A.W. Tozer never minced words. In this sermon, he argues that the church’s health “rises or falls altogether depending upon her view of God.” When our vision of the Most High shrinks, everything else shrivels with it—our worship, our witness, even our character. When it enlarges, reverence and vitality return.
The Church Rises—or Falls—with Its View of God
“We have too low a view of God now,” Tozer warns, linking decline in the church to a diminished vision of God’s majesty. A lofty view produces “reverent and worshipful” people; a low view breeds what he calls the “funny and flippant,” a worldliness that saps spiritual power. In Tozer’s framing, the first task of renewal is not strategy but sight: restore the vision of the Most High God.
Pull-Quote: “The church rises or falls altogether depending upon her view of God.”
High Vision, Simple Worship
Tozer insists that a high view of God naturally simplifies church life. When God is central, services don’t need spectacle to hold attention. But when our view is small, we “drag in every kind of theatrical” device just to keep people coming. His point isn’t anti-excellence; it’s anti-distraction. Magnify God and the people will meet Him.
Why “Casual God-Talk” Weakens Souls
Tozer grieves the habit of speaking about God cheaply—as a mere pal or “the big guy upstairs.” Such language trains our hearts to expect little from the Holy One. He contrasts this with Moses at Sinai and Isaiah’s vision: “Jehovah, high and lifted up,” the Lord whose train fills the temple (Isaiah 6:1). Recovering awe is not a style preference; it’s a theological necessity.
A Word to the Young
Tozer’s love for young people is obvious, but so is his lament: many have “never seen God,” nor seen many leaders who have. In the absence of holy example, churches substitute “claptrap” to keep youth entertained. But the young don’t respect it. They respond to reality—to leaders who have truly encountered God and to worship that rings true.
The Prescription: See God Again
How do we recover the high vision Tozer describes?
-
Return to Scripture’s theophanies. Sit with Isaiah 6; Exodus 33–34; Revelation 4–5. Let the Spirit enlarge your view of God’s holiness, mercy, and majesty.
-
Simplify to magnify. Prune anything in worship that competes with God’s centrality. Keep beauty; lose distraction.
-
Honor God with weighty words. Speak of Him as Scripture does—holy, sovereign, near yet not common. Language disciples desire.
-
Preach the attributes of God. Teach God’s aseity, holiness, omnipotence, love, and triune life in Christ. Big truth births big worship.
-
Model reverence. Leaders who have seen God teach more by their posture than their plans.
-
Call the congregation to repentance and adoration. Tozer ties renewal to a church that bows low before a high God.
Why This Matters Now
Churches often chase relevance by adding novelty. Tozer flips the script: relevance follows reality. A people awestruck by the living God become steady, joyful, and resilient. As he puts it, generation after generation “stayed true to the faith” when their view of God stayed high. Our moment demands the same.
“My brethren, we need to see God again.” — A.W. TozerClick to Post
Watch the entire three-minute clip here:
