Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001290A
00:01 [It Is Written Theme]
00:08 >: It has stood the test of time. 00:12 God's book, the Bible; 00:17 still relevant in today's complex world. 00:22 It Is Written, sharing hope around the globe. 00:34 [sounds of thunder] 00:43 [relaxing melody] 00:51 JB: This is It Is Written. 00:52 I'm John Bradshaw. 00:54 Thanks for joining me. 00:55 And you're joining me outside the door of the Castle Church 00:58 in Wittenberg, Germany, where in the year 1517 01:02 a courageous Christian launched a revolution. 01:06 His name was Martin Luther, and Martin Luther 01:09 came here and to this door nailed his 95 Theses. 01:13 Ninety-five points where he believed the ruling church of 01:15 the day had departed from the Bible. 01:18 Luther taught that salvation came only through faith in 01:21 Jesus, not through human tradition or custom 01:24 or human authority. 01:27 Martin Luther's protest launched something that would 01:30 revolutionize the world. 01:39 When young Martin went to school as a child he was often bullied 01:42 by other students. 01:44 His family was so poor that Martin often had to go door to 01:47 door singing, in order to raise a little money so that he could 01:51 buy food. 01:53 And his upbringing gave him a rather unfortunate picture 01:56 of what God was like. 01:57 He didn't see God as loving and compassionate at all, 02:00 but he saw Him as cruel, vindictive, harsh, unforgiving, 02:05 and as a stern judge. 02:08 Martin Luther's father was a hard-working man. 02:10 He was an honest man and a man of strict integrity, which is 02:13 why he was so upset when Martin insisted on becoming a priest. 02:18 Hans Luther was well aware of the corruption that was so 02:20 rampant in the medieval Church, and he definitely did not want 02:24 his son to be a part of it. 02:25 So when Martin joined the monastery 02:27 without his father's consent, his father was so upset 02:31 that father and son were not reconciled 02:34 for another two years. 02:35 And even when they were, Hans Luther's opinion 02:38 of the Church remained completely unchanged. 02:42 At the age of 18 Martin entered the University of Erfurt. 02:47 He was a good student, and he was disciplined and diligent. 02:51 It wasn't long before his grades were among the highest 02:53 in the student body. 02:56 One day while in the library at school 02:58 Martin Luther found a copy of a Latin Bible. 03:02 He'd never seen a Bible before. 03:04 In those days the common people weren't 03:06 allowed to possess the Bible. 03:08 The only Bibles that existed were kept chained to walls and 03:11 monasteries and convents. 03:14 Martin Luther had heard portions of the Bible, parts of the New 03:17 Testament Gospels and parts of the epistles read 03:20 in worship services. 03:22 But he'd never held a Bible in his hands. 03:26 He turned the sacred pages with awe, 03:29 and as he read he came to realize more and more his true 03:32 sinful condition before God. 03:37 Because he wanted so much to be at peace with God, he committed 03:40 himself to the life of a monk. 03:43 He often said he was the strictest person in the whole 03:46 monastery when it came to obedience to the rules of the 03:49 order he had joined. 03:51 He spent every possible moment in the study of Scripture, 03:55 and he fasted and prayed frequently. 04:00 Then Luther met a man who introduced him 04:02 to the love of Jesus. 04:04 Instead of torturing yourself on account of your sins, 04:07 he told him, throw yourself 04:09 into the Redeemer's arms. 04:10 Love Him who first loved you. 04:13 This messenger of mercy made a deep impression on the young 04:16 earnest priest. 04:18 For the first time in his life he saw God as a God of love, 04:23 and peace flooded into his heart. 04:27 When Martin was ordained, he was invited to serve as a professor 04:30 of theology at the University here in Wittenberg. 