Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001243
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00:07 It has stood the test of time.
00:11 God's book. 00:13 The Bible. 00:16 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:22 It is written sharing hope around the globe. 00:36 Thanks for joining me today. 00:38 I4m John Bradshaw and this is It Is Written. 00:42 In the north of England, about half way between Leeds 00:45 and Newcastle in North Yorkshire, is the little 00:47 village of Hipswell. 00:49 It's an unremarkable place as far as English villages go - 00:53 bucolic, surrounded by beautiful countryside, it4s 00:56 slow, it4s peaceful... 00:58 nothing you wouldn't expect to see in an English village. 01:01 But there's something that sets little Hipswell apart. 01:05 It's the home of one of the most remarkable men in all of 01:09 history, certainly in terms of his contribution to 01:12 British society and his role in Christianity. 01:15 In Hipswell long ago, a fire began burning that would 01:19 eventually burn so bright it would illuminate all of 01:22 England, and by extension, the entire world. 01:26 John Wycliffe was born here or hereabouts. 01:28 His family most likely hailed from the area known as 01:31 Wycliffe, about half an hour north of here on the Tees 01:34 River. 01:35 And from this unlikely place of origin John Wycliffe went 01:38 on to become known as the Morning Star of the 01:40 Reformation - an advocate for the rights of the people, a 01:44 denouncer of the abuses in the church, a defender of the 01:48 King of England and a fearless preacher of God's 01:51 word. 01:57 Wycliffe's greatest contribution to the world is 02:00 that he put the word of God into the hands of the people 02:04 - a people who didn't have the word of God and who were 02:07 held in tradition and superstition. 02:09 If you've ever held a Bible in your hands, if you've ever 02:13 treasured the precious promises found in the Word of 02:16 God, if your heart has ever been warmed by the beauty of 02:19 Scripture, you probably find it hard to imagine a society 02:22 where God's word is not welcomed. 02:25 But 14th Century England was a different world. 02:29 John Wycliffe was born in around 1328 - that's shortly 02:32 after the death of Marco Polo. 02:36 The king at the time was Edward the 3rd, who came to 02:39 the throne when he was just 15 years of age. 02:42 England was locked in some bitter disputes. 02:45 This was just after the time of William Wallace - 02:48 Braveheart - and around the time of Robert the Bruce - 02:51 and wars with Scotland and France raged during 02:54 Wycliffe's early life. 02:58 Then in the middle of the 14th Century the Black Death 03:02 struck England, killing somewhere between a third or 03:05 a half of England's population. 03:08 The peasant class at the time were essentially slaves, and 03:12 the influence of the ruling church was enormous. 03:16 The Catholic Church essentially controlled the 03:18 country, and by later in the 14th Century the the pope was 03:21 receiving 5 times as much gold from the government of 03:25 England as was the King. 03:27 And when it came to the teaching of God's word... 03:30 well the people were living in superstition and fear, as 03:33 priests as well as traveling monks and friars kept the 03:36 people in spiritual darkness. 03:38 It was a common practice for these monks to sell pardon 03:42 for sins. 03:43 As a result, they often lived a luxurious life, fleecing 03:47 the flock instead of teaching the flock instead of teaching 03:49 the flock. 03:50 The monks were barely less ignorant of the things of 03:52 heaven than the people were, and the people were kept in 03:56 spiritual darkness. 03:57 But out of the darkness that was 14th Century England, God 04:03 caused a bright light to shine. 04:06 The Morning Star of the Reformation brought light to 04:09 a nation and truth to the world - and from England, 04:15 John Wycliffe's teachings would shine light into the 04:18 hearts of men and women everywhere. 04:22 John Wycliffe was a revolutionary. 04:25 And what John Wycliffe gave the world still speaks to us 04:29 today.... 04:42 When Wycliffe arrived here as a student at Oxford, the 04:46 University was already 150 years old. 04:49 When he came here there were 30,000 students here. 04:51 By the time the Black Death had done its work, there were 04:55 only 10,000. 04:56 At it was while he was a student at Oxford that John 05:00 Wycliffe started to develop as a champion of the word of 05:02 God. 05:04 John Wycliffe studied here at Balliol College, which was 05:08 founded in 1263. 05:11 Five Balliol Students have gone on to win the Nobel 05:13 Prize - the most of any of Oxford's colleges - as have 7 05:17 faculty members. 