Podcasts about castle church

This October 31st marked 508 years since Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. In the many years since this world-changing event, the Protestant/Evangelical church has gone through many evolutions. Some were times of great revival and others were times of suffering, wars, and into the 1800s, many new denominations were formed. Instead of recognizing the pagan Halloween day, it's important for Christians to remember their roots. This episode of 2Days Denarius shares stories and some of the heroes of the Reformation and beyond. It will also take a look at the motto, "Semper Reformanda," which means "the church reformed and always reforming." It's always a good questions to ask, "How are we doing with that?" In the end, we discover it is a question of the heart. Are we truly following the Lord Jesus Christ and the mission He called us to do on earth? We must each answer this question.Song "Holy Is the Lord" is used by permission of songwriter/performer Pastor Steve Hereford of the Changed By Grace Church in Jacksonville FL. His inspirational Scripture songs/albums may be found on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and many other host sites like these. Search "Steve Hereford."Your comments are welcome! Send a text my way!2Days Denarius is a Bible believing teaching ministry devoted to the inerrancy, infallibility, and authority of Scripture as our only rule of faith and practice. It also holds to the doctrinal tenets of the London Baptist confession of 1689. This ministry may be reached at 2daysdenarius@gmail.com Material used in this podcast are provided under the educational and commentary provisions of Section 207 of the Fair Use Act of 1976.

A new MP3 sermon from VCY America is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Luther at the Wittenberg Castle Church Subtitle: Our Christian Heritage Speaker: Dr. Erwin Lutzer Broadcaster: VCY America Event: TV Broadcast Date: 9/19/2025 Length: 9 min.

In Wittenberg, Luther challenged indulgence abuses with the 95 Theses, emphasizing heartfelt repentance over purchased forgiveness, sparking the Reformation, advancing religious freedom, and showing small actions can have global impact.

In Wittenberg, Luther challenged indulgence abuses with the 95 Theses, emphasizing heartfelt repentance over purchased forgiveness, sparking the Reformation, advancing religious freedom, and showing small actions can have global impact.

In this episode of the Your Harrogate Podcast, presenter Pete Egerton speaks to Squadron Leader Paul Wise, Knaresborough-born and responsible for leading the VE Day flypast in London. Also, Knaresborough Town Women have been promoted! We hear from head of development, Ged Maloney.A former pupil of the long since closed Castle Church of England Junior School, Squadron Leader Wise, or "Ernie" as his colleagues call him, had the privilege of leading more than 20 military aircraft over Buckingham Palace on Monday (5th May).Sqn Ldr Wise remembers speaks to Pete about when his passion for aviation began, plus, the pressure of such an event, like the flypast on Monday.The flypast, which featured a mix of 23 current-day and historic planes, culminated with the spectacular Red Arrows. Paul says it is not until they have flown over the Palace, that they have time to take it all in...Meanwhile, Knaresborough Town Women have this week, secured a third promotion in as many years.They will now be assured of playing in the West Riding County Women's Football Premier League, but they may be able to go higher as Ged Maloney explains...

Shara Pathak never planned on owning a brewery, but her “soft heart” led her down this unexpected path. “I owned a building and had a tenant in there that was a microbrewery (Castle Church) and supported them through the infancy of their brand, which was approximately three years,” Pathak said. “In December of 2019, [the brewery's owners] decided that they were going to shelve it. So at that time, I actually was going to put the lock on the door and I was going to give it to a business broker and I the employees reached out to me and it was two weeks before Christmas.” Pathak agreed to let the employees keep the brewery going so they could at least sell off the remaining inventory and collect a paycheck through the holidays. She eventually decided to keep the brewery running. Originally, she was planning to rename it The City Beautiful Brewing, but eventually landed on the name Brewlando. “One of the reasons that I helped that brewery as much as I did was because I really felt like they had exceptional quality beer. You could just taste the difference,“ Pathak said. ”So I just felt like it would be a matter of time, if I helped them along and push them across that eventually they'd be able to forge ahead.” Part of the reason for that, according to Pathak, was because the previous owners had sunk a lot of money into high-end brewing equipment. Despite this, she did not believe she would maintain ownership of the brewery in the long term. “We were going to find another owner-operator and I was going to find another tenant. And in that search, we were introduced to a big conglomerate brand that actually originated from Trinidad, which is where I was born," Pathak said. She ultimately decided that was not the right move; however, the CEO of that company decided to join her team and help her helm Brewlando. “So [James Webb] came on board and built out a great team," Pathak said. Within a year, Webb had made connections with the head of ICON Park and got to talking about opening a new concept at the attraction. “It used to be a hookah bar and so we went in and we completely rented the entire space and decided that we were going to come out with a different concept,” Pathak said. “We thought, why not open a winery and a tasting room?” The Winery & Tasting Room by Brewlando was the first major expansion for the business, but not the last. Shortly after that opened, Pathak learned that Sanford Brewing Company was closing. She thought this could be an opportunity for a quick flip of the property. “Two days later, I got a call and they said, ‘Well, actually, it's not just the building, it's the building's equipment, it's the whole business,‘” Pathak said. She asked Webb to look into it further and see if this was an opportunity for expansion. “James calls me back an hour and a half later and he says, ‘I think that there is good potential in doing this,‘" she said. Her team is now in the process of reopening the two Sanford Brewing locations under the Brewlando name. On the latest episode of Florida Foodie, Pathak talks more about the future of Brewlando and what she hopes to accomplish with her expanding business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“They will roast a goose now, but after one hundred years they will hear a swan sing, and him they will have to endure.” These were allegedly the last words of a certain Jan Hus whose surname meant goose and who was burned at the stake on July 6, 1415. Almost exactly one hundred years later a spiritually tormented monk, frightened by a vengeful God who sought to damn him, was assigned to teach the book of Romans at the new university of Wittenberg. And 2 years later this monk by the name of Martin Luther did (or probably did not) nail his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church of that same town. As far as prophecies go, this must be one of the most accurate, assuming it was indeed true. But it wasn't just the foretelling of the next reformer that makes the trial of Jan Hus such a fascinating account. So much is foreshadowed in this tale, it is almost uncanny. The railing against indulgences, the wealth of the clergy, the pope, a promise of safe conduct, a trial, villains and archvillains, accusations upon accusations, defiance in the face of certain death and then the big difference to the diet of Worms, actual death. Have a listen, it is fun. The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comFacebook: @HOTGPod Twitter: @germanshistoryInstagram: history_of_the_germansReddit: u/historyofthegermansPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/HistoryofthegermansTo make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have:The Ottonians Salian Emperors and Investiture ControversyFredrick Barbarossa and Early HohenstaufenFrederick II Stupor MundiSaxony and Eastward ExpansionThe Hanseatic LeagueThe Teutonic KnightsThe Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356

Send us a textMartin Luther nailing his 95 Thesis to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, was just the beginning! A tidal wave of Reformers and followers who wanted the Roman Church to reform was released! But the Roman Church did not passively stand by while this Reformation took place. They answered back swiftly and sometimes brutally; but were still unable to stop the forces of the Protestant movement.  Join us as we look at the faceoff that occurred between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Reformers.Thanks for tuning in! Be sure to check out everything Proverbs 9:10 on our website, www.proverbs910ministries.com! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Rumble, YouTube, Twitter, Truth Social, and Gettr!

Send us a textAs we've seen, the roots of the Reformation go back to the 3rd century! Many men and women fought to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but because of the church's intimidation and deadly tactics, these few and far between reformers were unsuccessful. But on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the Castle Church door in Wittenburg, Germany, and it was the nail heard round the world!Thanks for tuning in! Be sure to check out everything Proverbs 9:10 on our website, www.proverbs910ministries.com! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Rumble, YouTube, Twitter, Truth Social, and Gettr!

Happy Reformation Day! On this date in 1517, Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk and theology professor at the University of Wittenberg, posted his famous “Ninety-five Theses” protesting the sale of indulgences on the door of Wittenberg's Castle Church. Luther intended to reform the Catholic church from the inside. His critique of the church went beyond its corrupt practices to the bad theology underlying them, however. Over time, this critique led Luther and like-minded reformers to break with Catholicism and form new churches — Protestant churches. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk with church historian Charlie Self about the Protestant Reformation, why there are in fact five Reformations, and what Pentecostals should make of the event. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Charlie Self, Ph.D., is visiting professor of church history at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri, an ordained Assemblies of God minister, and co-author with Johan Mostert and Jamé Bolds of Life in 5D: A New Vision of Discipleship. ————— This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Bible Engagement Project. Bible Engagement Project equips churches with free curriculum for preschool, kids, youth, and adults, available in both English and Spanish. The curriculum library provides you with discipleship resources that transform lives and anchor your church in the Bible. Visit BibleEngagementProject.com to create your free account.

October 27, 2024 Reformation Service. The heart of the Gospel is the forgiveness of sins, purchased and won for us through the innocent death of Jesus Christ. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed 95 statements for debate on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, German. This is the 507th anniversary of the beginning of the Lutheran Reformation.First Reading: Joshua 1:1-9.Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3:16-18.Gospel: John 15:1-17.Sermon Text: Psalm 46. Pastor Joel Heckendorf, President of the Arizona-California District

—Sermon text:Psalm 19:7–11 Download the discussion guide for this sermon here Reformation Sunday On Reformation Sunday, we celebrate the profound moment when a monk sparked a movement that changed the course of history. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a German monk and professor, nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg. This act was a call to debate leadership and a rebuke of the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church, particularly the sale of indulgences—a practice in which people paid for the forgiveness of sins.Luther's central concern was the question of salvation: Can we earn it through our works and gifts, or must it be received from God as a gift itself? Luther's study of Scripture led him to the truth that a sinner is forgiven and counted as righteous by God's grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). While this doctrine of justification rested at the heart of what became the Protestant Reformation, the foundational issue was the authority of Scripture. Luther's courage to proclaim “Sola Scriptura” (Scripture alone) as the highest authority challenged centuries of tradition. He believed that the Bible—not the pope, councils, or tradition—was the ultimate authority in faith and practice.This rediscovery of the Gospel—rooted in God's Word—ignited a movement that brought the gospel to the masses, planted churches on every continent, and translated Scripture into the everyday language of people all over the world.On Reformation Sunday, we are not just remembering Martin Luther. We are celebrating God's work through his church, embracing Scripture as our ultimate authority, and preaching Christ alone as the only hope for sinners like us.

