The Pickle Jar
E.A. Johnston passionately warns against spiritual complacency in preaching, urging a revival of bold, convicting gospel proclamation to awaken a nation racing toward judgment.
In 'The Pickle Jar,' E.A. Johnston delivers a prophetic call to awaken the church from spiritual lethargy. He challenges preachers who have become stagnant in doctrine without bold gospel action and warns of a nation racing toward judgment. Johnston urges repentance and a revival that begins in the pulpits, inspired by the fearless preaching of historical figures like George Whitefield. This sermon is a passionate plea for renewed spiritual fervor and gospel-centered ministry.
Full Transcript
I believe our young people today are going to hell faster than a Ferrari. I believe our country today is under judgment from a holy and sovereign God whom everyone ignores. And I believe many of our pulpits today are as deadening as embalming fluid.
I believe there are preachers out there who know what to do to reach men, but they have allowed themselves to be pickled by doctrine to such a degree they're like a pickle in a jar. A pickle in a jar sits motionless on a shelf hoping somebody will come along and lift the lid off so they can have something to go along with their hamburger. I believe there are men out there who are much older now, but who in their younger days came under illumination and conviction of what they needed to preach, but instead of going out and doing what they should have done and what they knew they should do, they instead sat and soaked up doctrine like pickle brine until their ministry became an essay for the head instead of an arrow shot through the heart.
I'm an old man rebuking old men who failed to pass on the baton they were handed by better men. And because of that failure to preach man's duty of repentance and the absolute lordship of Jesus Christ, they may have preserved their skins, but they ended up like a pickle in a jar with the lid squeezed on too tight. I fear there are some younger preachers out there who started out with a flame, but they too gave in to the temperature of the day by sitting in that sunlight of soaking up doctrine until all their spiritual nourishment has gone out of them as well.
They are mighty smart and mighty separated and mighty pickled. All we can do is to fall to our faces in repentance and prayer and ask God to give us some George Whitefield or Ralph Barnard for our day who won't be afraid to preach a cutting gospel that makes men bleed to see their open sores of sin so they can repent and get to a bloodstained savior from sin. We need a revival today, friends, if not for the sake of our nation, but for our own sakes as we are part of what makes a nation.
We must have a revival that will begin in our pulpits or we will maintain the status quo of the pickle jar while this nation runs like a Ferrari racing to hell.
Sermon Outline
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I
- The urgency of the spiritual condition of youth and nation
- The judgment of God ignored by society
- Deadening effect of current pulpits
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II
- The metaphor of preachers as pickles in a jar
- The danger of being overly doctrinal without action
- The loss of spiritual vitality in ministry
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III
- A call to repentance for older and younger preachers
- The need for bold gospel preaching like Whitefield and Barnard
- The necessity of revival beginning in the pulpits
Key Quotes
“I believe our young people today are going to hell faster than a Ferrari.” — E.A. Johnston
“They are mighty smart and mighty separated and mighty pickled.” — E.A. Johnston
“We need a revival today, friends, if not for the sake of our nation, but for our own sakes as we are part of what makes a nation.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Examine your own spiritual passion and avoid becoming stagnant in doctrine without action.
- Pray earnestly for revival that begins in the church's leadership and preaching.
- Be willing to preach and live out a gospel message that convicts and calls for repentance.