August 26 - Ten Great Things About Being a Methodist (part 2)

NOTE: Skip down to the post below dated August 14 for frequently asked questions about United Methodists. If you click "Comments" you can read questions submitted by others and the answers, and you can also submit your own questions! In addition, the post dated August 19 will cover the first five of the "Ten Great Things." The Aug. 19 posting covered Methodist practices, and this one covers five important beliefs.


1. FREE WILL. This is so important for Methodists to understand. At the time Methodism began, many Christians frankly did not believe in free will, and some do not to this day. A prevailing view was that some miserable sinners were saved (those that God had chosen) and other miserable sinners were not saved (those that God had not chosen), and it was all basically set in stone. In other words, our destiny had absolutely nothing to do with our choices, and everything to do with God's choice.

Methodists are firmly rooted, however, in a different view - namely that God offers a relationship to ALL of his children, and that all of us are free to accept or reject that offer!

This is a huge difference. You cannot understand Methodist teaching without this important piece!

Both Romans 10:13 and Acts 2:21 quote the Old Testament prophet Joel in proclaiming that "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

That same important word - whosoever - is found in this familiar verse:

JOHN 3:16. For God so loved the world, that we gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Because of the truth of this verse, we can never say that God willfully includes some and willfully rejects others. To put it bluntly, if you are going to hell it is not because God desire that you end up there, but because you are choosing that path.

Free Will can be thought of as both "good news" and "bad news." We are reminded that we free to say "YES" to God. But this also means that we are free to say "NO" to God, even though it breaks God's heart.

(Any parent who has ever dealt with a rebellious child should be familiar with this negative aspect of free will.)


2. PREVENIENT GRACE. Simply put, this means that God loves us before we love him. He reaches out to us before we reach back to him.

The Bible clearly teaches that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory. Because of this, early Christians wondered how it could be that anyone could choose to follow God. Thus they came up with the concept that God simply chooses some and rejects others. For John Wesley and the early Methodists, this was unthinkable. It just did not match what they read in the Bible.

"Prevenient Grace" was a way of describing how it was that sinners could turn to God. It was because God had begun to work in their lives through the power of his Spirit. He doesn't force us to believe in him. But he loves us and begins to reveal himself to us so that our hearts might begin to soften due to his action in our lives. A key Scripture verse can actually be interpreted in different ways:

JOHN 6:44. Jesus said - No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me.

At first this sounds like predestination. Like perhaps Jesus is saying, "No one can come to me unless God picks them to be on my team!"

For Methodists, the intent of this verse it to remember that no sinner can turn toward Jesus without the action of God working in their heart.


3. SANCTIFICATION. This is a big word, but a simple concept. Here we learn that God not only works in my heart to help me come to know him, he also works in my heart (after I have become a Christian) to help me become more like Jesus.

This is huge. Sometimes we hear teachers who make it sound like once we become a Christian there is not much left to do but to put up with this bad world until one day we can finally die and go to heaven.

Methodists would strongly disagree. We believe there is another big chapter - that which happens between the day you become a Christian and the day you die. To put is simply, God desires that you become godly!

ROMANS 8:9. You are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.

Paul wasn't writing to pagans here - he was writing to believers. That is our aim - to be controlled by the Spirit. We settle for nothing less. This is not so that we can please God! It is the effect of the Spirit of God working to change our hearts. It is maturity!


4. PRIMACY OF SCRIPTURE. Methodists do not exactly agree with those who think the Bible was directly written or dictated by God. Rather God inspired the human writers of Scripture to convey his divine message to us. So our language about Scripture is not as extreme as some fundamentalists. We affirm that the Bible gives us everything we need to be saved.

But neither is the Bible just one more book among many. For us the Bible is foundational. It keeps our faith centered on the person of Jesus Christ, and helps us not to fall for that which would lead us astray!

Our view is very similar to what we find in this verse:

2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.


5. HEAD + HEART + HANDS. Our Methodist ways and beliefs try to hold these three together. Most Christians focus on one of these three more than the others. Examples:

A "Head" Christian focuses on the truth. Correct beliefs. Correct understanding of the Bible.

A "Heart" Christian focuses on passion. Being able to feel the presence of God.

A "Hands" Christian focuses on fruit. Don't tell me what you believe...show me!

