E.A. Johnston warns that every man faces a critical moment of judgment before God, urging listeners to turn from sin and embrace the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
In 'Man at a Crises,' E.A. Johnston powerfully confronts listeners with the reality of sin, judgment, and the urgent need for salvation through Jesus Christ. Drawing from vivid biblical imagery, Johnston calls men to recognize the fleeting nature of worldly pursuits and the eternal consequences of their choices. This evangelistic sermon invites all to come to Christ and receive the living water of grace before the final judgment.
Full Transcript
Great God, I pray that you open our hearts and minds and peel back the curtains on eternity today and show us that solitary figure with the eyes of a vast crowd upon him as he stands before the judge of all the earth and the books are opened and men are judged according to the things written in the books whether good or bad show us the vanity of a life lived selfishly in a world that's just a wrecked vessel smashed on the rocks and slowly sinking. I pray, Heavenly Father, for you to attend the preaching of your gospel with your pungent presence by your spirit and that you will come and disturb folks have mercy on some sinner here and show them a revealed Christ let them see a bleeding and dying Christ on that bloody cross at Calvary. I pray these things in the strong name of Jesus.
Amen. My Bible says that sin is a wasting thing. Sin may have a temporary allure but in the end it will bring you but a profitless harvest of grief and regret for they have sown the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind and we are warned by the apostle Paul in Galatians be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap you go and live a life of sin and you will reap the consequences for sure the devil likes to wrap sin in pretty packages with colorful bows but once it's opened and indulged in will leave just the empty wrappings of bitter tears of guilt and regret a man lives in a busy world a chaotic world and a busy life all his energies go to his work or career path as he tries to accumulate as much of the world as he can but this is just a empty bubble that will one day pop for a man's energies are consumed on the wrong things in life as he makes his way in the world most men live a hollow drifting life with mundane ambitions giving an ounce of service to his fellow man but making no real sacrifice most live a life utterly selfish and self-absorbed living for the moment and tasting the pleasures of life as they briefly appear here and there man is in a solitary boat gliding feebly down the stream of time as the world flashes by and his ears are filled with the sound of the inevitable roaring cataract of death to one day leave this world for another world my bible declares and it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment one day man will have to stand before the judge of all the world and give an account of himself we see this to be the case from this vivid scene spoken of in the book of revelation and i saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them and i saw the dead small and great stand before god and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works there stands a solitary figure with the eyes of a vast crowd upon him from all generations through the ages there stands before that pure white throne and that sovereign judge a man a man with his life laid bare and exposed beneath the glaring spotlight of eternity as that judge reviews that person's life with his intense scrutiny and behind him is the red hot glow of a lake of fire and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire there the secrets of his innermost heart are analyzed by that judge who has eyes of fire a careless life spent on perishing things that won't hold up for a skinny minute in eternity but that judge has the scars of nail prints in his hands from a time when he walked the earth doing good jesus healed the sick and gave sight to the blind he fed the hungry and gave rest to the weary he even raised the dead to life yet what happened men cried away with him and nailed him to a cross they put a crown of thorns upon his head and crucified him on a hill called calvary there he hung nailed to that cross with his arms outstretched wrestling there under the weight of sin look at that man on the cross see him there bleeding and dying savior for sin herein is love not that we love god but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins he cared enough for me to hang there naked and bleeding on my behalf he loved me and gave himself for me come friend to the feet of this crucified savior and look at the bleeding hands and see his dim die as his strength is failing in the blink of an eye you may be his nestling in his arms and resting on his grace with your burden of sin and selfishness resting at his nail pierced feet hear his pleas and promises as he cries if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink he that believeth on me as the scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water look at that man on the cross friend don't let this moment pass you by come to him and believe on him and own him as your savior and lord are you a man at a crisis uh the gospel is for the hungry the weary and the thirsty are you hungry for god are you weary of your sins are you thirsty for christ come to him give all give your all to him for all he is he is a pearl of great price we're selling all for and losing all for so he may be gained hear him and the spirit and the bride say come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely
Sermon Outline
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I
- The vanity and consequences of sin
- The fleeting nature of worldly pursuits
- The inevitability of death and judgment
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II
- The great white throne judgment scene
- The exposure of a man’s life before God
- The reality of eternal punishment
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III
- Jesus Christ’s sacrificial love on the cross
- The offer of salvation and living water
- The call to respond to the gospel
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IV
- The urgency of the moment of crisis
- Invitation to come to Christ for forgiveness
- The promise of grace and eternal life
Key Quotes
“Sin may have a temporary allure but in the end it will bring you but a profitless harvest of grief and regret.” — E.A. Johnston
“There stands before that pure white throne and that sovereign judge a man with his life laid bare and exposed beneath the glaring spotlight of eternity.” — E.A. Johnston
“Come friend to the feet of this crucified savior and look at the bleeding hands and see his dim die as his strength is failing.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Examine your life in light of eternity and the coming judgment.
- Turn away from sin and selfish living to embrace Christ’s forgiveness.
- Respond to the gospel today by coming to Jesus and receiving His grace.
