Cry Out for Revival
E.A. Johnston passionately calls the church to cry out for a heaven-sent revival that realigns believers with God's holiness and breaks the cycle of spiritual complacency.
In this prophetic sermon, E.A. Johnston challenges the church to confront its spiritual complacency and self-centeredness by crying out for a genuine revival. Drawing from Jeremiah 33:3, he emphasizes the necessity of returning to God through fervent prayer and dependence on His power. Johnston warns against relying on man-made methods and calls believers to seek God's heart to restore holiness and impact in their communities.
Full Transcript
In my Bible, in Jeremiah chapter 33 and verse 3, I read, Call upon me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. If that's the case, friends, why aren't we calling upon God in this desperate day? God's desire for His church today is to reestablish His prominence and preeminence in His sanctuary. The church today has unfortunately grieved Him away through carelessness, worldliness, and sin.
Only a heaven-sent revival can realign the people of God to the heart of an offended holy sovereign. The question remains, will we follow the pattern for seeking Him found in Scripture, or will we continue to play church and rely on man-made methodologies and man-centered theology to continue the business of church activity which occupies the congregation while hardening them to the gospel at the same time? The people's hearts are hardened toward the things of eternity because our eyes are off Him and on ourselves. We can do much in the church today with money, sweat, and personality.
Why do we need God when we are on the grow and our assemblies are increasing? The answer is, we need God because our communities are growing more wicked every day, our young people today are godless, and the church is not making a difference within the community. As the people of God, we have become self-focused, self-absorbed, and self-obsessed to the point that our Christianity is merely a means to serve us. I want to read you a quote from Stephen Alford and the need to cry out for revival because it breaks my heart every time I read it, listen to his words.
But on the whole, there is so little spirit-begotten and energized prayer, so little utter dependence upon God, so little authoritative preaching. Instead, there is so much of high-pressure appeals for money, for decisions, and for uninstructed membership in our church life. These and many other disturbing features on the contemporary scene make me long and cry out for revival.
Oh friends, we need to cry out for revival. We need to cry to the great God and ask him to show us great and mighty things in our day.
Sermon Outline
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I
- God's call to call upon Him for great and mighty things
- The church's current state of carelessness and sin
- The need to reestablish God's preeminence in the sanctuary
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II
- The danger of relying on man-centered methods over God's pattern
- The hardness of hearts toward eternity due to self-focus
- The insufficiency of church growth without God's intervention
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III
- The growing wickedness in communities and godlessness among youth
- The church's failure to impact society meaningfully
- The call to genuine spirit-begotten prayer and dependence on God
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IV
- The critique of contemporary church practices
- The longing and cry for revival as a necessary response
- Encouragement to cry out to God for revival today
Key Quotes
“Call upon me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.” — E.A. Johnston
“Only a heaven-sent revival can realign the people of God to the heart of an offended holy sovereign.” — E.A. Johnston
“We need to cry out for revival. We need to cry to the great God and ask him to show us great and mighty things in our day.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Commit to fervent, spirit-led prayer seeking God's intervention in your life and church.
- Evaluate and repent from any self-centered attitudes that hinder spiritual growth and community impact.
- Prioritize God's holiness and preeminence over man-made methods in church activities.