Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001386A
00:06 It has stood the test of time. God's book.
00:13 The Bible. Still relevant in today's 00:17 complex world. It is written sharing hope 00:25 around the globe. 00:35 Thanks for joining me today. I'm John Bradshaw 00:39 and this is It Is Written. In the north of England, 00:43 about half way between Leeds and Newcastle in North 00:45 Yorkshire, is the little village of Hipswell. 00:48 It's an unremarkable place as far as English villages go - 00:52 bucolic, surrounded by beautiful countryside, 00:55 it's slow, it's peaceful... nothing you wouldn't expect 00:58 to see from an English village. But there's something 01:02 that sets little Hipswell apart. It's the home of one of the most 01:06 remarkable men in all of history, certainly in terms 01:10 of his contribution to society and his role 01:13 in Christianity. In Hipswell long ago, a fire 01:17 began burning that would eventually burn so bright 01:20 it would illuminate all of England, and by extension, 01:22 the entire world. John Wycliffe was born here 01:27 or hereabouts. His family most likely hailed 01:29 from the area known as Wycliffe, about half an hour 01:32 north of here on the Tees River. And from this unlikely place 01:35 of origin John Wycliffe went on to become known 01:39 as the Morning Star of the Reformation - an advocate 01:42 for the rights of the people, a denouncer of the abuses 01:45 in the church, a defender of the King of England 01:48 and a fearless preacher of God's word. 01:55 Wycliffe's greatest contribution to the world 01:57 is that he put the word of God into the hands of the people 02:02 - a people who didn't have the word of God 02:04 and who were held in tradition and superstition. 02:08 If you've ever held a Bible in your hands, if you've ever 02:11 treasured the precious promises found in the Word 02:13 of God, if your heart has ever been warmed by the beauty 02:16 of Scripture, you probably find it hard to imagine a society 02:20 where God's word is not welcomed. 02:23 But 14th Century England was a different world. 02:27 John Wycliffe was born in around 1328 - 02:29 that's shortly after the death of Marco Polo. 02:34 The king at the time was Edward the 3rd, who came to the throne 02:37 when he was just 15 years old. 02:40 England was locked in some bitter disputes. 02:42 This was just after the time of William Wallace - 02:45 Braveheart - and around the time of Robert the Bruce - 02:48 and wars with Scotland and France raged during 02:51 Wycliffe's early life. Then in the middle 02:56 of the 14th Century the Black Death struck England, 03:00 killing somewhere between a third or a half 03:03 of England's population. The peasant class at the time 03:08 were essentially slaves, and the influence of the ruling 03:11 church was enormous. The Catholic Church 03:15 essentially controlled the country, and by later 03:17 in the 14th Century the pope was receiving 5 times 03:20 as much gold from the government of England as was the King. 03:25 And when it came to the teaching of God's word... 03:28 well the people were living in superstition and fear, 03:31 as priests as well as traveling monks and friars kept the 03:35 people in spiritual darkness. It was a common practice 03:38 for these monks to sell pardon for sins. 03:41 As a result, they often lived a luxurious life, 03:44 fleecing the flock instead of teaching the flock. 03:47 The monks were barely less ignorant of the things 03:49 of heaven than the people were, and the people were kept 03:52 in spiritual darkness. But out of the darkness 03:58 that was 14th Century England, God caused a bright light 04:02 to shine. The Morning Star 04:05 of the Reformation brought light to a nation and truth 04:10 to the world - and from England, John Wycliffe's teachings 04:14 would shine light into the hearts of men and women 04:17 everywhere. John Wycliffe 04:21 was a revolutionary. And what John Wycliffe gave 04:24 the world still speaks to us today.... 04:28 ♪ [Bright, ♪ ♪ Classical String Ensemble] ♪ 04:38 When Wycliffe arrived here as a student at Oxford, 04:40 the University was already 150 years old. 04:44 When he came here there were 30,000 students here. 04:48 By the time the Black Death had done its work, 04:50 there were only 10,000. At it was while he was a student 04:53 at Oxford that Wycliffe started to develop as a champion 04:57 of the word of God. John Wycliffe studied here 05:01 at Balliol College, which was founded in 1263. 