He Agonized Over My Soul
E.A. Johnston passionately illustrates how both a caring pastor and Jesus Christ Himself agonized over his soul, urging believers to earnestly pray and reach out to the lost.
In this heartfelt testimony, E.A. Johnston recounts how a compassionate pastor and ultimately Jesus Christ Himself agonized over his soul, demonstrating the power of intercessory prayer and sacrificial love. Through personal stories and biblical truth, Johnston challenges believers to actively pray for and reach out to those who are lost. This sermon inspires a deeper commitment to evangelism and spiritual care.
Full Transcript
The year was 1967. How can I ever forget him? He was a dear man who reached out to an awkward teenager because he cared for my soul. He saw I was being brought up in an ungodly home, and he was a pastor who lived across the street from my family.
He invited me to breakfast with his family. His wife baked fresh bread in the oven while he poured me a cup of hot tea with honey and milk in it. Then before we ate, he did something strange.
I'd never seen anybody do it before. He said grace and thank God for the meal before us, and he thanked God that I was in their little company for breakfast that morning. Then this man did something even more strange at that breakfast table.
He opened up his Bible and began to read from it. I never saw anybody do that before in my life. This man then did something even more strange.
He then bowed his head and prayed an audible prayer for people in distant lands. Missionaries, he called them. Then he prayed for strangers to know Jesus.
Then he prayed for me that I would come back again and visit them once more. Well, I kept going back for breakfast with this Christian man because he loved me and was kind to me. He gave me my first job working in his Bible bookstore.
I'd sweep the floor and set chairs for church service, and I'd sell tracts in the front of the store. And this group of Christian folk let me into their little congregation and were kind to me. This pastor then gave me a brand new Bible, and in the cover he wrote an inscription to me.
This man, this neighbor, cared for my soul, and he began to pray daily for my salvation. He agonized over my soul one day while he was praying for me. I saw tears drop from his eyes.
Like I said, he cared for my soul. He agonized over my soul in prayer. This man didn't want to see this teenager go to hell, so he intervened in my life, in the spiritual life of my soul.
He led me to Christ, and I believe a seed of grace was planted in my soul because this man agonized over my soul. There was another man who cared for my soul. He prayed for me.
He agonized over my soul. He offered his innocent hands to be nailed to a cross for me. He wore a thorny crown that hurt him for me.
He endured pain and suffering and agony for me because he agonized over my soul at a place called Calvary. He died so I could live. Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified Savior, he was the one who agonized over my soul and shed his blood for me.
He became sin for me. I'm an old man now, but I can look back over the years and see two men who cared for me. One was a pastor with a burden for souls.
One was a Savior who bore the burden of sin to save my soul. I'm speaking to you this evening, friends, because there was one who agonized over my soul. That pastor didn't want me to go to hell.
How can we live such self-centered lives that we can't make the effort to reach out to an awkward teenager and invade their life with the love of Jesus? If you are safe, friend, it's because someone somewhere agonized over your soul. They didn't want you to go to hell. Choose a lost person that you know and begin to agonize over their soul, praying for them to come to Christ and be saved.
And you might be surprised at the results. And you just might surprise yourself. But let us pray.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Introduction to the pastor who cared for the speaker's soul
- The pastor’s acts of kindness and spiritual discipline
- The beginning of a spiritual relationship
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II
- The pastor’s agonizing prayer for the speaker’s salvation
- The impact of intercessory prayer on the speaker’s life
- The gift of a Bible and inclusion in the Christian community
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III
- Jesus Christ’s ultimate agony for our souls at Calvary
- The significance of Christ’s sacrifice and bearing sin
- Comparison between the pastor’s care and Christ’s redemptive work
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IV
- A call to believers to agonize over the souls of the lost
- The challenge to reach out to others with love and prayer
- Encouragement to expect surprising results through faithful intercession
Key Quotes
“This man, this neighbor, cared for my soul, and he began to pray daily for my salvation.” — E.A. Johnston
“He agonized over my soul one day while he was praying for me. I saw tears drop from his eyes.” — E.A. Johnston
“Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified Savior, he was the one who agonized over my soul and shed his blood for me.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Commit to praying daily for a lost person you know.
- Reach out with kindness and invite others into Christian fellowship.
- Remember and share the sacrifice of Jesus as motivation for evangelism.