¤¤
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>> Please pray with me.
00:00:11.74\00:00:13.61
Dear Heavenly Father,
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You who are so loving and
kind, we are here to praise and
00:00:15.98\00:00:19.81
worship Your name. But
we just ask that you send
00:00:19.81\00:00:23.08
your angels as we join in
a melodious chorus lifting up
00:00:23.08\00:00:26.39
Your name. Please
open our hearts and our
00:00:26.39\00:00:29.32
minds as we worship. Amen.
00:00:29.32\00:00:32.56
[ "Healer" plays ]
[ Performers sings ]
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>> ¤ Lord, I trust in You ¤
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¤ I believe ¤
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¤ Lord, I trust in You ¤
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¤ I believe ¤
00:02:55.04\00:02:58.27
¤ I believe ¤
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[ "Revelation Song" plays ]
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Please stand.
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¤ Ooh-ooh, oooh ¤
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¤ Oooooh, ooh-ooh, oooh ¤
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[ Flute plays ]
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[ Tempo increases ] ¤¤
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[ Music
crescendos, decrescendos ]
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[ Tempo increases ] ¤¤
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[ Flute solo playing ] ¤¤
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[ Solo ends,
music crescendos ] ¤¤
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[ Tempo
increases, music crescendos ]
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[ Fanfare plays ] ¤¤
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[ Song ends ]
00:14:37.41\00:14:38.87
>> Let's pray. Oh, God, a
mighty, mighty, mighty fortress
00:14:41.98\00:14:50.42
are You for us. For the old
Reformation. And, oh, Lord, we
are praying for the New
00:14:50.42\00:14:58.06
Reformation. Be that fortress.
Mighty to the end. Through Jesus
00:14:58.06\00:15:07.00
Christ our Lord, Amen. Amen.
00:15:07.00\00:15:11.81
Before we plunge into the story,
the last story, Martin Luther,
00:15:11.97\00:15:17.05
I want to flip it over. I
want to start at the end and
00:15:17.05\00:15:20.28
move to the front. I
want to think about the
00:15:20.28\00:15:22.78
New Reformation. I
want to share with you a
00:15:22.78\00:15:27.46
dynamite -- now, you just have
to brood over this very quickly.
00:15:27.46\00:15:31.19
A dynamite ending that the
English historian Derek Wilson
00:15:31.19\00:15:35.80
gave to his biography of
Luther. Just a paragraph.
00:15:35.80\00:15:38.97
You could miss it. But
it is so explosive for you
00:15:38.97\00:15:42.74
and me and this New
Reformation we're talking about.
00:15:42.74\00:15:46.91
And so without any further
ado, I'm gonna put Derek Wilson
00:15:46.91\00:15:50.38
on the screen. Take
a look at these words.
00:15:50.38\00:15:53.72
"Whatever else it was"
-- So, this is from his book
00:15:53.72\00:15:56.35
Luther, "Out of
the Storm," all right?
00:15:56.35\00:15:59.12
Great biography. Got
it from the James White
00:15:59.12\00:16:01.86
Library right here on campus.
00:16:01.86\00:16:03.76
Let's check them off.
Number one -- the primacy of
00:16:21.24\00:16:23.95
Scripture. Oh, we covered that.
00:16:23.95\00:16:26.21
Number two, the
centrality of the cross.
00:16:26.21\00:16:28.98
We covered that. And
finally, number three,
00:16:28.98\00:16:31.52
the necessity of
personal conversion.
00:16:31.52\00:16:34.46
We got it. But I
want you to hold on now.
00:16:34.62\00:16:38.76
Watch what he does next.
So this is just one little
00:16:38.76\00:16:41.33
paragraph.
We're splitting it up.
00:16:41.33\00:16:43.47
But here comes this
next line. Provocative.
00:16:43.47\00:16:46.33
Provocative, it was,
for me. "Luther died" --
00:16:46.33\00:16:48.37
Did you know
this? I never knew it.
00:16:48.37\00:16:50.17
I found it now in
two of his biographers.
00:16:50.17\00:16:52.94
It never got traction. It
just never worked. It fizzled.
00:17:03.18\00:17:10.96
"He was right," Wilson goes on.
00:17:10.96\00:17:12.76
"German Pietism" -- that would
be Nikolaus von Zinzedorf --
00:17:26.31\00:17:28.78
"the Methodist Revival
in Britain" -- that would be
00:17:28.78\00:17:30.98
John Wesley -- "America's
Great Awakening" -- that would
00:17:30.98\00:17:33.35
be Charles Finney -- "the later
movements associated with the
00:17:33.35\00:17:36.22
names of Dwight Moody,
William Booth," who founded the
00:17:36.22\00:17:38.85
Salvation Army, "Billy
Graham, and others -- they all
00:17:38.85\00:17:42.72
eventually reached and
passed their sell-by dates."
00:17:42.72\00:17:48.83
That's British English for what
we would say here in the States,
00:17:49.00\00:17:53.57
expiration dates. They all
passed them. It's over. Now,
00:17:53.57\00:17:58.27
that's good news and bad news.
Because the truth is, you never
can measure the fruit
00:17:58.27\00:18:04.25
of your own life. Now, listen
to me carefully. To all outward
00:18:04.25\00:18:09.92
appearances for some of you here
-- maybe for a whole bunch of us
-- it feels like it's washed up.
00:18:09.92\00:18:17.19
It just never got the traction
that I thought it was gonna get,
00:18:17.19\00:18:24.30
my life. But there is a God in
this universe who is never in a
rush and who often moves quietly
00:18:24.30\00:18:32.14
way behind the scenes in
your own life, let alone someone
00:18:32.14\00:18:39.51
else's. It may look like your
sell-by date has expired, but
because God is who God is,
00:18:39.51\00:18:49.29
don't you ever give
up on yourself. He's not.
