Resister, the
French word for resist
00:00:18.01\00:00:20.75
is scratched into
the rim of a refuse hole
00:00:20.78\00:00:23.52
in the tower of Constance.
00:00:23.55\00:00:25.39
Tradition ascribed the etching
of this slogan to Marie Durand,
00:00:25.42\00:00:29.42
the most famous
prisoner at the time
00:00:29.46\00:00:31.39
that the slogan appeared.
00:00:31.43\00:00:32.89
Marie's brother
was a Huguenot pastor
00:00:32.93\00:00:35.60
and he held worship
services in his home
00:00:35.63\00:00:38.23
and for this
reason she was snatched
00:00:38.27\00:00:40.37
from her home as a
recently married teenager
00:00:40.40\00:00:43.30
and thrown into
prison in the year 1730.
00:00:43.34\00:00:47.01
Marie's brother
Pierre was killed by gunshot
00:00:47.04\00:00:49.68
soon after but her life
would turn out very different.
00:00:49.71\00:00:54.12
She was held behind a large door
00:01:04.33\00:01:06.39
inscribed with the words,
00:01:06.43\00:01:07.90
"All hope abandon
ye who enter here,"
00:01:07.93\00:01:10.77
in a large
circular stone prison.
00:01:10.80\00:01:13.74
There was a
six-foot circular hole
00:01:13.77\00:01:15.50
in the ceiling that let in
precious little light and air
00:01:15.54\00:01:18.81
as well as snow and
rain, depending on the season.
00:01:18.84\00:01:22.31
Food came in via a
similar hole in the floor.
00:01:22.34\00:01:25.25
Cold, wet, humid, and
damp, the woman suffered here
00:01:25.28\00:01:29.88
for nearly 40 years in
misery, infection, and tears.
00:01:29.92\00:01:34.52
Marie was only young
when she was taken a prisoner,
00:01:40.00\00:01:42.50
but because of her education
00:01:42.53\00:01:44.07
she became a leader
and was able to act as
00:01:44.10\00:01:46.30
an agent for the women.
00:01:46.33\00:01:47.70
For 38 years, until 1768,
00:01:47.74\00:01:51.37
she led them in
singing and prayer
00:01:51.41\00:01:53.68
through the heat of the summer
and the cold of the winter.
00:01:53.71\00:01:57.01
Marie was always trying
to better their condition,
00:01:57.05\00:01:59.41
tirelessly petitioning
until she was finally
00:01:59.45\00:02:01.82
able to get every woman
granted the Book of Psalms.
00:02:01.85\00:02:05.09
Though unjustly imprisoned,
00:02:12.99\00:02:14.86
Marie sought to make
the best of her situation
00:02:14.90\00:02:17.80
and that of the other women
she was sentenced to live with.
00:02:17.83\00:02:20.90
There was another woman
00:02:20.94\00:02:22.27
whose story is
perhaps sadder than Marie's.
00:02:22.30\00:02:24.41
A young girl at the age
of 8 imprisoned for 40 years
00:02:24.44\00:02:28.38
because her mother
00:02:28.41\00:02:29.74
took her to a
Protestant church service.
00:02:29.78\00:02:31.98
Such cruel
punishments are not of God.
00:02:38.05\00:02:40.56
To take away someone's
liberty because you disagree
00:02:40.59\00:02:43.32
with their
beliefs is not Christian
00:02:43.36\00:02:45.46
or representative of Jesus.
00:02:45.49\00:02:47.60
One can only imagine
the despair and hopelessness
00:02:47.63\00:02:51.00
that these women
suffered right here in this room
00:02:51.03\00:02:54.04
as year after
year, decade after decade
00:02:54.07\00:02:57.24
they lived in
such pitiful conditions
00:02:57.27\00:02:59.67
with no hope of release.
00:02:59.71\00:03:01.88
The women were
eventually released.
00:03:05.88\00:03:07.68
Marie was an old woman,
00:03:07.72\00:03:09.28
having spent her
best years in prison.
