Throughout his remarkable ministry, Dr. A.W. Tozer (1897-1963) was recognized as the voice of God while others were mere echoes. His was a clarion call for the church to return to those truths central to her identity in Christ. Thirty-one years of his ministry were spent in Chicago, that “Mecca of Fundamentalists,” as Tozer often refers to it. His was often a lone voice when others were following the latest evangelical trend or fad. What he would think of evangelicals today is anyone’s guess. I think he would not be too impressed with the level of spirituality found across our country. Many of the things he warned about a generation ago have happened. Some of his warnings are found in this sermon collection. At times, it is hard to remember that Tozer preached these sermons over fifty years ago. The freshness of his themes is indicative of his ministry. He never wasted the congregation’s time rehashing the news or the latest fad. His ministry was straight to the heart.
Once he was invited to minister to a group of Brethren in Christ. These people were conservative in their dress and manners, and Tozer was concerned he would not fit in. The Bishop allayed his fears by saying, “Just preach to their hearts, and they will love you.” He did, and they did.
This represents the core of his ministry. He always ministered to the heart. And not just any heart, but that heart athirst for God, even the Living God. The curious found him dry and moved on to some titillating preacher, of which there are always plenty. If you had a heart for God and a passion for His presence, you loved Tozer. If, however, you were only interested in advancing some personal agenda, you would find Tozer to be exasperating.
Mystery and Majesty
The theme of this book is a favorite of Tozer: the Holy Spirit. I use the words Mystery and Majesty because these two words put into perspective the teaching on the Holy Spirit found in these sermons. Dr. Tozer probes the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit that no man can fully know. We can experience and understand certain aspects of the Holy Spirit in our life, but for the most part, it is a mystery and wonder, especially to the worshipping heart. Here is the difference. The worshipping heart never looked for answers for the head, but rather sought those assurances of the heart that represent the inexplicable work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer.
Tozer is at his best poking fun at those “preachers” who know more about the Holy Spirit than the Bible discloses. I’m sure he would have pretty much of a hey-day with some of the sheer nonsense passing for biblical teaching on the Holy Spirit. “You can discover,” Tozer once instructed, “more of the Holy Spirit in five minutes on your knees in adoring worship than five years at a seminary.”
Also, there is a majestic nature to the work of the Holy Spirit in the individual’s heart. It is a word that is comparable to nothing. Nothing else or no one else can duplicate the work that the Holy Spirit has to do. Herein lies the problem with contemporary Christians. They have a vague idea of what the Holy Spirit is supposed to do, and because they do not see it happening in their life or in their church, they adopt methods of the world to try to induce a work that only the Holy Spirit can do. Something Tozer considered anathema.
It is interesting to note that the same theological battles prominent in Tozer’s day are still in ours. What Tozer has to say in this book is as fresh and appropriate for us today as it was when he first preached the sermons. Keep in mind that these were sermons preached from a pulpit in the church he served in Toronto, Canada. They lack the polish of Tozer’s essays. But they do not lack the incisiveness, wit and power associated with Tozer’s work and ministry. For lack of a better description, I can say this is raw Tozer. In his sermons he often wandered a bit, but never too far to come back to his main point. Although a quiet man in many regards, Tozer was a lion in the pulpit. He ruled as a king from his pulpit and ministered with the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. His very life and ministry is an illustration and example of the theme of this book.
In Tozer’s day, there were two fractions well defined in the area of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. There were those who did not believe any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit were relevant for today, and therefore should not be sought. They did not believe that a person, after conversion, could be or should be filled with the Holy Spirit. Then there were those on the other side who blew certain aspects of the Spirit, especially tongues, way out of proportion, and failed to see the essential purpose and nature of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.
In one of the sermons contained in this volume, Tozer says, “I’m not a traditionalist.” He goes on to explain that what he teaches is not because he has believed it. Everything is based upon the Word of God. Everything he believes and teaches must have chapter and verse or it has no validity.
Rev. James L. Snyder