Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW017152S
00:10 ♪[Theme music]♪
00:20 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:25 What makes a reformer? 00:28 Consider with me Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 00:31 ♪[Music]♪ 00:33 The son of a minister, raised in Atlanta, Georgia, 00:37 not raised in privilege, 00:40 but raised in a society that was designed to disadvantage him. 00:44 Yet he went on to become a revolutionary, 00:47 an agent of change. 00:49 He boldly confronted a powerful system. 00:52 You might ask, "Why?" 00:54 What drives a man to do that? 00:57 But Martin Luther King Jr. was driven to act, 01:00 to write, to speak, to organize, 01:02 to protest by a system that was broken, 01:07 by a society that gloried in its brokenness 01:10 and was determined to preserve its dysfunction. 01:13 "I still have a dream," he said, 01:16 one late summer's day in 1963 on the mall in Washington, D.C. 01:21 It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. 01:25 "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up 01:28 and live out the true meaning of its creed: 01:31 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, 01:34 that all men are created equal.'" 01:37 By the time Dr. King was murdered outside room 306 01:40 of the Lorraine Motel in 1968, 01:44 there would be no stopping the progress 01:45 that he and so many others along with him had made 01:49 in advancing the American civil rights movement. 01:52 Looking back on those days, 01:54 it's difficult to imagine that a country would choose 01:57 to live with the system it had created. 02:00 In "the land of the free," 02:01 millions of people were not free. 02:05 Self-determination was the lot of some--not all. 02:09 Intolerance was normal. 02:12 The struggle to right the wrongs of civil injustice 02:15 in the United States was long and hard. 02:19 It cannot be suggested the revolution, 02:22 if you'll let me call it that, should not have been waged. 02:27 So what is it that creates a revolutionary? 02:30 You might say it's the times. 02:33 An individual sees a need that must be met, 02:36 hears a call he or she cannot ignore-- 02:39 people like Gandhi, 02:40 Susan B. Anthony, 02:42 Harriet Tubman, 02:44 William Wilberforce. 02:46 I suspect many reformers, social or religious, 02:50 will tell you they ultimately didn't choose 02:52 the role they assumed. 02:54 The role chose them. 02:58 Martin Luther King Jr. was not named Martin when he was born. 03:02 He was named Michael, after his father. 03:06 But when little Michael was just five years old, 03:08 Michael Sr. made a trip to Germany 03:11 to attend a church congress in Berlin. 03:13 And while he was there, he was so deeply impressed by the life 03:18 and ministry of a certain German gospel minister 03:22 that he made the decision to change his name, 03:24 and that of his son, from Michael to Martin. 03:28 Not only did Martin Luther impress Pastor Michael King, 03:32 Martin Luther changed the world. 03:35 On October the 31st in the year 1517, 03:38 Martin Luther defied the system that was essentially 03:42 governing western civilization. 03:45 His contribution to history is so immense 03:49 that Time magazine ranked him fourth on the list 03:52 of the greatest men of the millennium. 03:54 It all happened here, in Wittenberg, Germany, 03:58 in the part of Germany that for more than 40 years 04:00 was known as East Germany. 04:03 In the 1500s, Wittenberg was part of the kingdom of Saxony, 04:08 and while the town, now officially known 04:11 as Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a popular tourist destination, 04:15 in Luther's day it was anything but. 04:19 Wittenberg is a pleasant town today 04:21 with a population that hovers around 50,000. 04:24 It's 60 miles southeast of Berlin 04:27 and just a two-hour drive to the border with Poland. 04:29 It sits on the Elbe River, which starts in the Czech Republic 04:33 and flows through Germany right past Hamburg, 04:36 Germany's second-largest city, and to the North Sea. 04:41 During Communism, 04:42 Wittenberg's sites of religious significance were neglected. 04:46 In preparation for the 500th anniversary of the starting 04:49 of the Reformation-- October 31, 1517-- 04:54 the town has been revitalized, 04:56 the Castle Church has been renovated, 04:58 and there's a lot of pride in Wittenberg's favorite son. 05:03 Wittenberg in Luther's day had a population of around 3,000, 05:07 and it was hardly the sort of place 05:09 that you would have thought would launch a revolution. 