It's Monday, October 21st, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus British University issued “trigger warning” about reading Chaucer The University of Nottingham in England has issued a “trigger warning” to students studying various medieval literature, in part because of Christian themes in the texts, reports International Christian Concern. The Daily Mail on Sunday discovered the warning through a Freedom of Information Act request. The British university warned students that the course “Chaucer and His Contemporaries” contained issues of “violence, mental illness, and expressions of Christian faith.” Geoffrey Chaucer, most widely known for writing The Canterbury Tales, was a 14th-century English author and poet whose influence on English literature is on par with William Shakespeare. Chaucer, a Christian, is referred to by some as “the father of English poetry” and is said to have influenced C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. The warning seems close to censoring Christian voices altogether. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Kamala: First presidential candidate to skip Catholic fundraiser in 40 years Former President Donald Trump was the only presidential candidate to appear at the prestigious 79th annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in Manhattan on Thursday, reports The Christian Post. Vice President Kamala Harris was repeatedly criticized during the event for being the first presidential candidate in 40 years to skip the dinner, which has been a staple of presidential campaigns for decades. She appeared instead in a pre-recorded video, which was not well-received by the audience. Comedian and emcee Jim Gaffigan, who is Catholic, offered scathing jokes against Harris and the Democratic Party, reports the New York Post. GAFFIGAN:  "You know, this event has been referred to as the Catholic Met Gala. Twenty-two percent of Americans identify as Catholic. Catholics will be a key demographic in every battleground state. I'm sorry, why is Vice President Harris not here?” (cheers, laughter) Gaffigan also mocked Democrats for calling Trump an existential threat to democracy despite ousting their own incumbent president without input from voters. GAFFIGAN:  "The Democrats have been telling us Trump's re-election is a threat to democracy. In fact, they were so concerned of this threat, they staged a coup, ousted their democratically elected incumbent, and installed Kamala Harris." Trump roasted Chuck Schumer and Tim Walz for leftist lunacy Trump roasted New York Senator Chuck Schumer and the Woke party that he represents which has embraced this unbiblical notion that a person can change his or her gender. TRUMP: “Chuck Schumer is here looking very glum. But look on the bright side, Chuck, considering how ‘woke' your party has become, if Kamala loses, you still have a chance to become the first woman president.” (laughter, cheers) Trump poked fun at Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for lying when he claimed that he was in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 when, in actuality, in Nebraska at the time. TRUMP: "Unfortunately Governor Walz isn't here himself, but don't worry, he'll say that he was.” By 2030, 16 million kids will exit public schools The current mass exodus from public schools suggests that only half of American students will attend them in 2030, according to a report entitled “The Future of K-12 Education. The Learning Counsel, an education research institute, said it expects the number of children in public schools to drop by 16 million over the next six years, leaving just 50.26% of students enrolled. Almost a third of American students will likely be homeschooled, reports The Liberty Sentinel. Drivers of this trend will include distrust of government, school choice legislation, and parental anger with sexually explicit indoctrination. How to finish global evangelization by 2030 And finally, too many believers do not have a sense of urgency to evangelize the lost. Dr. James Davis, the founder of the Global Church Network, explained to me how many people die every day worldwide without faith in Jesus Christ. DAVIS: “If we could imagine 132 plane crashes, which makes up 66,000 deaths, that's how many people die [each day], lost without Jesus Christ. And yet there's not a sense of urgency among some to do anything about it. There must be a paradigm shift that creates a sense of strategic urgency to evangelize, make disciples, plant churches, and help finish the Great Commission.” The Global Church Network has a vision to see the world evangelized by the year 2030.  Their website is www.Finish2030.com. DAVIS: “In 2015, at the graveside of Martin Luther at Castle Church, the Global Church Network, with distinguished leaders around the globe, set an ambitious and strategic goal to help complete the Great Commission by the 2000-year birthday of the church. That would be June 9, 10, and 11 in 2030 in Jerusalem at the International Convention Center. “On that day, we're inviting more than 3,000 distinguished leaders from around the world to convene at the convention center and honor the first 3,000 that came to Christ 2,000 years ago when Peter preached that very first sermon. This is why we call it Finish2030, the celebration of the 2000- year birthday of the church.” Dr. Davis explained that we need to move on from the paradigm of the West sharing the Gospel with the rest. DAVIS: “Over the last 200 years, North America has sent tens of thousands of missionaries from around the world, and we praise the Lord for that, but the church has grown up all over the world. The strongest churches in all of the world do not reside here in the United States of North America, or in particular, even in Europe. “No longer the West going to the rest, but the best around the world going to the rest of the world. We're moving from a mission field to mission force, from parenting to partnering, from not networking to networking.” The key to the strategy of the Global Church Network is creating global Christian hubs of influence worldwide. DAVIS: “Currently, there's more than 200 hubs in the Global Church Network. We call this the global hubs of Christianity. By 2030, we will have more than 800 hubs in the network. “Every hub does at least three things. Some do four. We all synergize the best relationships, tie those relational knots, face to face, in local churches. We systematize the very best training, and we strategize for unreached peoples. No one knows the neighborhood like the neighbors. In some hubs, we also Scripturalize new Bible translations for unreached peoples. “So, we want to strategically place those hubs around the world to help us get closer and closer to the unreached, so that we can finish the Great Commission.” In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus said, “All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Me.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, October 21st, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

It's Tuesday, October 31, 2023, and we're back with another exciting episode of "Another Great Day," brought to you by our pinchy but delicious sponsor, Lobsters! Join your hosts Aaron and Chris for a day filled with laughter, history, and thought-provoking discussions. First up is the "Word of the Day." We believe that knowing words can help you win Wheel of Fortune, so today's word is "clandestine." Learn its meaning and explore real-life examples of clandestine actions. In "This Day in History," we delve into a spooky historical event. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther is said to have nailed his 95 revolutionary opinions to the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Chris, did Martin Luther have any long-lasting effects on the world? Share your thoughts! The "Question of the Day" presents a fun dilemma: Would you rather have the ability to sing perfectly or wake up with perfect hair every day? Make your choice and let us know! Of course, our Dad Joke Correspondent is on the scene, ready to bring more laughter to your day. To conclude, we explore Proverbs 24:30-34, emphasizing the importance of diligence and not falling into the trap of laziness. Our mission is to encourage interaction, creativity, and conversation, and we appreciate your support. If you enjoy the show, please share it with friends, rate and review us, and most importantly, join us every day for "Another Great Day"!

Check out The Jack & 'Chill Podcast here!http://atozenglishpodcast.com/episodeshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jack-chill-podcast/id1709902691https://redcircle.com/shows/the-jack-and-chill-podcastOn October 31st, several significant events happened in history. Here are a few notable occurrences on this date:1517: Martin Luther, a German monk, nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This event is considered the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation.1864: Nevada was admitted as the 36th state of the United States during the Civil War. It is known as the "Silver State" due to its significant silver mining industry.1926: Magician and escape artist Harry Houdini passed away in Detroit, Michigan. He was renowned for his daring escape acts and illusionist performances.1941: The famous Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota was completed after 14 years of carving the faces of U.S. Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln into the mountain.1984: Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her bodyguards, leading to a period of political turmoil in India.1993: The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 827, creating the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to prosecute war crimes that occurred during the Yugoslav Wars.1999: EgyptAir Flight 990 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, killing all 217 people on board. The cause of the crash remains a subject of debate and investigation.2011: The global population was estimated to have reached 7 billion people on this day, according to the United Nations.Halloween: October 31st is widely celebrated as Halloween in many countries, a holiday with origins in ancient Celtic and Christian traditions. It is a day for costumes, candy, and various spooky and fun activities.These are just a few of the events that have occurred on October 31st throughout history. This date has a mix of historical, cultural, and political significance.Podcast Website:https://atozenglishpodcast.com/a-to-z-this-day-in-world-history-october-31st/Social Media:Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/671098974684413/Tik Tok:@atozenglish1Instagram:@atozenglish22Twitter:@atozenglish22A to Z Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/theatozenglishpodcastCheck out our You Tube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCds7JR-5dbarBfas4Ve4h8ADonate to the show: https://app.redcircle.com/shows/9472af5c-8580-45e1-b0dd-ff211db08a90/donationsRobin and Jack started a new You Tube channel called English Word Master. You can check it out here:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2aXaXaMY4P2VhVaEre5w7ABecome a member of Podchaser and leave a positive review!https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-a-to-z-english-podcast-4779670Join our Whatsapp group: https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7Intro/Outro Music: Daybird by Broke for Freehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Directionless_EP/Broke_For_Free_-_Directionless_EP_-_03_Day_Bird/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcodehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/eaters/simian-samba/audrey-horne/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This Sunday, we commemorate the 506th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, by exploring one of the most important texts of the Protestant reformers, Romans 3:19-28. What does it mean for sinners to be justified by faith alone? Justification isn't just a medieval problem. You, your friends, and neighbors are all looking for justification—a right standing before God and others. How do we get it and why does God graciously give it to us? Listen to find out.

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted the 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This sparked the Reformation, a movement which directed people back to the Scriptures to realize that they were saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Jesus warned us ahead of time that his disciples would encounter the kinds of problems they faced at the time of Martin Luther. God's people endured them in the Old Testament, and they still take place in the lives of God's people today. We live as sheep among wolves, hated just like our Shepherd was, yet bringing his voice to those around us. In these end times, “Stand Firm on Your Salvation.” Our sermon today is from Romans 3.

