Printer Friendly VersionSupportive Scriptures: Ephesians 2:1-10; Romans 10:6-15; Romans
8:1-11 Colossians 3:15-17; Revelation 5:9-14
Reformation Sunday is a wonderful time to celebrate the saints
of Scripture, the heroes of the church in centuries past, and those stalwarts
of the faith who have bequeathed to us a heritage that we often fail to fully
appreciate. Let your sermon for today uncover some of this rich history, re-affirm
some of these important truths, create appreciation for the past, and encourage
equal commitment from us in these ordinary times that will bequeath such a
heritage to our children.
Hebrews 11 celebrates the heroes of the Old Testament. Maybe
you will want to insert a section on some of these heroes before looking at
those who followed them. The pages of the New Testament describe the lives
of heroes who stood on their shoulders. Church History records the stories
of hundreds of others who have followed after them. Weave these themes together
to the encouragement of your congregation.
In a world where a Praise Chorus from 2000 is considered old,
it is sometimes hard for us to believe that we should celebrate events from
hundreds of years ago – much less learn from them.
In a world where youth and beauty are enshrined as gods, it
is hard for some people to believe that older people have much to contribute
to their lives, let alone people who are no longer alive.
It is small wonder, then, that many of us pass right over both of the important themes of today – Reformation Sunday and All Saints Day. Both of them look to the people and events of the past – people on whose shoulders we stand, from who’s well-spring we drink, and whose sacrifices have provided the things we take for granted.
Take the Bible for example.
There have been attempts by godless dictators and other religions
to destroy it. In the Middle Ages there were attempts to control it by keeping
it in a language the laity could not understand and chain it to a pulpit that
was out of their reach. There have been serious attempts to discredit it and
its miracles and its reliability and its message.
BUT IT STILL SERVIVES!!
Well over 100 years before Luther’s Reformation, John Wycliffe
(England; 1328-1384) preached in English rather than Latin, emphasized the
Bible as the authority of the church and that salvation did not lie in the
hands of the clerics. He led the translation of the Latin Bible into English.
He had a strong influence on Jan Huss who influenced Luther as well the Moravians
who in turn influenced John Wesley. Although not martyred by the church for
his beliefs, Wycliffe was later exhumed and burned as a heretic.
A century later, William Tyndale (England; 1494-1536) set about
to complete a new translation of the New Testament into English, even though
he had to do so in the face of strong persecution. His work was eventually
the basis of the King James Version. But the result in his own lifetime was
opposition from the Church. He was imprisoned, found guilty of heresy, and
strangled at the stake before being burned as a martyr of our faith.
The influence of Marin Luther (Germany; 1483-1546) is more widely
known. He translated the Bible into German and, with the recent development
of the printing press, it was distributed to the masses. His emphasis on scripture
was a significant factor in founding the Reformation.
These courageous men, and the Scriptures they preserved and
delivered into our hands, must never take it for granted!
Thanks to them, we can read the stories of the Heroes of Hebrews
11, and can understand why Paul wrote to Timothy:
Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced
of,
because you know those from whom you learned it,
and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures,
which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting
and training in righteousness,
so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:14-17, NIV)
So on this day when we honor the saints of God of all ages and
honor celebrate the Reformation, we give thanks to God that from their faithfulness
the Word of God has been delivered to us as the strong foundation on which
we stand.
Their were many who led the way for Luther, even though he may
not have been aware of all of them. But it was this German monk who brought
the church to a radical change. On October 31st 1517 Luther posted his debating
points on the door of the Wittenberg church. He was offended by the selling
of permission to commit sin. He was wearied from trying to earn his salvation
with penance and good works. He was frustrated with the need for many mediators
between himself and God. Then he discovered in Romans that we are saved by
Faith, not by our efforts or our goodness. Salvation is not something we can
earn or buy. It is God’s free and gracious gift. Luther also re-opened
the door for all of us to come into God’s presence without the benefit
of a human mediator. He underscored salvation by grace through faith and freed
us from penance and self-righteous effort – from buying or earning God’s
love and forgiveness.
Almost a century later, it was James Arminius from Holland who
recaptured the truth that the Atonement of Christ is available for all persons
on earth – not just the elect.
