Ambulance Coming for You
E.A. Johnston warns believers that life is fragile and unpredictable, urging them to prioritize eternal values over worldly pursuits.
In this compelling sermon, E.A. Johnston confronts the harsh reality of sudden death and the fragility of life. Drawing from his own near-death experience and the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12, Johnston challenges believers to reconsider their priorities. He calls the church to focus less on physical growth and more on spiritual development, urging listeners to live with an eternal perspective and readiness for life's unexpected end.
Full Transcript
Is that ambulance coming for you? We live in a violent society, in a land of sudden death. It's not even safe to go outside anymore. You can die in a crash or be cut down by the bullets of a madman.
We foolishly believe we will stay in this world longer when the reality is. We could be taken out of it at any moment. I came face to face with my own mortality last year when I was taken to the emergency room for an appendix that was ready to burst.
While under surgery my heart failed and I started to turn gray, so the doctors told me. But God wasn't ready for me yet, that's why I'm still preaching to you friends. But it was a wake-up call, that life is fragile at best, and we can be removed from this world unexpectedly and without warning.
There's a story in my Bible about a man who lived for this world. He was working hard to get as much of it as he could in his lifetime, but God had other plans for him. Listen to this story Jesus told in Luke's Gospel from chapter 12.
The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully, and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do? Because I have no room where to bestow my fruits. And he said, This will I do. I will pull down my barns and build greater.
I will pause here. This old boy was on a building program, but God cut it short and said, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. I will stop there, friends.
That prosperous farmer went from relaxing in his easy chair to laying in a grave. I know a lot of pastors who are building bigger barns. They are satisfied with the size of their church campus or the size of their Christian school.
They want to build bigger to accommodate all the success they are having. I don't believe God is as interested in brick and mortar as we are. The one big temple that sat in Jerusalem, in a few years he had it torn down stone by stone.
And when Jesus was here, he didn't build any institutions, but he built some men to reach the world. We better be better stewards if we shut down the building program and maybe focus on building better men instead. I know one thing for sure, we don't have as much time as we think we do.
Is that ambulance coming for you?
Sermon Outline
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I. The Reality of Sudden Death
- Life is fragile and unpredictable in a violent world
- Personal testimony of near-death experience
- Urgency to recognize mortality
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II. The Parable of the Rich Fool
- Man focused on earthly wealth and building bigger barns
- God calls him a fool and demands his soul unexpectedly
- Warning against misplaced priorities
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III. Building Men, Not Buildings
- Critique of church focus on physical expansion
- Jesus focused on building people, not institutions
- Call to better stewardship of time and resources
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IV. Living with an Eternal Perspective
- Recognize limited time on earth
- Prioritize spiritual growth and service
- Prepare for the moment when life ends
Key Quotes
“Is that ambulance coming for you? We live in a violent society, in a land of sudden death.” — E.A. Johnston
“God wasn't ready for me yet, that's why I'm still preaching to you friends.” — E.A. Johnston
“Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Recognize the fragility of life and live with a sense of urgency.
- Focus on building spiritual character rather than accumulating material wealth.
- Steward your time and resources to prepare for eternity.