In 1517, Martin Luther wrote his 95 Theses and posted them to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg. What concerns drove him to do this? Today, R.C. Sproul navigates the controversy surrounding Johann Tetzel and the selling of indulgences. Get the Paperback Book and the Full 'Luther and the Reformation' Digital Teaching Series for Your Gift of Any Amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/2935/luther-and-the-reformation Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind.org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources. A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

How much do you know about Martin Luther? Martin Luther is a monk turned Protestant Reformer. His nailing the 95 Theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517 is considered to be the spark that lit the Protestant Reformation. Now, Martin never intended to cause a schism in the church, but God used Luther to reveal the cancerous corruption that had grown in the Roman Catholic Church and brought the Scriptures to the common man through Luther's translation of the Bible into German, the common vernacular. Martin Luther's story is one of epic adventure and faith-building miracles as you see how God unfolded his sovereign plan for his glory and the good of his people. Join us as we discuss the story of Martin Luther's Life with Author Danika Cooley from ThinkingKidsPress.com. We will be discussing her book When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther. Click here to read our written review. Resources Listed in this Episode: >> When Lightning Struck! The Story of Martin Luther by Danika Cooley >> Get Danika's ⁠Reformation Day Family Bundle⁠ autographed on SALE for a LIMITED TIME ONLY! >> Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible by Danika Cooley >> Bible Road Trip Bible Curriculum for Pre-K-12th - Get a FREE sample! >> Thinking Kids Press Crafts and Resources - TONS of FREE printables your kids will love! >> The Five Solas: Signs to Follow on the Narrow Path Family Bible Study >> Reformed Faith and Family OCTOBER FREEBIE: Ten Men Who Led the Protestant Reformation Lesson (Just use coupon code "ReformationDay" at checkout through 10/31/2023) Keep Up with Reformed Faith and Family in the Following Ways: Never miss an episode, article, or a new FREEBIE by joining our weekly newsletter here: https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/subscribe/ Build your library with our recommended resources: https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/recommended-resources/ Read the latest articles: https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/blog/ Download your FREEBIES in our store: https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/store/ Check out the Swag Shop: https://reformedfaithandfamily.com/swag-shop/ WE HAVE A FAVOR TO ASK! If you are excited about our mission at Reformed Faith and Family to guide men and women as they seek to learn more about Reformed theology and equip families as they disciple their children, then please leave our podcast a 5-star review and share it with a friend. We appreciate each one of our faithful listeners, but we also depend on you to help us get the word out. Thank you for your continued support! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reformed-faith-and-family/message

