A Home of Darkness — E.A. Johnston

Growing Up in a Godless Home

In Psalm 82 5 we read. They know not. Neither will they understand. They walk on in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are out of course. That verse pretty much sums up friends my upbringing in a godless home.

The home that I was raised in was a home of darkness. My father had no religion. I never saw him inside of a church. My mother had a Catholic religion, but she seldom went to church. I never saw either one of my parents pray, but I heard them curse God and swear.

On top of that the home we lived in was haunted by demon spirits. You would hear heavy footsteps Walking up and down the hall upstairs, but no one was there at least no one you could see. Occasionally a terrifying pounding would begin on the door beneath the stairwell.

Hell as the Realm of Outer Darkness

And if you open that door cold air would come out on you even on a hot summer day. The home I grew up in was a home of darkness. Hell is a home of darkness. Jesus ascribes the region of hell as outer darkness.

Have you ever been somewhere friends when the lights have gone out and it was so dark. You couldn't see anything around you. Well hell is dark like that. You were engulfed with blankets of darkness. I believe hell is dark because of sin.

A unsaved person exists in a kingdom of darkness now. Which is the devil's kingdom of this world if you live in sin and die in sin. You go from a kingdom of darkness to a place of greater darkness and it's a prison as well.

From which there is no release. I grew up in a home of darkness. And as a title of my message this evening friends a home of darkness. My text can be found in Matthew's gospel in chapter 6. You can turn in your Bibles there now friends.

Spiritual Blindness and the Darkness Within

We will be in verse 23. Jesus is here speaking of those outside of him who live in spiritual darkness. He said. But if thine eye be evil the whole body shall be full of darkness if Therefore the light that is in thee be darkness.

How great is that darkness. And there are some aspects I would like to bring before you tonight friends regarding this theme of living in darkness. Number one. There are many kids. Living right now in a home of darkness.

How would they ever hear the gospel to be set free from that darkness. Proverbs 4 19 states. The way of the wicked is as darkness. They know not at what they stumble. The lost teenager will become the lost adult who is going to reach them with the gospel if not you friend.

A Neighbor’s Evangelistic Care for a Lost Soul

Number two a man cared about my soul. Although I lived in a home of darkness. There was a man who lived across the street who was a neighbor who cared about my soul. He was a pastor and he took notice of my desperate situation Of growing up in a godless home.

So he stepped in he showed me that he cared about me. Invited me to have breakfast with his family a couple of times a week and he did the strangest thing at the Dinner table. He bowed his head in prayer.

I had never seen a man pray before but he went around the table praying for each of us. There his family members and me this awkward teenage boy who sat there. Bewildered he cared about my soul. Enough to pray for me and preach to me and witness to me and he gave me my first Bible.

Which I still have this day. He taught me about Jesus the one who came down here so we can go up there. That man cared about my soul. My parents didn't but this dear man did he reached out to me? Do we care about Someone's soul enough to reach out to them with the gospel.

I've known a lot of pastors who never once knocked on a stranger's door with the good news of the gospel. I know some pastors who wouldn't walk across the street to tell a stranger about Christ Jesus.

They've never done any personal witnessing themselves. Their community goes to hell and darkness because of their self-preservation. How about you friend are you saved if you are. Then what are you doing about spreading the gospel in your town tonight?

This week I Handed out some gospel tract to some man and shared with them and I asked them to read these little booklets that Contained the promise of life and they promised me that they would read about Jesus.

The Final Abode of the Sinner

Are you handing out gospel tracts to those around you who sit in darkness? Number three. The final abode of the sinner is one of darkness. The sinners long home is the darkness of hell. Jesus declared in Matthew 8 12.

But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Weeping speaks of great loss and grief and gnashing of teeth Signifies great anger and regret.

And that's the darkness of hell friends. It's a terrible place. I grew up in a home of darkness. But someone cared enough for my soul and didn't want me to go to hell. Oh friends, please Go find someone and tell them about Jesus and snatch them from the fire of Living in a home of darkness.

Let us pray.