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When the Church Needs Revival
E.A. Johnston
0:00
0:00 5:08
E.A. Johnston

When the Church Needs Revival

E.A. Johnston · 5:08

E.A. Johnston passionately calls the church to recognize its spiritual decline and urgently seek revival through prayer, holiness, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.
In this prophetic sermon, E.A. Johnston challenges the church to confront its spiritual complacency and moral decline. He emphasizes the urgent need for revival through a renewed dependence on the Holy Spirit, prayer, and biblical holiness. Johnston warns against the dangers of entertainment-driven gatherings and diluted gospel messages, calling believers to repentance and a restored passion for evangelism. This sermon serves as a wake-up call for churches to reclaim their God-given power and purpose.

Full Transcript

When the church ceases to operate in the power of the supernatural, with its reliance solely upon the Spirit of Almighty God, then the church needs revival. When the church operates as a lobotomized institution of apathy and passivity in regard to evangelism, then the church needs revival. When the church is content to maintain the status quo, meaning business as usual, then the church needs revival.

When the church operates on money and manpower instead of prayer and holy ghost power, then the church needs revival. When the natural, inexplainable, is preferred over the supernatural and unexplainable, then the church needs revival. When society is spinning out of control into moral chaos, then the church needs revival.

When congregations prefer teaching over preaching, then the church needs revival. When entertainment and laughter is what moves a crowd rather than the power of God in a meeting, then the church needs revival. When pastors spend their free time on sports and entertainment over Bible study and intercessory prayer, then the church needs revival.

When our teenagers are going to the devil through drugs, sex, and alcohol, then the church needs revival. When our young people today are predominantly atheists, then the church needs revival. When there is no reality of God in the lives of Christians, then the church needs revival.

When the majority of church members mistake church membership for salvation, then the church needs revival. When the gospel is debased to make it more palatable to sinful man, then the church needs revival. When the doctrines of repentance and regeneration are absent in our pulpits, then the church needs revival.

When the danger of damnation and hell is no longer preached, then the church needs revival. When God is viewed as a God who won't punish sin, then the church needs revival. When salvation is taken out of the hands of God and placed it in the hands of man, then the church needs revival.

When the church has shrunken God down to man's size, then the church needs revival. When sin is tolerated in the life of a church, then that church needs revival. When the doctrine of the lordship of Christ is no longer tolerated, then the church needs revival.

When fornication is no longer considered a sin between believers, then the church needs revival. When homosexuality is accepted, legalized, and promoted in society, then the church needs revival. When a godless society feels an icy blast from the institutional church, then the church needs revival.

When Christians can watch movies showing nudity and sex and feel no shame or conviction of sin, then the church needs revival. When Christians can hold grudges and resentment toward one another, then the church needs revival. When Christians are content to not personally share or spread the gospel with the lost, then the church needs revival.

When the Bible is no longer considered a book with any authority and you've got to recognize it, then that's when the church needs revival. When there is an absence of unction in the pulpit, then the church needs revival. When a church is content to be a prayerless people, then the church needs revival.

Sermon Outline

  1. I
    • Signs the church needs revival
    • Loss of supernatural power and reliance on the Holy Spirit
    • Apathy and passivity in evangelism
  2. II
    • The dangers of prioritizing entertainment and man’s methods over God’s power
    • Moral decline in society and the church
    • The erosion of biblical doctrine and holiness
  3. III
    • The consequences of neglecting prayer and Bible study
    • The need for repentance, regeneration, and fear of God
    • The call to restore the lordship of Christ in the church
  4. IV
    • Practical steps toward revival
    • Renewed commitment to prayer and preaching
    • Rejecting sin and embracing God’s authority

Key Quotes

“When the church ceases to operate in the power of the supernatural, with its reliance solely upon the Spirit of Almighty God, then the church needs revival.” — E.A. Johnston
“When the gospel is debased to make it more palatable to sinful man, then the church needs revival.” — E.A. Johnston
“When the Bible is no longer considered a book with any authority and you've got to recognize it, then that's when the church needs revival.” — E.A. Johnston

Application Points

  • Commit daily to prayer and seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance for personal and church revival.
  • Reject cultural compromises and uphold biblical holiness in all areas of life.
  • Actively engage in evangelism and encourage others to embrace the full gospel message.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does revival mean according to the sermon?
Revival is a supernatural renewal of the church’s spiritual power through repentance, prayer, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.
Why does the church need revival?
Because it has become apathetic, reliant on human methods, tolerant of sin, and disconnected from the power of God.
How can the church begin to experience revival?
By returning to prayer, preaching the full gospel including repentance and holiness, and submitting to the lordship of Christ.
What role does holiness play in revival?
Holiness is essential as revival requires the church to reject sin and live in obedience to God’s Word.
Is revival only for the church or society as well?
While revival begins in the church, its impact extends to society, calling people back to God and moral order.

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