How does an 18th Century revival movement within the Church of England (led by a handful of visionary preachers who

darted back and forth between Britain and America) speak to us now, in 21st century America, in downtown Raleigh, in Oakwood? The idea seems so counterintuitive. Thats the question I want to pose tonight. Its really what I want to lay before us as we go into the summer and start to talk about the fusion between evangelism and mission. Because within that fusion lies the key, the clue, the answer to what made Methodism so successful and what can spark revival once again. Evangelism cannot really and shouldnt be separated from mission. Evangelism is about the transmission of the good news of Jesus Christ. The idea of mission is embedded in evangelism. You cant have one without the other. Real, honest evangelists in the Biblical mold know this. John Wesley, Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield. You may have never heard their names. You may have been raised from birth in the Methodist or United Methodist Church and be only vaguely familiar with one of their names. Without them, there would be no Methodist movement in Britain, America, or anywhere else for that matter. Some would argue that one of three (Whitefield) is critical to instigating the intellectual ferment that gave rise to the American Revolution. All three were household names in the same way that Billy Graham or Rick Warren are as religious figures in our day and time. These men, John Wesley, Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield were evangelists. Thats a loaded term in our day and time. Loaded is an understatement, I realize that. We have come to associate the term with fast talking television and radio (before) preachers who are less than genuine in their commitment to the gospel. That hasnt always been the case. In fact for most of Christian history, its meant something totally different than how most of us in late 20th and 21st century America understand the word. Once you come to terms with that understanding, its pretty easy to move on and see how history might be made. People werent used to evangelists in 18th century England. They knew preachers. Preachers in England were the kind of people who Whitefield and Wesley talked about inheriting their Christianity. They were Christians or became preachers because thats just what you did; your family passed the tradition down to you. It didnt matter that God loved you. Having any kind of relationship with God didnt matter. It just mattered that you were Christian in name. They didnt know people who were evangelizing for a faith that said that you can have a personal

relationship with God. It was in the Bible. Jesus had talked about it. John had talked about it. Paul had talked about it. Somewhere in the recesses of the past it had been lost. For whatever reason. The Wesleys and Whitefield werent about playing the blame game. They were about moving people toward change. Change toward faith. Change toward God. Most importantly, change toward a personal relationship with God. This is not change not for the sake of change, but change that comes out of a certain kind of experience of faith and encounter with God. Hold on to those words, experience and encounter. They matter a great deal as well. Then, as evangelists in the purest since of the word, they wanted to take people to the next step, which is something that so many churches and Christians rarely do. Once they had led someone to encounter Gods love through a new experience of faith and relationship with Christ, they began to give them a framework to interpret that experience. How do you make sense of what youve just experienced? People in England were crying out, dont just preach at me or to me! Give me some kind of framework and means of understanding what has happened and how God is working in my life. How is this going to play itself out. This profound change Ive experienced, I know how Im living it today but how do I live it out tomorrow. They told people. They told people that they best way is to be with other people who were in the same place and trying to reach the same understanding as you were. From groups of people, of no more than ten and share with each other, how is it that God is working in your life? One question naturally flows from this. If this is such a profound thing in my own life, how do I communicate it to others? Once I begin to have an understanding of what Gods love and grace mean for me, how do I then share this same message with others. After all, its a message that is meant to me shared. How do I become and evangelist in my own right? That is the question before us. How do we become evangelists in our own right? We must become evangelists. But evangelists for what? Evangelists for the Methodist Church? Evangelists for God? Evangelists for Christ? Evangelists for the Church in general? Yes, Yes, Yes, all of those and more. So which is it?

All of the gospels depict Jesus and his disciples as people on the move. They never stay anywhere long. Jesus teaches or performs some wonder, then immediately moves on. A dead god is a god who locates, settles in, never surprises. A living God is a God on the move. We are privileged to be the church in a time when ministry is changing and adapting to be more congruent with the mission of Jesus Christ. We dont really have a choice in the matter. In the same way, in the late 18th century, two Anglican priest brothers found themselves in much the place. Thats why where weve been has so much can say so much about where were going and what we should do today. After decades of floundering, thrashing about trying this and that latest scheme to renew the church, we are at last focusing and moving in a definite direction. Thats what today is about. Thats what weve begun over the past few months on the second and third Saturdays. Thats what were going to be continuing into the summer. Ive been trying to identify some of the most significant moves changes we are making here as Methodist in Oakwood and Raleigh. I believe in these moves we are not only becoming more effective evangelists and missionaries, but also we are being more faithful to our Leader, Jesus Christ and his peculiar style of leading his church. Today, the most effective, faithful churches are making these moves: Move from caregivers to passionate, transformative leaders Moving from mere maintenance of the congregations that we have been handed from the hard work of previous generations of pastors, we are daring to let God use us to rebirth, new birth, and to transform our people to more actively participate in Christs mission. Any church that cares more about itself and its inner life than it cares for the world is a church in decline. Pastors are ordained for more significant ministry than merely care of the congregation. Move from contented church of monopoly, to church in competitive, missional environment We mainline Protestants have lost our monopoly on American religious life. We find ourselves in a mission environment in which our churches must compete with the lures of the world for our peoples faith. Its a time when the church has the opportunity to recover the oddness and the joy of the peculiarity of ministry in the name of Jesus Christ rather than ministry as service to the infatuations of the world. Move from nonchalance about results to attentiveness to results We are determined to notice the numbers and to interpret the numbers as valid indicators of what God is doing among us. God intends for us to bear fruit and promises to give us what we need to bear fruit. Move from preservation and sustaining to adaptation and supple, flexibility Our goal is to have, Every church challenged and equipped.by taking risks and changing lives. I am so inspired by the outbreak of innovative ministries among our congregation.

Move from the pastor as head of an organization to the pastor as spiritual leader and congregational catalyst Pastors are preachers, those who tell the story which is the gospel, laying that upon the congregation on a regular basis and then pastors get out of the way, leaving Jesus to deal with his people. Pastors are there not to do ministry, no really even to lead ministry, but rather to equip the saints for the work of ministry. In June, as we begin our adult vacation Bible studies, well be focusing on the relationship between faith, evangelism, and mission. I hope youll be able to join us from June 22-24 as we take the first steps in launching a new revival in Oakwood and here in downtown Raleigh. Then in July well look at hope, and in August well spend three nights looking at love. At each stage along the way, it is my prayer that well be honing our evangelistic skills, learning to share with each other so we can better share with those beyond our church family and then, most importantly help provide our community a way to interpret and understand faith, hope, and love and a new relationship with God by joining with our church family. Thats our plan for revival. Thats our plan for mission. Thats our plan for evangelism. Its what made Methodism phenomenally successful in times of economic upheaval, social change, and political strife for over one hundred and fifty years. Its working now (where it is being re-implemented) in countries all over the globe where United Methodism is thriving-that is everywhere but the United States. I hope youll sign on to become an evangelist with me. Will you join in praying for revival? We need Wesleys, Whitefields, and Asburys more than ever. Answer the call.