John Wesley on the "Grand Stumbling Block" to Global Missions with Brian Yeich

In this episode, Dr. Matt O’Reilly talks with Dr. Brian Yeich about John Wesley’s sermon The General Spread of the Gospel. Wesley envisions a future of global gospel advance grounded in the holiness of God’s people. While often overlooked today, Wesley’s optimistic eschatology—sometimes described as postmillennial—offers a powerful reminder: holiness is essential to the mission of the church. Read "The General Spread of the Gospel" NOW:  https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/sermon-63-the-general-spread-of-the-gospel/ Wesley called holiness the “grand depositum” God entrusted to Methodists. He also warned that the lack of holiness in the church is the “grand stumbling block” to the conversion of the nations. What can Wesley teach us about the hope of gospel expansion, the urgency of sanctification, and the mission of the church in our own time?   More about Dr. Brian Yeich Brian’s passion is helping people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ whether it is in the context of the community, the local church, or the academy. He is an ordained elder in the Global Methodist Church, Trinity Conference, and has pastored 11 years in both large and small congregations as well as a church re-start. Including his previous role at Asbury Theological Seminary as Assistant Provost, Brian has over eight years in theological education leadership. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at Asbury Theological Seminary and Wesley Biblical Seminary teaching in the areas of Church History, Wesley Studies, and Pastoral Formation. Brian is currently appointed as Missional Discipleship Coordinator with World Methodist Evangelism in partnership with the Inspire Movement, a missional discipleship network based in the United Kingdom. Along with his wife, Misty, Brian works with congregations and church leaders to mentor and train them in developing cultures of missional discipleship in their contexts through Inspire Bands and House Fellowships. He completed his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Philip R. Meadows with the University of Manchester/Cliff College (England) in the spring of 2015. Brian’s PhD research focused on the doctrine of Christian perfection and its implications for the theology and practice of evangelism under the title, The Doctrine of Christian Perfection as a Vision for Evangelism. He is a contributor to The Faith Once Delivered produced by the Next Methodism summit. Brian holds a B.S. in Management and a M.B.A from Louisiana Tech University. He also holds a M.Div. and D.Min. from Asbury Theological Seminary.  He enjoys tinkering on cars, technology, and spending time with his family.   GET UPDATES FROM THEOLOGY PROJECT https://www.theologyproject.online/subscribe MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOKS Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print) https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle) GET THE VIDEOS https://my.seedbed.com/product/free-to-be-holy/ Reconstructing Methodism: Crucial Issues Facing the Global Methodist Church https://amzn.to/3TnkYKS MATT'S OTHER BOOKS Paul and the Resurrected Body: Social Identity and Ethical Practice https://amzn.to/2xOJmyj The Letters to the Thessalonians (w/ videos) https://amzn.to/3B0m6su Bless the Nations https://amzn.to/3eEpiiF SOCIAL https://www.instagram.com/mattoreillyauthor/ https://www.facebook.com/mattoreillyauthor https://www.facebook.com/theologyprojectonline https://twitter.com/mporeilly VISIT https://www.theologyproject.online https://christchurchbham.com   This page contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.