Protesting Protestants
A.W. Tozer calls for a return to foundational Christian beliefs and the importance of standing firm in faith amidst societal pressures.
A.W. Tozer passionately asserts that the church must adhere to the unchanging nature of God and the eternal truth of Jesus Christ, emphasizing that believers should not feel the need to apologize for their faith. He calls for a return to foundational beliefs, urging Christians to reject the pressures of conformity and to stand firm in their convictions. Tozer highlights the importance of listening to the voice of the Shepherd rather than following the crowd, advocating for a reformation that honors the wisdom of the early church and the creeds established by faithful saints. He encourages believers to embrace their identity as Protestants who are called to dissent against falsehoods and uphold the truth of the Gospel.
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Our church is going to go the way of the gospel. We are not radicals nor fools. We do not fast 40 days. We dress like other people, drive vehicles and have modern homes. We are human and like to laugh. But we believe that God Almighty has not changed and that Jesus Christ is the same. He is victorious, and we do not have to apologize for Him. We do not have to modify, adjust, edit or amend. He stands as the glorious Lord, and nobody needs to apologize for Him. . . . I say now, shall we believe the ringing words, "I the LORD do not change" (Malachi 3:6)?
I believe them. Shall we believe that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8)? I do. We must believe the words that say, "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7b). "He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death" (2:11b). "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne" (3:21a). We are not going to be sheep running over the precipice because other dumb sheep are running over it.
We see the precipice--we know it is there. We are listening to the voice of the shepherd, not the voice of terrified sheep. The terrified, intimidated sheep are going everywhere. I stand solidly and protest this. I believe we need a reformation back to the belief that God knew what He was talking about in the first place. We need to get back to the belief that Jesus Christ did not miss anything but foresaw it all, back to the belief that the apostles spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
We must return to the belief that our fathers who gave us the great creeds were not fools but wise saints who knew what they were talking about. We must get back to the belief that Protestants are to protest, dissenters are to dissent and nonconformists must refuse to conform.
Sermon Outline
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I
- The Unchanging Nature of God
- The Consistency of Christ
- The Importance of Belief
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II
- The Call for Reformation
- Understanding the Shepherd's Voice
- Rejecting the Influence of the Crowd
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III
- The Wisdom of Our Spiritual Forefathers
- The Role of Protestants in Society
- The Necessity of Nonconformity
Key Quotes
“I the LORD do not change.” — A.W. Tozer
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” — A.W. Tozer
“We must return to the belief that our fathers who gave us the great creeds were not fools but wise saints.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Reflect on the unchanging nature of God in your daily life.
- Seek to understand and follow the voice of Christ rather than conforming to societal norms.
- Engage with the historical creeds and teachings of the church to strengthen your faith.