Obviously Apprising Ministries does not agree with everything A.W. Tozer taught; however, overall he was a fine man of God who steadfastly preached Christ Jesus and Him crucified. In this devotion to follow Tozer was writing some 50+ years ago and yet his words below easily apply to the works of men like Rick Warren and Rob Bell and Joel Osteen.

Although each of these men is attempting to accomplish noble deeds, those of us with eyes that see, will recognize their works are not a genuine move of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. For these men do not preach the actual Gospel of Jesus Christ in their seeker sensitive cross-less presentation about finding your purpose with God by being a Christ-follower and becoming a better you.

Jesus said — “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” Not our clever marketing schemes; not our tugging on heartstrings to perform admirable social deeds for our fellow man, and not our promises of some twisted version of an abundant life. As the Apostle Paul told us already, a genuine move of the Holy Spirit will lift up Jesus Christ and Him crucified; and a real preacher sent by God will boldly say — I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6, KJV)

I say this because it is possible to run a church and all of its activity without the Holy Spirit. You can organize it, get a board together, call a pastor, form a choir, launch a Sunday school and a ladies’ aid society. You get it all organized—and the organization part is not bad. I’m for it. But I’m warning about getting organized, getting a pastor and turning the crank—some people think that’s all there is to it, you know.

The Holy Spirit can be absent and the pastor goes on turning the crank, and nobody finds it out for years and years. What a tragedy, my brethren, what a tragedy that this can happen in a Christian church! But it doesn’t have to be that way! “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3:22)….

If you could increase the attendance of your church until there is no more room, if you could provide everything they have in churches that men want and love and value, and yet you didn’t have the Holy Spirit, you might as well have nothing at all. For it is “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6). Not by the eloquence of a man, not by good music, not by good preaching, but it is by the Spirit that God works His mighty works. COU038-039.

Oh, Lord, in whatever ministry I am ever involved, I pray that Your Holy Spirit would be present with His controlling power. Amen.

(Tozer on Christian Leadership, February 6)

See also:

RICK WARREN: THE NEW CHARLES FINNEY

ROB BELL SAYS GOD HAS ALREADY MADE PEACE WITH ALL MEN

JOEL OSTEEN: SMILE WHEN YOU LIE