Diet of Worms

This all could, as anyone would have known, the meeting in Worms would turn into Luther's greatest triumph.

The showdown between Martin Luther and Charles V came in April of 1521, and it's known as the Diet of Worms, which conjures some pretty gross images.

But this was a diet in the sense of a formal meeting, and interestingly, Luther wasn't very high on the agenda.

Still, that didn't stop the 30-something monk from milking it for all it was worth.

Charles V had promised him safe passage to Worms, but the same thing had been promised to the heretic Jan Hus a century before and ended up with him being burned alive.

The order to attend to the Diet could well be Luther's death sentence.

Despite all the drama, the Diet of Worms got off to a fairly boring start.

Some business had overrun, so when Luther arrived on April 17, he was made to spend nearly the entire day waiting for his case to be heard.

so too when we explore the life of the great reformer.

Despite his honest and noble declaration en route to the Diet of Worms that he was more afraid of his own heart than he was of the Pope of Rome, he was not immune to dark thoughts, anxieties, and depression.

He could easily identify with the psalmist's admission, "'When I am afraid,' Psalm 56.3." Likewise, with what David identifies as lying behind his fears.

All day long they, that is his enemies, injure my cause.

He has not been excommunicated.

He's not even appeared at the Diet of Worms.

None of that.

So I thought, okay, this will be fun.

Remember, 1517, he's still a Augustinian friar, Augustinian monk, still a priest.

He has not even, he's not appeared at the Diet of Worms.

He's not been excommunicated.

None of that, okay? This is the beginning part.

In the following month, November of 1520, he wrote on the freedom of the Christian, where he introduces what would later become the theme of the Reformation, justification by faith alone.

April 1521, Luther is called before the emperor to be tried as a heretic at the Diet of Worms.

This is where he gives the famous Here I Stand speech.

But like the posting of the 95 Theses, it lacks the gravitas that Hollywood and our reformed textbooks like to have.

But where does this boldness of Luther come from? We pray often, Lord, give me boldness to share with my friends and neighbors.

Where does this come from? If you like, you may turn with me to Acts chapter 4, and you may wonder, as I often do, how did Peter go from the bumbling, impetuous fisherman to riding the the well-thought-out encouragements in the epistles that bear his name? How was he the one to stand up and calm everyone down and give the gospel so mightily that the crowd erupted and said, what must we do to be saved? What Peter said to them is exactly what Paul is saying in our text today.

Luther at the Diet of Worms is nothing compared to Peter in verse 8 of Acts 4.

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, rulers and elders of the people, If we are called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and asked how he walked, then know this, you and all the people of Israel.

How is someone truly saved? Is it by their works or is it by the work of Christ on their behalf? On what authority can we know these things? And it was a return, a reforming back to the Scriptures.

Four years after the Reformation started in 1521 at the Diet of Worms, and Luther is there basically having to give a defense of his beliefs and his teaching and preaching to the Holy Roman Emperor and all of the dukes and all of the religious leaders.

in all of their pomp of the Roman Catholic Church, and they're appealing to him.

But this tradition says this, and this church father says this, and the Pope has said this.

Now we've got April 1518, Heidelberg – I'm assuming he's going to mention that.

He – so – and just remember in that context that Luther has not been excommunicated, not been to the Diet of Worms yet.

So – So at least right now, I feel like now we're getting more on historical ground.

If he can get away from all of the romanticizing and hyperbole, then maybe we can get to some solid historical ground and set up the framework for this.