The Falling of Life-Leaves
The sermon emphasizes the importance of making a change in life before it's too late, as time is running out and opportunities for growth are dwindling.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the urgency of making a change in one's spiritual life, warning that procrastination can lead to a deeper rut from which it becomes increasingly difficult to escape. He reflects on how people often feel emotionally stirred to improve their Christian walk but find those moments becoming less frequent. Tozer stresses that the time to act is now, as life is fleeting and opportunities are diminishing with each passing day. He poignantly reminds us that we do not know how many days we have left, urging listeners to seize the moment before it's too late. The metaphor of life as falling leaves serves as a powerful reminder of the transient nature of time and the importance of taking action.
Text
People who are in the rut, the circular grave, find that it is getting harder for them to change. They used to have spells when they were emotionally moved. Their wills got over on the side of God, and they really meant to make themselves into good Christians by the grace of God. But those times are getting fewer. They cannot afford to wait and say, "Oh, well, I will do it next Thanksgiving. I'll do it when I come home from vacation." No, they will either do it now or they will not do it at all. There comes a time when they must make a change. If they do not make it, they never will. Time is stealing away their days of opportunity to make it. They began with a given number of days, and they have already used up so many days.
But the tragedy is that they do not know how many remain.
They do not know how many they have left because they do not know how many they had to start with. While they could count the number of days they have been on the earth, they do not know how that stacks up to the number accorded them, so they do not know where they are. They only know that the days are doing what the poet said about the leaves. "The leaves of life keep falling one by one."
Sermon Outline
- The Rut of Life
- The Consequences of Delay
- The Falling of Life-Leaves
- A metaphor for the passage of time
- Leaves of life falling one by one
- A reminder to make the most of the time we have
Key Quotes
“The leaves of life keep falling one by one.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Make a change in your life now, before it's too late.
- Take advantage of the opportunities you have to grow and improve.
- Don't wait for the perfect moment to make a change, as the time for change may be shorter than you think.