Acquaintance, Not Hearsay
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of personal experience and acquaintance with God, warning against the dangers of second-hand knowledge and hearsay.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of personal experience with God over mere hearsay, illustrating that true understanding comes from firsthand encounters rather than secondhand knowledge. He warns that many Christians today are educated in the theory of the Spirit-filled life but lack the actual experience of its power, leading to a generation that may abandon even the theory. Tozer calls for believers to seek a genuine relationship with God, urging them to move beyond passive listening to actively engaging with the divine. He concludes with a prayer for a fresh encounter with God, desiring to share a message rooted in personal experience.
Text
And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" --Luke 24:32
"It is one thing," said Henry Suso, "to hear for oneself a sweet lute, sweetly played, and quite another thing merely to hear about it."
And it is one thing, we may add, to hear truth inwardly for one's very self, and quite another thing merely to hear about it....
We are turning out from the Bible schools of this country year after year young men and women who know the theory of the Spirit-filled life but do not enjoy the experience. These go out into the churches to create in turn a generation of Christians who have never felt the power of the Spirit and who know nothing personally about the inner fire. The next generation will drop even the theory. That is actually the course some groups have taken over the past years.
One word from the lips of the man who has actually heard the lute play will have more effect than a score of sermons by the man who has only heard that it was played. Acquaintance is always better than hearsay. The Root of the Righteous, 99-100.
"Lord, as I wait upon You this morning I want to hear afresh the real sound of the lute. Deliver me from second-hand preaching and teaching. Fill me with a first-hand knowledge of You, so that my message might always be that of an alert eyewitness. Amen."
Sermon Outline
- The Difference Between Acquaintance and Hearsay
- The Consequences of Hearsay
- The Importance of Acquaintance
- Acquaintance involves personal experience and knowledge
- Hearsay is based on second-hand information and theory
- Lack of personal experience leads to a shallow faith
- The next generation may drop even the theory
- Personal experience has a greater impact than second-hand knowledge
- First-hand knowledge leads to a deeper understanding of God
Key Quotes
“It is one thing to hear for oneself a sweet lute, sweetly played, and quite another thing merely to hear about it.” — A.W. Tozer
“One word from the lips of the man who has actually heard the lute play will have more effect than a score of sermons by the man who has only heard that it was played.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Pray for a first-hand knowledge of God, so that your message might always be that of an alert eyewitness.
- Seek to have personal experiences with God, rather than just relying on second-hand knowledge.
- Avoid shallow faith by seeking a deeper understanding of God through personal experience.