04:34 At first, he was very shy about preaching in the pulpit, 04:38 but when he was finally convinced to do so, 04:40 his eloquence captivated the crowds. 04:43 Many of those who listened were convinced that God's special 04:47 blessing was resting upon Martin Luther. 04:50 [Ominous drone] 04:58 In Rome, in Italy, is found what's known as 05:01 the Holy Staircase, or Pilate's Staircase, 05:05 which according to tradition Jesus walked on when 05:08 He was leaving the Roman judgment hall 05:10 on His way to Calvary. 05:12 The story goes that this staircase was transported from 05:15 Jerusalem here to Rome. 05:18 In Martin Luther's time, devout men and women seeking the 05:21 approval of God received an indulgence for their sins 05:26 by walking up this staircase on their knees. 05:29 The same still happens today. 05:31 In fact, the only way you're allowed to walk up this 05:34 staircase today is on your knees. 05:40 Martin Luther had long dreamed of coming to the city of Rome, 05:43 and when it finally became possible for him to do so, 05:47 he made the long journey on foot, 05:49 staying at various monasteries as he traveled. 05:52 Once he reached Italy, he was shocked 05:55 at the luxury in the monasteries in which he stayed: 05:58 the splendid apartments, the costly robes of the monks, 06:02 and the sumptuous tables at which the clergy feasted. 06:06 He couldn't help contrasting this opulence 06:08 with the hardship of his own upbringing. 06:11 And he started to feel confused and perplexed. 06:17 At last he approached the fabled City of the Seven Hills and with 06:21 deep emotion prostrated himself on the earth. 06:25 "Holy Rome, I salute thee," he exclaimed. 06:29 He entered the city, visited the great churches and listened to 06:33 the tales told by priests, bishops and cardinals. 06:38 But soon his heart became deeply troubled. 06:41 Everywhere he saw evidence of moral depravity, even in houses 06:46 of worship. 06:48 He shuddered at the indecent jokes passed around by church 06:50 officials. 06:52 Later, Martin Luther would say "If there is a hell, 06:56 Rome is built over it." 06:59 In a moment, Martin Luther climbs the Holy Staircase on his 07:03 knees, and history will never be the same. 07:07 I'll be right back. 07:09 [Gentle melody] >: You are watching the weekly 07:12 It Is Written program with Pastor John Bradshaw, 07:15 but did you know that there's a daily program, too? 07:17 Every Word is a one-minute Bible-based daily devotional 07:21 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed especially 07:24 for busy people like you. 07:26 Look for Every Word on selected networks, 07:29 or watch it online every day on our website, 07:31 ItIsWritten.com. 07:33 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 07:35 Watch Every Word. 07:36 You'll be glad you did. 07:42 [Rythmic Melody] 07:49 JB: It can seem at times as though following Jesus 07:51 can come at great cost. 07:53 But look at what Jesus said in Luke 18 verses 29 and 30. 07:56 "There is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or 07:59 wife or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who shall not 08:02 receive, many times more in this present time and in the age to 08:06 come, eternal life." 08:08 Jesus says He'll give you many times more than what you were 08:11 ever called to give up when you followed Him. 08:13 And on top of that, He'll give you everlasting life. 08:16 If you've ever been tempted to think of salvation as costing 08:18 you something, keep things in perspective by keeping 08:21 your eyes on the prize. 08:23 Salvation cost Jesus something. 08:26 It's the best deal we'll ever get. 08:28 If you ever lose anything to follow Jesus, He'll make it 08:30 right up to you, with interest. 08:33 I'm John Bradshaw for It is Written. 08:35 Let's live today by every word. 08:42 [string ensemble with an air of pride] 08:54 JB: This is It Is Written. 08:56 I'm John Bradshaw. 08:57 Thanks for joining me today. 