05:19 Three British Prime Ministers studied here, including 05:22 Edward Heath and Harold McMillan, London's Lord 05:25 Mayor, Boris Johnson, as well as authors Aldous Huxley and 05:28 Graham Greene, and - curiously - the noted atheist 05:31 Richard Dawkins also studied here. 05:34 Wycliffe was a brilliant student, and studied not only 05:40 philosophy and civil law, but church law as well. 05:44 He became known as "The Flower of Oxford" owing to 05:48 his academic excellence. 05:50 And it was here at Balliol in Oxford that John Wycliffe 05:56 began to study the Bible. 05:58 In those days, the Word of God was only written in the 06:01 ancient languages - and while the uneducated masses 06:05 couldn't access or understand the Word of God, scholars in 06:08 some cases, could. 06:10 Wycliffe found in the Bible clear evidence demonstrating 06:15 that the Bible as the Word of God and that Jesus Christ as 06:19 the only hope for the sinner. 06:22 He wrote these words, "Trust wholly in Christ, rely 06:28 altogether on His sufferings; beware of seeking to be 06:32 justified in any other way than by His righteousness. 06:36 Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient for 06:39 salvation." And he came to the conclusion that 06:42 confession to a priest was not necessary. 06:46 "Privy confession made to priests is not needful," he 06:49 wrote, "but brought in late by the Fiend: for Christ used 06:54 it not, nor any of His apostles after Him." While 07:02 early in his career at Oxford these thoughts did not become 07:05 issues for John Wycliffe, his study of the Word of God soon 07:08 set him on a collision course with the Roman Catholic 07:11 Church, which dominated not only British life and 07:15 religion, but also British politics as well. 07:18 At the time, the papacy controlled both the church 07:26 and the state in England. 07:28 Many church leaders were fabulously wealthy and acted 07:30 essentially as lords over the nation. 07:33 Growing up, Wycliffe likely thought little of this, but 07:37 exposure to the Bible caused him to think carefully. 07:42 As a child what he learned of religion wouldn't have been 07:45 much better than myths and stories and moral lessons. 07:50 The clergy themselves were not generally noted for their 07:53 piety, and Wycliffe realized there was a serious blight on 07:57 society that was going to have to be confronted - the 08:00 swarms of friars, men who belonged to religious orders 08:04 and depended on the charity of the population to survive. 08:09 Now while the general principle of the orders of 08:12 the friars doesn't seem to be harmless enough - men who 08:15 were devoted to living lives of poverty and devoted to 08:17 helping the poor - Wycliffe realized that these men were 08:20 a drain on society. 08:21 They were a corrupting influence. 08:24 They were idle, and rather than helping anybody at all, 08:27 they spent their time getting and gaining and living 08:30 riotous lives. 08:31 The pope had given the friars the authority to hear 08:36 confessions and grant pardon for sins. 08:39 This unBiblical system could only be corrupted - and it 08:43 was. 08:44 The worst sinners were "absolved" of their sins for 08:47 sums of money, while the friars continued to invent 08:50 stories and legends and tales so they could further 08:54 manipulate the ignorant masses. 08:57 This further strengthened the hold of the ruling church. 09:00 Ignorant people can't find answers when they don't even 09:03 know what questions to ask. 09:05 Being told that all you had to do to go to heaven was to 09:07 acknowledge the supremacy of the pope, give money to the 09:10 friars and adore the saints, didn't cause people to rely 09:13 on Jesus or be interested in genuine conversion. 09:17 Who needed any of that when you can buy your way into 09:20 heaven? 09:21 Now John Wycliffe wasn't the first to notice or to protest 09:25 the corruptions of the friars, but he would be the 09:28 one to do the most to curb 09:38 their excesses. 09:47 Music Wycliffe understood that what the people needed 09:54 was the word of God. 09:55 This was the one thing that could free them from the 09:58 tyranny of the friars. 09:59 It would liberate them from popes and from purgatory and 10:02 from purchase for pardon. 10:05 But how in the world could he get the word of God into the 10:07 hands of the people? 10:08 Wycliffe knew what the Bible meant when it said in Psalm 10:11 119:130, "The entrance of Your words gives light; It 10:17 gives understanding." What the people needed was God's 10:20 word. 10:21 The one thing that not even money couldn't buy. 10:25 So John Wyycliffe took the word of God to the people. 10:30 He preached to them publicly in places such as St Paul's 10:34 Cross, in the church out here in St Paul's Cathedral in 10:38 London. 10:39 Now this is not the same St Paul's as stood when John 10:42 Wycliffe was here - this is the new model, designed by 10:45 Sir Christopher Wren and rebuilt after the Great Fire 10:48 of London in 1666. 10:50 But it was here in the church yard at St. Paul4s Cathedral, 10:55 at St. Paul4s Cross, that John Wycliffe publicly 10:58 preached God4s Word. 10:59 A plaque commemorates the very spot that he stood and 11:03 preached. 