The Circus Church Game
E.A. Johnston warns that true gospel preaching often faces rejection and ridicule in a modern church that resembles a circus, urging believers to stand firm in the face of opposition.
In 'The Circus Church Game,' E.A. Johnston challenges the modern church's tendency toward entertainment and superficiality, contrasting it with the costly but faithful gospel preaching exemplified by historical Christian figures. He warns believers about the rejection and persecution that come with standing for truth and calls for a return to authentic, repentant faith. This sermon encourages listeners to recognize the eternal stakes beyond the fleeting amusements of the contemporary church culture.
Full Transcript
When I was a little boy in grade school, my English teacher asked the class to write a poem. Well, the circus had just come to town, so I wrote a little poem about the circus. The teacher graded it by writing a big letter F at the top of the page as she failed me for my effort.
She claimed I plagiarized the poem. But I didn't plagiarize the poem. I just wrote the poem in one sitting with the natural talent God gave me as a writer, but I still got an F when I deserved an A. But I learned a valuable lesson about life that day, that there are times in life where if you do something worthy, the world will slap you down, even if it's the right thing to do.
John the Baptist faced it as he called out a king, and it cost him his head. The Apostle Paul faced it by preaching the gospel of truth, and his head fell off too. Martin Luther faced it as he called out the potpourri of Rome, and all hell broke loose.
John Knox faced it as he called out the Queen of England, and Scotland went blood red with persecution. George Whitefield faced it as he called out the unconverted pulpits of his day, and rotten eggs and stones were hurled at his head. And you will face it too, friend, if you start preaching the gospel of the Son of God, which is ruin, redemption, repentance, and regeneration.
In a day like today of an apostate church and a morally bankrupt society, you will be slapped down for your efforts, spurned by your colleagues, mocked by the religious unconverted, and shut out of every pulpit that hates the lordship of Jesus Christ. We have a circus atmosphere today in the modern church where you can find many amusements to entertain you, where many pulpits are filled with noisy carnival barkers and grease-paint face clowns. The circus-church game is played out every Sunday, where they hand out a cotton-candy gospel that looks appealing and tastes sweet and will stick to your hands for a little while, until it's washed off with soap and water.
Samuel Chadwick had this to say about the circus-church in his day. When a church is run on the same lines as a circus, there may be crowds, but there is no shekinah. I wrote a little poem back then, and I got a slap for it, and I write my little poem now with probably the same results, but here it goes, friends.
How I love the circus when it comes to town, especially the pastor clown. The trapeze artists sure give me a scare, and like the hot balloon the preacher's full of air. I eat popcorn and get sick while monkeys in the pulpits do their tricks, but although they're here for just a while, they sure know how to make you smile.
The whole circus is filled with fun and games that makes the adults laugh just the same, but a day will come when the sun will set and the poles are taken down of the big circus tent, when the soul dies and flies away far from the sounds of the circus parade. In hell, souls scream in misery and pain, but while on earth they played the circus-church game.
Sermon Outline
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I. The Reality of Rejection
- Personal story of unjust failure in childhood
- Historical examples of gospel preachers facing opposition
- The inevitability of slaps and rejection for truth
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II. The Circus Church Atmosphere
- Description of modern church as a circus with entertainment
- Critique of shallow, appealing but empty gospel messages
- Samuel Chadwick’s observation on lack of divine presence
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III. The Eternal Consequences
- Temporary amusement of circus-church games
- Warning of eternal misery for souls who reject true gospel
- Call to recognize the seriousness beyond the circus facade
Key Quotes
“There are times in life where if you do something worthy, the world will slap you down, even if it's the right thing to do.” — E.A. Johnston
“In a day like today of an apostate church and a morally bankrupt society, you will be slapped down for your efforts, spurned by your colleagues, mocked by the religious unconverted, and shut out of every pulpit that hates the lordship of Jesus Christ.” — E.A. Johnston
“The circus-church game is played out every Sunday, where they hand out a cotton-candy gospel that looks appealing and tastes sweet and will stick to your hands for a little while, until it's washed off with soap and water.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Expect opposition when standing for true gospel preaching and remain steadfast in faith.
- Discern between superficial church entertainment and authentic spiritual nourishment.
- Commit to living a repentant and genuine Christian life despite societal rejection.