The Pursuit of God (Clip)
Matt Brown emphasizes that even after finding God through Christ, believers are called to continually pursue Him daily through prayer, worship, Scripture, and community to deepen their love and experience of God.
This sermon delves into the paradox of love in pursuing God, as exemplified by A.W. Tozer's experience on a train ride where he penned the bestseller 'The Pursuit of God'. It explores the idea that while finding God brings satisfaction, there is an insatiable hunger to know and love Him more, leading to a lifelong pursuit of experiencing Him through His Word, prayer, worship, and community.
Full Transcript
A.W. Tozer once wrote, To have found God and still pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love. Tozer penned these words in the 1940s on an overnight train ride from Chicago to Texas where he was headed to do some ministry. And as he knelt down on his knees in that train, he began writing and he couldn't stop, and he wrote throughout the night, and when he arrived at his destination the next morning, the rough draft of his book was done, and it became a bestseller, The Pursuit of God.
And what A.W. Tozer was trying to pen that evening was this idea that when we accept Christ, we've found God and God's found us, and yet we quickly realize that we can never get enough of Him. We're always hungry to know and to love Him more. And the crazy thing is when we find God, we're satisfied like we've never been before, and yet we quickly realize that there's so much more we can continually and daily experience from Him in His Word and seeking Him in His Word and in prayer and in worship and through the community of the local church.
So even if you've found God, let's spend our lives pursuing Him to know Him and to love Him more and to let our lives be utterly changed by His love.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Introduction to A.W. Tozer's concept of pursuing God
- The paradox of finding God yet continuing to pursue Him
- The significance of Tozer's book 'The Pursuit of God'
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II
- Finding God through accepting Christ
- The initial satisfaction and ongoing hunger for God
- The continual experience of God through prayer, worship, and Scripture
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III
- The role of the local church community in pursuing God
- Encouragement to daily seek God beyond the initial conversion
- Allowing God's love to transform our lives
Key Quotes
“To have found God and still pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love.” — Matt Brown
“When we accept Christ, we've found God and God's found us, and yet we quickly realize that we can never get enough of Him.” — Matt Brown
“Let's spend our lives pursuing Him to know Him and to love Him more and to let our lives be utterly changed by His love.” — Matt Brown
Application Points
- Commit to daily seeking God through prayer and reading the Bible.
- Engage actively in your local church community to grow spiritually.
- Allow God's love to transform your life continually beyond your initial faith.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to pursue God after finding Him?
It means to continually seek a deeper relationship with God through prayer, worship, Scripture, and community, even after accepting Christ.
Who was A.W. Tozer and why is he important in this sermon?
A.W. Tozer was a Christian author and pastor whose book 'The Pursuit of God' inspires believers to continually seek God beyond initial conversion.
How can believers experience more of God daily?
By engaging regularly in prayer, reading the Bible, worshiping, and participating in the local church community.
Is it normal to feel both satisfied and hungry for God?
Yes, finding God brings deep satisfaction, yet believers often feel a continual hunger to know and love Him more.