All of us are familiar with the date October 31^st, 1517, which is a most important day, because it is the beginning of the Lutheran Reformation.  It is the most important date of the Reformation. 

Possibly, the second most important date of the Lutheran Reformation happens to be today, June 25, 1530.  It is a very significant day in Lutheranism.  It is a day in which we commemorate a very bold, bold act – not of a pastor, not of a monk (who nailed 95 thesis on the Wittenberg church door), but it is the day we commemorate the very bold act of seven lay people.  Not pastors, not preachers, but people who sat in the pew.  It was a very, very brave act that they did, on June 25^th, 1530. 

Let me take you through a little bit of history.  In 1530, Emperor Charles the Fifth was the ruler or the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.  His reign covered most of Europe, including Germany.  Emperor Charles the Fifth was not a Lutheran.  In fact, he had passed laws that were opposed to Lutheranism, laws for example that said, “If you are already a Lutheran, you can stay a Lutheran, but you certainly can’t tell other people about the Lutheran faith.”  He also passed laws that said, “It is illegal to buy any of the writings of Martin Luther, or sell any of the writings of the Martin Luther.”  He also said, “It is legal to, (if you wanted to), to capture Luther and put him to death.”  And so, Charles the Fifth certainly was not a fan of Lutheranism, or of Martin Luther. 

There was, in Germany, a territory called Saxony.  And, the leaders of Saxony, the political leaders, whether they were Elector John, (who was the ruler of all of Saxony), or some of the mayors, or the landgraves, or the Mangraves (as they were called), who were rulers over certain parts of the land, were Lutherans.  And even though it was illegal to be Lutheran and it was legal to kill Martin Luther, in Saxony, these men protected Martin Luther and kept him safe. 

Charles the Fifth had a huge, huge problem looming in Europe.  The problem was the Ottoman Turks, or the Muslims, under the leadership of Suliman the Great.  They were sweeping up through Europe and were on the verge of overtaking all of Europe and changing all of Europe to Muslim.  Suliman the Great had sworn by the beard of Mohamad that he would not stop until the prayers of Mohamad could be heard in every church in Europe. 

Charles the Fifth knew how important it was to have a united Europe fight against this Turkish invasion.  Charles the Fifth wanted to bring the Lutherans back, away from the Lutheran faith, and be united with the rest of Europe.   And so, he called a special meeting or council, at a city called Augsburg, in Germany.  He told the Lutherans they should come there, along with the leaders of Europe, the princes of Europe, and the religious leaders of Europe.  And there in Augsburg, the Lutherans were to show that they were united in teaching with the rest of Europe.  And then, they could present a united front against the Turkish invasion. 

Now, the Lutherans certainly were not opposed to fighting against the Turkish invasion.  However, they did not want to give up their Lutheran teaching, the Confessional teaching of scripture.  And so, Martin Luther and a number of laymen began to head toward the city of Augsburg.  But, Martin Luther had to stop on the border of Saxony.  He knew (and they knew) that if he left Saxony, he could certainly be arrested and put to death.  And so, Martin Luther had to stay behind.  On ahead went a number of laymen who were leaders of their political realm – mayors, landgraves, mangraves, electors, and John the Elector of Saxony.  They also took with them a theologian, by the name Phillip Melancthon, who himself was not a pastor.  He was also a layman. 

In Augsburg they put together what is called the Augsburg Confession.  It was a statement that summarized scripture.  These brave laymen said they were the points of scripture that we cannot and will not go back on.  They were teachings essential to the Christian faith. 

Ø   They were teachings about sin and what it means in scripture. 

Ø   They were teachings about Jesus Christ and who Jesus Christ is according to scripture. 

Ø   They were teachings about how to be saved and that there is only one way to be saved, which is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone - essential teachings in scripture. 

Ø   They were teachings that the only authority that we have, religiously, is God’s Word and there is no other authority. 

Those teachings were all put forth in the Augsburg Confession. 

On June 25^th, 1530, Charles the Fifth ordered that the Augsburg Confession be placed in his hands.  But, he did not want it to be read so that everybody could hear what Lutherans believed.  However, the Lutherans demanded that they had the right to publicly read what they believed to be the truth. 

