500Th Year Anniversary of the Reformation

“500th Year Anniversary of the Reformation:

Ulrich Zwingli”
Missions Emphasis

Sandy Creek Baptist Church

Overview of Reformation Figure

·  As we like to begin our time of worship with what we call a “Missions Emphasis,” for the month of November, we are using this time a bit differently, as we are celebrating the 500th year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

·  So each week, we are directing our focus towards a key figure within the reformation, learning their stories, and examining some their contributions to the history of the Christian Church.

·  And as we do this, we also want to see what we can learn from their legacy, and how we might become more like Jesus as we learn how they were like Jesus.

·  The figure I want to direct our attention towards this morning is a man by the name of Ulrich Zwingli. Zwingli was born in a small Swiss village in January of 1484.

·  Zwingli was very intelligent, as he went on to study at the universities. During his education, he became fascinated with the “writings of old.” Through this, he studied many of the ancient writings, including the Bible.

·  And through his personal study of the Scriptures, he began to be convinced that the Catholic Church had some serious problems with the way they were interpreting and applying the Word of God to the lives of people.

·  And because of this, Zwingli took radical action to return the church to faithful teaching and faithful living. Some of the changes that he made included: Offering both the bread and the cup of communion to lay people (the Catholic Church only offered the bread to lay people at this time).

·  He also allowed priests, monks, and nuns to marry, he halted any kind of veneration or worship of Mary, and the selling of indulgences in his city of Zurich were banned.

·  Now, we need to realize that all of these reforms are taking place at the same time as Martin Luther, and his reforms in Germany.

·  Interestingly enough, Luther and Zwingli were only born 2 months apart from each other. However, at this time, they don’t even know each other.

·  Yet, the movements they’ve established are running parallel with one another in history, and their two separate movements will eventually become associated with one another.

·  Now, I personally find this so fascinating, considering the fact that while Luther is reforming in Germany, just less than 500 miles south, in what is today Switzerland, God is also doing a reforming and a renewing work among His people through Ulrich Zwingli.

·  And while both of these men had separate journeys of how they came to their convictions about the reforming of the church, they were both led to the same source: The Bible.

·  This should remind us that when God’s people earnestly seek to hear from Him through His Word; He begins to do His work through them.

·  This should cause us to examine our own hearts, and for us to ask the question, “Am I pursuing Christ with my whole heart?” And if so, “Is that reflected through the time that I spend with Him in the study of His Word?”

·  Church, this is something that we cannot neglect. Even if we’ve been in church our entire lives, heard countless sermons, and have perhaps even read through the entire Bible one time or many times.

·  A love and devotion for God’s Word must be a priority in our lives. And when we seek God in that way, all of life is seen more clearly.

·  And that was the case for both Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli. When they saw what the Scriptures were actually teaching, they began to see what was wrong with the church of their day, and it moved them to take action, because they saw the gospel itself was at stake.

·  So may this also be us, in that we at Sandy Creek are a people who find their delight in the Word of God, and because of this, we become a people that God accomplishes His unstable mission through.