Court Martial
E.A. Johnston warns that rejecting God publicly, as seen in both modern America and biblical Israel, leads to loss of divine favor and calls for national repentance and revival.
In this topical sermon titled "Court Martial," E.A. Johnston addresses the alarming trend of faith suppression in modern America, especially within the military. Drawing from the biblical account in 1 Samuel, he highlights the consequences of removing God from public life and warns of impending judgment. Johnston passionately calls listeners to repentance and fervent prayer for national revival, emphasizing the urgent need for God's mercy in these dark times.
Full Transcript
This news item today about the Pentagon releasing the story that a soldier could be prosecuted for sharing his faith, that even a chaplain as a soldier, if he shared his faith in today's military, could be court-martialed. When we kick God out of our country in the way that we have in these last few years, how can we expect his favor and help in time of need? We have example of this in Scripture found in 1 Samuel, where God was displeased with the corporate sins of the sons of Eli, and there came a battle with the Philistines, and God removed his favor and presence and protection from them. Listen to 1 Samuel chapter 4 and verses 10 and 11.
And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent. And there was a very great slaughter for their fellow of Israel, 30,000 foot men. And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hopni and Phinehas, were slain.
We've kicked God out of our classrooms in America. We've legislated him out of our courts. We've escorted him to the very borders of our land and said, we don't need you anymore.
And now our government and our military is saying, God, we don't need you anymore. Well, there'll come a day, friends, when we will cry for God to help us because we'll be in such a conflict with an enemy that we'll need him then. We'll invoke his name then.
But he'll be like he was in the camp of Israel where he allowed the Philistines to come in and to destroy because we just don't want him anymore. This news item today should bring us all to our knees in repentance and prayer for the only hope for America's revival. If we only realized the desperate situation and these dark days that we're in, every single one of us would be on our faces right now, begging God for mercy.
Oh, that he would send a mighty revival to our land before he sends his displeasure in a severe judgment. God have mercy on America.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Current news about faith suppression in the military
- Comparison to kicking God out of America
- Consequences of removing God from public life
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II
- Biblical example from 1 Samuel of Israel losing God's favor
- The defeat by the Philistines and loss of the Ark
- God's displeasure with corporate sin
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III
- Modern parallels in America’s rejection of God
- Warning of coming judgment if repentance does not occur
- Call to prayer and revival
Key Quotes
“When we kick God out of our country in the way that we have in these last few years, how can we expect his favor and help in time of need?” — E.A. Johnston
“There'll come a day, friends, when we will cry for God to help us because we'll be in such a conflict with an enemy that we'll need him then.” — E.A. Johnston
“This news item today should bring us all to our knees in repentance and prayer for the only hope for America's revival.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Recognize the importance of maintaining faith in all areas of public life.
- Respond to societal decline with personal and corporate repentance.
- Commit to prayer and seeking God's mercy for the nation.