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Series Code: LIN
Program Code: LIN000004A
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00:17 There are certain events
00:19 that have such significance 00:21 that they're referred 00:22 to as turning points of history. 00:25 The life of Martin Luther would have such significance 00:29 that it deserves to be thus classified. 00:31 But sometimes big things come in small packages. 00:35 And sometimes major world events 00:38 have humble beginnings. 00:40 On the 10th of November, 1483, in the little town of Eisleben, 00:46 Saxony, Germany, 00:47 Martin Luther was born here in this house. 00:57 As with the early apostles, Luther did not come 01:00 from the wealthy well to do classes, 01:02 but from the ranks of poverty. 01:04 Here in his home we can see evidence 01:06 of his family's humble beginnings. 01:08 They were poor but honest, industrious, 01:11 and never dreamt that their son would grow up 01:14 to become a famous figure in the history of the world. 01:17 His father was a miner, working long hours 01:21 to provide the means for Luther's education, 01:23 hoping that he would one day become a lawyer. 01:26 In spite of his father's hard work, 01:28 the family was so poor that Luther would sometimes 01:31 have to sing from door to door on the way to school 01:35 in order to obtain food. 01:43 As well as being the town that Luther was born in, 01:46 Eisleben is also the town where Luther was baptized 01:50 here in the Church of St. Peter and Paul. 01:53 It's also the town where he preached 01:55 his last sermon in the Church of St. Andrew. 01:59 And it's here in this town 02:00 where he lived before passing away. 02:07 Martin Luther enrolled in the University of Erfurt, 02:10 right here in the building behind me 02:12 and diligently applied himself to a study. 02:15 One day, he was in the university library 02:17 and found a copy of the Latin Bible. 02:20 He had never seen a Bible before, 02:22 being ignorant of its very existence. 02:25 He had heard portions read in worship, 02:27 but had never seen the whole Bible. 02:30 And now for the first time in his life, 02:32 he gazed upon it as a whole. 02:36 Luther graduated with a BA in 1502. 02:40 And three years later, in 1505, 02:43 he attended this Augustinian monastery. 02:47 His father was very disappointed in him, 02:49 and this put strain on their relationship, 02:52 and it was two years before father and son 02:54 will be reconciled to each other again. 02:57 It was an earnest desire to be free from sin 03:00 and to find peace with God 03:02 that led Luther to seek the monastic life. 03:05 While here in the monastery, 03:07 he would often spend time 03:09 reading and studying God's Word. 03:11 He had found a Bible chained to the convent wall 03:15 and it was there that he would often spend time. 03:22 Luther was a very pious monk. 03:24 And if salvation could be obtained through his works, 03:27 then he would most certainly have been entitled to it. 03:31 Luther was the type of person that would have killed himself 03:34 through fast penances 03:36 and abstinences have the gospel 03:38 not being brought to his understanding. 03:40 God brought a friend and helper in a man named Staupitz. 03:44 He was a professor of religion at the University of Wittenberg 03:48 and was the Vicar General of the monastic order 03:51 to which Luther belonged. 03:53 Their history was a very long one, 03:55 but the most important thing about their relationship 03:58 was that Staupitz soon realized that Luther, 04:01 in his desire to serve God fully was not truly living 04:05 a gospel centered life. 04:08 God used this faithful friend to set him on the right course 04:11 with a clearer understanding of the gospel. 04:15 From this part of Luther's life, 04:18 we learn the importance of a spiritual mentor 04:21 in someone else's life. 04:23 If you're an older believer, then become a spiritual mentor 04:26 in someone else's life. 04:28 Take the time out intentionally to mentor someone else in, 04:32 for you never know the impact of that work. 04:34 Jesus mentored in 12 disciples and they changed the world. 