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Youth Group: 11–16s

Contents

Martin Luther 2–6

William Tyndale 7–11

Thomas Cranmer 12–15

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Martin LutherHow did Martin Luther change the world?Key verses: Romans 1:16–17 Theme: The righteous by faith shall live!Aim: To appreciate that we are all set against God and His world; God Himself has saved us; if you want to make a difference, turn to Christ.

You will need:• Pictures of the people listed in the opening activity, printed or on a

screen• Two printed copies of the 'News headlines' script on the next page.

Activity: Spoof the differencePrepare side-by-side pictures of people with the same name but who are very different people! Announce it as a ‘Spot the difference with a difference’. Show the pictures and ask your teens to name them. Finish with Martin Luther and Martin Luther King. • Anne Hathaway (actor), Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare’s wife)• Kate Hudson (actor), Katheryn Hudson (singer, Katy Perry)• Chris Evans (UK TV presenter, Radio host), Chris Evans (actor)• Jane Seymour (actor), Jane Seymour (wife of Henry VIII)• Albert Einstein (physicist), Albert Einstein (actor, Albert Brooks)• Kate Moss (model), Kate Mosse (author)• Sir Francis Bacon (scientist), Francis Bacon (painter)• Martin Luther (reformer, monk, beer drinker), