Happy Reformation Sunday church! It's the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. And this is a monumental moment in our lifetime regardless of our denominational affiliations, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the Reformation. If you’re asking, “What is the Reformation?” You are in for a treat!
My son had this "classical conversations" CD that has forever etched a song in my mind! May I sing it for you? (*sing/play tune "...in 1517 Martin Luther beee-gan the protestant reformation. By printing the...95 theseeese that made Pope Leo the X excommunicate him. Later on John Calvin, joined Reformation, and this is how it all began. In 1517 Martin Luther bee-gan the Protestant Reformation." Check it out below...
500 years later seems like forever ago, but 1517 is not that long ago. Just before then, in 1492, Christofer Columbus sailed the ocean blue (and discovered the Americas). And then on 4th of July 1776 the colonies declared independence from Britain and the USA was born. America is only 241 years old. Compared to Greece, Rome, and Israel we're still newborns. In fact, our umbilical cords haven't even fallen off yet!
The questions I've been pondering about the Reformation are as follows: “Where are we today?” It’s been 500 years. Is that enough time for change to take place? Are we on track with Gods plan for mankind or do we need another Reformation?
Last week a friend of mine (Lutheran Pastor) visited Germany. He wrote to me,
As I walked around Heidelberg I checked out a couple of the Protestant churches…and there, everywhere, were Martin Luther tributes: Martin Luther books, keepsakes, the Lutheran Rose symbol in all shapes and sizes…even Martin Luther bobbleheads. And all for sale. In the church.Maybe you find this ironic, as I do. For those that can recall why the Reformation happened 500 years ago, it was because Martin Luther was calling out the selling of things in the church that were tied to one’s faith - their salvation specifically. Here we are 500 years later, observing and celebrating….by selling things in the church as a way of showing your “Lutheran/Reformation pride.”I think if Luther saw this, he’d be rolling over in his grave.
I. Background.
Martin Luther was 33yrs old when he took on the biggest power in Europe; the Catholic church. Taking advantage of the latest technology (i.e. the Gutenberg press), he printed and posted his 95 theses on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg. He was basically the first tweeter!
Interestingly, Luther never intended to break free from the Church of Rome, but rather, in speaking truth to power, he hoped to persuade the Church to return to Scripture alone for doctrine and practice. And this is massive because challenging the status quo or questioning “the way things have always been” is always risky business! But for the Apostle Paul, Luther and many people throughout history, the juice is worth the squeeze.
Note: We can learn a lot from people with godly conviction. They teach us to care more about what God says than what “powerful men” say.
One non-negotiable for Luther was the theology of The Sacraments. The Roman Catholic church believed that the Sacraments were the means by which grace and forgiveness of sins were bestowed. Our purpose is not to unpack all of these, but for the record, the seven are as follows:
- Baptism
- Penance and Reconciliation (confession to a priest and then absolution)
- Eucharist (the Mass)
- Confirmation
- Holy Orders
- Holy Matrimony
- Extreme Unction (anointing of the sick, often called last rites)
This was a problem for Luther because these Sacraments were only legit if administered by a bonafide Roman Catholic Priest. Today this doctrine is captured in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Vatican City, Rome: Urbi et Orbi Communications, 1994, Paragraph 1084.
The problem for Luther was he had read in 1 Peter 2:9 about the priesthood of all believers. He had read Matthew 27:51; He knew the veil had been torn and everyone had access to the Holy of Holies. He knew Romans 8:11 - that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside all believers.
He knew all had access to God. He believed in salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. And he couldn’t sit back and watch the Church make money off of selling indulgences that promised people less time in purgatory!
*Out of the reformation movement came the five Solas:
Sola Scriptura - the Scriptures are the authority, not the Church.
Sola fide - Justification is by faith alone, not through the Sacraments.
Sola gratia - Salvation is by grace alone, not by any effort of man.
Solus Christus - Christ is our only high priest in which we get to the father.
