John Wesley: The Man Who Saved England

Summary

The video script tells the inspiring story of John Wesley, an unlikely hero who profoundly influenced England's history. Despite personal struggles and societal challenges, Wesley's unwavering faith and dedication to spreading the gospel transformed not just his life, but also the nation's moral fabric. His message of personal and social holiness, coupled with practical religion, played a pivotal role in England's resilience against revolutionary chaos, illustrating the transformative power of faith and the importance of adhering to spiritual principles.

Takeaways

• 🇫🇷 The script tells the story of how one man, John Wesley, played a pivotal role in preventing England from following the chaotic path of the French Revolution.
• 🌟 John Wesley was an unlikely hero, being a small-statured writer rather than a fighter, yet he had a profound impact on England's history.
• 🏛 La Place de la Concorde, once known as The Place de la Revolution, was a site of horrific violence during the French Revolution, where the guillotine was a form of entertainment for the masses.
• 👶 John Wesley's early life was marked by hardship and near-death experiences, which he believed were survived due to divine intervention.
• 📚 His mother Susanna was a significant influence, instilling in him a disciplined Christian life and the importance of faith and scripture.
• 🎓 Wesley's education at Oxford and his subsequent ordination as a minister set the stage for his future role in the church and society.
• 🌊 A life-changing realization about true faith came to Wesley during a storm at sea, contrasting his fear with the calm faith of Moravian Christians.
• 💔 Wesley's time in Savannah, Georgia, ended in failure and heartbreak, leading to a period of deep introspection and questioning of his beliefs.
• 🔥 On May 25, 1738, at a Moravian meeting in London, Wesley experienced a profound spiritual awakening, finding peace and understanding of salvation through faith alone.
• 🚴 Wesley's tireless preaching and formation of Methodist groups across Great Britain and Ireland contributed to a spiritual revival that transformed the nation.
• 🛠 Wesley's message extended beyond personal salvation, advocating for social reforms and addressing issues like alcoholism, poverty, and the slave trade.

Q & A

Who is the central figure in the story of 'The Man Who Saved England'?

The central figure is John Wesley, an unsung hero who played a significant role in shaping the spiritual and moral landscape of England.

Why is John Wesley considered to have saved England?

John Wesley is considered to have saved England because his religious revival and emphasis on personal and social holiness helped the nation resist the violent revolution and chaos that swept through other parts of Europe.

What significant historical event took place at La Place de la Concorde in Paris?

La Place de la Concorde, previously known as La Place de la Revolution, was the site of the guillotine during the French Revolution, where many people, including King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, were executed.

What was the name of the club John Wesley and his brother Charles started at Oxford University?

The club they started was mockingly called The Holiness Club due to their strict and methodical approach to religion.

What nickname did people give to John Wesley and his followers because of their methodical approach to religion?

People started to mockingly call them Methodists because of their methodical approach to religion.

What event during John Wesley's voyage to Savannah, Georgia, made him question his understanding of faith?

During a fierce storm, John Wesley was terrified, but he found his Moravian friends singing hymns peacefully, showing no fear of death, which made him realize that despite his strict religion and good works, he had missed the essence of true faith.

What was the turning point in John Wesley's life that led to his true conversion?

The turning point in John Wesley's life was on the 25th of May, 1738, during a Moravian meeting in Aldersgate Street in London, where he felt his heart strangely warmed and realized the truth about salvation through faith in Christ.

How did John Wesley's ministry impact the social issues of his time?

John Wesley's ministry led to the Methodists addressing social issues such as alcoholism, poverty, the slave trade, bribery and corruption, cruelty to animals, prison reform, and improving the conditions of factory workers.

What is the estimated amount of money John Wesley gave away during his lifetime, and what does this indicate about his character?

It is estimated that John Wesley gave away 30,000 pounds during his lifetime, indicating his selflessness and commitment to helping others in need.

What is the significance of the offer mentioned at the end of the script, and how can viewers obtain it?

The offer is a free Bible lesson and booklet package designed to help viewers rediscover the gospel and its power in their lives. Viewers can obtain it by calling or texting the provided numbers or visiting the website www.tij.tv.