Now, they knew that their lives were at stake.   They knew that their land could be taken away from them.  They knew that their rulership could be taken away from them.  They knew that their families could be taken away from them.  Everything was at stake.  And yet, they demanded to be able to publicly confess, “This is what we believe about God, Jesus Christ, and God’s Word.” 

And so, Emperor Charles the Fifth said that he would permit them to read publicly what they believed, but they were to do it in a tiny, little, chapel where there would be a tiny, little, audience.   They were not permitted to read it in the city hall, the big spacious city hall, where all the other proceedings had taken place. 

He also ordered that they read it in Latin, so that the common person could not understand what was being said.  But, Elector John of Saxony demanded of the Emperor, “We are on German soil.  We want to read our confession in the German language.”  And so, he permitted that to happen.

On a hot, summer, afternoon, June 25^th, 1530, a very brave layman by the name of Dr. Beyer walked before Emperor Charles the Fifth, the other leaders of Europe, and the religious leaders.  Standing with him were seven other very brave laymen.  They stood with him, as for two hours, with a very loud voice (so they could be heard way outside the chapel walls), they read what is now known as the Augsburg Confession, (the simple summary of what we believe to be the truths of scripture).  After it was read, those seven brave laymen took out a pen and signed their names.  “This is our public confession of the faith.” 

Now, they knew that everything was at stake - their lives, their homes, their family, everything.  We commend them for their brave stand.  And, as our scripture reading teaches, they were really putting into action what scripture teaches.  “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is LORD,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  As the scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.’”’

They were not afraid to confess with their mouths what they believed in their hearts.  Nor should you and I be afraid to confess with our mouths what we believe in our hearts.  Confession of the mouth is the principal work of the Christian faith - what I believe in my heart to be true. The principal work of Christian faith is, therefore, to tell the world, “This is what I believe to be the truth about sin, and the way to be saved, about God and salvation.” 

Silent faith

is really no faith at all.

Certainly, those men back in Augsburg knew that everything was at stake. 

·       We live in a world where there is great pressure for us not to confess the truth. 

·       We live in a world where there is great pressure on us to live under the principal that there is no absolute truth.  (What we believe is OK for us, but we can’t tell anybody else that what he or she believes is not true.) 

·       We live in a world where there is great pressure to suppress the absolute truth of scripture. 

·       We live in a world where there is great pressure for us to be ashamed of the absolute truth. 

But, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, is there anything that we need to be ashamed of?  Is there anything that we need to be ashamed to confess with our mouths? 

Ø  Do you have the right to be ashamed that you believe in Jesus?  Is that something to be ashamed of? 

Ø  Do you have the right, or should you be ashamed, should you be ashamed that you are sinner, who is saved only by the work of Jesus Christ?  Should you be ashamed of that? 

Ø  Should you be ashamed that God’s own dear Son took to Himself all of your sin as His very own sin?  Should you be ashamed of that? 

Ø  Should you be ashamed that God’s dear Son gave His life as a full atonement, or full payment for your sins?  Is that something that you should be ashamed of and keep quiet of? 

Ø  Should you be ashamed that God the Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, and what Jesus Christ has done, has declared you to be forgiven, to be not guilty, to be innocent and holy in His eyes?  Is that something that we should be ashamed of and afraid to confess before the world? 

Ø  Should you be ashamed that Jesus Christ is LORD and Master over all things? 

Ø  Should you be ashamed that Jesus Christ is Master over sin?   And that Jesus Christ, your Savior, has so utterly defeated sin, that sin cannot in any way condemn you, but you have the victory over sin, because Jesus Christ alone made full payment for all sin?  Is that something you should be ashamed of and remain quiet on?  That is your salvation. 

Ø  Should you be ashamed that Jesus Christ is Master and Lord over death itself?  And because of your Savior, Jesus Christ, death has no power over you, whatsoever.  When you die, you will enter the mansions of Heaven, for Christ’s sake, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.  Scripture promises, whoever believes shall be saved.  Scripture promises that the Lord Jesus, who is Master over all things, including death, will one day call you forth from the grave, and you will be resurrected in glory, to be with Jesus your Savior.  Is that something to be ashamed of?  Is that something we should keep quiet about? 