04:39 May we do likewise. 05:31 After leaving the monastery, 05:32 Luther was called to the University 05:34 of Wittenberg to teach. 05:36 While here in Wittenberg, he applied himself 05:39 to the study of the Scriptures in their original tongues 05:42 and began to lecture 05:43 on the Bible in particular the Psalms, 05:46 the Epistles and the Gospels. 05:53 His friend Staupitz urged him 05:56 to ascend the pulpit and preach. 05:58 This was something he was hesitant to do, 06:00 feeling unworthy of the task, 06:02 but following a long struggle 06:05 and with encouragement from his friends, 06:07 he finally agreed. 06:09 Luther was an eloquent speaker, 06:11 captivating his hearers with the clarity and power 06:14 with which he spoke. 06:16 Before long, his fame as a speaker was growing, 06:19 both amongst the university students 06:22 and the general public. 06:24 Every great revival in history 06:27 has been founded on great preaching, 06:30 and the German Reformation was to be no different. 06:37 A dispute arose between seven of the local convents 06:41 and their Vicar General. 06:42 And it wasn't long before the future reformer 06:44 was sent on his way to Rome to settle the quarrel. 06:47 On his way there he noticed some things. 06:50 Staying in the monasteries, he noted the wealth, 06:53 magnificence and sheer luxury that was there. 06:56 He contrasted this with a life of self denial 06:59 that he himself have grown accustomed to living. 07:02 The pope at that time was Pope Julius II. 07:05 And Luther thought that Rome was as it were, 07:08 the very gates of heaven itself. 07:10 Indeed, as he approached Rome, he lay prostrate on the ground 07:14 and said, "Holy Rome, I salute thee." 07:25 As he entered the city and visited the churches 07:28 and saw the priests and monks, 07:30 he was filled with both shock and horror. 07:33 He saw amongst the clergy unashamed 07:35 and open sin. 07:37 He heard the indecent jokes, 07:39 swearing, and he struggled to find some peace and solace. 07:43 No one can imagine he said, 07:44 what type of sins are committed in Rome, 07:47 they have to be seen or heard to be believed. 07:50 They are in the habit of saying, 07:52 "If there is a hell, then Rome is built over it. 07:55 It is an abyss whence issues every kind of sin. 08:06 By a recent decree and indulgence 08:08 was promised to all those who would ascend 08:11 pile of staircase on their knees. 08:13 It was believed that the staircase in Rome 08:16 was mysteriously transported 08:18 there during the night and was the very staircase 08:21 that Jesus ascended on a night when He was condemned. 08:25 One day Luther was devoutly climbing the steps 08:28 when a voice came to him like thunder, 08:30 "The just shall live by faith." 08:33 He got up from his knees, walked away, 08:36 never to be the same again. 08:46 Upon returning from Rome, 08:48 Luther preached his famous sermon entitled, 08:50 "The just shall live by faith" 08:52 here in the St. Mary's town church. 08:56 This was a question that lay heavy on Luther's mind 08:59 and one which he wrestled with over and over again. 09:02 Indeed, the German Reformation hinged on the question, 09:05 "How can a man be just in the sight of God?" 09:08 It's a question that many people 09:10 still wrestle with today. 09:17 At this point in his life, Luther had no plans to start 09:20 his own church or movement 09:22 and still saw himself as a loyal son of the church. 09:25 But in making the commitment to put the Bible 09:28 above the words of the council's or pope's, 09:30 he set himself on a course that would ultimately 09:33 lead far away from Rome. 09:36 In Luther's life, he followed the Holy Spirit's leading, 09:39 and he made the decision to preach. 09:41 He followed the Holy Spirit's leading 09:43 when he got off his knees in Rome. 09:45 He followed the Holy Spirit's leading in his ministry 09:47 here almost true to his convictions. 