John Wesley: The Fiery Evangelist!

February 08, 2005

John Wesley was famous and controversial preacher. To get an idea about this evangelist’s boldness, we need to read his sermon entitled, “Free Grace.” In this message (April 29, 1739), he “denounces the doctrine of predestination.” He preached this message to thousands in the open field in England! The reaction to his bold preaching caused many to get intense, fervent and some even violent!

Amazingly, Wesley preached about fifteen sermons a week for 53 years! He preached over 40,000 sermons and traveled on horseback 220,000 miles to preach open air! How many preachers work this vigorously for God’s kingdom today?

John Wesley was sparked to intense open-air Biblical preaching through another evangelist, George Whitefield. On February 17, 1739, the fire of the First Great Awakening was sparked. Whitefield said, “I have now taken the field. Some may censure me, but is there not a cause? Pulpits are denied, and the poor colliers are ready to perish for lack of knowledge.” Whitefield needed help with his ministry, so he called on his beloved friend, John Wesley. Wesley observed Whitefield preaching open air and said, “I can hardly reconcile myself at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields...having been all my life, till very lately, so tenacious of every point relating to decency and order, that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a sin, if it had not been done in a church.”

Wesley studied Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and said, “one pretty remarkable precedent of field-preaching, though I suppose there were churches at that time also.” This experience was the beginning of his evangelistic fervor and the beginning of the First Great Awakening!