Soli Deo gloria (to the glory of God alone) - which is what God is all about; his Glory.
Again, that’s all great. But it still begs the question, where are we at today? Today, I believe we need another Reformation. I know I’m a young man, but I’m inspired by a 33yr old German Monk who courageously and prophetically challenged the greatest power in Europe. He challenged the status quo because he was standing on the authority of the Scriptures.
The point is, we should never stop reforming and we need a Reformation today.
II. Why the Church Today Needs a new Reformation
A. We need Reform because: the Church has become attraction versus missional.
Post-Reformation, at some point, the freedom and the amazing Sola doctrines the Protestant Churches embraced turned into a “Fast-Food/Burger King model” (i.e. have it your way quick and easy and be on your way. In-N-out!).
We have become “Attractional” (i.e. come to my church) versus “Missional,” which is rooted in the fact that we are created in the imago dei (image of God) for the missio dei (mission of God).
We are all called into a life of redemption and reconciliation. Everything we do as the Church must tie into the Plan of God to Redeem and Restore mankind BACK to his original created value - back to the Garden of Eden when man was naked and unashamed. This calls for “Incarnational” living (i.e. living amongst people and going where they are). The abundant life is achieved through life-on-life not sermon-on-ears.
The point is that this new Reformation (that has already begun) is a push for the Church to embrace a MISSIONAL-INCARNATIONAL mindset versus a “go to church” mindset.
B. We need Reform because: the Church has adopted anti-missional language.
*This is a no judgment zone… How many have either used, still use, or have heard phrases such as, “Where do you go to Church?” Or “Would you like to come to my Church?” Or perhaps most convicting, “Hurry up! We’re going to be late to Church!?”
You know what we’re doing when we rush our families on Sunday morning? We’re teaching them that Christianity is walking into a building to sit in pews, sing karaoke, and take notes from a sermon. And the Church is so much more than that. Please don’t reduce the Church to a 1-hour Sunday service. When we do that, we can sing songs, be inspired by a sermon, then get irritated in the parking lot at bad drivers. Why? Because we’ve trained ourselves that Church begins and ends on Sunday morning (or whatever time/place you meet).
Here are some other popular phrases I grew up using in the Church today: They sound good, they preach well, but need to be reformed and refined to reflect the heart of God as we see in scripture.
Dont ask God for forgiveness. Confess your sins and thank him for his forgiveness.
Don't tell Jesus, "I need you," but rather thank him that you have him.
Don't ask the Holy Spirit for help. Thank God that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead has taken up residence in your soul and provides all that you need to get through whatever it is you're facing right here and right now.
Don't tell Jesus, "I need you," but rather thank him that you have him.
Don't ask the Holy Spirit for help. Thank God that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead has taken up residence in your soul and provides all that you need to get through whatever it is you're facing right here and right now.
Have you ever been so close to a TV all you saw was dots!? Sometimes we can be so close to the trees we can’t see the whole forest. But it starts with reforming our thinking. Renewing our minds.
The truth is God is a lot closer to us than we talk. So let’s change our language to match truth. God lives inside us. When he created man in his image he basically said, “let’s create something that we can LIVE in and indwell and fill. Someone that looks like us!”
We need this Reform in our language wherever it doesn’t line up with Scripture/truth.
C. We need Reform because: the Church has lost influence in evangelism.
Let’s be honest. Many “gospel presentations” are devoid of power and influence because they lack any evidence of personal transformation. Nobody ever decides to follow Jesus because they lost a theological debate! In celebrating the Protestant Reformation, don’t argue with your Catholic family and friends. Love them. Share how Christ has changed you (assuming he has). Share how you’ve been set free!
