Before the Stroke of Midnight
E.A. Johnston warns believers to examine their faith and urgently reach out to save souls from the eternal fire of hell before it is too late.
In this urgent and powerful sermon, E.A. Johnston challenges listeners to confront the reality of hell and the eternal consequences of false faith. Drawing from Scripture and vivid illustrations, Johnston calls believers to examine their salvation and to actively work to rescue souls from eternal destruction. With a compelling appeal to be born again and rest solely on Christ, this message is a sobering reminder of the urgency of evangelism and genuine faith.
Full Transcript
When I was a boy, I played the game of Snapdragon with my friends. Maybe some of you have as well, where you'd put raisins in a large dish, and pour rum over them, and then ignite them with a match. Then you gotta snap the raisins from the dragon, or go without.
A hot raisin, snapped from that fire, was worth 100 others cold. You had to be quick, and you had to be brave, and you were rewarded with a delicious treat for your efforts. But the point was, if you wanted a raisin, it had to be pulled from the fire.
In the book of Isaiah, in chapter 33 and verse 14, we see hell as a picture of fire, an eternal fire. The sinners in Zion are afraid. Fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites.
Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? It's been estimated, friends, that every minute, 83 people die outside of Christ, and drop into a Christless eternity. Do the math, that comes to 4,800 souls an hour, who enter the regions of hell. Multiply that 24 times, and you'll soon learn that over 100,000 souls perish into eternal flames and torments every day.
If you found out that 100,000 souls went to hell today, how would that affect you? Can you be indifferent to them? Does that bother you at all? The lost perish all around us. We must ask ourselves, what have we done to snatch them out of the fire? Jude 23 states, and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire. It was said of D.L. Moody that he depopulated hell by a million people.
What are we doing to depopulate hell? Or do we even care? Can we sleep well tonight, knowing that before the stroke of midnight, 100,000 souls will die in their sins, and open their eyes in the raging flames of hell? Many of these people were good church members, who mistakenly believed that church membership was salvation. Many of them did good works in their life, and believed that because they were good people, they would go to heaven. But good people don't go to heaven.
Only forgiven people get to go there. Yes, friends, 100,000 souls will drop into hell before the stroke of midnight, and their screams of surprise will shake the core of the earth. Our text from Isaiah declares, Fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites, that when a hypocrite enters hell, he is surprised.
If you are resting your hope of heaven on a false faith, then you sit upon a false foundation that will one day crack, and down you will go, to the regions of hell, to be numbered with that 100,000. I believe the biggest cry from hell comes from the surprised church member, who expected to be in heaven, and instead opened his eyes in hell. The Apostle Paul states in 2 Corinthians 13.5 that, We each take the time to be sure our foundation that we rest upon is sound.
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith. Prove your own selves, know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates. George Whitefield was preaching from this text on his very last sermon.
He stood atop two barrels in a field in Exeter, New Hampshire, in New England, in the fall of 1770. Four thousand people stood huddled together in that field that day, listening to the great Whitefield preach to them to examine themselves. He warned them that trying to get to heaven by good works, apart from being born again in Christ Jesus, was like trying to climb to heaven on a rope of sand.
He finished his message and died at 6 a.m. the next morning. Life is short, friend. Are you climbing your way up to heaven on a rope of sand of good opinion of yourself and a long track record of good works? You must be born again.
Salvation is Christ. You must get to Him, friend, and be born from above and get under His blood. Listen, friends.
Tonight, before the stroke of midnight, 100,000 souls will be cast into hell. Don't be numbered among them. Repent before it's too late.
Let us pray.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Illustration of Snapdragon game and the value of taking risks
- Biblical depiction of hell as eternal fire and fearfulness of sinners
- Urgency of soul salvation given the number of souls perishing daily
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II
- The danger of false security in church membership and good works
- Only forgiven people enter heaven, not merely good people
- The surprise and terror of hypocrites in hell
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III
- Call to self-examination of faith based on 2 Corinthians 13:5
- George Whitefield’s last sermon urging examination and true salvation
- Warning against relying on works or self-opinion for salvation
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IV
- Urgent call to be born again and rest salvation solely on Christ
- The reality of 100,000 souls entering hell daily
- Final appeal to repent before it is too late
Key Quotes
“Only forgiven people get to go there.” — E.A. Johnston
“Are you climbing your way up to heaven on a rope of sand of good opinion of yourself and a long track record of good works? You must be born again.” — E.A. Johnston
“Tonight, before the stroke of midnight, 100,000 souls will be cast into hell. Don't be numbered among them.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Examine your own faith to ensure it is genuine and rooted in Christ alone.
- Engage actively in evangelism to help snatch souls from the fire before it is too late.
- Repent and be born again to secure your place in heaven, not relying on good works.