Outlines

00:00

🇬🇧 The Unlikely Hero: John Wesley

The script introduces the story of John Wesley, an unlikely hero who played a pivotal role in shaping England's history. Despite being a writer and not a fighter, his influence was instrumental in preventing England from following the chaotic path of the French Revolution. The video begins in Paris at La Place de la Concorde, historically known as The Place de la Revolution, a site of the Reign of Terror where thousands were executed. The narrative then shifts to England, highlighting the contrast between the two nations during that tumultuous period. John Wesley's humble beginnings in Epworth are explored, including his large family and the hardships they faced, such as the fire that nearly claimed his life as a child.

05:03

🔥 A Childhood of Miracles and Faith

This paragraph delves into John Wesley's childhood, emphasizing his miraculous escape from a house fire, which he and his family attributed to divine intervention. It discusses the rebuilding of their home and the establishment of the Wesley family school run by his mother, Susanna, who was a significant influence on John's life and faith. The narrative then moves to John's education at Oxford University, where he grappled with questions of faith and good works, eventually deciding to pursue a life in the church. His time at Lincoln College is highlighted, including his ordination as a minister and the formation of the 'Holiness Club,' which would later lead to the nickname 'Methodists.'

10:04

🌊 A Journey of Self-Discovery and Faith

The script describes John Wesley's journey to Savannah, Georgia, as a missionary, during which he encountered Moravian Christians who displayed a peace and faith he had not yet experienced. A severe storm at sea revealed a profound difference in their attitudes towards death, leading Wesley to question his own faith and the strictness of his religious practices. His time in Savannah was marked by failure, both in his attempts to impose his religious beliefs and in his personal life, as he fell in love with Sophia, a woman he could not marry due to his vow. His return to England was filled with self-doubt and a crisis of faith.

15:05

💖 The Transformation of John Wesley

The turning point in John Wesley's life is detailed, beginning with his encounter with Moravian Christians in England, which led to a profound spiritual awakening. His realization of salvation by grace through faith in Christ came during a meeting in Aldersgate Street, where he felt his heart 'strangely warmed.' This experience marked his true conversion and gave him a newfound peace and assurance of salvation. The narrative emphasizes the personal and societal implications of his transformation, setting the stage for his future role in influencing England's moral and spiritual landscape.

20:05

🚴 Preaching and the Rise of Methodism

This section outlines John Wesley's tireless efforts to spread the gospel across Great Britain and Ireland, leading to the formation of Methodist groups. Despite facing persecution and being barred from preaching in churches, Wesley and his followers, including George Whitefield, turned to open-air preaching. The Methodist movement grew, with the construction of chapels and the expansion of its social impact, addressing issues like alcoholism, poverty, and the slave trade. Wesley's influence extended to prison reform, animal cruelty, and improving factory workers' conditions, demonstrating the far-reaching effects of his message and the Methodist movement.

25:06

🕊️ Wesley's Legacy and the Power of Faith

The final paragraph reflects on John Wesley's death and the lasting impact of his life's work. It emphasizes his legacy as a spiritual force that fortified England against the revolutionary turmoil that swept through Europe. The narrative suggests that Wesley's revival and adherence to the Bible's teachings played a crucial role in maintaining social order and moral integrity. The script concludes with an invitation for viewers to experience a personal revival through a free Bible lesson package, highlighting the ongoing relevance of Wesley's message and the transformative power of faith.

Keywords

💡John Wesley

John Wesley was an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader of the Methodist movement. In the video, he is portrayed as a pivotal figure in the history of England, credited with saving the nation from the chaos that swept through Europe during the 18th century. His influence is highlighted as a force for moral and spiritual revival.

💡Revolution

The term 'revolution' in the script refers to the radical and often violent overthrow of an established government or social order, as exemplified by the French Revolution. The script contrasts the bloody and chaotic revolution in France with the more peaceful and spiritually driven transformation in England, largely attributed to John Wesley's influence.

💡Place de la Concorde

Place de la Concorde is a significant historical location in Paris, France, known as 'The Place of Harmony.' The script describes its past as 'The Place de la Revolution,' a site of public executions during the French Revolution, including those of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, symbolizing the terror and lawlessness of the period.