00:03:09.32\00:03:11.99
Her family home
here in the mountains
00:03:12.02\00:03:14.19
became a Huguenot monument,
00:03:14.22\00:03:16.19
a testimony to
religious steadfastness
00:03:16.22\00:03:19.26
in the face of
unjust ecclesiastical
00:03:19.29\00:03:22.20
and royal oppression.
00:03:22.23\00:03:23.97
Marie was just
an ordinary woman.
00:03:24.00\00:03:26.23
She did not write
a thesis on theology
00:03:26.27\00:03:28.67
nor did she preach any sermons.
00:03:28.70\00:03:30.64
She did not
willingly seek out trouble
00:03:30.67\00:03:32.97
nor did she
stand before councils
00:03:33.01\00:03:34.78
to defend her faith
00:03:34.81\00:03:36.14
as many others we
have talked about did.
00:03:36.18\00:03:38.45
She was unjustly imprisoned
yet remained steadfast,
00:03:38.48\00:03:42.35
preserving her faith
in the face of terrible
00:03:42.38\00:03:45.69
injustice and oppression.
00:03:45.72\00:03:48.06
I find her story
moving and inspiring.
00:03:58.67\00:04:02.00
We never know when in the course
00:04:02.04\00:04:03.84
of the normal affairs
of life we might be called
00:04:03.87\00:04:06.61
upon to exercise a faith
that we don't think we have
00:04:06.64\00:04:09.88
and show courage
to those around us.
00:04:09.91\00:04:11.98
The song says, "Will your anchor
00:04:12.01\00:04:13.92
hold in the storms of life?
00:04:13.95\00:04:16.02
When the clouds
unfold their winds of strife?
00:04:16.05\00:04:19.15
When the strong tides
lift and the cables strain
00:04:19.19\00:04:22.46
will your anchor
drift or firm remain?"
00:04:22.49\00:04:25.49
The answer lies in the chorus.
00:04:25.53\00:04:27.83
"We have an anchor that
keeps the soul steadfast
00:04:27.86\00:04:32.00
and sure while the billows roll,
00:04:32.03\00:04:34.27
fastened to the
rock which cannot move,
00:04:34.30\00:04:37.01
grounded firm in deep
in the Savior's love."
00:04:37.04\00:04:40.34
We often sing this song
00:04:40.38\00:04:41.71
when things in life
are going so smoothly,
00:04:41.74\00:04:44.08
but if and when the waves
come, may our anchor hold.
00:04:44.11\00:04:48.82
John Wesley was born in 1703
00:05:45.87\00:05:49.21
just before the
Industrial Revolution
00:05:49.24\00:05:51.11
took place during a time
00:05:51.15\00:05:52.95
when England was a
firmly Anglican country.
00:05:52.98\00:05:56.28
He was born in the small village
00:05:56.32\00:05:58.22
of Epworth in
the north of England
00:05:58.25\00:06:00.46
where his father
served as the rector.
00:06:00.49\00:06:03.16
This here is the family home
00:06:03.19\00:06:04.76
where he would have grown
up and spent his childhood.
00:06:04.79\00:06:07.50
His mother bore
19 children in total
00:06:13.34\00:06:16.20
and the most
famous of the others
00:06:16.24\00:06:18.01
was Charles Wesley.
00:06:18.04\00:06:19.67
Both of the parents
were spiritual people
00:06:19.71\00:06:21.88
and ran the home
according to strict rules,
00:06:21.91\00:06:25.28
no eating in between
meals and once a week
00:06:25.31\00:06:28.88
they had an
interview with their mother
00:06:28.92\00:06:30.95
for the purpose of
spiritual instruction.
00:06:30.99\00:06:33.96
John and his brother
Charles came here to study
00:06:38.13\00:06:40.76
at Oxford University
00:06:40.80\00:06:42.36
where they enrolled
at Christ's College.
00:06:42.40\00:06:44.97
Many of the great
movements of this world
00:06:45.00\00:06:47.27
have been born at universities
00:06:47.30\00:06:49.37
and although he did
not know it at the time,
00:06:49.40\00:06:51.61
John Wesley was about to
be part of this phenomenon.
