The Reformation...

The Reformation comes to us from the past. It can lead us on into God’s future. The Reformers called on their generation to get ‘back to the Bible.’ We still need to hear that message today. For many people in today’s world, the Bible is a closed book - often owned, rarely read. The Reformers call us to take the Bible seriously. We’re not only to read the parts that we like. Blessing may come to us from unexpected places. The Reformers encourage us to ‘search the Scriptures.’ They believed that God had something to say to them. It was something that they could not keep to themselves. They needed courage. They were given courage. They have set for us a great example - asking the question, ‘Is there a word from the Lord?’ and giving the answer, ‘Yes. There is a word from the Lord.’ The Reformers directed attention away from themselves to Jesus Christ. This is what we must do. The Reformers were whole-hearted in their commitment to Christ. They were God’s faithful servants. They teach us to say, ‘Serving the Lord - this must be the great priority of my life, the most important thing.’ The Reformation was a time of great change. It was more than social and political change. It was spiritual change. Listening to God led to speaking for him. Speaking to him led to living for him. Real change - this is what we need.