05:06 Five Balliol Students have gone on to win the Nobel 05:09 Prize - the most of any of Oxford's colleges - 05:13 as have 7 faculty members. Three British Prime Ministers 05:16 studied here, including Edward Heath and Harold 05:18 McMillan, London's Lord Mayor, Boris Johnson, 05:22 as well as authors Aldous Huxley and Graham Greene, and - 05:25 curiously - the noted atheist Richard Dawkins 05:28 also studied here. Wycliffe was a brilliant 05:33 student, and studied not only philosophy and civil law, 05:38 but church law as well. He became known as 05:41 "The Flower of Oxford" owing to his academic excellence. 05:48 And it was here at Balliol in Oxford that John Wycliffe 05:51 began to study the Bible. In those days, the Word 05:55 of God was only written in the ancient languages 05:58 - and while the uneducated masses couldn't access 06:01 or understand the Word of God, scholars in some cases, could. 06:06 Wycliffe found in the Bible what he felt to be 06:08 clear evidence demonstrating that the Bible was the Word 06:12 of God and that Jesus Christ as the only hope for the sinner. 06:17 He wrote these words, 06:20 "Trust wholly in Christ, rely altogether on His 06:25 sufferings; beware of seeking to be justified in any other way 06:29 than by His righteousness. Faith in our Lord Jesus 06:33 Christ is sufficient for salvation." 06:37 And he came to the conclusion that confession to a priest 06:40 was not necessary. "Privy confession made 06:43 to priests is not needful," he wrote, 06:46 "but brought in late by the Fiend: 06:49 for Christ used it not, nor any of His apostles 06:53 after Him." 06:57 While early in his career at Oxford these thoughts 06:59 did not become issues for John Wycliffe, his study 07:03 of the Word of God soon set him on a collision course 07:06 with the Roman Catholic Church, which dominated 07:08 not only British life and religion, 07:11 but British politics as well. ♪ [Contemplative Melody] ♪ 07:18 At the time, the papacy controlled both the church 07:21 and the state in England. Many church leaders 07:24 were fabulously wealthy and acted essentially as lords 07:27 over the nation. Growing up, Wycliffe likely 07:31 thought little of this, but exposure to the Bible caused 07:34 him to think carefully. As a child what he learned 07:39 of religion wouldn't have been much better than myths 07:42 and stories and moral lessons. The clergy themselves were not 07:47 generally noted for their piety, and Wycliffe realized 07:51 there was a serious blight on society that was going 07:53 to have to be confronted - the swarms of friars, men who 07:58 belonged to religious orders and depended on the charity 08:01 of the population to survive. 08:05 Now while the general principle of the orders 08:08 of the friars might seem harmless enough - 08:10 men who were devoted to living lives of poverty 08:12 and devoted to helping the poor - Wycliffe realized 08:15 that these men were a drain on society. 08:17 They were a corrupting influence. 08:19 They were idle, and rather than helping anybody at all, 08:23 they spent their time getting and gaining 08:25 and living riotous lives. 08:29 The pope had given the friars the authority to hear 08:31 confessions and grant pardon for sins. 08:34 This unBiblical system could only be corrupted - 08:38 and it was. The worst sinners were 08:41 "absolved" of their sins for sums of money, 08:44 while the friars continued to invent stories and legends 08:48 and tales so they could further manipulate the ignorant 08:51 masses. 08:52 This further strengthened the hold of the ruling church. 08:55 Ignorant people can't find answers when they don't even 08:58 know what questions to ask. Being told that all you had 09:01 to do to go to heaven was to acknowledge the supremacy 09:04 of the pope, give money to the friars and adore 09:06 the saints, didn't cause people to rely 09:09 on Jesus or be interested in genuine conversion. 