The Reformation

Weekly Update – November 2nd, 2023

The event that took place on October 31^st, 1517, is more than simply a time in history.  It is our heritage as Christians.  We believe that we live the way that we do, because God in His grace, chose to act and bring a recovery of His gospel back to His church.  What we look back upon, more than 500 years ago, is the reformation of the church.  It all began with a young monk named Martin Luther posting his 95 theses or protests against the Catholic Church.  At the height of his complaint was the sale of indulgences.  At that time, an indulgence was a sort of grant that could be obtained for a certain price that would eliminate the amount of years spent in purgatory for those who had already died.  According to the Catholic Church, since nobody could earn heaven on their own, people had to be purged from sin before they could go to heaven.  Purgatory was that sort of holding place where this purging would occur, and it could take thousands of years to be completely clean and ready to meet God for all eternity.  So then, if you had a parent who had passed away, you could pay to have their years from purgatory lessened by buying an indulgence from the Catholic Church.

The corruption of the Catholic Church during the time of the reformation didn’t occur overnight.  It occurred over a number of years, hundreds of years in fact, beginning with the establishment of a pope, to the moving away from justification by faith, to believing in merited grace instead unmerited, all the way up to the selling of indulgences on behalf of the dead, which began at some point in the early 13^th century.  There were those along the way who protested the doctrinal heresy of the church, but by and large, they were silenced.  The common person, with no knowledge of the Bible, simply went along.  It appeared as if the gospel had been lost forever. 

But God never forgets his church.  He sent His son to shed his blood for His church.  He knows His church and He loves His church.  By church, I don’t mean the established building located at a certain corner, or in this case, the Catholic Church.  I mean the people of whom God saves.  He would not allow His gospel to remain hidden.  But to make His truth available and accessible, He didn’t use a king or the pope.  He used a normal, and we might even say, a confused, monk.  This monk, through simply reading his Bible, saw that the church was corrupt.  And even though he may not have been converted until after he posted his grievances against the Catholic Church in 1517, the Lord used him and brought him to Christ in due time.

It is helpful to take stock of our faith in this way, as we remember how God moved his church from darkness to light.  At the same time, let us also never forget that God uses ordinary people to build His kingdom through His church.  These men and woman, beginning with Martin Luther and the many others who came after him, they were not extra spiritual, or abnormally positioned people.  They were people who loved the Lord, who desired to serve Him, who knew His word, and who dedicated their lives to His mission.  And just as doctrinal error comes through the slow process of drifting away from God, so too, the expansion of God’s church comes through the faithfulness of His people over the course of their lives.  The reformation is about more much than an event, it is about God using His people, to change the world.   May God continue to use us, even in our day, to bring about the expansion of His kingdom for the salvation of the world around us as well.   

Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson

Written by Pastor
Michael Nelson

Fighter Verse for the Week

"[Therefore,] as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous."
- Romans 5:18-19

Announcements:

Christmas Choir: Rehearsals for Christmas Choir begin on Friday evening. Please contact Martin Maharas for details.

Fall Festival: Thank you to everyone who volunteered. We had a wonderful night, with an estimated 250-300 people coming out. We look forward to doing this again next year. Check out our Facebook page for pictures.

Catch up with the Diazes: The Diazes will be stopping through on Monday night (11/6). If you want to catch up with them, stop by the Fellowship Hall at 5:30pm. Bring a dish to share.

Thanksgiving Potluck: The annual Thanksgiving potluck will be held on Sunday, November 12th. We ask that families of 1-3 bring one dish to share and families of 4 or more bring two dishes to share. We will be collecting donations to help Fill the Pantry at this time.

Befriend a Student: If you are interested in befriending a student from Longview Community College this semester, connect with Matthew Klika. You can find more information about befriend a student HERE.

Food Pantry: We are in need of pop-top and ready to eat items for our food pantry. These items are needed specifically for the homeless in our community that stop by the church building throughout the week looking for a meal.

Equipping Hour

We have three classes held at 9:15am on Sunday mornings. “Firm Foundations” will meet in the Sanctuary, a biblical exposition of the minor prophets will meet in the Fellowship Hall, and a Ladies’ class studying the New Testament will meet in the classroom next to the nursery. You can find more information HERE.

Giving

To Give Online, Go HERE. 

You can also mail your offering to: 1416 Main Street, Grandview, MO. 64030

Home Groups

Home Groups typically meet on the first and third Sunday of each month. Please contact Pastor Michael if you would like to join a Home Group. You can find more information HERE.

Nursery Volunteers Needed

Nursery volunteers are needed each week during the 10:30am service time. Check the update or email the office for more information on how you can serve.

Prayer

An updated Prayer Guide can be accessed HERE. 

Prepare for Sunday

Guide for Worship can be found HERE. 

Wednesday Evening Activities

Awana, Youth Group, and Biblical Counseling are on Wednesday evenings. We will share a meal in the Faith Center Gym at 6:00pm before heading to classes at 6:30pm.