05:13 Luther called it "miserable." 05:14 His right-hand man in reform, Philipp Melanchthon, 05:17 referred to Wittenberg as "a hamlet comprised, 05:20 not of regular houses, but only of little ones, 05:24 bad huts, built of clay and covered with hay and straw." 05:28 Duke George of Saxony called Wittenberg "a hole." 05:32 And one theologian wrote to a friend about the "poor, 05:35 miserable, filthy, little town of Wittenberg." 05:40 Now that theologian couldn't stand Martin Luther. 05:42 That might have colored his view, 05:44 but you get the idea nevertheless: 05:45 This place was, was hardly the garden of Eden. 05:49 Martin Luther was born here in Eisleben, 05:52 about 60 miles from Wittenberg, on November the 10th, 1483. 05:58 This whole area was part of what was known for centuries 06:00 as the Holy Roman Empire. 06:04 He grew up in poverty. His parents were peasants. 06:08 His father worked as a miner. 06:10 Hardship shaped his upbringing. 06:14 Luther's father, Hans, wanted Martin to become a lawyer, 06:18 and he was appalled when Martin instead chose 06:21 to enter a cloister to train to become an Augustinian monk. 06:26 However, it was in that cloister that Martin Luther 06:30 found a Bible chained to the monastery wall. 06:33 It was the first time he'd ever seen a whole Bible. 06:36 You can imagine how he felt as he read the gospels 06:38 and the epistles of Paul. 06:40 He was moved. 06:42 At the same time, 06:43 he was overcome by a sense of his own sinfulness. 06:46 He wanted to find peace with God, 06:48 and so he did what they told him to do at the monastery. 06:51 He fasted; he prayed for hours; 06:53 he even resorted to flagellation. 06:55 Later he would say, 06:57 "If ever a monk could obtain heaven by his monkish works, 07:01 then I should certainly have been entitled to it." 07:03 ♪[Music]♪ 07:04 But Luther had a mentor during his training, 07:07 a man named Johann von Staupitz. 07:11 Luther would later say, 07:12 "If it had not been for Dr. Staupitz, 07:15 I should surely have sunk in hell." 07:18 Staupitz encouraged Luther by telling him this: 07:21 "Instead of torturing yourself on account of your sins, 07:25 throw yourself into the Redeemer's arms. 07:28 Trust in Him, 07:29 in the righteousness of His life, 07:32 in the atonement of His death. 07:34 Listen to the Son of God. 07:36 He became man to give you the assurance of divine favor. 07:41 Love Him who first loved you." 07:47 Between 1501 and 1505, 07:49 Luther studied at the University of Erfurt, 07:52 a two-day walk from his home here in Eisleben. 07:55 He earned a master's degree; then he began studying law, 07:58 but he dropped out of law school to enter the cloister. 08:01 But the fastings and the endless prayers 08:04 and all that came with it left Luther desperate. 08:07 So in 1508 he accepted a call to teach theology 08:11 at the University of Wittenberg. 08:14 The university had been founded only a few years before 08:17 by Frederick III, the elector of Saxony. 08:21 Frederick was a prince in the state of Saxony 08:23 and was known as an elector because he was one of the elite 08:27 who elected the king of the Romans. 08:29 He was a powerful man. 08:31 Not only was Luther born here in Eisleben, 08:34 but he died here as well. 08:35 In fact, he died right here in this building behind me 08:38 in the year 1540. 08:41 It was from this humble little spot, 08:43 virtually in the middle of the German nowhere, 08:46 that Luther was thrust into the global spotlight. 08:49 Yet you come to towns like this, busy towns. 08:51 This is Lutherstadt Eisleben, it's called. 08:54 Or Lutherstadt Wittenberg-- that's the city's official name. 08:58 You come to places like this-- 09:00 there are throngs of tourists, people visiting, 09:02 people coming and going, 09:04 and you realize that the vast majority of those people 09:07 haven't got a clue why Martin Luther did what he did. 09:10 The essence of Luther's protest has been lost. 09:15 So why did he do it? 09:17 Why did he nail his Ninety-Five Theses 09:19 to the door of the biggest church in town? 09:21 Why did he pick a fight 09:23 with the most powerful people on the planet-- 09:25 people he knew who didn't lose fights like those? 09:30 I'll tell you in just a moment. 