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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ001101A
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00:09 Five hundred years ago an event took place here that shook the 00:14 world and changed the course of human history. A young German 00:19 monk strode to this door and challenged the power and 00:22 authority of the most powerful empire on earth, an empire that 00:28 had ruled for a thousand years. His actions put him on a 00:32 collision course with the most powerful people of his time, the 00:36 emperor and the pope, and set in motion a train of revolution, 00:40 war and conflict that would reshape western civilization and 00:45 lift it out of the dark ages. Luther's story still resonates 00:51 half a millennium _. It's a story that includes parental 00:55 conflict, spiritual agony, castles, kidnapping, daring 01:00 escapes, humor and romance. And what's more it's the story of 01:05 the birth of the modern age. But perhaps even more importantly 01:10 it's a story that could bring you peace and freedom and 01:15 change your life forever. You won't want to miss it. 01:18 ♪ ♪ 01:38 The Rhine river is one of Europe's grand waterways. In one 01:42 of the most appealing and spectacular sections of this 01:46 mighty river flows through Germany's Rhine Valley. This is 01:50 an area of outstanding beauty. Idyllic villages appear around 01:55 each bend. The half timbered houses and gothic church 02:00 steeples seemingly plucked from the world of fairy tales. 02:05 Forested hillsides alternate with craggy cliffs and steep 02:10 terraced vineyards. Romantic castles are perched on virtually 02:15 every hilltop. Yes, the Rhine Valley is a place of romance and 02:20 beauty. But it's peaceful city belies the unrest that rippled 02:25 through this region 500 years ago in the early 16th century. 02:29 Picture the scene that fateful afternoon of October 31, 1517. 02:39 In the university town of Wittenberg not all that far from 02:47 the Rhine River a young German monk strides down the busy 02:51 street to Wittenberg's castle church, the most prominent and 02:56 important building in the town. On the church door he nails a 03:00 sheet of paper with a list of 95 theses that challenge the power 03:05 and authority of the most powerful empire on earth, an 03:10 empire that had ruled for a thousand years. Now he's on a 03:15 collision course with the most powerful people of the time, the 03:19 Pope and the Emperor. With the posting of his 95 theses Martin 03:24 Luther launched what became known as the reformation. The 03:29 blows of his hammer were soon heard in every country in Europe 03:33 and marked a turning point in history and the beginning of a 03:37 new epoch in our civilization. Back in the first century 03:47 Christianity was a crime. Christians worshiped God and not 03:52 the emperor. They were seen as a threat to the empire and so 03:56 firestorms of persecution swept through the church as Nero and 04:03 other Roman emperors massacred thousands of believers in Jesus. 04:09 Those early Christians suffered horrifying deaths because of 04:12 their belief in Jesus. But despite this terrible 04:16 persecution the church stood firm and true to the Bible and 04:21 the pure teachings of Jesus. But sadly the second and third 04:27 generation of Christians came compromised with paganism and 04:31 apostasy. In the fourth century the emperor Constantine tried 04:36 to hold the Roman empire together by uniting pagans and 04:40 Christians in one great system of religion. As a direct result 04:45 Christianity was corrupted. Beliefs, practices and doctrines 04:49 that had never been taught by Jesus, doctrines that are not 04:54 found in the Bible crept into the church and many of the great 04:58 truths Jesus gave were lost. Now should this surprise us? 05:04 Didn't the Bible predict that this very thing would happen to 05:08 the church? Notice the warning of Peter the apostle: 05:22 And this is exactly what took place. It didn't happen 05:26 overnight. The decay of truth took centuries. At first the 05:32 enemy of God tried to destroy the church with persecution. It 05:37 didn't work. So he resorted to deception. He determined to 05:43 undermine Christianity from within and so for centuries the 05:49 truth lay buried beneath tradition, rights and ceremonies 05:53 that Jesus, Paul and Peter never heard of crept into the church. 05:58 The church had been corrupted. Instead of freely offering the 06:03 freely offering the gospel of Jesus the church turned religion 06:07 into a business and began to sell forgiveness and salvation. 06:12 A process was developed whereby the church sold forgiveness for 06:18 imaginable sin and crime. Even murder had its price. The more 06:23 the people sinned the richer the church became. By selling 06:28 entrance to heaven, the church became the wealthiest, most 06:32 powerful organization in the world. The people were banned 06:37 from reading the Bible. In fact the death penalty was enforced 06:42 on anyone caught reading the Bible. In this way the corrupted 06:47 church kept its adherents blindly following its false 06:51 teachings and as the light of God's truth was hidden from the 06:55 people an age of darkness descended upon the world. 