08:59 As a young priest, Martin Luther visited the city of Rome and he 09:03 did what so many people do when they visit Rome: He ascended 09:06 Pilate's Staircase on his knees. 09:10 But as he did so, he felt as though he heard a voice speaking 09:15 loudly to his heart. 09:17 The voice quoted the prophet Habakkuk and the Apostle Paul 09:20 and said, "The just shall live by faith." 09:25 Luther realized that manmade requirements wouldn't give him 09:29 peace with God and that they wouldn't make him righteous. 09:32 It was obvious to Luther that these things hadn't made other 09:35 people righteous. 09:36 Luther got off of his knees and fled, 09:39 and he never did penance again. 09:43 Martin soon returned to Wittenberg and obtained 09:46 a doctor of divinity degree. 09:49 He was now able to preach the Word of God like never before. 09:52 His former shyness was gone, and he preached from the pulpit 09:56 with increasing power. 10:00 Luther taught people of the dangers of exalting human ideas 10:04 above the Word of God. 10:06 He taught against the theories of the scholars and philosophers 10:11 and theologians who so often clouded the Word of God 10:15 in a fog of confusion. 10:17 The crowds hung on his words. 10:20 The assurance of a Savior's love, 10:22 the offer of pardon and peace filled thousands 10:24 of hearts with hope. 10:26 In Wittenberg, a torch was ignited whose brilliance would 10:29 illuminate the world. 10:35 It was at this time that Pope Leo X drew up plans 10:38 for the construction of St. Peter's Basilica. 10:42 Catholic tradition says this enormous church is built over 10:45 the grave of Saint Peter. 10:47 But who could afford to build a church this grand? 10:51 In order to raise funds for this project, Rome offered the sale 10:55 of indulgences: basically, the forgiveness of sin. 10:59 Even though Rome says today that indulgences, which are still 11:02 very much a part of the Vatican system, 11:05 do not buy forgiveness of sin, they say indulgences relieve 11:09 the temporal punishment that comes as a result of sin. 11:13 Back in Luther's day there was no question: 11:16 forgiveness was for sale. 11:19 Do you think this was an effective way of raising money 11:21 for the church? 11:22 Oh yes, it was. 11:24 Who wouldn't give the church a little money if it meant you'd 11:26 be forgiven, just like that. 11:29 But this totally unbiblical practice ended up 11:32 backfiring on the church. 11:35 A man by the name of Tetzel was appointed as an agent of the 11:38 church to sell indulgences on behalf of the church. 11:42 Now, Tetzel was no choirboy; he had been convicted of fraud 11:45 and embezzlement and, they say, immorality, but the church 11:48 had pardoned him for all of those offenses. 11:51 Tetzel would go into town and he would invent tall tales, playing 11:55 upon the superstition and the ignorance of the people, almost 11:58 guaranteeing that he would be able to sell these indulgences 12:01 so people would be freed of their sin. 12:04 Before he would get to town a messenger would go 12:06 before him and declare at the gates of the city, 12:08 "The grace of God and the Holy Father is upon you." 12:13 Tetzel would even make a sales pitch inside churches, a lot 12:17 like those people, those money changers Jesus threw out of the 12:20 temple in Jerusalem. 12:23 The Bible gives an explicit example of somebody who tries to 12:26 buy God's favor with money. 12:28 The man's name was Simon. 12:31 He saw Peter and the other apostles laying hands on people. 12:34 Those people were healed of physical illnesses and 12:37 they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. 12:40 Simon wanted that power for himself. 12:43 The book of Acts tells us what happened. 12:46 "Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' 12:49 hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, 12:54 'Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may 12:58 receive the Holy Spirit.'" But Peter said to him, 13:02 "Your money perish with you, because you thought 13:05 that the gift of God could be purchased with money." 