00:06:51.64\00:06:55.24
He graduated
from Christ's College
00:06:55.28\00:06:56.95
with a bachelor's
and then with a master's
00:06:56.98\00:06:59.31
before he was elected a
fellow at Lincoln College
00:06:59.35\00:07:02.42
where he was given
his own room and a salary.
00:07:02.45\00:07:05.65
His room can
still be seen today,
00:07:05.69\00:07:07.86
preserved as he left it.
00:07:07.89\00:07:10.29
He left for about a year
or so to go back to Epworth
00:07:10.33\00:07:13.09
at the request of his father
00:07:13.13\00:07:14.86
before returning
back here to university.
00:07:14.90\00:07:17.97
It was on his return that
he found his brother Charles
00:07:22.17\00:07:25.04
had started a small club
for the purpose of Bible study
00:07:25.07\00:07:28.54
and in pursuit
of Christian life.
00:07:28.58\00:07:31.05
Each member took
vows to lead holy lives,
00:07:31.08\00:07:34.22
pray daily, take
communion weekly,
00:07:34.25\00:07:36.92
and visit prisons regularly.
00:07:36.95\00:07:39.09
The group was
incredibly practical, preaching,
00:07:39.12\00:07:42.72
educating,
relieving jailed debtors
00:07:42.76\00:07:45.23
where possible, and
caring for the sick.
00:07:45.26\00:07:48.13
They would fast every Wednesday
00:07:48.16\00:07:50.00
and on each day they
would meet from 6 to 9 pm
00:07:50.03\00:07:53.40
and the name
that they were called
00:07:53.44\00:07:55.07
was the Holy Club.
00:07:55.10\00:07:56.54
However this is not
what they became known by.
00:07:56.57\00:07:59.37
In 1733, an unknown
author wrote in a pamphlet
00:07:59.41\00:08:03.38
and described him as
the Oxford Methodists,
00:08:03.41\00:08:06.08
and slowly this
name began to stick.
00:08:06.11\00:08:08.68
It was also here
that John Wesley's paths
00:08:08.72\00:08:11.65
would cross with another
man who would go on to have
00:08:11.69\00:08:14.06
a huge impact, George Whitfield.
00:08:14.09\00:08:16.93
George Whitefield
graduated from Pembroke College
00:08:20.66\00:08:23.53
and when he finished university,
00:08:23.57\00:08:25.43
rather than settle in a parish
he immediately began preaching,
00:08:25.47\00:08:29.14
becoming an itinerant
preacher and evangelist.
00:08:29.17\00:08:32.07
He traveled all over
England in particular in Bristol
00:08:32.11\00:08:35.61
where he spent some
time with John Wesley
00:08:35.64\00:08:37.78
and they both did
open-air preaching.
00:08:37.81\00:08:40.35
Both the Wesleys and Whitfield
would spend time in America
00:08:43.99\00:08:47.42
but with differing
results in their ministries.
00:08:47.46\00:08:50.09
John Wesley went to Georgia
but it did not go very well
00:08:50.13\00:08:53.50
and he returned home to England.
00:08:53.53\00:08:55.63
George Whitfield
traveled to America
00:08:55.66\00:08:57.63
on seven different occasions,
00:08:57.67\00:08:59.57
had much success,
and was well-liked.
00:08:59.60\00:09:02.27
He was involved in
the Great Awakening
00:09:02.30\00:09:04.34
that took place in the 1700s,
00:09:04.37\00:09:06.47
a great religious revival,
00:09:06.51\00:09:08.94
and is also
remembered as one of the first
00:09:08.98\00:09:11.21
that preached to those enslaved.
00:09:11.25\00:09:12.91
The roots of this
far-reaching movement
00:09:16.72\00:09:19.19
of Methodism go back to
a small group Bible study
00:09:19.22\00:09:22.79
with a handful of
students on a university campus.
00:09:22.82\00:09:26.56
Zechariah 4:10 says,
00:09:26.59\00:09:28.93
"Do not despise the
day of small things."
