Shelter in the Storm Program No SPEAKER: JOHN BRADSHAW

Transcription

1 It Is Written Script: 1289 Shelter in the Storm Page 1 Shelter in the Storm Program No SPEAKER: JOHN BRADSHAW If you live in the western world in the 21st century, the chances are you enjoy a certain amount of religious freedom. You're free to go to church, if you want to; or not, if you don't want to. You can believe the Bible to be your sacred text or the Koran or the Bhagavad Gita or something else, or you can ignore them all. You can be a Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Atheist, whatever you please. You can be because you experience, you enjoy, religious freedom. But it hasn't always been that way. Think with me for a few minutes about where that religious freedom has come from. I'm in Geneva, Switzerland, at the site of the International Monument to the Protestant Reformation, otherwise known as the Reformers Wall. It was completed in 1909, the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, the great Reformer who helped to make the city of Geneva famous. And if you look at the Reformers Wall, across the top you see a certain phrase written in Latin: post tenebras lux. After darkness, light. And it was people like John Calvin who helped to cause light to shine into a world that until then had been full of darkness. In the Middle Ages, the Roman church, the Vatican City, was the ruling, dominant religious power in the world, and at that time there was nothing that really resembled religious freedom. Now, you were free to believe in God, you were free to believe certain teachings, as long as your beliefs and the teachings of the church were on the same page. If your views and the church's views digressed or diverged, you could be in real trouble. It could even cost you your life. That's where people like John Calvin came in. Gripped with a conviction that the Word of God should be the basis for a person's faith, they clung to the Word of God, believed the Word of God, they taught the Word of God, and the world would never be the same again. And you, as a result, have religious freedom today. This beautiful city, nestled on the shores of a spectacular lake, would prove to be a refuge for faithful worshipers of God throughout Europe, who fled their native lands so they could honor the Bible and the convictions of their hearts. And more than anyone else, the man who made this possible was John Calvin, one of the greatest of the Protestant Reformers. Our story starts with him. John Calvin was born about 60 miles outside the city of Paris in France. He was the first of four children in his family to survive infancy, and his father was determined that he was going to have a son or sons who would study for the priesthood. John was a bright boy. At just the age of 12 he was given a position of responsibility by a local bishop. And not long after, he was enrolled in university to study philosophy and to prepare for the priesthood. But his father got the idea that John could make a whole lot more money as a lawyer, so John changed directions and he enrolled again, this time to study law at a

2 It Is Written Script: 1289 Shelter in the Storm Page 2 different college, in the year John loved the ancient classics, so he studied ancient Greek, and although he might not have realized it at the time, it prepared him for later understanding in a profound way the writings in the New Testament. But God had something other than a legal career in mind for young John Calvin. In 1533, he met Jesus for the first time, in a dramatic conversion experience. Reading his personal accounts of what happened, it appears that a long process of inner turmoil eventually led him to a sudden and total commitment to God as the Lord of his life and the arranger of his plans. It was about this time that the spirit of the Protestant Reformation, which had already begun with Martin Luther in Germany, began to stir in John's heart. As a result, he chose to leave the Roman Catholic church. You know, God will do that in a person's life. We make plans and have ideas and we're looking forward to the future, and then God intervenes and changes our direction. Sometimes that can come as a real surprise, particularly when it happens in your spiritual life. I was born into a certain faith, I discovered certain things, my friend brought me to this church. But then God reveals to you that He didn't bring you to where you are to stay forever, but he brought you to where you are so that you could learn enough to prepare you to move on and grow spiritually. And that's important. Now, in life generally it's right to make plans, it's right to have ideas and a direction for your future; but what's even more right is to submit your plans and ideas and your direction to God, because God may have another way. It might even be a better way. John Calvin found out that God's way was better, but certainly that God's way was more challenging. But submitted to God, Calvin lived the life God wanted him to live. And when we do that, we discover it's by far a more rewarding life. Then, in mid-october of 1534, something happened that altered John Calvin's life. A group of overzealous Protestants went around Paris posting placards attacking various Roman Catholic teachings and practices. They meant well enough, inasmuch as they thought they were doing something for the truth. But it was a foolish act that caused Catholic authorities around France to react violently. As a result, Calvin fled to Basil in Switzerland, a city with strong Protestant leanings. It isn't easy to know just how much damage was done to the work of the gospel by the posting of those placards in Paris. Evidently somebody didn't understand that even zeal for God really ought to be guided by the Holy Spirit and wisdom. Somebody succeeded in stirring a whole lot of anger, but God was no doubt more interested in stirring up hearts. That act of misguided enthusiasm set back the work of Reform. In fact, it no doubt had a negative impact on the future history of the nation of France. So, John Calvin had moved into Switzerland, and today in Switzerland his image is etched in stone. Now, for his image to be etched in stone, you know that something pretty remarkable had to have happened. And we'll find out what that was in just a moment. EVERY WORD There's a beautiful verse in the last chapter of the book of Daniel that shows us what a high value God places on people sharing their faith in God with others. It says in Daniel 12:3, "They that turn many to righteousness will shine as the stars for ever and ever."