00:18:49.29\00:18:57.03
Now, Derek Wilson, he's not
talking about you and me. He's
talking about movements.
00:18:57.03\00:19:00.80
I'm thinking of this faith
community you and I belong to.
And he goes on one more
00:19:00.80\00:19:06.24
line or two. Here it is on
the screen. "Inevitably" -- what
00:19:06.24\00:19:10.25
happens to churches like ours?
"Inevitably zeal wanes, vision
00:19:10.25\00:19:16.45
fades, and vibrant churches
become institutions." Keep
reading. "The old adage always
00:19:16.45\00:19:22.46
holds good" -- and this is
dynamite. "'A mission becomes a
movement, a movement becomes a
00:19:22.46\00:19:30.27
machine, a machine becomes a
monument, and a monument becomes
a museum' -- until" --
00:19:30.27\00:19:37.14
Now, notice how it ends.
"...until woken up by the next
00:19:37.14\00:19:42.88
revival." There it is. I'm
thinking of our faith community
that I love and serve,
00:19:42.88\00:19:46.75
and that you love. Has that
happened to us? Vibrant mission
00:19:46.75\00:19:53.19
in the beginning, then this
movement, then it turns into
machinery, and then the
00:19:53.19\00:20:04.13
machinery calcifies into rock, a
monument, and finally a museum.
We got a church on this campus
00:20:04.13\00:20:12.24
called Pioneer Memorial Church.
Because the action is all behind
00:20:12.24\00:20:19.28
us. "Ooh, boy! Dwight, tell me,
please, it's not that true, is
00:20:19.28\00:20:23.69
it?" I'm hoping it's not. But
what's that line? "Until woken
00:20:23.69\00:20:29.32
up" -- oh, I love this. "Until
woken up by the next revival."
00:20:29.32\00:20:32.96
Ladies and gentlemen, the
Reformation is over. This little
00:20:32.96\00:20:38.30
three-parter comes to an end
right now. No more history.
We've had enough history.
00:20:38.30\00:20:43.51
There's something
beyond history. There is the
00:20:43.51\00:20:48.58
possibility of the next revival.
There is a possibility of a New
00:20:48.58\00:20:52.71
Reformation. That's the only
reason we went to these three
00:20:52.71\00:20:55.35
Sabbaths. Come on. You could do
Luther in 20 minutes. But I'm
banking, I'm praying,
00:20:55.35\00:21:03.93
that there's something yet
to come. The New Reformation.
00:21:03.93\00:21:08.83
All right. Here we go. Before we
walk out of here, three stories
00:21:08.83\00:21:13.23
of Luther that are the defining
stories. We've saved the best
till last. All three of these
00:21:13.23\00:21:21.24
take place in places that begin
with the letter "W" --
Wittenberg, Worms, and Wartburg.
00:21:21.24\00:21:30.89
It's October 31. It's called
Hallowed Eve. Rightfully called
00:21:30.89\00:21:36.86
Hallowed Eve, because November
1, everybody knows, is All
Saints Day. It's 1517, and it's
00:21:36.86\00:21:42.86
a cloudy, cold autumn morning.
As the young professor and
pastor, his countenance with
00:21:42.86\00:21:50.64
anger as he blows the autumn
leaves in his stride to get to
the university bulletin board.
00:21:50.64\00:21:57.65
The bulletin board is a door.
It's the door of the university
00:21:57.65\00:22:04.02
castle, church. Today is October
31, and Luther knows that
tomorrow his parishioners will
00:22:04.02\00:22:11.36
be lining up to come through
these doors to pay to see what
Elector Frederick of Saxony
00:22:11.36\00:22:18.93
is boasting as the finest
collection of relics anywhere in
00:22:18.93\00:22:24.31
the land. Tomorrow, when the
doors open, you'll be able to
gaze on a jagged thorn from
00:22:24.31\00:22:28.84
Christ's plated crown of thorns.
You'll be able to look at a torn
fragment from the Baby Jesus'
00:22:28.84\00:22:33.48
diapers. You'll be able to see
a faded strand of Mother Mary's
00:22:33.48\00:22:39.52
hair. A hundred other relics.
And here's the deal. If you will
00:22:39.52\00:22:44.49
pay to see these, if you will
buy what they're calling a
plenary indulgence, you could
00:22:44.49\00:22:51.30
knock off up to 2 million years
in purgatory for yourself or for
somebody you love, just for
00:22:51.30\00:22:58.64
buying the piece of paper.
Luther is incensed. Pulls out
his hammer, pounding
00:22:58.64\00:23:07.58
the thumbtacks, which are nails,
into that board. 95 theses.
00:23:07.58\00:23:13.79
95 challenges to the Church
in Rome. Luther thinks it's just
00:23:13.79\00:23:17.96
gonna be a little academic
debate. He has no idea that
after he walks away, somebody --
00:23:17.96\00:23:25.50
maybe in the night, somebody
tears the 95 -- handwritten by
Luther, 95 challenges, takes
00:23:25.50\00:23:33.14
them to a printer, and because
of Gutenberg's discovery 70, 80
years earlier, that moveable
00:23:33.14\00:23:39.81
type will be set, and before
weeks have gone by, the entire
continent of Europe
00:23:39.81\00:23:48.09
writhes in this fomenting Saxon
challenge to the hegemony, to
the dominance of the
00:23:48.09\00:23:55.60
Church in Rome. 95
theses. Take a look at this.
00:23:55.60\00:24:01.50
You're not gonna believe this,
but thanks to my friend Jim
00:24:01.50\00:24:05.91
Ford, who is Associate Director
of the Center for Adventist
Research... These are not the
00:24:05.91\00:24:11.78
95. I'm sure they exist
somewhere on this planet. They
got to be worth millions.
00:24:11.78\00:24:14.95
But this is what Luther wrote.
