This is the second installment of my Chasing Wesley series. This is from his sermon “Causes Of Inefficacy Of Christianity.”
The theme for this sermon by John Wesley is why isn’t Christianity more effective? How is it that wickedness is so prevalent amongst Christianity?
For Wesley, it’s because people don’t die daily and make the sacrifices necessary to follow Christ. You can hear the anger in Wesley’s voice as this sermon reaches a roaring climax when he rants about greed in the church. He wants a better church and even alludes to his own easing of strictness because the church can’t uphold these standards.
The opening scripture for this sermon is Jeremiah 8:22:
Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
“Why Has Christianity done so little good in the world?” He responds by saying human corruption is the beginning of it all. Yet, one must contemplate this-isn’t Christianity supposed to be God’s remedy for this same corruption? Why isn’t it working?
I love the words he uses about Christianity. It is
A UNIVERSAL REMEDY FOR A UNIVERSAL EVIL
One may give the excuse that Christianity doesn’t do more good because it isn’t known everywhere. It can’t do good where it’s not known. We, of course live in a different world than Wesley’s time. However, he concluded that 5 parts out of 6 in his world hasn’t heard about Christ. At the same time, he sees this as a poor excuse. Today, we have a much larger amount of people that have heard the Good News, yet the questions remains. How effective has the church been at squashing the evil running wild?
Wesley asks, “Are Christians better than any other men?” Unfortunately, in many cases he deems them worse than heatherns. Of course, these people aren’t true, proper Christians. A comparison he makes throughout his sermon is
“They no more understand it than they do Greek or Hebrew. Therefore, they can be no better for it.”
In Wesley’s eyes a lack of understanding is causing Christianity to lose it’s effectiveness.
I can relate to this because when I came back to Christ I really felt like my eyes had been opened so much further. When I was initially saved, I didn’t have a great foundation in the most basic truths.
He goes on to attack the western world where Christianity is more known. Even there where it’s more widespread, it isn’t particularly effective. He attacks those attached to the Church of Rome, “I am bold to affirm, that they are totally ignorant, both as to the theory and practice of Christianity…….they perish by their lack of knowledge.” Wesley accuses them of not even knowing the very first principles of Christianity. For Wesley, KNOWLEDGE is one of the biggest issues with the effectiveness of the church.
If you’re Catholic and offended, don’t worry!! Wesley is now about to take it to the Protestants (and even the Methodists!). According to him, even the majority of Protestants do not know the basics of Christianity. They can give no real account on the fallen nature of man, the plan of redemption, justification, or inner sanctification. They too are causing the world to perish for their own lack of knowledge! He finishes by saying, “What good can Christianity do to those who are so ignorant of it?”
At some point, Wesley has reached the end of this knowledge line, it can’t be entirely blamed on knowledge alone, something more must be at work. There are places that have ample knowledge of Christian doctrines but still don’t have the fruits. What gives?
Discipline
“The soul and the body make a man; the spirit and discipline make a Christian.”
Here, Wesley introduces a pivotal point in why Christianity is failing
Where there is no discipline, there is no effective Christianity.
I think Wesley’s words hold true in our time. So many church leaders are not disciplined; so many members are not disciplined. Sin runs rampart in the church and people turn a blind eye. People say or do nothing. I have watched it unfold with my own eyes so many times over the last decade. Sadly, we even have church officials harming people and almost nothing is done. The lack of discipline zaps the juice right out of the church. Even with discipline and doctrine, we can still be ineffective.
Methodists and their failures
According to Wesley, many methodists have both DISCIPLINE and DOCTRINE but still remain ineffective. He asks, Why are they not “crucified to the world and the world crucified to it?” Why do methodists not walk as Christ walked? It is as this point Wesley pivots and goes for the jugular on his fellow Christians. It’s clear, he is on a mission.
You have gained all you can
You have saved all you can
BUT, YOU DO NOT GIVE ALL YOU CAN!!!!
I must say I found myself laughing out loud at the obvious anger in Wesley’s voice as his rants for the next few paragraphs about all of this. He does not mince words:
Anyone that gains and saves all they can without giving he calls them- “twofold more, the children of hell then ever they were before.”
There are no excuses why any Christian brother is hungry, without clothes, or their family is in need in any way. The church has enough money to give everyone right out of these horrible conditions. He ponders if it’s a sin to keep members in the society that do not practice giving as Christ has asked! By the way, this is a big theme in many of Wesley’s sermons.
John Wesley is in despair at this point in the sermon, reflecting on a dress code and how even he has to compromise on what he asks of members. That the time has passed where he can ask for more strict things of his members.
Main Punchline
Why is Christianity not more effective?
We do not deny ourselves. We do not take up our cross and follow Christ. Wesley so well states-
“The church has the power of God but little self-denial.”
The Word of God can’t have the full effect unless the hearers of it “Deny themselves and take up their cross daily.”
Part of this self-sacrificing is weekly fasting on Wed and Friday during Wesley’s time. He then rants for a few more lines about how people are no longer fasting consistency. “The man that never fasts is no more in the way to heaven, than the man that never prays.” Here, Wesley is making clear how important fasting in to the Christian. I personally was a bit convicted a bit by this passage as fasting isn’t as big of a part of my walk in Christ as it should be!
Dangers of Riches
Another home run Wesley delivers here is when he states the following:
And it is an observation which admits of few exceptions, that nine in ten of these decreased in grace, in the same proportion as they increased in wealth. Indeed, according to the natural tendency of riches, we cannot expect it to be otherwise.
Wesley states that Christianity begats diligence and frugality, so riches will naturally increase over time. These new riches begat pride and tempers that are contrary to the Christian walk. The ONLY way out of this cycle is to give all you can….and if you don’t you are in the dangers of hellfire like Judas Iscariot.
Summary
In this sermon, John Wesley has taken us on a quest to reveal why he believes Christianity isn’t more effective. So much of it is relevant for our time. We are in desperate need of church discipline. We are in desperate need of more charity and giving. We are in desperate need of an increase in DYING DAILY. These things are all about sacrifice.
Let’s use Wesley’s words to be encouraged in our walk with the LORD and remember them as we look to improve.