October 30, 2005

End Time 1 (Reformation)

She was 17 years old.  He stood glaring at her, his weapon before her face.  “Do you believe in God?”  She paused.  It was a life-or-death question.  “Yes, I believe in God.”  “Why?” asked her executioner.  But he never gave her the chance to respond.  The teenage girl lay dead at his feet.

This scene could have happened in the Roman coliseum.  It could have happened in the Middle Ages.  And it could have happened in a number of countries around the world today.  People are being imprisoned, tortured, and killed every day because they refuse to deny Jesus’ name.  This particular story, however, did not happen in ancient times, nor in Vietnam, Pakistan, or Romania.  It happened at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, on April 20, 1999.

Do you believe in Jesus?  If it were a crime here to be a Christian, would your next door neighbours have enough evidence to convict you?  Would they?  Would you die for Jesus?  Some Christians haven’t even attempted to think about whether or not they would die for Jesus, because they haven’t really been living for Him.  Have you been living for Him?  Could anyone who observes your life convict you of that?  Do you believe in Jesus?  …WHY?

I’ll remind you.  In a garden one night, Jesus was sweating blood in earnest prayer to his Father, because He knew what was going to happen to Him the next day – torture, separation from God, and death.  He had already given up so much.  He had lived a perfect, loving, obedient life here, just as his Father had wanted.  But now He had to watch as his Father gave the credit for that to people who had been so awful to Him, and turn Himself in to be punished for them!  How unfair!  “Father, is there any other way?”  But then He prayed, “not my will but yours be done.”  Jesus was willing to die for us.

He let Himself be arrested, beaten, put on mock trial, be taken before a pagan ruler,  mocked, scourged, and finally sentenced to death.  He carried his own cross to a hill.  He allowed the soldiers to nail Him there and raise Him up so that the people He was saving could watch Him die.  At any time, He could’ve summoned legions of angels to his rescue.  He could have powerfully walked away from all of this.  It wasn’t the nails that held Jesus to that cross.  It was his love for you and me.  And there, He paid the price that took away all of our sins.  All our failures.  He was separated from God so we would no longer be.  The barrier of sin no longer separates us from our holy God!  We are forgiven!  Jesus conquered the devil for us!

But Jesus’ disciples were greatly afraid and hid.  Then on the third day, Jesus rose again!  He defeated death!  He visited them, comforting and encouraging them.  After He ascended, on the day of Pentecost, sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples.  A new boldness rose within them.  They went to the corners of the earth to share the Gospel message of Jesus, no longer afraid!  Every one except John was executed for proclaiming Jesus.  They never denied his name again.

Jesus said this would happen: Matthew 10:16-23.  Jesus told the disciples they would be persecuted and people would hate them because of Him.  And it didn’t end with them.  The persecution of Jesus’ followers has continued for 2000 years.  There are more Christian martyrs today than there were in 100 A.D., the days of the Roman Empire.  According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, there were close to 156,000 Christians martyred around the world in 1998.  164,000 in 1999.  And 165,000 in the year 2000.  The opposition to Jesus still continues.

Just like Jesus said it would.  “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves…”  There is a hatred of the gospel message by those who have rejected it.  That’s why we are like sheep among wolves.  We are surrounded by wolves. But we aren’t in the power of the wolves.  The I AM, the Almighty Lord, is the One sending us out.  And He will be with us!  He will give us the words to say.  And He promises that “he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”  Saved.  Eternally because of his loving actions.  But He does not promise to save us from physical harm.

John Huss was a priest in Czechoslovakia in 1415.  He was one of the first Christians to raise his voice for the true Gospel message of Jesus against a church that was obscuring that truth.  And for that, he received his own death sentence.  Tied to the stake and bound with wet ropes.  Bundles of wood placed up to his chin.  Given one last chance to renounce his errors, John replied, “What error should I renounce?  I am guilty of no wrong.  I taught all men repentance and remission of sins, according to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  For that Gospel I am here, with a cheerful mind and courage, ready to suffer death.  What I taught with my lips I now seal with my blood.”  As the fire was lit, John Huss began to sing a hymn with such a loud and cheerful voice that he was heard over the crackling of the fire and the jeers of the crowd.  His song: “Jesus Christ! The Son of the Living God! Have mercy on me.”  John Huss chose to die rather than to deny the truths he had learned from the Scriptures.

Into that same world was born a man named Martin Luther.  Raised in a strict church home.  But like Huss, began to discover that something was wrong in the church.  What it was teaching and what Scripture was saying didn’t agree.  The church was not letting people know that Jesus paid their whole way to heaven with his life and death.  The church was telling people that they had to earn their way to heaven with their works and money.  And the church kept the people from reading the Bible to find out otherwise.  They didn’t want people discovering the truth.  They wanted to tell people what was in the Bible.  But they left out the best stuff.  The stuff about forgiveness being free.  Being saved by Grace alone.  Through faith alone.  And then they added a bunch of stuff – like having people pray to saints and Mary instead of God.  Keeping the priests from marrying.  Selling indulgences to let people buy their way into heaven.

