Here's another challenge from A. W. Tozer. When did you last sweat in a church service from what the preacher had to say?"Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" - Acts 2:37
Tozer writes:
I preach to my congregation week after week. And I pray that I may be able to preach with such convicting power that my people will sweat! I do not want them to leave my services feeling good. The last thing I want to do is to give them some kind of religious tranquilizer-and let them go to hell in their relaxation.
The Christian church was designed to make sinners sweat. I have always believed that, and I still believe it. The messages preached in our churches should make backslidden Christians sweat. And if I achieve that objective when I preach, I thank God with all of my heart, no matter what people think of me.
taken from Jesus Is Victor!, pages 61-62.
"Lord, help me to preach with boldness, not concerned with 'what people think of me.' Amen."
"When did you last sweat in a church service from what the preacher had to say?"
ReplyDeleteWant an answer to this? I'll tell you: Both on Friday AND Sunday! And it happens to me all the time...
That's my church. Plain, bare gospel, as it is - no watering down. Full of mercy, but still oh so convicting - that makes the mercy part very much needed *grin*