========================================================================
  THE POWER GOD RECOGNIZES
  by A.W. Tozer
========================================================================

Summary: A.W. Tozer's sermon highlights the essential role of the Holy
Spirit in the church, urging believers to seek divine power over human
capability.

Topics: "The Holy Spirit", "Divine Power"
Scripture References: Isaiah 30:1, Zechariah 4:6, John 14:26, Acts 1:8, Romans 8:26

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

A.W. Tozer emphasizes the critical role of the Holy Spirit in the life
of the church, lamenting the neglect of His presence among evangelical
Christians. He contrasts the powerful, creative work of the Spirit as
depicted in Scripture with the diminished role He plays in contemporary
Christianity, where human intellect and personality often overshadow
divine influence. Tozer warns that the only power recognized by God is
that of His Spirit, while many church leaders rely on their own
abilities. He calls for a return to recognizing the Holy Spirit's
majesty and power, urging believers to seek divine intervention rather
than relying solely on human effort.

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

"Woe to the rebellious children," says the Lord, "who take counsel, but
not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add
sin to sin." --Isaiah 30:1

The continued neglect of the Holy Spirit by evangelical Christians is
too evident to deny and impossible to justify....

It is not, however, the frequency of the Spirit's mention in the Bible
or in other writings that matters most, but the importance attached to
Him when He is mentioned. And there can be no doubt that there is a huge
disparity between the place given to the Spirit in the Holy Scriptures
and the place He occupies in popular evangelical Christianity. In the
Scriptures the Holy Spirit is necessary. There He works powerfully,
creatively; here He is little more than a poetic yearning or at most a
benign influence. There He moves in majesty, with all the attributes of
the Godhead; here He is a mood, a tender feeling of good will....

The only power God recognizes in His church is the power of His Spirit
whereas the only power actually recognized today by the majority of
evangelicals is the power of man. God does His work by the operation of
the Spirit, while Christian leaders attempt to do theirs by the power of
trained and devoted intellect. Bright personality has taken the place of
the divine afflatus. God Tells the Man Who Cares, 108,110-111.

"O Lord, work powerfully, creatively; move in majesty. Send the divine
afflatus to overshadow our intellect and personalities. Come in power,
for Jesus' sake. Amen."

========================================================================
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/the-power-god-recognizes/
========================================================================