Ø  Is it something to be ashamed of, that Jesus who is our Lord and Savior and Master over all things, now sits at the right hand of God, and rules over all things for the good of His Church, and nothing in this world can happen that will hurt or harm the believers spiritually, because Christ rules over all?  Is that something to be ashamed of?  Is that something to remain silent about? 

Ø  Is it something to be ashamed of, that we have absolute truth?  Is it something to be ashamed of that we can teach the truth of scripture and we have the direct truth from God, Himself, in scripture?  Is that something to be ashamed of? 

None of those things, none of those things are things to be ashamed of.  We believe them in our hearts. 

We believe them in our hearts!

For the sake of Jesus Christ, for the honor of Jesus Christ, it is our privilege and responsibility to confess with our mouths, and defend the honor and the glory of Christ, His Word, the Holy Scripture, and the way of salvation.  It is our honor, privilege, and duty, for the sake of our fellow Christians, to confess with our mouths.  We stand in unity.  This is what we believe about Jesus Christ, our Savior.  Through that Word, we strengthen one another in our faith.  It is our right, privilege, and responsibility to take forth what we know in our hearts to be the truth, (which the Holy Spirit has convinced us of, from the true Word of God), to speak up boldly, and confess with our mouths, “this is what we believe in our hearts – the truths of scriptures,” to those who do not yet know the truth, to those who are still headed on error’s way to eternal condemnation.  There is nothing to be ashamed of and yet, how many times are we ashamed? 

I have told you this story about a young teenager by the name of Arsatius Siehoffer, who lived back in Martin Luther’s day.  He was a young teenager who someone told about the teachings of Martin Luther.  Someone told him that Luther teaches, as scripture does – we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and that only scripture is the authority, when it comes to knowing what is truth.  And so, this teenager came to faith in Jesus, as his Savior.  He came to faith and believed that Jesus is our only Savior from sin, and we are not saved by our good works, but by Christ alone, through faith alone. 

Arsatius Siehoffer started to tell his friends.  He began to confess with his mouth what was in his heart.  And guess what?  He got into trouble.  He got arrested.  He got thrown in jail.  His parents disowned him.  He was put on trail.  He was told that if he did not stop confessing what was in his heart, he would be put to death. 

And on the day of his trial, Arsatius Siehoffer denied Christ.  Arsatius Siehoffer, this teenager said, “I don’t believe that I am saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.”  He did not want to be shamed by the world. 

But now, Arsatius Siehoffer had an even greater shame.  He was ashamed before his Savior.  He was ashamed that he had not stood up for the One who had stood up for him.  He was ashamed that he had not, with his mouth, confessed that Jesus Christ alone is LORD.  He was ashamed that he did not trust his Savior.  Scripture says,

“Whoever believes will not be put to shame.”

He was ashamed that he did not trust that promise. 

And he was troubled.  And so, Arsatius Siehoffer, about a year later, this young teenager, whose conscious was greatly troubling him, went to the city of Wittenberg.  There, he had a private meeting, a private audience, with Martin Luther.  Can you imagine that?  Here is the great reformer, Martin Luther with a private audience, with a young teenage man whose conscious was greatly troubled. 

We don’t know the exact details of their conversation, but I am sure Arsatius Siehoffer confessed his sin to Martin Luther, his fear of confessing with his mouth what he believed in his heart to be true.  And, I am sure that Martin Luther spoke to him nothing but words of grace and forgiveness.  I am sure Martin Luther spoke to him the words of absolution – that his sins are forgiven, no matter what they are, for the sake of Jesus Christ. 

Arsatius Siehoffer went on to become a pastor.  And he devoted the rest of his life to confessing with his mouth what he believed in his heart, regardless of what it might cost him.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, today, June 25^th, 1530 is a day we commemorate the proud stand, the brave stand of seven lay people, lay people, who took the leadership in the church, and boldly confessed with their mouths, regardless of the cost to them, what they believed in their heart to be true.  May God grant that to all of us, for the sake of Jesus, our Savior.

Amen.