09:31 ♪[Music]♪ 09:38 >>John: I'm John Bradshaw from It Is Written, 09:40 inviting you to join me for "500," 09:43 nine programs produced by It Is Written, 09:46 taking you deep into the Reformation. 09:49 This is the 500th anniversary 09:51 of the beginning of the Reformation, 09:53 when Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses 09:55 to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. 09:58 We'll take you to Wittenberg, 10:00 and to Belgium, to England, to Ireland, 10:03 to Rome, to the Vatican City, 10:05 and introduce you to the people who created the Reformation, 10:08 who pushed the Reformation forward. 10:10 We'll take you to sites all throughout Europe 10:12 where the Reformers lived and, in some cases, died. 10:15 We'll bring you back to the United States 10:16 and take you to a little farm in upstate New York 10:20 and show you how God spread the Reformation here. 10:22 Don't miss "500." 10:25 You can own the "500" series on DVD. 10:28 Call us on 888-664-5573 10:32 or visit us online at itiswritten.shop. 10:37 ♪[Music]♪ 10:42 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 10:45 It was on October the 31st, 1517, 10:49 that Martin Luther nailed his famous Ninety-Five Theses 10:53 to the door of the Castle Church, 10:54 and he launched the movement that became known to history 10:57 as the Protestant Reformation. 11:00 But when Martin Luther did that, 11:02 he wasn't a radical, and he wasn't a revolutionary. 11:05 He wasn't even a reformer. 11:07 He was a loyal son of the Roman Catholic Church. 11:11 But when he was around 27 years old, 11:13 he traveled to the city of Rome. 11:16 What he found when he got there shook him to his core. 11:21 As a young monk, 11:22 Luther had been living a strict lifestyle of self-denial, 11:26 but when he arrived in Rome, 11:28 he found priests and monks and bishops 11:30 living in luxury and debauchery. 11:34 He found so much spiritual corruption that he stated: 11:36 "If there is a hell, Rome is built over it!" 11:41 One event in particular profoundly affected him. 11:44 Pope Julius II had recently made a decree 11:48 that a special indulgence was available 11:50 to those who would walk on their knees 11:52 up what had become known as Pilate's Staircase. 11:56 The staircase was believed to have been the very staircase 12:00 Jesus walked on during His trial before Pontius Pilate, 12:04 and the church claimed it had been miraculously transported 12:07 from Jerusalem to Rome. 12:09 Luther was determined to acquire this indulgence, 12:12 and so one day he devoutly 12:14 climbed these stairs on his knees. 12:17 But suddenly a voice seemed to declare in his ears 12:20 like thunder the words of the apostle Paul, 12:22 quoting the prophet Habakkuk in the book of Romans: 12:25 "The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:17. 12:31 Luther sprang to his feet and left the place in shame. 12:36 He'd been practicing salvation by works: 12:39 the idea that a person's good deeds merit favor with God, 12:43 as opposed to simply being a response 12:46 to the goodness and the love of God. 12:48 But he heard God say to his heart, 12:50 "The just shall live by faith." 12:53 And Martin Luther was a changed man. 12:56 ♪[Music]♪ 12:59 Not long after he began teaching in Wittenberg, 13:02 the church embarked on a grand new project, 13:06 the building of the largest church in the world: 13:09 St. Peter's Basilica, in what is now Vatican City. 13:14 To help pay for the project, 13:16 the church offered its people the chance 13:18 to purchase indulgences for their sins. 13:21 An indulgence is a way to reduce the amount of punishment 13:24 you have to undergo for the sins you've committed. 13:26 So while it's not exactly the same as buying salvation, 13:30 you'd be buying pardon for sin, which, of course, 13:34 flies in the face of the entire Bible. 13:36 Ephesians 2, verse 8 tells us we are saved 13:39 "by grace...through faith," which is a "gift of God." 13:42 First John 1, verse 9 says that 13:46 "If we confess our sins, 13:48 He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." 13:53 Luther was appalled. 13:56 Commissioned by the archbishop of Mainz, 13:59 a man named Johannes Tetzel began traveling around Germany 14:03 selling these indulgences. 14:05 Now, that might have got past Martin Luther once upon a time, 14:09 but not now. 14:10 Not now that he understood something 14:12 about the grace of God. 14:14 He found the selling of indulgences 14:16 to be completely sacrilegious. 