{"id":8560,"date":"2017-10-15T07:08:25","date_gmt":"2017-10-15T04:08:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/?p=8560"},"modified":"2018-01-11T02:02:57","modified_gmt":"2018-01-11T00:02:57","slug":"effects-of-the-reformation-on-evangelism-and-missions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/effects-of-the-reformation-on-evangelism-and-missions\/","title":{"rendered":"Effects of the Reformation on Evangelism and Missions"},"content":{"rendered":"<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.blubrry.com\/?media_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.blubrry.com%2Fnowisthetime%2Fcontent.blubrry.com%2Fnowisthetime%2FHow_the_Reformation_Changed_Evangelism_and_Missions.mp3&amp;modern=1&amp;podcast_link=https%3A%2F%2Fsukofamily.org%2Feffects-of-the-reformation-on-evangelism-and-missions%2F#mode-Light&border-000000&progress-000000\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"165\" frameborder=\"0\" id=\"blubrryplayer-3\" class=\"blubrryplayer\" title=\"Blubrry Podcast Player\"><\/iframe><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/nowisthetime\/content.blubrry.com\/nowisthetime\/How_the_Reformation_Changed_Evangelism_and_Missions.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/?powerpress_pinw=8560-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/nowisthetime\/content.blubrry.com\/nowisthetime\/How_the_Reformation_Changed_Evangelism_and_Missions.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"How_the_Reformation_Changed_Evangelism_and_Missions.mp3\">Download<\/a> (Duration: 54:35 &#8212; 50.0MB) | <a href=\"#\" class=\"powerpress_link_e\" title=\"Embed\" onclick=\"return powerpress_show_embed('8560-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Embed<\/a><\/p><p class=\"powerpress_embed_box\" id=\"powerpress_embed_8560-podcast\" style=\"display: none;\"><input id=\"powerpress_embed_8560-podcast_t\" type=\"text\" value=\"&lt;iframe src=&quot;https:\/\/player.blubrry.com\/?media_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.blubrry.com%2Fnowisthetime%2Fcontent.blubrry.com%2Fnowisthetime%2FHow_the_Reformation_Changed_Evangelism_and_Missions.mp3&amp;modern=1&amp;podcast_link=https%3A%2F%2Fsukofamily.org%2Feffects-of-the-reformation-on-evangelism-and-missions%2F#mode-Light&amp;border-000000&amp;progress-000000&quot; scrolling=&quot;no&quot; width=&quot;100%&quot; height=&quot;165&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; id=&quot;blubrryplayer-4&quot; class=&quot;blubrryplayer&quot; title=&quot;Blubrry Podcast Player&quot;&gt;&lt;\/iframe&gt;\" onclick=\"javascript: this.select();\" onfocus=\"javascript: this.select();\" style=\"width: 70%;\" readOnly><\/p><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_subscribe_links\">Subscribe: <a href=\"https:\/\/subscribebyemail.com\/feeds.blubrry.com\/feeds\/nowisthetime.xml\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_email\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe by Email\" rel=\"nofollow\">Email<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/feeds.blubrry.com\/feeds\/nowisthetime.xml\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_rss\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe via RSS\" rel=\"nofollow\">RSS<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effects of Reformation on Evangelism and Missions<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reformation Remembrance Conference <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taylor Creek Church Oct 14, 2017<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intro:<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For well over a generation in the US evangelism and missions have found a very favorable place in Protestant Churches. Just do a search online and you\u2019ll end up with dozens if not hundreds of ministries and programs to help your church share the gospel. From the US came the \u201cJesus Film,\u201d one of the most widely used evangelistic and missions tools ever! Most churches support missionaries, have missions conferences, and tell missions stories in Sunday School. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is all good but it is also dangerous. Whenever any idea becomes so ubiquitous it also faces the danger of losing it\u2019s Biblical foundation, becoming watered down, and running amuck with all kinds of fanciful modifications in an attempt to make it \u201ccontemporary,\u201d \u201ccutting edge,\u201d or \u201cculturally\u201d relevant. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fads in evangelism are never-ending and certainly the American church has seen every fad, trend, and style possible when it comes to evangelism. We\u2019ve been taught to memorize salesy evangelistic type pitches, we\u2019ve been shown how to \u201cdo life together,\u201d we\u2019ve been told that we can\u2019t reach this generation until we look and smell, and talk like they do. And so some have let their beards grow out, put on a pair of suspenders, and developed a taste for microbrews all in hopes that they can \u201cconnect\u201d with social trends.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, others have held out, they\u2019ve stalwartly stood by traditions of yesteryear, not moving an inch. They\u2019d sooner have their ears cut off than listen to anything that\u2019s not in their grandmothers hymnal. They are sure that their post WWII evangelism methods will work just the same in a Postmodern culture. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I hope you can see that both courses will eventually take us in the wrong direction. You may say, \u201cWell, what we need is balance.\u201d To some degree I agree, but I hesitate to call for balance as balance is generally a compromising position that is neither built on solid theology nor does it prove it usually it\u2019s to be effective.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is however, helpful to the church is a look at our methods and practices in light of Biblical truth and in reference to church history. It can be easier for us to see how these things play out as we look back several hundred years. Compressing those years often gives a clarity and that clarity can help us see where we are today and what possible changes might need to be taken<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For many of the Reformers this is also how they came to their conclusions. First and most importantly they went to God\u2019s Word, they went to the original languages and they studied! They exhumed truth from beneath hundreds of years of dust and dirt. But they were also students of church history, of the church fathers, and of current fads and traditions in the church. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I want to look with you at the Reformation time period. What was the culture of evangelism and missions like at the time of Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, and John Calvin? And how did the Reformation change the church\u2019s approach to sharing the gospel?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course we will look at some of the key issues at stake such as the nature of saving faith and the way we view the Church it\u2019s self.