00:09:28.96\00:09:32.13
Never underestimate the
impact of a small movement
00:09:32.17\00:09:35.34
with humble beginnings.
00:09:35.37\00:09:37.17
The Wesleys and Whitfield
did not start the Holy Club
00:09:37.21\00:09:40.38
because they wanted to found
a church or travel the world,
00:09:40.41\00:09:43.85
but because they
wanted to change their lives
00:09:43.88\00:09:45.98
and the lives of
those around them.
00:09:46.01\00:09:48.48
I pray that you may
seek to make a difference
00:09:48.52\00:09:50.75
wherever you are,
be it at our home,
00:09:50.79\00:09:53.09
work, or school.
00:09:53.12\00:09:55.02
Do not despise the
day of small things.
00:09:55.06\00:09:59.26
George Whitfield made
00:10:45.71\00:10:47.04
a greater impact in his ministry
00:10:47.08\00:10:48.84
in America than in England,
and in the 18th century,
00:10:48.88\00:10:51.85
apart from the monarchy,
00:10:51.88\00:10:53.21
he was perhaps
the best-known name
00:10:53.25\00:10:55.28
on the whole of the East Coast.
00:10:55.32\00:10:57.22
Virtually every
man, woman, and child
00:10:57.25\00:11:00.29
had heard the great
itinerant preach at least once.
00:11:00.32\00:11:03.96
He preached over 18,000 sermons
in the course of his life.
00:11:03.99\00:11:07.66
At the age of 55 in 1770
00:11:07.70\00:11:10.77
he was still
preaching regularly,
00:11:10.80\00:11:12.37
despite ill health.
00:11:12.40\00:11:13.97
He once famously said,
00:11:14.00\00:11:15.57
"I would rather
wear out than rust out."
00:11:15.60\00:11:18.51
He died whilst on a trip
to America in Massachusetts
00:11:18.54\00:11:21.78
and is buried in the crypt
00:11:21.81\00:11:23.24
of the Old South
Presbyterian Church,
00:11:23.28\00:11:25.91
Newburyport, Massachusetts.
00:11:25.95\00:11:28.38
John Wesley, on the other hand,
chose to stay here in England
00:11:34.82\00:11:38.59
and through the
course of his long ministry
00:11:38.63\00:11:41.10
he would have a
huge impact here.
00:11:41.13\00:11:43.80
After he settled in London,
00:11:43.83\00:11:45.60
John Wesley lived
in this house here,
00:11:45.63\00:11:48.30
however he
spent most of his time
00:11:48.34\00:11:50.37
away from here
00:11:50.41\00:11:51.74
traversing the
country on horseback,
00:11:51.77\00:11:53.84
preaching and visiting
00:11:53.88\00:11:55.74
the numerous small Bible
study groups that he had set up.
00:11:55.78\00:11:59.71
Through the course of his
life, it is estimated that
00:11:59.75\00:12:02.22
he traveled over
240,000 miles on horseback,
00:12:02.25\00:12:07.46
often reading as he
rode so as not to waste time.
00:12:07.49\00:12:10.89
He once said, "The
world is my parish."
00:12:18.63\00:12:21.20
These words are engraved on
his statue outside his home.
00:12:21.24\00:12:24.67
He explained this by saying
00:12:24.71\00:12:26.47
that wherever he
was in the world,
00:12:26.51\00:12:28.48
it was his duty to
witness and minister there.
00:12:28.51\00:12:31.35
Prayer was an integral
part of John Wesley's life
00:12:34.42\00:12:37.85
and he wanted a
special place to pray,
00:12:37.89\00:12:40.32
so he had an extension
built on the back of his house.
00:12:40.36\00:12:43.12
You can see it today around
00:12:43.16\00:12:44.49
the back
protruding out the back.
00:12:44.53\00:12:46.39
You know, sometimes today
those of us who own houses,
00:12:46.43\00:12:49.13
we sometimes will
build a bigger kitchen,
00:12:49.16\00:12:51.23
a bigger living area,
00:12:51.27\00:12:52.60
or a bigger garage
if we have some money.