But praise God, Martin Luther had learned Latin.  And Gutenberg had invented the printing press.  And so Martin Luther found a Bible that he was able to study for himself.  And he discovered that we are saved through Jesus alone, through God’s grace alone, through faith alone, through Scripture alone.  And since his eternity and the eternity of God’s people depended on this truth, he knew it was worth dying for.  Worth challenging governors and kings for!

Many thought he would be the next John Huss, but God had other plans. As Luther pounded his 95 statements of disagreement with the church on the castle church door, and began to publish scripture’s teachings, he was quickly brought to trial.  The church wanted him excommunicated, silenced, and killed if necessary.  And since Luther would not deny the truth of Jesus, even though his life was on the line, his enemies sentenced him to death.  But this time, God stepped in with other plans.  He protected Luther in a castle and brought about events in the world that took the priority of his enemies, so that in the meantime Luther could reform the church.  Bring it back to the truth of the Gospel.  Translate the Bible and get it into the hands of the people.  And once again let people know that Jesus is their Saviour from sin.  Jesus alone!

But the reformation work is not done.  The work of standing up for the truth is never done.  As long as there is truth, there will be those who oppose it.  Christians are still being persecuted today.  Roy Pontoh, a 15-year-old Indonesian boy, had become Christian.  In January of 1999, a mob of Muslims stormed the university where many teenagers were hiding from them.  The mob found the teens.  Roy Pontoh was forced from his hiding place and made to stand before the mob.  “Renounce your Jesus, or we will kill you!” they threatened.  Roy was terribly frightened.  Though trembling, he answered, “I am a soldier of Christ!” At this, one of the Muslim attackers swung a sword at his stomach.  The sword hit the Bible Roy held, and ripped into it, knocking it out of his hand.  The man’s next swing sliced open Roy’s stomach.  His last word was “Jesus.”  He stood firm to the end and was saved.  Saved for real life.

Friends, LIFE IS TOO SHORT.  Our life here is too short to keep Jesus to ourselves.  Too short to play it safe.  Too short to back down when we are given the chance to defend Jesus.  He has given us life!  Life is too short to keep it to yourselves!  Share it with others!  Witness the truth!  Stand up for it!  Stand firm!  You might not be challenged with the burning stake or the gladiator sword.  But you will be challenged at school.  At the workplace.  At the theatre.  And on your street.  It may be more subtle than a sword.  But it will still demand your firm witness to Jesus as your Saviour.   Our Courageous Witness is Still Needed!

Two things will comfort you as you consider this.  1) God has forgiven us for all our failures.  That is the heart of the message we are standing up for!  Every one of us has guilt inside for witness opportunities we have missed or times we have backed down.  Put the guilt away.  Jesus took it to the cross for you.  You are forgiven.  And 2) When you witness, Jesus is with you.  Remember?  I AM, the Almighty Lord, is the One sending us out.  We are surrounded by wolves, but not in the power of the wolves.  I AM is with us!

And He will give us the words to say.  He showed that again and again when his disciples were being persecuted.  It is amazing what so many of the Christians who were being burned at the stake were able to say in response to their tormentors in their moments of pain.  God gave those words to them!  And when you are being challenged across the office desk, or in the elevator, or in the classroom, God will give you the words to say, too.

He certainly gave Martin Luther the words to say.  This promise of Jesus’ must have been very comforting to Luther the night before he had to return to his trial at Worms and answer whether or not he would recant all he had written about the Bible.  He knew his answer was a life-or-death answer.  The weapon was pointed at his head. “Will you take back all this stuff you have written about Jesus?”  “Will you recant?”  And with the Holy Spirit giving him strength, Luther responded: “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason …my conscience is captive to the Word of God.  I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.  Here I stand.  God help me.  Amen.”

Life’s Too Short.  To play it safe.  To Keep Jesus to ourselves.  You never know when your opportunities will end.  So use them.  Let God help you live for Him.  Our life here is too short.  Our life with Him will last forever! Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us,  We tremble not, we fear no ill;  They shall not overpower us.  This world’s prince may still  Scowl fierce as he will,  He can harm us none.  He’s judged; the deed is done!  One little word can fell him. The Word they still shall let remain, Nor any thanks have for it;  He’s by our side upon the plain  With his good gifts and Spirit.  And do what they will – Hate, steal, hurt, or kill – Though all may be gone.  Our victory is won;  The kingdom’s ours forever!   Amen.

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