Sung's Coffin — E.A. Johnston

John Sung’s Ministry of Repentance and Revival

The Chinese evangelist, John Song, shook China for God unlike any evangelist since or before him. His search and sermons hit his hearers like a thunderbolt from heaven, bringing conviction to sin. His brief 15-year ministry felt like a meteor on China, consuming all before it as he was the means of bringing several hundred thousand souls to Christ through powerful revivals.

John Sung’s Hard Preaching Against Sin

John Song's main message was the doctrine of repentance, and he preached hard against sin. And he went up and down China preaching that message, and he had a famous sermon he often used with great success, which brought conviction to his audiences.

Opening the Coffin to Confess Sin

It was called, Open Your Coffin. And John Song would hold a miniature wooden coffin with a lid in his hands and open it while he spoke, saying, We must open our coffins to confess our sins. He then would pull out little slips of paper from the coffin that had certain sins written on them, like lying, stealing, adultery, swearing.

Then, as he read off each one, he would ask his audience to raise their hand when they heard their sin. Song's coffin was the means of many scenes of revival where the platform would be filled with broken-hearted sinners weeping and confessing their sins.

America’s Need to Preach on Sin

We need revival in America today, friends. But we don't see revival in America today because we refuse to preach on sin. How many sermons on sin have you heard this year, friend? Brother pastor, how many sermons on sin have you preached this year?

We get folks who join our churches without ever dealing with their sins. My Bible says, The soul that sinneth, it shall die. We must warn men and women and boys and girls of the great danger of dying in their sins.

Repentance Through the Work of the Holy Spirit

Why do we shy away from mentioning sin? If sin is to be repented from, it must be confronted head on and dealt with by the Holy Spirit. We don't see revival in this country because we don't preach hard on repentance.

Because if you preach on sin, then you must preach on the need to turn from sin in repentance to God. I believe in my heart, friends, that God would rather send us revival blessings today rather than destroy us.

The Church Must Confess Its Worldliness

But we must turn back to Him. I believe the dark clouded sky that hangs over the nation of America from a closed heaven can be penetrated like a rocket blast if only the churches of the land would repent themselves and turn back to the God of the Bible.

The church herself needs to open her own coffin and confess her sins of worldliness and conformity. Then after the church has realigned herself back to God and regains her voice and authority from God, she can then call this nation back to God and we'll see a mighty revival.

Personal Examination and Repentance

Let me ask you, friend, if John Song were here today and he was preaching to you with his little coffin in his hand as he pulled out his slips of paper with the different sins written on them, what sin would it be that would make you raise your hand in conviction when you heard it?

Open your coffin and reach in there yourself and pull out your sin and give it to God in repentance toward Him. Let us pray.