One time, these two nicely dressed gentlemen knocked on my door. I asked them what specifically Jehovah has saved them from. Three times, they gave a generic answer. “Well, he saved me from sin.” What sin are you talking about? No answer. I responded with a broken heart, “Then my friend, you have not been set free from something you can’t to talk about.” I led the example by pointing to my wife and saying, “You see that woman over there in the Kitchen? God has saved me from a life of secrecy and shame…” Some would say I got “vulnerable” or “transparent,” but I believe those are misnomers. I can’t be vulnerable because I don’t have secrets with God and nobody can hurt me because I’m secure in Christ. But honesty is sometimes shocking to those who don’t find security in Christ. So, they’re always protecting their vulnerability and they avoid transparency. For believers, there is no such thing.
Then I unpacked all the wicked ways/actions that God had delivered me from recently and after a silent pause, they excused themselves and said, “someone is waiting for us in the car outside.” They had passion, but no good news. They had doctrine, but no transformed life to persuade others to join their movement.
The point is the first Reformation called for right doctrine, which was needed. But now let this new Reformation take us from right doctrine to transformed living so that other’s can join in on the abundant life that Jesus offers. It’s a life where we join at the hip with others who have been redeemed and restored by God. And we have something to share. A message of freedom and restoration into the image of Christ who is love.
D. We need Reform because: the Church has become about theology vs. transformation
The danger of dogmatic theology is big headedness. If we’re being honest, most of us might agree that we’ve focused more one doctrinal stances and forgot about true connectedness to others as people created in the imago dei for the missio dei. A lot of the times “Bible study” has been about, “what do you believe about A, B, and C?” versus “How is God manifesting in and through you in your house/work/school?
Another way this is evident is in our dealings with “sinners” and people of other religions. We’re far too impressed with overt sins that are considered gross and too easily turned off with people who’s doctrine differs even slightly than ours (i.e. can you believe what they believe!?). If someone is deceived, shouldn’t that break my heart and draw me closer to them?
The church that wants to partner with God on his mission to transform and restore man into his image will put stock into community. They will invest time connecting with people. After all, transformation occurs from life-on-life interaction, not sermon-on-ears consumption. It’s not about Podcasts, its about people. It’s about being fully loved by being fully known in the midst of gospel-centered community.
III. The “First Reformation” vs. The “New Reformation” (inspired by Reggie McNeal’s The Present Future)
The first Reformation was about freeing the church from people.
The new Reformation is about freeing the people from the church (I.e. the institutionalized model).
The first Reformation decentralized the church.
The new Reformation decentralizes ministry (it’s an all hands mission).
The first Reformation moved the church closer to home.
The new Reformation is moving the church closer to the world (we’re no longer scared to interact).
The European Reformation assumed the church to be a part of the cultural-political order.
The western Reformation does not rely on the cultural-political order to prop up the church (a political party is not our HOPE and we don’t care who is in office! We have a Monarchy. Jesus is our King.
The first Reformation was about doctrine.
The new Reformation is about transformation and the abundant life.
IV. Conclusion
Let's continue in the spirit of always reforming. Never settling for what’s popular, and never fearful to challenge the status quo or what everybody else is doing.
Let's continue in the spirit of always reforming. Never settling for what’s popular, and never fearful to challenge the status quo or what everybody else is doing.
2 Timothy 1:7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
And just like the first reformation, we are sitting on NEW TECHNOLOGY that can make this happen. The first Reformation was made possible with the latest technology (I.e. the Gutenberg press). The new Reformation gain a lot of momentum through social media and the latest technology.
We must dedicate all of our lives and all of our social media platforms, our toys, our gatherings to the proclamation of the Gospel. Everything is for him and for his glory. God has empowerd and equipped the Church to carry out his mission. Let us continue reforming and conforming to the image of Christ on earth as it is in heaven.
Yes and Amen!
Yes and Amen!
The Kalam Cosmologial Argument is this: the Universe had a beginning, and that beginning was caused by someone who was a person. The strength in this argument lies in the fact that it keeps the recipient thinking and engaged for he or she must make a decision at each of the three "forks" in the road. If that individual makes the most logical decision at that fork, he or she will end up with the conclusion that a supernatural being - outside of space and time caused the universe to come into being in the beginning of time.