October 31, 1517

REFORMATION DAY

Important Vocabulary Words

•A. REFORM

•B. SALVATION

•C. FAITH

•D. INDULGENCES

•E. PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS

•F. GRACE

HISTORY OF REFORMATION DAY

•On __PENTECOST__, God poured out the Holy Spirit. By the POWER of the Spirit, Jesus’ followers began to spread the good news about him to the _WORLD_.• Where their PREACHING was heard, churches sprang up. Churches were groups of people to that wanted to _LEARN_ more about God, and help support each other.

HISTORY OF REFORMATION DAY

B. Later on, DOCTRINAL (belief) differences and power struggles cause a split in church. One church became known as The_ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH_, while the other became known as The_EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH _.

HISTORY OF REFORMATION DAY

•C. In the Roman Catholic Church, only the _PRIESTS_ were allowed to have _BIBLES_ and interpret them. They could make decisions about what the Bible said. •Many became _CORRUPT_, and moved away from what the Bible Taught. However, if you _DISAGREED WITH the Church, you were could be _KILLED_.

HISTORY OF REFORMATION DAY

•D. Examples of corruption: •1. PRAYING to Mary and the saints•2. Buying _INDULGENCES_•3. Doing _WORKS_ to earn salvation.

MARIN LUTHER•A. Lived in _GERMANY_. •B. Christian parents•C. He was in _SCHOOL_ and He was caught in a bad THUNDERSTORM . He was so scared that he _PRAYED_ for help. He promised that if he lived, he would become a _MONK_ •They live in a monastery away from other people and give their lives to God by PRAYING and MEDITATING on God’s word. They devote their entire lives to WORKING in the church.

MARIN LUTHER

•D. Martin Luther tried and tried to please God but he was _WORRIED_ that God was happy with him. •Once he went to Rome, the head of the RCC, and said a _PRAYER_ on every one of the 100 steps that led up to St. Peter’s Church. He thought sure THAT would PLEASE God. But, still he was not sure he would be saved.•Once as he was studying the _BIBLE_ he read verses that _CHANGED_ his life.

IMPORTANT BIBLE PASSAGES

•A. ROMANS 1: 17

•B. ROMANS 3:23-24

•C. ROMANS 10: 9-10

•D. EPHESIANS 2: 8-9

MARIN LUTHER’S NEXT STEP

•A. These verses made Martin Luther think that many of the _DOCTIRNES_ the church was PRACTICING and teaching at this time were _WRONG_.•1. The Church was _SELLING_ forgiveness papers.•2. Good works _EARN_ salvation

MARIN LUTHER’S NEXT STEP

•B. Because Martin Luther took the Bible so _SERIOUSLY_, like we all should, he wanted others to know about this new way of _SALVATION_ BASED on the _FAITH_.•C. So, Martin Luther wrote up _95_ statements, or _THESIS_, which explained how he thought the church was going AGAINST the Bible.

MARIN LUTHER’S NEXT STEP•D. On _OCTOBER 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the church door in_WHITTENBERG_, Germany. (The church door was often used as a bulletin board) •E. NO, it’s not a coincidence that he did this on October 31 which is __HALLOWEEN__. Many faithful Christians celebrated Halloween by going to church to __PRAY FOR THE SAINTS_ and pray for the ___SOULS___ of people that died that year.

•F. So Martin Luther picked a time where lots of

people would be __SEEN___ through church doors.

(Oct. 31, evening before All Saint’s Day, was once

called “__ALL HALLOWS EVE_” That was

shortened to Halloween—masks to scare away

evil)

•REMEMBER THE 95 THESES

•1. EMPTY

•2. CHURCH

•3. PRAYING

•4. BIBLE