Here, for the first time in print, are A.W. Tozer's thoughts on the importance and power of true worship. Digging into Scripture, he reveals the character of God and shows how that directly impacts, and deepens, both our worship of him and our relationship with him. How we praise and honor the Lord today prepares us to worship him throughout eternity.
Aiden Wilson Tozer was an American evangelical pastor, speaker, writer, and editor. After coming to Christ at the age of seventeen, Tozer found his way into the Christian & Missionary Alliance denomination where he served for over forty years. In 1950, he was appointed by the denomination's General Council to be the editor of "The Alliance Witness" (now "Alliance Life").
Born into poverty in western Pennsylvania in 1897, Tozer died in May 1963 a self-educated man who had taught himself what he missed in high school and college due to his home situation. Though he wrote many books, two of them, "The Pursuit of God" and "The Knowledge of the Holy" are widely considered to be classics.
A.W. Tozer and his wife, Ada Cecelia Pfautz, had seven children, six boys and one girl.
“If a church is to be a real church, it must be a communion and not merely an institution… A New Testament church must be a company drawn together with the magnetic fascination of the desire to see God, to feel God, to hear God, to be where God is—like the Greeks in reverence approached their sacred place or as the Jews in reverence approached their holy place, their sanctorum. A New Testament church, then, is a company of people who have been drawn together by the age-old desire to be where God is, to see and hear and feel God appearing in the man Jesus—not the preacher, not the deacon or elder, but God appearing in that man who is back from the dead, eternally alive. This is the burning bush before which we kneel, the mercy seat which we approach.”
There are several books that I have read over the years that I believed to be so important that they become the first ones I recommend for a person who wants to better understand what it is to have a living, breathing relationship with the God who created them. This book is now definitely in the top 5!
Tozer’s writing style is warm and inviting. Rather than trying to impress the reader by waxing academic, he invites the reader to sit together and speak as though you were having a coffee with him. When approaching a topic as misunderstood as authentic worship, that approach is crucial. This book will offend you and step on your toes, but it’s done with love rather than with condemnation. His humility comes through clearly, especially in his conclusion where he states, “The more I know, the more I understand I don’t know, but the great thing is that my fascination for worship drives me to worship.”
While this book is fairly short and CAN be completed in less than a week, I recommend reading it as a devotional. Go slow, take your time through each chapter, and use it alongside your daily Bible reading and prayer time.
Bad theology Openly admits that he’s trying to make you feel guilty for not being good enough (none of us are good enough, that’s the whole point. People who rightly recognize that their worship is not good enough need to hear the good news that they are forgiven, not have more guilt piled on them.) Says a lot yet says nothing at the same time
Fantastic perspective on the true essence of worship. Given the current trend toward emotionalism and sensationalism, Tozer's recenters worship on pleasing God and allowing him to purify our hearts in the process. Highly recommended.
I have to admit, this one simply did not live up to what I had thought it would be in my head. I have read multiple works by Tozer and found them all to be phenomenal. The writing style in this one is different. I suppose it is because it has been pulled from a collection of his sermons and composed into a written form that appears to be something similar to what he would have written; however, it simply is not the same.
There is something off about this one and I cannot put my finger precisely on what it is because I know the individual that composed this one has done others under Tozer's name and has the Tozer family blessing. It could be that my rating of this one is off because of that point alone.
Regardless, the content is quality and there is plenty of truth conveyed in the words along with the ways in which we can apply these words. If you have not read one of Tozer's works I would not recommend starting with this one. Even further, there are five more that I would recommend this one. It's simply alright. Not great and not bad, but it could be improved.
I received this work in exchange for an unbiased review. The words are my own and have not been influenced in any way outside of the written manuscript.
This new book put out and complied by James Snyder of his sermons is another great book, which is to be expected. Authentic Worship – The Path to Greater Unity with God is compiled from A.W. Tozer’s words and sermons through the years of his work on earth. Tozer believed, sometimes his writings will create a bit of discontent for some, but that could spur them to go forward and discover the truth. So yes, be prepared. Your heart might get stirred, but in a good way, for a good purpose!
So, what does it mean to praise and honor God? This takes knowing who God is, His character, and to have a relationship with Him. This book from Tozer tackles this question, through 17 chapters, packed full of truth! If you know anything about Tozer, then you know this book will be an impactful read! We all worship but it is who and how we worship show the kind of person we are.
The book is not what I expected when I first picked it out for review, I figured it be focused on actual worship, but this includes all of worship, our everyday living, true worship in the Bible. Of course, there are so many highlights and notes from this book, too much to share, but here are a few snippets.