09:50 May we be true to the Holy Spirit's 09:52 leading in our life 09:53 and may we be strong in our convictions 09:55 and true to God's Word as well. 10:47 Around the same time that Luther was born 10:50 in a miner's cabin up in Germany, 10:53 Zwingli was born here in Switzerland, 10:55 in a herdsman cottage high up in the Alps. 10:58 You see the leading reformers 11:00 of that time were men of humble rank, 11:02 who most of all were free 11:05 from pride of rank and from the influence 11:07 of bigotry and priesthood. 11:09 His father desired for him an education. 11:12 And at the age of 13, 11:13 he was sent to the city of Bern to receive one. 11:16 For whilst he was there, another danger would arise 11:19 because of his intellect, 11:21 his sharp mind and his leadership qualities, 11:23 the monks desired to recruit him. 11:26 While Luther had gone down that path, 11:28 he had no desire to go down that path. 11:30 Neither did his father, and so his father 11:33 called for him to return home. 11:43 Zwingli started his ministry in Basel, 11:46 and was ministering around the same time 11:48 as Luther was, though they were not in communication 11:51 with each other. 11:52 God was using each of them individually." 11:55 If Luther preaches Christ," said the Swiss Reformer, 11:58 "he does what I am doing. 12:00 Those whom he has brought to Christ are more numerous 12:03 than those who I have led. 12:05 But this matters not. 12:07 I bear no other name than 12:08 that of Christ, whose soldier I am, 12:11 and who alone is my Chief. 12:14 Never has one single word 12:16 being written by me to Luther, nor by Luther to me. 12:20 And why? 12:21 That it might be shown 12:23 how much the Spirit of God is in unison with itself, 12:26 since both of us, without any collusion, 12:29 teach the doctrine of Christ with such uniformity." 12:39 Zwingli were soon called to minister 12:41 here in Zurich at the cathedral, 12:44 where he faithfully preached God's Word, 12:46 repelled the sale of indulgences 12:48 and spearheaded the Swiss Reformation 12:51 in the early 16th century. 12:53 The Church of Rome made several attempts 12:56 to either end his life or oppose his teachings. 12:59 When hearing of one particular plot, 13:02 he replied, "Let them come on. 13:04 I fear them as a beetling cliff 13:06 fears the waves that thunder at its feet." 13:10 Realizing how little had been gained by 13:12 trying to suppress Luther's teachings over in Germany, 13:16 they endeavor to enter 13:17 into a disputation with Zwingli. 13:19 The Council of Zurich though forbade him to go. 13:23 And so instead, 13:24 two of his students went in his place. 13:27 There they met a host of prelates, doctors, 13:30 and the champion of Rome, Dr. Eck. 13:33 Each night though, Zwingli's students 13:35 would sneak letters from the city out, 13:38 and then at night Zwingli would write letters 13:40 that will be snuck back into the city, 13:43 and though he wasn't there, 13:44 he was able to direct 13:46 the proceedings that took place. 13:48 He famously said during that trial, 13:51 "Custom has no force in our Switzerland, 13:54 unless it be according to the Constitution. 13:57 Now in matters of faith, the Bible is our Constitution." 14:10 The contrast between 14:11 the two sides made a clear impression 14:13 on those who are watching at the time. 14:16 Zwingli continue to faithfully preach God's Word 14:19 here in Zurich, 14:20 Switzerland throughout the rest of his life. 14:23 God had chosen a humble man from humble origins to begin 14:27 what would be a great work here in Switzerland. 14:39 No matter who you are, or where you come from, 14:42 know that God is able to do great things through you. 14:45 Whether your beginnings in life have been humble and modest, 14:48 know God is able to use you mightily. 14:51 Whether you're educated or uneducated, 14:53 know that God is able to use you. 14:56 Here in Switzerland, Zwingli was a man 14:59 of very humble background, 15:01 being born in a herdsman cottage up in the Alps, 15:04 and yet he was used to start a mighty work of reformation 15:08 here in Switzerland. 15:10 In 2 Corinthians 12:9, the Bible says, 15:14 "My grace is sufficient for you, 15:16 for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 15:20 God specializes in doing great things 15:23 through the weakest vessels. 