1 John 1:1-4Rev. Erik Veerman11/06/2022Credible Witnesses of Credible FaithWe're beginning a new series this morning in the book of 1 John. You can find 1 John on page 1210 in the pew Bibles.I've been looking forward to our study and would encourage you to read through the book this week. It's 5 chapters. It will take us about 4 months to work through - four sermons this month and then after an advent break, we'll pick back up in January. It's highly likely that 1 John was written by the apostle John. John was one Jesus 12 disciples. His name is never mentioned in the book, but there's very compelling Scriptural and historical evidence that he authored it. We'll get into that today.We'll begin with chapter 1 verses 1-4.Reading pg 1 John 1:1-4PrayerFact or fiction? Genuine or in-authentic? Real or fake?We spend a lot of time these days trying to discern what is authentic and true.You would think, in our digital age where so many things are captured in images and videos, that it would be easy to determine what really happened versus what is made up. You would think that with all the information up there in the internet cloud, that we'd have all we need to know to figure out what is true and right versus what is false and wrong.But we don't. It's kind of the opposite, today. We're overwhelmed with the amount of stuff out there to sift through. Plus, everyone claims to know what is true and what is right.•            You see a picture of an event… but then later, someone claims it's just a deep fake - photoshopped by an expert graphic artist. •            Or you watch a video, but then someone claims it's been doctored with CGI. •            You hear a testimony of something that happened. But then you hear the other side – lies, they say. Fake news.How do you know what is true? Who can you trust?It's very unsettling. It's like the ground we are standing on is unstable and unsure. It affects our confidence in what we believe and know. Our souls are unsettled.A recent Barna survey found that 2/3 of Christians experience or have experienced spiritual doubts of some kind. 1/4 of Christians have ongoing doubts about faith and belief. That number is higher for younger generations. I've experienced it… uncertainty in my life, and many of you have or do as well.Doubt is part of the Christian experience. You are not alone. And the unsettledness of the world around us, the increasing plurality of views and beliefs only heightens the struggle.And you know this, it's more than just an intellectual exercise of figuring out what is right and wrong. It's personal. We ask ourselves, am I dedicating my life to something that is true? Or we ask, am I genuinely a Christian? How do I know?When you and I have these questions, we need to address them. If we bottle them up, that unsettledness is going to increase. And we need to come alongside of one another to think through and pray through those questions.And that is where the book of 1 John comes in. It's about discerning those things: what is true and right; what is authentic and credible; who to believe and what is faithful. 1 John is about you and me. It's about knowing and having assurance of our own faith. In fact, that word “know” comes up 32 times in these 5 chapters. Some instances are about having confidence in what we believe. Other uses are about knowing what is true faith verses what is not. Flip over to chapter 5. If you look at verse 13, it captures the purpose of 1 John: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” The author wants his readers to have confidence in their faith.My hope in this study is that we'll each come out of it with a solid foundation for our faith. That 1 John will help us have confidence in our faith… knowing what is right versus what is wrong, truth from error, and what can be trusted and what can't. I hope that it challenges and reinforces our beliefs and lives - not just individually but for us as a church. Is what we believe and practice faithful and true?Ok, let's spend a majority of our time this morning on two things. Authorship and situatuation.1. Authorship – Did the apostle John really write this letter?2. Situation – When and why did he write it?Does that sound boring? It may, but there are some really rich things in here for us. Understanding who wrote the book and why very much relates to knowing what is true and right and good.1. AuthorshipNow, one of the big differences between this book, 1 John, and other New Testament letters is that there's no opening salutation. The author doesn't say who he is and to whom he is writing. And that's the same for the ending. There's no final greeting; no concluding thank you's; no references to dear friends by name; and nowhere in the book does the author mention his name!We have all these unknowns in the letter, yet so many have attributed this letter to the apostle John.Why?Well, let me give you some answers. And I think you'll find them somewhat compelling and convicting.First, in the opening verses, the author basically tells us that he was a disciple of Jesus. He does that by describing Jesus and describing his interaction with Jesus. He doesn't name Jesus Christ until the end of verse 3, but he calls him “that which was from the beginning.” The author names him “the word of life.” He writes that this life “was with the father” and also “made manifest” which means, plainly revealed. All of that language is describing the son of God who came to us.And notice that the author uses the plural pronouns “we” and “us” to describe his interaction with Jesus. You're probably thinking, “Wait, wait, wait! You're telling me that there's one author to this book, and yet in the very opening verses there are 9 ‘we' and ‘us' references. It sure sounds to me like there are multiple authors!” I would agree with that, if all we had were these opening 4 verses. However, 10 times in the rest of the book, the author says “I write” or “I am writing.” The difference is, in these first 4 verses, the author is establishing his credibility. He's not just any other follower of Jesus who happens to be alive in the last decade of the first century. No, he was a disciple of Jesus. By using “we” he was emphasizing his identity as one of the 12 original disciples. “We” collectively witnessed Jesus personally. Multiple times: “we have heard,” “we have seen with our eyes,” “we looked upon and have touched with our hands,” “we have seen and heard and proclaim.” It's like the author was saying “My testimony about what is true and faithful (what you can believe!) comes from the word of life, himself, Jesus, and his message. We lived with him. We followed him. We were discipled by him. Even though these words are from my pen, they come from the credible testimony of all of us who were Jesus' disciples.”Beloved, these words that we will be studying are not just a letter from any old pastor to his congregation back in the first century. No, they are credible words from a credible source – a disciple of Jesus. It's why the church, through the Holy Spirit has recognized this book as authoritative and true. As Scripture.What I'm saying is that you can trust these words and believe them. Before moving on, let's go back to the specific question of authorship. You still may be thinking, “Ok, the author was a disciple of Jesus. I see that. But which disciple? Why John?” Well, that answer comes from two places. History and the content of the letter.On the history side, John was the longest living disciple of Jesus. Probably by 20-30 years. He lived into his mid-90s, which is incredible for that time period. Because of his age, he discipled many people. And John's disciples lived well into the second century. His most well-known disciple was Polycarp. He's considered one of the early church fathers. We have writings from Polycarp and other disciples of John. And they help answer our question. In their writings, they attribute this letter to John himself.But besides the history, the other thing that you may have noticed is the style and content. The wording is so similar to the Gospel of John. Earlier in the service we read the beginning verses of John's Gospel. The syntax and phrases are very similar… the word, life, in or from the beginning, made manifest. And the parallels continue throughout the book. Add to that, both books are less structured and more free flowing than other books of the Bible.This letter is beautifully composed with interwoven ideas. The author comes back around several times to earlier ideas, but adds further nuances and relationships. It's a work of art. It's like a John Williams symphony. You know, like Star Wars. The opening introduces the themes, and those melodies are highlighted throughout in different ways. Different instruments with different dynamics.The Gospel of John and this letter both have that style. As we work through 1 John, we'll see those repeated themes. I think you'll find it profound and compelling in different ways. There's a second content related reason why it makes sense for John to be the author. The book, in part, address the relationship between Jesus' humanity and divinity. It directly answers the question, was Jesus truly God? The way John answers that question indicates that some were teaching that Jesus wasn't fully God. Historically, those theological questions didn't begin to come up until the very end of the first century and in to the early second century. So, this letter was very likely written near the turn of the first century. And as I mentioned, John was the only disciple still living at that time.So, a letter written by a disciple of Jesus, a letter with very strong parallels to John's Gospel account, attributed to John by his own disciples, and a letter dealing with issues that John would have dealt with. I submit to you that this is God's Word given to us through the pen of the apostle John. It's credible. It's authenticate. We can trust it and believe it. It's not fake, but genuine. And it comes from a man who walked with Jesus. Who was one of Jesus' closest friends, called the disciple whom Jesus loved.The apostle John, disciple of Jesus, author of this book for us.2. SituationSo, that's the authorship question. Now let turn our attention to the situation.What was the occasion for this book? Why did John write this and to whom did he write?In a sense, we've already considered a couple of reasons. First, I mentioned the desire for John to give his readers assurance. To know whether their faith was authentic. Second, I mentioned that John addressed issues in the book related to Jesus' divinity and humanity – that he was God and man.But let me step back for a minute. Nowhere in the book are we told to whom John was writing. But what is really clear is that he knows them and he loves them. Something about 1 John is so endearing and personal. He loves this family of faith. He is so personally concerned about their beliefs, their love for each other, and how they are to live out their faith. He calls them children. Six times he calls them “beloved.” He knows them well.Now, I can't tell you for sure who specifically John wrote to, but I can say that he very likely wrote this after his exile on the island of Patmos. John had lived there for a few years. It's where God revealed the book of Revelation to him. Historical accounts indicate that after his exile, John lived the last years of his life in Ephesus. It's probable that he wrote this letter to the church in Ephesus, while he was living his final days among them. Ephesus was a very influential city in the region. The apostle Paul had planted a church there 40 or so years earlier. As an older man, it would have been a natural place for John to spend his final years in ministry.Now, we don't know for sure. And I don't think we will know who the audience is on this side of eternity.It's a good reminder that while yes, it was written by John to a specific people, yet we are also among God's intended audience. We can't lose sight of that fact. Yes, we have to understand it through the lens of the author and situation (and we're given some clues here). But God has also given us this word. It's for you and for me. It's for us to be challenged, and assured, and for us to know God in Christ.Ok, I have been thinking a lot about the occasion for John writing this letter and how it relates to us. While we don't know whether his audience really was the Ephesians, we do know the broader situation of the time. And I would say, challenges to Christianity at the end of the first century has some similarities to challenges that we face today, but from vastly different angles.Let's go back in time to sometime between the year 95 and 105 AD. And think about this: it had been 60-70 years since Jesus' death and resurrection. In those decades, Christianity had spread far and wide in the region. Also by that time, the Gospel accounts of Jesus life had been written, several letters were penned by different Apostles, but there was no complete New Testament yet. Copies of the different letters and historical accounts were still making their way around. Add to that, Paul had died 30 years earlier, and, as I mentioned, historical accounts indicate that all of Jesus disciples except John had also passed from this world. So they were in a precarious state. Different beliefs about Jesus and about Christianity began to emerge. Different teachers started teaching contradictory views. Imagine living in the early second century. And imagine hearing different teachings about Jesus, about your faith, about your living, about your relationships. Who do you trust? Where do you turn? How do you know what is right and wrong? How do you know if you are a Christian?The vacuum of authority was being filled by different views that contradicted one another. Do you see how that would be spiritually unsettling back then?And there's a similar spiritual unsettledness today. No, it's not a vacuum that's being filled, rather it's the opposite. It's a preponderance of beliefs and views and lifestyles out there. It's a similar struggle, but from the opposite side. We ask, how do I sort through it all? Where do I turn to find what's true and right and good? How do I know that I am following the right path?These are the very things that John is addressing in his letter.And you ask, where do I begin to get those answers?Well, in these opening verses, yes, John is establishing his credibility. Yes, he's telling them to listen to him. But the very center of his appeal is not himself. It's not him nor the other disciples who were with him that he's emphasizing. Rather, he is directing them to Jesus.Jesus is the overwhelming emphasis of these verses. He is where we should begin.John establishes the identity of Jesus as God in the flesh. He existed in the very beginning. Verse 1. And verse 2, he is the eternal life and he is with the Father. He has full fellowship with God the Father because, verse 3, he is God's Son. And John says his life was “made manifest.” He visibly and tangibly came to us. He became one of us.This Jesus, whom they saw, and touched, and with whom they had fellowship was God's very Son. He is God. Jesus is the one who makes their testimony credible. And all throughout this letter, John goes back to Jesus… to who he is and what he has done.And I want you to notice something in the very opening words. Notice the book begins with the word “that.” “that which was from the beginning.” Why didn't John begin with “who?” Why didn't he say, “he who was from the beginning?” That seems like it would be the more natural way to write about Christ.The reason is: John is not only speaking about Jesus (who he is), John is also speaking about Jesus' ministry and message. He doesn't just want them to know the person of Jesus. He also wants them to have fellowship with Jesus as well.He calls Jesus the “word of life.” That's very similar to the opening of John's Gospel. “In the beginning was the word” and a few verses later “and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” Christ is eternal life and he brings eternal life. That is why he is the word of life. You see, John was affirming both the person and work of Christ. John was pointing to Jesus' ministry which would bring life to them. The desire of John's heart was that they also would have fellowship with God through Christ Jesus (that's verse 3). And verse 4 reveals that John longed for this. It would be the joy of his heart for them to also know and believe and have fellowship with God through Christ. For those of us here who have that fellowship, it would also be our joy, for you come to the one true God through Christ.ConclusionJohn begins his letter with the foundation upon which to set our spiritual feet. He wants us to know the true Jesus and have faith in him. Let me boil it down to this: the credible witness to which John and the disciples testified is Christ. He is the eternal God, the word of life, he came to give us life. It's through him we can know God, and through which we can know what good and right and true.With all the shifting sand below our feet, we can trust him. When doubts come about our faith, we can look to Jesus.When were not sure who to trust and what to believe, we can turn to the credible life and ministry of Jesus, who was from the beginning.When we question our faith, when we wonder if we have true faith, we can come to the one who has given us faith… the word of life who is the only giver of life.IntroductionOur sermon text this morning is from the book of Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 1-10. Page 1159. This letter was written by the apostle Paul to the church in Ephesus. Ephesus is on the western shore of modern-day Turkey. Paul spent about 3 years in Ephesus and he wrote this letter a few years after that time. The apostle's purpose was to encourage them in what they believed and how that belief should be worked out in their lives.The reason we're studying these particular verses, is that out of the entire New Testament, I think these verses capture the very heart of Salvation in Christ. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. That Biblical teaching was the center of the Protestant Reformation. So, since tomorrow is the anniversary of the Reformation, we'll be focusing on Ephesians 2.READ Ephesians 2:1-10PRAYWhy does the Protestant Reformation matter? Why take one of our Sunday morning worship services to focus on it?That question is very legitimate. You should be asking it. Many of you have probably wondered why. Well, I hope to answer those questions this morning with a little history and an analysis of these verses.And by the way, I don't intend this to be an annual thing. We just happened to be between sermon series, so I thought it would be a good day to focus on these reformation principles that Scripture teaches.And another important question is, what was the Protestant Reformation? I can't really answer why it matters without answering the “what.” And to do that, we need to begin with the early church. 2000 years ago Jesus commissioned his apostles to establish his church. As the New Testament describes it, the church includes the people of God throughout all time from every tribe, tongue, and nation, who believed in Jesus, God's son, as Savior. The book of Acts, which we studied last year, describes the explosion of growth of the church beginning in Jerusalem. It expanded throughout the Mediterranean region and began to go to the ends of the earth. That growth and expansion to every tribe, tongue, and nation, is continuing today.But even with the tremendous growth of the church over the centuries, the church has struggled in different ways. In the Roman Empire, Christianity spread all throughout. In the 4th century, civil leaders including the emperor became so sympathetic to Christianity, that it became the religion of the state. It was quite the turn of events, especially after the persecution of Christians in the first three centuries. Becoming the formal religion of the empire may sound good, but it caused a lot of problems. It mixed the civil authority and church leadership. When that happened, the church began to lose its focus and mission. The purposes of the state filtered into the church. The civil magistrates became leaders of the church because of the overlap. Wars were even fought in the name of Christianity. Besides the unholy mixture, it also led to many abuses involving power and money. That only increased over time. Men could buy their way into leadership in the church. That's how corrupt the church had become. And over the centuries, a separation grew between the people and the church authority. By the 14th and 15th centuries, Christianity didn't look anything like Biblical Christianity today. The people were not allowed to read the Bible for themselves. No, that was reserved for the clergy. The worship services were in Latin, not the language of the people. The church even taught and practiced that you could buy forgiveness of sins for yourself and even your deceased loved ones.You ask, how could all of that continue? Wasn't there anyone who understood what the Scriptures taught and could stand up for the truth? Well, yes! Many tried to, but they were burned alive for their teaching.On the outside, the Gospel had been lost, the Scriptures were obscured, and the church was corrupt.But God was at work. By the 16th century, God had begun to stir a revolution in the hearts and minds of his true people.On October 31st, 1517, a young Augustinian Monk, named Martin Luther, walked across town. He lived in the little town of Wittenburg in the northern part of Germany. He unfolded a parchment and nailed to the door of Castle Church. It included 95 statements or theses. Each highlighted a different abuse in the church that didn't align with what the Bible taught - 95 of them.There was no fanfare or press. At the time, if you had something to announce, you put it on the door of the church. Luther merely wanted to dialog about these abuses. But some of Luther's students took his 95 theses, copied them, and distributed them all over the region.The 95 theses were the spark that started the flame of the Protestant Reformation. Protestant meaning protest and reformation meaning a re-formation back to what the Scriptures taught.The reformation literally changed the world. Many have called the Protestant Reformation the most significant historical event of the last 2000 years, at least in western culture. And that Reformation is still continuing today. I think the further out we get from the reformation, the broader the impact that it has, not just in western culture, but all across the world. And it has impacted the world in lots of different ways… literacy and education, vocation and work ethic, the separation of church and state, seeing all people as being created in the image of God, to name a few.But what was and is the most significant impact of the Reformation?Well, the most significant impact of the Protestant Reformation was and is the recovery of the Gospel. God used the Reformation to restore to prominence the centrality of salvation by faith in Christ alone.We may take it for granted today, but back then, the Gospel had been hidden, bottled up, concealed. It was, in a sense, lost.And here is where Ephesians 2:1-10 comes in. It teaches the heart of the Gospel. These verses capture very well what was brought to light again. The phrase that summarizes it this: Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.This is what the reformers taught, but they didn't make it up! No, they were teaching what the Scriptures teach about salvation. Look at Ephesians 2 and jump down to verse 8. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”We could probably end right there, and we'd be good. But let's work some of these details. •            “by grace alone” point 1. •            “through faith alone” point 2. •            “in Christ alone” point 3.1. By Grace AloneSo first, by grace alone. That word grace is scattered throughout these verses. It means an undeserved gift. And I think if you had to come up with a full definition of what grace is, you would look no further than Ephesians 2:1-10. It doesn't just tell us that salvation is a gift from God. No, it also tells us why it is a gift.Verses 1-3 get to the problem – we were dead in our sins! This is talking about spiritual death. We may have been alive in our bodies, but we were of the devil. We had no capacity to know God, no capacity to believe, no hope for any kind of reconciliation with God, and no future with him. Not half dead. Spiritually dead as a doornail.But even though we were dead, we were made alive by God's grace. That's right in verses 4 and 5 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”The image here is not of God coming halfway down to us, and we coming halfway to him, meeting in the middle. No! We had no spiritual pulse. We were doomed. We had no ability in any way to come to God. It is all God's work. He fully comes down to us. “Grace alone” captures both the gift part and the undeserved part.There's a great quote about the reformation understanding of “grace alone.” I don't know who to attribute it to because it's been used so widely without reference. Grace alone means “grace at the start, grace to the end, grace in the middle, grace without fail, grace without mixture, grace without addition, grace that allows no boasting, and grace that precludes all glorying but in the Lord.”Salvation is all a gift of grace from God from beginning to end.When I was in college, a couple times we would go to the local community college and talk to people. Our desire was to share the hope of Christ. We used a survey to start the conversation – and one of the questions was this “why should God let you in to his heaven?” Almost every single person said this “because I am a good person.” That's our natural inclination, isn't it? To think that we're good enough for God to accept us. That we can reach out to God and then he'll reach out to us.The problem is, that's not what the Scriptures teach. Like it says in Ephesians 2, we're dead in our sin. We're children of wrath. There's nothing we can do to come to God or be acceptable in his sight. Rather, it's all his grace. The end of verse 8 into verse 9 captures it well. “…it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” When we see that salvation is all by God's grace, it humbles us and directs our gaze to him, seeking to glorify him.Romans 11 also captures it well. Verse 6 “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”In salvation, God take our cold dead hearts that deserve nothing but hell, and he gives us a new heart. It's all by his grace. Nothing else. The Holy Spirit awakens us and brings us to Christ. God frees us from the penalty of sin, raising us from spiritual death, and bringing us to spiritual life. None of it is our own doing.Salvation is by grace alone. There's no merit in salvation. We were dead, and he made us alive.Grace alone.2. Through Faith AloneAnd second, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone.Martin Luther lived on the eastern side of Wittenburg. The building was known as the Black Cloister. It was a three-story building, built earlier in the 16th century for the clergy – for monks. In 1517, it was where Luther and about a dozen other monks lived, who served the town. Eventually, that same building, the Black Cloister, would become the home where he and Katie would raise their children, and host their famous Tabletalk gatherings. In the front of the building was a spiral tower that rose above the structure. Up high in the tower was a study room. Luther spent a lot of time there studying, and thinking, and praying. In fact, at one point Luther locked himself in his tower study for a couple of days. He was so engrossed in his research and prayer that he tuned the world out. Well, Katie, it's said, got so fed up with it, so she took the hinges off the door, in order to break him out.But let's go back to 1517. I think it's true to say that Luther's 95 grievances sparked the reformation. But what brought Luther to that point? When did his heart change?Later in his life, Luther wrote about his “tower” experience. You see, earlier in 1517, he was in the Black Cloister tower… and he was thinking about God's righteousness. One of the things that haunted Luther up to that point was the idea of God's righteousness. It brought terror to his heart. Fear gripped him at the mere thought of the almighty God's divine justice. It angered him. Luther wrote that he “raged with a fierce and troubled conscience over it.” He wrote that he hated the righteousness of God, which punishes sinners.And as he grappled with God's righteousness in the Black Cloister tower, he was reading Romans 1:17. That was part of our assurance of pardon this morning. You can read it in the order of service. Verse 16 speaks about the Gospel, which it defines as “the power of God for salvation for those who believe.” And then in verse 17, it says, “For in it [in the Gospel], the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.'”And there in the tower in early 1517, God revealed to Luther justification by faith. The eyes of his heart were opened. All the lies from the church about merit-based salvation came crashing down. Luther came to understand that our righteousness is not a righteousness of our own based on works. Rather, he came to understand that it is a righteousness that comes from God through faith. It is a righteousness given to us, when we believe by faith. That faith itself also being a gift from God.Luther wrote of that day in the tower that he felt that he was altogether born again and “had entered paradise itself through the open gates.” He wrote later in life that, “there I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith.” And so it began. The gospel flame of justification by faith in Luther's heart, which God would use to spark the Reformation.It could be said that the Reformation started, not when Luther posted his 95 critiques of the church, but a few months earlier. In that Black Cloister tower, God brought him from a place of crisis to a place of believing in the righteousness of God through faith.But what is faith? As Hebrews 11 says, faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” That conviction and hope involves knowing, believing, and trusting in God. Faith is the means or the instrument, through which we participate in the righteousness of God. Let's go back to Ephesians 2 verse 8 again. “for by grace you have been saved through faith.” The prepositions are important here. We're saved “by” grace, “through” faith. The power of salvation come by God's grace. It's received, “through faith.” Through meaning faith is the avenue or channel. Faith is not the thing that does the justifying, rather it's the thing through which we receive righteousness from God in Christ. To be sure, it's fine to say “by faith.” The Scriptures use that description as well. We “walk by faith,” we “live by faith.” But here in Ephesians 2, it is defining the relationship between grace and faith. It helpfully says by grace, through faith. Our faith does not justify us. God does. We receive his righteousness through faith. In just a couple of minutes we'll consider the grounds of our justification, but faith is the channel through which God saves us. We are saved by the gift of grace alone, which we receive through faith alone.It's really important to understand that these three concepts cannot be separated. By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The unmerited saving grace of God is the gift of Christ. And the faith that God gives is a faith in Christ for what he has done. It's not works, it's not merit or any special status that someone has, rather it's a gift from God. In other words, the grace of God and the faith that God gives us is inseparable from the ministry of Christ. 3. In Christ Alone“In Christ alone” mean that the grace and faith are in Christ alone. In other words, God's grace comes to us only in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the object of our faith. We believe by faith in Christ. You see, it's a package deal, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.Ephesians 2 makes that clear. •            Verse 5, “even when we were dead in our trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ.” Our spiritual deadness was remedied by Christ. We've been made alive with him. That is God's grace in Christ for us now.•            And Verse 6 – God “raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” This speaks of God's future grace for us in Christ. Verse 7 verifies that. It says, “so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” The immeasurable riches of God's grace is found in Christ.Our faith is in the grace given to us in Christ.When we say that salvation is in Christ alone, we are saying three things.•            First, the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was the only sacrifice that could atone for sin. His ransom payment is the only payment sufficient to pay our debt. Nothing else. •            But also, and second, Christ is our only savior. No one else and nothing else can save us from death and damnation and give us eternal hope. He alone can save.•            And third, he is the only mediator between God and man. Jesus is the only one we need to go to for forgiveness and to be in communion with God. There's no one else.In the 16th century, the church was not teaching that salvation was found in Christ alone. In fact, much of the teaching was quite the opposite. The “mass” which was their worship service, included the idea of re-sacrificing Christ. That was part of their understanding of communion. In other words, Jesus' sacrifice was not a once-and-for-all sacrifice. Related to that, the church also believed that taking the Lord's Supper was necessary for salvation. It gave you saving grace, not just God's sustaining grace. Furthermore, they believed the priests played a mediatorial role. You had to go to a priest to confess and receive forgiveness. But Christ alone is our mediator. Even worse, the church taught that you had to pay for your sin and work for your salvation. That included paying money, called indulgences. You had to recite certain prayers and live a good life in order for God to accept you. You see, salvation wasn't a free gift. Christ's payment wasn't sufficient. In other words, Salvation wasn't by faith alone in Christ alone, it included faith plus a priest, faith plus taking communion, faith plus indulgences, and other types of faith plus works.ConclusionBut the fire of the Reformation had been started. As the Scriptures were being taught, all these false views of salvation were being exposed. God was on move in the hearts and minds of many. One of those was a young French law student, who at some point in the early 1530s came to an understanding of grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. His name was John Calvin. In 1533 he wrote a speech for one of the bishops of the church in Paris. In it were these words: “[the priests] teach nothing of faith, nothing of the love of God, nothing of the remission of sins, nothing of grace, nothing of justification; or if they do so, they pervert and undermine it all…. I beg you, who are here present, not to tolerate any longer these heresies and abuses.” As you can imagine, that speech, although true, caused an uproar. Persecution began to spread throughout France. Both the Bishop who delivered the address, and Calvin who wrote it, fled for their lives. Calvin, allegedly, had to dress up as a gardener and be lowered down by a sheet from a window to escape. He would flee to Switzerland and eventually ended up in Geneva. He became yet another pillar used by God, to bring about a true revival of what the Scriptures teach.The heart of the Gospel as Ephesians 2:1-10 teaches, would not and will not be repressed. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone.May we each know and believe in the love of God in Christ… that while we were dead in our sin, God made us alive in Christ, by his grace. We receive it not by works, not by merit, but through faith. It's the only hope we have. Amen.