💡Methodists

Methodists originated from a religious movement founded by John Wesley and his brother Charles. Initially, they were called 'The Holiness Club' and were mocked for their strict and methodical approach to religion. The term 'Methodist' stuck, and the movement grew to become a significant Christian denomination, emphasizing personal and social holiness.

💡Salvation

Salvation, in the context of the script, refers to the Christian concept of being saved from sin and its consequences through faith in Jesus Christ. John Wesley's realization of salvation by grace alone, rather than through good works, is a central theme in the video and marks his spiritual awakening.

💡Aldersgate

Aldersgate Street in London is the location where John Wesley experienced a profound spiritual awakening, which is a turning point in the video's narrative. It is where he came to understand salvation through faith in Christ, leading to a transformation in his life and ministry.

💡Social Reform

The script highlights John Wesley's role in social reform, showing how his teachings and the Methodist movement addressed various social issues of the time, such as alcoholism, poverty, the slave trade, and prison conditions. Wesley's emphasis on personal and societal transformation is a key aspect of his legacy.

💡Preaching

Preaching is a central activity in the script, describing how John Wesley traveled extensively to spread the Christian message. His preaching was initially met with resistance, leading him to preach outdoors and eventually establishing Methodist chapels for worship.

💡Spiritual Awakening

Spiritual awakening in the script refers to the personal transformation that John Wesley underwent, as well as the broader revival he sparked in England. This awakening is characterized by a return to faith and a commitment to living a holy life, which had a profound impact on society.

💡Revival

Revival in the script signifies a period of renewed religious or spiritual interest or experience. The Methodist movement led by John Wesley is described as a great revival that helped to morally and spiritually strengthen England, contrasting with the revolutionary chaos in other parts of Europe.

💡Holiness

Holiness, as discussed in the script, is a core principle of John Wesley's teachings and the Methodist movement. It emphasizes living a life dedicated to God, marked by purity and righteousness. Wesley's message of holiness is shown to have had a transformative effect on individuals and society.

Highlights

The Man Who Saved England explores the story of John Wesley, an unlikely hero who had a profound impact on England's history.

John Wesley's small stature and lack of martial prowess contrasted with his significant role as a writer and religious figure.

La Place de la Concorde in Paris, once known as The Place de la Revolution, was a site of terror during the French Revolution.

The French Revolution was characterized by a rejection of traditional authority and a descent into mob violence, leading to over 16,500 deaths.

John Wesley's upbringing in Epworth, influenced by his mother Susanna and father Samuel, set the foundation for his disciplined Christian life.

Wesley's near-death experience as a child, being saved from a burning rectory, was seen as a divine intervention, shaping his belief in a purpose greater than himself.

John Wesley's education at Oxford University and his subsequent ordination as a minister set him on a path of religious service.

Wesley's time in Georgia as a missionary was marked by failure and personal turmoil, leading to a crisis of faith.

The Moravian Christians' calm during a storm contrasted with Wesley's fear, revealing a deeper understanding of faith that he had yet to grasp.

John Wesley's conversion experience in 1738 at a Moravian meeting in London marked a turning point in his life and understanding of salvation.

Wesley's newfound faith led him to travel extensively, preaching the gospel and forming Methodist groups across Great Britain and Ireland.

The Methodist movement faced persecution but persisted in spreading its message, with Wesley preaching over 40,000 sermons.

John Wesley's influence extended to social issues, advocating for prison reform, education for the poor, and fighting against the slave trade.

Wesley's message and the Methodist revival are credited with providing England with the moral strength to resist the revolutionary chaos that swept through Europe.

John Wesley's legacy is remembered not for wealth but for the spiritual and societal transformation he inspired, leaving a stronger and more moral nation.

The story of John Wesley illustrates the power of faith and the importance of personal and societal transformation through religious revival.

A free gift offer for viewers includes a Bible lesson and booklet to rediscover the gospel's power, following Wesley's teachings on salvation and Christian living.

Transcripts

(orchestral music)

(patriotic music)

- Today, we're exploring one

of the great unknown stories of history,

The Man Who Saved England.

He was the unlikeliest of heroes.