11:04 His preaching had a dramatic effect on those who heard. 11:07 It wasn't the pointless prattle of the friars, it was 11:11 the pure word of God. 11:13 Those who listened knew that they were listening to 11:16 something of divine origin. 11:18 But how would the Bible get into the hands of the people? 11:21 Wycliffe had an idea. 11:23 It was a bold idea. 11:25 It was an idea that would change England forever. 11:33 In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God says "It is written 'Man 11:37 shall not live by bread alone but by every word that 11:41 proceeds out of the mouth of God'." Every Word is a one 11:45 minute Bible-based daily devotional presented by 11:48 Pastor John Bradshaw and designed especially for busy 11:52 people like you. 11:53 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch it 11:58 on-line everyday on our website itiswritten.com. 12:01 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 12:04 Watch Every Word. 12:05 You'll be glad you did. 12:07 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 12:09 I4m John Bradshaw and today, we're looking at the life and 12:13 the ministry and the message of John Wycliffe, the Morning 12:16 Star of the Reformation - the man who brought the Bible to 12:19 the people of England. 12:21 Wycliffe realized that the Bible could be powerful, not 12:24 only in the life of the individual but in a society, 12:27 and also in an entire nation. 12:30 After becoming the Master at Balliol College in Oxford, 12:36 Wycliffe pursued his theological studies, 12:40 eventually becoming a Doctor of Divinity. 12:42 And not only was he relentless in his 12:45 condemnation of the practices of the mendicant friars, 12:47 Wycliffe believed strongly that the church had no 12:51 business receiving tribute money from a sovereign 12:53 government. 12:54 In the year1365, Pope Urban the 5th demanded that England 13:00 submit entirely to the authority of the Church of 13:03 Rome - which would be an admission that the pope was 13:11 the legitimate sovereign of England. 13:15 John Wycliffe was strenuous in his opposition to the 13:18 Roman Church exercising power over the English crown. 13:21 Add to that his Bible teachings that collided with 13:24 the doctrines of the Catholic Church, and Wycliffe became 13:27 to be viewed as more than a thorn in the flesh of the 13:30 Church of Rome - by the time he became the rector of the 13:33 church in Lutterworth, Wycliffe was considered to be 13:36 a heretic. 13:37 Which was not surprising - after all, Wycliffe had begun 13:43 to teach that the pope of Rome was the antichrist of 13:49 the Bible. 13:50 He even claimed the pope was the man of sin in 2 13:57 Thessalonians chapter 2. 14:00 [Music] Things have changed a little since John Wycliffe 14:02 came here to petition Parliament to remove all of 14:05 the wealth of the church and bring it under the power of 14:07 the Crown. 14:11 The Parliament Buildings you see today weren't here in the 14:14 14th Century. 14:15 The Palace of Westminster - as Parliament is known - was 14:19 built in the 19th Century. 14:22 Big Ben is just over 150 years old. 14:27 Westminster Abbey was standing when Wycliffe came 14:30 here to Parliament - in fact, Richard the 2nd, the king who 14:33 was reigning when Wycliffe died, is buried in there but 14:37 there was no Buckingham Palace, or much that you'd 14:41 recognize in London today. 14:42 It was a very different place. 14:45 In 1377 John Wycliffe came here to this area to address 14:50 the Parliament with regard to the pope's claims to have 14:53 authority over England. 14:54 John Wycliffe lead the movement to turn back the 14:59 demands of Rome, and in fact he called upon Parliament to 15:05 reform the relationship between church and state. 15:09 And that was truly historic. 15:12 Wycliffe told Parliament that the national resources were 15:15 for the nation, and not for a foreign power like the church 15:19 of Rome. 15:20 He said that Rome was wealthy enough already, and that if 15:23 anyone should be entitled to the type of taxes that Rome 15:26 was demanding, it ought be the government and not the 15:29 church. 15:30 Especially at a time that England was trying to finance 15:33 a war very expensive war against France. 15:35 And Wycliff believed that the people really needed to be 15:39 able to read and study and interpret the Scriptures for 15:43 themselves. 15:45 But how were they ever going to be able to do that? 15:50 [Music]♪♪♪♪♪♪ Wycliffe incurred the 16:07 wrath of the church. 16:08 He had been teaching that the friars were a blight on 16:11 society. 16:12 He taught and wrote that priests had no authority to 16:14 forgive sins. 16:15 And he was strenuously opposed to the sale of 16:17 indulgences, when people would buy forgiveness, when 16:21 the monks would sell the pardon of God. 16:26 ""It is plain to me that our prelates in granting 16:29 indulgences do commonly blaspheme the wisdom of God," 16:32 he said. 16:33 Related to this he said, "Private confession ... was not 16:37 ordered by Christ and was not used by the apostles." 