3 It Is Written Script: 1289 Shelter in the Storm Page 3 God says there's a special eternal blessing, or quality, about those who put an emphasis on winning souls to Christ. And it's something everyone can do. That is, we can take the opportunities God brings to us to share our faith with others. Who is there in your life who might need to hear the good news of salvation through Jesus? Look for the opportunities God brings to you. You can even pray that God would bring opportunities to you. Everyone you come in contact with is a potential soul for the kingdom of heaven, and those who win souls will shine forever. I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. Let's live today by every Word. RETURN TO PROGRAM This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me today. It was while he was living in Basil, Switzerland, during the year 1536 that John Calvin published the first edition of his signature work, "Institutes of the Christian Religion." It was a hugely influential book and it's still read by theology students today. In a large degree, it outlined the theological positions taken by the major Protestant Reformers of that time, and one of the key subjects in the book is the subject of justification by faith alone; a major tenet of the Protestant Reformation and a doctrine that drove Protestantism forward. It wasn't long after this that Calvin returned briefly to France, where his brother was in the process of settling their late father's financial affairs. But the persecution of the Protestants was in full force in France just then, and so it was clear to John that he had no future in that country if he was to keep true to his faith. For a short time he fled to the city of Strasbourg, which then was on the border between France and the German states of the Holy Roman Empire. But due to both German and French pressure, Calvin was soon forced out of Strasbourg. Making a detour to the south, he ended up in Geneva. He'd only planned to stay one night in that city, but William Farrell, a fellow French Reformer who lived in Geneva, begged Calvin to stay. And so he did. The city of Geneva would never be the same again. Calvin's early experience in Geneva was a rocky one. Disagreements with other Protestants, together with the unease of the Geneva city councilmen who wanted a closer relationship with France, ended with Calvin and William Farrell fleeing to Basil, where Calvin had taken refuge once before. Soon he was invited to return to Strasbourg and take up the position of pastor at a new Protestant church there. The city welcomed John to his new position, which he held from 1538 to Now, in 1541 the city leaders of Geneva came to the conclusion that they'd been wrong to force John Calvin to leave. Church attendance was down, political tensions had not eased, and disputes within Protestant circles were growing more serious. So the city council decided to ask Calvin to come back. But he wasn't interested, at all. He wrote in reply, "Rather would I submit to death a hundred times than to that cross on which I had to perish daily a thousand times over." But true to his character, the great Reformer was determined to follow the Lord's leading, even if it didn't promise to be pleasant. So Calvin came back from Strasbourg to Geneva on September 13, 1541, with an official escort and a wagon for his family. Calvin was one of those men who realized that God sometimes brings responsibilities that promise more pain than pleasure. With the cause and the work of God being the most important thing in his life, he was willing to sacrifice

4 It Is Written Script: 1289 Shelter in the Storm Page 4 his energy, his talents, and even his peace of mind all because he believed God was guiding him. Calvin's life in Geneva was often hard. He had few if any worldly possessions. His house and his furniture were owned by the city council, though the home was large enough to accommodate both John's family and that of his brother. In 1545, John's wife, Idelette, gave birth to a son, who died soon after. Four years later, Idelette also fell ill and died. John Calvin was heartbroken, as you'd expect. He later wrote of his sorrow. He said, "I've been bereaved of the best friend of my life, of one who had it been so ordained would willingly have shared not only my poverty but also my death. During her life, she was the faithful helper of my ministry. From her I never experienced the slightest hindrance." John Calvin never did remarry, but the Lord gave him true friends who kept close to his side for the rest of his life. Among them were William Farel, Nicholas Cop, and Martin Luther's young protégé, Philipp Melanchthon. Calvin and the officials of Geneva put together a list of reforms for the city, mainly as a means of distinguishing the authority of the Church from that of the civil government. Now this would often prove to be a difficult relationship, but most of his efforts were directed toward establishing order within the Church and in nurturing the faith that had spawned the Reformation. It is said that Calvin preached as many as 2,000 sermons during his stay in Geneva. Many of his sermons lasted at least an hour, and he never preached with notes. He was a man of deep learning and vast biblical knowledge. But, John Calvin wasn't without his faults. His understanding of the Bible included some surprising errors. Calvin taught what became known as the Doctrine of Predestination, the idea that God has decided in advance who's going to be saved and who is going to be lost and there's nothing you can do about it. Now, it's hard to fathom how a man of Calvin's learning could believe predestination, when there are texts in the Bible like these: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." That's John 3 verse 16. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3 verse 9. "But he who endures to the end shall be saved." Matthew 24 and verse 13. "The spirit and the Bride say come, and let him who hears say come, and let him who thirsts say come, and whoever desires, let him take of the water of life freely." Revelation 22 verse 17. It's hard to read these verses and come away with the idea that God has arbitrarily chosen some to be saved and others to be lost. The verses found in this book, the Bible, give every indication that salvation is not only available to everybody, but that somebody can in fact lose their salvation. But unfortunately, that's what John Calvin believed. And it hurt his influence with many people who otherwise might have accepted his convictions. Now, sometimes Calvin used the power of civil authority in Geneva to punish those who disagreed with him or threatened his power. There was one man by the name of Jacques Gruet, who was accused of plotting against Calvin's authority. He was even subjected to torture as a means of getting him to confess what he'd done. He was later condemned to