16:17 From 1512 to 1517, 16:21 Martin Luther's life had been engaged 16:23 mainly in preaching and teaching, 16:25 but it was destined to change forever 16:27 when Johann Tetzel came to town. 16:29 The pope at that time 16:31 was Pope Leo X as Pope Julius II 16:34 had died about four years previous. 16:37 He was eager to proceed with the erection 16:39 of the great church of St. Peter, 16:41 which his predecessor had left unfinished. 16:44 In order to raise funds to complete the church, 16:47 rigorous methods of fundraising needed to be resorted to 16:51 and so the pope issued indulgences with that in mind. 16:56 He decided not to resort to this tactic in Spain, 16:59 France and England, 17:01 but in Germany the responsibility 17:03 for selling the indulgences 17:04 was given to a salesman by the name of Tetzel. 17:17 As Tetzel came into a town, 17:19 a messenger would go 17:20 before him proclaiming the grace of God 17:23 and of the Holy Father is at your gates. 17:26 People welcome this false preacher 17:28 as he proposed a rather easy way to paradise. 17:32 He promised to pardon all the sins 17:35 was the purchaser would commit from here on out, 17:38 and that not even repentance was necessary. 17:41 In addition to this, 17:43 he promised that the indulgences 17:45 had the power to forgive not only the living, 17:47 but also the dead as well. 17:53 Tetzel's famous quote was, "As soon as the money clinks 17:57 against the bottom of the chest, 17:58 the soul escapes purgatory and flies to heaven." 18:03 These type of messages produced two responses. 18:06 Firstly, a band of scoffers 18:07 who wondered why if the pope had the power 18:10 to release people from purgatory, 18:12 he didn't do it as a matter of charity. 18:14 And secondly, a stronger 18:16 and deeper opposition was people 18:18 who asked what the Bible said about forgiveness. 18:27 Luther was at this time still a priest of the church 18:30 and still had to hear people's confessions. 18:33 A problem arose when some of his parishioners 18:35 produced Tetzel's pardon for their sins, 18:38 and Luther refused to accept them, 18:40 declaring them nothing but a big fraud. 18:43 Around this time also, 18:45 Luther preached a powerful sermon entitled 18:48 "Indulgences and the Grace of God." 18:50 And he also sent a detailed protest 18:53 to the archbishop and local bishop. 18:55 It was amidst these events 18:57 that on the Festival of All Saints, 18:59 Luther posted on the university church door 19:02 right here behind me 19:04 his 95 Theses or doctrinal statements 19:07 about this debated question. 19:13 This event was a turning point. 19:15 And the publication of the 95 Theses 19:18 created a great deal of excitement 19:20 amongst the German people. 19:22 They were read and reread and repeated far and wide. 19:26 Luther was in awe at what he had done, 19:29 opposed the mightiest power on earth, 19:32 and it was not long before he was summoned 19:34 by Rome to appear to answer for his teachings. 19:38 Never before had one man 19:39 who had such a huge following 19:41 of people already opposed Rome on his own. 19:44 At this time, the people were sick 19:47 of the corruption of the church, 19:49 and many people were thankful 19:51 that someone was saying something about it, 19:54 though not everyone was bold enough 19:56 to take a stand with him at the time. 20:02 Let us never underestimate 20:03 the power of remaining true 20:05 to God's word and to our convictions. 20:08 While Luther didn't understand the whole Bible, 20:11 or understand even the whole gospel, 20:13 he did share and stay true to what he did know. 20:17 He had accepted the principle 20:19 that the Bible should be the sole interpreter of faith. 20:22 And this one principle would light a spark 20:25 that would eventually go around the whole world 20:28 and lay the foundation of Protestantism 20:30 that the Bible is to be the interpreter of our faith. 20:34 May we be true to God's Word 20:36 and faithful in sharing the message 20:38 God has given to us 20:39 wherever in the world that we are. 21:29 Soon after he posted his 95 Theses in Wittenberg, 21:33 Luther was summoned to appear in Rome 21:36 to answer a charge of heresy. 