God wired us differently. It's OK that we are not all the same! But you will be blessed if you look for ways to focus on all three of these areas.

Some churches fall into one of these three. A "head" church has a strong teaching ministry. A "heart" church has worship that can move you to tears. A "hands" church has a focus on outreach!

Our Methodist heritage tries to pull together all three!


Here are some links that may prove helpful:

This article - The Triumph of Arminianism - is a helpful review of some of the theological approaches connected to the concept of free will. (Arminianism basically reflects Methodist viewpoints, while Calvinism emphasizes a limited role for human choice.)

What we think of as "salvation" is frequently that part of God's action that we call "justification" (being put right with God). This article focuses on three movements of grace - prevenient grace, justifying grace, and sanctifying grace - and will help you see the whole of God's action in our lives.

This article is an excellent overview of Methodist thought on the primacy of Scripture.

Here are some more frequently asked questions about United Methodist beliefs.

This is a good overview of "Our Wesleyan Theological Heritage."

You can participate in an online class called United Methodism 101 - click here to learn more

August 19 - Ten Great Things About Being a Methodist (part 1)

NOTE: Skip down to the post below dated August 14 for frequently asked questions about United Methodists. If you click "Comments" you can read questions submitted by others and the answers, and you can also submit your own questions!


On August 19 and August 26, we will cover "Ten Great Things About Being a Methodist." Today's message covers the first five - focusing on our practices. Next week's message will cover five important beliefs.


1. THE CONNECTIONAL PRINCIPLE. In church circles, this is the opposite of being "congregational." Some churches are congregational - each local congregation is entirely independent, and can make all of its own decisions. Methodists have a long history of being connectional - each congregation is connected to the other. We are in it together!

Read in 1 Corinthians 3 how Paul described his work and Apollos's work as not being in competition, but as being connected. This is a good description of the connectional principle way back then!

Here is a description of the connectional principle taken from the website of a church in Oklahoma City.

Here also is more information about what it means to be part of the connection.


2. ITINERACY. This is connected to #1. "Itineracy" describes the way Methodist pastors are appointed to a given congregation for a one-year assignment. Pastors do not apply for positions. They do not choose their own location. Likewise, congregations do not choose their own pastors. This is quite a bit different from most other Protestant congregations. It is a principle that goes all the way back to the days when Methodist preachers received a "preaching route" instead of a church. They would ride on horseback from preaching point to preaching point. When they finished their assignment they would receive a new route.

Pastors may often stay longer at a church these days than in times past. But the itineracy still serves us well!

Here is an article that covers how itineracy works in the church in the 21st century. It also honestly covers some strengths and potential weaknesses of itineracy for the church.


3. FLEXIBLE STRATEGIES. In this changing world, churches are always challenged to distinguish between their core mission (things that do not change) and their strategies (things that may change drastically from one generation to the next). Methodists have always worked hard to have flexible strategies - doing whatever it takes to get the job done!

We see a passion for flexible strategies in the work of the apostle Paul. In fact he was criticized as being wishy-washy because sometimes he would do one thing in one place, and another thing in another place. This criticism did not faze him one bit!

1 CORINTHIANS 9:22-23. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel.

Methodists are called to do "whatever it takes" for the sake of the gospel!

Here is a great article about how a pastor in Kansas has translated this principle in his church's ministry.


4. OPEN TABLE. Methodists are marked by the tradition of the "open table." At Communion services, we do not have membership or age requirements. Anyone whose heart is open to the love of Jesus is invited to come forward. We believe that it is in harmony with what Jesus would do, in particular as we read the words of his prayer for his followers in John 17. Notice especially verses 20-23, where Jesus prays that his followers "may be one," just as he and the Father are one.

In the Methodist document "This Holy Mystery," you will find a fuller explanation of the following Methodist customs:

• All who respond in faith to the Communion invitation are to be welcomed.
• No one will be turned away because of age or "mental, physical, developmental, and/or psychological" capacity or because of any other condition that might limit his or her understanding or hinder his or her reception of the sacrament.
• Children of all ages are welcome to the Table and are to be taught and led to interpret, appreciate, and participate in Holy Communion.
• The Lord's Supper in a United Methodist congregation is open to members of other United Methodist congregations and to Christians from other traditions.

