The fifth and arguably most essential element in Wesley's preaching for contemporary preachers is the fact that he valued relationships. If one were to read Wesley's sermons (and there are many editions of his sermons available), we would likely see them as dry theological treatises. Yet when Wesley preached, his hearers note that he was lively and engaging. Evidently Wesley used many illustrations as he preached, often alluding to things that were in the sightline of the people to whom he preached.

We can also see from his far-reaching letters and correspondence that Wesley valued his extensive web of relationships. Many of these relationships lasted for several decades and even longer. Wesley never lost sight that the purpose of God working through Jesus Christ focused directly on a world lost in sin. He recognized that it was for people that Jesus died and God resurrected the Christ. Wesley cared deeply for people. If we could preach with this image in mind, I suspect that all of us would preach with greater purpose and confidence.

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The Bottom Line on John Wesley

Wesley preached with an evangelical agenda everywhere and always. He knew that he had good news to share. Even more than the good news was Wesley's understanding of human's psychological makeup-we want to be a part of something that has high expectations. Interestingly, in our world today it is not the church that habitually offers the highest of expectations. Wesley would have no doubt abhorred the marketing and "what can Jesus do for me?" mentality rampant in the modern church. Rather the best exemplar of this attitude of high expectation is the United States Marine Corps. The Marines do not draft. Naturally there is no current military draft, but when there was a draft, the Marines did not draft. Why? Because young people line up to join the Marines because the standards are so high and the demands are so stringent. The expectations are so great that they want to be a part of something like that. "All we want is just a few good men/women," so the Marine recruiters say.

Part of Wesley's genius was, not only was he purveyor of the gospel, not only was he an organizational genius, but what he instilled in his Methodist Christians was a sense of accountability. Wesley did this primarily via preaching. He was someone who held people to a high standard — a divine standard. That standard at the minimum is that we never take the church of Jesus Christ casually. Contemporary preachers are part of this kind of organization, whose standard is so high that it is beyond anything of this world. Our standard is Jesus Christ.

It is Jesus Christ who is our referent, not the standards of the world, not even the best of the world. Our standard of conduct, fellowship, ministry, proclamation, and evangelism is Jesus Christ. Everybody wants to be a part of something that calls out the best that we are and can be with God's help. Everybody does. Wesley understood this fact of human psychology and everything he did served offering Christ to people in need of meaning and value in their lives.

Some people say that Wesley is now irrelevant because he lived 300 years ago. However, Wesley — then or now — preached the truth of God to a people in need. For this reason and others too, John Wesley even now has much to teach contemporary preachers.

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David Mosser is the Senior Minister at the First United Methodist Church, Graham, Texas.