22 Daily Questions for the People Called Methodists

22 Daily Questions for the People Called Methodists

Pleasantville 6/30/2019

Sunbury GMC 9/30/2020

Sunbury GMC 1/17/2024

Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

I. Why should it matter what the Methodists did?

The title for the sermon tonight is 22 Daily Questions for the People called Methodist. Now some might wonder why should it matter what the Methodists did? I find history very enjoyable, and I find the knowledge of spiritual heroes in the past very valuable for us today. You may hear us occasionally reference certain people such as John Wesley. He was the founder of the Methodist church which eventually led to the founding of the Wesleyan Church among others. The God’s Missionary Church is an organization that traces its theological and doctrinal roots back to the early Methodist church. I think it is important to remember that we do not treat the words and ideas of people like John Wesley as scripture. Nor does our theological history spring into being with John Wesley. We, like Wesley seek to be biblically based first of all, historically validated, intellectually reasonable and experientially provable. The rich history of theology that we hold to has an unbroken chain of history dating from us to the Wesley’s. They taught nothing but what the Anglican doctrines taught, though that church had left its beliefs. And the doctrines we hold can be traces as common Biblical understandings from the Anglicans to the Catholics of the previous age, to the early church to those who knew the apostles and to the apostles themselves who learned their doctrine from Jesus Himself. We have no new doctrine. God’s truth does not change. Our beliefs are well established both scripturally and historically.

That preamble has probably given the idea that a doctrinal message is here for tonight. Far from it. Tonight, as we are still entering into a new year I hope all of us desire to draw closer to God. While we are not Methodists, we derive much from early methodist doctrines. We could perhaps be benefitted with a little more early methodist practice as well. They were called Methodist because they were methodical and systematic in their approach to Christianity. It was this methodically organized systemization of things that led to the lasting success of the Methodist church. It is valuable to learn from those who have gone before us. These questions I want to ask you tonight are questions that John Wesley desired each Methodist person to ask themselves every day.

These are valuable questions, some of which are quite hard hitting. If we would ask ourselves these questions every day for this entire year, I do believe that we would find ourselves drawing much closer to God.

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?

a. Job_27:8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

Are we like that? Do we seek the approval of men? Do we try to look good in the eyes of men? Do we try to appear to be better than we really are? This is an easy trap to fall into, and we should consciously guard against it each and every day.

2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

a. Rev_21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Do we tell fish tales? Do we make everything look better, or worse than it really is? This ties into the first question directly, are we after the approval of men so much that we would be dishonest with them for any reason? Scripture is very clear that honesty is not just a good policy, but an absolute requirement.

3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?

We must be careful to never be gossipers. Do we, just for the sake of being able to tell a story, tell other things that only we are to know? Do we pass on the evil stories about others without just cause, especially those unverified ones? Can we be trusted to keep our mouths shut?

4. Can I be trusted?

Are we trustworthy in all we say and do? Do we mean what we say? Do we handle the responsibilities we have been given with trustworthiness? These may not be inspired questions, but they do tie in closely with Biblical truths. Methodists were careful people, as we should be!

5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?

Do we seek to impress others? Do we always try to please everyone, even to the hurt of ourselves and our relationship with God? Do others control us? Do we let our jobs take control of us to the extent that we cannot fulfil our other duties? Have our habits taken control of our lives? We must be a slave or servant to no one and nothing, except to God. We should be as Paul was, dead to himself and a servant only of God.

6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?

We all tend to worry about ourselves, think that we have it hard, and justify everything we do, even if it is not best. It is easy to put our own wishes above others, but if we would fullfil the great commandments it must be Jesus, Others, You. We must not pity ourselves. We must realize that everyone is going through more stress and trouble than they let on. We have no right to pity ourselves for we are children of God! Do we justify foolish actions and mistakes? Are we afraid to apologize for mistakes and misunderstandings or do we tr to point fingers at other and blame them for our shortcomings?

7. Did the Bible live in me today?

a. This question ups the stakes a little. Did we not just read the Bible, did the teachings of the Bible live in and through us today? What a thought. For me this often means spending enough time in God’s word that my head clears and I begin to really read what I have been reading. Some mornings this can take several chapters, some mornings it is almost immediate. For each the most effective strategy is going to be a little different. Do not feel guilty if your devotions are on occasion or for a period rather dry. However, do not be satisfied to make this the pattern of your life. The Bible living in you also seems to bring into question how your life was lived during that day. Was it the life of the Bible living through you that you lived today or was it a day where the Bible was not the determining factor in life.

8. Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?

This is essentially an extension of the previous question. We must do more than just read the Bible, we must let it speak to us. The world, and our culture is so driven by time and business, but have we neglected our devotions? Martin Luther found that if he did not spend at least four hours with God, he had no time for anything, but when he took time to spend with God first, he had time to accomplish all that was necessary for the day.

9. Am I enjoying prayer?

a. Is prayer a routine or something to be looked forward to. Connecting with God is something to be enjoyed. We can find joy in our place of prayer. Yes, sometimes it feels that our prayers only reach the ceiling, but if that is all they ever reach, if communion with God never brings joy there is a problem.

10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?

a. This is our duty as Christians! We are to share the glorious news everywhere we God that Jesus Saves! It is easy to slip through life without sharing our faith. Even for me, it is a difficult thing to bring up the topic of God and my faith. Yet we ought to have enough of God flowing through us that we cannot help but talk about Him.

11. Do I pray about the money I spend?

a. Yes, we do have to make decisions on our own sometimes, we are not robots. However, God does care about every tiny little detail in our lives, even where our money is going.

12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?

a. I have to say ouch. John Wesley held a rigid routine, and he felt that others should as well. If my memory serves me correctly he went to bed at exactly 10 each night and woke at either 4 or 5 the next morning, regardless of circumstance. I am not saying the Bible demands this, but many who are effective in their respective field find a strong routine and regular sleep vitally important in their success.

13. Do I disobey God in anything?

a. Heb_2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

Methodists were to be very conscious of the leading of God. We know that disobedience is sin. If we have unrepented of disobedience to God, then we must get right with God.

14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

a. Rom_14:23: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

in other words, pushing through our conscience to do things, even if other people that we trust as Christians brothers and sisters do them, is sin. we must pay attention to how God leads us through our conscience.

15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?

a. 1Co_15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We can have victory in our lives through Christ, we do not need to be defeated! We have been promised that He will make us more than conquerors. What He has promised He will fulfill.

16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?

a. These are in complete opposition to the fruit of the spirit, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.

17. How do I spend my spare time?

a. Some of these are hard hitting questions. Do we waste our time? It is easier than ever to waste our time. We have constant access to entertainment. Even things that are perfectly acceptable can become a problem if we begin to fill our time with wasteful activities. I am not saying we can never relax or have fun, but where is our time going? Our life, as Solomon says in Ecclesiastes is but a vapor. Time is the one thing we have which we can never get back. What are we doing with our supply of it?

18. Am I proud?

a. Psa_12:3 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:

The Bible has much to say about pride, and none of it is good. We must be careful to guide against pride every day.

19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people?

Are we proud of our spirituality? For if we are, we are spiritually bankrupt!

20. Is there anyone who I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward, or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?

What a question. I think we often let ourselves off far too easily on such a matter. We excuse our feelings about other because we are only human. I know that I have often held several of these attitudes about various people. I have gone to God in prayer many times over my resentment toward certain individuals. We should take care that the love of Christ flowing through us is not mixed with these dangerous attitudes. God living in us gives us power to look at others as we should.

21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?

a. The life of the Christian should not be one of complaint. Yes, we go through hard times, yes sometimes we need to talk to people about it. But is every word that comes out of your mouth one of complaint? I often catch myself being this way, I rather enjoy complaining! but as Christians we are not to complain so much. What kind of representation of Christ are we if we are always complaining?

22. Is Christ real to me?

a. This is the most important question we can ever ask ourselves. Christ must be real to us, He must be, or we can never make it through to heaven and our journey on earth will be one of toil and sorrow rather than one of hope and peace!

These 22 questions are great questions to guide us in our daily lives. 22 questions to keep us closer to Christ than ever in this new year. Perhaps we should be more careful, as were the early Methodists. We should think about all aspects of our lives, and we should do honest soul searching, with God as our searchlight, each day. We should want to, for anything keeping us back from God should be something we desperately want out of our lives! If we pray as the Psalmist, and search our lives as the Methodists, we will find God to be our closest companion, walking with us each day. Search me O God. Shall we stand.