Small in stature, just 170 centimetres,

or five foot six inches tall.

He never carried weapons and was a writer, not a fighter,

but he saved England and without him,

the world we know today would be a very different place.

This is one of the largest squares

in the beautiful city of Paris.

Its name is La Place de la Concorde,

which in French means The Place of Harmony.

But few of the thousands of tourists to come to visit

can imagine the unspeakable terror

that was unleashed right here just over 200 years ago.

Back then, it was known by another name:

The Place de la Revolution.

As the 18th century drew to a close,

those who ruled the nations of Europe

were entirely dishonest and unprincipled.

Morality had reached a low point everywhere.

In France, this erupted into a bloody revolution

in the streets.

The people of France dramatically rejected all forms

of traditional secular and religious authority.

They wanted to get rid of both the aristocracy

and of all Christian influence.

A lawless and vicious mob mentality took over.

In just one year in the period between 1793 and 1798,

there were over 16,500 people killed in France.

There was no justice, only sham trials.

It was here at this very spot

that the newly-invented scientific method of execution,

the guillotine, was set up.

It was a popular form of entertainment for the mob.

Here, the women of Paris would calmly knit

while head after head was lobbed off,

and the most famous heads to roll were King Louis XVI

and Queen Marie Antoinette.

It was called The Reign of Terror.

But I want to share with you the story

of what happened across the channel in England

because there, a significant percentage of the population

wanted to follow France but the majority didn't

and England was saved.

And it was at least in part due to one man,

an unsung hero, John Wesley.

Our story starts today

in a much more peaceful place in England.

(dramatic music)

(orchestral music)

I'm here in the village of Epworth, north of London.

It was here in the old rectory

that John Wesley was born and raised.

He was the 15th of 19 children

born to his mother Susanna and his father Samuel

who was the rector here at St. Andrew's Anglican Church.

Back in those days, infant mortality was high.

Parents often aimed to have as many children as possible

in the hope that some would survive.

As it was, nine of John's brothers and sisters

never survived childhood, leaving 10 mouths to feed.

With so many children,

the main thing John's parents worried about

was how to feed the family.

To make things worse, Samuel was hopeless at managing money.

In fact, soon after little John Wesley was born,

his father was imprisoned for several months

because of his debts.

When John Wesley was five years old,

the rectory caught fire one night and burned down.

Samuel managed to get his wife and children out,

but in the confusion, no one noticed that little John

was still asleep in bed.

Samuel tried to go back into the house to save his child

but the stairs had collapsed in the blaze.

All he could do in his distress was kneel down

and commit John's soul to God.

By this time, John had woken up and incredibly,

he climbed on a chest of drawers

and opened a latch on the window.

The neighbours then quickly formed a human ladder

and plucked him from the window

just as the blazing roof of the house fell in.

After that experience, Wesley always believed

that he was a brand plucked from the burning,

from the fire.

His mother came to believe

that John had been miraculously saved by God

for some great work.

When the rectory was rebuilt, it was done in brick

since it had already burned down twice before.

So this is the actual home that John Wesley grew up in.

Susanna tried to save money

by teaching her children at home.

So it was here that Susanna ran the Wesley family school.

It ran six days a week, from nine to five,

with a break for lunch.

The Bible was the only textbook

and Susanna taught the children to memorise large sections,

and sometimes entire books from it.

Susanna Wesley was an amazing woman

and the most powerful influence in John's life.

Through his mother's example,

John Wesley learned to trust God

and he also learned what it meant

to live a disciplined Christian life.

(orchestral music)

On June 14th, 1720,

John began attending classes at Christ Church,

one of the leading colleges of Oxford University.

Wesley came from a long line

of distinguished church ministers

but he wasn't sure if that was the right thing for him.

This got him thinking about

what he needed to do to please God.

Was it enough to believe in Jesus?

Or did Christians have to do good works

to prove that they were saved?

He talked with many people about this

and concluded that he didn't know the answer.

But despite his questions and uncertainty,

by the time he graduated in 1724,

John Wesley had decided that his future was in the church.

And so he signed up to study for a master's degree at Oxford

to prepare for ministry.

