========================================================================
  OUR FIRST RESPONSIBILITY
  by A.W. Tozer
========================================================================

Summary: Our first responsibility is to God and our own souls, not to
the public, and prioritizing this relationship is essential for a
genuine faith.

Topics: "Spiritual Responsibility", "Prayer Life"
Scripture References: Psalm 119:147

------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A.W. Tozer emphasizes that our primary responsibility is to God and our
own souls rather than to the public. He encourages believers to
prioritize prayer over preaching, suggesting that a deep, personal
relationship with God will sustain and nourish their spiritual lives.
Tozer highlights the importance of spending more time in the secret
place with God, allowing the inflow of the Spirit to keep our hearts and
minds refreshed. He calls for a commitment to cultivate our acquaintance
with God, ensuring we have the spiritual resources to help others. The
sermon concludes with a prayer for focus on this vital responsibility.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------

I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in
Your word. My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may
meditate on Your word. -Psalm 119:147-148

Briefly, the way to escape religion as a front is to make it a fount.
See to it that we pray more than we preach and we will never preach
ourselves out. Stay with God in the secret place longer than we are with
men in the public place and the fountain of our wisdom will never dry
up. Keep our hearts open to the inflowing Spirit and we will not become
exhausted by the outflow. Cultivate the acquaintance of God more than
the friendship of men and we will always have abundance of bread to give
to the hungry.

Our first responsibility is not to the public but to God and our own
souls. God Tells the Man Who Cares, 115-116.

"Lord, why does our first responsibility so easily get crowded out?
Quiet me today that this first thing might get the time and attention it
deserves. Amen."

========================================================================
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/our-first-responsibility/
========================================================================