The Bible does give us warning (1 Corinthians 11:27-32) about receiving Communion in an "unworthy" manner. Here is some information about how that passage is to be interpreted by United Methodists.


5. PASSION FOR "DOING GOOD"

Methodist teaching puts it this way: "We believe, while we are saved through grace, that we are called forth by God to good works as evidence of our faith. We are happy to embrace the derisive term given to early Methodists as 'do gooders.' Indeed, we seek to do good to others, and thus fulfill the law of love."

The Bible puts it this way:

JAMES 2:17. Faith, by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

When Methodists see a problem, they don't just throw up their hands and say "Yeah, ain't it awful." Methodists have an incurable optimism that makes us desire to seek to do something to make it better!

Johnny Cash had a song that criticized an outwardly religious person in this way - "You're so heavenly minded, that you're no earthly good." May that never be said of us!

John Wesley put it very simply:

Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.

Your Questions About Methodist Beliefs...Practices...Etc.

Pastor Robert's message series on August 19 and August 26 will cover "Ten Great Things About Being a Methodist."

However we still may not cover that big question you have! This is your opportunity to submit your questions for Pastor Robert. Anything you have always wondered about what Methodists believe or how things are done in The United Methodist Church....post it here!

(If you've never posted on a blog before, just click below where it says "COMMENTS" and follow the instructions - you may include your name or you may post anonymously. Please note that all posts will be reviewed before appearing here. "COMMENTS" is also the place to click to read other folks' questions and answers.)

August 5 - HEROES: Saul

Saul is the last in our "Heroes" series. He became Israel's first King. Samuel had served many years as a judge and prophet, but his sons - though appointed to serve as judges - were inadequate to the task, being corrupt and greedy.

The people knew there would be one more leadership gap - so they asked Samuel to give them a king - like all the other nations had.

Samuel was disappointed, but the Lord consoled him, saying this was not a rejection of him. These were the Lord's words to Samuel:

1 SAMUEL 8:7-9. “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”

Saul had the appearance of a strong leader...

1 SAMUEL 9:2. Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land.

...but he would up being a disappointment. In time of stress, he abandoned God's guidance and relied on his own inadequate plans and strategies.

1 SAMUEL 15:10-11. The Lord said to Samuel, “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night.

The Lord chose another leader - David - who would eventually take Saul's place.


The stories of Saul are found in a large section of the Scripture, beginning in chapter 9 of 1 Samuel, and continuing all the way through his death in chapter 31.


The account of God's actions raises some interesting questions that we touched on in the morning message on July 29.

Since Saul was God's choice, and yet his life became a failure, could this mean that God's activity is intertwined with our human response?

Could it be that God's plans are not "written in permanent marker," but instead leave open the door for our willingness to cooperate or our willful rejection?

Could it be that God has plans for your life that depend on a decision you need to make?


Actually, I take great comfort in the mighty action of God in this account. How wonderful it is to know that God chooses to get involved in our human mess.

If I had been God, I doubt whether I would have been quite so willing to give Israel what she wanted (a king, like all the other nations).

But though this request was a rejection of divine authority, God was willing to participate in this new form of leadership.

This is the message of the Incarnation - that God reached out to a messed-up world and became personally involved - by becoming one of us - in the flesh - in the person of Jesus.



Another interesting part of this story is the way that God continues to use prophets who speak truth to the powerful earthly institutions. Although God was at work in the royal line - Saul, David, Solomon, and all those kings which followed - he also raised up prophet who were unafraid to speak truth to power.

We must ALWAYS keep our earthly institutions - whatever they are - in their place - and we must ALWAYS keep our allegiance to the Lord in first place. He is our Lord, and he tolerates no rivals.

How does one remain a patriotic American and yet keep our allegiance to Christ's Kingdom in first place?


"Speaking Truth to Power" is a sermon prepared by a Baptist pastor in Virginia - focusing on the encounter between the prophet Nathan and the king David.


There are some fascinating details about the selection of Saul as king. The Bible recounts a public ceremony in which all of the tribes of Israel were brought before the Lord - and Samuel navigates the selection of the soon-to-be-king through a narrowing down process. But when Saul is determined to be the chosen one, he is nowhere to be found. Read this passage - 1 Samuel 1o:17-25 - to find out where Saul was when all of this was going on.

What did this story tell us about the selection of Saul as king?