14:18 How, he wondered, could anybody purchase salvation 14:21 or purchase lesser punishment for sin 14:24 or purchase lesser time spent in purgatory, 14:28 even if there was a purgatory? 14:30 In the Bible, when Simon Magus 14:32 tried to purchase from Peter the power to work miracles, 14:36 Peter replied, 14:38 "Your money perish with you, 14:39 because you thought that the gift of God 14:42 could be purchased with money!" 14:44 That's Acts 8, verse 20. 14:46 Luther was strong in his opposition to the practice. 14:50 He contacted his bishop and voiced his concerns, 14:53 and then he took those concerns public 14:56 when he nailed them to the door of the Castle Church. 14:59 Those concerns became known as Luther's Ninety-Five Theses, 15:03 and they launched the Protestant Reformation. 15:06 The church, western civilization, 15:10 the world would never be the same again. 15:14 So what are the Ninety-Five Theses? 15:17 The first one lays the foundation 15:19 not only for those that follow, 15:22 but also for the most basic message of the Reformation, 15:26 as far as human salvation is concerned. 15:29 "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent,' 15:32 He willed the entire life of believers 15:36 to be one of repentance." 15:37 The second follows right on: 15:39 "This word cannot be understood as referring 15:42 to the sacrament of penance, 15:44 that is, confession and satisfaction, 15:47 as administered by the clergy." 15:49 Later he writes in number 20, 15:52 "Therefore the pope, when he uses the words 15:55 'plenary remission of all penalties,' 15:58 does not actually mean 'all penalties,' 16:02 but only those imposed by himself." 16:05 Number 21: 16:07 "Thus those indulgence preachers are in error 16:10 who say that a man is absolved from every penalty 16:14 and saved by papal indulgences, 16:16 sacraments of the church, 16:19 or the purchase of indulgences." 16:21 Number 27: 16:22 "They preach only human doctrines who say that 16:26 as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, 16:29 the soul flies out of purgatory." 16:32 Number 86: 16:33 "Why does not the pope, 16:35 whose wealth today is greater 16:38 than the wealth of the richest Crassus, 16:41 build this one basilica of St. Peter with his own money 16:46 rather than with the money of poor believers?" 16:51 You can understand why Luther became so unpopular 16:55 with the leaders of the church. 16:57 His teachings spread throughout Germany, 16:59 and soon they made it to Rome. 17:02 The pope demanded that Luther travel to Rome 17:05 and stand trial for his teachings. 17:07 German leaders refused. 17:09 They said that Luther's trial must be heard in Germany, 17:12 and so that's what took place. 17:14 During that trial, 17:15 Luther was told that he had to retract his teachings 17:18 and submit to the authority of the church, 17:20 or he'd be sent to Rome for punishment. 17:23 But he managed to get away from Augsburg, 17:25 where his case was heard, 17:26 by slipping through a gate in the wall of the city, 17:29 and he made it back to Wittenberg and to safety. 17:32 Frederick, the elector of Saxony, protected Luther. 17:36 He refused to hand him over to the authorities of Rome, 17:38 saving Luther from certain death. 17:41 ♪[Music]♪ 17:48 >>Announcer: "Every Word" is a one-minute Bible-based 17:51 daily devotional presented by Pastor John Bradshaw 17:54 and designed especially for busy people like you. 17:56 Look for "Every Word" on selected networks 17:59 or watch it online everyday on our website: 18:02 itiswritten.com. 18:05 [Fire crackling and crickets chirping] 18:07 [Coyote barking] 18:09 ♪[Music]♪ 18:15 [Insects chirping] 18:17 [Camera rattling] 18:20 [Wind blowing, insects buzzing, feet crunching grass] 18:23 [Indistinct voices] 18:25 [Wind blowing] 18:29 [Insects buzzing at night] 18:31 ♪[Music]♪ 18:39 [Dramatic sounds, heart thumping, creaking] 18:49 ♪[Dramatic music]♪ 18:51 [Crowd cheering] 19:00 ♪[Soft music]♪ 19:13 >>John Bradshaw: Luther was excommunicated 19:15 from the Roman church. 19:17 It's said that this tree here in Wittenberg 19:20 marks the spot where he publicly burned the papal edict 19:25 announcing his excommunication. 19:28 Luther's writings began to spread throughout Europe 19:31 when he was summoned to appear before a council 19:34 in the city of Worms. 19:36 Huge crowd greeted him when he arrived there. 