to restore our intimate fellowship with God, enabling us to worship authentically.
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Contrary to much that is being said and practiced in churches, true worship is not something that we "do" in the hope of appearing to be religious! True worship must be a constant and consistent attitude or state of mind within the believer, a sustained and blessed acknowledgement of love and admiration. If we have this awareness in our own lives and experience, then it is evident that we are not just waiting for Sunday to come to church and worship. Having been made in His image, we have within us the capacity to know God and the instinct that we should worship Him.
The very moment that the Spirit of God has quickened us to His life in regeneration, our whole being senses its kinship to God and leaps up in joyous recognition!
That response within our beings, a response to the forgiveness and pardon and regeneration, signals the miracle of the heavenly birth-without which we cannot see the kingdom of God. Thus the primary work of the Holy Spirit is to restore the lost soul to intimate fellowship with God through the washing of regeneration.
Sermon Outline
- True Worship is Not a Performance
- The Capacity for Worship
- The Response to Regeneration
- The Spirit of God quickens us to His life
- Our being senses its kinship to God and leaps up in joyous recognition
Key Quotes
“True worship must be a constant and consistent attitude or state of mind within the believer, a sustained and blessed acknowledgement of love and admiration.” — A.W. Tozer
“The very moment that the Spirit of God has quickened us to His life in regeneration, our whole being senses its kinship to God and leaps up in joyous recognition!” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must cultivate a constant and consistent attitude of worship in our lives.
- We have the capacity to know God and should respond to Him with joy and recognition.
- Regeneration is the miracle that signals our heavenly birth and restores us to intimate fellowship with God.