When the Rainbow Recedes — E.A. Johnston

The Warning of Proverbs 29:1

There is a verse in my Bible, friends, that terrifies me. It sends shivers down my spine every time I read it, and I tremble. That verse is found in the Book of Proverbs, in chapter 29, and in verse 1, which states,.

He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. In former times, men like Sam Jones and Mordecai Ham preached sermons called sudden death, in which they warned their hearers that if you fought against God and resisted Him, then God could suddenly cut you down through sudden death.

And there were several who God suddenly removed in judgment under their powerful preaching. As a matter of fact, the last sermon Sam Jones preached was called sudden death. As he closed his message in a men's meeting in Oklahoma, he warned them to repent and to turn to God, as they could be suddenly removed by God at any moment.

And Sam Jones boarded his train and waved goodbye to them, and just a few hours later on that train, he was sitting in a lounge, and he took a sip of water, and immediately rolled over and dropped dead, as if that act was an exclamation point to his sermon.

Four Aspects of Persistent Resistance to God

Listen to me, friends. You cannot fight God and get by. I believe this text from Proverbs can be broken down into four striking aspects. Number one, our text is talking about someone who is often reproved.

Number two, it says of that person that they continue to resist the reproofs by hardening themselves against God's wooing. And number three, it declares they shall die a sudden and unexpected death. And lastly, it speaks of hopelessness.

Hopelessness in the end, because they die without remedy. I want to explore these four aspects one by one with you this evening, friends. The title of my message is, When the Rainbow Recedes. Have you ever chased a rainbow, friend?

The Receding Rainbow and the Withdrawal of God's Spirit

I remember when I was just a kid of a boy, and I had my first bike, and when I saw a rainbow, I jumped on my bike and chased it. I chased it because I thought I'd find a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow.

But do you know what happened when I tried to chase that rainbow down? It receded. Those colorful vapors vanished into thin air. Then I realized how infrequent a rainbow was, and I soon learned you can only chase a rainbow so many times.

And I believe, friends, I can compare a Bible truth to that receding rainbow. God can withdraw his spirit from a man. There's only so many times you can reject the wooings of the Holy Spirit before he leaves you alone for good.

The Word of God says so in Genesis 6, 3. My spirit will not always strive with a man. And we see this same truth again in Isaiah 55, 6, which declares, Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.

Reproof, Hardened Hearts, and Sudden Judgment

I believe God treats a lost church member the same way he treats a lost person outside a church. He'll only strive with them so long, and if they continue to resist him, then he that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

I have heard many stories of church members who fought against God and were suddenly cut down without warning. Our first aspect speaks of someone who's been warned they've been reproved often by God. I remember hearing Rolf Barner telling a sermon often about how God suddenly removed seven Baptist deacons in a church where he was preaching, and they were fighting against God.

Fighting against the meetings, and in one week they each met a sudden and tragic death. They hardened their neck against God, and they were suddenly removed. And our second aspect here from our text is to harden your neck simply means you have gradually hardened your heart against God.

In Hebrews 3 .15, we're warned against doing this. It declares, while it is said, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. Let me ask you, friend, is there a place in your life right now where you are fighting God?

Have you placed a stake in the ground and told God to keep his hands off that area in your life? Then you are in danger of hardening yourself against him. What happens to the person who keeps fighting God?

Listen, friend, God is no respecter of persons. Don't fool yourself into believing you have a favorite spot in God's eye, and because of that, you can still sin all you want to and get by. Although David was one of God's favorites, God dealt with David severely when he sinned.

Look at aspect number three. It speaks of the fact that the person who resists God and hardens himself or herself against God will be in great danger of suddenly being cut down by God. A preacher friend of mine told me about a pastor that he was counseling who was being fought by an influential family in his church.

This deacon was suing the church to take control of it, and they had a lot of money, and they ended up really getting control of this pastor's church, and they wouldn't repent, and a month later or so, this family of four was out flying in their private plane, and it crashed to the ground, and they each were tragically killed.

Sin Without Remedy

Listen to me, friend. If God's been dealing with you by his spirit, you better come to the licking log and get in line. Like I said, God is no respecter of persons. But this last aspect from our text, Francis, what terrifies me the most, and that without remedy, there comes a day when God's spirit no longer strives, it no longer woos, and it recedes just like that rainbow.

And if you die in your sins, you die without remedy. Jesus is the only remedy for sin. If you want to make it to heaven and avoid being sent to hell, then the remedy must be applied. You must repent and turn from your sins and get under the blood.

You must come to Christ by faith and be born from above. People just don't realize the danger they are in. Church folk who rest under the covering of an empty religious profession and who mistake church membership for salvation will one day die without remedy.

And that makes me tremble because the vast majority of our church membership today knows nothing about an experiential knowledge of Jesus Christ. They've never been saved. They've never been changed. They possess a head knowledge of Christ, but they do not possess Christ.

And the hound of heaven still comes after them. God's spirit strives, and it woos, but they keep resisting until, like that rainbow, it recedes, never to strive again. You can only chase a rainbow so many times.

He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. Don't let that be you, friend. Don't let that be you. Person who is sick, a person who's sick with sin, needs remedy for sin.

Jesus Christ as the Only Remedy for Sin

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. He is the only way, friend. You must get to Christ and believe on him. In John 6 .35, Jesus declared, I am the bread of life.

He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. The gospel's for the hungry, the weary, and the thirsty. Let me ask you, friend, are you hungry for God? Are you weary of your sins?

Are you thirsty for Christ? Christ is the bread of life. He invites poor sinners to come to him and believe on him. The duty required is to come to Christ, and he has a pure gospel promise to all who come.

And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Come to Christ, friend, and repent and believe on him. If God's dealing with you, friend, get right with him. You can only chase a rainbow so many times.

Let us pray.