16:41 He taught that the mass was blasphemous and that the 16:45 eucharist - the communion wafer - was not really the 16:48 actual body of Jesus. 16:50 The Roman Catholic Church taught - teaches - that when 16:53 the bread and wine are consecrated they become the 16:56 true body and the true blood of Jesus. 16:58 Wycliffe's understanding was different. 17:02 "The bread while becoming by virtue of Christ's words the 17:05 body of Christ does not cease to be bread," he stated. 17:09 And Rome was not happy. 17:12 In fact, even some of Wycliffe's defenders urged 17:16 him to turn down the volume, but by now he was committed 17:20 to speaking against what he believed to be the 17:22 inconsistencies of the church. 17:25 Wycliffe was eventually kicked out of Oxford - which 17:32 had been pressured by the church to have nothing to do 17:34 with him. 17:36 After speaking to Parliament, he was summoned to a church 17:39 trial here at Lambeth Palace - the official residence of 17:43 the Archbishop of Canterbury and just across the river 17:46 from Parliament buildings- but his enemies were unable 17:49 to silence him. 17:50 The Morning Star would continue to shine for truth. 17:57 Planning for your financial future is a vital aspect of 18:00 Christian Stewardship. 18:02 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer 18:04 free planned giving and estate services. 18:07 For information on how we can help you, please call 18:12 1.800.992.2219. 18:13 To receive additional material on the advantages of 18:15 life-income plans such as a Charitable Gift Annuity, 18:18 which can provide you with tax benefits and income for 18:22 life, Call today or visit our special website: 18:25 www.hislegacy.com. 18:29 You could also write to It Is Written, Planned Giving and 18:32 Trust Services, Box O, Thousand Oaks, California 18:36 91359. 18:38 Our toll-free number again is 1-800-992-2219 and our web 18:44 address: www.hislegacy.com He 18:52 returned here to his parish in Lutterworth. 18:55 His 'poor priests' - the Lollards - were sent by 18:58 Wycliffe to preach the gospel all over England, and truth 19:02 began to flourish where error and superstition had been so 19:06 powerful. 19:07 Wycliff not only preached but he wrote prodigiously in an 19:11 effort to share the Word of God and its liberating power 19:15 with as many people as possible. 19:26 [Music] From this now very historic building John 19:29 Wycliffe ministered to the world. 19:32 His influence was felt, obviously, here in England, 19:35 but it was Wycliffe's ideas that influenced another great 19:38 early reformer, John Huss, in what is now the Czech 19:41 Republic. 19:45 The Queen of England, in Wycliffe's later years, was 19:48 Anne of Bohemia, which is where Huss was from. 19:52 Oxford students from Bohemia took Wycliffe's ideas back to 19:55 their homeland, where they were shared by Huss and had a 19:59 major impact in Europe. 20:00 But Wycliffe's work was suddenly stopped. 20:05 Just short of his 60th birthday John Wycliff came 20:08 down with an illness that appeared as though it was 20:10 going to take his life. 20:12 The monks were jubilant. 20:14 They came here to Lutterworth and they gathered around 20:17 Wycliffe's -- what they thought was Wycliffe's 20:19 deathbed, and they said to him, "You have death on your 20:23 lips. 20:24 Retract now in our presence all the things that you have 20:28 said to our hurt." Wycliffe raised himself up from his 20:32 bed and he said, "I shall not die, but live; and again 20:39 declare the evil deeds of the friars." The monks hurried 20:43 out, and Wycliffe recovered and went to work on the 20:46 project that would have the greatest influence of 20:48 anything that he had ever done in England. 20:51 With the help of some close friends, John Wycliffe went 20:54 to work on translating the Bible into the language of 20:57 the day. 20:58 The one who had been known as the 'Gospel Doctor" committed 21:02 himself to sharing that gospel with as many people as 21:05 he possibly could. 21:07 John Wycliffe's dream was that everybody in England 21:11 would have the opportunity to read the Scriptures in their 21:14 own language. 21:18 Still a couple of hundred of years before the invention of 21:21 the printing press, it was here in Lutterworth that John 21:24 Wycliffe translated the Bible from the Latin into English. 21:29 The Scriptures were copied slowly by hand. 21:32 There were some people who were able to buy an entire 21:34 copy of the Bible while others were able to secure 21:36 just a portion. 21:38 But John Wycliffe's dream was being realized. 21:41 The Word of God was making its way into the hands of the 21:44 people. 