Participants:
Series Code: LIN
Program Code: LIN000002A
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00:19 Following their persecution in the lower valleys,
00:22 the Waldensians who moved up here 00:24 into the higher valleys did not do so 00:26 to live life as hermits. 00:28 Number one, they fled persecution. 00:30 But once they got here, 00:31 they tried to establish as normal a life as possible. 00:34 And normal for them was training missionaries 00:37 and training their young people 00:39 in how to study and how to teach the Bible. 00:42 This here, The College of the Barbs 00:45 stands today as just one example 00:48 of what would have been numerous schools 00:50 that would have been spread all over the valleys, 00:52 where they would teach and train their young people 00:55 to be missionaries throughout Europe. 01:05 Here in the College of the Barbs, 01:08 is a Bible coffee table, 01:10 a place where the students 01:12 would have painstakingly by hand, 01:14 written the Bible out from beginning to end. 01:18 You see, the Bible was very important 01:20 to the Waldensians, 01:21 they had it in their own language. 01:23 It formed the basis for congregational worship. 01:27 There was also societies of young people 01:30 that would meet together 01:31 and will commit large parts of the Bible to memory. 01:41 After studying here in the colleges in the valleys, 01:44 the students would be sent out 01:46 to many of the great universities 01:48 around Europe. 01:50 We know that some of the countries 01:51 that they went to were England, Scotland, France, Spain, 01:56 Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, 02:00 Bulgaria and Croatia. 02:02 And as they went out as students, 02:03 they would study 02:05 whether to be a doctor, a nurse, 02:07 whether it was to be a lawyer, 02:08 they will study various subjects, 02:10 but their main purpose of going there 02:12 was to be an undercover missionary. 02:15 They will take the Bible with them, 02:17 they will also send some missionaries out 02:19 who would just go out as workers, 02:21 they may be travelling craftsmen 02:23 or travelling artisans and tradesmen. 02:25 And they would also take the Bible with them 02:27 and they would move and travel to different parts of Europe. 02:31 They couldn't have the Bible, it was illegal. 02:32 And so they would take their coat, 02:34 and they would unstitch the seam of their coat 02:36 and then just inside the two layers of the coat, 02:39 they will put a few pages of the Bible 02:41 and they would travel 02:43 with just a few pages of the Bible, 02:44 not a whole copy. 02:45 And when they found someone that they thought 02:47 was maybe interested in the gospel, 02:50 they would take the Bible 02:51 out of the stitches of their coat 02:53 and share the truth of God's Word with them. 02:57 You know, maybe you're working today in a doctor's office, 03:00 maybe you're working as a nurse in a hospital, 03:02 maybe you're a teacher in a school, 03:04 or maybe you're a lawyer in some law firm, 03:07 you are not there simply to collect a pay-check 03:10 to pay the bills. 03:11 You are there as a missionary, 03:13 God has put you there for a specific purpose. 03:15 There may be someone in your workplace 03:17 that God knows only you can reach. 03:21 As students as well, 03:22 the first reason why they went to study 03:24 was not to get the best degree. 03:26 But it was to be a missionary 03:28 in the great universities in Europe. 03:30 You today may be a missionary, in a great institution, 03:33 you are not there just for academic excellence, 03:36 you are there also to seek and find people 03:39 that you can share the gospel with. 03:42 And the other thing we learned from the Waldensians is 03:44 how important the Bible was to them. 03:47 If they would take just a few pages 03:49 and put it in their coats, 03:51 and then share it with other people, 03:53 how much more should we commit the Bible to memory? 03:56 How much more should we commit the Bible to study, 03:59 that we would know God's Word and be able to share it 04:02 wherever we are? 04:03 They stand today, these Waldensians 04:05 as an inspiration to us and may inspire us for service, 04:11 may inspire us for study wherever we are. 05:08 In the early centuries, 05:10 Rome would lay down the challenge, 05:12 either abide by how we want you to live, 05:16 or leave your place of residence 05:18 and leave your place of worship. 05:20 And the Waldensians treasured God's Word 05:23 more than they treasured their home. 05:25 And so they would leave and go up into the mountains. 05:37 Life would not have been easy here 05:39 in the Waldensian Valley. 05:41 The children growing up 05:43 would have had to learn very quickly 05:45 the lessons of self sacrifice and self denial, 05:49 frugality, and economy. 05:52 Their parents treasured 05:53 these principles from the Bible, 05:56 and they wish to bestow them upon their children. 