'Religion' Deterioration
Religion deteriorates like people and institutions, and it requires constant revival and renewal to avoid degeneration.
A.W. Tozer addresses the inevitable deterioration of religion, comparing it to the natural aging process and the decay of fruit. He illustrates this decline through the history of Israel, noting how they began to falter shortly after their deliverance from Egypt, even before reaching the Red Sea. Despite experiencing revival, the Israelites quickly degenerated during their wilderness journey, leading to a prolonged period of wandering. Tozer emphasizes that this pattern of moral decline is evident in the succession of Israel's kings, where each generation continued in the evil ways of the previous one. The sermon serves as a sobering reminder of the need for vigilance in faith to prevent spiritual decay.
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This is hard for people to face up to. Religion deteriorates just as fruit rots and just as people get old in spite of all they try to do at the drug stores. It is inevitable that we get old, and so it is with religion. It is built-in that we start to deteriorate shortly after God comes and blesses us. Look what happened to Israel. God called Israel out of Egypt, and it began to deteriorate before it reached the Red Sea. Then He gave it a revival by taking it through the Red Sea and into the wilderness. But Israel started to degenerate before it had gone 20 miles in the wilderness. As a result the people eventually wandered for 40 years. You can follow the history of Israel and see the story of the kings. It is a depressing story.
Here is a man.
He lived and did evil in the sight of the Lord. He had a son, and his son did evil in the sight of the Lord as his father before him. The status quo was maintained.
Sermon Outline
- The Inevitability of Deterioration
- The Pattern of Israel
- The Cycle of Sin
- The status quo is maintained
- Evil is passed down from generation to generation
Key Quotes
“It is inevitable that we get old, and so it is with religion.” — A.W. Tozer
“The status quo was maintained.” — A.W. Tozer
“Evil is passed down from generation to generation.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must be aware of the inevitability of deterioration in our own lives and in the lives of our institutions.
- We need to seek constant revival and renewal to avoid degeneration.
- We must break the cycle of sin by making a conscious effort to change and seek God.