13:08 Acts 8, 18 through 20. 13:11 I think most people today would find it hard to imagine that 13:14 there was a time people believed that they could buy 13:17 forgiveness of sin. 13:19 But in Martin Luther's day, the people were almost 13:21 completely ignorant about what the Bible said. 13:24 All they had to base their belief on was what they were 13:27 told by the priests, who knew little more about the Bible 13:30 than they did. 13:31 It truly was a case of the blind leading the blind. 13:35 But it's interesting that indulgences 13:38 are still offered today. 13:40 In the year 2009, 500 years after Tetzel, the New York Times 13:46 reported this: "In recent months, 13:50 diocese around the world have been offering Catholics a 13:52 spiritual benefit that fell out of favor decades ago: 13:57 the indulgence. 13:58 A sort of amnesty from punishment in the afterlife, 14:01 and reminding them of the church's clout in mitigating 14:05 the wages of sin." 14:07 The fact that many Catholics under 50 have never sought one, 14:11 and never heard of indulgences except in high school European 14:14 history, Martin Luther denounced the selling of them in 1517 14:18 while igniting the Protestant Reformation, simply 14:20 makes their reintroduction more urgent among church leaders 14:24 bent on restoring fading traditions of penance 14:28 in what they see as a self-satisfied world. 14:32 The Word of God that brought life and hope into the heart of 14:35 Martin Luther still declares, in Romans 1, verse 17, that 14:40 the just shall live by faith. 14:43 Only God can forgive sins, and He doesn't offer indulgences 14:47 for sale. 14:48 His gifts are to be received, as Isaiah said, 14:50 in Isaiah 55, verse 1, "Without money and without 14:54 price, forgiveness comes directly from the God 14:58 of heaven." 14:59 It's available to anybody who confesses and forsakes 15:02 their sins. 15:03 It's as simple as that. 15:05 Listen to what the Bible says about it: 15:08 "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble 15:11 themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked 15:16 ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their 15:21 sin and heal their land." 15:23 Second Chronicles 7:14. 15:26 "He who covers his sin will not prosper, but whoever confesses 15:30 and forsakes them will have mercy." 15:33 Proverbs 28:13. 15:36 "Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man 15:39 his thoughts. 15:41 Let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him. 15:45 And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." 15:50 Luther was not about to let the sale of indulgences go 15:53 unchallenged, and his challenge to the church would reverberate 15:57 around the world. 15:58 ♪ Give me the Bible, ♪ ♪ star of gladness gleaming, ♪ 16:03 ♪ To cheer the wand'rer ♪ ♪ lone and tempest tossed; ♪ 16:08 ♪ No storm can hide that ♪ ♪ peaceful radiance beaming, ♪ 16:13 ♪ Since Jesus came to ♪ ♪ seek and save the lost. ♪ 16:19 ♪ Give me the Bible, ♪ ♪ holy message shining; ♪ 16:24 ♪ Thy light shall guide me ♪ ♪ in the narrow way; ♪ 16:28 ♪ Precept and promise, ♪ ♪ law and love combining, ♪ 16:33 ♪ Till night shall vanish ♪ ♪ in eternal day. ♪ 16:40 ♪ Give me the Bible, ♪ ♪ when my heart is broken, ♪ 16:45 ♪ When sin and grief have ♪ ♪ filled my soul with fear; ♪ 16:50 ♪ Give me the precious ♪ ♪ words by Jesus spoken, ♪ 16:55 ♪ Hold up faith's lamp to ♪ ♪ show my Savior near. ♪ 17:00 ♪ Give me the Bible, ♪ ♪ holy message shining; ♪ 17:05 ♪ Thy light shall guide me ♪ ♪ in the narrow way; ♪ 17:10 ♪ Precept and promise, ♪ ♪ law and love combining, ♪ 17:15 ♪ Till night shall vanish ♪ ♪ in eternal day. ♪ 17:22 ♪ Give me the Bible, ♪ ♪ all my steps enlighten, ♪ 17:26 ♪ Teach me the danger ♪ ♪ of these realms below; ♪ 17:31 ♪ That lamp of safety ♪ ♪o'er the gloom shall brighten,♪ 17:37 ♪ That light alone the ♪ ♪ path of peace can show. ♪ 17:42 ♪ Give me the Bible, ♪ ♪ holy message shining; ♪ 17:47 ♪ Thy light shall guide me ♪ ♪ in the narrow way; ♪ 17:52 ♪ Precept and promise, ♪ ♪ law and love combining, ♪ 17:57 ♪ Till night shall vanish ♪ ♪ in eternal day. ♪ 18:09 [Triumphant melody] JB: "Babylon Rising" is a 18:12 dynamic book that I've written, describing the significance of 18:14 Babylon in Bible prophecy, and I want you to have it. 18:18 Right now this powerful book is available free 18:20 from It Is Written. 