06:59 But God wasn't caught unprepared God in his mercy sent messengers 07:04 to reform the church. They passionately desired that the 07:09 church reform from within and correct the abuses that had 07:14 crept in over many generations. Sadly the church rejected their 07:20 calls for reform and either attacked or executed these men. 07:24 However, their efforts were not in vain because their work, 07:29 vision and sacrifice laid the groundwork for the dramatic 07:34 events that were soon to follow. And it was this realization that 07:39 led the Augustinian monk Martin Luther to nail his 95 theses to 07:44 the Wittenberg Cathedral door and launch the reformation. 07:48 Luther's story begins here in this house in Eisleben, a small 07:57 town in the region of Saxony in modern Germany where he was 08:01 born in 1483. The Luther memorial in the town market 08:07 square depicts Luther in larger than life size holding a Bible 08:11 in his hands. Early in his childhood Martin's family moved 08:18 to Mansfield. It was in this mining town that Martin was 08:22 taken to the parish church and introduced to a religion that 08:26 was filled with purgatory, hell, angels, demons, sin and judgment 08:32 It instilled the fear of God in him. Martin shivered whenever 08:38 he looked up at the stained glass window in the church and 08:41 saw the frowning face of Jesus coming to judge him. And so from 08:46 an early age he saw God as a harsh and angry judge. He was 08:51 terrified of God. But towering high above the town is the 08:57 seat of the Council Mansfield. This fortress impressed young 09:02 Martin and it was his memory of this fortress that later 09:06 inspired him to write the words of his most famous hymn, 09:09 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. Martin, having completed his 09:18 schooling at 18, made his way to the city of Erfurt where he 09:23 enrolled in the local university in 1501. The city of Erfurt 09:28 boasted one of the leading universities of the time and it 09:33 was here that Martin Luther earned both his bachelor of 09:36 arts and master of arts degrees. But a terrifying experience near 09:42 the town influenced him to change his career. His decision 09:47 changed the course of history. On a hot and sultry July 09:54 afternoon in 1505 Martin Luther trudged along this rutted 10:00 roadway near Stutterheim on his way back to Erfurt after 10:04 visiting his parents in Mansfield. Suddenly and 10:10 without warning the sky became 10:11 overcast. A gusty wind whipped through the trees 10:15 and a torrential downpour unleashed its fury on the 10:19 lonely traveler. Peels of thunder rocked the countryside 10:24 and then it happened. A bolt of lightening 10:28 zigzagged through the black 10:30 clouds and sent Luther reeling to the ground. Terrified by the 10:35 thought that he'd been struck down by God Martin Luther cried 10:39 out to his patron saint, Saint Ann help me and I will become 10:45 a monk. This stone monument near Stutterheim commemorates this 10:53 turning point in Luther's life. He kept his promise. Neither his 10:59 angry father nor the persuasive arguments of his friends could 11:03 change him mind. He dropped out of law school and two weeks 11:14 later Luther entered the monastery of the Augustinian 11:17 order in Erfurt to become a monk and begin a monastic life. 11:22 Martin Luther desperately wanted to find peace of mind and the 11:27 assurance of ultimate salvation. He wanted to appease the angry 11:32 God he'd seen as a boy on the church window at Mansfield. 11:36 So Luther determined to become holy, to rid himself of sin and 11:42 save his soul by his own good works. If he could become good 11:47 enough then God would accept him He shrank from no sacrifice 11:53 whether physical pain or mental stress in his quest to gain 11:57 God's approval. Later Luther said, If anyone could have 12:03 earned heaven by the life of a monk, it was I. But despite his 12:08 rigorous efforts to satisfy what he thought to be an angry God, 12:13 Luther never felt the ledger was balanced. The harder he tried 12:16 the more sinful he felt. Inner peace and assurance alluded him. 12:23 He felt he could not do enough to merit God's forgiveness and 12:26 favor. When the Augustinian monasteries selected him to head 12:32 the delegation to Rome in 1510 Luther was overjoyed. Here was 12:38 an opportunity to use the traditional remedies provided 12:42 by the church to find forgiveness and peace. 12:46 No city on earth had so many holy relics or spiritual 12:59 indulgences as Rome. Here was his chance to earn merit and 13:04 secure the personal peace he wanted so badly. But it proved 13:09 to be a profoundly disappointing experience. He was shocked by 13:15 the corruption of the Roman church. He climbed the Scala 13:20 Sancta, the holy stairs which tradition claimed were the 13:23 stairs that Jesus ascended when he appeared before Pilot. The 13:27 priest claimed that God forgave the sins of those who climbed 13:31 the stairs on their knees. Luther did so repeating the 13:36 Lord's prayer, kissing each step and seeking peace with God. But 13:41 when he reached the top step he looked back and thought who 13:45 knows whether this is true? He felt no closer to God and 13:50 returned to the monastery more troubled and disillusioned than 13:56 ever. He began to study the Bible as never before, 14:01 determined to find the answer to this most important question. 14:05 How is a person accepted by God and saved? Even as he struggled 14:13 with these questions Luther impressed his superiors with his 14:17 intellectual abilities and they selected him for further 14:20 education at the University of Wittenberg. Wittenberg is a 14:28 pretty town located on the banks of the Elbe River in central 14:32 Germany. When Martin came here as an unknown monk he lived in 14:36 the local Augustinian monastery still searching for an answer to 14:41 his question, how is a person accepted by God and saved? 14:47 To his surprise as he studied God's word he found no teaching 14:53 of trying harder, of winning merit, of making yourself holy, 14:57 or earning God's acceptance or buying forgiveness. As he 15:03 studied the Bible book of Romans he made a discovery that would 15:07 forever bring peace to his troubled heart: 15:15 Luther finally grasped the truth that salvation comes by faith, 15:21 by believing in Jesus Christ. He understood that penances, 15:26 pilgrimages and vigils, fasting and climbing stairs on hands and 15:31 knees did nothing for salvation. Rather the Christian God is a 15:37 God of love and mercy who accepts people just as they are 15:43 on the basis of their faith in him. Joy filled Luther's heart. 15:48 Finally his troubled conscience found peace. In discovering that 15:54 forgiveness and salvation come to us freely from Christ alone 15:58 Martin Luther had made the greatest discovery of all time; 16:04 the discovery that would change the course of history and bring 16:07 peace and assurance to millions of people as they received 16:11 Christ's righteousness for themselves. But this discovery 16:15 that brought peace to his troubled conscience also brought 16:19 Luther into conflict with the church. It made him a heretic 16:23 in his church, a criminal in society and an outlaw 16:28 throughout the empire. 16:30 The battle broke out over indulgences not far from 16:36 Wittenberg. Johann Tetzel was selling indulgences to raise 16:40 money to finance the building of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. 16:45 Indulgences were letters of pardon that the church claimed 16:49 guaranteed forgiveness of sins. It was a way of selling 16:54 forgiveness and salvation and of raising money for the church. 16:58 Luther saw this as a perversion of the gospel he had recently 17:03 discovered. He really wanted to share the good news that had set 17:07 him free, that had brought him inner peace and assurance. 17:15 And so on October 31, 1517 he posted a list of 95 objections 17:23 to the sale of indulgences on the door of the Wittenberg 17:26 Castle Church. He invited scholars to debate the issue of 17:31 indulgences. A copy fell into the hands of a printer and soon 17:36 Luther's theses spread throughout Europe unleashing 17:40 a storm. Luther hadn't intended to revolt, only to reform, but 17:47 his teachings and action challenged the church's claim 17:51 of the right to control people's conscience and personal faith 17:54 and provide salvation. His teachings soon aroused religious 17:59 and political turmoil throughout the vast territory 18:03 of the Holy Roman Empire. Something had to be done to 18:08 quell the crisis. Finally Charles V summoned Luther to 18:15 trial in the city of Worms situated on the banks of the 18:18 Rhine River. Near the city's great cathedral stood the 18:22 imperial palace where the trial was conducted. Here on the 18th 18:27 of April 1521 Luther stood before an imperial diet 18:32 convened by Emperor Charles V. He was accused of renewing the 18:38 teachings of Wycliffe and Huss by making the Bible his final 18:43 authority. Surrounded by princes nobles, generals and church 18:48 leaders Luther defended himself against the charge of heresy. 18:55 He concluded his defense with the famous words: 19:25 The actual building where the trial as conducted has been 19:28 demolished and it's site is now occupied by this garden. 19:33 A plaque marks the site where Luther stood as he made his 19:37 heroic defense, but historical and theological significance of 19:43 Martin Luther is encapsulated in a memorial in the center of 19:47 Worms. Luther is surrounded by some of the most important 19:52 people that paved the way for the reformation. They include 19:56 John Wycliffe, Jan Huss, and Girolamo Savonarola. They laid 20:02 the foundation for Martin Luther Luther's message was clear. 20:08 Conscience must answer to God alone. Salvation comes freely 20:12 by faith alone and the Bible is the only source of spiritual 20:18 authority, not church tradition or the decrees of its leaders. 20:23 Because of his beliefs Luther was declared a heretic and an 20:29 outlaw to be captured and killed on sight. His fate was settled. 