“I want to show that my worship is not designed to please me. My worship is not convenient when I present it to the Lord, just like Abel’s sacrifice was bloody and not very pleasant. I am not trying to please myself, but please God in my worship.” “What would happen in our world today if we set aside all denominational concerns among churches and instead adopted the biblical standard for worship and praising God?” “We worship God by where we go and what we do – not only by what we say and pray. Worship is more than prayer and singing. It often contains these two things, but worship is also living.” “This is the importance of our hymnal. I believe that if we were to take hymn, memorize it, and hum it when we’re in the worst possible mental state – when our moods are down and we don’t feel like praising God – God would honor our determination and give us the ability and create in us the habit of always praising Him.” – so why we in our homeschool morning time learn and sing hymns. “Praising God has the power to usher us into the realm of authentic worship that pleases Him.” “If we let our minds, hearts, and mouths be filled with words that are unclean, complaining, gossiping, boasting, empty, or earthly, we will go in that direction.” “My worship should separate me from the worlds but not from other believers.” “My dear friends, the will of God is freedom.”
I really enjoyed reading this book for so many reasons. The chapters are short and meaty. Each chapter ends with a prayer and a stanza from a hymn that relates to the topic in the chapter.
Authentic Worship: The Path to Greater Unity with God by A.W Tozer and compiled and edited by James L. Snyder is a refreshing and convicting read. The subject matter of this book is relevant, convicting, and very needed in the world today. There are many reasons I enjoy reading Tozer's writings, but first and foremost is the way that his focus is always on God and worshiping and glorifying Him. I appreciate the continued work of James L. Snyder as he compiles more of Tozer's words, writings, and sermons to bring readers more of Tozer's convicting and heart-piercing lessons.
Authentic Worship: The Path to Greater Unity with God brings readers eighteen concise and convicting chapters meant to stir up in their hearts and lives to true and lasting worship of God. Tozer pleads with his readers to not let their lives remain unchanged, but to continue to grow in their faith. If we let ourselves remain stagnant in our walk with God, we will not be authentic or growing Christians. In fact Tozer says: "We ought not to be satisfied with being mere born-again Christians. We've ridden that term until it's almost offensive to heart it....The business of the born-again Christian is to enter into the holiness of the Holy Ghost, to surrender one's hands and feet, voice and mind and presence all to the Lord Jesus Christ and so be filled with the fire of His love" (Tozer, 2023, p. 32) . The reasons are clear for us to familiarize ourselves with this topic and read Tozer's book. We must obey God and worship Him in authentic truth.
I appreciated the topic, challenge, conviction, and zeal of Authentic Worship. Tozer's writings are some of my favorite, so I am always excited to read any of his works that I can get my hands on. Tozer brings many unique, yet understandable illustrations and examples to his writings, in order to make his points truly hit home to the reader. I truly appreciate the balance of Tozer as he presents truths to challenge his readers, yet offers them true comfort and assurance that God will help them. Even though we know what we are called to do--worship God truly and authentically--we cannot do that without the working of God in us. I also appreciate how Tozer connects many different hymns, prayers, and other authors' quotes into his writings, enrichening the book. Overall, I would highly recommend this work and truly hope that you have the opportunity to read and learn from it as I have. Happy readings!
Disclaimer: Bethany House graciously provided me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and part of an unbiased review.
Reference
Tozer, A. W., and James L. Snyder. Authentic Worship: The Path to Greater Unity with God. Bethany House Publishers, a Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2023.
Authentic Worship is a book that enclosed sermons that A.W. Tozer preached on about the power of worshipping God. This is the first time the book has been released. In the book, he discussed what it means to truly worship God and not follow how churches or the world tells us what is allowed. He wanted us to understand what scriptures stated about worship. He begins by exploring the difference between Cain and Abel’s style of worship. Cain worship was more for him and his people. Abel’s contained blood and God accepted this worship. He described how worship is more than just singing and praying. We are supposed to be living it and working and serving others. A major feature of the book is understanding what unity is and how essential it is. He clarified how there is divisions in the churches and how this is affecting us. There are no denominations in Heaven and we can learn to worship in unity. A lot of the problem could be the enemy in spreading division within the churches.
One of my favorites examples included in this book was about the topic of unity and how the universe is one massive system that works together. I immensely loved how he compared all of this to numerous things that bring balance to the world. These included a leaf falling to the ground, a baby born, or a stone on the seashore. All of these things are interlocked and work together and they serve a purpose. I loved how he also compared it to God and Christ watching over the world sitting side by side being at the center of the world. This is a mind-blowing example that will really get the point across about unity.
I would recommend this amazing book on the topic of authentic worship to anyone who is ready to grow deeper in their relationship with Christ. They also are wanting to have more unity in their churches. I loved how each chapter included a prayer and a poem/ teaching from a religious leader, such as: Martin Luther, Charles Wesley, just to name a few. Another eye-opening illustration was about the burning bush that Moses witnessed and how it purified and what it teaches us about sanctification. Everything burned that was on the bush and this included fungi, bugs, and worms. He used this to explain how nothing can withstand the fire and how sins can’t be too greater that God can’t forgive. This is a wonderful book about worshiping and understanding the character of God.
"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”
I love the writings of A.W. Tozer, and worship has always been very important to me, so I was excited to have the chance to read this book. Tozer is so rich that you have to read slowly. While I enjoyed this book, I didn't get as much out of it as I hoped, and that could be just because it's a very busy time of year and it was hard to focus. Perhaps if I read it again I would feel more immersed in the writing.