05:59 They treasure them so much that they retreated up here. 06:02 And here in the mountains, 06:03 they wanted to teach two things. 06:05 Number one, they wanted to teach them 06:06 purity of life based on God's Word. 06:09 And number two, they wanted to teach them 06:11 to be a missionary 06:13 and take the faith that they had, 06:15 and take it further afield 06:16 than just the valleys in which they live. 06:18 And so they would have schools up here 06:20 and they would have places of worship 06:22 sometimes in caves 06:24 where they could teach their children 06:26 and their young people 06:27 how they could go out as missionaries 06:30 and share this message. 06:44 The Waldensians fervently believe in the Bible. 06:47 They believe that they should follow it, 06:49 and they treasured it. 06:50 The Waldensians believed in the commandments of God 06:52 that had been given through the Bible, 06:54 and they sought to keep them. 06:57 And they were often persecuted for their faith 06:59 and had to retreat up to the higher valleys and... 07:02 And here in this place of worship, 07:04 it's just a cave. 07:06 Today, you come here, 07:07 you have to creep down through the entrance to get in. 07:09 The rock walls are on each side. 07:12 But here in this cave, it's almost a sacred spot. 07:14 It's a place 07:16 where they would gather together for worship, 07:18 but also at times they would gather together to hide 07:21 from the Roman soldiers. 07:33 To me, it's encouraging to know 07:34 that even when they were scattered 07:35 in the mountains, 07:37 they would still find time to worship together. 07:39 My belief is very important that we today meet together 07:43 with fellow believers and worship. 07:46 But the thing that stands out to me, 07:48 here in this place of... 07:49 It's not that pretty by earthly standards, 07:53 there's no gold plated pulpit, there's no marble table, 07:57 there's just rocks, they're wet, 08:00 but it's the quietness and the peace, 08:02 and the simplicity and the purity of this place 08:05 that is striking. 08:07 Is that if these Waldensians would gather here, 08:09 not just once, it wasn't just a one off, 08:11 it may have been repeatedly, 08:13 it may have been over years 08:14 or may have been even over decades 08:16 that they would gather together to worship in caves like this 08:19 that are dotted around these mountains. 08:22 For us church is so comfortable or so convenient. 08:27 I've sat on a cold rock. 08:29 But often times in church, we sit in nice comfy chairs. 08:32 The heating may be on, 08:33 it may just be five miles from my house 08:35 or just down the road. 08:37 And yet sometimes we think, "I'm not too keen to go." 08:40 And I think back to myself, yourself, wherever we are. 08:45 We have a time of relative peace, 08:47 a time of relative freedom, 08:49 where we can gather together and worship. 08:51 Where we can meet fellow believers, 08:53 and my appeal 08:54 is don't waste the opportunities 08:56 that you have. 08:57 Don't be so comfortable or so convenient 09:00 that we miss the opportunities that we do have. 09:04 God has given us great opportunities now. 09:06 Let's take advantage and use them 09:08 and take this message to the world around us. 10:01 Whilst the Waldensians lived 10:03 on the Italian side of the Alps, 10:05 a group with similar faith lived on the French side, 10:08 stretching across southern France 10:10 from the Alps in the east to the Pyrenees in the West. 10:13 They had the Bible in their own language, 10:16 and they were a freedom loving, industrious, 10:19 and prosperous people. 10:20 They were known as the Albigensian's, 10:23 and like other groups scattered around Europe, 10:25 they remain true to God's Word and resisted attempts 10:29 to come under the banner of Rome. 10:32 Some historians note that have this movement 10:35 being allowed to grow unhindered 10:37 that the Reformation would have started 10:39 in the 13th century 10:41 and not the 16th and the base of it 10:43 would have been in southern France 10:45 and not Germany. 10:49 In the early 13th century, Pope Innocent III was reigning, 10:54 though he was anything but innocent. 10:56 He surveyed the landscape of Europe 10:58 at the time 10:59 and determined that these groups, 11:01 however small, needed to be exterminated 11:05 in order to preserve the church. 11:07 He issued an edict 11:09 that authorized the killing of all such believers. 11:17 A crusade was launched that became immensely popular 11:20 with the warriors from northern France 11:23 as they no longer have to travel 11:25 all the way to Palestine. 11:26 But right here in their own country, 11:29 they could attain all the same benefits. 11:32 They were told that by killing, 11:34 they would wash away their sins, 11:36 that they were entitled to the property 11:38 of those whom they killed, and that when they died, 11:41 they would immediately go to heaven. 11:44 All of this was promised in return 11:46 for just 40 days of service. 