00:12:52.63\00:12:54.57
And yet Wesley took the time
00:12:54.60\00:12:56.04
and money that he had to build
00:12:56.07\00:12:57.77
a special place
dedicated for prayer.
00:12:57.81\00:13:01.14
This room is sometimes called
the engine room of Methodism,
00:13:01.18\00:13:05.18
and you can visit
it today and pray there
00:13:05.21\00:13:07.52
where John Wesley
used to pray every day.
00:13:07.55\00:13:09.78
It is sometimes said that
00:13:15.06\00:13:16.39
big things come
in small packages.
00:13:16.42\00:13:18.56
John Wesley was only 5
foot 3 or 161 centimeters,
00:13:18.59\00:13:23.40
yet he was a giant of a man.
00:13:23.43\00:13:25.63
He never intended to
start his own denomination,
00:13:25.67\00:13:28.24
and yet the movement
00:13:28.27\00:13:29.60
that started as
just a collective
00:13:29.64\00:13:31.14
of small Bible study groups
00:13:31.17\00:13:33.21
mushroomed into
its own denomination.
00:13:33.24\00:13:36.44
He died on the
2nd of March, 1791,
00:13:36.48\00:13:39.85
and as he lay dying
00:13:39.88\00:13:41.22
with his
friends surrounding him,
00:13:41.25\00:13:42.58
he grasped their
hands and said repeatedly,
00:13:42.62\00:13:45.22
"Farewell, farewell."
00:13:45.25\00:13:47.12
Then, summoning
up all his strength,
00:13:47.16\00:13:49.42
he said, "The best of
all is God is with us."
00:13:49.46\00:13:54.16
Then raising his arms
one last time, he said,
00:13:54.20\00:13:57.37
"The best of all
is God is with us."
00:13:57.40\00:14:00.64
To Wesley it was granted to
arouse the church in England
00:14:07.51\00:14:11.41
from a state of
stagnation and backsliding,
00:14:11.45\00:14:15.05
and yet he was
faithful in this duty.
00:14:15.08\00:14:17.39
Two things that
stand out from his life
00:14:17.42\00:14:19.49
and ministry are the importance
of the preaching of the Word
00:14:19.52\00:14:22.82
and the importance of
small group Bible study.
00:14:22.86\00:14:26.09
These two methods
00:14:26.13\00:14:27.46
I believe are divinely ordained.
00:14:27.50\00:14:29.33
If done today, they will cause
00:14:29.36\00:14:30.97
the same revival in
our lives and ministry
00:14:31.00\00:14:33.90
that they caused back then.
00:14:33.94\00:14:35.27
Wherever you are,
00:14:35.30\00:14:36.64
whether it's preaching
the Word in your home church
00:14:36.67\00:14:38.81
or in your home
area, or whether it's doing
00:14:38.84\00:14:40.81
small group Bible
study in your family
00:14:40.84\00:14:43.14
or in your home
or in your workplace
00:14:43.18\00:14:45.15
or amongst your friends,
00:14:45.18\00:14:46.51
be faithful in
doing these things,
00:14:46.55\00:14:48.58
so that we can have the
same revival that Wesley
00:14:48.62\00:14:51.19
had several hundred years ago,
00:14:51.22\00:14:53.19
and God can use those methods
again today in our lives.
00:14:53.22\00:14:56.59
In the year 1800, a
16 year old Welsh girl
00:15:54.75\00:15:58.49
longed to own her own Bible.
00:15:58.52\00:16:00.92
She had been saving up a
pennies from the age of 10,
00:16:00.96\00:16:03.73
and finally she had
enough to buy her own Bible.
00:16:03.76\00:16:07.10
Mary was from a poor family
00:16:07.13\00:16:08.86
and there were many other things
00:16:08.90\00:16:10.23
she could have
spent her money on,
00:16:10.27\00:16:11.60
such as a pair of shoes,
00:16:11.63\00:16:12.97
but she really wanted a
Bible in her own language.