This is actually 1518. So this
00:24:14.95\00:24:23.29
is that old. And don't worry,
Jim Ford, we have
plainclothesmen all around, and
00:24:23.29\00:24:27.96
Jim Ford is in the second row
saying, "Dwight, don't you screw
this up." I'm gonna show you.
00:24:27.96\00:24:33.80
I want to get a camera on this.
Can we get a side shot on this?
Take a look at this.
00:24:33.80\00:24:37.77
This is actual German. This is
1522. This is Luther. Now, let's
see, what page did I
00:24:37.77\00:24:42.61
happen to open to? Okay. 27.
Okay, you see this? It looks
like it says "Con 27."
00:24:42.61\00:24:47.35
Okay, that's thesis number 27.
Okay? So that's just a short --
00:24:47.35\00:24:53.49
the big print there. And then he
writes underneath -- he writes
00:24:53.49\00:24:58.93
in German his explanation for
that thesis. My son Kirk came
home from Ruth Murdock one day
00:24:58.93\00:25:07.40
when he was going to school
here, and he was so excited. He
said, "Daddy, Daddy, you're
00:25:07.40\00:25:10.57
not gonna believe this. They
taught us about Martin Luther
00:25:10.57\00:25:13.14
today, and how he nailed up the
95 species." [ Laughter ] This
00:25:13.14\00:25:17.41
is not species. This is theses.
These are challenges. Take a
look at those challenges.
00:25:17.41\00:25:22.52
This is from 1518. L.E. Froom,
in that classic series of four
00:25:22.52\00:25:31.46
volumes, "Prophetic Faith
of our Fathers," he writes --
00:25:31.46\00:25:34.10
Put his words on
the screen, please.
00:25:34.23\00:25:35.73
"Seeing the corrupting influence
of these indulgences among his
00:25:35.73\00:25:38.60
own parishioners" -- See,
that's what makes him so mad.
00:25:38.60\00:25:41.00
He's a pastor.
"...Luther tried to stem the
00:25:41.00\00:25:44.74
tide, and refused to absolve
those" who show up to Luther
00:25:44.74\00:25:47.68
with this little piece of
paper that they bought and say,
00:25:47.68\00:25:49.54
"Hey, guess what? I'm
not going to purgatory.
00:25:49.54\00:25:51.58
I got out of it."
Get-out-of-jail-free card.
00:25:51.58\00:25:53.55
Look at this. I bought it."
"Luther tried to stem the tide,
00:25:53.55\00:26:01.26
and refused to absolve those
from their sins who produced
00:26:01.26\00:26:04.19
an indulgence
purchased from Tezel."
00:26:04.19\00:26:06.16
Who's Tezel? He's a
little Dominican friar.
00:26:06.16\00:26:09.16
Tezel had a little jingle, a
great marketing jingle. It went
00:26:09.33\00:26:12.47
like this. This is Tezel. He
used to sing this as he's
calling people to step up.
00:26:12.47\00:26:15.57
"As soon as the coin in the
coffer rings, the soul from
purgatory springs."
00:26:15.57\00:26:20.14
"Your mother's in purgatory.
Your father's in purgatory. How
00:26:20.14\00:26:23.51
about a -- Don't you have the
money to get them out? You can
if you buy this piece of
00:26:23.51\00:26:27.02
paper right now. Who will
be next?" And he's hawking it.
00:26:27.02\00:26:30.52
That's Tezel.
00:26:30.52\00:26:31.69
"Therefore," Froom goes on.
00:26:31.85\00:26:33.86
Isn't that something? God bless
the thousand of faithful
pastors, men and women,
00:26:49.17\00:26:55.44
on every continent of Earth who,
like Luther, shepherd God's
people with humble courage
00:26:55.44\00:27:02.12
borne of Christ's spirit.
00:27:02.12\00:27:03.55
Lookit, lookit.
"Great Controversy"
00:27:03.72\00:27:05.49
on the screen. One line.
00:27:05.49\00:27:07.42
Martin was called to be a
shepherd. One more quotation.
00:27:13.56\00:27:17.00
This is from Timothy Lull and
Derek Nelson's biography
"Resilient Reformer."
00:27:17.00\00:27:24.01
They conclude the biography by
noting all the titles that have
been accrued by Luther through
00:27:24.01\00:27:28.64
history. He was a prophet,
he was a hymn writer, he as a
00:27:28.64\00:27:32.75
musician, he was a leader,
he was a Bible scholar, he was a
00:27:32.75\00:27:36.79
professor. But they end with
this, and I'll put their words
00:27:36.95\00:27:40.79
on the screen. "On the most
momentous day in his turbulent
00:27:51.53\00:27:54.14
life" -- we're going to
Worms in just a moment here.
00:27:54.14\00:27:56.37
On that day, "the day
of his examination at the
00:27:56.37\00:27:58.77
Diet of Worms -- Luther rose
early so that he could hear the
00:27:58.77\00:28:01.81
confession of several
people with heavy hearts...
00:28:01.81\00:28:04.85
He did not want to be right
about doctrine for the sake of
00:28:04.85\00:28:07.32
being right, but for being
helpful to troubled consciences.
00:28:07.32\00:28:10.59
Isn't that good? German
shepherd. He was a shepherd.
00:28:23.30\00:28:28.74
And so at the risk of alienating
others, I want to say now to
00:28:28.74\00:28:34.01
some behind me or in front of
me, it is indeed possible that
00:28:34.01\00:28:41.62
Christ is calling you, too, to
walk in His steps as a shepherd,
00:28:41.62\00:28:53.90
as a pastor. I can assure you
that, if He is calling you,
whether you are a young man or a
00:28:53.90\00:28:59.90
young woman or not so young, it
doesn't matter. If you say yes
to Him, you are in for the most
00:28:59.90\00:29:07.04
high-seas adventure a human
being can have as you spend your
life focusing on the souls of
00:29:07.04\00:29:15.25
human beings. Not their bodies,
their souls. Is He calling you?