18:21 Just call 1 (800) 253-3000, ask for the book 18:26 "Babylon Rising." 18:27 Or write to It Is Written at PO Box 6, 18:30 Chattanooga, TN 37401, and we'll mail a copy to your 18:34 address in North America. 18:37 For even faster access, you can download a free electronic 18:40 version of this book "Babylon Rising" from our website. 18:43 "Babylon Rising" is also a four-part seminar 18:46 that I have presented, that you can get on video. 18:49 For details please visit our website, ItIsWritten.com 18:52 and discover more about "Babylon Rising" 18:55 and other inspirational resources. 18:57 It Is Written is a faith-based outreach made possible 19:00 by viewer like you. 19:01 Thank you for your continued support. 19:03 Call us, 1 (800) 253-3000; visit us at ItIsWritten.com. 19:13 [pensive melody] 19:21 JB: People in Martin Luther's church here in 19:23 Wittenberg began coming to their pastor, asking to be forgiven 19:26 for their sins, because they had bought indulgences from Tetzel. 19:31 Luther was appalled, and what really horrified him is that 19:34 most of these people weren't the least bit sorry for their sins 19:37 and had no intention of changing their lives. 19:40 Luther saw like never before that only true repentance, 19:44 true sorrow for sin, can bring God's forgiveness 19:47 into a person's life. 19:49 He spoke more strongly than ever that human traditions 19:52 could never take the place of conversion and that what God 19:56 wants to see is a transformed heart, which can only be 19:59 achieved by the grace of God. 20:05 The Wittenberg church was a popular place because it had 20:07 many holy relics that people came to see. 20:11 Among these relics were vials which supposedly contained milk 20:14 from the Virgin Mary, straw from the manger 20:18 where Jesus lay; even the body 20:20 purportedly belonging to one of the babies killed in 20:23 Bethlehem by King Herod. 20:26 Many had the idea that just coming to see these relics was 20:29 enough to get their sins forgiven. 20:33 But as All Saints Day approached in the autumn of 1517, 20:37 Luther realized he had an opportunity 20:39 to make clear to the people the correct method of receiving 20:43 pardon and forgiveness from God. 20:46 He wrote up a list of 95 points where he felt his church had 20:49 departed from the truths of the Bible. 20:51 These became known as Martin Luther's 95 Theses, and he 20:55 nailed them to the doors of this very church. 20:59 October 31 is considered by many to be Halloween. 21:03 And it's fair to say that through the sale of indulgences 21:06 and the viewing of supposedly sacred relics as a means for 21:10 obtaining pardon and favor with God, the people were being 21:13 tricked and not treated. 21:15 Martin Luther believed that the deception had to end. 21:19 [light melody] 21:26 JB: Luther's teaching soon spread throughout Germany 21:28 and copies of his writings were quickly circulated around other 21:31 countries in Europe. 21:33 Barriers began to fall in the minds of many. 21:36 Eyes that for so long had been focused on manmade rights and 21:39 traditions were now opened to see that great truth declared in 21:43 the New Testament, that there is one God and one Mediator 21:47 between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. 21:51 And people began to understand that salvation came by faith 21:55 alone through grace alone. 22:02 But not everybody was happy to accept Martin Luther's message 22:05 about faith and forgiveness from the Bible. 