00:16:13.00\00:16:16.44
The problem was, though,
00:16:16.47\00:16:17.81
the nearest one
was 28 miles away,
00:16:17.84\00:16:20.34
and undeterred by the
distance and her lack of shoes,
00:16:20.38\00:16:24.05
she set off from
her home right here
00:16:24.08\00:16:26.28
and walked through the
valleys to the town of Bala.
00:16:26.31\00:16:29.95
Arriving here in
the town of Bala,
00:16:37.79\00:16:40.00
she went to the home of
Reverend Thomas Charles.
00:16:40.03\00:16:42.70
Today his home
stands on the High Street
00:16:42.73\00:16:45.23
and has now been
converted into a bank.
00:16:45.27\00:16:47.77
He was so inspired by her story
00:16:47.80\00:16:50.21
that he sold her three
Bibles for the price of one.
00:16:50.24\00:16:53.54
One of those today
00:16:53.58\00:16:54.91
is in the
National Library in Wales
00:16:54.94\00:16:56.38
and another one
00:16:56.41\00:16:57.75
is at Cambridge
University's library.
00:16:57.78\00:17:00.25
The story of Mary
Jones inspired many others.
00:17:04.55\00:17:08.52
Reverend Joseph Hughes
asked the daring question
00:17:08.56\00:17:11.66
of church leaders soon after,
00:17:11.69\00:17:13.80
"If for Wales, why
not for the kingdom
00:17:13.83\00:17:16.33
and if for the kingdom
why not for the world?"
00:17:16.36\00:17:18.90
That question posed at a meeting
00:17:18.93\00:17:20.70
of the Religious Tract Society
on the 7th of December, 1802
00:17:20.74\00:17:25.17
would reverberate around
Wales and ultimately the world.
00:17:25.21\00:17:28.34
Captured by the
vision of the Bible
00:17:33.85\00:17:35.98
being readily available in
the language of the people,
00:17:36.02\00:17:39.12
William
Wilberforce and other members
00:17:39.15\00:17:41.19
of the Clapham
sect sprang into action.
00:17:41.22\00:17:44.23
They made this vision
part of their campaign
00:17:44.26\00:17:46.93
to make goodness
fashionable in the hope that
00:17:46.96\00:17:49.70
people would fall
in love with the Bible
00:17:49.73\00:17:51.83
and a biblically
inspired way of life.
00:17:51.87\00:17:54.70
At a meeting on
the 7th of March, 1804,
00:17:54.74\00:17:57.97
of around 300
people in the London tavern
00:17:58.01\00:18:01.04
which used to stand
near here on Bishopsgate,
00:18:01.08\00:18:04.01
William Wilberforce
and the campaigning groups
00:18:04.05\00:18:06.92
he was a part of
formed the British
00:18:06.95\00:18:09.48
and foreign Bible Society,
now known as the Bible Society.
00:18:09.52\00:18:14.56
In the last 200
years they have gone into
00:18:14.59\00:18:17.23
over 200 different
countries with God's Word.
00:18:17.26\00:18:21.03
Soon after this
society was formed,
00:18:21.06\00:18:23.53
in 1816 the
American Bible Society
00:18:23.57\00:18:27.04
was formed in New York City.
00:18:27.07\00:18:29.00
Later in the 19th century,
inspired by Hudson Taylor
00:18:35.14\00:18:38.81
and the China Inland Mission,
00:18:38.85\00:18:40.42
seven students at
Cambridge University,
00:18:40.45\00:18:42.98
later known as
the Cambridge Seven,
00:18:43.02\00:18:45.42
gave up promising careers
00:18:45.45\00:18:47.16
and sailed to
China to be missionaries.
00:18:47.19\00:18:49.66
Their influence
inspired many others,
00:18:49.69\00:18:52.26
causing the number
of missionaries in China
00:18:52.29\00:18:54.50
to swell from 165 in 1885
00:18:54.53\00:18:58.37
to 800 just 15 years later,
00:18:58.40\00:19:01.10
approximately one third
00:19:01.14\00:19:02.84
of the
Protestant missionary force.
