God's Last Call — E.A. Johnston

The Holy Spirit's Striving and God's Last Call

I believe that the Holy Spirit of God has a limit on how long he strives with a man, that if he is continually rebuffed, ignored, and rejected, he will eventually leave that person for good to be reprobate silver.

I believe that. I believe that's biblical. And I also believe, friends, that God has a last call that he issues in a gospel call to a sinner. And if that last call is unheeded, then sudden destruction and death will greet that person.

Proverbs' Warning Against Rejecting Reproof

I believe I can back that up with the Word of God as well, as seen in Proverbs 29 .1, which declares, He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy, to be thrown out of this world into another world without the remedy for sin, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, is hell itself.

Lot and the Last Call at Sodom

I want to examine this subject this evening, friends, of God's last call, for I believe it can come in several ways. This is a serious message, friend. Please pay attention. It will be in the book of Genesis, in chapter 19.

You can turn in your Bibles there now, friends. My message will be from verses 12 through 14. Hear now is the Word of God, and may the Spirit of the Lord attend the reading of His Holy Word. And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides, son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place, for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxing great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.

And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons-in-law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked. Unto his sons-in-law, I will stop there.

Peter's Testimony About Righteous Lot

I believe that the apostle Peter knew something about Lot that we don't. We think he was a poor witness to the Sodomites, and a poor witness to his own family. And I believe it's natural for us to think that way about old Lot, but Peter contradicts us by saying,.

And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly, and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.

For that righteous man, dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. I believe Lot had to live every day with his decision to live in Sodom, and that every day it troubled him to live there.

The Sodomites' perverted lifestyle made Lot sick to his stomach, but he chose to remain there for whatever reason because of his family. And I believe, friends, that when Lot warned his sons-in-law, we can believe he preached a good sermon, but they were unfazed by it because of their own unbelief.

Applying Lot's Warning to Personal Sin

Lot tells them to get out while they can. Oh, get you out of this place, was God's last call to them. And I believe we can take those words and apply them to our own lives. Let me tell you what I mean.

Lot stayed in Sodom. It cost him his wife, his sons-in-law. He pretty much had lost his daughters as well, for we see the kind of persons they had become for their stay in Sodom. Maybe God is calling you, friend, to up.

Get you out of this place in your life. Perhaps he called you into ministry, but you did not heed to that call. I knew a man whom I discipled who shared with me that God had called him to be a preacher.

And at first he heeded the call and began to fill pulpit supply at country churches. But the pull of the world got him, and he didn't want to be a poor preacher, but instead a rich businessman, which he eventually became.

But it came at a cost to him. Personally, I get choked up thinking about it, because the last time I saw him, he was on his third wife. Maybe God is calling you to up. Get you out of this place, over to my place for you.

You better pay attention, friend, to God's last call. Maybe God is calling you up. Get you out of this place of sin in your life before it destroys you. You better heed that call, friend. Maybe you are a unconverted church member whose gospel hardened, and God has given you a last call through this sermon tonight, friend, to turn from your wicked ways and to turn to the Christ, to the Bible, the only refuge and remedy for sin.

The Urgency of Responding Before Death

You better set aside your unbelief. You better put down your pride or whatever makes you hesitate and delay, for you can go out of this world before the sun comes up tomorrow. I was talking to a man in his forties who was in good health, and I said goodbye to him.

And that evening he awoke suddenly from his sleep, took two steps out of bed, and dropped dead to the floor. You have no guarantee of tomorrow, friend. God's last call is exactly that, the last one you will ever hear this side of eternity, for there are no gospel calls in hell, only regrets, weeping, and gnashing of teeth.

Coming to Christ for Rest and Mercy

I say to you, friend, right now, up, get you out of this place and come to Christ the Redeemer. Jesus says, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Listen to me, friend, Christ is speaking about salvation in him, which gives spiritual rest, for there is no rest for the wicked.

Up, get you out of this place, and throw down your weapons of rebellion at the feet of a sovereign and become a beggar for mercy. Up, get you up, get to Christ, who is the pearl of great price, worth selling all for and losing all for, so he may be gained.

Up, and get to him, the duty required is to come to him and believe on him and own him as Lord. God's last call is a solemn call, it's a warning, he, that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy, Christ is the remedy for sin, salvation is Christ, you must get to Christ and get under his blood for remission of sin.

The Final Invitation in Scripture

I don't know if the Spirit of God has been striving with you, friend, but I do know my Bible, and in Genesis 6, 3, God says, my spirit shall not always strive with man. And I also know that God's last call is a final call.

The last invitation in my Bible is found in Revelation 22, 17, and the Spirit and the bride say, come, and let him that heareth say, come, and let him that is a thirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely, let us pray.