If He is, then you must say yes.
00:29:15.25\00:29:28.30
Is he calling you? If you're not
sure, call me up. I want to talk
00:29:28.30\00:29:34.67
to you. All right? Call me
up. So, that's Wittenberg. Three
00:29:34.67\00:29:40.84
W's. Worms. Oh, it's late
afternoon, April 21, 1521. The
German city of Worms, the
00:29:40.84\00:29:45.85
diet, or the parliament of the
Holy Roman Empire has been
convened all day, and the
00:29:45.85\00:29:50.79
business is dragging slow.
Martin Luther nervously waits to
be re-ushered before the
00:29:50.79\00:29:56.39
assemblage of the most powerful
human personages on the planet
00:29:56.39\00:30:02.20
at that time. I have a picture
in my study. I look at this
00:30:02.36\00:30:04.80
picture every single day, and
I'm gonna show it to you now.
00:30:04.80\00:30:06.74
Put it on the screen,
please. This is the painting of
00:30:06.74\00:30:09.00
Anton von Werner. Look at that.
00:30:09.00\00:30:14.41
You see the young
Charles V, the Emperor.
00:30:14.41\00:30:17.05
You see all the
prelates of the Church in Rome.
00:30:17.05\00:30:22.38
And there he is, tonsured,
that little crazy haircutted
00:30:22.38\00:30:26.52
monk and priest and
pastor, Martin Luther.
00:30:26.52\00:30:31.29
Luther knows --
Keep that picture up.
00:30:31.29\00:30:33.76
Luther knows that he will likely
be given the death sentence and
00:30:33.76\00:30:36.87
summarily executed.
You see, yesterday --
00:30:36.87\00:30:40.57
You may not know this, but
yesterday he appeared before
00:30:40.57\00:30:43.27
this august body, but for
something akin to stage fright,
00:30:43.27\00:30:48.11
which caught him off guard, and
he was not prepared for the two
00:30:48.11\00:30:51.41
stunning
questions of the prosecutor.
00:30:51.41\00:30:53.55
"Martin, are these your books?
And will you recant them?"
00:30:53.55\00:30:58.72
And in barely a whisper,
he pleads with the court,
00:30:58.72\00:31:02.62
"I need some time to
consider my response."
00:31:02.62\00:31:06.96
He's had weeks.
Luther hurries back to his
00:31:06.96\00:31:12.87
quarters, his mind and heart
in the clutches of cold fear and
00:31:12.87\00:31:16.37
panic -- and some of you
know what that feels like.
00:31:16.37\00:31:18.17
Through the night, he's
wrestling with God, in desperate
00:31:18.17\00:31:21.04
need before the Almighty.
00:31:21.04\00:31:22.21
This sentence appears
in "Great Controversy."
00:31:22.38\00:31:24.41
No wonder. Put it on the screen.
00:31:24.41\00:31:26.25
I want to tell you something,
folks. If we're ever gonna have
00:31:30.59\00:31:33.92
a reformation again, if there
will be a New Reformation, it
will also come from the secret
00:31:33.92\00:31:38.36
place of prayer. Nowhere else.
And it was that night of prayer
00:31:38.36\00:31:45.23
that revived Martin's heart and
soul with the assurance God is
our refuge and strength, a very
00:31:45.23\00:31:49.87
present help in trouble,
therefore will not we fear. So,
Luther was supposed to be
00:31:49.87\00:31:55.58
brought before the diet at 4:00
in the afternoon, but like I
say, the business is really
00:31:55.58\00:32:00.25
grinding slowly, and it's not
until 6:00 that the guards come
00:32:00.25\00:32:04.99
for him. "Martin, it's your
turn." By now, the land has
grown dark. The crowd has
00:32:04.99\00:32:11.16
enlarged from yesterday. They're
trying to pack it into the
00:32:11.16\00:32:15.03
original quarters. They can't.
They have to choose the
Episcopal Hall next to the
00:32:15.03\00:32:17.80
Romanesque Cathedral. And it's
dark. And so candles have to be
00:32:17.80\00:32:23.10
lit around the crowded Episcopal
quarters. One of the
commentators remarked
00:32:23.10\00:32:32.81
that the presence of candles
lent a sanctity to the ensuing
00:32:32.81\00:32:38.52
hearing. And the poor
prosecutor, frustrated and
unhappy with the apparent
00:32:38.52\00:32:43.59
delaying tactics of Martin,
starts all over again. "All
right, Martin. Let's ask them
00:32:43.59\00:32:47.83
again. Here they are. Number
one, are these your books?
00:32:47.83\00:32:50.57
And number two,
do you recant them?"
00:32:50.57\00:32:53.74
And now, with a voice that rings
out with a confidence borne from
00:32:53.90\00:32:57.54
God himself,
Luther acknowledges,
00:32:57.54\00:33:02.44
"Yes, these are my books.
And as for that question, do I
00:33:02.44\00:33:06.25
recant them," and not taking a
breath and giving the prosecutor
00:33:06.25\00:33:09.52
an opportunity to interrupt,
Luther begins to explain that
00:33:09.52\00:33:12.59
these books actually represent
three categories of books.
00:33:12.59\00:33:15.59
"And I need to explain to
you what this category is."
00:33:15.59\00:33:18.69
Anybody who wanted Luther
terminated is praying he will
not say anything but yes or no.
00:33:18.86\00:33:24.47
But Luther launches into a
defense of his writings. "And in
this particular book,
00:33:24.47\00:33:27.77
this is why I wrote this. And in
this particular book..." And the
poor prosecutor can say
00:33:27.77\00:33:31.67
nothing until he's through. And
when Luther is through, "Martin,
00:33:31.67\00:33:37.21
I ask you, do you recant these
books?" And now, in words that
have been memorized in children
00:33:37.21\00:33:44.59
in church schools all over the
world in the last 500 years,
come these words on the screen.
