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On Reformation Sunday, Charles Sebold steps back from Luther's biography to ask what the church looked like before him, in "Do Your Best, and God Will Do the Rest." Luther did not stand outside a corrupt system throwing stones; he was the most faithful man inside a sincere system that could never tell him he was forgiven. Beginning with the 1505 thunderstorm that drove the young law student into the Augustinian monastery, the lesson surveys the medieval church: one Latin liturgy and Bible few could read, a papacy claiming submission to Rome was necessary for salvation even as Avignon and the Great Schism left Christians guessing which pope to obey, and a Council of Constance that burned Jan Hus despite his safe conduct. Grace had become an economy of sacraments, penance, purgatory, the treasury of merit, and indulgences, with Wittenberg's 17,443 relics promising nearly two million years of remission, yet no one could ever know whether he had done enough. Underneath it all lay Gabriel Biel's teaching that God does not deny grace to those who do what is in them, the medieval form of "Do your best, and God will do the rest." For an honest man examining his own heart, that offered no assurance. Assigned to lecture on the Bible, Luther found in Romans 1:16-17 and Habakkuk 2:4 that the righteousness of God is not the standard that condemns us but the gift God gives, for God justifies the ungodly. The gospel is not a better version of "do your best"; it is an entirely different message. The Reformation did not invent grace but set a burning lamp back on its lampstand, and every believer must root out "do your best" from his own heart.

This sermon examines Matthew 16:18 to refute the Roman Catholic doctrine of papal supremacy, arguing that Jesus did not establish Peter as the supreme head of the church. The speaker contends that Peter is presented as a leader among equals, with the foundation of the church resting on the collective apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone. By citing Ephesians 2 and Galatians 2, the text demonstrates that Peter was subject to correction and did not claim infallibility or unique authority over other apostles. The sermon warns against the allure of Roman Catholicism's historical aesthetics, labeling the papacy as blasphemous for usurping the roles of Father, High Priest, and Vicar of Christ. Ultimately, the message calls believers to reject human mediation and submit solely to the authority of Scripture and the supremacy of Jesus Christ.

This sermon examines the identity of the 'man of sin' and the 'great apostasy' described in 2 Thessalonians 2, arguing that these prophetic figures refer specifically to the papal antichrist and the historical fall of the Church of Rome. The speaker supports this interpretation by citing the testimonies of Reformation leaders such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox, as well as the Westminster Confession of Faith, to establish the theological consensus that the papacy usurps Christ's headship. The analysis distinguishes this religious apostasy from political or secular decline, linking it to specific doctrinal errors like the prohibition of marriage and dietary restrictions found in 1 Timothy 4. The message serves as a pastoral warning against deception, urging believers to remain grounded in Scripture and to guard their hearts against the gradual compromise that leads to spiritual fall.

(1) Israel Watch 9/27/26: An epidemic of rape and abuse of women in Gaza BY Hamas (while antisemites lie and blame Israel). We play a 2+ minute clip of Netanyahu's UN rebuke of nations who walked out on him. We play a video clip of Donald Trump rejecting Iran's counter-deal offer and review the Gog Magog Watch as Iran-Persia and allies invade Israel, "To take a spoil, and to take a prey". (2) Pres. Trump Did NOT Usher In The Image of the Beast: We refute the OBVIOUS Bible abuse and lies about the "Change A.I. to S.I." speech at the U.N. (3) But the Unholy See of the Beast IS Here: It is the Antichrist Papacy. We watch hundreds of thousands of adoring worshippers of "the man of sin" and review quotes from the last four centuries demonstrating that our position that the final Pope will be the son of perdition (First Beast/Antichrist) was the standard position of Bible believers until recent decades. (4) On A Lighter Note: Finish The Meme. A raccoon comments on "smart cars, phones, etc." A warning from Pfizer about the need for a fourth booster. And a "positive affirmation" quote from none other than Darth Vader! https://bbfohio.com

The sermon argues that the papacy fulfills the biblical identity of the Antichrist not through explicit rejection of Christ, but via indirect denial through false doctrines and practices. By examining passages such as 1 John 2 and Titus 1:16, the text demonstrates that one can profess faith while simultaneously denying Christ's true nature, unique mediatorial office, and finished work. The speaker contends that Roman Catholic teachings on transubstantiation, the veneration of saints, and the re-sacrifice in the Mass effectively rob Jesus of His offices and sole headship over the church. This theological analysis serves to refute objections that the Pope cannot be the Antichrist because he verbally affirms Christ's divinity. Finally, the message urges believers to examine their own lives for similar indirect denials through hypocrisy and unrepentant sin, pointing to Christ's ongoing intercession as the sole source of hope.