America a Useless Vine — E.A. Johnston

The Useless Vine in Ezekiel 15

Our message tonight, friends, can be found in Ezekiel chapter 15. Here now is the word of God, and may the Spirit of the Lord attend the reading of His holy word. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, what is in the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? Or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel. The fire devoureth both ends of it, and the midst of it is burned.

Jerusalem’s Judgment for Idolatry

It is meat for any work. Behold, when it was whole, it was meat for no work. How much less shall it be meat yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, as the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will set my face against them.

They shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them. And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I set my face against them, and I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord God.

Israel’s Rejection of the Living God

Well, in the book of Ezekiel, in chapter 15, we see a vivid description of a nation that has turned its back on God. The backslidden people of Israel have taken up idolatry in favor of serving the living God.

They preferred worshiping blocks of wood and stone and had given themselves totally over to a multitude of idols. The surety of their judgment was fast approaching, yet they were completely oblivious to their multiplied sins, and they were blind to their coming destruction from the hands of a provoked God.

God revealed to his prophet Ezekiel what was on his heart regarding his people, and the news wasn't good. God compares the nation to a useless vine that was good for nothing, and then God makes a startling statement, saying because of Jerusalem's sins he would make the land desolate.

America’s Former Blessing and Revival

America was once a fruitful bough in that it honored and feared God. It had a missionary enterprise that went out all over the world, and God had smiled upon America by giving her the greatest prosperity in the world, making it an influential nation of the world, one that other nations looked up to.

God sent revival and spiritual awakening in the land, and multitudes and thousands were brought to Christ in salvation. But the last revival in this country was 180 years ago. Look at what's happened to this nation in the recent past since 1962 when we kicked God out of the public schools.

America’s Moral Decline and Judgment

Our schools have become killing grounds. Since 1973, when the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Roe v. Wade, we have butchered over 54 million innocent babies as this country has become a killing ground.

America has become a useless vine. Our young people today are a godless generation hooked on booze, sex, and drugs. As a nation, we have legislated God out of our educational system, booted him out of our judicial system, and our corporate culture hates the name of Jesus.

America has become a useless vine ready for the fire. Well, what about the churches in the land? The self-absorbed church has barricaded herself within the confines and comforts of self-preservation, and the church in America lost her influence with society through compromise and conformity.

The Church’s Compromise and Need for Revival

Pulpits fear man more than God, and we live in a day of a prayerless church and a diluted gospel. The useless vine of America is ready for the fire. The fire of destruction that is coming to this country will send shockwaves all over the world.

Heaven help us all.