09:13 Who needed any of that when you can buy your way 09:15 into heaven? Now John Wycliffe wasn't 09:18 the first to notice or to protest the corruptions 09:21 of the friars, but he would be the one to do the most 09:24 to curb their excesses. ♪ [Hopeful Melody] ♪ 09:38 Wycliffe understood that what the people needed 09:40 was the word of God. This was the one thing 09:43 that could free them from the tyranny of the friars. 09:45 It would liberate them from popes and from purgatory 09:48 and from purchase for pardon. But how in the world could 09:51 he get the word of God into the hands of the people? 09:53 Wycliffe knew what the Bible meant when it said in Psalm 09:57 119:130, "The entrance of Your words gives light; 10:03 It gives understanding." What the people needed 10:10 was God's word. The one thing that not even 10:12 money couldn't buy. So John Wyycliffe took 10:16 the word of God to the people. He preached to them publicly 10:17 in places such as St Paul's Cross, in the church 10:22 out here in St Paul's Cathedral in London. 10:24 Now this is not the same St Paul's as stood when 10:27 John Wycliffe was here - this is the new model, designed 10:31 by Sir Christopher Wren and rebuilt after the Great Fire 10:34 of London in 1666. But it was here in the church 10:39 yard at St. Paul's Cathedral, at St. Paul's Cross, 10:42 that John Wycliffe publicly preached God's Word. 10:45 A plaque commemorates the very spot that he stood 10:48 and preached. His preaching had a dramatic 10:51 effect on those who heard. It wasn't the pointless 10:54 prattle of the friars, it was the pure word of God. 10:58 Those who listened knew that they were listening 11:02 to something of divine origin. But how would the Bible 11:06 get into the hands of the people? 11:07 Wycliffe had an idea. It was a bold idea. 11:11 It was an idea that would change England forever. 11:17 ♪ [Hopeful Melody] ♪ Every Word is a one 11:19 minute Bible-based daily devotional presented 11:21 by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed especially for 11:24 busy people like you. Look for Every Word on selected 11:28 networks or watch it on-line everyday on our website 11:31 ItIsWritten.com 11:34 ♪ [Rythmic and Hopeful Melody] ♪ 11:41 The child Samuel had been taken by his mother to live 11:44 at the temple - his life had been dedicated to God. 11:47 And one night something remarkable happened. 11:50 It's recorded in 1 Samuel 3:4 The Bible says, "The Lord called 11:54 Samuel: and he answered, 'Here am I'" 11:58 The Lord called Samuel - in a way Samuel actually heard. 12:02 Now - the vast majority of us aren't ever going to hear God 12:04 audibly. And that's okay. 12:06 You don't have to hear a voice - but you can hear God 12:10 speak to you. He'll speak to you through His 12:12 word or through providences of through other people - 12:15 and if you're dedicated to Him and if you spend time with God 12:18 you'll recognize the sound of His voice 12:20 when He speaks. God called Samuel 12:22 - and He's still calling. If you listen carefully 12:25 - you'll hear God calling you today. 12:28 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 12:30 Let's live today by Every Word. 12:34 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 12:36 I'm John Bradshaw and today, we're looking at the life 12:39 and the ministry and the message of John Wycliffe, the Morning 12:43 Star of the Reformation - the man who brought the Bible 12:46 to the people of England. Wycliffe realized that the Bible 12:48 could be powerful, not only in the life 12:51 of the individual but also in a society, 12:54 and also in an entire nation. [Contemplative Melody and roar 13:00 ♪ of a bus] ♪ After becoming the Master 13:02 at Balliol College in Oxford, Wycliffe pursued his 13:05 theological studies, eventually becoming 13:07 a Doctor of Divinity. And not only was he 13:11 relentless in his condemnation of the practices 13:13 of the mendicant friars, Wycliffe believed strongly 13:16 that the church had no business receiving tribute 13:19 money from a sovereign government. 13:22 In the year 1365, Pope Urban the 5th demanded that England 13:26 submit entirely to the authority of the Church of Rome 13:31 - which would be an admission that the pope was 13:33 the legitimate sovereign of England. 13:35 ♪ [Piano, Playful Classical] ♪ 13:42 John Wycliffe was strenuous in his opposition to the Roman 13:44 Church exercising authority over the British crown. 