In 1725, John was ordained as a minister

of The Church of England

and he taught here at Lincoln College,

one of the smaller undergraduate colleges

located in the very heart of historic Oxford.

Lincoln College is an architectural gem

and it's ivy-clad buildings ooze history.

You can just imagine the young John Wesley

hurrying past the groomed lawns and manicured gardens

on his way to his class.

John Wesley became a fellow of Lincoln College.

Today, the college keeps a Wesley Room in his memory

and there is a commemorative plaque

in the chapel quadrangle,

marking the actual site of John Wesley's rooms.

On the wall of a residence building

in one of the Lincoln College quads

is a bust of John Wesley

and his name is etched on the glass doors

of the magnificent chapel to commemorate his time here.

By now, his brother Charles was also studying at Oxford

and Charles started a club

for people who wanted to live Godly, Christian lives,

and John quickly became the leader of the club.

Because of the low level of spirituality

at Oxford at the time, John and Charles were ridiculed

and the club was mockingly called The Holiness Club.

By today's Christian standards,

I'd have to say that they were pretty over-the-top.

They would meet everyday for three hours,

fast two days a week, and pray every hour.

John even developed a checklist

for people to go through everyday

to examine their own behaviour,

as well as other members of the club

so that they could keep each other

on the straight and narrow.

Because they were so methodical

in their approach to religion,

people started to mockingly call them Methodists.

Secretly, John didn't mind at all.

It's easy for us to judge John Wesley's approach

to Christianity as being way to strict, and it probably was.

But you have to see it in the context

of his time and society,

a time in which spirituality was in serious decline

and in which England

looked to be following France into chaos.

But what happened next was to shake John to his core.

John had been invited to travel

to the colony of Savannah, Georgia in North America

to serve as vicar of the church there.

For John, the idea of being a missionary

and converting all those Indians was irresistible.

He and his brother Charles

travelled to the New World on a ship,

together with another group of Christians called Moravians

who were originally from Bohemia, The Czech Republic today.

One night, John and his fellow passengers

were all totally terrified in the middle of a fierce storm.

(thunders roaring)

Mountainous waves were crashing over the ship,

the mast had broken off,

and the sails had been torn to pieces,

but when he went to check on his new Moravian friends,

John found that they were peacefully singing hymns together

and they told him that they weren't at all afraid to die.

John Wesley knew right then

that for all the strictness of his religion

and all his good works, he had missed something,

perhaps the most important thing.

Although he was a pastor, he hadn't discovered

what true faith was all about.

This realisation was to torment him for the next few years.

In Savannah in the New World, today in the state of Georgia,

John tried to impose his strict brand of religion

on his new church.

And of course, he ended up with no one liking him.

Even worse, his church didn't prosper at all.

One of the rules that John had made for himself

was that he would never marry

so that he could focus strictly on his spiritual duties.

But while in Savannah,

he fell in love with a young lady called Sophia.

Day and night, John was tormented by his love for Sophia

and his vow to never get married.

Eventually, Sophia married another man

and John was tremendously upset at losing her.

So much so that he publicly embarrassed himself

and had to shamefully leave the colony at night.

They've erected a statue to John Wesley

right in the heart of Savannah, Georgia.

But two years after having arrived here,

John embarked on the voyage back to England,

a dismal failure, a broken man.

During the voyage back, not only was he seasick,

he was also utterly depressed.

He was doubting everything he'd previously believed.

He dreaded landing in England.

How could he face his family and friends?

How could he continue as a Christian minister

when he didn't know what to believe himself?

For Wesley, the journey to true faith wasn't easy.

When he arrived back in England,

he remembered the Moravian Christians

who had had such peace in the storm

and he spent long days speaking with them.

When John's brother Charles

accepted salvation by grace alone,

purely as a gift from God, John was very upset at him

but one event started to change John's mind.

He was sharing the gospel with a man in prison

who had been sentenced to hang the next day.

John watched the man accept salvation through Jesus

and as he did that, he himself suddenly realised

the truth about salvation.

That prisoner didn't have any time at all to do good works

to prove that his faith was genuine.

He was being hung the next day.

John realised that God's love was great enough

to save people without the need or dependence on good works.