00:33:44.59\00:33:50.49
Martin's reply.
00:33:50.49\00:33:51.59
There was no
resounding amen in that hall.
00:34:30.53\00:34:34.07
Nobody found that a beautiful
terminus to this grand and
00:34:34.07\00:34:37.27
eloquent defense.
00:34:37.27\00:34:40.84
But the Spirit of God had
outsmarted the strategies of
00:34:41.01\00:34:46.72
darkness. By the way, Roland
Bainton, the most beloved of
Luther's biographers, writes,
00:34:46.72\00:34:52.25
"Luther had spoken in German,"
okay? "He was now asked to
repeat it all" -- Repeat it all,
00:34:52.25\00:34:56.59
Martin -- "in Latin, the
language of the church. He was
00:34:56.59\00:34:59.39
sweating. A friend called out"
-- I'm reading Bainton now. "'If
you can't do it, Doctor,
00:34:59.39\00:35:02.56
you've done enough. Don't
worry.' Luther again made the
00:35:02.56\00:35:05.87
affirmation, his defense, in
Latin, then threw up his arms in
the gesture of a victorious
00:35:05.87\00:35:11.04
knight and slipped out of the
darkened hall." "Here I stand.
00:35:11.04\00:35:22.32
I can do no other." Man, there's
gonna be a generation -- there's
00:35:22.32\00:35:27.69
gonna be a generation one day
that will say the same by the
way they live, that will say the
00:35:27.69\00:35:33.29
same by the way they confess
their love of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Wittenberg, Worms, and
00:35:33.29\00:35:44.01
finally Wartburg. 1521. As
Luther is quietly slipping away
00:35:44.01\00:35:51.55
-- because the Emperor promised
him safe passage home. After
that, all bets are off.
00:35:51.55\00:35:54.68
And Luther knows he's marked
now for the rest of his life. As
00:35:54.68\00:35:58.92
he's slipping out, a day goes
by. He is with some companions.
A little horse and a cart.
00:35:58.92\00:36:03.36
Then, out of the dark forest,
masked warriors grab the
Reformer, hood him, bind him up,
00:36:03.36\00:36:11.60
ride off with him, and nobody
sees Luther again. Turns out
Elector Frederick of
00:36:11.60\00:36:20.04
Saxony has high regard for this
citizen who teaches in the new
University of Wittenberg, and
00:36:20.04\00:36:27.45
has faked the kidnapping to
remove Martin Luther from the
00:36:27.45\00:36:34.59
scene. Not a peep. I've been to
that castle. I'm gonna show it
00:36:34.59\00:36:38.96
to you right now. Oh, I tell you
what. Look at the location of
00:36:38.96\00:36:42.66
it. It really is on a rocky
outcropping, and that is solid
00:36:42.66\00:36:47.74
forest as far as the eye can
see. You would never find him.
You could never follow a track.
00:36:47.74\00:36:52.34
In that castle, for 11 months
ensconced, there is Martin
00:36:52.34\00:36:58.81
Luther. Now, you're not gonna
believe this. Because we think
00:36:58.81\00:37:02.45
that either Wittenberg or Worms
would be just the pinnacle ' of
00:37:02.45\00:37:05.92
Luther's career. No, no, no, no,
no. Scholars are saying what
happened in that building, in
00:37:05.92\00:37:11.29
that rocky fortress, is the
seminal moment in the Protestant
00:37:11.29\00:37:16.13
Reformation. Let me
read James Reston Jr.
00:37:16.13\00:37:19.47
He begins his book on Luther's
11 months in the Wartburg castle
00:37:19.63\00:37:22.37
this way. Words on the screen.
00:37:22.37\00:37:24.81
"Indeed, without any books
to refer to during this period,
00:37:46.80\00:37:50.93
he would succeed in changing
the German language forever,
00:37:50.93\00:37:55.24
as he would transform a
rebellion against Rome into a
00:37:55.24\00:37:58.31
lasting alternate
religion" called Protestantism.
00:37:58.31\00:38:01.81
"Hounded into the Wartburg,
he emerged" 11 months later
00:38:01.81\00:38:04.71
"with strength and stature
to face his persecutors --
00:38:04.71\00:38:07.52
and to triumph over them."
00:38:07.52\00:38:10.49
Wow. Just when you think
that you're in this obscure
00:38:10.65\00:38:17.93
nowhere, nothing happening,
little village in Michigan, and
your life is just dwindling
00:38:17.93\00:38:27.94
away, just when you think it's
all over, God, whose eye is on
00:38:27.94\00:38:35.91
the sparrow, locks in on you and
says, "No, girl. [ Chuckles ]
You don't know this, but this
00:38:35.91\00:38:41.78
will turn out to be the most
important time you have ever
00:38:41.78\00:38:46.15
lived. Stay with me. I know what
you can't know. Boy, I know what
00:38:46.15\00:38:52.46
you can't know. You stay with
me. You don't run. You don't
write your biography
00:38:52.46\00:38:56.50
or autobiography. Let me write
the story. I'll determine what's
00:38:56.50\00:39:02.34
worthy and what's waste."
11 months later, the Protestant
00:39:02.34\00:39:11.91
Reformation has been sealed,
carved in rock, and it cannot be
00:39:11.91\00:39:18.42
broken. Oh! Get me to preaching
here if we keep up with this.
Let me show you something else.
00:39:18.42\00:39:23.43
Oh, be careful. All right.
Boy, isn't that something? James
00:39:23.43\00:39:28.43
White Library. You're not gonna
believe what they have in that
lower-temperature cooler.
00:39:28.43\00:39:35.37
I went in there yesterday. Thank
you, Jim Ford, again. Guys,
00:39:35.37\00:39:39.41
you're not gonna believe this.
So, Luther goes into Wartburg,
00:39:39.41\00:39:43.71
1521. He comes out
1522. 11 months later. 1523.