13:48 Add to that his Bible teachings that collided 13:50 with the doctrines of the Catholic Church, 13:53 and Wycliffe became to be viewed as more than a thorn 13:56 in the flesh of the Church of Rome - 13:58 by the time he became the rector of the church 14:00 in Lutterworth, Wycliffe was considered 14:02 to be a heretic. Which was not surprising - 14:06 after all, Wycliffe had begun to teach that the pope of Rome 14:09 was the antichrist of the Bible. He even claimed the pope 14:12 was the man of sin in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. 14:16 ♪ [Lively classical music] ♪ 14:27 Things have changed a little since John Wycliffe 14:30 came here to petition Parliament to remove all 14:32 of the wealth of the church and bring it under the power 14:34 of the Crown. 14:38 The Parliament Buildings you see today weren't here 14:40 in the 14th Century. The Palace of Westminster - 14:44 as Parliament is known - was built in the 19th Century. 14:49 Big Ben is just over 150 years old. 14:54 Westminster Abbey was standing when Wycliffe came here 14:57 to Parliament - in fact, Richard the 2nd, the king 15:00 who was reigning when Wycliffe died, is buried in there 15:04 but there was no Buckingham Palace, or much that you'd 15:07 recognize in London today. It was a very different 15:10 place. In 1377 John Wycliffe came 15:15 here to this area to address the Parliament with regard 15:19 to the pope's claims to have authority over England. 15:22 John Wycliffe lead the movement to turn back the demands 15:25 of the Pope, and in fact he called 15:27 upon Parliament to reform the relationship 15:30 between church and state. And that was truly historic. 15:40 Wycliffe told Parliament that the national resources 15:42 were for the nation, and not for a foreign power 15:45 like the church of Rome. He said that Rome was wealthy 15:48 enough already, and that if anyone should be entitled 15:51 to the type of taxes that Rome was demanding, 15:54 it ought be the government and not the church. 15:57 Especially at a time that England was trying 15:59 to finance a war very expensive war against France. 16:03 And Wycliff believed that the people really needed 16:06 to be able to read and study and interpret the Scriptures 16:10 for themselves. But how were they ever going 16:14 to be able to do that? 16:15 [Dramatic Cello Sting] 16:25 Wycliffe incurred the wrath of the church. 16:28 He had been teaching that the friars were 16:30 a blight on society. He taught and wrote that priests 16:33 had no authority to forgive sins. 16:35 And he was strenuously opposed to the sale of indulgences, 16:38 where people would buy forgiveness, 16:41 when the monks would sell the pardon of God. 16:45 ""It is plain to me that our prelates in granting indulgences 16:48 do commonly blaspheme the wisdom of God," 16:52 he said. Related to this he said, 16:55 "Private confession ... was not ordered by Christ and was not 16:59 used by the apostles." He taught that the mass 17:04 was blasphemous and that the eucharist 17:06 - the communion wafer - was not really the actual body 17:09 of Jesus. The Roman Catholic Church 17:12 taught - teaches - that when the bread 17:14 and wine are consecrated they become the true body 17:16 and the true blood of Jesus Christ. 17:19 Wycliffe's understanding was different. 17:21 "The bread, while becoming by virtue of Christ's words 17:25 the body of Christ, does not cease to be bread," he stated. 17:30 And Rome was not happy. In fact, even some of Wycliffe's 17:34 strongest supporters urged him to turn down the volume, 17:37 but by now he was committed to speaking against 17:40 what he believed to be the inconsistencies 17:43 of the church. 17:47 Wycliffe was eventually kicked out of Oxford - 17:50 which had been pressured by the church to have 17:52 nothing to do with him. After speaking to Parliament, 17:55 he was summoned to a church trial here at Lambeth Palace, 17:58 right behind me. - the official residence 18:00 of the Archbishop of Canterbury and just across the river 18:04 from Parliament buildings- but his enemies were unable 18:07 to silence him. The Morning Star would 18:10 continue to shine for truth. 18:13 He returned here to his parish in Lutterworth. 