On October 31, 1517, a German monk nailed his 95 Theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, changing the world forever. In today's special edition, hear a discussion that R.C. Sproul shared with Chris Larson and Lee Webb about Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Get R.C. Sproul's New Book 'Luther and the Reformation' plus the DVD Series for Your Gift of Any Amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/2393/luther-and-the-reformation Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind.org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources.

Reformation Day is celebrated by Protestant Christians as the day to recognize and commemorate Martin Luther's nailing his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. What caused the reformation? What were the religious, social, and economic events that were happening in that day? On Monday's Mornings with Eric and Brigitte, President of Knox Theological Seminary, Dr. Scott Manor and Professor of Biblical Studies, Sam Lamerson join us to discuss how the church should think about reformation today, and are there parts of the reformation that the church has forgotten about and needs to be reminded of?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ephesians 2:1-10Rev. Erik Veerman10/30/2022By Grace Alone, Through Faith Alone, in Christ AloneIntroductionOur sermon text this morning is from the book of Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 1-10. Page 1159. This letter was written by the apostle Paul to the church in Ephesus. Ephesus is on the western shore of modern-day Turkey. Paul spent about 3 years in Ephesus and he wrote this letter a few years after that time. The apostle's purpose was to encourage them in what they believed and how that belief should be worked out in their lives.The reason we're studying these particular verses, is that out of the entire New Testament, I think these verses capture the very heart of Salvation in Christ. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. That Biblical teaching was the center of the Protestant Reformation. So, since tomorrow is the anniversary of the Reformation, we'll be focusing on Ephesians 2.READ Ephesians 2:1-10PRAYWhy does the Protestant Reformation matter? Why take one of our Sunday morning worship services to focus on it?That question is very legitimate. You should be asking it. Many of you have probably wondered why. Well, I hope to answer those questions this morning with a little history and an analysis of these verses.And by the way, I don't intend this to be an annual thing. We just happened to be between sermon series, so I thought it would be a good day to focus on these reformation principles that Scripture teaches.And another important question is, what was the Protestant Reformation? I can't really answer why it matters without answering the “what.” And to do that, we need to begin with the early church. 2000 years ago Jesus commissioned his apostles to establish his church. As the New Testament describes it, the church includes the people of God throughout all time from every tribe, tongue, and nation, who believed in Jesus, God's son, as Savior. The book of Acts, which we studied last year, describes the explosion of growth of the church beginning in Jerusalem. It expanded throughout the Mediterranean region and began to go to the ends of the earth. That growth and expansion to every tribe, tongue, and nation, is continuing today.But even with the tremendous growth of the church over the centuries, the church has struggled in different ways. In the Roman Empire, Christianity spread all throughout. In the 4th century, civil leaders including the emperor became so sympathetic to Christianity, that it became the religion of the state. It was quite the turn of events, especially after the persecution of Christians in the first three centuries. Becoming the formal religion of the empire may sound good, but it caused a lot of problems. It mixed the civil authority and church leadership. When that happened, the church began to lose its focus and mission. The purposes of the state filtered into the church. The civil magistrates became leaders of the church because of the overlap. Wars were even fought in the name of Christianity. Besides the unholy mixture, it also led to many abuses involving power and money. That only increased over time. Men could buy their way into leadership in the church. That's how corrupt the church had become. And over the centuries, a separation grew between the people and the church authority. By the 14th and 15th centuries, Christianity didn't look anything like Biblical Christianity today. The people were not allowed to read the Bible for themselves. No, that was reserved for the clergy. The worship services were in Latin, not the language of the people. The church even taught and practiced that you could buy forgiveness of sins for yourself and even your deceased loved ones.You ask, how could all of that continue? Wasn't there anyone who understood what the Scriptures taught and could stand up for the truth? Well, yes! Many tried to, but they were burned alive for their teaching.On the outside, the Gospel had been lost, the Scriptures were obscured, and the church was corrupt.But God was at work. By the 16th century, God had begun to stir a revolution in the hearts and minds of his true people.On October 31st, 1517, a young Augustinian Monk, named Martin Luther, walked across town. He lived in the little town of Wittenburg in the northern part of Germany. He unfolded a parchment and nailed to the door of Castle Church. It included 95 statements or theses. Each highlighted a different abuse in the church that didn't align with what the Bible taught - 95 of them.There was no fanfare or press. At the time, if you had something to announce, you put it on the door of the church. Luther merely wanted to dialog about these abuses. But some of Luther's students took his 95 theses, copied them, and distributed them all over the region.The 95 theses were the spark that started the flame of the Protestant Reformation. Protestant meaning protest and reformation meaning a re-formation back to what the Scriptures taught.The reformation literally changed the world. Many have called the Protestant Reformation the most significant historical event of the last 2000 years, at least in western culture. And that Reformation is still continuing today. I think the further out we get from the reformation, the broader the impact that it has, not just in western culture, but all across the world. And it has impacted the world in lots of different ways… literacy and education, vocation and work ethic, the separation of church and state, seeing all people as being created in the image of God, to name a few.But what was and is the most significant impact of the Reformation?Well, the most significant impact of the Protestant Reformation was and is the recovery of the Gospel. God used the Reformation to restore to prominence the centrality of salvation by faith in Christ alone.We may take it for granted today, but back then, the Gospel had been hidden, bottled up, concealed. It was, in a sense, lost.And here is where Ephesians 2:1-10 comes in. It teaches the heart of the Gospel. These verses capture very well what was brought to light again. The phrase that summarizes it this: Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.This is what the reformers taught, but they didn't make it up! No, they were teaching what the Scriptures teach about salvation. Look at Ephesians 2 and jump down to verse 8. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”We could probably end right there, and we'd be good. But let's work some of these details. • “by grace alone” point 1. • “through faith alone” point 2. • “in Christ alone” point 3.1. By Grace AloneSo first, by grace alone. That word grace is scattered throughout these verses. It means an undeserved gift. And I think if you had to come up with a full definition of what grace is, you would look no further than Ephesians 2:1-10. It doesn't just tell us that salvation is a gift from God. No, it also tells us why it is a gift.Verses 1-3 get to the problem – we were dead in our sins! This is talking about spiritual death. We may have been alive in our bodies, but we were of the devil. We had no capacity to know God, no capacity to believe, no hope for any kind of reconciliation with God, and no future with him. Not half dead. Spiritually dead as a doornail.But even though we were dead, we were made alive by God's grace. That's right in verses 4 and 5 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”The image here is not of God coming halfway down to us, and we coming halfway to him, meeting in the middle. No! We had no spiritual pulse. We were doomed. We had no ability in any way to come to God. It is all God's work. He fully comes down to us. “Grace alone” captures both the gift part and the undeserved part.There's a great quote about the reformation understanding of “grace alone.” I don't know who to attribute it to because it's been used so widely without reference. Grace alone means “grace at the start, grace to the end, grace in the middle, grace without fail, grace without mixture, grace without addition, grace that allows no boasting, and grace that precludes all glorying but in the Lord.”Salvation is all a gift of grace from God from beginning to end.When I was in college, a couple times we would go to the local community college and talk to people. Our desire was to share the hope of Christ. We used a survey to start the conversation – and one of the questions was this “why should God let you in to his heaven?” Almost every single person said this “because I am a good person.” That's our natural inclination, isn't it? To think that we're good enough for God to accept us. That we can reach out to God and then he'll reach out to us.The problem is, that's not what the Scriptures teach. Like it says in Ephesians 2, we're dead in our sin. We're children of wrath. There's nothing we can do to come to God or be acceptable in his sight. Rather, it's all his grace. The end of verse 8 into verse 9 captures it well. “…it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” When we see that salvation is all by God's grace, it humbles us and directs our gaze to him, seeking to glorify him.Romans 11 also captures it well. Verse 6 “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”In salvation, God take our cold dead hearts that deserve nothing but hell, and he gives us a new heart. It's all by his grace. Nothing else. The Holy Spirit awakens us and brings us to Christ. God frees us from the penalty of sin, raising us from spiritual death, and bringing us to spiritual life. None of it is our own doing.Salvation is by grace alone. There's no merit in salvation. We were dead, and he made us alive.Grace alone.2. Through Faith AloneAnd second, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone.Martin Luther lived on the eastern side of Wittenburg. The building was known as the Black Cloister. It was a three-story building, built earlier in the 16th century for the clergy – for monks. In 1517, it was where Luther and about a dozen other monks lived, who served the town. Eventually, that same building, the Black Cloister, would become the home where he and Katie would raise their children, and host their famous Tabletalk gatherings. In the front of the building was a spiral tower that rose above the structure. Up high in the tower was a study room. Luther spent a lot of time there studying, and thinking, and praying. In fact, at one point Luther locked himself in his tower study for a couple of days. He was so engrossed in his research and prayer that he tuned the world out. Well, Katie, it's said, got so fed up with it, so she took the hinges off the door, in order to break him out.But let's go back to 1517. I think it's true to say that Luther's 95 grievances sparked the reformation. But what brought Luther to that point? When did his heart change?Later in his life, Luther wrote about his “tower” experience. You see, earlier in 1517, he was in the Black Cloister tower… and he was thinking about God's righteousness. One of the things that haunted Luther up to that point was the idea of God's righteousness. It brought terror to his heart. Fear gripped him at the mere thought of the almighty God's divine justice. It angered him. Luther wrote that he “raged with a fierce and troubled conscience over it.” He wrote that he hated the righteousness of God, which punishes sinners.And as he grappled with God's righteousness in the Black Cloister tower, he was reading Romans 1:17. That was part of our assurance of pardon this morning. You can read it in the order of service. Verse 16 speaks about the Gospel, which it defines as “the power of God for salvation for those who believe.” And then in verse 17, it says, “For in it [in the Gospel], the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.'”And there in the tower in early 1517, God revealed to Luther justification by faith. The eyes of his heart were opened. All the lies from the church about merit-based salvation came crashing down. Luther came to understand that our righteousness is not a righteousness of our own based on works. Rather, he came to understand that it is a righteousness that comes from God through faith. It is a righteousness given to us, when we believe by faith. That faith itself also being a gift from God.Luther wrote of that day in the tower that he felt that he was altogether born again and “had entered paradise itself through the open gates.” He wrote later in life that, “there I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith.” And so it began. The gospel flame of justification by faith in Luther's heart, which God would use to spark the Reformation.It could be said that the Reformation started, not when Luther posted his 95 critiques of the church, but a few months earlier. In that Black Cloister tower, God brought him from a place of crisis to a place of believing in the righteousness of God through faith.But what is faith? As Hebrews 11 says, faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” That conviction and hope involves knowing, believing, and trusting in God. Faith is the means or the instrument, through which we participate in the righteousness of God. Let's go back to Ephesians 2 verse 8 again. “for by grace you have been saved through faith.” The prepositions are important here. We're saved “by” grace, “through” faith. The power of salvation come by God's grace. It's received, “through faith.” Through meaning faith is the avenue or channel. Faith is not the thing that does the justifying, rather it's the thing through which we receive righteousness from God in Christ. To be sure, it's fine to say “by faith.” The Scriptures use that description as well. We “walk by faith,” we “live by faith.” But here in Ephesians 2, it is defining the relationship between grace and faith. It helpfully says by grace, through faith. Our faith does not justify us. God does. We receive his righteousness through faith. In just a couple of minutes we'll consider the grounds of our justification, but faith is the channel through which God saves us. We are saved by the gift of grace alone, which we receive through faith alone.It's really important to understand that these three concepts cannot be separated. By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The unmerited saving grace of God is the gift of Christ. And the faith that God gives is a faith in Christ for what he has done. It's not works, it's not merit or any special status that someone has, rather it's a gift from God. In other words, the grace of God and the faith that God gives us is inseparable from the ministry of Christ. 3. In Christ Alone“In Christ alone” mean that the grace and faith are in Christ alone. In other words, God's grace comes to us only in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the object of our faith. We believe by faith in Christ. You see, it's a package deal, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.Ephesians 2 makes that clear. • Verse 5, “even when we were dead in our trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ.” Our spiritual deadness was remedied by Christ. We've been made alive with him. That is God's grace in Christ for us now.• And Verse 6 – God “raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” This speaks of God's future grace for us in Christ. Verse 7 verifies that. It says, “so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” The immeasurable riches of God's grace is found in Christ.Our faith is in the grace given to us in Christ.When we say that salvation is in Christ alone, we are saying three things.• First, the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was the only sacrifice that could atone for sin. His ransom payment is the only payment sufficient to pay our debt. Nothing else. • But also, and second, Christ is our only savior. No one else and nothing else can save us from death and damnation and give us eternal hope. He alone can save.• And third, he is the only mediator between God and man. Jesus is the only one we need to go to for forgiveness and to be in communion with God. There's no one else.In the 16th century, the church was not teaching that salvation was found in Christ alone. In fact, much of the teaching was quite the opposite. The “mass” which was their worship service, included the idea of re-sacrificing Christ. That was part of their understanding of communion. In other words, Jesus' sacrifice was not a once-and-for-all sacrifice. Related to that, the church also believed that taking the Lord's Supper was necessary for salvation. It gave you saving grace, not just God's sustaining grace. Furthermore, they believed the priests played a mediatorial role. You had to go to a priest to confess and receive forgiveness. But Christ alone is our mediator. Even worse, the church taught that you had to pay for your sin and work for your salvation. That included paying money, called indulgences. You had to recite certain prayers and live a good life in order for God to accept you. You see, salvation wasn't a free gift. Christ's payment wasn't sufficient. In other words, Salvation wasn't by faith alone in Christ alone, it included faith plus a priest, faith plus taking communion, faith plus indulgences, and other types of faith plus works.ConclusionBut the fire of the Reformation had been started. As the Scriptures were being taught, all these false views of salvation were being exposed. God was on move in the hearts and minds of many. One of those was a young French law student, who at some point in the early 1530s came to an understanding of grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. His name was John Calvin. In 1533 he wrote a speech for one of the bishops of the church in Paris. In it were these words: “[the priests] teach nothing of faith, nothing of the love of God, nothing of the remission of sins, nothing of grace, nothing of justification; or if they do so, they pervert and undermine it all…. I beg you, who are here present, not to tolerate any longer these heresies and abuses.” As you can imagine, that speech, although true, caused an uproar. Persecution began to spread throughout France. Both the Bishop who delivered the address, and Calvin who wrote it, fled for their lives. Calvin, allegedly, had to dress up as a gardener and be lowered down by a sheet from a window to escape. He would flee to Switzerland and eventually ended up in Geneva. He became yet another pillar used by God, to bring about a true revival of what the Scriptures teach.The heart of the Gospel as Ephesians 2:1-10 teaches, would not and will not be repressed. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone.May we each know and believe in the love of God in Christ… that while we were dead in our sin, God made us alive in Christ, by his grace. We receive it not by works, not by merit, but through faith. It's the only hope we have. Amen.