20:36 However, Luther's friends intervened. On the way back from 20:40 Worms they pretended to kidnap Luther and spirited him away 20:45 under the cover of darkness. He was taken into hiding at the 20:53 Wartburg Castle, the most famous fortress in all Germany. Here 20:59 Martin Luther found refuge from his persecutors. He hid in this 21:05 castle for almost a year disguised as a noble. Luther 21:10 lived in this room and it was here that he worked on 21:13 translating the Bible into the German language. The room has 21:17 remained practically unaltered from the time of Luther. Luther 21:22 strongly opposed to indulgences or relics or anything that 21:27 detracted from the saving grace of Jesus Christ. He opposed 21:32 relics strongly but when he arrived here at the Wartburg 21:35 in his very room he found a whale bone that was considered 21:40 sacred. In order to show his disdain for relics, Luther said 21:46 this whale bone has nothing to do with the Bible or salvation 21:52 and so he used it as foot rest to show that there was nothing 21:57 sacred about this whale bone and rather people should focus their 22:01 attention on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross when it 22:06 comes to salvation and forgiveness. From Wartburg 22:13 Luther returned to the Augustinian monastery in 22:16 Wittenberg and resumed leadership of the reformation. 22:20 Luther married a former nun Katharina von Bora. They had 22:24 three sons and three daughters. Luther and his family lived here 22:30 until his death. Despite widespread scorn and persecution 22:36 Luther's message took hold in the hearts of the common people 22:40 and eight years after the Council of Worms a group of 22:44 German princes took their stand with Luther. They met at the 22:49 city of Spire and formed an alliance protesting the abuses 22:53 of the church and its attempt to crush the reformation. From 22:58 this protest of the princes at Spire in 1529 the term 23:03 protestant was born. Today a plaque marks the location where 23:09 the princes made their protest. After years of championing the 23:15 cause of the reformation from his home in Wittenberg, a very 23:18 sick Luther was called to Eisleben, the town of his birth, 23:23 to help reconcile a dispute between two noblemen. While here 23:28 his life pilgrimage came to an end. He died on the 18th of 23:32 February 1546 in a house just a short distance from where he was 23:37 born secure in the knowledge that God loved him and that 23:41 through Jesus Christ he was assured of eternal life. The 23:49 reformer's body was brought to Wittenberg, the scene of his 23:52 most important work. They buried Luther in the castle 23:57 church where nearly 29 years previously it had all begun 24:02 when he posted his 95 theses on the church's door. A small event 24:08 but one with enormous consequences. His grave consists 24:13 of a simple sandstone pedestal located near the pulpit 24:17 from which he preached. So what is Luther's legacy? Well 24:25 some believe his actions and ideas marked a major 24:29 turning point in 24:30 western history that brought about the birth of our modern 24:34 age. They see him as the most significant European figure of 24:38 the second millennium. The man of the millennium. But perhaps 24:44 even more importantly Martin Luther showed that people are 24:49 saved not on the basis of your position or wealth or how good 24:53 you are but because of how good Jesus is, because Jesus died for 24:59 you, because God is love, because God loves you. 25:04 If you'd like to make that same discovery and experience inner 25:09 peace and the assurance of salvation in your life, why not 25:13 ask for it right now as we pray? Dear Heavenly Father, we thank 25:20 you for your word, the Bible, that guides us and teaches us 25:24 your truth. It tells us that we have a God in heaven who loves 25:28 us and he cares for us. Lord, we've all made mistakes in our 25:33 lives and done things that we know were wrong and that we 25:36 regret. We thank you that through Jesus all of our sins 25:41 and mistakes can be forgiven and we can experience inner peace 25:45 and the assurance of salvation. Grant us that privilege, 25:50 in the name of Jesus we pray, Amen. 25:54 ♪ ♪ 25:57 Martin Luther desperately wanted to find peace with God. 26:00 He wanted to find true happiness One question consumed him. 26:06 How is a sinful person made right before a holy God. He came 26:13 to realize that salvation was a gift for the guilty, not a 26:18 reward for the righteous. People aren't saved by their 26:22 good works or by the good things they do, but by trusting in 26:26 Jesus and what he has done. If you'd like to find true 26:30 happiness in your life, then I'd like to recommend a free offer 26:34 we have for all our viewers today. It's a booklet entitled 26:39 The Man of the Millennium. This booklet shares the secret about 26:43 how we can find true happiness in our lives. This booklet is 26:48 our gift to you and is absolutely free and there is no 26:52 obligation whatsoever. Here's the information you need: 26:57 Phone us now on 0481315101 or text us on 0491222999 or 27:11 visit our website theincrediblejourney.tv to 27:15 request today's free offer. So don't delay. Contact us 27:19 right now. 27:28 If you've enjoyed today's journey be sure to join us again 27:34 next week when we will share another of life's journey's 27:38 together and experience another new and thought provoking 27:41 perspective on the peace, insight, understanding and hope 27:46 that only the Bible can give us. The Incredible Journey truly is 27:52 television that changes lives Until next week remember the 27:57 ultimate destination of life's journey: Now I saw a new heaven 28:01 and a new earth. And God will wipe away every tear from their 28:05 eyes. There shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying. 28:09 There shall be no more pain for the former things have 28:13 passed away. |
Revised 2020-08-03