Sacrifice--Martin Luther

As we continue our study on sacrifice, we now turn to the life of Martin Luther. He was born in 1483 and died in 1546.

Martin Luther was a theologian & a priest. He was well educated and had a passion for the Scriptures. He climbed the ranks among the Catholic Church and was a well respected teacher of theology.

However, he came to a fork in the road in his life. Those in authority over him, the arch bishops and Pope were participating and encouraging behavior he disagreed with. Would he keep his mouth shut and let it happen to maintain his status and reputation. Would he stay silent in order to keep his life easy and comfortable? The Catholic Church was powerful and had the power and authority to not only have him excommunicated but killed.

He searched his heart and decided his faith in God was more important than anything else. He was willing to sacrifice it all. He disagreed with the selling indulgence's and taught and believed salvation/forgiveness didn't come through works but through faith in Jesus Christ. In other words, you couldn't pay for people to make it to heaven.

When he nailed the 95 thesis he was sacrificing everything. To sum up a long story, he was eventually excommunicated and anyone in society could kill him without legal consequence. He fled and was able to go into hiding where he eventually translation the Bible into the German language so everyone could read the Scriptures not just the priests and Pope.

Theologians not refer to this as the beginning of the "Great Reformation." He had a passion for God and for the Scriptures and wanted to see everyone have the chance to know God and be forgiven by His grace.

As we plant this church in Wyandotte, there will be decisions we eventually make that aren't popular. There will be times where your so called "reputation is on the line." People will try to bargain with us through reason. We will lovingly and boldly stand up and proclaim Jesus is real, alive, active and in control. He is the way the truth and life and is still in the basis of forgiving and changing lives. That is why we are planting this church!