Post Tenebras Lux - After Darkness Light
Post Tenebras Lux - After Darkness Light
John 1:1-14
The Winds of Change.
After nearly 300 years of persecution the church enters a season of peace.
Constantine declares himself Christian thus making the Roman Empire predominantly a Christian state.
He did not outlaw other religions, or persecute people due to a difference of faith, but did outlaw making sacrifices in honor to the Roman government.
The church centralizes in Rome, and the Nicaean Creed is established.
The Dark ages of the church from AD 891 - 1046 papacy corruption abounds.
The church begins to use the sword of persecution to advance the gospel rather than the peaceful preaching of the Word that eventually conquered Rome.
The Word of God became inaccessible to the common person as the scriptures were taught and printed exclusively in Latin and not in the language of the listener.
The church became ignorant and dependent upon the power of the pope and priest.
The Word is the source of light. John 1:1-14
The Word is Jesus and he is the source of all living things. (1-3)
Life found in Jesus becomes the light to all mankind. (4)
His light defeats darkness. (5)
The scriptures and the apostles are to call attention to that light. (6-8)
The light of Jesus calls mankind to himself to believe and become children of God. (12)
This Word became flesh and lived among us as a great light—drawing attention to the glory of God! (14)
If you cannot read about Jesus, and you cannot hear about Jesus, then you will be ignorant of the light of Jesus that exposes the truth of your life and the world around you!
The ReformationArrives with Martin Luther's 95 Theses.
It condemns the use of indulgences, confronts the biblical validity of purgatory, highlights the priesthood of the believer, emphasizes salvation by grace through faith not by works, and calls for the scriptures to be in the hands of the people.
An ignorant people were about to be enlightened through the Word of God!
The church was to never be the same again—Halellujah!
Click on the picture at the top of this page to watch a short
biographical sketch of Martin Luther by Merle Zimmerman.
Click HERE to access the Group Discussion Guide for this message.
Series Information
500 years ago the church experienced what was to be the most significant change in its history. Luther posted his 95 Theses calling God’s people to open His word and discover the light of life, thus ending the dark ages of the church. Today, those statements shape our identity as Christians. We will discover them afresh and anew. They could change your life!