18:16 His 'poor priests' - the Lollards - were sent 18:20 by Wycliffe to preach the gospel all over England, and truth 18:23 began to flourish where error and superstition had been 18:27 so powerful. Wycliff not only preached 18:31 but he wrote prodigiously in an effort to share the Word 18:34 of God and its liberating power with as many people as possible. 18:41 ♪ [Foreboding melody] ♪ From this now very 18:46 historic building John Wycliffe ministered to the world. 18:50 His influence was felt, obviously, here in England, 18:53 but it was Wycliffe's ideas that influenced another 18:56 great early reformer, John Huss, in what is now 19:00 the Czech Republic. 19:03 The Queen of England, in Wycliffe's later years, 19:06 was Anne of Bohemia, which is where Huss was from. 19:10 Oxford students from Bohemia took Wycliffe's ideas back 19:13 to their homeland, where they were shared by Huss and had 19:17 a major impact in Europe. 19:20 But Wycliffe's work was suddenly stopped. 19:23 Just short of his 60th birthday John Wycliff came down 19:26 with an illness that appeared as though it was going 19:29 to take his life. The monks were jubilant. 19:33 They came here to Lutterworth and they gathered around 19:35 Wycliffe's -- what they thought was Wycliffe's 19:37 deathbed, and they said to him, 19:40 "You have death on your lips. Retract now in our presence 19:45 all the things that you have said to our hurt." 19:48 Wycliffe raised himself up from his bed and he said, 19:53 "I shall not die, but live; and again declare the evil 19:58 deeds of the friars." The monks hurried out, 20:02 and Wycliffe recovered and went to work on the project 20:05 that would have the greatest influence of anything 20:07 that he had ever done in England. 20:09 With the help of some close friends, John Wycliffe went 20:12 to work on translating the Bible into the language 20:15 of the day. The one who had been known 20:18 as the 'Gospel Doctor" committed himself to sharing that gospel 20:22 with as many people as he possibly could. 20:25 John Wycliffe's dream was that everybody in England 20:29 would have the opportunity to read the Scriptures 20:32 in their own language. 20:36 Still a couple of hundred of years before the invention 20:38 of the printing press, it was here in Lutterworth 20:42 that John Wycliffe translated the Bible from the Latin 20:45 into English. The Scriptures were copied 20:47 slowly by hand. There were some people 20:50 who were able to buy an entire copy of the Bible while 20:52 others were able to secure just a portion. 20:56 But John Wycliffe's dream was being realized. 20:58 The Word of God was making its way into the hands 21:02 of the people. It was still going to be some 21:05 years before laws were passed banning the production 21:08 of or the possession of the Bible and the Scriptures 21:12 was distributed widely. While England was fighting 21:16 battles on various fronts, one of the greatest victories 21:20 in her history was realized when the Word of God was 21:23 translated and made available in the English language 21:28 to the people of England. Long after John Wycliffe was 21:31 dead the establishment church had to reckon with a force 21:35 that was far more powerful than he could ever be. 21:39 ♪ [Thought provoking melody] ♪ "The entrance of your word 21:42 gives light. It gives understanding." 21:45 People began to learn the great principles 21:47 of Scripture - "Man shall not live by bread alone, 21:52 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth 21:54 of God." "All Scripture is given 21:57 by inspiration of God," 22:04 ♪ [Building and driving theme] ♪ 22:15 Principles that are the foundation of Biblical 22:17 Christianity were heard by the masses for the first time 22:20 throughout England. While it is true not all 22:23 of John Wycliffe's teachings were perfect, and while 22:26 the Reformation wouldn't take hold for some time yet, 22:29 the foundation for the Reformation was laid 22:32 in England and throughout Europe by John Wycliffe, 22:35 the Morning Star of the reformation. 