Sermon Notes February 11, 2007

People of Grace

Wesley was a fantastic failure.

His sermons at Oxford were unpopular.

He was run out of Georgia.

Local priest hated him, villages ran him out of town.

His marriage fell apart.

He failed to get a Bishop to ordain preachers for America.

His movement split into multiple fractions upon his death.

Wesley’s life was dependent upon grace.

Wesley held a passion for the knowledge that we are “saved by grace through faith.” His only desire in life was that others would know that same truth. It was something so valuable it was worth many failed efforts in the midst of many other successful ones.

While he gathered thousands for a sermon, the vast majority would later ignore or ridicule him, but those few, those precious few who would later gather for class meetings to continue to learn about God’s love,they were a great treasure. Wesley was able to see the lives changed when a man quit drinking, when a young woman gained courage, when small communities began caring for one another.

He was not overly focused on that which did not work. He was focused on that feeling, that knowledge of God’s love which transformed his life. Wesley came home from Georgia a completely defeated man. The woman of his affections accepted the offer of engagement from another man. He was to be arrested by the local governor for having failed to serve communion to said woman. His dream of holiness for the Native Americans and for the colonists was a complete failure. So it is no wonder what a life changing event it was for him to know that God loved him. He described that day as May 24, 1738 when at a prayer meeting he felt his heart strangely warmed. From that point on in his life his sole ambition was to help others to know as he did that he was a loved child of God.