Ashamed of the Gospel
E.A. Johnston warns that the modern gospel lacks the power of salvation because it has been diluted from the original message of repentance and regeneration proclaimed by the Apostle Paul.
In this topical sermon, E.A. Johnston examines the decline in the power of the gospel from the days of the Apostle Paul to the present. Drawing on historical revival movements and the preaching of figures like Charles Finney, Johnston critiques modern evangelism methods that prioritize emotional decisions over true regeneration. He calls believers to return to the authentic gospel that transforms lives and saves souls.
Full Transcript
In Romans 1 16 the Apostle Paul declares, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. If this was true in Paul's day, what would he say about the gospel of our day, a gospel that is another gospel than the one he proclaimed? Paul's gospel has power to save, but why does ours lack that power? When did the gospel lose its power? Obviously, the one we're using today is an anemic version of the old gospel of our fathers. As a research scholar of revival, I've spent decades studying the preaching and sermons of men God used in times of spiritual awakening.
I've noticed that even the study of what Charles Finney preached along with his error is more orthodox than what we're preaching today from my studies of research in the Great Awakening. In the Second Great Awakening, I see a great theological seismic shift in the offer of the gospel from the 19th century to the 20th century and following, where once there was an emphasis placed on repentance and regeneration. This was eventually replaced by a plea to only accept and believe, where Charles Finney pressed hard on salvation, being tied to submission to God and a surrender to the claims of Christ in the gospel, now has been replaced with a mere intellectual ascent to only believe.
This is why the gospel we're using today is not the same gospel of the New Testament church of our fathers. What sprang out of evangelistic crusades in football stadiums in the 1950s through mass evangelism is a debased gospel from the one found in my Bible, the modern church. Made a decision back then to adopt man-centered methodologies that produced quick results regarding church growth and when we did that, we got on the easy-believe bandwagon and that's why the nation quickly went to hell.
In the days of Finney and even Moody, you could not join a church unless you presented clear evidence of regeneration. Now, we baptize anybody who walks down our aisle in response to our emotional appeal. The result of all this is we've got congregations full of the unconverted and hell fills by the hour with baptized church members who never were born again to begin with.
They lived their lives inside the church, gave their money, gave their time, only end up in a devil's hell because of faulty evangelism and a perverted gospel. They were told that they were saved by a minister, but they never was confirmed by the Holy Spirit. I believe the Apostle Paul would be ashamed of the modern gospel of our day that's so lacking in power it can't save a flea, much less a sinner hardened in sin.
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Sermon Outline
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I
- Paul’s declaration of not being ashamed of the gospel
- The gospel’s power to save in the New Testament
- Contrast between Paul’s gospel and today’s gospel
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II
- Historical study of revival preaching and the Great Awakening
- Theological shifts from repentance to mere belief
- Charles Finney’s emphasis on submission and regeneration
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III
- Modern evangelism’s adoption of man-centered methods
- The rise of easy-believe gospel and its consequences
- Baptizing unconverted individuals and its spiritual cost
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IV
- The tragic result of faulty evangelism
- The Apostle Paul’s likely shame over today’s gospel
- Call to return to the true gospel with power to save
Key Quotes
“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.” — E.A. Johnston
“The gospel we're using today is not the same gospel of the New Testament church of our fathers.” — E.A. Johnston
“We've got congregations full of the unconverted and hell fills by the hour with baptized church members who never were born again.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Evaluate the gospel message you are sharing to ensure it includes repentance and regeneration, not just belief.
- Avoid man-centered evangelism methods that prioritize quick decisions over true spiritual transformation.
- Encourage clear evidence of new birth in those joining the church to maintain the integrity of the gospel.