The Protestant Reformation was launched by Martin Luther on October 31, 1517 by posting 95 theses for debate on the community bulletin board, the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Saxony, Germany. These documents went viral and in a short time nearly everyone was aware that something was happening that would change everything. The rest is history. This action by Luther began a process that restored attention to the completed work of Jesus for us in the Cross and Resurrection, and underlined the biblical teaching of salvation by grace through faith alone. This is the issue on which the Church stands or falls. It is the core of what we preach and teach at Ablaze Church.

The Protestant Reformation was launched by Martin Luther on October 31, 1517 by posting 95 theses for debate on the community bulletin board, the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Saxony, Germany. These documents went viral and in a short time nearly everyone was aware that something was happening that would change everything. The rest is history. This action by Luther began a process that restored attention to the completed work of Jesus for us in the Cross and Resurrection, and underlined the biblical teaching of salvation by grace through faith alone. This is the issue on which the Church stands or falls. It is the core of what we preach and teach at Ablaze Church.

The Protestant Reformation was launched by Martin Luther on October 31, 1517 by posting 95 theses for debate on the community bulletin board, the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Saxony, Germany. These documents went viral and in a short time nearly everyone was aware that something was happening that would change everything. The rest is history. This action by Luther began a process that restored attention to the completed work of Jesus for us in the Cross and Resurrection, and underlined the biblical teaching of salvation by grace through faith alone. This is the issue on which the Church stands or falls. It is the core of what we preach and teach at Ablaze Church.

In 1517, on October the 31, a priest in a small town in Germany changed western civilization forever. As Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Castle Church door, the Protestant Reformation began. Five hundred years later, is the Reformation over? Or is there still work to be done? Join John Bradshaw on location for the first episode of "500."

In 1517, on October the 31, a priest in a small town in Germany changed western civilization forever. As Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Castle Church door, the Protestant Reformation began. Five hundred years later, is the Reformation over? Or is there still work to be done? Join John Bradshaw on location for the first episode of "500."

On October 31st, 1517, thirty-three-year-old priest and professor of theology, Martin Luther, nailed his academic disputes against the papal practice of indulgences onto the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg. The theses were originally written in Latin, the academic language of the day. Luther was excommunicated by pope Leo X in 1520, and declared an outlaw of the Holy Roman Empire by Charles V in 1521. This event has often been seen as the spark that set the Protestant Reformation ablaze, yet few today are familiar with the content of the 95 Theses. They are presented here in three installments to familiarize a new generation with these world-shaking propositions. If you enjoy our content, consider donating through PayPal via https://ko-fi.com/thechristianatheist https://www.youtube.com/c/TheChristianAtheist/featured https://www.facebook.com/JnJWiseWords https://wisewordsforyouroccasion.wordpress.com   For more great content, check out our other podcasts: Simple Gifts: where the written word is spoken for you … https://pod.link/1557528158 The Christian Atheist: where faith and reason fuse in the incarnation …https://pod.link/1553077203 #martinluther #95theses #castlechurchwittenburg #reformation #protestant #1517 #protestantism #lutheran #popeleox #holyromanempire #charlesv #excommunication #thechristianatheist #drjohndwise #drjohnwise #johnwise #christian #atheist #christianity #atheism #jesus #jesuschrist #god #bible #oldtestament #newtestament #nocompromise #rationality #faith #philosophy #philosopher #culture #society #hegelianism  #hegel #reason #incarnation #history#psychology #theology #literature #humanities #hardquestions #postmodernism #woke #wisdom #ethics #science #poetry #paradox #oxymoron

On October 31st, 1517, thirty-three-year-old priest and professor of theology, Martin Luther, nailed his academic disputes against the papal practice of indulgences onto the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg. The theses were originally written in Latin, the academic language of the day. Luther was excommunicated by pope Leo X in 1520, and declared an outlaw of the Holy Roman Empire by Charles V in 1521. This event has often been seen as the spark that set the Protestant Reformation ablaze, yet few today are familiar with the content of the 95 Theses. They are presented here in three installments to familiarize a new generation with these world-shaking propositions. If you enjoy our content, consider donating through PayPal via https://ko-fi.com/thechristianatheist https://www.youtube.com/c/TheChristianAtheist/featured https://www.facebook.com/JnJWiseWords https://wisewordsforyouroccasion.wordpress.com   For more great content, check out our other podcasts: Simple Gifts: where the written word is spoken for you … https://pod.link/1557528158 The Christian Atheist: where faith and reason fuse in the incarnation …https://pod.link/1553077203 #martinluther #95theses #castlechurchwittenburg #reformation #protestant #1517 #protestantism #lutheran #popeleox #holyromanempire #charlesv #excommunication #thechristianatheist #drjohndwise #drjohnwise #johnwise #christian #atheist #christianity #atheism #jesus #jesuschrist #god #bible #oldtestament #newtestament #nocompromise #rationality #faith #philosophy #philosopher #culture #society #hegelianism  #hegel #reason #incarnation #history#psychology #theology #literature #humanities #hardquestions #postmodernism #woke #wisdom #ethics #science #poetry #paradox #oxymoron

On October 31st, 1517, thirty-three-year-old priest and professor of theology, Martin Luther, nailed his academic disputes against the papal practice of indulgences onto the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg. The theses were originally written in Latin, the academic language of the day. Luther was excommunicated by pope Leo X in 1520, and declared an outlaw of the Holy Roman Empire by Charles V in 1521. This event has often been seen as the spark that set the Protestant Reformation ablaze, yet few today are familiar with the content of the 95 Theses. They are presented here in three installments to familiarize a new generation with these world-shaking propositions. If you enjoy our content, consider donating through PayPal via https://ko-fi.com/thechristianatheist https://www.youtube.com/c/TheChristianAtheist/featured https://www.facebook.com/JnJWiseWords https://wisewordsforyouroccasion.wordpress.com   For more great content, check out our other podcasts: Simple Gifts: where the written word is spoken for you … https://pod.link/1557528158 The Christian Atheist: where faith and reason fuse in the incarnation …https://pod.link/1553077203 #martinluther #95theses #castlechurchwittenburg #reformation #protestant #1517 #protestantism #lutheran #popeleox #holyromanempire #charlesv #excommunication #thechristianatheist #drjohndwise #drjohnwise #johnwise #christian #atheist #christianity #atheism #jesus #jesuschrist #god #bible #oldtestament #newtestament #nocompromise #rationality #faith #philosophy #philosopher #culture #society #hegelianism  #hegel #reason #incarnation #history#psychology #theology #literature #humanities #hardquestions #postmodernism #woke #wisdom #ethics #science #poetry #paradox #oxymoron

There are times in the course of history when streams of thought, new ideologies, and momentous events come together to form defining moments that affect and change the course of human history forever. The 16th century was such a time. A moment in history when a door for massive change opened. It was a time of religious awakening; it saw the invention of the printing press; it was an age of exploration and discovery. And, in a sense, it was all encapsulated in one pivotal moment on the 31st October, 1517, when a young German monk, Martin Luther, strode to the Castle Church in the town of Wittenberg and nailed 95 propositions on the front door.  These propositions, or questions, challenged the power and authority of the most powerful empire on earth – an empire that had ruled for a thousand years. His actions set in motion a course of events that would reshape Western civilization and change the world forever.  But this pivotal moment didn't happen in a vacuum.  Just as sunrise is proceeded by the morning star so Martin Luther and the Reformation were proceeded by an Oxford professor who laid the groundwork or foundation for the momentous events of the 16th century.  This is the story of John Wycliffe – the Morning Star.

October 31st is Reformation Day, a day commemorating when Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. Here is the sermon "A Brief History of Reformation" by Rev. Allen Kemp.