00:39:43.71\00:39:48.05
Because he translate the German
New Testament in the castle. He
00:39:48.05\00:39:52.59
got that done. Old Testament's
gonna take time. One year later,
the first five Books of Moses.
00:39:52.59\00:39:58.29
The Pentateuch has been
translated, with great European
00:39:58.29\00:40:03.73
wood cuts. See if I can
find one with a picture. Nah.
00:40:03.73\00:40:08.74
I'm just gonna hold it
up. So, this is it. In German.
00:40:08.74\00:40:14.41
Do you understand that the Bible
was purposely kept in Latin
because only the Church can
00:40:14.41\00:40:18.21
interpret it, and only certain
people in the Church can
understand it, "and the rest of
00:40:18.21\00:40:21.95
you, just take our word for it.
This is what it says." And
Luther comes along and says,
00:40:21.95\00:40:27.06
"No more taking anybody's word.
I'm gonna write it in the
language of the people
00:40:27.06\00:40:31.49
They will study, and let
them decide." And here it is in
00:40:31.49\00:40:40.40
German. Wow. [
Scoffs ] And you and I,
00:40:40.40\00:40:47.08
we'll toss the Bible, just toss
it on our bed, throw it up on a
00:40:47.08\00:40:52.61
shelf. No big deal to us. I
got 20 more where that one came
00:40:52.61\00:40:57.62
from. Not to worry." And he gave
his life just to get it in the
00:40:57.62\00:41:07.13
language of his people.
Wittenberg, Worms, Wartburg. 500
00:41:07.13\00:41:17.17
years later, okay? I want to end
with this. 500 years later, I
have a question for you.
00:41:17.17\00:41:20.21
I need you to answer this. I
need you to answer it in your
00:41:20.21\00:41:23.41
mind. 500 years later,
what is left to reform? Come on.
00:41:23.41\00:41:28.98
I mean, what is left to reform?
Is there anything left at all?
00:41:28.98\00:41:33.62
If you had a little piece of
paper and it had this sentence
00:41:33.79\00:41:36.09
on it -- let's
put it on the screen.
00:41:36.09\00:41:37.59
It had this little
sentence on it, how would you
00:41:37.59\00:41:39.53
fill in the blank? Can
you see that sentence in the
00:41:39.53\00:41:41.86
monitors above you, orchestra?
"Dear God, we really need a
00:41:41.86\00:41:46.80
reformation in..."
blank. What would you put
00:41:46.80\00:41:50.17
in that blank? "Dear
God, we really need a
00:41:50.17\00:41:52.61
reformation in..." blank.
00:41:52.61\00:41:54.38
We really need a reformation in
our church. That's what it is.
00:41:54.54\00:41:57.41
We really need a reformation in
this university. That's what I'm
00:41:57.41\00:42:00.48
thinking of. We really need a
reformation in our home. In my
00:42:00.48\00:42:03.12
marriage, God, I really need a
reformation. We really need a
reformation in our theology.
00:42:03.12\00:42:06.82
How about our ecclesiology? We
need a reformation. "What are
all these -ologies?
00:42:06.82\00:42:10.59
I don't know." But we need it.
We really need a reformation.
00:42:10.59\00:42:15.83
I need a reformation with
my walk with Jesus. I need a
00:42:15.83\00:42:19.00
Reformation in my heart.
Oh, God, the world needs a
00:42:19.00\00:42:22.57
reformation. What would you
put in that blank? "Dear God, we
00:42:22.57\00:42:27.11
really need a reformation in..."
Do you know what? If God were
00:42:27.11\00:42:30.45
sitting in the pew today --
better yet, if He were in the
pulpit and I'm sitting in the
00:42:30.45\00:42:33.31
pew with you, what would God
say? Could it be that God would
say this -- "Children,
00:42:33.31\00:42:36.99
children, children, children,
great, great. Wonderful answers.
00:42:36.99\00:42:39.55
I love them all. I love them
all. I accept all of them as
00:42:39.55\00:42:43.96
valid. In fact, let's do them
all." Oh, God, you can't do all
of these reformations,
00:42:43.96\00:42:49.30
all of these and just -- psh.
"Oh, yes, I can. I have a gift.
00:42:49.30\00:42:54.84
I have a gift. I'm gonna give
you a gift. And when you get
00:42:54.84\00:43:00.11
that gift," hold on, now. Hold
on to your pew. "When you get
00:43:00.11\00:43:02.98
that gift, you will have every
other gift in the universe that
00:43:02.98\00:43:08.28
I possess. In this one gift, I'm
giving them all to you. With one
00:43:08.28\00:43:14.22
gift, there'll be reformation in
every quarter, in every heart,
for every life. I have one
00:43:14.22\00:43:21.00
gift." You say, "God, give me
that gift. Give me that gift."
00:43:21.00\00:43:27.30
He says, "All right. Ask and you
will receive. Seek and you
will," how's it go?
00:43:27.30\00:43:38.48
"...you will find.
00:43:38.48\00:43:39.61
Knock..." [Knocking]
"...and it will be..."?
00:43:39.78\00:43:43.18
"...open to you."
The words of Jesus.
00:43:43.18\00:43:44.69
Red-letter words. Put
them on the screen. Luke 11.
00:43:44.69\00:43:47.16
"If you who are evil know
how to give good gifts to your
00:43:47.16\00:43:51.13
children, how much more
will your Father in heaven --
00:43:51.13\00:43:55.16
how much more will your
Father give the Holy Spirit to
00:43:55.16\00:43:57.77
those who continually day after
day after day ask for Him?"
00:43:57.77\00:44:03.17
How much more?
One gift. Come on.
00:44:03.34\00:44:06.64
Can you prove that one-gift
thing? Okay. Let's put it up.
00:44:06.64\00:44:08.91
Put it up now.
"Thoughts from the
00:44:09.08\00:44:10.15
Mount of Blessing." One line.
