WESLEY SERMONS #9

THE DUTY OF CONSTANT COMMUNION

Do this in remembrance of me (Luke 22:19)

This verse is a clear command. Whenever we have opportunity to obey it, we must! The early church received the Lord’s Supper almost every day. This was not only an act of obedience, but an indication that they recognized its value as a means of grace.

I use the word ‘constant’ rather than ‘frequent’ because the latter is not meaningful. Since this is a command, we should aim to obey it as often as possible (as with all commands). Why wouldn’t we want to do it constantly?

Some suggest that they are (sometimes) unworthy to receive the Lord’s Supper. Of course! And yet God has commanded us to come! Stop worrying about your unworthiness. Worry about disobeying a clear command!

Some say they don’t feel prepared to partake. What preparation is necessary but a repentant heart and a commitment to Christ? If you’re not prepared in such ways, you’re not a Christian in the first place!

Some say doing it too often makes it less special. So what? It’s commanded. Some say it hasn’t benefited them? Again, so what? It’s commanded. Some say the church only requires frequent communion. Once more, so what? Who is our ultimate commander?

We must receive communion constantly.

WESLEY SERMONS #8

In this series, 60 of Wesley's sermons will be summarized into about 250 words. I'm using the work of Collins/Vickers as my source (for transcripts and order), but the summaries are mine (so any misrepresentations of Wesley may be attributed to me). 

THE MEANS OF GRACE

The early church recognized certain channels through which the grace of God enters the souls of men and women, but since that time the pendulum has swung in both directions in regards to these ‘means of grace.’

One way the pendulum swings treats the means of grace as powerful in and of themselves (thus turning the ‘means’ into the ‘end’). People replaced heart religion (love) with surface level religion (ritual observance).

Eventually, the pendulum swung the other way. In confronting ritual based religion, some declared that the recognized ‘means of grace’ were of no value at all!

We must find balance in this! These means by which God’s grace flows are, of course, not powerful in themselves. But they chosen by God! The ‘means of grace’ are ordinary channels of God’s grace. The chief of these are prayer (private and corporate), scripture (reading, hearing, meditating), and the Lord’s Supper.

But a big question remains: Should I partake of these means before I have an assurance of salvation… or should I wait? And the answer is… wait for assurance BY these means! Talk to God until God talks to you! Search the Scriptures until you are found! Eat and drink until your soul is satisfied that you are in Christ!

God has directed us to wait in these ways.