1517 The Flame Rekindled, you will be taken on a journey through the land of Luther. From his birth house in Eisleben to Castle Church in Wittenberg and beyond the borders of Germany, you will see the effects of Luther's courageous stand. Get 1517 The Flame Rekindled HERE https://www.swrc.com/1517-the-flame-rekindled-dvd.html

The Sermon for Sunday, October 31st, 2021, is based on John 8:31-36 Today's Focus: 504 years ago, an obscure monk and Doctor of Theology named Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Originally written to spur a private debate, the 95 Theses changed world history by igniting the Lutheran Reformation. The Reformation is still critical today. Each generation must hang on tight to its three central truths: We are saved by grace alone, and not because of our worthiness; we are saved through faith in Christ alone; we receive God's truth in Scripture alone. Sermon Given by: Paul Jenkins Trinity Lutheran Church is located in Woodbridge, VA, USA and is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). If you would like more information about our congregation, please visit www.trinityofwoodbridge.org or www.facebook.com/trinityofwoodbridge Welcome! If you are a visitor, please consider joining us in-person at our worship services each Sunday at 9 A.M. If you would like Pastor Jenkins to contact you, please find our contact info here: https://trinityofwoodbridge.org/contact-us/ Download the worship folder here: https://trinityofwoodbridge.org/sunday-worship/ Podcasts of each sermon can be found here: https://trinityofwoodbridge.org/audio-sermons/ Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License 735256-A and Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI). All rights reserved.

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This sparked the Protestant Reformation. The reformation was built on "5 Solas" of the faith... Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone as found in Scripture alone. The text that launched reformation in Luther's own heart was Romans 3:21-26, the passage that Pastor Derek Holmes looks at on today's episode.

Readings* Psalm 46* Psalm 115* Deuteronomy 32:28–52* Matthew 20:17–34* Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Art. XXIV 22–26FestivalToday we celebrate the festival of Reformation Day. On 31 October 1517, an Augustinian monk nailed ninety-five theses, points for discussion, to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg. Dr. Martin Luther did not, at the time, intend a break with the Roman church; rather, he sought only to address a number of pressing matters, among them indulgences. Rome, however, wanted nothing of Luther's suggested discussion, and would eventually excommunicate him, declare him a heretic, and seek his death. Refusing to compromise on the rediscovered Gospel, Luther would go on to translate the New Testament, publish numerous works, and, above all, spark a Reformation that would see the restoration of Christ's Church, over and against the heresies of Rome. We celebrate Reformation Day in remembrance of God's great mercy and His steadfast love, of His work through Martin Luther that rescued the Gospel, enabling us to stand and, with Luther, declare of the Truth:> “Hier stehe ich — ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir. Amen.”Or, in English:> “Here I stand — I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.”ReaderCorey J. MahlerCopyright NoticesUnless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.Support the show (https://confident.faith/donate/)

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This was the 16th Century version of the church website or announcement board. But the symbolism is significant. The Theses were attacking the Church's teaching on indulgences; sin was not something that could be bought off, Luther was arguing. Indulgences, part of the whole system of ritual paybacks, turned the Christian life into a mechanical routine instead of a personal faith in the grace of God. Luther understood the difference between gifts and wages. This is what Paul was teaching in Romans 6. In Chapter 5, Paul declared our justification from sin through the righteousness of Christ. In Chapter 6, he goes on to speak of our sanctification in Christ; that as by the righteousness of Christ we have been delivered from the guilt and penalty of sin, so by the power and life of Christ in us we are delivered from the dominion of sin, so as not to live any longer in it. The Reformation took the Church, wandering in the desert of works, and threw us into the ocean of God's grace and mercy. This little verse reminds us that being reformed means we are dripping with grace, through which now our lives are characterized – by grace through faith.

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This sparked the Protestant Reformation. The reformation was built on "5 Solas" of the faith... Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone as found in Scripture alone. The text that launched reformation in Luther's own heart was Romans 3:21-26, the passage that Pastor Derek Holmes looks at on today's episode.

How does the Reformation of 500 years ago help me today? A look at one of the most important statements of faith from the Reformation era will guide us. We will hear from President Mike Newman, of the Texas District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, as he helps us apply the Augsburg Confession to your life in Christ, (specifically Articles 4 and 5). About a dozen years after Martin Luther nailed his "95 Theses" against corruption to the Castle Church door (October 31, 1517, in Wittenberg, Germany), a powerful presentation was made to Emperor Charles V.

In 1517, Martin Luther wrote his 95 Theses and posted them to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg. What concerns drove him to do this? Today, R.C. Sproul navigates the controversy surrounding Johan Tetzel and the selling of indulgences. Get the 'Luther and the Reformation' 10-Part DVD for Your Gift of Any Amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/1909/luther-and-the-reformation Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind.org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources.

"Castle Church" from Fighting Fire With Fire

We are celebrating 502 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 These to the Castle Church door in Wittenburg (Germany). There are many faithful men that contributed to the Protestant church in its infancy. However, there are just as many women that were used of God to help shape and the early Protestant church. This short series aims to highlight some of those women that were instrumental in helping to shape this new church. This series is based off the book "Reformation Women: Sixteenth-Century Figures Who Shaped Christianity's Rebirth" by Rebecca VanDoodewaard. You can, and are strongly encouraged to pickup this book from Reformation Heritage Books.

We are celebrating 502 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 These to the Castle Church door in Wittenburg (Germany). There are many faithful men that contributed to the Protestant church in its infancy. However, there are just as many women that were used of God to help shape and the early Protestant church. This short series aims to highlight some of those women that were instrumental in helping to shape this new church. This series is based off the book "Reformation Women: Sixteenth-Century Figures Who Shaped Christianity's Rebirth" by Rebecca VanDoodewaard. You can, and are strongly encouraged to pickup this book from Reformation Heritage Books.

We are celebrating 502 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 These to the Castle Church door in Wittenburg (Germany). There are many faithful men that contributed to the Protestant church in its infancy. However, there are just as many women that were used of God to help shape and the early Protestant church. This short series aims to highlight some of those women that were instrumental in helping to shape this new church. This series is based off the book "Reformation Women: Sixteenth-Century Figures Who Shaped Christianity's Rebirth" by Rebecca VanDoodewaard. You can, and are strongly encouraged to pickup this book from Reformation Heritage Books.

We are celebrating 502 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 These to the Castle Church door in Wittenburg (Germany). There are many faithful men that contributed to the Protestant church in its infancy. However, there are just as many women that were used of God to help shape and the early Protestant church. This short series aims to highlight some of those women that were instrumental in helping to shape this new church. This series is based off the book "Reformation Women: Sixteenth-Century Figures Who Shaped Christianity's Rebirth" by Rebecca VanDoodewaard. You can, and are strongly encouraged to pickup this book from Reformation Heritage Books.

Exactly five centuries after Martin Luther posted his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg, Christians continue to debate the best approach to the reading of their sacred book. The Reformation and the Right Reading of Scripture (Baylor University Press, 2017) the latest book by Iain Provan, who is the Marshall Sheppard Professor of Biblical Studies at Regent College, Vancouver, advises readers on how to balance the competing claims of tradition and modernity. Provan's work proposes a “seriously literal” reading of Scripture. But what does that mean, and how can it be defended? Provan is leading a study tour called “Walking Where Luther Walked” from 29 April to 8 May, 2019. For more information, click here. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen's University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Martin Luther's posting of the 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on 31 October 1517 is one of the most famous events of Western history. It inaugurated the Protestant Reformation, and has for centuries been a powerful and enduring symbol of religious freedom of conscience, and of righteous protest against the abuse of power.

A Martin Luther impersonator, a pastor, and an artist on an event that changed the world. --- "Martin Luther's idea of the freedom of the Christian set up a certain understanding of freedom of the people. We are individuals, we have the right for freedom, and we are equal children of God like our prince, or like the emperor - they are not better at all than we are." When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the doors of The Castle Church in Wittenberg, little did he know that it would be the beginning of an event that would change the world. His idea was simple: "That we are justified by God, only by grace, and not by our own deeds," explains Hans Kasch, Director of the Lutheran World Federation Centre in Wittenberg. "We can pray as much we want, we can be as good as we are, and we can do as much as we are able to do - but this doesn't help us in God's eyes. That was his discovery, and the starting point for the Reformation." From this idea came the birth of the Protestant church, the foundations of modern democracy, the priority of the individual, education for the masses (including women) … and this idea continues to inspire people five centuries on. In this episode of Life & Faith, we travel to Wittenberg, the birthplace of the Reformation, to speak with a Martin Luther impersonator, a Lutheran pastor, and more, about the far-reaching and long-lasting impact of the Reformation on our world. "For many people, Martin Luther was a hero of faith, a great professor. I want to show he was a man like you and me - in another time, of course, with other problems," says Bernhard Naumann, Church Master at the Town Church in Wittenberg, and Martin Luther impersonator. "Maybe we can learn not to say 'the times are like the times are', but we can change the things around us. Because Luther was at first a small monk only, and then step-by-step he became that great reformer." Then, join us on a tour of 'The Luther Effect' exhibition in Berlin by the Deutsches Historisches Museum. It showcases the effect – and counter-effect – of Protestantism around the world, including in Sweden, the US, Tanzania, and Korea. "We choose Korea for several reasons: one is that it's the 'boom land' of Protestantism, and the other is that Korea missionised itself. The first translation of the Bible into the Korean language was not made by European missionaries." "In the beginning, Protestantism played a very important role in the national identity of Korea," says Boris Nitzsche, an historian and press officer at the Deutsches Historisches Museum. "The Bible was translated into Korean at a time when the Korean language was in decline, and it introduced education for the masses, especially for women - they learned to read and write because they wanted to read the Bible." --- Watch ‘The Story of Martin Luther' (Playmobil Animation): www.youtu.be/tox2TflUH90 Visit ‘The Luther Effect' Exhibition in Berlin: www.dhm.de/en/ausstellungen/the-luther-effect.html Find out more about the Luthergarten project: www.luthergarten.de/welcome.html Read Barney Zwartz's article in The Age: www.bit.ly/2ydJ0Ar 

On October 31, 1517, a thirty-three year old priest named Martin Luther nailed 95 questions and statements to the door of The Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.  The “theses” were designed to spark discussion about some of the practices and theology of the Church...but they did more than that. Luther's action ignited a movement called The Reformation. The "Five Solas" summarize this important historical period.