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  STRIVING FOR NUMBERS
  by A.W. Tozer
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Summary: The sermon warns against the dangers of prioritizing numbers
and statistics in the church, instead emphasizing the importance of
biblical judgment and spiritual quality.

Topics: "Spiritual Growth", "True Success in the Church"
Scripture References: Revelation 3:15

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DESCRIPTION
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A.W. Tozer addresses the troubling trend in modern Christianity where
churches prioritize numerical growth over spiritual quality, leading to
a misguided worship of 'Numbers' as the ultimate measure of success. He
critiques the Laodicean attitude prevalent in many congregations, where
financial reports and membership rolls are mistaken for indicators of
spiritual vitality. Tozer warns that this reliance on statistics
undermines true spiritual growth and reflects a dangerous heresy that is
often overlooked by church leaders. He calls for a return to scriptural
judgment rather than worldly metrics in evaluating the health of the
church.

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CONTENT
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In Christian circles today, the church that can show an impressive
quantitative growth is frankly envied and imitated by other ambitious
churches. Numbers, size and amounts seem to be very nearly all that
matter-with a corresponding lack of emphasis on quality! This is the age
of the Laodiceans. The great goddess, Numbers, is worshiped with fervent
devotion and all things religious are brought before her for
examination. Her Old Testament is the financial report and her New
Testament is the membership roll. To these she appeals as the test of
spiritual growth and the proof of success or failure in most Christian
endeavors.

A little acquaintance with the Bible should show this up for the heresy
it is.

To judge anything spiritual by statistics is to judge by another than
scriptural judgment. Yet this is being done every day by ministers,
church boards and denominational leaders. And hardly anyone seems to
notice the deep and dangerous error!

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/striving-for-numbers/
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