22:38 And here in St. Mary's Church where John Wycliffe 22:40 was the pastor many hundreds of years ago, 22:43 in the pews of this church today are English language 22:47 Bibles and anybody who picks up one of these Bibles 22:50 and leafs through its pages owes a great debt to John 22:54 Wycliffe without whom Biblical Christianity 22:58 and Christianity itself would have unfolded 23:01 in a rather different fashion. At his third trial, 23:05 John Wycliffe met his accusers with these words: he said 23:08 "With whom, think you, are you contending? 23:12 With an old man on the brink of the grave? 23:15 No! -- he said -- with Truth-- 23:19 with Truth that is stronger than you, 23:22 and will overcome you." ♪ [Stately orchestral Theme] ♪ 23:35 John Wycliffe died of natural causes 23:38 at about the age of 66, in the year 1384. 23:42 At the Council of Constance in Germany the early 1400s - 23:47 the papacy decreed that Wycliffe's remains should 23:50 be exhumed and his bones burnt, which they were, 23:55 and his ashes were then cast into the River Swift 23:58 near Lutterworth. 24:05 A writer later penned these words. 24:09 "Thus the brook hath conveyed his ashes into Avon; 24:13 Avon into Severn; Severn into the narrow seas; 24:18 and they into the main ocean. And thus the ashes of Wycliffe 24:23 are the emblem of his doctrine which now is dispersed 24:27 the world over." 24:30 One man dedicated to the proposition 24:34 that the Word of God could make the difference 24:37 in a person's life. John Wycliffe was a man who 24:40 experienced the power of the Word of God. 24:44 He experienced it in his life and he saw what the Word 24:47 of God could do in the lives of others. 24:51 You know, I'd like to offer you the opportunity 24:53 to experience God's Word in your life. 24:56 Friend, what are you doing about the Word of God? 24:59 Does the Word of God own you? Has it impacted you? 25:03 Has it set you free like the thousands 25:06 and the millions who are set free through 25:08 the Word of God by the work of John Wycliffe and those 25:10 who followed after him? ♪ [Musical Interlude] ♪ 25:22 Your Father God, your creator and originator, 25:25 is also the God of the future. 25:27 In His ability to tell us what is still ahead, God reminds us 25:30 of His sovereignty and power over all things. 25:34 To help us to trust Him, God has provided amazing evidence 25:37 of His reliability, and the reliability of His Word. 25:41 Today I'd like to send you a booklet that demonstrates how 25:43 God foretold world events with absolute accuracy 25:47 thousands of years in advance. This booklet is called 25:50 "Can God Be Trusted, and it's absolutely free. 25:53 Just call 1 (800) 253-3000, and ask for "Can God Be Trusted." 25:59 If the lines are busy, please do keep on trying. 26:02 Or you can write to us at It Is Written, Box 6, 26:06 Chattanooga, TN 37401, we'll mail a free copy to 26:10 your address in North America. It Is Written is a faith-based 26:14 ministry, and your support makes it possible for us to share 26:18 God's good news with the world. Your tax-deductible gift can be 26:22 sent to the address on your screen, or through our website 26:26 at itiswritten.com. Thank you for your continued 26:29 prayerful support. Again our toll free number is 26:32 (800) 253-3000 and our web address is: 26:36 itiswritten.com 26:40 ♪ [Inspirational theme] ♪ I'd like to pray for you today 26:44 that God's word would truly bring his presence 26:49 and his power into your life. 26:52 Let me pray. 26:54 Father in heaven, at this almost sacred spot, 27:00 where the ashes of one of your faithful 27:02 reformers, one of your faithful servants 27:04 were cast, at this spot I pray. 27:08 I pray that we would experience the power 27:11 of your Word. I pray that the Word of God 27:15 and its great promises, the great principles 27:18 of Scripture would be the foundation upon which 27:21 our lives are based. I pray that we can experience 27:24 in our lives reformation, that which comes through 27:27 the power and the presence of your Word 27:30 and through Jesus Christ living his life in us. 27:34 Let that be so I pray, and I thank you, in Jesus' name, 27:40 amen. 27:47 ♪ [It Is Written Theme] ♪ Thanks for joining 27:48 me today. Until next time remember, 27:50 It is written, man shall not live by bread alone 27:54 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 27:59 ♪[It Is Written Theme swells]♪ |
Revised 2016-03-28