No Half Measures

As the final hurdle to accreditation approaches, I have been studying John Wesley's Sermons.  The one thing that really strikes you when you read his sermons is that there are no half measures. You either belong to God, or you don't.  You are either a disciple of Christ or you're not, there are no half measures, no picking out the best bits and ignoring the rest.

It is a thought provoking challenge even to Methodists today, how guilty are we of trying to dilute down our response to God in an effort to reach a compromise between living in a secular world and living according to the Spirit.  Is there a compromise, or are we guilty of diluting out the very thing that sets us apart and makes us a people who radiate God's love?

As Methodism published its Statistics for Mission, a gloom filled many hearts, for they made sombre reading.  Has God really finished with British Methodism?  I think not, for he continues to call a new generation into ministry and into local preaching.  There is a new generation picking up the challenge of mission in the 21st century, they are generation who are well equipped to meet the people of today where they are and take the gospel of Christ to the nation.

Let us not be discouraged by statistics, but empowered to do something about it.  Let us be bold in our witness and earnest in our discipleship.  Let us not be afraid to stand up and declare we belong to Christ.  Let us do all we can for the Gospel's sake, and when we do, our statistics will be very different.