This past Tuesday was the anniversary of the day John Wesley’s heart was strangely warmed, an important day in Methodist history. So today I want to talk about the importance of the heart, that it ought to be a burning heart, a heart ignited by God’s power and love.
First, let’s talk about heart disease. We all know that heart disease is a huge problem for the human heart. Heart disease refers to any abnormality or dysfunction of the heart, mainly due to decrease in blood flow to the heart. It’s the cutting off of life from the heart.
But even more dangerous than heart disease is spiritual heart disease. Spiritual heart disease occurs when we cut ourselves off from God, our source of life.
Jesus struggled with people in his day who thought they were right with God, but really had spiritual heart disease: "You hypocrites! Isaiah was prophesying about you when he said, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace God’s commands with their own man-made teachings.’" (Matthew 15.7-9)
God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel: "And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart." (36.26)
There’s a great story in the Gospels about a couple of disciples whose hearts were “strangely warmed.” This event occured on the day Jesus rose from the dead. Read Luke 24.13-32.
Wesley’s Spiritual Journey
John Wesley grew up in a pastor’s home, was raised by a godly mother, and grew up with eighteen siblings. While at Oxford University, John and Charles Wesley and a handful of other students devoted themselves to a rigorous search for holiness and service to others in a group known as "The Holy Club," which began in 1729. Some of this group’s practices involved fasting until 3:00 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays, receiving Holy Communion once each week, studying and discussing the Greek New Testament and the Classics each evening in a member’s room, visiting (after 1730) prisoners and the sick, and systematically bringing all their lives under strict review.
Later, Wesley failed miserably in his missionary efforts in Georgia. But enroute to Georgia he met a group of Moravians which challenged his spirituality. Out of that experience, he began engaging in theological conversations with his Moravian friend, Peter Böhler. And finally, on May 24, 1738, on Aldersgate Street, John Wesley’s heart awakened to embrace salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Here’s an excerpt from Wesley’s May 24, 1738 Journal Entry: “In the evening, I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”
Characteristics of Burning Hearts
A burning heart leads to love of God (worship)
“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart …” (Matthew 22.37)
A burning heart leads to love of neighbors (outreach)
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22.39)
A burning heart leads to love of The Family (fellowship and unity)
“They’ll Know We are Christians by Our Love” (verses)
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
Humility
A burning heart leads to humility, an an essential ingredient for loving others and the ability to get along with others. Ephesians 5.21 says, "And further, you will submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." As others have said, humility isn’t thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less! (Read Philippians 2.1-7.)
One Accord
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place" (Acts 2.1). Interestingly, the phrase, “one accord” (homothumadon) appears 12 times in the New Testament. Eleven of those times it appears in Acts to describe the harmony of the early church.
Homothumadon is a compound of two words meaning to “rush along” and “in unison.” The image is almost musical; a number of notes are sounded which, while different, harmonize. As the instruments of a great concert under the direction of a concert master, so the Holy Spirit blends together the lives of members of Christ’s church.
Protecting the Unity of the Church
"You are joined together with peace through the Spirit, so make every effort to continue together in this way." (Ephesians 4.3)
"Most of all, let love guide your life, for then the whole church will stay together in perfect harmony." (Colossians 3.14)
Rick Warren’s suggestions for protecting the unity (from The Purpose-Driven Life) …
- Focus on what we have in common, not our differences.
- Be realistic in your expectations.
- Choose to encourage rather than criticize.
- Refuse to listen to gossip. (“Listening to gossip is like accepting stolen property, and it makes you just as guilty of the crime.”)
- Practices God’s method of conflict resolution (Matthew 18).
- Support your pastor and leaders.
“The more tightly we are attached to Jesus, the more purely his love can pass through us.” (Max Lucado)
The cure for spiritual heart disease is a heart set on fire by God’s
power and love! People who have healthy spiritual hearts have burning
hearts!
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4.23)