Reformation – October 27, 2002

 

Psalm 46         Jeremiah 31:31-34                 Romans 3:19-28         John 8:31-38

 

            May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.                        Amen.   [adapted:  Psalm 19:14]

 

            As we celebrate the Reformation, let us first look at a definition of what the word REFORM means.

 

            REFORM = to improve by correction of error or removal of defects.

 

A Partial History of the Reformation

            2 centuries before Martin Luther is the Morningstar – John Wycliffe – an English priest in the 1300’s.  In studying Scripture he found that the church’s doctrines had strayed from Biblical teachings.  Based on truth found in Scripture he preached against the unbiblical teachings of purgatory, sale of indulgences, and other false teachings.  Wycliffe and his friends translated all of Scripture into English, working from a handwritten Latin translation that was over 1,000 years old.  This group continued the practice of training preachers to take the true word of God out to the common people across the land.  John Wycliffe died before the Catholic church could silence him completely.  Posthumously he was condemned of heresy and his remains were burned, the ashes thrown into the river in a sign that his teachings and his body could not be resurrected.  How far from the truth that practice was proven.

 

 

            “We’ll cook his goose.”  That phrase originated in Bohemia 100 years before Luther.  John Hus, whose last name means goose, was a priest in Prague. He stressed the role of the Bible as authority in the church.  He taught correctly that Christ alone is the head of the church.  Like Wycliffe before him, he preached against purgatory and indulgences as a means of salvation.  He also claimed that no pope or bishop could establish doctrine contrary to the Bible, nor could any Christian obey a clergyman’s order if it was plainly wrong.  As he stood firmly to these convictions, Hus was condemned by the Council of Constance and burned at the stake. 

 

            These men and others continued to find the church of their day centered on works of men for the earthly benefit of men instead of teaching the truth as Jesus explains in today’s Gospel. 

 

            Martin Luther, a monk, priest and Biblical scholar, was faithful to the church.  He struggled constantly to follow the teachings of the church, but could find no relief in his acts of penance for his sins and sinfulness.  He wore himself out with prayer and fastings and other self-inflicted punishment for his sins.  He wore out his superiors with his excessive and interminable confessions.  But none of these things brought peace to his tormented soul.  God worked his miracle of faith in Luther when Luther was assigned as professor of the Bible, teaching the book of Romans, at Wittenberg.  In his study and teaching on Romans, Luther discovered the truth of God’s law and gospel. 

 

            It was only through the power of God’s word that Martin Luther and others came to know the truth Jesus speaks of in today’s text.  God speaks to us through Paul’s words in Romans 1, “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written; ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”  [v. 17]  That last phrase, “The righteous will live by faith,” was not new to Paul, but he was quoting from the prophet Habakkuk.  God’s plan of salvation has always been by faith in his promise, not by the deeds of men.

 

            Paul continues in his 3^rd chapter of Romans, “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”  [v. 22b-25a]

 

            Luther, accompanied by men such as his close companion and colleague Philip Melanchthon, pursued trying to bring the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ back into the teachings of the church.  They were supported and protected by Duke Frederick “The Wise” of Saxony.  The invention of the printing press made it possible that Luther’s writings were circulated rapidly throughout a large area, bringing the truth of the Gospel to many who joined ranks with and behind him.  Other leaders of early Lutheranism include Jakob Andrae and Martin Chemnitz. 

 

            The Reformation of the Church is a Holy and spiritual war.  Satan is always at work in the hearts of men to turn away from knowing and trusting in God’s grace in Jesus Christ.  Satan is always directing our thoughts and minds to earthly gain for ourselves and the thought that it is our own works that save us in eternity. 

 

            Satan began that deception in the Garden of Eden as he tempted Adam and Eve into sin.  God stepped in immediately and gave his promise to send the Savior.  Satan continues to step in a pull mankind away from God.  Even as God made his covenant with his people to Moses on the mountain top, his people made a golden calf to worship on the plains below. 

 

            The deception continues through all of his people as we follow the faithfulness and unfaithfulness of even his most well known people, David, Solomon, Samuel, and the list goes on.  In the passage from Jeremiah, we again hear how God has remained faithful as a husband to his people, yet we, his children, continue to turn away from him.

 

            In the reading from John, Jesus is addressing God’s people again on this same issue.  Jesus knows the people are following him hoping for earthly gain, food for their stomachs and for him to use his divine powers not just to heal the sick, but to overpower the despised Roman occupation and restore Israel to world prominence.  In that way, don’t we, as a nation, sound the same today?  Do we call on God to forgive our sins and restore us in his righteousness, or do we look to him to perform miracles to give us comfortable and luxurious lives and safety in a nation that merely overpowers anyone else in its path?

 

            Reformation begins when God changes a person.  You are conceived and born sinful.  You have no way, in and of yourself, to return to the perfection that God originally created man.  But God loves you and wants to restore you into his image of perfection and holiness again.  He does that by the power of his word that works faith in your heart.  He changes you in the waters of baptism where you are born again both of water and spirit.  He washes away all of your sins in the blood of Christ and presents you new, in Jesus’ righteousness for his final judgment.  All of this is by his grace, and is accepted only by faith on your part.  There is no work you do on your own.  The only work you can do is to reject this great gift.

 

            That is the Reformation of today as well as of all time.  The changing of souls from slavery to sin to become children of God in faith, trusting in him not only for the blessings he gives on this earth, but the gift of eternal life that comes only through Jesus.

 

What do we look out for today?  The same thing that Martin Luther and other leaders of the Reformation looked out for hundreds of years ago, the truth Jesus presents only in his word.  The truth Jesus tells you to hold to in order to really be his disciples, his followers.  The truth that sets you free from your bondage to sin to the righteousness God gives to you in faith in Jesus.  The truth that you so often avoid by falling back to what you know from earthly wisdom instead of trusting what Jesus brings from divine wisdom. 

In today’s church we bother ourselves so much with our traditions that we overlook the purpose behind those traditions.  The purpose is to present God’s law and gospel in messages that can be heard by all people.  Luther used the printing press and people’s ability to read to spread the truth of the Gospel even across continents.  Today we have a multitude of ways to bring the truth of God’s word to people across continents.  What has this congregation done to promote Lutheran Hour ministries so that radio and television productions that are true to God’s word are seen and heard at prime time and on recognized stations?  The Lutheran Hour continues to be on at 6:30 on Sunday mornings when most people are not awake.  Worship for Shut-Ins keeps changing channels and times and is hard to find from month to month.  As a congregation again we are not keeping current with offerings to support the work of our district and synod with missions throughout the Northern Illinois area that are effective in reaching souls in rapidly developing areas, ethnically changing neighborhoods, and campus ministries for our member students and visiting students from abroad. 

 

One thing we continue at Immanuel is continuing in services, Bible Studies, and Sunday School, the focus on God’s promise to each of you.  His promise is this:  Because you are lost in your sins He loves you more than anything else in all of creation.  He sent his one and only son, Jesus, to suffer and die to pay the price for all of your sins.  Trusting in this love through Jesus Christ alone is faith that saves.  In your baptism you are changed, to be a child of God, washed clean of your sins daily and desiring to do his will, trusting in him to lead you in his word by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

 

The Reformation was not just in 1517 when Martin Luther posted a list of articles trying to change the church back to the truth of God’s word.  The Reformation begins each time God’s word convicts a sinner of his sin and comforts him with the love that forgives all sins at the cross.  Changing by the removal of the defects of sin, that is Reformation.                Amen.

 

This Peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.      Amen.