Mid Cities OPC

On Sunday, February 16, 2020, Mr. John West lead a discussion on the historical events in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that lead up to and culminated in the Protestant Reformation. 

Church History, Week 7: Difficult Topics of the Time (AD 1400-1600)

1408: John Wycliffe’s English version of the Bible published; 1415: Jan Hus—Burned at the stake; 1439: Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church leaders agree to a reunification under Rome, Kevian Rus (Russia) forms new Russian Orthodox Church; 1453: Fall of Constantinople, end of the Eastern Roman Empire; 1456: Gutenberg produces first printed Bible; 1478: The Spanish Inquisition begins; 1492: Spain’s monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, give Jews three months to convert or be banished. Columbus departs west for China; 1497: In Scotland, children are required by law to attend school.

1502: Johann Tetzel appointed by Cardinal Giovanni de Medici, later Pope Leo X, to preach the Indulgence; 1512: Michelangelo completes the Sistine Chapel ceiling; 1517: Martin Luther posts his Ninety-Five Theses; 1521: Diet of Worms, Luther refuses to recant; 1523: Zwingli begins the Swiss Reformation; 1524: William Tyndale travels to Germany and in two years releases first printed English New Testament; 1525: Anabaptist movement begins with Conrad Grebel. Influences Menno Simons, founder of the Mennonites;1527: Michael Sattler and Anabaptist leader is martyred for the Schleitheim Confession of Faith; 1529: Protestants emerge at the Diet of Speyer; 1531: League of Schmalkalden formed, Protestants against Rome; 1534: Henry VIII—Church of England established via the Act of Supremacy; 1536: Institutes of the Christian Religion published by John Calvin; 1549: Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury produces the Book of Common Prayer; 1555: Charles V agrees to the Peace of Augsburg, granting Lutheranism official status within the empire; 1559: Establishment of the French Protestant Church, later known as the Huguenots; 1560: Scots Confession ratified by the newly recognized sovereign parliament of Scotland; 1562: Frederick III encourages the development of the Heidelberg Catechism by Olevianus & Ursinus; 1563: Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion are issued summarizing the official doctrine of the Church of England; 1572: 24 August, St. Bartholomew’s Day, 3,000 Protestants massacred in Paris. Within three days, 10,000 Huguenots are killed across France; 1589: Moscow becomes an independent Patriarchate, recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church as the fifth most honored office; 1590: William Shakespeare begins publishing plays with the Taming of the Shrew; 1598: Edict of Nantes by Henry IV ends religious wars in France by decreed tolerance between Catholics and Protestants.

On Sunday, February 9, 2020, Rev. Robert Mossotti preached "New Covenant Temples, Priests and Sacrifices" from 1 Peter 2:4-12.

On Sunday, February 9, 2020, Mr. John West taught the sixth lesson in his series on Church History.

Week 6: AD 1100-1400

The Schism 

Crusades and Monasteries | Early Crusades | Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) | Peter Abelard (1079-1142) | Peter Lombard (1096-1160) | Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) 

Straying from the Gospel | The capture of Jerusalem by Saladin 

Monks and Dissidents | Francis of Assisi | Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274) | John Wycliffe (1330-1384) | Jan Hus (1371-1402) 

On Sunday, February 2, 2020, Rev. Joe Troutman preached "The Heavy Hand of God" from 1 Samuel 5:1-12.

God in his mercy destroys idols to show the world he is the God of grace.

1. Bow before the LORD | 2. Severe Mercy | 3. Search for a Solution 

On Sunday, February 2, 2020, Mr. John West continued his series on Church History, discussing the Middle Ages.

Week 5: AD 400 through AD 1200 

Monastic Influences: Antony (AD 251-356) | Monastic Evangelism in Scotland | Ninian (d. 432) and Columba (521-597) | Benedict's Rule, AD 530 (Near Rome) | Gregory and Mohammed: Challenges in the middle years | Latin and Greek: The "flat icon" controversy and early schism

Charlemagne, Vladimir and the Crusades: Christmas Day, AD 800: Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne Emperor Augustus | Prince Vladimir (AD 950-1015) Charlemagne and the Eastern Churches | The Great Schism | The Crusades and Monasteries

Upcoming Subjects: AD 1200 to the Reformation | The Great Awakenings | Coming to America | Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism | Protestant Uncertainty | Revolutions and Counterrevolutions | The Modern Church | Where Do We Go From Here? 

