Let Us Be Thankful
We should be grateful to spiritual leaders and follow them only as they follow Christ, keeping an open mind and examining their teaching critically.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of gratitude towards God's servants, asserting that thanking them is akin to thanking God Himself. He warns against two common mistakes: failing to express sufficient gratitude to spiritual leaders and following them too blindly without critical examination of their teachings. Tozer encourages believers to appreciate the contributions of holy men while maintaining a focus on Christ, ensuring that their allegiance is to the Lord rather than to any individual leader. He advocates for a balanced approach that honors spiritual leaders without compromising personal discernment and faith. Ultimately, the call is to learn from these leaders while keeping Christ at the center of our faith.
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To be grateful to God's servants is to be grateful to God; and it follows that in a very real sense we thank God when we thank His people! We will always have spiritual leaders, and I think we make two mistakes in our attitudes toward them. One is not being sufficiently grateful to them. The other is in following them too slavishly. The first is a sin of omission, and because it is something that is not there, it is not likely to be noticed as a sin that is plainly present. We do make a serious mistake when we become so attached to the preaching or writing of a great Christian leader that we accept his teaching without daring to examine it.
We should follow men only as they follow the Lord.
We should keep an open mind lest we become blind followers of a man whose breath is in his nostrils. Learn from every holy man and his ministry. Be grateful to every one of them and thankful for them - and then follow Christ!
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Being Grateful to God's Servants
- Mistakes in Our Attitudes Toward Spiritual Leaders
- Following Men vs. Following Christ
- Not being sufficiently grateful to them
- Following them too slavishly
- Follow men only as they follow the Lord
- Keep an open mind and avoid blind following
Key Quotes
“To be grateful to God's servants is to be grateful to God; and it follows that in a very real sense we thank God when we thank His people!” — A.W. Tozer
“We should follow men only as they follow the Lord.” — A.W. Tozer
“Keep an open mind lest we become blind followers of a man whose breath is in his nostrils.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should be grateful to every spiritual leader and thank them for their ministry.
- We should follow men only as they follow the Lord, and examine their teaching critically.
- We should keep an open mind and avoid being blind followers of a man.