Some New Mystery Bagged
The sermon warns against the temptation to seek new and unimportant things, and instead encourages faithfulness to God's Word.
A.W. Tozer addresses the tendency of some Christians to seek out new and obscure teachings instead of focusing on the foundational truths of the faith. He warns against the allure of chasing after mysteries that are not rooted in Scripture, which can lead to confusion and distraction from the core tenets of Christianity. Tozer emphasizes the importance of remaining faithful to God's Word and understanding its profound truths without succumbing to the temptation of novelty for the sake of reputation. He encourages believers to seek wisdom and understanding while avoiding the pitfalls of dogmatism based on uncertain interpretations.
Text
For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. --Acts 17:21
The temptation to forget the few spiritual essentials and to go wandering off after unimportant things is very strong, especially to Christians of a certain curious type of mind. Such persons find the great majors of the faith of our fathers altogether too tame for them. Their souls loathe that light bread; their appetites crave the gamy tang of fresh-killed meat. They take great pride in their reputation as being mighty hunters before the Lord, and any time we look out we may see them returning from the chase with some new mystery hanging limply over their shoulder.
Usually the game they bring down is something on which there is a biblical closed season. Some vague hint in the Scriptures, some obscure verse about which the translators disagree, some marginal note for which there is not much scholarly authority: these are their favorite meat. They are especially skillful at propounding notions which have never been a part of the Christian heritage of truth. Their enthusiasm mounts with the uncertainty of their position, and their dogmatism grows firmer in proportion to the mystery which surrounds their subject. The Next Chapter After the Last, 12-13.
"Lord, keep me faithful to Your Word, give me understanding of the unfathomable truths contained therein, but deliver me from that danger of seeking some new insight to enhance my reputation as some kind of brilliant scholar. Amen."
Sermon Outline
- The Temptation to Seek New Things
- The Characteristics of the Curious Type of Mind
- The Dangers of Unbiblical Speculation
- A Prayer for Faithfulness to God's Word
- Faithfulness to the Word
- Understanding of unfathomable truths
- Deliverance from seeking new insights
Key Quotes
“Their souls loathe that light bread; their appetites crave the gamy tang of fresh-killed meat.” — A.W. Tozer
“Lord, keep me faithful to Your Word, give me understanding of the unfathomable truths contained therein, but deliver me from that danger of seeking some new insight to enhance my reputation as some kind of brilliant scholar.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should be careful not to forget the spiritual essentials and get caught up in seeking new and unimportant things.
- Pride in being a 'mighty hunter' before the Lord can lead to seeking new insights to enhance one's reputation, rather than seeking God's truth.
- We should pray for faithfulness to God's Word and deliverance from seeking new insights.