However, John Wesley's true conversion

happened on the 25th of May, 1738

while he attended a Moravian meeting

in Aldersgate Street in London.

Today, a plaque commemorates this important event

in Wesley's life.

That day, part of Martin Luther's commentary

on the book of Romans was being read aloud

and this is what Wesley wrote in his journal for that day.

- [Narrator] "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."

- Finally, he had found lasting peace in his heart.

Finally, he had found what true religion was all about.

Finally, he could face God without fear

and without depending on his own strict works.

This was the turning point in John Wesley's life.

Without this dramatic turnaround,

Wesley's name would've been forgotten

in the annals of history.

John Wesley would never have become

The Man Who Saved England.

Now, John had finally realised his heart's desire

to be a true Christian

and he felt compelled to tell others

how to be saved by faith too.

He understood that true holiness, the right way of living,

could only come once he had truly accepted Jesus

as his saviour.

Now, all his good works were done not to be saved

but because he was saved.

Wesley made it his mission in life to tell others,

and the message he shared changed the heart of England.

From that time on, Wesley began to travel

across Great Britain and Ireland on his horse,

sharing the good news about Jesus.

And wherever he went, he formed small Christian groups.

These people were all called Methodists.

During the early part of his ministry,

Methodists were persecuted by the established church.

Sometimes, they would even be attacked by mobs

and Wesley himself was barred

from preaching in parish churches.

His friend, the evangelist, George Whitefield,

had also been barred from preaching in churches

and so he started preaching in the open air.

He suggested to Wesley that he should do the same

and that's exactly what he did.

He began taking every opportunity

to preach outdoors wherever a crowd gathered.

More than once, Wesley used his father's tombstone

at Epworth right here as a pulpit.

Eventually, the Methodists started

building places of worship which they called chapels.

A statue of John Wesley stands outside

one of these chapels called The New Room Chapel in Bristol.

And for a period of time,

this was one of Wesley's major bases.

For 15 years, Wesley continued crisscrossing the country,

preaching wherever he could.

And by the end of it,

he had become one of the most popular

and beloved men in all of England.

During his lifetime, Wesley rode over 400,000 kilometres.

That's further than all the way to the moon

and he preached more than 40,000 sermons.

In 1778, Wesley built this chapel here in City Road, London.

Even today, there's a thriving congregation here.

Right next to the chapel, he built a house for himself

which you can visit today.

It was in this house that Wesley lived, studied, and wrote,

but even more importantly, it was from here

that he directed the vast movement

that methodism had now become

and it's surprising that despite Wesley's strictness

in religious matters and despite the culture of the time,

he encouraged women to teach and informally to preach.

Wesley's vision of holy Christian living

went well beyond just the words.

He taught that you couldn't say you believed in Jesus

and not be transformed in your personal life.

And more than that, true holiness also had

to transform our communities and our society for good.

Because of this approach,

Methodists applied the biblical principles

of kindness and charity to the social problems of the day,

and as a result, they became key leaders

of many of the pressing social issues of the day.

Wesley and his companions fought against the alcoholism

that was destroying the nation.

They dedicated themselves to feeding and educating the poor

and raising them up out of the gutter.

Wesley fought against the slave trade all his life.

And together with his companions,

he campaigned against bribery and corruption.

They fought against cruelty to animals,

they campaigned for prison reform,

and to improve the conditions of factory workers.

In short, there was no area of English society

that wasn't improved through the influence

and work of John Wesley and the movement that he founded.

(dramatic piano music)

As he lay dying, Wesley grasped the hands

of his friends who were with him, said farewell,

and as he did that, he repeated the words,

"The best of all is God is with us."

He died in 1791 at the age of 87.

This is Wesley's tomb at his chapel on City Road, London.

He died poor because over the course of his lifetime,

he'd given away everything that had come his way

to others in need.

In fact, it's estimated

that he gave away 30,000 pounds during his lifetime,

an astronomical sum of money back then.

But Wesley's legacy could never be measured by money.

He left behind a nation that was far richer and stronger

than the country he'd been born into.

He left behind an England

that when the tides of revolution batted it from France

had the spiritual and moral strength to resist.

Because 100 years after Wesley,

Europe broke out into a series of bloody revolutions.