19:39 If he was found to be a heretic-- 19:41 that was almost a given-- 19:43 he'd be sentenced to death, 19:45 and the cause of the Reformation might just die along with him. 19:48 But if by some miracle he escaped the sentence of death, 19:52 then the cause of the Bible would advance. 19:55 When he was asked to recant, 19:57 to retract his views and submit to the authority 20:00 of the church of Rome, 20:02 Luther replied in words that would live forever: 20:05 "I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the councils, 20:10 because it is clear as the day that they have frequently erred 20:13 and contradicted each other. 20:15 Unless therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture, 20:19 or by the clearest reasoning, 20:22 unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted, 20:25 and unless they thus render my conscience 20:28 bound by the Word of God, 20:30 I cannot and I will not retract, 20:34 for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. 20:38 Here I stand; I can do no other; may God help me. Amen." 20:45 The council refused to deliver Luther up to the church, 20:48 but on his way back here to Wittenberg, 20:51 Luther was captured. 20:52 He was captured by the man who protected him, Frederick, 20:56 because Frederick knew it was not safe 20:58 to leave Luther in circulation. 21:00 So he took him to the Wartburg Castle to keep him safe. 21:03 And while he was there, 21:05 Luther translated the New Testament into German. 21:09 Meanwhile, back here in Wittenberg, 21:11 reform within the church continued. 21:14 Priests began to marry; 21:15 the worship service was altered-- 21:17 things that had been strictly "verboten" by the church. 21:22 Luther didn't do it all on his own. 21:24 His right-hand man was Philipp Melanchthon, 21:27 a religion professor who taught with Luther. 21:30 Apart from Luther and John Calvin, 21:32 it's likely no figure stands higher in the development 21:35 and history of the Protestant Reformation. 21:38 Melanchthon is kind of the forgotten one, 21:40 but he was absolutely essential to the work of reform. 21:43 The establishment of the Lutheran Church 21:45 and the crafting of its public witness 21:47 would largely be accomplished through his work. 21:51 Luther married Katharina von Bora, a former nun, 21:55 a woman that he had helped escape from a convent. 21:58 With the Bible being the ultimate guide in his life, 22:01 he came to view enforced or mandated celibacy 22:04 as being completely unbiblical. 22:06 And he realized that his church taught that Peter, 22:09 said to be the first pope, had himself been married. 22:14 Now, unfortunately, not all of Martin Luther's legacy 22:18 has been positive for Christianity. 22:20 There are many of Luther's admirers today 22:22 who are embarrassed by the very anti-Semitic views 22:27 that he often espoused. 22:30 How in the world do you reconcile this idea of Luther 22:32 on the one hand proclaiming the righteousness of Christ 22:36 and on the other hand being a hatemonger? 22:38 It has been said by commentators and critics 22:41 that Luther fueled the fires of anti-Semitism, 22:44 which Adolf Hitler picked up on centuries later. 22:49 Well, you probably don't reconcile it, 22:50 but there are a couple of things that 22:52 I think a person really ought to keep in mind. 22:54 Luther came to Christianity out of abject darkness. 22:58 He came to the Bible from no biblical frame of reference, 23:02 so to expect complete spiritual maturity from Martin Luther 23:05 is maybe a little bit too much. 23:07 Luther was wrong in his anti-Semitic views. 23:11 Nevertheless, there have been a lot of people 23:13 down through the years who've been wrong, 23:14 particularly about matters of faith. 23:16 David, wrong about a lot. 23:18 Solomon, his lifestyle, 23:20 his practices were, in many cases, wrong. 23:22 James and John wanted to call fire down from heaven 23:26 and incinerate people simply because 23:28 they weren't on the same team. 23:30 That was wrong. 23:31 There were church men in the United States 23:33 who defended slavery and used the Bible 23:36 to justify their aberrant positions. 23:39 Wrong. 23:41 So on the one hand, Luther was a revolutionary; 23:44 Luther was a radical; Luther was a reformer. 23:46 He saw so much in the church and in the world 23:49 that he called to people's attention and pointed out 23:52 as being outside of God's will. 23:54 On this one, though, for the most part, he missed it. 23:57 You wonder why that can happen. 