22:08 People had for so long been accustomed to looking to the 22:11 church for forgiveness that they had a hard time adapting to what 22:14 Martin Luther was saying. 22:17 High officials in the church were furious that there was a 22:20 young monk who dared to stand alone and teach contrary to the 22:25 teachings of the church. 22:27 Before too long Martin Luther was summoned to Augsburg 22:30 to appear before a papal representative on charges 22:34 of heresy. 22:36 Again and again it was demanded that Luther retract 22:39 his positions. 22:40 But Luther demanded, every single time, 22:43 that he be shown from the Bible where his 22:45 positions were wrong. 22:47 And because there was no biblical evidence that Luther 22:49 was wrong, Luther stood his ground. 22:52 [Tense Melody] 22:58 JB: Finally, Pope Leo X issued the order excommunicating 23:02 Martin Luther from the Roman Catholic Church. 23:05 The reformer was denounced as cursed by heaven 23:08 and cast out of the church, and all who embraced his 23:12 teachings were threatened with the same. 23:15 The great struggle for the soul of Christendom commenced. 23:19 The Protestant Reformation had begun. 23:24 It was from Wittenberg that Luther left to appear before the 23:27 Diet of Worms. 23:28 And it was here in Wittenberg that Luther preached so 23:31 powerfully, studied the Scriptures with so many, and 23:35 taught the Word of God as the basis of faith. 23:41 Martin Luther was truly a light that shone in darkness. 23:45 What happened here in Wittenberg changed the world. 23:48 People were introduced to a Savior who forgave sin freely 23:52 and to a God who could be known personally on the basis of what 23:55 He had revealed about Himself in the Bible. 24:04 Walking the streets of Wittenberg today, it isn't hard 24:07 to imagine Martin Luther boldly striding to the doors that hung 24:10 here at the Castle Church and nailing to those doors 24:13 his 95 Theses. 24:15 It isn't likely that Luther intended to pick a fight with 24:18 his church, but by the time his work was done, people had the 24:21 Bible in their hands, truth burning in their hearts, 24:25 and light and not darkness shining on their pathway. 24:29 ♪ [happy theme] ♪ 24:43 ♪ Marvelous, infinite, ♪ ♪ matchless grace, ♪ 24:50 ♪ freely bestowed ♪ ♪ on all who believe! ♪ 24:56 ♪ You that are longing ♪ ♪ to see his face, ♪ 25:02 ♪ will you this moment ♪ ♪ his grace receive? ♪ 25:09 ♪ Grace, grace, God's grace, ♪ ♪ grace that will pardon ♪ 25:18 ♪ and cleanse within; ♪ ♪ grace, grace, God's grace, ♪ 25:28 ♪ grace that is greater ♪ ♪ than all our sin! ♪ 25:37 ♪ grace that is greater ♪ ♪ than all our sin! ♪ 26:10 JB: In a distant corner of Germany, 500 years ago, Luther 26:13 saw to it that light began to shine in this world. 26:17 My prayer for you is that that light will shine in your heart. 26:21 Let's pray together. 26:22 Our father in heaven, one life, one individual who changed 26:29 the world under the influence of Your Holy Spirit. 26:32 Though not a perfect man, undoubtedly, Lord, 26:36 You used Martin Luther in magnificent ways. 26:40 And to anyone willing to receive the gift, the Bible is given 26:44 today as the sole rule of faith and practice for the believer 26:49 in Jesus. 26:50 Father, thank You for the freedom to know You, 26:53 the freedom to worship You, the freedom to read the Bible-- 26:57 a freedom that not everybody in this world has. 27:00 Thank You for the great work of those men and women of God who 27:03 have gone before us. 27:06 May we not waste the great privileges that have been handed 27:10 to us as a legacy of their faithfulness to You. 27:14 Bless us as we know You, cling to You, and read 27:18 and study Your Word, I pray in Jesus' name. 27:22 Amen. 27:30 [music] 27:39 JB: Thanks for joining me today. 27:40 I look forward to seeing you again next time. 27:42 Until then, remember: It is written, 27:45 man shall not live by bread alone 27:48 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. |
Revised 2015-06-18