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Spoiled Kids Gone to Devil
E.A. Johnston
0:00
0:00 4:32
E.A. Johnston

Spoiled Kids Gone to Devil

E.A. Johnston · 4:32

E.A. Johnston warns that spoiling children with comfort and diluted gospel leads to a generation that rejects God and embraces sin.
In this heartfelt sermon, E.A. Johnston addresses the spiritual crisis facing a generation raised in the church yet lost to sin. He challenges parents and churches for compromising biblical truth to appease children, resulting in a youth that rejects God and embraces worldly lifestyles. Johnston calls for a return to uncompromising gospel teaching, genuine discipleship, and parental responsibility to restore faith and moral integrity.

Full Transcript

In the book of Judges, in chapter 2, in verse 10, we read, And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers, And there arose another generation after them, Which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. I look around me, and I look at all the church kids That I knew when they were little, and now they're grown up, And a good number of them are living in sin, Having babies out of wedlock, or announcing publicly They are engaged to their gay lover. I weep over the train wrecks of these ruined lives, When Southern Baptists loosened the buckle on the Bible belt, Or families went to hell.

We bent over backwards for our kids at church, And we did our best to keep them happy and entertained. We gave them pizza nights, and movie nights, And catered to their every whim. We changed the music in our church to accommodate them.

We even changed the way we dressed to be more casual for them. We changed our message so it wouldn't offend them, And we gave the kids what they wanted, Instead of giving them what they needed. They needed to know what sin was, And why it needed to be avoided.

But we threw a rug on sin, and covered up hell With a fluffy comforter, And just told the kids to accept our Jesus. And we made it easy for the kids to come to Christ, Because we broadened the way of salvation, In ways Jesus never did. So our kids grew up in church, And attended vacation Bible school, And went to either private Christian school, Or were homeschooled.

And now the kids are college age, And everyone has gone their own way, And gone to the devil. And the parents are supportive and okay, With their kids' sinful and godless lifestyle. We continue to spoil them by not telling them the truth, Because we're too afraid to admit, We dropped the ball years ago, And failed to pray for our kids, Like we should have.

We failed to have family devotions, Regularly with our kids, Like we should have. We failed to call sin black, And hell hot, Like we should have. And we catered to our little darlings, We gave them every desire, Like we shouldn't have.

So we spoiled them rotten early on, And then we told them they were saved, When they never had true conversion to begin with. The kids grew up in a home, Where the parents were one way at church, And another way at home. And they were raised by a do-as-I-say mentality, Instead of a do-as-I-do godly example.

The kids saw no reality of God, In the lives of their parents, And they saw right through, All the hypocrisy. And when they got old enough, Where they weren't forced to attend church anymore, They turned their back on church, Because they'd turned their back on God, A long time ago. And we are reaping, What we have sown, All these long years.

And the harvest, Is a young generation, With no moral compass, No shame for sin, No fear of God, And no belief in the God of the Bible. They are living like the devil, And the parents are still indulging, And supporting their sinful lifestyle. And this is the face of us Southern Baptists today, And it's a crying shame.

Sermon Outline

  1. I
    • The generation that knew not the Lord
    • Observing the spiritual decline of church-raised youth
    • The consequences of loosening biblical standards
  2. II
    • How the church catered to children’s desires
    • Changing music, dress, and message to avoid offense
    • Giving children what they wanted instead of what they needed
  3. III
    • Failure in parental spiritual leadership and prayer
    • Neglecting family devotions and clear teaching on sin
    • Raising children with hypocrisy and inconsistent examples
  4. IV
    • The resulting generation’s moral and spiritual collapse
    • Parents’ continued indulgence of sinful lifestyles
    • The urgent need to repent and restore biblical truth

Key Quotes

“We gave the kids what they wanted, Instead of giving them what they needed.” — E.A. Johnston
“We spoiled them rotten early on, And then we told them they were saved, When they never had true conversion to begin with.” — E.A. Johnston
“The kids saw no reality of God, In the lives of their parents, And they saw right through, All the hypocrisy.” — E.A. Johnston

Application Points

  • Parents should prioritize teaching biblical truth over entertaining or appeasing their children.
  • Churches must maintain clear, uncompromised gospel messages to effectively disciple youth.
  • Regular family devotions and prayer are essential for nurturing genuine faith in children.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main cause of the spiritual decline among church-raised youth?
The main cause is parents and churches catering to children’s desires rather than teaching them biblical truth and the reality of sin.
How did changing the church environment affect the youth?
Changing music, dress, and messages to avoid offending youth led to a watered-down gospel that failed to convict and convert them.
What role do parents play in their children's spiritual growth?
Parents must lead by godly example, pray diligently, and teach their children about sin and salvation consistently.
Why is it important to call sin what it is?
Calling sin by its true name helps children understand the seriousness of disobedience and the need for repentance.
What can churches do to prevent this spiritual decline?
Churches should uphold biblical standards, preach the full gospel, and support parents in discipling their children.

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