The Need for Power From on High
To be effective in serving God, we must first be spiritually prepared and endued with power from on high.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the necessity of being spiritually prepared and empowered before engaging in ministry, as Christ instructed His disciples to wait for power from on high. He warns that unqualified individuals cannot effectively spread the Gospel, as they will only replicate their own spiritual deficiencies in others. True repentance leads to purified hearts and sanctified lives, which in turn enhances the effectiveness of soul-winning and missionary efforts. Tozer asserts that genuine obedience to Christ's teachings will result in greater spiritual fruitfulness and glorification of God in all endeavors.
Text
Christ told His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they had been endued with power from on high. This can only mean that He will not entrust His work to the unready and the unqualified. It is infinitely more important that we should be prepared for service than that we should win someone else to our subnormal spiritual condition. Soul-winning by persons who have not met the test of obedience to the Word of Christ must inevitably produce other professing Christians of the same spiritual stripe.
Missions carried on by persons not spiritually endued can but transplant an effete Christianity on a foreign shore, for be sure that no church founded in a heathen land will be any better than the spiritual lives of those who founded it.
Real repentance will result in purified hearts and sanctified lives. A hard and determined return to the pattern shown us in the mount will bring the smile of God upon our efforts. Then we shall experience not less soul-winning, but more. Then we shall have not fewer missionary activities, but more. Then whatever we do shall prosper (Psalm 1:3), and God shall be glorified in everything at home and abroad.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Being Prepared
- The Need for Spiritual Enduement
- The Result of Being Prepared
- Increased soul-winning and missionary activities
- Prosperity and God's glory in all endeavors
Key Quotes
“It is infinitely more important that we should be prepared for service than that we should win someone else to our subnormal spiritual condition.” — A.W. Tozer
“A hard and determined return to the pattern shown us in the mount will bring the smile of God upon our efforts.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must prioritize spiritual preparation and obedience to God's Word over winning others to Christ.
- Real repentance and a purified heart are essential for effective soul-winning and missionary activities.
- A hard and determined return to God's pattern will bring success and God's glory in all endeavors.