21:38 His friends were filled with dread. 21:40 They knew the danger that threatened him in that city. 21:43 People remember John Hus a century before 21:46 how he had been promised a safe passage 21:48 and fair treatment, 21:49 but he had been burned at the stake. 21:57 Elector Frederick of Saxony, 21:59 one of the seven German princes demanded the trial be held 22:03 within the boundaries of his territory. 22:06 The pope's legate 22:07 was to hear the trial on his behalf. 22:09 But before the trial could begin, 22:11 the legate was charged to prosecute 22:14 and constraint without delay, 22:16 and to banish curse and excommunicate 22:19 all of whatever rank in church 22:22 or state who would not cease Luther 22:24 and his adherence. 22:26 Here is displayed 22:27 the true spirit of Luther's pose, 22:29 not a trace of justice to be found. 22:35 It was around this time that a dear friend of Luther 22:38 would come to his aid and support, 22:40 Philip Melanchthon. 22:42 He was younger than Luther and was a learned scholar. 22:44 His carefulness, gentleness and exactness 22:47 would serve as a complement to Luther's courage and energy. 22:55 Augsberg had been set as the place of the trial, 22:58 and whilst Luther was told not to attend 23:01 by many of his friends who feared for his life. 23:03 He was resolute about attending and made his way to Augsberg. 23:08 At this point Luther had not received 23:09 an assurance of a safe passage, and his foes hoped 23:13 that he will appear without one, 23:15 but this he refused to do. 23:23 The legate was at first very friendly 23:25 in his exchanges with Luther, 23:27 but he misjudged his determination 23:29 and the strength of his convictions. 23:32 Luther protested 23:33 that he was being asked to retract 23:35 without first being shown his error. 23:38 Every response that he gave, 23:40 he showed clearly how it could be backed up 23:42 with the Bible, but the legates response 23:44 was always a heated response with the words retract. 23:49 Realizing that this exchange was futile, 23:52 Luther asked to present his findings in writing, 23:55 which he did the next day. 23:57 He gave it to the legate 23:58 and he threw them aside straight away. 24:01 Luther then met this proud man on his own grounds, 24:05 the traditions and teachings of the church 24:07 showing how his assumptions were wrong. 24:10 The trial wasn't really going anywhere though, 24:13 and Luther soon retreated with his friends. 24:17 They had tried to bully Luther 24:18 by their threats but this had not worked. 24:26 Luther's teachings and writings 24:28 were spreading across Germany like wildfire, 24:31 and eventually Rome resorted to a bull of excommunication. 24:35 Luther was condemned along with his adherence, 24:39 and they were given 60 days 24:40 to either recant or be excommunicated. 24:44 Normally, this would strike fear 24:46 into the heart of anyone but not Luther. 24:49 He gathered around him a group of doctors, 24:51 students and citizens of Wittenberg, 24:54 and under a tree near this very spot, 24:57 he publicly burned the pope's bull 24:59 of excommunication 25:01 and the Canaan laws. 25:03 Rome produced another bull of excommunication 25:06 against him declaring his final separation from Rome, 25:10 saying he was a curse of heaven and condemning anyone 25:14 who adheres to any of his doctrines. 25:17 Truly it can be said of Luther, the servant is not greater than 25:21 his Lord, if they have persecuted me, 25:24 they will persecute you. 25:25 While the forms of opposition to the truth change 25:29 and how open they are over time, 25:31 the same antagonism exists and will be manifested 25:34 to God's people until the end of time. 25:37 If you're being persecuted 25:39 for the stands that you are holding, 25:41 and for the convictions that you have, 25:43 I want to encourage you that no matter who you are, 25:46 no matter where you are, or what the situation is, 25:49 stand boldly for God, 25:51 stand courageously for God no matter what the cost may be. |
Revised 2020-04-29