Terror reigned in France, revolution broke out in Germany,

Poland, Italy, and The Austrian Empire.

In fact, England was only one of very few countries

that didn't degenerate into violence and chaos.

Why?

Because John Wesley had prepared the nation

to withstand the forces of terror.

Because the influence of Wesley's spiritual revival

had transformed England into a very different society

than that of France.

By calling people back to true religion,

John Wesley is The Man Who Saved England.

He almost certainly changed the course of history

and his call to personal and social holiness

still challenges Christians today.

As we look around at our society today,

we see more and more a rejection

of the God and the authority

that underpinned our society in the past.

One wonders what the future holds.

The story of John Wesley is a great example

of the principle the Bible teaches in Proverbs 29:18.

"Where there is no revelation,

"the people cast off restraint,

"but happy is he who keeps the law."

What this means is that

where there is no knowledge of God's word,

when the Bible and its message are ejected,

there are no limits to the evil that people will do.

That's what happened in France

and it almost happened in England.

But the message of John Wesley called people everywhere

to recognise their need of God

in both their personal lives and throughout their society.

It was a practical religion

that worked to reform those areas of society

where there was most moral bankruptcy and suffering.

The great religious revival in England

that followed the work of John Wesley

is just one of the many examples from history

of what happens when people rediscover the gospel,

the good news of Jesus.

What happened in England as a result of John Wesley's work

highlights the power and importance of the Bible.

It highlights the truth of the promises of God's word

and the importance of following him.

Notice what the Bible says in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

"If my people who are called by my name

"will humble themselves and pray and seek my face

"and turn from their wicked ways,

"then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin

"and heal their land."

This doesn't just apply

to nations or even just to churches.

It also applies to us,

to you and me at a very personal level.

If you'd like to experience the power of God in your life,

if you'd like to experience

a personal revival in your own life,

if you are ready to be humble before God and seek him,

then I'd like to invite you

to commit your life to him right now as we pray.

Dear Heavenly Father,

you have promised that when we turn to you,

you will give us new strength and a new life.

Thank you for the story of John Wesley

because we can see that you are faithful

and that your promises are true.

What you did back then, please do for us today.

It's difficult to do the things we want to do

and to change the things we need to change in our lives.

Please come into our lives and transform us,

but not only our life, but may our families

and our communities be transformed as well.

We pray not just for ourselves, but for our nation also.

And we ask these blessings in Jesus' name, amen.

For many years, John Wesley battled

with disappointment and deep discouragement

as he struggled to find out

what it meant to live life as a Christian.

When he discovered the secret,

not only was his whole life transformed

but its impact uplifted every area

of the life of his nation.

We have a very special offer for you today

and it's a free gift to all our viewers.

If you'd like to rediscover the gospel

and its power in your own life,

then I'd like to offer you a powerful combined booklet

and Bible lesson package.

The free Bible lesson is What Must I Do To Be Saved?,

and the bonus booklet is The Best Insurance Policy.

This special package is our gift to you

and is absolutely free.

There are no costs or obligations, whatsoever.

In this package, you'll be able

to work through the step-by-step Bible lesson

about what you need to do to be saved.

It'll be as if Wesley were teaching you himself.

So please don't miss this wonderful opportunity

to receive the gift we have for you today.

Here's the information you need.

- [Announcer] Phone or text us at 0436-333-555

or visit our website www.tij.tv

to request today's free offer

and we'll send it to you totally free of charge

and with no obligation.

So don't delay.

Call or text 0436-333-555 in Australia

or 020-422-2042 in New Zealand,

or visit our website, www.tij.tv

to request today's offer.

Write to us at PO Box 5101 Dora Creek,

New South Wales 2264 Australia

or PO Box 76673 Manukau, Auckland 2241 New Zealand.

So don't delay.

Call or text 0436-333-555 in Australia

or 020-422-2042 in New Zealand,

or visit our website to request today's offer.

Don't delay.

Call or text us now.

- Be sure to join us again next week

when we will share another of life's journeys together.

Until then, remember the ultimate destination

of life's journey.

Now, I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.

There shall be no more pain

for the former things have passed away.

(uplifting music)

(intense music)