Spiritual Fervor or Frenzied Activity
God desires a zealous hunger for Him, characterized by love, self-effacement, and lowliness.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that the quality of zeal, rather than its quantity, is what truly matters to God. He points out that genuine zeal should lead to repentance and a deeper relationship with God, contrasting it with frenzied activity that lacks true purpose. Tozer warns against the lukewarmness prevalent in many Christians today, advocating for a fervent hunger for God and a desire for holiness. He highlights that true zeal is characterized by love and selflessness, which ultimately glorifies God and benefits others, while self-centered zeal is detrimental. The sermon calls for a return to a sincere and humble pursuit of righteousness.
Text
Not the quantity of zeal matters to God, but the quality. The significant question is not how zealous is the Christian but why is he zealous and to what does his zeal lead? To the church at Laodicea our Lord said, "Be zealous, therefore, and repent" (Revelation 3:19, KJV). The zeal that leads to penitence, restitution and amendment of life is surely dear to God. The ardor that drives a man to his knees in intercession for others was found in men like Moses, Daniel and Ezra; but there is a kind of zeal that gives to the world such misshapen religious examples as Joseph Smith and Mary Baker Eddy.
That many Christians in our day are lukewarm and somnolent will not be denied by anyone with an anointed eye, but the cure is not to stir them up to a frenzy of activity. That would be but to take them out of one error and into another. What we need is a zealous hunger for God, an avid thirst after righteousness, a pain-filled longing to be Christlike and holy. We need a zeal that is loving, self-effacing and lowly. No other kind will do.
That pure love for God and men which expresses itself in a burning desire to advance God's glory and leads to poured-out devotion to the temporal and eternal welfare of our fellow men is certainly approved of God; but the nervous, squirrel-cage activity of self-centered and ambitious religious leaders is just as certainly offensive to Him and will prove at last to have been injurious to the souls of countless millions of human beings.
Sermon Outline
- The Quality of Zeal
- Zeal that Leads to Repentance
- Dangers of Frenzied Activity
- The Kind of Zeal God Approves
- A zeal that is loving, self-effacing and lowly is approved of God
- Examples of pure love for God and men
Key Quotes
“Not the quantity of zeal matters to God, but the quality.” — A.W. Tozer
“The zeal that leads to penitence, restitution and amendment of life is surely dear to God.” — A.W. Tozer
“We need a zeal that is loving, self-effacing and lowly.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- I need to examine my zeal and ensure it is driven by a love for God and a desire to advance His glory.
- I should strive for a zealous hunger for God, rather than just going through the motions of religiosity.
- A loving, self-effacing, and lowly attitude is essential for my zeal to be approved by God.