23:59 Bit of a mystery, really. 24:02 Luther's final sermon would be delivered here in his hometown 24:06 of Eisleben on February 15, 1546, 24:10 three days before his death. 24:13 He didn't set out to form a new church, to be a troublemaker. 24:17 He simply wanted the church to look to the Bible 24:20 and embrace the teachings of Jesus 24:23 and allow people to read the Bible for themselves 24:27 and be guided by the Holy Spirit. 24:29 In fact, Luther coined the phrase "sola scriptura," 24:34 the Bible alone. 24:35 Luther wasn't guided by tradition 24:38 and would be faithful to God's Word, 24:41 and this formed the basis of the most profoundly impactful 24:44 religious movement in almost 2,000 years. 24:49 The supremacy of the Bible and the teaching of justification 24:52 by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, 24:57 were Luther's passions, 24:59 and they lit a fire for the gospel 25:01 that illuminated the world and has led millions 25:04 and millions of people to faith in Jesus Christ. 25:08 Now, do you think Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would say 25:10 that the work he started has really been completed, 25:13 or do you think that he might think 25:15 there's a little more work that needs to be done? 25:18 The same is likely true of Martin Luther. 25:21 There's still work that needs to be done. 25:24 There are still people the world over 25:27 who must hear the great truths of the Bible 25:29 and be led to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 25:33 So how's it with you, friend? 25:34 How's that working out in your life? 25:37 How is it with you? 25:39 ♪[Music]♪ 25:45 >>John: The prophesies of the book of Revelation 25:47 announce startlingly that Babylon is fallen. 25:52 What does that mean? 25:53 How do we understand the fall of Babylon? 25:56 I'd like to send you today's free offer. 25:57 It's entitled "The Fall of Babylon." 26:01 Call us on 800-253-3000. 26:04 Or visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:08 Or you can write to the address on your screen. 26:11 I'd like you to receive our free offer, 26:12 "The Fall of Babylon." 26:15 Thank you for remembering that It Is Written exists 26:18 due to the gracious support of people like you. 26:21 It's your support that makes it possible for It Is Written 26:23 to share Jesus and the great truths of the Bible 26:26 with the world. 26:27 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:30 to the address on your screen, or you can support It Is Written 26:33 through our website: itiswritten.com. 26:36 Thanks for your generous support. 26:38 Our number is 800-253-3000, 26:41 and our web address is itiswritten.com. 26:46 >>John Bradshaw: Let's pray together now. 26:47 Our Father in heaven, we've been on a journey 26:50 as we've traced this, this outstanding life, 26:54 an ordinary person, 26:55 blessed by the great Sovereign of the universe 26:59 to do extraordinary things. 27:00 And today we are the beneficiaries 27:02 of much of what Luther did. 27:05 He's left us so much that's positive. 27:07 We don't have to imitate the man, 27:09 but his ethic, his approach to You-- 27:12 we thank You that You've given us 27:14 the opportunity to say, "Here I stand." 27:18 Lord, let the fire of faith burn in our hearts. 27:21 I pray that we'll have love for You like Luther did. 27:23 What You did through him was miraculous. 27:24 It'll take a miracle, but You can do it in us. 27:27 I pray that You will. 27:28 Somethere there's a man, a woman, a young person 27:31 looking at his or her life and wondering, 27:34 "What next?" 27:35 I pray that You'll encourage that one, 27:37 that there is salvation by faith, 27:40 that there is salvation 27:41 through the grace of this great God of heaven. 27:44 Lord, we thank You; 27:45 we know that the Reformation must be finished, 27:47 must be finished soon. 27:48 We're looking forward to going home. 27:50 Let it be so, we pray. 27:51 We thank You, in Jesus' name. 27:54 Amen. 27:55 Thanks so much for joining me. 27:56 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:59 Until then, remember: 28:01 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 28:05 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 28:09 ♪[Theme music]♪ 28:19 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2020-05-20