| George Whitefield was the more popular preacher. We often look back and consider him the first celebrity-like figure. He was the preacher everyone wanted to hear. People considered him the “marvel of the age.” If he were around today, you’d have heard his messages online. The famous preacher even caught the attention of Ben Franklin. John Wesley wasn’t an unknown preacher. His influence spread in many ways, too. But he wasn’t the celebrity preacher Whitefield was. Wesley’s sermons were sometimes cut short when people got angry with him. People tried to kill him and other Methodist preachers. A lot of Methodists today, though, aren’t familiar with George Whitefield. Our focus, for obvious reasons, tends to be on Wesley. There’s a quote from Whitefield I like to remind groups of. It relates to a significant aspect of being Methodist. Whitefield continued his preaching but noted the masterful way Wesley organized his people. To be Methodist meant faithful participation in society and class meetings. You couldn’t be a part of the movement otherwise. These groups parallel our weekly worship gatherings and small groups. Many years after preaching, Whitefield commented to an old friend about his mistake. He said, “My brother Wesley acted wisely–the souls that were awakened under his ministry he joined in class, and thus preserved the fruits of his labor. This I neglected, and my people are a rope of sand.” All these years later, many Methodists would do well to reflect on that. Those regular meetings with other Christians help grow our discipleship and trust. We learn to talk faith in deep and meaningful ways. We move from the shallow end of mere belief into the depth of “a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22). What Wesley understood is what scripture offers to us. It’s what we see repeatedly in the Bible. True Christian fellowship goes beyond pleasant small talk. And yet it’s often hard to get Christians to go beyond that. Is it because we don’t want to? Or is it that we don’t know how? It seems George Whitefield began to see the importance of what we’re talking about today. By then, his people weren’t interested in such a task. Just keep preaching the nice sermons, George. Let’s make a connection to modern diets. We know the constant barrage of take out and greasy foods isn’t healthy for us in the long run. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains offer better health and quality of life. Yet, look where we are. Throughout history, people often died due to diseases related to malnutrition. Today, several of the most common causes of death are because we eat too much. And too much of what we know isn’t good for us. Shouldn’t we change our attitudes and practices when it comes to eating? Likewise, we could stand to refocus on what we know helps us grow as believers in Christ. We need the encouragement of the Christian family. The body of Christ strengthens our faith. We encourage one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24). That doesn’t happen by accident. Take it from the celebrity pastor who learned his lesson too late. Stay blessed…john |
John Fletcher
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