On Sunday, January 26, 2020, Rev. Robert Mossotti preached "Let Him Who Has No Sword" from Luke 22:35-38.

A topical sermon addressing the ethics of Christians taking up arms to defend innocent lives in this time when church shootings have become all too frequent, and a possibility for which every congregation must prepare. 

1. Let Him Buy A Sword

2. Calvinism Versus Fatalism

3. The Sixth Commandment

4. Sword Control  

On Sunday, January 26, 2020, Mr. John West taught on Church History from the time of Augustine to the sixth century.

Week 4: Augustine to the 6th Century

Augustine and his work against Pelagius | Recap of Augustine--birth to death | Writings of Augustine--truly prolific, over 100 manuscripts (132ish) | Augustine's doctrines of grace: grace comes to those to whom God chooses to send it | Pelagius's doctrines of sin and grace: "If I ought, I can." | The contrast between the two | The shortest description of the conclusion: Augustine wins.

Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon | How did we get to this controversy? | Seven sessions from November to July before concluding | Ephesus--AD 431 (8 canons, one of which officially condemns Pelagianism) November to July/ 7 sessions | Continuing controversy: Eutyches and Dioscorus | Chalcedon: 4th ecumenical council, AD 451--Chalcedonean Creed, the early age of orthodoxy | The aftermath: continued challenges in the region.

Upcoming subjects: Middle ages to the Reformation | The Great Awakenings | Coming to America | Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism | Protestant Uncertainty | Revolutions and Counterrevolutions | The Modern Church | Where do we go from here? 

On Sunday, January 19, 2020, Mr. John West taught on Church History in the 2nd through the 4th centuries. 

Week 3 -- The 2nd through 4th centuries

More persecution and heresy. Who were Justin, Origen and Tertullian? | Who was Flavius Justinus? | What was the origin of Origen? | Does it really matter how we think about the Trinity? That's Modalism, Patrick! 

Emperors and a summer palace | In the fourth century, how many Emperors would there be before Nicaea? | What happened in 325 AD? | What happened 62 years later in 387 AD? | What is common about the conversions of Justin Martyr and Augustine and many today? 

Upcoming subjects: Early Middle Ages | The Reformation | The Great Awakenings | Coming to America| Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism | Protestant Uncertainty | Revolutions and Counterrevolutions | The Modern Church | Where Do We Go From Here?

On Sunday, January 12, 2020, Rev. Joe Troutman preached "Eyes to Behold the Glory" from 1 Samuel 4:12-22.

God gives sight to the spiritually blind, and hearts to the spiritually dead, because he must be glorified.

1. He Who Has Eyes | 2. Departure of Glory | 3. The Stones Will Cry Out

On Sunday, January 12, 2020, Mr. John West taught the second lesson in his series on Church History.

Week 2 -- The Early Years | 1. What led to the early expansion of the Church? | Persecutuion--The Jewish rebellion and sacking of Jerusalem--1st Century | 2. What was one of the chief requests that was the sticking point with early believers? | Who is Lord? | 3. Why are we so surprised today by persecution? | Does persecution equal growth? | Two early examples of persecuted believers--Ignatius and Polycarp | Lyon: A persecuted city | 4. What is a common problem we share with the 2nd century?--false teachings | Why do we seem today to fear persecution, but not false teaching? 

Upcoming subjects:

Week 3: The Middle Ages | Week 4: The Reformation | Week 5: The Great Awakenings | Week 6: Coming to America | Week 7: Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism | Week 8: Protestant Uncertainty | Week 9: Revolutions and Counterrevolutions | Week 10: The Modern Church | Week 11: Where Do We Go From Here?