21:46 It was still going to be some years before laws were passed 21:49 banning the production of or the possession of the Bible 21:53 and the Scriptures was distributed widely. 21:56 While England was fighting battles on various fronts, 22:00 one of the greatest victories in her history was realized 22:04 when the Word of God was translated and made available 22:08 in the English language to the people of England. 22:11 Long after John Wycliffe was dead the establishment church 22:16 had to reckon with a force that was far more powerful 22:19 than he ever was. 22:21 "The entrance of your word gives light. 22:25 It gives understanding." 22:27 People began to learn the great principles of Scripture 22:30 - "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every 22:34 word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4. 22:37 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God," 22:41 2 Timothy 3:16. 22:46 [Music] Principles that are 23:07 the foundation of Biblical Christianity were heard by 23:10 the masses for the first time throughout England. 23:13 While it is true not all of John Wycliffe's teachings 23:16 were perfect, and while the Reformation wouldn't take 23:18 hold for some time yet, the foundation for the 23:21 Reformation was laid in England and throughout Europe 23:25 by John Wycliffe, the Morning Star of the reformation. 23:29 And here in St. Mary's Church where John Wycliffe was the 23:32 pastor many hundreds of years ago, in the pews of this 23:36 church today are English language Bibles and anybody 23:40 who picks up one of these Bibles and leafs through its 23:42 pages owes a great debt to John Wycliffe without whom 23:48 Biblical Christianity and Christianity itself would 23:51 have unfolded in a rather different fashion. 23:55 At his third trial, John Wycliffe met his accusers 23:57 with these words: "With whom, think you, are you 24:02 contending? 24:04 With an old man on the brink of the grave? 24:06 No! 24:07 -- he said -- with Truth-- with Truth that is stronger 24:12 than you, and will overcome you." 24:17 [Music] John Wycliffe died of 24:32 natural causes at about the age of 66, in the year 1384. 24:36 At the Council of Constance in Germany the early 1400s - 24:42 the papacy decreed that Wycliffe's remains should be 24:45 exhumed and his bones burnt, 24:50 and his ashes were then cast into the River Swift near 24:57 Lutterworth. 25:01 A writer later penned these words. 25:05 "Thus the brook hath conveyed his ashes into Avon; Avon 25:09 into Severn; Severn into the narrow seas; and they into 25:15 the main ocean. 25:16 And thus the ashes of Wycliffe are the emblem of 25:19 his doctrine which now is dispersed the world over." 25:24 One man dedicated to the proposition that the Word of 25:30 God could make the difference in a person's life. 25:35 John Wycliffe was a man who experienced the power of the 25:38 Word of God. 25:39 He experienced it in his life and he saw what the Word of 25:43 God could do in the life of others. 25:46 You know, I'd like to offer you the opportunity to 25:49 experience God's Word in your life. 25:51 Friend, what are you doing about the Word of God? 25:55 Does the Word of God own you? 25:56 Has it impacted you? 25:58 Has it set you free like the thousands and the millions 26:02 who are set free through the Word of God by the work of 26:05 John Wycliffe and those who followed after him? 26:08 I want to offer you today a little book called Promise of 26:12 Power, promises from the Word of God given to us by God 26:16 specifically that we might experience the power of the 26:19 Word of God in our lives. 26:21 Contact us at It Is Written and I will send to your 26:24 address in North America, Promises of Power. 26:26 You can call or write or come to our website and download 26:32 Promises of Power. 26:33 I would like you to have this book so you can experience 26:37 what John Wycliffe experienced and what the many 26:41 experienced through what John Wycliffe had done. 26:44 I'd like to pray for you today that God's word would 26:50 truly bring his presence and his power into your life. 26:56 Let me pray. 26:57 Father in heaven, at this almost sacred spot, where the 27:04 ashes of one of your faithful reformers, one of your 27:07 faithful servants were cast, at this spot I pray. 27:12 I pray that we would experience the power of your 27:15 Word. 27:16 I pray that the Word of God and its great promises, the 27:21 great principles of Scripture would be the foundation upon 27:24 which our lives are based. 27:26 I pray that we can experience in our lives reformation, 27:29 that which comes through the power and the presence of 27:32 your Word and through Jesus Christ living his life in us. 27:37 Let that be so I pray, and I thank you, in Jesus' name, 27:42 amen. 27:45 [Music] Thanks for joining me today. 27:51 Until next time remember, It is written, man shall not 27:56 live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from 28:01 the mouth of God. |
Revised 2015-02-06