When Darkness Prevails
E.A. Johnston calls the church to awaken from spiritual slumber and embrace brokenness, repentance, and fervent faith amid a national moral crisis.
In "When Darkness Prevails," E.A. Johnston prophetically addresses the spiritual crisis facing the church and nation. He challenges believers to awaken from complacency and embrace genuine repentance, humility, and fervent faith. Drawing from biblical examples like Jonah and the words of Jonathan Edwards, Johnston calls for a revival that transcends mere tradition and professionalism. This sermon is a stirring call to action for the church to stand firm and seek God's renewing power in dark times.
Full Transcript
I believe our country is fast spinning out of control in a moral free fall within a godless society that is focused on self-preservation in a time of national crisis. And I believe the church is facing a crisis point right now, friends, as her doors are closed to the public and her pastors are out of view. In the book of Jonah we read, But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship, and he lay and was fast asleep. In 1740, when God moved through New England, it was called the Great Awakening, a revival has often been referred to as an awakening. At Gethsemane, Jesus faced the crisis point of his earthly ministry, and his disciples slept right through it.
Today, the church is in a crisis point, and we are sleeping right through it, sleeping on our pillows of conformity and compromise, where pastors fear man more than God. Will God in his mercy have to cast us and our ministries into the foaming waves to get our attention like Jonah? What national tragedy will have to occur to awaken us out of our spiritual slumber? What we need in the midst of this crisis is instead of professionalism, we need brokenness before him. Instead of dry doctrine with no heart, we need wet eyes and a broken heart.
Instead of memorized prayers, we need cries of anguish birthed out of desperation. Instead of pride backed by academic degrees, we need humility upon our knees. Instead of new buildings and more ball fields, we need street preaching on corners and in the fields.
Instead of easy believism during gospel invitations, we need repentance and consecration. We need to preach a bloody cross on which the Prince of Glory died as we hold up a blood-stained Savior from sin. I know things look grim all around us today, friends, as the spirit of Antichrist roams the land, but we must remind ourselves of the words of Jonathan Edwards, who said, God is faithful and never will forget the promises that he has made to his church, and that he will not suffer the smoking flags to be quenched, even when the floods seem to be overwhelming it, but will revive the flame again, even in the darkest times.
Let us pray. Great God, revive the flame again. Revive my flame again.
In the strong name of Jesus, I pray.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Current moral and spiritual crisis in the nation
- The church’s crisis point and spiritual slumber
- Pastors fearing man more than God
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II
- Lessons from Jonah’s story and God’s discipline
- Need for brokenness over professionalism
- Replacing dry doctrine with heartfelt repentance
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III
- Rejecting pride and embracing humility
- Call for active evangelism and genuine consecration
- Preaching the cross and the blood-stained Savior
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IV
- Encouragement from Jonathan Edwards on God’s faithfulness
- Hope for revival even in darkest times
- Prayer for God to revive the flame
Key Quotes
“Today, the church is in a crisis point, and we are sleeping right through it, sleeping on our pillows of conformity and compromise.” — E.A. Johnston
“Instead of professionalism, we need brokenness before him.” — E.A. Johnston
“God is faithful and never will forget the promises that he has made to his church.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Examine your own spiritual life for signs of complacency and seek genuine brokenness before God.
- Engage actively in evangelism and prayer, prioritizing heartfelt repentance over ritual.
- Trust in God's faithfulness and pray earnestly for revival in your community and church.