E.A. Johnston warns that the allure of worldly fame and entertainment distracts believers from preparing for eternity, emphasizing that the time to live for God and the gospel is now because eternity cannot wait.
In 'Eternity Can't Wait,' E.A. Johnston challenges believers to examine their priorities, warning against the dangers of worldly distractions such as celebrity worship and entertainment. He calls the church to wholehearted devotion to God and urgent preparation for the coming judgment. Through biblical truths, Johnston emphasizes that the foundation of Jesus Christ is essential for eternal reward and that the time to live for God's glory is now.
Full Transcript
Back in the 1970s, I used to live in Los Angeles and one time I made a visit to the Johnny Carson show and sat in the audience. They did a tape delay and taped their television shows at 3 30 in the afternoon and then they edited them to air later in the week at night at 10 30. In that particular afternoon in 1979, I was sitting in the audience in NBC studios in Burbank California and up on stage was Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon and his guests were the singer Hoyt Axton and the actress Suzanne Plachette and at the time each of those celebrities I just named were all on top of the world and the envy of millions.
Now they are all dead and in their grave and their souls are in eternity. Money and fame don't matter a hill of beans friends when it comes time to die and leave this world for one you were quite unprepared for. This nation of ours is obsessed with celebrities whether they be movie stars or singers or athletes.
This nation practices idol worship and we pay these celebrities millions of dollars who have no morals to influence our children. Most folks in church today could tell you all about the hottest movie stars by name but they'd be hard-pressed to name the 66 books of their bible. All the fame and so-called stardom is a sham for if you examine the personal lives of most of these celebrities they're either drug addicts alcoholics sex perverts or problem people and most of them have been divorced a number of times.
I believe Johnny Carson had had four failed marriages but the infatuation that Christians have with Hollywood is alarming but these people should not take up our time or our money. I believe most church members today would rather watch tv than read their bible. I believe most church members today would rather be entertained by Hollywood than spend time in prayer.
I believe the church at large today has an addiction to entertainment and cannot live without either television or movies and also believe friends the church has no power today or influence with the world because the church has compromised herself with the world. How can we claim to be Christians if we have divided hearts toward God? Basically we give God our leftovers when it comes to our time. This godless Hollywood worshiping society thinks they can party all they want to because they don't believe in a God who will punish sin.
They foolishly believe that eternity can wait but eternity can't wait. They all will one day die and their souls will go back to the God who gave it. I believe heaven weeps over the carefree church of our day that cares more about self-gratification than the souls of men.
The worldly church of this apostate age cares more about fun and games and sports and entertainment than they do about inaccessory prayer for the souls of those who perish into eternity which are they are quite unprepared for and the sad reality is friends eternity can't wait. We will each face it and a future judgment awaits all mankind for there is a coming day where each one of us will have to give an account of our lives to God. My bible declares in first Corinthians for other foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Jesus Christ.
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble every man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is if any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward if any man's work shall be burned he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire when we stand at the judgment seat and Christ reviews our life and work will our lives reflect the gold silver and precious stones of a life lived for him in eternity or will we stand there knee-deep in the ashes of a wasted life and bend over and scoop up those ashes and press them into his nail pierced hands I wish I could go back and live my life over I surely would do it differently I know some of you feel the same way but we can't go back friends and change things but we can live the rest of our a lot of time here for the glory of God and the spread of the gospel for all that matters is eternity let us pray
Sermon Outline
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I
- The fleeting nature of fame and celebrity
- The emptiness of worldly success at death
- The church's unhealthy obsession with entertainment
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II
- The danger of divided hearts and compromised faith
- The church's lack of power due to worldly distractions
- The need for wholehearted devotion to God
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III
- The reality of eternity and coming judgment
- The foundation of Jesus Christ as the only true hope
- The testing of each person's works by fire
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IV
- The urgency to live for God's glory now
- The impossibility of going back to change the past
- The call to spread the gospel and prepare for eternity
Key Quotes
“Money and fame don't matter a hill of beans friends when it comes time to die and leave this world for one you were quite unprepared for.” — E.A. Johnston
“This godless Hollywood worshiping society thinks they can party all they want to because they don't believe in a God who will punish sin.” — E.A. Johnston
“Eternity can't wait. They all will one day die and their souls will go back to the God who gave it.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Prioritize daily prayer and Bible study over entertainment to strengthen your faith.
- Examine your heart for divided loyalties and commit fully to living for Christ.
- Live each day with the awareness that eternity is certain and prepare accordingly.
