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THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF MARTIN LUTHER (1483-1546)

Text: Hebrews 11
24 October 2010

(I) ROMAN CATHOLIC DOMINANCE

1. The only Church in the Middle Ages

2. The Pope’s influence

a) Religious

b) Secular

3. Sad features that dominated

a) Power of the Pope

b) Corruption of the Church

c) Corruption of the priesthood

4. The common people

a) No access to the Bible

b) No knowledge of the Gospel

c) Superstition and far prevailed

(II) MARTIN LUTHER- REFORMER

1. Riddled with fear of judgment from God

2. Sought salvation in the Church

a) Vowed to be a monk

b) Praying and fasting

c) Confession and Severe penances

d) Pilgrimages

e) No peace of the soul was found!

3. Providentially he was urged to study the Scriptures by his superior

a) Devoted his life to become a Doctor of the Bible

b) Studied the Scriptures against the background of the Roman Church

c) Began to declare his teachings openly:-

d) Salvation is through justification by God

e) Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus

f) The Scriptures are the only source of authority

g) The sale of indulgences (forgiveness of sin through payment of money) is wrong

(III) CONTRIBUTIONS OF MARTIN LUTHER

1. Founder of the Lutheran Church

2. Catalyst for the Protestant Movement

3. Translator of the Bible into German

4. Catechisms

5. Many theological books