00:44:10.15\00:44:12.18
God says, "Ask
me for the Spirit."
00:44:18.45\00:44:20.59
"Hey! [Snaps] You! Ask me every
day for the Spirit. Girl, you
00:44:20.76\00:44:29.13
ask me every day for the Spirit.
And if you ask me, I will give
00:44:29.13\00:44:33.50
it to you. Because your parents,
they were evil. Oh, they did
00:44:33.50\00:44:37.17
their best. But they gave you
good gifts. How much more will
I, your heavenly parent, give
00:44:37.17\00:44:41.44
you the Holy Spirit if you ask
for Him? I don't give to you
unless you want Him.
00:44:41.44\00:44:46.78
You ask, I'll
give it to you." Wow.
00:44:46.78\00:44:51.39
"That's just some
little New Testament twist."
00:44:51.55\00:44:53.39
No, no, no. Come on, put up the
00:44:53.39\00:44:54.69
Old Testament.
Isaiah 43:19, God says,
00:44:54.69\00:44:56.66
"Behold," I'm
gonna do a new thing."
00:44:56.66\00:44:58.79
What are you talking about, God?
00:44:58.79\00:45:00.83
44, verse 3. "I
will pour water on those
00:45:00.83\00:45:04.43
who are thirsty and
floods on the dry ground.
00:45:04.43\00:45:06.97
I will pour My Spirit on
your descendants and My blessing
00:45:06.97\00:45:10.11
on your offspring.
00:45:10.11\00:45:11.01
You ask me, and I will give
you the one gift that will bring
00:45:11.17\00:45:15.28
every other gift in the
universe. And you want a New
Reformation? I'll give you a New
00:45:15.28\00:45:18.71
Reformation now. But
you ask. You don't want it,
00:45:18.71\00:45:23.92
you're not getting it." You have
to want this gift. Some gifts
00:45:23.92\00:45:29.49
you get from me, you toss them
aside. 'There, now, that's
nothing.' This gift, you have to
00:45:29.49\00:45:35.53
ask for. You ask me, day by day
continually ask me, how much
more will I give than
00:45:35.53\00:45:41.40
what your parents gave? I mean,
lookit, it's a big deal to God.
00:45:41.40\00:45:45.84
You know why we know? Because
when God came here and became
us, human -- watch this.
00:45:45.84\00:45:51.15
One sentence on the screen.
"Morning by morning, Jesus
00:45:51.31\00:45:54.55
communicated with His
Father in heaven, receiving from
00:45:54.55\00:45:58.35
Him daily a
fresh," what? A fresh what?
00:45:58.35\00:46:01.66
What's the word? A fresh
what? "...a fresh baptism
00:46:01.66\00:46:05.06
of the Holy Spirit." Do
you know of any other way
00:46:05.06\00:46:09.20
to ignite a New Reformation?
Tell me one other way a
00:46:09.20\00:46:12.63
New Reformation will be
ignited. Can you think of one?
00:46:12.63\00:46:15.87
No, you can't. You
cannot. There is no other way.
00:46:15.87\00:46:18.71
One gift. Okay. I'll sit down.
00:46:18.71\00:46:22.74
But not before
making an invitation.
00:46:22.74\00:46:27.02
I'm not gonna let this baptism
of the Holy Spirit thing just
kind of slip away, slip out of
00:46:27.18\00:46:30.69
our consciousness, get off the
radar screen. Got a new series
00:46:30.69\00:46:34.69
starting in two weeks called
"You Turn my Mourning into
Dancing." But I'm not just
00:46:34.69\00:46:44.13
backing away from this, say,
"Well, we've had that. What's
00:46:44.13\00:46:46.57
the new theme?" No, this is
staying with us till Jesus
comes. By the way, a little girl
00:46:46.57\00:46:51.14
named Sarah Hill, she's gonna be
preaching this Friday night at
Proximity, the vespers.
00:46:51.14\00:46:57.55
She didn't know that we've been
talking a lot about the baptism
00:46:57.55\00:47:00.38
of the Holy Spirit around here,
and the Holy Spirit laid on her
and said, "Girl, you're gonna
00:47:00.38\00:47:03.69
preach on the baptism of the
Holy Spirit." She let me know,
00:47:03.69\00:47:07.12
'cause she heard about what
we're doing here. Said, "I'm
gonna preach on the
00:47:07.12\00:47:09.76
baptism, Dwight, of the Holy
Spirit, and I need some help.
00:47:09.76\00:47:12.23
I'm gonna call students to come
forward. I'm gonna call students
00:47:12.23\00:47:16.90
to come forward in this moment,
and I'm gonna ask them, 'Do you
want to be anointed with oil for
00:47:16.90\00:47:22.77
the Holy Spirit?' If you come
forward," she says, "I've talked
00:47:22.77\00:47:27.61
to the pastors. I've talked to
the elders. They'll all be here.
Right here. Friday night, 7:30.
00:47:27.61\00:47:31.98
They'll all be here. And they
will anoint you with oil because
you have a longing."
00:47:31.98\00:47:37.25
Let me tell you something in
advance. There's no magic in the
00:47:37.25\00:47:40.72
oil. It's nothing. It's just
a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
00:47:40.72\00:47:44.59
The very next morning, you're
gonna have to be on your knees,
no oil, and you're gonna say,
00:47:44.59\00:47:48.30
"Lord Jesus, fill me again
today. Fill me again today.
00:47:48.30\00:47:52.87
Baptize me." I'm sitting down.
But first reminding you that
00:47:52.87\00:48:00.58
when Luther died -- You remember
this? When Luther died...
00:48:00.58\00:48:06.68
What was it? February, 1546.
