John Wesley: The general rules

John McMann

Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago • Presented 2 years ago

John Wesley (Founder of the Methodist Movement)

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Intro

Gandhi: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

Methodist society in Newcastle in 1742…things were not going well and has the society grew Wesley was distraught at the lack of transformation in people taking place. So he set out to examine the whole society…it led to an exodus of 140 members—76 departed voluntarily, 64 were expelled by Wesley himself. Out of this experience came these three general rules.

Andrew Thompson:

In 1743, John Wesley published a short tract entitled, “The Nature, Design, and General Rules of the United Societies.” This text—commonly known as the “General Rules”—was written by Wesley in response to disciplinary problems he encountered with the Methodist society at Newcastle. In time, the General Rules became a regulatory mechanism by which all Methodist societies under Wesley’s control were governed. Methodist folk were expected to abide by the rules in order to have the quarterly tickets for their class meetings renewed. Wesley and his assistants personally interviewed members of the societies with the General Rules as the basis for their examinations (Albin, 2001:58-60; Heitzenrater, 1995:138-139). The rules therefore served as the way in which genuine seriousness about participation in a local society was measured. Their use was a check against the early Methodist movement becoming diluted by members whose reasons for participation were something other than the pursuit of holiness of heart and life.

First, By doing no harm, by avoiding evil in every kind— especially that which is most generally practised…

Secondly, By doing good, by being in every kind merciful after their power, as they have opportunity doing good of every possible sort and as far as is possible to all men: To their bodies, of the ability which God giveth, by giving food to the hungry, by clothing the naked, by visiting or helping them that are sick, or in prison. To their souls, by instructing, reproving, or exhorting all they have any intercourse with; trampling under foot that enthusiastic doctrine of devils, that ‘we are not to do good unless our heart be free to it.’…

Thirdly, by attending upon all the ordinances of God. Such are: The public worship of God; The ministry of the Word, either read or expounded; The Supper of the Lord; Family and private prayer; Searching the Scriptures; and Fasting, or abstinence (Wesley, 1989:70-73).

Following this enumeration of the General Rules, Wesley concludes by emphasizing their central place in governing the Methodist movement. He writes,

If there be any among us who observe them not, who habitually break any one of them, let it be made known unto them who watch over that soul, as they that must give account. We will admonish him of the error of his ways. We will bear with him for a season. But if then he repent not, he hath no more place among us. We have delivered our own souls (Wesley, 1989:73).

This rules over time in the Methodism have become (I think wrongly)…only what they are called…rules. Something to discipline our lives upon. Scholar Andrew Thompson combats this by writing, “In particular, I argue that the General Rules express Wesley’s theology of the means of grace in a practical way appropriate for use by men and women searching for a method by which Wesley’s teaching on sanctification could be embodied in daily life.”

In other words, Wesley intended these general rules to be the very avenues through which you and I would experience God’s sanctifying grace. Transforming power.

Do no harm

First, By doing no harm, by avoiding evil in every kind— especially that which is most generally practised…

Wesley from “Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount”

The religion of the world implies three things: first, the doing no harm, the abstaining from outward sin – at least from such as is scandalous, as robbery, theft, common swearing, drunkenness;

The taking the name of God in vain.

The profaning the day of the Lord, either by doing ordinary work thereon, or by buying or selling.

Drunkenness, buying or selling spirituous liquors; or drinking them (unless in cases of extreme necessity).

Fighting, quarrelling, brawling; brother ‘going to law’ with brother; returning evil for evil, or railing for railing; the ‘using many words’ in buying or selling.

The buying or selling uncustomed goods.

The giving or taking things on usury.

Uncharitable or unprofitable conversation, especially speaking evil of ministers or those in authority.

Doing to others as we would not they should do unto us.

Doing what we know is not for the glory of God, as,

The ‘putting on of gold or costly apparel’, particularly the wearing of calashes, high-heads, or enormous bonnets;

The taking such diversions as cannot be used in the name of the Lord Jesus,

The singing those songs, or reading those books, which do not tend to the knowledge or love of God;

Softness, and needless self-indulgence;

Laying up treasures upon earth;

Borrowing without a probability of paying: or taking up goods without a probability of paying for them.

What is this? Prudential means of grace...

What it isn’t....

Do Good

Luke 6:27–36 NIV

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Doing Good: It is not enough to simply not do harm. The passivity might make the world a better place but it will not change the world. We must also do Good. And not our shallow version of good.