11:49 One can only imagine the type of people 11:52 who made at the armies 11:53 that came down here to southern France. 11:56 Year after year from 1209 to 1229 for 20 years, 12:01 this crusade was waged against the Albigensians 12:04 by Pope Innocent III. 12:11 During the first season, 12:13 the Crusaders attacked and conquered 12:15 the city of Toulouse. 12:17 They then made their way south in July of 1209, 12:20 to the city of Beziers. 12:22 As the forces were gathering 12:24 around the city in large numbers, 12:26 the men made a rush to attack them 12:29 before they had a chance to fortify the camp. 12:31 It was in vain though, 12:33 and the assault was repelled 12:34 as they hurried back to the city, 12:36 the Crusaders mingled with the citizens 12:39 and made their way into the city 12:41 before they had a chance to close the gates. 12:44 There was now a problem, what would they do? 12:46 They were Catholic Crusaders in the city, 12:48 alongside the Albigensians. 12:51 Upon consulting the papal legate, 12:53 the reply was given, 12:55 "Kill all, kill all, the Lord will know His own." 13:07 History records that blood flowed like water, 13:10 as everyone in the city was brutally murdered. 13:14 No one was spared. 13:15 Even those who sought refuge in the church were cut down. 13:19 The population of the city at the time was around 15,000. 13:23 But on that fateful day, 13:24 historians estimate 13:26 that around 60,000 people were here, 13:28 as people from the neighbouring 13:30 villages and towns had come here seeking refuge. 13:34 After the killing, before they left, 13:36 they set fire to the city, 13:38 burning everything to the ground. 13:40 Not one house was left standing, 13:43 not one person was left alive. 13:46 Other towns and cities in the area 13:48 would fall as well 13:49 suffering the same gruesome fate. 13:57 Even though they were not a race of people, 13:59 but rather a group who shared the same faith, 14:02 the destruction and systematic killing 14:04 has been compared in some circles to genocide. 14:08 The prestige of the papacy 14:09 suffered greatly during this time 14:11 as news of the slaughter spread throughout Europe. 14:15 The Albigensians 14:16 were not totally wiped out though, 14:18 and small pockets of them did remain over the centuries. 14:26 Perhaps most tragic was how the propagators linked 14:30 divine salvation with murder, 14:32 a dangerous combination then, and still today. 14:36 We should never allow religious extremism 14:39 to take away freedom of worship. 14:41 We must never impose our beliefs on others, 14:44 nor allow others to impose their beliefs on us, 14:48 no matter how true one thinks they are. 14:50 No one has the right to force their beliefs 14:54 on anyone else. 14:55 One thing that God has given to us 14:58 is the freedom of choice. 15:00 The freedom to love God in return for the love 15:03 that He has given to us. 15:05 May we be gracious 15:06 in how we share our faith and our beliefs, 15:09 giving other people the room to make their own decisions 15:12 as they are led individually. 16:13 The Magna Carta was signed just over 800 years ago 16:17 here in Runnymede, 16:19 a document that would have 16:21 both civil and religious importance 16:23 for England and also for the whole world. 16:26 The backdrop to the signing of the Magna Carta 16:29 was the growing tension 16:31 between the King of England and the pope 16:33 over who had the authority 16:35 to appoint the bishops of London 16:36 and Canterbury. 16:38 At that time, the King of England, King John, 16:40 was probably one of our weaker kings. 16:43 The pope at that time, Pope Innocent III 16:45 was probably one of the stronger popes, 16:48 and in this battle, the pope eventually won. 16:51 Because the king was unable to count 16:53 on the support of the barons 16:55 because he had conflict with them, 16:56 he eventually surrendered to the papal legate in 1213, 17:01 even laying his crown down at the feet, 17:04 in an act of submission. 17:06 He also agreed to pay 1,000 marks per year, 17:09 and that should any of his successors 17:12 break that agreement, 17:13 they would lose all authority in the realm. 17:16 England was humiliated. 17:26 The barons was stung in to action. 17:29 They would never be slaves to the pope. 17:32 The issue of national sovereignty 17:34 and the exchanging of money 17:36 for spiritual benefits was at stake. 17:38 They feared and rightly so, 17:40 that this could be one step in a course of events 17:43 that would lead the pope 17:45 to setting up who he wanted to on the English throne, 17:48 overreaching his authority into national matters. 17:52 These were some of the main reasons 17:54 why Magna Carta was signed on the 15th of June, 1215. 18:07 The first clause stated, 18:08 "The Church of England shall be free 18:11 and hold her rights entire and her liberties in violate." 18:15 This issue would rumble on for the next 150 years, 18:20 and the money due to be paid to Rome lapsed over time 18:24 and became sporadic. 