Reformation Celebration
Text: John 8:31-38
Theme: "Reformation - Now"
October 27 / 28, 2007
We celebrate many things. Some times we celebrate right away for things and then they fade. Think of the celebrating we do in the world of sports. This year Chicago celebrated the Cubs making the playoffs. That lasted just a short time. A couple years ago, Chicago celebrate the Sox winning the World Series, but that has faded too. Last year we celebrated the Bears getting to the Super Bowl and we celebrated the Colts getting to the Super Bowl and these celebrations are over too. Why do they end so quickly? The celebrations don’t last because the things they are celebrating don’t last. The White Sox and the Colts have their titles but the seasons start again.
Some things we continue to celebrate. We continue to celebrate them because they mark something that continues. Think about birthdays. We continue to celebrate birthdays as milestones in a person’s life, because the person’s life continues. This is much more like the celebrating the Church does. We celebrate things that are ongoing.
We celebrate Christmas because the savior born that day, who is Christ the Lord, is still the Savior, is still the Lord. We celebrate Jesus’ resurrection because it proclaims the completion of the Saviors work. The salvation He won for us is still offered to all today. We celebrate Pentecost because the Holy Spirit is still empowering the church and its message as He did that day. Today we celebrate the Reformation . . . should we still be celebrating the Reformation?
Indeed we should, because the Reformation is to be an ongoing thing. Not a one time event that happened years ago and now has no lasting effect. The Reformation is now because what it was all about is needed as much now as it ever was.
At the heart of the Reformation was the call to "Sola Scriptura" to rely on the Scriptures alone as the source for teaching and the judge of truth.
This is built on our Lord’s words as St. John recorded them.
"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."
Jesus told us that He is the truth. We are also told that He is the Word and so to remain in His word is to remain in Him and therefore in the truth.
God’s Word, the Bible, connects us to Him as a branch to the vine. This too Jesus tells us. He is the vine, our source of life. We live by staying connected to Him through His Word and Sacraments.
"Scripture Alone" was needed in the 1500's because the writings of men within the church were being set equal to the Bible and were adding things to the Bible.
Traditions and the words of Popes were being used to build teachings that had no foundation in Scripture.
These teachings were not of Christ and His free gift of freedom from sin, death and devil through His once for all victory.
On the contrary they enslaved people to the church and its law oriented work your sins off approach.
The Reformation brought to the fore the free gift of salvation by grace through faith which the Bible proclaims.
"Scripture Alone" is needed today because the writings of men outside the church are being set over the Bible and are destroying its authority and blessed message.
Today the philosophy of atheists is given authority over the Bible because they have convinced people it is science. The clear language of Genesis 1 is six ordinary days but it can’t be because of millions of years. God’s Word is clear but the words of men are forced on it.
God’s design for marriage and His laws for our life as sexual being is clear but it doesn’t fit the political climate so the Bible is warped to accommodate the desires of people and their politics.
The Reformation needs to continue today to return authority to the Bible from its first verse to its last. This is not only for the truth of its history and the authority of its laws but for the very Gospel itself. For if the Bible isn’t trustworthy from the very first verse why should anyone listen to any of it at all.
Reformation now, the Bible means what it says and says what it means. It is the truth that will set you free.
The work of the Church is to set people free from the bondage of sin and the condemnation of the law, delivering the freedom Jesus bought with His death on the cross.
As disciples of Christ we are not here to increase people’s enslavement.
The Church is not here to have people focus on their desire for wealth, power and stuff.
Nor are we here to make God your servant, your enabler, in this obsession.
We are not here to help you meet the desires of your sinful heart.
Also the Church is not here to enslave you to the idea of doing enough for God.
This is not about being good enough or about doing your Christian thing well enough.
It’s not about giving enough praise or praying enough or doing anything enough - that is the law and the law only condemns
It only makes slaves.
The work of the Church is to set you free.
Free from the laws condemnation, Jesus has fulfilled it for you.
Free from the rat race of acquiring things, it is a race you can never win.
For even if you only want "a little bit more" you will never get it.
Everything of eternal value is yours, the gift of God in Jesus.
Yes, free to live God’s way, but as His child not His slave.
Free to live as God commandments guide us.
Free to live that way in love for our heavenly Father and for the benefit of all around us.
Free to share God’s gift with all as well, for it is for every nation and tribe and language and people.
Note here a word that is not used - race.
The Bible has no word for the modern concept of race.
To God we are all one race the human race, descendants of Adam, born from the family tree of Noah.
How different things could be if we listened to the Word.
Reformation now - our message is the righteousness of God is His free gift of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone as taught by Scripture alone. This is Jesus’ message, His word of truth that will set you free. He is the Son of God and God the Son and when the Son sets you free you are free indeed. Thanks be to God. Amen
SDG
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