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Catholic Missions<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you may think that missions was something forgotten about during the 15th and 16th century but if you then you are much mistaken. Beginning in the 14 hundreds and for the following few centuries there was great missionary endeavour by the Catholic Church. Remember that Christopher Columbus\u2019 was himself sent by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Ferdinand II and Isabella I. Columbus\u2019 task was not only to establish trading routes and new territory for Spain but also to convert the peoples of those lands to Christians.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During Columbus\u2019 first voyage when he came to the Bahamas and in contact with the natives living there he wrote the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey ought to make good and skilled servants, for they repeat very quickly whatever we say to them. I think they can very easily be made Christians, for they seem to have no religion. If it pleases our Lord, I will take six of them to Your Highnesses when I depart, in order that they may learn our language.&#8221;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Catholic missions in the 16th and 17th centuries were global and tended to correspond with political conquest of Catholic countries like Spain, France and Portugal. We can see the tremendous influence of these missions hundreds of years later especially in South America where Spanish.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The conquistadors were required by law to be Catholic and were always accompanied by Catholic priests who served as their teachers as well as their priests and who in the New World were often worked to \u201cChristianize\u201d the natives. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Characteristics of Catholic Missions<\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Military and political conquest<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Historyian Stanley G. Payne notes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFor centuries the expansion of the faith was inextricably intertwined with military glory and economic profit. Because of this it is idle to ask, as is frequently done, whether the Portuguese pioneers and Castilian conquistadores were motivated more by greed or by religious zeal. In the Hispanic crusading expansionist ideology, the two went together. In Castile, particularly, wealth was based on [189] conquest and dominion, which in turn was the result of the expansion of Christendom against the Muslims. It was accepted by most as axiomatic that God made such wealth available because the expansionists were engaged in a righteous cause. Religious belief was whole and complete, and rarely admitted the possibility of any contradiction between worldly profit and religious aims in the expansion of Christian dominion, at least until the mid-sixteenth century. Crusading and profit were largely viewed as harmonious and complementary\u201d. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0-A History of Spain and Portugal Volume 1 <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course if we think of Catholic theology we understand that they viewed themselves as expanding and establishing the Kingdom of God! They saw the Church as a visible Theocracy whose expansion was ordained by Christ Himself.<\/span>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just as any Kingdom would conquer through military might, so would they<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just as any kingdom would would subjugate foreign people\u2019s to themselves, so would they<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just an any kingdom would look for ways to tax and prosper economically, so would they.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus to conquer foreign lands militarily and politically was not seen as in tension with the mission of the church but rather in harmony with it.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often forced conversions and mass conversions<\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For centuries the Church had used forced conversions as a means to bring newly conquered peoples into Christendom. <\/span>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most famous mass conversions happened in Kiev in 988 when Prince Vladimir called for all residents to come to the Dnieper river to be baptized or risk becoming and enemy of the Prince.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spain, Portugal, and France sent thousands of missionaries to Central and South America and Africa. \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Historian Thomas Gils notes: \u201cBetween 1493 and 1820, Spain sent some 15,585 missionaries to the Americas. Typically the government of Spain paid their full expenses. In the first fifteen years after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, Franciscans baptized about 5,000,000 Indians; priests in Mexico sometimes baptized thousands in a day.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because the Catholic Church views baptism as one of the primary means of grace many priests saw no problem in forcing baptism upon many who had little to no understanding of the meaning of that baptism not to mention they didn\u2019t have faith in Christ. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Included many aspects of syncretism <\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course when you are busy baptizing thousands a day it\u2019s really hard to give good Biblical instruction or to even know what is believed by those who are being baptized. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This led to many aspects of paganism which remained in the Catholic Church. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDia de los muertos\u201d is a clear example of pagan ancestor worship from Aztec practices that was left nearly completely intact in the Catholic church.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you go to the Eastern Church you will also find very similar practices such as \u201cGrobki\/Radonitsa. Also \u201cApple salvation\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focused on church buildings and sacraments<\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Council of Trent solidified the significance of the sacraments role in salvation, making Priests through whom the sacraments must come and even church buildings, in which many of the sacraments are administered especially central in salvation and therefore central to the mission.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Why weren\u2019t the reformers known for missions?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you look at the most prominent reformers it may be hard to find a strong missions theme. However, we must understand the context. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reformers tended to focus on reform of the church which they saw already existing all around them. When Luther nailed the 95 thesis to the door in Wittenberg, he didn\u2019t mean to start a mission movement but rather to start a discussion within the Catholic Church that would hopefully lead to much needed reform.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately most of the Catholic Church did not respond favorably to the challenge presented to it by Luther. However, there were favorable responses around Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus they focused on reforming many of existing Churches who saw the truth that was being preached and wanted to be part of it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Reformers rightly focused on bringing back Biblical literacy, a correct, understanding of the Gospel, and a theologically sound view of the Church. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the fact that the more prominent reformers were not known for their stance on missions, we can clearly see that their theology helped return a Biblical mindset to sharing the gospel and laid the foundation for modern missions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luther believed that the Gospel must continue to go out. Luther\u2019s commentary on Mark 16:15:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9 A question arises about this passage, V.15. <\/span><\/i><b><i>\u201cGo ye into all the world,\u201d<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as to how it is to be understood, since the apostles certainly did not visit all the world. No apostle came hither to us; and many a heathen island has since been discovered, where the Gospel has never been preached. Yet the Scriptures say: \u201cTheir sound went out into all the earth.\u201d <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stepbible.org\/?version=ESV&amp;reference=Rom+10%3A18\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rom 10:18<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Answer: Their preaching went out into all the world, although it has not yet come into all the world. This going out has been begun and continues, although it is not yet completed; the Gospel, however, will be preached ever farther and wider, until the judgment day. When this preaching shall have reached all parts of the world, and shall have been everywhere heard, then will the message be complete and its mission accomplished; then will the last day also be at hand. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calvin\u2019s commentary on the same passage:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cthe Lord commands the ministers of the gospel to go to a distance, in order to spread the doctrine of salvation in every part of the world. For though, as we have lately suggested, the right of the first-born at the very commencement of the gospel, remained among the Jews, still the inheritance of life was common to the Gentiles. Thus was fulfilled that prediction of Isaiah, (49:6,) and others of a similar nature, that Christ was\u00a0<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">given for a light of the Gentiles,\u00a0<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that he might be the salvation of God to the end of the earth\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calvin supported a plan to send ministers to a French colony in Brazil.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Effects of the Reformation<\/h2>\n<h2>1. They brought God\u2019s Word to the center by Gospel Preaching<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luther wrote in commentary to Mat. 28:18: <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c18 Thus you see that the pope errs and does the people injustice in that he ventures to drive them to faith by force; for the Lord commanded the disciples to do nothing more than to preach the Gospel. So the disciples also did; they preached the Gospel, and left its acceptance to those who would take it, and they did not say: Believe, or I will put you to death.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\"><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calvin emphasized that true gospel preaching was a sure sign of the true church. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">we need to be discerning, and not like animals who are led by the reins across the fields. We need to be aware of what constitutes the true church; for God has left certain signs within it which will not fail as a means of discerning his true people. Wherever his Word is preached faithfully without any human additions, his own people will be found. This will occur where the gospel is unadulterated, and where people are led directly to God to seek in him all that they lack.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\"><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The fact Calvin preached about 4,000 times and Luther about 7,000 times!<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is in stark contrast to evangelistic efforts in South and Central America where often the priests did not even yet speak in the language of those whom they were baptizing!<\/span>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They preached in the language of the people rather than doing liturgy in Latin!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reformers correctly placed preaching at the center of what we do in evangelism and missions. This can be summed up in the idea of \u201cSOLO SCRIPTURA\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let us not forget that the Word of God is at the heart of all true evangelism and missions. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2Ti 3:16-17 \u00a0All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 \u00a0that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1Co 9:16 \u00a0For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"32\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We don\u2019t base our evangelism on<\/span>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any technique<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any personality<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our own ability to argue and persuade<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Entertainment<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meeting people\u2019s felt needs<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Evangelism that does not effectively communicate God\u2019s Word is not evangelism.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We pattern our practice and methods after what we see in Scripture<\/span>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jesus main method was to preach<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peter preached<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phillip preached<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stephen preached<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paul preached<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Great Commission commands this preaching when it says \u201cteaching them all I have commanded you\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDidaskontes\u201d <\/span><\/i>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He didn\u2019t say \u201cdo life with them\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feed them<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Become like them<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can easily fall into the trap of thinking that in order to reach some group of people need to look like them and smell like them and act like them. Jesus called fishermen and a tax collector although he was a carpenter<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>2. They sought faith and repentance rather than Christianization or Penance<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Latin Vulgate had a mistranslation of the Greek Word \u201cMetanoe\u201d<\/li>\n<li>This difference was at the crux of the 95 thesis<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>3. They believed in an effectual calling<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They didn\u2019t resort to fear tactics or forced conversions<\/span><\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>4. They taught the sufficiency of Christ\u2019s work<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>No sacraments could give grace<\/li>\n<li>Indulgences couldn\u2019t purchase forgiveness<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"32\">\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Men must especially be on guard against those who say that the pope&#8217;s pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to him.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For the graces of indulgences are concerned only with the penalties of sacramental satisfaction established by man.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Any true Christian, whether living or dead, participates in all the blessings of Christ and the church; and this is granted him by God, even without indulgence letters.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luther minced no words with the Catholic Church and the Pope with regards to the practice of indulgences.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ol start=\"50\">\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence preachers, he would rather that the basilica of St. Peter were burned to ashes than built up with the skin, flesh, and bones of his sheep.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Christians are to be taught that the pope would and should wish to give of his own money, even though he had to sell the basilica of St. Peter, to many of those from whom certain hawkers of indulgences cajole money.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is vain to trust in salvation by indulgence letters, even though the indulgence commissary, or even the pope, were to offer his soul as security.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To say that the cross emblazoned with the papal coat of arms, and set up by the indulgence preachers is equal in worth to the cross of Christ is blasphemy.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The bishops, curates, and theologians who permit such talk to be spread among the people will have to answer for this.<\/span><\/i>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There was salvation outside the visible church <\/span>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus there was no need to build an elaborate building for people to get saved.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can fall into a trap when we think that we need something besides the truth of God\u2019s Word and the work of Christ for salvation!<\/span>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Western missions loves building projects<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Digging wells<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hospitals<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Giving money<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rightly so we engage in helping meet peoples needs but we must never go down the road thinking that any method or facility, or program will result in salvation of the soul.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><i>Act 4:12 \u00a0And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<h2><strong>5. They were motivated by the glory of God in life and death and in the preaching of the gospel.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his book, \u201cThe Necessity of Reforming the Church Calvin writes:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unquestionably we do exhort men to worship God neither in a frigid nor a careless manner; and while we point out the mode, we neither lose sight of the end, nor omit anything which bears upon the point. We proclaim the glory of God in terms far loftier than it was wont to be proclaimed before, and we earnestly labor to make the perfections in which his glory shines better and better known. His benefits towards ourselves we extol as eloquently as we can, while we call upon others to reverence his majesty, render due homage to his greatness, feel due gratitude for his mercies, and unite in showing forth his praise.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parishioners were motivated by fear<\/span>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">parishioners feared death, and because of things like the Black Plague they could die very quickly. If they didn\u2019t have last rights given to them then they would end up in Purgatory if not hell. This was a scary thought. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Theses 14 and 15 Luther writes about the just fear in the heart of the parishioner by the Church<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"14\">\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Imperfect piety or love on the part of the dying person necessarily brings with it great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater the fear.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This fear or horror is sufficient in itself, to say nothing of other things, to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"27\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clergy were motivated by power and political domination<\/span>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can\u2019t move up in the clergy one of the easiest ways to do was to become a missionary in the New World where you would certainly wield more power than back in Europe. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Money<\/span>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the reasons of for the preaching of the indulgences was to fund the Vatican and in particular the building of St. Peters Basilica <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> They preach only human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is certain that when money clinks in the money chest, greed and avarice can be increased<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luther emphasizes the glory of God over indulgences and the profit they bring.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"62\">\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be last (Mt. 20:16).<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets with which one formerly fished for men of wealth.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The treasures of indulgences are nets with which one now fishes for the wealth of men.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"62\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We need to be careful by what drives our evangelism<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Psa 25:11 \u00a0For your name&#8217;s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Psa 106:<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8 \u00a0Yet he saved them for his name&#8217;s sake, that he might make known his mighty power.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"8563\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/effects-of-the-reformation-on-evangelism-and-missions\/copy-of-what-is-sin-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Copy-of-What-Is-Sin-1.png\" data-orig-size=\"1280,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" 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Do Missionaries Do?","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"June 11, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Recently I asked you \"What is missions?\" and I received some great answers! Now I have another question for you. What are missionaries supposed to do? There are many good missions books which can tell you how to work in another culture or what are the most effective tools for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Ministry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Ministry","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ministry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/DSC04173-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/DSC04173-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/DSC04173-001.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6862,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/our-churchs-1st-missions-conference\/","url_meta":{"origin":8560,"position":1},"title":"Our Church&#8217;s 1st Missions Conference","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"August 29, 2016","format":"video","excerpt":"I'll admit, planning our church's first missions conference made me both a bit anxious and excited. \u00a0 We weren't sure how people would respond and who would show up. Nevertheless we decided to push forward knowing that one of the best things we can do for our church and other\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Ministry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Ministry","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ministry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/DSC03328.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/DSC03328.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/DSC03328.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9297,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/storyline-missions-training-for-churches\/","url_meta":{"origin":8560,"position":2},"title":"&#8220;Storyline&#8221; Missions Training for Churches","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"March 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Evangelism and discipleship are vital but their not enough, churches must take the next step and send out some of their own to other peoples and cultures. One of our desires is to help churches understand the missions aspect of the Great Commission. In order to do this we have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General Updates&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General Updates","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/DSC03162.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/DSC03162.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/DSC03162.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/DSC03162.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/DSC03162.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/area-missions-banquet\/","url_meta":{"origin":8560,"position":3},"title":"Area Missions&#8217; Banquet","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"February 25, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"On Thursday night we attended the Missions' Banquet for the Treasure Valley area association of Baptists Churches. It was a great time of challenge as we considered the task of evangelism that has been given to all of us.After the Banquet we spent a lot time fellowshipping with many people\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General Updates&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General Updates","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6819,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/4-reasons-why-we-give-up-on-the-gospel\/","url_meta":{"origin":8560,"position":4},"title":"4 Reasons Why We Give up on the Gospel | Season 02 Episode 07","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"August 24, 2016","format":"audio","excerpt":"Did you know it's possible to give up on the Gospel too early and be unaware of what you just did? In this episode of \"Now Is the Time\" I talk about why it is that we often give up and stop sharing the Gospel too soon. I share with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The Gospel Today&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The Gospel Today","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/podcast\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Why-WeGive-up-on-the-Gospel.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Why-WeGive-up-on-the-Gospel.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Why-WeGive-up-on-the-Gospel.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12222,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/art-evangelism-training-holy-trinity-church-bucharest-romania\/","url_meta":{"origin":8560,"position":5},"title":"Art Evangelism Training, Holy Trinity Church, Bucharest Romania","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"February 5, 2020","format":"video","excerpt":"Back in November we I was in Bucharest for our \"Missions Roundtable\" while there we talked with some artists from Holy Trinity Baptist Church, they were interested in how we are using historic prints of art as a method of sharing the gospel. They were quite interested so after talking\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Ministry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Ministry","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ministry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/MG_7506-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/MG_7506-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/MG_7506-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/MG_7506-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/MG_7506-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/MG_7506-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8560"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8560\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8972,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8560\/revisions\/8972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}