Insight for Leaders [A.W. Tozer Devotional]

Failure and Success: Crowds at Any Price

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge-by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.... --1 Timothy 6:20-21

The crowds-at-any-price mania has taken a firm grip on American Christianity and is the motivating power back of a shockingly high percentage of all religious activity. Men and churches compete for the attention of the paying multitudes who are brought in by means of any currently popular gadget or gimmick ostensibly to have their souls saved, but, if the truth were told, often for reasons not so praiseworthy as this....

Our constant effort should be to reach as many persons as possible with the Christian message, and for that reason numbers are critically important. But our first responsibility is not to make converts but to uphold the honor of God in a world given over to the glory of fallen man. No matter how many persons we touch with the gospel we have failed unless, along with the message of invitation, we have boldly declared the exceeding sinfulness of man and the transcendent holiness of the Most High God. They who degrade or compromise the truth in order to reach larger numbers, dishonor God and deeply injure the souls of men.

The temptation to modify the teachings of Christ with the hope that larger numbers may "accept" Him is cruelly strong in this day of speed, size, noise, and crowds. But if we know what is good for us, we'll resist it with every power at our command. The Size of the Soul, 117-119.

"Lord, deliver me from this temptation. Give me a deep, unshakable commitment 'to uphold the honor of God in a world given over to the glory of fallen men'--whether I achieve crowds and success or not. Amen."

This Insight for Leaders devotional is also available in a print-friendly format here on the LMI web site.

No matter how many persons we touch with the gospel we have failed unless, along with the message of invitation, we have boldly declared the exceeding sinfulness of man and the transcendent holiness of the Most High God.

You and these devotions were very much missed, Sopater.

What I don't get is why what no one could stop me from doing when I was first saved I now have to cultivate, tend, revisit and exhort myself to daily. What is up with that? Older Christians told me this would happen and I scoffed at them; I could not believe that first ecstatic love could ever not be there like a raging fire.

O Lord, tend and stoke the fire of my love for Thee, that this servant declares the Truth boldly, bravely, and beautifully, the way a lover speaks of the qualities of her Beloved.

Song of Solomon 5

   Friends
9 How is your beloved better than others,
   most beautiful of women?
How is your beloved better than others,
   that you so charge us?

   She

10 My beloved is radiant and ruddy,
   outstanding among ten thousand.
11 His head is purest gold;
   his hair is wavy
   and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves
   by the water streams,
washed in milk,
   mounted like jewels.
13 His cheeks are like beds of spice
   yielding perfume.
His lips are like lilies
   dripping with myrrh.
14 His arms are rods of gold
   set with topaz.
His body is like polished ivory
   decorated with lapis lazuli.
15 His legs are pillars of marble
   set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
   choice as its cedars.
16 His mouth is sweetness itself;
   he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved, this is my friend,
   daughters of Jerusalem.

Congrats bro' and yes you have been missed.

"What I don't get is why what no one could stop me from doing when I was first saved I now have to cultivate, tend, revisit and exhort myself to daily. What is up with that?..."

I know what you mean.I look back at my own beginning and can't help thinking I was a loud mouth no-it-all running around as if my hair was on fire scaring some folks half to death.The rest just thought I was a babbling madman LOL!

For now I think I'd be happy to rise to the dizzying heights of an unprofitable servant.

One thing I'm pretty sure of...I don't think God is ever doing nothing in my life,regardless of how I may feel.

God bless FRiends.

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