5 It Is Written Script: 1289 Shelter in the Storm Page 5 death and beheaded with Calvin's consent, on July 26, Now, perhaps the most famous example of Calvin's misuse of power was in the case of Michael Servetus, a Spanish physician and theologian who disagreed with Calvin on doctrines such as the Trinity and infant baptism. He'd already been sentenced to death by burning at the stake in the city of Vienna, Austria, but he escaped. On his way to Italy, he stopped in Geneva and he was arrested and tried for heresy. On October 20, 1553, Servetus was condemned for his beliefs by the city council of Geneva, and the following day he was again sentenced to be burned at the stake. It was October 27, 1553, when this terrible sentence was carried out. John Calvin's shortcomings, his errors, if you like, reveal to us a couple of very important things. One is that God uses flawed, imperfect people to get His work done. And God will use who He has to use, those who are willing to be used by Him. Another thing Calvin's experience teaches us is, as profoundly important as the Reformation was, as outstanding as the Reformers themselves were, the work of the Reformation is not over. There's still work that needs to be done. The Bible tells us in Acts 17 verse 30, that God winks at the times of our ignorance. We also read in the epistle of James that "To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin" James 4:17. In the book of Proverbs, the wise man declares, "But the path of the just is like the shining sun that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day" Proverbs 4:18. The work of the Protestant Reformation is not over, it still needs to be finished. God doesn't hold men and women accountable for believing or doing wrong when they don't know better. The God of Scripture is infinitely fair in His judgment of every case. Geneva and Lake Geneva are especially beautiful, but during the Reformation people flocked here not because of the beauty of the area but because of the protection it provided from the wrath of the established Church. Now true, there were disputes from time to time among the refugees who came here, but that didn't stop people from many lands from seeking shelter here shelter from a storm of persecution that raged throughout Europe. The natural fortifications of this community, the towering Alps and rugged terrain, gave an added protection to Geneva and to the rest of Switzerland when foreign powers threatened their security. When the French king Louis XIV reopened persecution of French Protestants in 1685, the city of Geneva was quick to invite and welcome all who sought refuge. The faithful, Bible-believing Waldenses also found a home here in a time of crisis. More than a hundred years after John Calvin's death, the Alpine valleys where the Waldenses had lived for centuries were stolen by their enemies. These faithful Christians saw their possessions plundered and most of their people slaughtered. The 12,000 or more who survived were thrown into prison, most of them destined to die there. Those who were released were not permitted to return to their native valleys in northern Europe, they were expelled from Italy even though the mountain passes out of Italy were clogged with heavy snow. It was, after all, late December. But those 3,000 decided that

6 It Is Written Script: 1289 Shelter in the Storm Page 6 they had to get to Geneva. So they braved the brutal weather, they trudged through the snow, and they made it. They made it here, and what a welcome they received. It is said that half of the city of Geneva turned out to welcome them. And they received food and clothing and medical care and shelter. They received just about every kind of hospitality you could imagine. Heroes they were, they risked their lives for one thing: They had to get to the place where they could embrace the Bible and live their faith. They had to get to the place where they would be free to worship the God that loved them so. They were driven by that. They had to get to that place. You know, it reminds me of Proverbs 18 and verse 10, which says, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous runneth into it and is safe." Jesus is that safe place for you and me. These brave souls had to get to Geneva, this wonderful city that opened its arms and embraced them, protected them, and kept them. In the same way, we have to get to Jesus. He's our safety, He's our hope. These hardy, brave heroic souls demonstrated that truth matters. It matters what you believe. And it matters that you live what you believe. So, how is it with you, friend? Are you living what you believe. You know Jesus is the Savior of all the world, but are you living that belief? You know the Bible is the Word of God, but are you living that belief? You know that God will forgive your sins and on top of that give you a new heart that will keep you from going back into the old ways, but are you living that? You can live that today. In fact, God can do that work and live that in you. It's what He wants to do; it's what He delights to do; it's what He will do, when you let Him do it. Let's pray together now, shall we? Our father in heaven, we are thankful for Jesus, our example in all things. We're thankful too for the example of the Reformers and the brave souls who emulated them and followed their lead and were faithful and true to the teachings of the Bible. You've given us Your Word to keep us, inform us, and guide us down in what we believe to be the closing days of this earth's history. So let that work be done. You know we are weak, but You've promised that Your strength is made perfect in weakness, and You've promised that the One who has begun a good work in us is faithful to perform it to the day of Jesus Christ. Fill us with Your faith, Your Spirit and Your love, we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen. It Is Written PO Box 6, Chattanooga, TN USA Tel: Fax: