Forerunners of the Reformation / The Pre-Reformers (Waldensians / Wycliffe / Huss)

All right, so this will be lesson number nine for runners of the faith.

Lesson number nine is titled for runners to the Reformation.

So we're talking about a few different men.

Waldo.

Wickliffe huss.

So these men are known as the pre reformers.

So the Protestant reformers we think of as Martin Luther John Calvin people

like that.

But these are the men that came before them and actually kind of laid the groundwork for the Protestant

Reformation.

So we're gonna read from Acts chapter 5 and just one moment.

But just to go through this quick, we're gonna look at number one section.

Number one is titled the papacy in the high and late Middle Ages.

Number two, we're gonna be looking at Peter Waldo number three John Wickliffe and

then after him yon huss or John huss as

as we typically say as English speakers, so Acts chapter 5 29

through 32 the scripture says.

But Peter and the other Apostles answered and said we ought to obey God rather than

men.

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree

him God has exalted to his right hand to be the Prince and Savior to give

repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins and we are his

witnesses to these things and.

So also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who?

Obey him.

So the main Statement in this passage, you know.

Who are we to obey God or men and how this applies to the lesson?

Are we supposed to follow the Pope and whatever?

He says and just listen to the Cardinals and not these men or are we supposed to listen

to?

Jesus and the scripture now, who do you think we should listen to the Pope or the

Bible?

Well, you're you're Protestants and independent, you know Christians, so I would expect you to

say that but This wasn't a given.

Hundreds of years ago, so Number one the papacy and the high Middle Ages.

So this I don't think is in your book.

So I'll just read this a paragraph or two.

Papal power reached its Zenith under Pope Innocent the third that's in the

year.

He lived from 1160 to 1216 during his tenure the fourth council of

the Lateran in 1215 dogmatized the doctrine of

Transubstantiation now who knows what that is?

Transubstantiation, so this is the idea you want to give a brief definition Marcus.

That.

Given the.

Wafer.

He actually becomes Christ's body and.

Yeah, and the cup that contains the wine.

It literally when the priest does the consecration and the bell rings.

The cup the wine literally turns into the blood of Christ you you are.

Literally eating his flesh and drinking his blood.

They say a miracle happens in communion.

So that's the doctrine of Transubstantiation as opposed to our view which we take the memorial

view of the Lord's Supper where we believe it's.

Symbolic.

Symbolic doesn't mean not important communion.

Lord's Supper is still very very important.

But it doesn't actually miraculously turn into the body of Christ.

I mean that would be Cannibalism if if true, it's just a kind of a bizarre doctrine,

but yeah Marcus.

Such a Doctrine is that Receiving Christ

is what is necessary.

As many as received him to them He gave the power to become the children of God.

So if you receive Christ by eating this thing and drinking that if that's how you do it.

If you have to go to church and the priest has to give it to you if that's how you receive Christ.

Well, you're wrong.

You're not receiving him, right.

And if you don't he that hath the Son hath life.

He that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Is that it's as simple as that.

Yeah, we need to understand that we're totally.

Using we're using the same terminology as the Catholic Church, but we have totally different definitions.

So when we talk about receiving Christ, we mean you believe on him for Salvation

you're putting your trust in his death burial and resurrection.

Now, they might say they do that as well.

But receiving Christ within the Catholic Church is taking the wafer.

That's what they mean as receiving Christ just like being born again to us.

Being born again is God has Made us alive.

He has regenerated our spirit with the Holy Spirit for them.

Being born again is being baptized.

So same terms that are biblical maybe but Totally different

meanings.

Okay, let's continue reading.

So this is the erroneous notion Transubstantiation that the elements in

communion the bread and the cup are physically transformed in terms of their substance

into the body and blood of Jesus.

Around 1230 the Western Church adopted the idea of a treasure house or

treasury of merit in heaven From which the Pope could dispense Indulgences

and Pardons reducing the amount of punishment for sin that is in purgatory.

The notion of papal indulgences is not biblical.

But it dominated the Roman Catholic Church in the late Middle Ages.

It did not take long for the system of indulgences However to be abused by offering

indulgences in exchange for money.

The Roman Catholic Church was able to raise Significant sums of cash.

The sale of indulgences became a major fundraising tool for the late

medieval Popes and the 1300s due to political infighting in Europe the

papacy relocated from Rome to Avion France where it

remained for about 70 years.

Pope Gregory the 11th finally returned the papacy to Rome when his successor

urban the six in Insisted on staying in Rome French Cardinals elected a

rival Pope Clement the seventh in Avion in 1409 the

Council of Pisa Attempted to resolve this schism because I mean the now the Catholic Church has

multiple popes and they're all Excommunicating each other.

So it's like well, who's the real Pope?

But this only Resulted in the election of another rival Pope a third Pope

the papal schism Also called the Western schism was not resolved until the Council of

Constance and in 1417 so as you can see, this is just a total mess.

So this is where you had to fill it in in your book Says by the late 1400s the

Roman Catholic Church in Europe was in desperate need of Reformation.

The corruption of the papacy was evident from the sale of what?

Indulgences.

Right anybody that depends on the bishop and everything else but yes, if if you want to get your marriage annulled

so you can marry someone else because in the Catholic Church, that's Totally forbidden.

You're not supposed to do that.

But yeah, I mean if you find the right guy and you pay enough money they'll grant you the the

annulment.

But as far as indulgences go, there are still places in Europe.

You can travel all actually all over the world.

I think if you climb these steps donate money, you'll get time off in purgatory.

The Pope actually said Pope Francis if you follow me on Twitter, you will get an

indulgence.

I don't know how much time off of purgatory you get for following him.

Probably only like 10 minutes, but You say no that didn't happen that's not

true.

He did say that you can check it out.

I think I'm pretty sure he was serious.

But anyways, the corruption of the papacy was evident from the sale of indulgences to the

papal what?

Schism in.

Which.

Three.

Rival Popes each claimed to be the true leader of the church.

So this whole thing.

I mean, it's just corrupt.

It's a way of making money and this is really what led to the Reformation if it wasn't for

this abuse The Reformation it might have happened later, but

this is really what kicked it off.

So it says here in my book in the midst of this God raised up voices of protest who are willing to

confront papal corruption and even defy papal authority when it conflicted

with the teaching of Scripture.

Okay.

Can anyone think of just Making application as we go along.

Can anyone think of something that this current Pope has said that?

Contradicts Scripture.

Yeah.

No, he does not advocate the blessing of gay marriage.

He says the priest can bless gay unions.

It's not gay marriages.

I mean, that's like a This is really like what the Pharisees did they would split hairs and

try to find a way or find a loophole around it so they want they can do something without actually

Like doing it, but you are doing it like it's it's ridiculous.

But yeah, obviously God would not bless a homosexual Union, but he

said as long as it's a union and not a marriage you can bless it.

So it's like.

You know.

But So we're still facing the same same type of

corruption and problem.

These courageous Individuals that we're going to talk about this morning are known as the

forerunners of the Reformation.

Their bold convictions anticipated the stand the Protestant reformers would take in

the 16th century.

And since we are talking about this and the Catholic Church and what They teach.

I know a lot of modern -day Christians would be offended like oh, I can't believe you're saying something

negative about another church and they're just.

They've never heard such a thing.

This is church history like you have to address.

Corruption and false doctrine.

So if this is new to somebody maybe watching online It's not new to you because you've heard me talk about it enough.

Just let me make it clear.

We love Roman Catholic people.

Okay, we want them to be saved.

Those who are not saved.

We want them to be saved.

We're not against any.

You know your neighbor who's Catholic we we care about them as people it's it's Catholicism the

system right in the teachings that we're opposing not Your aunt who's Roman

Catholic?

So you I'm sure you love her and everything but still it truth is truth and we need to just

have a frank discussion Of it.

Okay, just so you know where we're coming from.

All right.

So the discussion question Can you name some biblical figures?

Who took a stand for truth in the face of a corrupt political or religious system?

What gave them the courage to take that stand?

Okay, can any of you think of biblical figures.

Daniel okay anyone else.

What?

The Apostles.

Yeah, I mean we just read that in Acts chapter 5.

They were brought in before the religious authority of their day.

And again, the Pharisees in the Sanhedrin they were doing the same types of things that the

modern or medieval Popes were doing, you know, they took the Word of God and

Kind of brushed it to the side and they elevated their traditions and the doctrines of men actually the sermon

later on.

We're going to be dealing with this the doctrines or commandments of men where they're elevating that above

Scripture.

It happened with the Jews.

That happened in the Catholic Church and is still happening today.

Even outside of the Catholic Church.

So yeah, the the Apostles would be a good example.

Anyone else.

Biblical figures are.

Good.

Yeah, Elijah stood up not only Against King Ahab and his wife Jezebel

Although he ran from Jezebel, but he he did oppose them and spoke truth to them.

But yeah, the prophets of Baal anyone else a lot of examples.

I'm sure we could talk about.

All right.

So let's cover some of these men.

The pre -reformers.

The first one Peter Waldo.

So he lived from 1140 to 1210.

Waldo lived.

Off during this time, so this is Several hundred years before the Reformation.

He was a merchant turned preacher from Lyon in modern -day France

after Being influenced by the story of a fourth century Christian named

Alexius a man who sold all his belongings in devotion to Christ.

Waldo sold his belongings and began a life of preaching and service

to the Lord.

Initially Waldo and his followers were known as.

What?

Okay, the poor of Lyon, right.

And they would later become known as the

Waldensians, okay, so.

This is a group that not if they're not that well known, but some people who sort of the

Waldensians.

Okay, one or two.

Waldo it says loved the Word of God and commissioned a translation of portions of Scripture

from the Latin Vulgate into a Local dialect.

His reading of Scripture inspired and informed his preaching ministry.

The Roman Catholic Church denounced the Waldensian movement at the third

Lateran Council in 1179 though he did not receive authorization from the Pope.

Do you think he cared about authorization from the Pope?

I don't know.

He didn't care about that.

Waldo determined to continue preaching anyway.

He boldly insisted that it was better to obey God than men.

And then it says see Acts chapter 5 29 the passage we started out.

That's the same thing that the the Sanhedrin the scribes.

Pharisees elders chief priests do not preach in the name of Jesus and Ironically

the Pope was saying you're not allowed to preach in the name of Jesus.

I mean, it's just it's bizarre.

Yeah.

So we need to examine Waldo.

Well.

Billy Graham, yep we need to examine everyone right.

And This is why scripture itself, and you know I'm just saying what you say all the time

Right it is the Holy Spirit himself and the Word of God the inspired Word of God.

And we've got to learn how to hear his voice personally and Individually,

I mean I listen to all kinds of different guys.

John Avey David Jeremiah.

So yeah.

Okay, so let's just take up the Catholic Church's Position for one moment.

Why would they say he's not allowed to preach well.

They would claim that he what he was preaching is false.

You know he's a heretic.

He's preaching the wrong thing.

Obviously there are some people depending on what they're preaching and they can still use the name of Jesus.

That yeah, there.

There is some preaching that You know we have prefer that this person not be preaching even though they're talking

about Jesus depending on what they're saying a good example of this of

Testing everybody whether it's Waldo or like you said John Hagee or David

Jeremiah.

Everything has to be tested against the scripture right so like the big thing that just blew up over the

past few days.

If you follow YouTube and Christian news is Alistair Begg right who's who's

heard this?

Alistair Begg is probably one of the most.

If you had asked me last week I would say this guy is one of the most dependable Bible teachers out there

and In an interview he gave advice that this woman grandmother

said you know my grandson is Transgender or he's marrying a transgender, so

it's a whatever gay wedding trans wedding.

And she says I can't go, but I'm conflicted and Alistair Begg says You should

go and you should buy them a gift so Alistair Begg told this woman I guess a church member that she

should attend the gay wedding and buy a gift because if you don't

You're just gonna reinforce this idea that all Christians are judgmental bigot.

So you're gonna appear judgmental if you don't go now if you if you lodge.

And I feel compassion for the woman and I understand that would be a very difficult situation.

But if that's your advice as a pastor that Christians should attend gay weddings.

So you don't appear judgmental the problem with that is your very presence is a sign of

your affirmation.

Even if you say I don't agree with this you know.

You know grandson.

I disagree with if you're there.

It's still going to be seen as Affirmation or a step towards so just let

for the record, and I don't want to know if you've gone I don't want to know honestly, but

My I do not think any Christian should ever attend a gay wedding and that's.

Let me just state that for the record.

Why because I don't think Jesus would encourage people to go.

And I don't think you could convince me that Jesus would well.

What would Jesus do.

Jesus would go?

Based on what okay?

We can disagree on that maybe but that's I think Alistair Begg was dead wrong.

And he's getting.

He's getting major blowback like.

Serious.

And I think for good reason because nobody would have said that 20 years ago.

Nobody no Christian would have said that 20 years ago.

It's a sign of kind of giving in to the pressure which can happen to any of us if we're not.

You know standing with the Lord.

Sorry you had a hand up Stacey.

Oh, I just wanted to say I agree with you.

But.

Just kind of thinking on the other side of it is they.

They would say.

You know Jesus spent time with criminals, and you know the least.

How better to show Christ and be able to

offer.

Apologetics.

I guess if you know yes, you're in with.

Those people yeah, yeah, and that was the common response.

I don't want to get you know because the this will overtake the whole class, but.

Right again, I agree.

Yeah.

What you're saying I'm just thinking the other side of what are they.

What the right thinking as an argument right right.

Now you know amongst.

The people that actually need to hear your message.

Yeah, that was the response.

Jesus ate with sinners so Jesus would go and The day if you actually read the

story when Jesus ate with Levi and his friends.

He did.

Jesus did eat with sinners, and he did interact with them.

But if you read the story he did it so as to call them to repentance.

That's why Jesus did it so if the mother if the grandmother took them out to eat.

And that was her purpose to lovingly talk to them.

Fine.

Or if she went and she did call them to repentance in some manner at the way

fine.

But Alistair Begg wasn't saying go and you know I'm not saying make a scene, but

He was saying just kind of go along with it to show your love.

But Jesus called people to repentance and that's the part that needs to be there and isn't there.

All right.

One more comment on this.

We are not Jesus we are so different from Jesus it

hurts.

Yep.

So.

Place yourself or think that you can can do anything that Jesus did.

You're stretching the truth.

Right.

But I mean I would say this there was no Possibility of Jesus getting sucked into the LGBT

movement like that's not possible.

He what he wouldn't get hoodwinked into.

It is possible for you, and I to get sucked up.

I would never do that.

Well I've seen a lot of people.

I thought were pretty solid Christians.

Get sucked into it, so yeah, we're not Jesus in that sense that we're in a lot more vulnerable

Situation but anyways.

What does that have to do with the pre -reformers?

I thought probably not much.

I think if Alistair Begg was a Catholic priest, and he said that back in 1210 he probably would have been

well I don't know what would happen to him, but it would been a lot worse than what's happening now but not that that would have been the right

approach, but.

Anyways, that's my fault for bringing that up, but hey Sunday school is a good

time good a time as any so.

Any other comments?

Oh?

Okay, all right.

Yes, okay.

I'm glad you did bring it up.

Those are the kinds of things why this relates to today.

I mean we were talking about people back then and it's relational.

So yeah, I appreciate that you brought it up.

Okay, all right.

Yeah, and I anyone who knows me knows I'm not.

You know I'm not a hateful person towards anybody.

But the thing that does get me mad is when Christian leaders start capitulating to this stuff.

That's what really burns me up.

I sympathize with the person who's got a family situation, and I don't know what that's like but.

Yeah, when the when the solid conservative preachers are saying stuff like this.

It's like we're in rough shape.

We're in big trouble.

Okay, so where was I Peter Waldo so the

Roman Catholic Church opposed his preaching ministry says Waldo and his followers were

Persecuted by the Catholic Church by the authorities and they were branded as Heretics.

Okay, so Waldo and his followers were Labeled heretics.

However the movement survived though the Waldensians were often forced Into

hiding in the Swiss Alps.

Okay, now here's where you had to fill it in the Waldensians.

Or the Waldensians shared several important convictions with the later Reformers

and what were those convictions.

Number one?

Okay, the authority of Scripture over the authority of the Pope.

Number two the need to translate Scripture into the common language and

Then number three the ability of laypeople to understand and preach

God's Word.

Okay, so this is something the Catholic Church did not and there is a danger.

I mean I recognize that if anybody and everybody can be teaching God's Word.

Then you're gonna have a lot of confusion because hey.

This is what this means to me, and there's gonna be a thousand different interpretations.

That that is problematic however.

I mean we saw what happened when the Pope was the sole infallible interpreter that was bad,

too.

So there's no matter what system you have Catholicism Protestantism.

You're gonna have the good and the bad mixed in although with medieval Catholicism There wasn't that much good.

But the 16th century or in the 16th century my book says the Waldensians would join the

Reformed branch of the Protestant Reformation this was fitting since their movement was a

precursor to the Reformation.

All right any comments or questions on this man Peter Waldo or the Waldensians?

So their big contribution is you got to listen to the Bible instead of the Pope

and again today It's just like well duh this is obvious, but

back then it took a lot of courage to say something like this because if you

if you did say this publicly you Realize that you might you might be executed

burned at the stake.

At least put in prison, I mean this this was.

This is something as Americans.

We don't we don't get it because we can pretty much say anything In a religious

context and you're not going to get arrested for it.

Okay in Canada in Europe you are seeing those stories here and there where

people are being arrested for you know quote -unquote hate speech.

But here it's hasn't happened yet to my knowledge.

But Any comments on Waldo before we move on?

All right.

Here's the discussion question look at the key passage at the beginning of this lesson acts 5 29

through 32.

When the religious authorities told Peter to stop preaching what was his response?

We obey God rather than men right.

Okay, the second man we're gonna look at John Wycliffe he lived from 1324

to 1384.

It says the Waldensian movement was primarily a movement of the laity that is

non -clergy with John Wycliffe, however, he was an English priest and

This was the beginning of the scholarly movement of resistance against the corruption of the

papacy.

Accordingly Wycliffe is known as what what was his nickname?

The Morning Star of the Reformation it says he did not shy away from pointing out the

corruption he observed within the priesthood and leadership of the church his criticism of the papacy

was especially pointed.

Okay, and again, this is what people today if you if a pastor says anything

negative about anybody or anything.

They can't believe it because in their minds Jesus never said a bad word about anybody and a pastor should be the

same way.

Of course, if you've read the Bible, you know, that's not really true.

If you look at the writings of the ancient, you know church leaders throughout history.

Even someone like Charles Haddon Spurgeon, which today everyone loves.

I think I've shared this with you before when you read his writings.

It's like wow this guy like to me it like this seems pretty harsh the things he's saying against the

Church of England.

But this was my point is this is pretty much just common throughout church history.

They weren't afraid of you know.

Beating around the bush.

They just called it like it was so very pointed.

Criticism against the Pope so pointed was it that they called him what?

The.

We ends with an a The Pope yes, they he was

The ant or a Antichrist, right Marcus.

Yep.

Yeah, Jesus said some pretty, you know harsh quote -unquote things but.

You know is that heart?

Well, it's harsh in some people's opinion, but.

Not as harsh as God's wrath is going to be on those of the blaspheme.

Against his son, but that's that's the point.

Why were people so Direct.

Because they actually thought people's souls hung in the balance.

It was that important.

I don't think people believe that anymore.

I think the average preacher even the big -name people and the people on TV I think in their heart of hearts, they think that as

long as you're a good person.

You'll go to heaven because there's no urgency.

Like people are lost and the people are being deceived.

If you really believe that you would have a little more you know fire towards

those leading people astray so.

Totally different deal from today.

That's one of the reasons why I just like studying church history.

I mean, you're just seeing things like it's totally different than what you what you get today and

we need to realize that.

Okay, Wycliffe Advocated the translation of the Bible into the common language along with some of his

colleagues at Oxford.

He was involved in translating scripture from what?

The Latin Vulgate Into English.

Okay, the Latin Vulgate is the translation that the Catholic Church used that was like their official Bible.

It is likely that Wycliffe translated large portions of the New Testament.

Including the four Gospels.

The rest of the New Testament and the entirety of the Old Testament were translated by his

associates.

So, you know back then.

If you didn't speak Latin.

Which nobody did hardly anybody.

There's no way you could read the Bible and even if you did speak Latin.

The only Bible in town was chained to the altar at the at the local church if they even had

one.

So again totally different from today where everyone has what.

If you don't have ten copies at home, you have this thing.

So everyone has a Bible today.

In his writings Wycliffe thundered against Roman Catholic abuses.

He rejected the doctrine of what transubstantiation and Disapproved of both

the sale of indulgences and the mandatory celibacy of the priests.

Furthermore he insisted that the church should give up its property holdings and that the clergy

should embrace a life of poverty and simple devotion to Christ.

Okay so.

Yeah.

So we can relate because we're we think.

I'm assuming you think this I'll speak for everybody here that the the idea of Celibacy for the

ministers is well, it's the exact opposite of what the Bible says.

I mean you could make the argument that the Bible Demands that a pastor or a bishop

be married and have children now.

I'm not sure that that's absolutely necessary.

But in first Timothy three the bishop is what to be the husband of one wife and he's to have

children and submission.

So but for the Catholic Church, they said well the bishop Here's how they interpreted Must

be the husband of one wife.

He must not be the husband.

It's the exact opposite and that's just always.

But here's the thing.

Why did they do that?

Well on the positive side they wanted him to be Completely devoted to Christ

if you believe that was their motivation.

It seems noble, but You know if you have children guess what if you have a wife and

kids when you die all your money and your possessions go To them if the bishop

doesn't have any family when he dies.

Guess where all his money and possessions go back to the church.

So, I mean that was probably just as much the motivation.

Anyway, it's not biblical either way.

And.

Then there's a thing about Wycliffe and he said he taught that the church was made up of the souls of the elect

and then there's a thing with the Visible and invisible church.

But we don't need to go into that because I'd really like to cover all three of these men in one

one lesson so Wycliffe.

Just one comment.

I Just want to read a quote.

This might be on the next page.

However, your book is set up.

Has a whole bunch of quotes from Wycliffe.

One statement he made I just want to find it here.

Okay.

Yeah it number five.

Says Wycliffe called the Pope quote The Antichrist because the Pope

stood at the head of a movement which had placed itself above the Word of God

and which suppressed the Translation of God's Word into the common language of the people.

So once you realize that the Catholic Church was preventing people from reading the Bible.

You're not allowed to read the Bible if you translate the Bible into the common language, we will kill you.

And that they had basically taken over and the the Pope was calling himself the head of the church.

Instead of Christ.

What is that?

It's an they've taken the place of God.

They've taken the place of Christ and that's what Antichrist means one who usurps The

authority of Christ takes the place like an imitation Christ.

So, you know and you just compare that.

You know whether it's Haas Wycliffe Luther Calvin all of these pre

-reformers Protestant reformers.

Up until today with you know, Charles Haddon Spurgeon or someone like John MacArthur.

They all all of them said the Pope is Antichrist but today the big popular TV

preachers, they all say things like Like Joel Osteen the Pope is fantastic.

He says, you know and just all the popular preachers today.

They love the Pope.

They praise the Pope.

So again Why it's important to study church history you see how?

Distorted modern -day Christianity has become is totally not in line with

the true evangelical faith so if you don't study church history

if you don't read men like Spurgeon or Study some of this you you would never know.

So I think this is Definitely worth looking at.

Okay, the final guy we're gonna look at pre -reformer Jan Huss or John

Huss he lived from 1369 to 1415.

He lived in the modern -day Czech Republic.

He was from a village called Husenik, which means what?

Gooseville, okay.

The Bohemian word Huss means goose and that's gonna matter.

Later on because he got burnt at the stake and that's where we get a common idiom, but

he was Educated at the University of Prague and was highly influenced by the

writings of John Wycliffe.

Huss was also known as a gifted preacher.

He preached on a regular basis in the Bethlehem Chapel in the city of Prague.

By preaching in the Bohemian language rather than in Latin Huss exposed his congregation to

the Word of God.

Huss said I humbly accord faith and trust to the Holy Scriptures.

Desiring to hold believe and assert whatever is contained in them as long as I have

breath in me like Wycliffe.

Huss preached against the corruption of the clergy and the sale of Indulgences

in his book on the church de Ecclesia.

That's the name of it.

Huss Insisted that Christ alone not the Pope is the head of the church.

Huss appealed to Christ as the highest authority.

Over Popes councils and kings again to us.

That's not controversial at all.

Yes, another like well, obviously, right?

But again saying that back in this time it could get you killed.

And it did.

Huss said another quote if the papal utterances agree with the law of Christ they are to be

obeyed if they are at variance with it, then Christ's disciples must stand loyally and

Manfully with Christ against all papal bulls, etc Etc, and I would just say this if the

laws of the United States of America are in line With the teachings of Christ

you should obey them and if the laws of Massachusetts or the laws of the United States

of America Conflict with the teachings of Christ and tell you to do the opposite you should

Follow.

Who do we obey God?

Rather than men.

I Mean, it's really not a radical thing to say but in some people's minds.

I mean You need to follow men rather than God.

That's just the way they're trained to think.

Okay, so Roman Catholic authorities summoned Huss after John Huss went around preaching this and it was

open what he believed.

The Catholic authorities summoned him to defend his views at the Council of Constance.

He was promised safe passage.

But guess what?

Oh Just come and we'll make sure we'll assure your safety.

But shortly after his arrival in 1414.

He was what?

Arrested and imprisoned and 1415 Huss was put on trial when it became

clear that he would not be given an opportunity to explain his views he declared I

appealed to Jesus Christ the only judge who is almighty and Completely just

in his hands.

I plead my cause.

Not on the basis of false witness and erring counsels, but on truth and

justice.

On July 6 1415 he was led outside the city of Constance and burned

at the stake.

The English phrase your goose is cooked comes from his Execution remember Huss

means goose.

So he was burned at the stake.

Yes, his goose.

The goose was cooked according to Fox's Book of Martyrs.

Huss told his Executioners you are now going to burn a goose.

Huss signifying goose in the Bohemian language, but he said in a century you will have a

swan.

Which you can neither roast nor boil.

Though these words may only be legendary.

They demonstrate the close connection between Huss and the Protestant Reformation.

Why because who is the swan?

Luther.

I forget why a Luther is called the swan.

Now did Huss really prophesy Luther?

You know, it's debated whether okay.

Is this a legend?

Did he really say that although I did hear one story.

Don't quote me on this because I tried to find I heard it years ago.

It was from RC Sproul.

So a pretty reliable source.

I might have the details wrong, but I was I thought that Martin Luther was actually ordained

as a priest.

And he laid on the floor and that was part of the ordination and he laid in the church where Huss.

I Don't know if Huss wouldn't have been buried there.

What was the connection?

There was some connection between Luther and John Huss that it was like, okay.

This is the providence of God.

I forget the exact details because it says here after Huss was executed.

Was this the guy well, maybe it was.

Who was it?

That was they dug up his body and then they burned it.

That was Wycliffe, okay.

Yeah, Wycliffe they dug up his body burned I think through the ashes in the river.

So there could be no spot of veneration.

So maybe it really was John Huss who was buried in that church.

That Luther was ordained like right over the spot where he was buried again.

Maybe I got that mixed up, but It's a pretty cool story either way, right?

So All right, the final final

question read Ephesians 1 18 through 23, which we don't have

Time to do that.

What do these verses teach about the place the Lord Jesus Christ occupies in the church.

Jesus is the head of the church.

Amen.

We obey him not men and if the authorities or whether

it's civil or religious authorities if they ever teach contrary To the Word of

God we as followers of Christ are obligated to obey God rather than

men and all God's people said.

Amen.