00:19:02.87\00:19:05.07
The Keswick Convention
00:19:10.25\00:19:11.58
also had a profound
impact on mission service,
00:19:11.61\00:19:15.25
inspiring many
people to devote their lives
00:19:15.28\00:19:18.15
to the service of
God in faraway lands.
00:19:18.19\00:19:20.49
As the dark ages came to a close
00:19:29.16\00:19:31.73
and the light of God's
Word was beginning to shine,
00:19:31.77\00:19:34.70
Daniel 12:4 was being fulfilled.
00:19:34.74\00:19:38.17
The 1260 year
prophecy which came to a close
00:19:38.21\00:19:41.61
in 1798 coincided
with the words of Daniel
00:19:41.64\00:19:45.48
who said that "Many
shall run to and fro
00:19:45.51\00:19:48.48
and knowledge shall increase."
00:19:48.52\00:19:50.49
This referred to
knowledge of the Bible
00:19:50.52\00:19:53.05
which would only increase
as people had access to it,
00:19:53.09\00:19:56.52
a cause that
countless missionaries
00:19:56.56\00:19:59.06
devoted their lives to.
00:19:59.09\00:20:01.63
Today mission service
may not be as cutting edge
00:20:07.67\00:20:11.07
as it was back
then, or the Bible as new,
00:20:11.11\00:20:14.14
but the need for
both is still vital,
00:20:14.18\00:20:16.41
the Great
Commission still applies today.
00:20:16.44\00:20:19.25
There are countless people
00:20:19.28\00:20:20.72
who have never
heard of the Bible
00:20:20.75\00:20:22.25
and have no idea
what Christianity is.
00:20:22.28\00:20:25.05
Maybe God is calling
you to be a missionary,
00:20:25.09\00:20:28.06
to leave your home,
your place of comfort,
00:20:28.09\00:20:30.56
and fly away to a different land
00:20:30.59\00:20:32.53
and be a
missionary for God there
00:20:32.56\00:20:34.26
where people have
not heard of Him yet.
00:20:34.30\00:20:36.20
May we treasure God's
Word as did Mary Jones,
00:20:36.23\00:20:39.53
and may we go
wherever God calls us.
00:20:39.57\00:20:42.90
Our spiritual
lineage is a rich one,
00:21:42.33\00:21:44.87
with many illustrious names
00:21:44.90\00:21:46.80
stretching back to
the earliest centuries.
00:21:46.84\00:21:49.54
We started this journey
tracing our spiritual lineage
00:21:49.57\00:21:53.17
with the Celtic
Church in Britain.
00:21:53.21\00:21:55.14
We saw that as early as
the 5th and 6th centuries,
00:21:55.18\00:21:58.21
and lasting to the 12th century,
00:21:58.25\00:22:00.08
there were Christians
00:22:00.12\00:22:01.45
who were trying
to maintain a faith
00:22:01.48\00:22:03.25
based on their
understanding of God's Word.
00:22:03.28\00:22:06.25
The Waldensians
of northern Italy
00:22:06.29\00:22:08.29
were another such group
00:22:08.32\00:22:09.66
who could trace their
origins centuries back.
00:22:09.69\00:22:12.89
The faith and belief of groups
such as these stood in conflict
00:22:12.93\00:22:17.07
with the claims from Rome,
00:22:17.10\00:22:18.57
that they were
the mother church,
00:22:18.60\00:22:20.30
and so they
sought to either convert
00:22:20.34\00:22:22.50
or destroy them.
00:22:22.54\00:22:23.87
In an era of immense darkness,
00:22:30.05\00:22:32.28
John Wycliffe
arose the Morning Star.
00:22:32.31\00:22:35.18
Whilst he did not
start a new church,
00:22:35.22\00:22:37.22
by translating the Bible
and through his teachings,
00:22:37.25\00:22:40.46
he was able to peel
back the layers of night
00:22:40.49\00:22:43.73
that had descended
during the dark ages.
00:22:43.76\00:22:46.53
John Wycliffe was followed
00:22:46.56\00:22:47.90
by Hus and Jerome,
two brave men in Prague.
00:22:47.93\00:22:51.93
A century later, Martin
Luther arose in Germany,
00:22:51.97\00:22:55.40
Zwingli in Switzerland,
00:22:55.44\00:22:57.17
Farel and Calvin in
France and then Switzerland,
00:22:57.21\00:23:00.31
all great men who
went against the grain
00:23:00.34\00:23:03.38
and remained true
to their convictions.
00:23:03.41\00:23:06.15
In Britain, William
Tyndale would produce
00:23:14.39\00:23:16.96
a beautiful
translation of the Bible,
00:23:16.99\00:23:19.53
something that
would cost him his life.
00:23:19.56\00:23:22.23
It was not an easy
time to be a believer,
00:23:22.26\00:23:25.17
but slowly and surely
00:23:25.20\00:23:26.77
the light was
beginning to shine.
00:23:26.80\00:23:29.17
Proverbs 4:18 says that
00:23:29.20\00:23:31.44
"The path of the
just is as a shining light
00:23:31.47\00:23:34.31
that shines ever
brighter unto the perfect day,"
00:23:34.34\00:23:37.25
meaning that when
God reveals truth to us,
00:23:37.28\00:23:40.05
whether
individually or collectively,
00:23:40.08\00:23:42.18
He does it bit by bit.
00:23:42.22\00:23:44.32
The sun does not
just appear in the morning
00:23:44.35\00:23:47.06
but it comes over
the horizon gradually,
00:23:47.09\00:23:49.52
and so God gives us
truth in bite-size pieces.
00:23:49.56\00:23:52.86
And so with the church,
00:23:52.89\00:23:54.33
each reformer built
00:23:54.36\00:23:55.90
on the steps of those
who had come before them.
00:23:55.93\00:23:59.27
The truth of justification,
sanctification, baptism,
00:24:08.88\00:24:12.78
Christian charity,
freedom, and the second coming,
00:24:12.81\00:24:15.68
all came back gradually.
00:24:15.72\00:24:17.79
Each of the reformers
00:24:17.82\00:24:19.15
did not always
agree with each other,
00:24:19.19\00:24:21.09
but God used each one.
00:24:21.12\00:24:23.73
As the dark ages ended in 1798
00:24:23.76\00:24:27.16
with the close of
the 1260 year prophecy,
00:24:27.20\00:24:30.37
and as the world
entered a time period
00:24:30.40\00:24:32.43
known as the Time of the End,
00:24:32.47\00:24:34.87
the prophecy said that
"Knowledge would increase."
00:24:34.90\00:24:38.44
This is not to be interpreted
as knowledge of science
00:24:38.47\00:24:41.21
or technology,
00:24:41.24\00:24:42.58
but knowledge of
the books of the Bible,
00:24:42.61\00:24:44.81
in particular
Daniel and Revelation
00:24:44.85\00:24:47.32
would be unveiled
as we neared the end.
00:24:47.35\00:24:49.95
Despite the huge
gains that had taken place
00:24:54.56\00:24:57.13
during the Reformation,
00:24:57.16\00:24:58.56
Revelation 12 points
out that after the woman,
00:24:58.59\00:25:01.90
or the church would
come out of persecution
00:25:01.93\00:25:04.87
at the end of the
1260 years prophecy,
00:25:04.90\00:25:08.30
that God would have a
remnant at the end of time.
00:25:08.34\00:25:11.47
A remnant who as
Revelation 12:17 points out,
00:25:11.51\00:25:15.11
"Would keep the
commandments of God
00:25:15.14\00:25:17.01
and have the
testimony of Jesus."
00:25:17.05\00:25:19.41
But who would this be?
00:25:19.45\00:25:21.08
And how would God lead
His people in the 19th, 20th,
00:25:21.12\00:25:25.19
and 21st centuries?
00:25:25.22\00:25:27.16
Join us next season as
we continue this journey
00:25:27.19\00:25:31.06
and explore our
spiritual lineage
00:25:31.09\00:25:33.33
through time.
00:25:33.36\00:25:34.70