18:26 This was one of the main reasons 18:28 of John Wycliffe's early disagreements with Rome. 18:38 Another key aspect of the Magna Carta 18:41 was the basis of law that it set up. 18:44 That the king and the law makers 18:46 were subject to the same law that they themselves wrote. 18:49 That those accused were granted the right 18:52 to be tried by a jury of their peers. 18:55 These among many other clauses 18:57 form the basis of law and justice 19:00 as we know it today. 19:01 Many of the principles of Magna Carta 19:04 form the basis of the US Constitution 19:06 and the Bill of Rights in America. 19:09 In fact, this monument here was paid for by the ABA, 19:13 the American Bar Association. 19:16 Today, there are four remaining original copies 19:20 of the Magna Carta, 19:21 one in the Lincoln Castle, 19:24 one in St. Mary's Cathedral in Salisbury, 19:27 and two in the British Library. 19:31 The principles of Magna Carta, which live on today, 19:35 stand to us as a testament 19:36 that we should cherish our civil liberties, 19:39 that we should protect our civil liberties, 19:42 and that we should use the time that we have now 19:46 in the spreading of the gospel 19:48 while we have the ability to do so. 21:04 Welcome to Lutterworth, the workplace of John Wycliffe 21:08 and the place where he did his most significant work. 21:12 John Wycliffe has often been referred 21:14 to as the Morning Star of the Reformation. 21:18 The Morning Star is a term coined 21:21 to describe either a planet or a star 21:24 that appears shining brightly in the sky 21:27 just before sunrise. 21:29 John Wycliffe lived around 150 years 21:33 before Martin Luther, John Calvin, Zwingli 21:36 and the later English reformers. 21:38 But the work that he did 21:39 was key in paving the way for them. 21:43 He was a reformer before the term became popular, 21:47 standing alone 21:48 as the voice of change in his generation, 21:51 and in calling people back to the Bible. 22:01 Educated at Oxford University, 22:04 he was a scholar and an unrivalled debater. 22:07 It was whilst he was a student that he first incurred 22:10 the displeasure of Rome in denouncing the friars 22:13 and their lazy lifestyle. 22:15 He was a champion of civil and religious liberty. 22:19 And John Wycliffe was the first in his era 22:22 who coined the term Antichrist in reference to Rome. 22:27 The Archbishop of Canterbury received from Rome, 22:30 a papal bull to investigate the writings of John Wycliffe. 22:35 But due to his standing at Oxford University, 22:38 and the goodwill he had amongst the people, 22:40 this was never followed through. 22:43 Perhaps a key event that helped John Wycliffe 22:46 was the Papal Schism of 1378, 22:49 where there were two popes 22:51 that each claim to be the right pope. 22:54 And so amidst this confusion, 22:57 John Wycliffe was left in a state of relative peace 23:00 to carry on the work that he was called to do. 23:12 John Wycliffe was a great believer 23:14 in the ministry of preaching. 23:16 He trained men who were known as the Lollards 23:19 and sent them out all over the country 23:22 preaching the gospel. 23:24 But his greatest achievement 23:26 was the translation of the Bible. 23:28 Today, we might not grasp the gravity of this. 23:31 But back then, 23:33 to read the Bible in the language of the people, 23:35 as opposed to the Latin was seen as heresy, 23:39 something that was forbidden and viewed as dangerous. 23:43 A church leader in Wycliffe's day, 23:45 commenting on his translation, said these words, 23:49 "And so the gospel pearl is thrown before swine 23:53 and trodden underfoot, 23:54 and that which used to be so dear 23:57 to both clergy and laity has become a joke. 24:00 And this precious gem of the clergy 24:03 has been turned into the sport of the laity." 24:06 Wycliffe though declared plainly, 24:09 Christ and His apostles 24:11 taught the people in the language 24:12 best known to them, 24:14 it is certain that the truth of the Christian faith 24:18 becomes more evident the more the faith is known. 24:22 Therefore, the doctrine should not only be in Latin, 24:25 but in the common tongue. 24:32 John Wycliffe completed 24:33 the first translation of the Bible 24:35 into the English language from the Latin Vulgate. 24:38 It was not a translation that was without fault, 24:41 but this Bible shed light 24:43 where previously there had been only darkness. 24:46 The Bible once read could do only one thing, 24:49 pierce through the spiritual darkness 24:52 that was covering England and Europe at the time, 24:55 the beams of light began to shine now, 24:58 the revolution that would be the Reformation 25:01 would become unstoppable. 25:03 Today we have the Bible easily accessible. 25:06 And today I want to challenge you 25:08 to commit to read God's Word every day, 25:11 to spend time in His word 25:13 because as the psalmist says, 25:15 "The entrance of thy words gives light." |
Revised 2020-04-29