In the 18th century, John Wesley was on a search similar to
that of Luther. He had been raised in a pastor’s home and was a minister
himself. He had established a Holy Club while at the University. He had been
a missionary in America. But he had not found assurance of salvation or peace
in his heart like he saw in the lives of the Moravians. It was while someone
was reading from Luther’s commentary on the Book of Romans at a small
meeting in Aldersgate Street, that his heart was “strangely warmed”.
Assurance came. The Methodist Church was born. The message of heart holiness
was preached. Revival spread and (many say) rescued a nation from revolution.
The Wesleys renewed our understanding that Jesus died not just to forgive
us, but to make us holy through His own blood. Then they showed ordinary people
how to live that holy life not just in the Kingdom that is to come, but right
here in ordinary time.
When that holy fire, which had leaped over the Atlantic, began
to flicker and die, people like Phoebe Palmer, H. F. Reynolds, Phineas Bresee,
J.B. Chapman, and Uncle Bud Robinson fanned it into flame. And the Church
of the Nazarene was born.
And we are the grandchildren of them all.
We are who we are today -- we believe what we believe today
-- we know God as we do today -- because of these spiritual ancestors who
kept alive the word of God through Paul to the Ephesians.
Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. . . .
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith --
and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God --
not by works, so that no-one can boast.
For we are God’s workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
(Ephesians 2:4-10, NIV)
Not only did Luther reaffirm the primacy of the Scriptures and
emphasize salvation by faith, he is known as the father of congregational
singing. Prior to his day, church music had become the domain of the small
professional choir, or the chanting of priests. Luther got everybody singing
– in harmony even! He wrote songs and sang them and so did his people.
In the singing they learned the truths that Luther preached and found encouragement
and inspiration for living out their relationship with God. This same rediscovery
of music (often in different forms) was true of the reformations of Zwingli
and Calvin. They gave birth to musicians like Bach and Handel. In the later
1600’s Isaac Watts (the father of English hymns) began to write songs
for worship that put new words to contemporary tunes – a practice that
caused more traditional worshipers to walk out of the services. They were
hymns like: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross; O God, Our help in Ages Past;
Alas and Did my Savior Bleed; and Joy to the World.
In the next century, it was the hymns of Charles Wesley, (6,000
of them!) who had a nation singing and helped spread the Wesleyan revival.
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing; Love Divine; And Can it B?; O For a Thousand
Tongues and many more are still sung around the world.
And then came Fanny Crosby and Haldor Lillenas and a host of
others through the last 200 years. Whenever we sing the songs of Bill Gaither,
and Don Moen, and Twila Paris, and Michael Card we are walking on well-worn
paths – on trails blazed by pioneers of the past.
Nor were they the first. There are the songs of Miriam and Moses,
the Psalms of David and Asaph, the Songs of Mary and Zechariah, and Simeon,
and Angels. The Last supper ended in a hymn. Nor will the modern singers be
the last. The Book of Revelation tells us we will all sing around the throne
of the Lamb that was slain –
In a loud voice they sang:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honour and glory and praise!
. . . To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
The four living creatures said, “Amen”,
and the elders fell down and worshipped.
(Revelation 5:12-14, NIV)
All of them and all of us are living out what Paul wrote to
the Colossians.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom,
and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Colossians 3:16,17, NIV)
It is indeed a great cloud of witnesses (Heb 12:1) who surround
us on our journey. On this Sunday, all over the world, people are remembering
the lives of these heroes with gratitude. We must too. All over the world
today, people are reading God’s Word in their own language with understanding
– they are finding assurance of salvation by grace through faith with
thankfulness – they are singing ancient hymns and modern praise choruses
with joyful hearts. We must too.
Let us celebrate their memory with Christians everywhere. Let
us consecrate ourselves to the courage and faithfulness of their generations.
Let us treasure the heritage we have inherited from them and pass it on to
our children.
(Close with a joyous song that celebrates this heritage.)
Possible Songs:
SL # 30 A Mighty Fortress
SL # 685 For All the Saints
SL # 639 Faith of our Fathers
SL # 726 Find Us Faithful
Let It Be Said of Us