I still highly recommend Tozer, especially the transformative A Cloud By Day, A Fire By Night, or his devotional A Daily Pursuit. Thanks to Bethany House for continuing to get Tozer's works in front of today's audience.
I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.
"True worship is to feel in the heart and to express a humbling but delightful sense of admiration and astonished wonder and overwhelming love in the presence of...'the Lord our God.'"
Has God got my voice? Am I using it to talk about Him? Is worshiping God my highest priority, above all else, because out of that worship flows everything else. That is the gist of the book, a full surrender to worship.
It's a book that should be read slowly and thoughtfully. I read it too fast and didn't quite enjoy it like I would I think if I would have read slowly and thoughtfully. The writing style is also a bit different than I would be generally used to reading and it calls for a more thorough reading.
"If, when I go to work on Monday morning, I'm not as enthusiastic or passionate about worshipping God as I was the day before, maybe what I did the day before wasn't really worship."
I enjoyed the book and have it written down to read it again, slowly.
I received this book from Bethany House and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
What does it mean to truly worship the Lord? Tozer sets out to answer this question in this wonderfully helpful book. Through 17 chapters he provides key examples through scripture, reflections, thoughts, prayer, and hymns as to what authentic worship of God is really all about.
I found Tozer's book (complied and edited by James L. Snyder) to be easy to read and understand while full of great depth. Each chapter had many key points that I underlined and reflected upon. It is so important as Christians we remain not of this world. We do not seek to worship God in ways in which would make us happy but ways in which would make God happy.
Please Note: I received this book in return for my honest opinion.
Authentic Worship - The Path to Greater Unity with God by A.W. Tozer, Compiled and Edited by James L. Snyder
This book describes and shares great insight into authentic worship. Snyder has compiled many books featuring Tozer’s preaching. This book includes roots of authentic worship, our presence in authentic worship, God‘s holiness, God‘s perfection, the art of song, the voice of God, our unity with God, our conscious awareness in authentic worship, freedom and worship, and the beauty of God in worship. Hymns are also included. This is an excellent collection of Tozer's sermons on worship. Profound wisdom one would expect from Tozer. I was given a free copy from the publisher for my honest review. I highly recommend Authentic Worship.
I always enjoy Tozer. This is a thought provoking book that would benefit from being read again, and I'm sure I'll find new gems every time I read it. My favorite chapters this time through were 10, "The Secret Place of the Most High in Authentic Worship", 16, "The Powe of Fire in Authentic Worship", and 17, "The Beauty of God in Authentic Worship."
One of my favorite ideas from this book comes from chapter 16, that we are the bush and God is the fire; He inhabits us. Tozer has a lot of thoughts that flow from this analogy that I found useful and thought provoking.
Because this is a posthumous collection of writings, the cohesion that is usually present in Tozer's books is absent.
I lowered my rating to three stars rather than the five I was originally going to give because towards the end of the book, the author said some things regarding denominationalism that I found to be untrue. Certainly, I think there's a place for unity despite various convictions. However, he basically said that differences in doctrine are okay as long as we serve the same God. Well, our doctrine determines what God we serve. Other than that it was a phenomenal book and I am sure I will read it again. 3/5 stars G
Tozer has some good points and reminders for us in how our hearts and lives should be postured when worshipping but I don’t agree with everything he says. Some things are just poorly presented and confusing and other things I think are misunderstood. At the end of the day it’s about your heart. Are you being honest with God? Is his spirit within you, leading and guiding you? Are you following that leading? Then most everything you do will glorify him. Sure, you’ll still mess up because we’re all sinners and no one’s perfect, but that’s where grace comes in to save us.
A well-written and insightful book discussing the various aspects of what makes worship an experience that brings us closer to God while also honoring Him. The chapters are short at times, but Tozer packs so many ideas into them that I found it helpful to read one or two chapters in order to digest what each chapter covered. This is my second Tozer book (the first was The Pursuit of God) and I'd definitely want to read his other works.
This was my first introduction to this author. I was drawn to finding a book on worship as I am concurrently studying the Book of Kings and the story of Elijah. Though very short, this book reads more like a textbook - you'll want to study this book vs a one-pass read-through or listen on audible. Still, I picked up a few good nuggets listening to the book on my commute.
This was a great read. The author’s focus is for the church and believers to experience and participate in authentic worship, as he points to much false worship that is practiced. Everything we do should be an act of worship to Him.
Tozer goes to the heart of what authentic worship truly is. A wonderful exploration of true worship is whether in a group or individual. A truly good read for those individuals who are interested in true worship of God.
The nature of this book being transcribed and edited sermons leads to less carefully crafted messages than his other books, BUT it's Tozer and he's always God-glorifying and keenly insightful.
Great read to anyone adding to their catalog on Biblical worship. Each chapter ended with a prayer and a hymn which I appreciated. Great sum up of each chapter.