Church Goats Ramming Their Way to Hell — E.A. Johnston

The Spirit of Antichrist and the Church's Lost Authority

I believe, friends, that the Spirit of Antichrist is in the land. I believe the Church, through compromise and conformity, has lost her voice of authority. And I also believe that 90 percent of most congregations are not saved sheep, but unconverted goats who have a false hope of heaven because they rest upon an empty religious profession.

The Sheep-and-Goat Judgment in Matthew 25

In Matthew's Gospel, in chapter 25, and in verses 31 through 33, Jesus mentions a separation of sheep and goats at a future judgment. When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory, and before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats, and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

Sheep, Goats, and Church Division

In the Bible, Jesus is referred to as a shepherd, as a good shepherd, and His followers are called the sheep of His pasture. Every church in this country has its share of sheep and goats. Sheep are compliant and follow their pastor, while goats cause division in a church by butting heads through power plays and strife.

It's the goats that end up getting the pastor fired for standing for the truth. Goats love a good fight. I have a friend in Tennessee who owns a farm, and on that farm is a feisty goat. One day as I visited that farm, the goat cornered me against a fence, and the more I pushed on his horns, the madder he got.

I was lucky when I jumped the fence and got away from that angry goat. And years ago, there was a knock on my door one day, and two Jehovah Witnesses stood there trying to proselytize me. Finally, I said to the one nearest to me that Jesus talked about a future day of judgment, where He would separate the sheep from the goats.

And this young man got upset, and he turned to his friend in an angry voice and said, This guy just called me a goat. Well, I didn't call him a goat. I was just telling him what Jesus called him. But an unsaved religionist, no matter what denomination he belongs to, is nothing but a goat ramming his way to hell.

The Goats' Eternal Judgment in Matthew 25:41

And that's the title of my message today, friends. Church Goats Ramming Their Way to Hell. Now look at verse 41 in our chapter today, regarding the eternal destiny of the goats on His left hand, and listen to the strong language that Jesus uses here.

Then shall He say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And that's what we have today, friends, in the majority of our churches.

The Danger of Church Goats

Church goats ramming their way to hell. And be careful that you don't get in their way, or their herd will run right over you. The main difference between a saved sheep and an unconverted goat is this.

Religion Without Relationship to Christ

A goat has religion without a relationship with the Savior. He's never been awakened to his lost condition and brought under Holy Spirit conviction. And therefore, he's never exercised repentance and faith.

And consequently, he's missed Christ entirely and missed salvation. A sheep, on the other hand, has an experiential knowledge of Christ Jesus, because they are born from above and washed in the blood.

Examining Which Herd You Belong To

Let me ask you, friend, which herd are you running in? Let us pray.