Only 62 years old, but he was an
00:48:06.68\00:48:11.42
old man. Worn out. Worn out from
this battle. When he died, his
00:48:11.42\00:48:16.93
two boys were with him, and some
friends. They took his heavy
coat -- 'cause it's winter in
00:48:16.93\00:48:21.16
Germany, and like here in
February. They took his coat off
and they went through his
00:48:21.16\00:48:27.50
pockets. You know, you'd do
that. They went through his
pockets. "Did Dad leave
00:48:27.50\00:48:31.14
anything?" They find a piece of
paper that's folded tucked in
one of the pockets.
00:48:31.14\00:48:35.14
They open the paper up. It's
Luther's handwriting. It's
written in Latin and
00:48:35.14\00:48:38.91
German. And here's the
sentence. Hoc es verum.
00:48:38.91\00:48:45.99
That means "This is true"
in Latin. Now here comes the
00:48:45.99\00:48:49.32
German. Wir sind alle bettler.
00:48:49.32\00:48:52.03
"We are all
beggars." We are all beggars.
00:48:52.19\00:49:01.60
We are all beggars. That's
why God says -- He's right.
00:49:01.77\00:49:11.01
"You ask me. You beg me. You
beg me, and I'll give you the
00:49:11.01\00:49:20.56
Holy Spirit every day until
Jesus comes. I'll will baptize
00:49:20.56\00:49:23.99
you afresh." There's no
fireworks. There's no
handwriting on the wall.
00:49:23.99\00:49:26.73
You will just know it in your
heart. "I asked, He promised,
00:49:26.73\00:49:29.50
I got it." And you will
move through this community as a
00:49:29.50\00:49:33.77
baptized-by-the-Holy Spirit
young adult, as a
baptized-by-the-Holy Spirit
00:49:33.77\00:49:37.94
senior citizen or something
in between. "You ask me every
00:49:37.94\00:49:42.54
morning, and I'll give it to you
every single day. Every day."
00:49:42.54\00:49:45.98
We're all beggars. We are.
So I say let's start begging,
00:49:45.98\00:49:53.09
'cause God is ready for a
brand-new reformation that will
carry the human race in much
00:49:53.09\00:50:01.30
faster progression to the end of
time. I'm gonna pray with you.
00:50:01.30\00:50:12.97
Oh, God... [ Sighs ] All this
trouble to get a Bible to us?
00:50:12.97\00:50:20.85
You serious? The man's willing
to die so that the Word of God
00:50:20.85\00:50:28.56
can be ours? And we have five
Bibles and one on our phone?
00:50:28.56\00:50:37.37
All of this for a New
Reformation 500 years later? Oh,
00:50:37.37\00:50:47.54
Father, good and perfect, loving
Father, we need one more gift.
The one that brings
00:50:47.54\00:50:54.42
every other gift with it. Please
raise up 100 people on this
00:50:54.42\00:51:03.06
campus 100 pleaders, 100 beggars
every morning, asking for a
fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit
00:51:03.06\00:51:13.74
for that day, for today. The New
Reformation, You promised it.
00:51:13.74\00:51:22.91
We believe it. And now, by the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:51:22.91\00:51:28.32
bring it on. In His
name we pray, amen. Amen.
00:51:28.32\00:51:41.36
I want to go to this hymn. We've
been hearing it, we've been
00:51:41.36\00:51:45.73
hearing it, we've been
hearing it. I think we've got it
00:51:45.73\00:51:50.47
memorized now. I want to go to
this hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is
Our God." I want us to stand.
00:51:50.47\00:51:53.48
And now we're gonna sing
the words. We're gonna sing the
00:51:53.48\00:51:55.94
words together. Okay? So just
stand up. We don't have a long
00:51:55.94\00:51:58.15
introduction to this hymn.
The great battle hymn of the
00:51:58.15\00:52:02.65
Reformation, the New
Reformation. Let's sing it
together. [ Organ plays ]
00:52:02.65\00:52:17.53
¤¤ ¤¤
00:52:17.53\00:52:30.88
[ Congregation sings ]
00:52:31.05\00:52:32.95
[ Instrumental music plays ] ¤¤
00:55:18.21\00:55:31.69
Amen. And now may the
love of our Lord Jesus
00:56:38.73\00:56:45.00
and the grace of God our Father
and the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit be with you.
00:56:45.00\00:56:52.04
Amen. ¤¤
00:56:52.04\00:57:04.05
>> Thank you for taking the time
to join us in worship today.
00:57:09.99\00:57:12.33
I'd like to spent another moment
with you here at the end of our
00:57:12.33\00:57:14.73
program to share
with you a gift of hope.
00:57:14.73\00:57:17.70
In these uncertain times, this
little book, "The Great Hope,"
00:57:17.87\00:57:21.20
will help you understand what
God has planned for your future.
And not just your future,
00:57:21.20\00:57:23.87
but for the future of the human
race. In this 500th anniversary
00:57:23.87\00:57:27.38
of the Great Reformation,
we recognize that Luther had a
00:57:27.38\00:57:31.38
mighty work to do. But the truth
is, he didn't recognize all the
light of Holy Scripture.
00:57:31.38\00:57:34.58
How could he have? He's just
one life. New light has been
00:57:34.58\00:57:38.49
continually shining since his
time, and new truths have been
constantly unfolding.
00:57:38.49\00:57:42.06
This book, "The Great Hope,"
is a story of that continuing
00:57:42.22\00:57:45.53
Reformation. So grab your phone,
00:57:45.53\00:57:47.93
dial our toll-free
number, 877-HIS-WILL --
00:57:47.93\00:57:50.67
Remember the two
words. 877-HIS-WILL --
00:57:50.67\00:57:53.84
and we'll get a
copy to you right away.
00:57:53.84\00:57:56.30
Until the next time we meet,
may the peace of our Lord Jesus
00:57:56.30\00:57:59.71
be with you.
00:57:59.71\00:58:00.71
¤¤ ¤¤
00:58:03.48\00:58:23.47
¤¤
00:58:23.47\00:58:27.20