This text from Luke speaks of the very radical love Jesus is pushing us towards.

· Love those who hate you

· Pray for those who persecute you

· If someone strikes you turn the other cheek

· If someone takes your coat, give them your shirt too

Allow me to use something very relevant this week to speak about these two rules. I do not want to stir anything up to bad but I do want to touch on this so we can understand it.

The election this week and social media for example (or the way we have talked about the outcome).

Some have completely and utterly failed and “Do no harm,” as we talk about the other side, talk about other people, spew hate and more divisiveness around. Particularly harmful when we use social media and the anonymity and lack of accountability that comes with it.

Still some have withheld from doing harm, but we are not doing any good. Praying for the other side. Getting to know the people that disagree with us. Or to take Jesus seriously, pray and love those that are throwing mud everywhere.

Doing good is an invaluable power in a fallen and self-centered world.

So let me leave politics behind and talk about how I have seen good be transforming this week:

CAC

compassion united gala

foster adoption care

Doing good is an invaluable power in a fallen and self-centered world.

When we give something that is lacking in a context, you will see the impact. And for Wesley doing no harm, and doing good transforms us because it is a means through which the Holy Spirit fills us, sanctifies us.

Verse 35.

· Then, your reward will be great

o Not just a reward later, but for Wesley and for us…the reward is in the encounter with the Spirit.

· you are children of the Most High

o And finally it is in this kind of radical love that we most resemble our Father.

Bob Goff: lawyer and activist, author:

Mutilation and brutality of the witch doctors there.

Honorary consul for the Republic of Uganda…he was the first in Ugandan history to bring a witch doctor to trial for attempted murder, and he won.

The precedent sent a message. But rather than simply launch a war on these people…God taught him to love them. That witch doctor came to know Christ.

He built relationships with others and learned that they needed education. He and several graduates from Restore International’s Restore leadership academy, a primary and secondary school established in Northern Uganda by Goff, started an in-class educational program for witch doctors.

Attend to the ordinances of God

Grace is not just some disposition. It is not just Jesus working through the means…it is Jesus or the Spirit of the Lord coming to us through something created or participating in.

Means of Grace:

Worship

Scripture

Prayer

Eucharist

Fasting/Abstinence

Worship:

Colossians 3:16 NIV

16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Scripture:

Hebrews 4:12–14 NIV

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

Prayer:

communication with God

Tim Keller (referencing John Owen, puritan writer:

“To behold the glory of Jesus means that we begin to find Christ beautiful for who he is in himself. It means a kind of prayer in which we are not simply coming to him to get his forgiveness, his help for our needs, his favor and blessing. Rather, the consideration of his character, words, and work on our behalf becomes inherently satisfying, enjoyable, comforting, and strengthening.”

Fasting:

Denying ourselves. Less of the distractions.

We are consumed with consumption

It was not always this way. Go back 200 years and most people worked in agriculture, they had what they needed. Happiness and joy was not less, by the way. But want was not usually a luxury. Of course there has always been the 1%.

Things changed after WW2 in a major way. And in a fascinating development. During WW2 the Nazi’s began this crazy movement of advertising called propaganda. I say advertising on purpose because do not be mistaken, modern advertisement does not try to convince you to kill Jews, but it is just as manipulative. The Nazis grabbed hold of Psychotherapist Freud, belief humans were not just thinking rational beings. But we have unconscious drivers. We are far more emotionally tricked into pursuing desires.

Freud is a Jew, ironic, but the Nazis took this thinking and turned out the propaganda machine. After the war Freud’s nephew, Edward Bernays....an intelligent officer for the good guys in the war....needed a job after the war and brought it to america. He thought it worked in wartime, lets do it in peace time.

He became the father of advertising. Responsible for things like making cigarettes look cool.

Propaganda:

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.

We are governed, our minds are molded, our tasks formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of…In almost every act of our daily lives we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons…who pull the wires which control the public mind.

Advertisement is propaganda. And what if your consumption of stuff is greater than your consumption of God, and the grace of God, and the truth of God.

I am not telling you to never be a consumer, but to be a consumer in time and resources of the right thing.

Eucharist:

Jesus coming through the bread. It does not change from bread into Jesus. God’s grace coming to us.

When it comes to the ordinances of God….this list is not merly something we should do. They are not a checklist and they are not even simply the marks of discipleship (only). They are the divine avenues through which you and I can participate and meet the risen Christ.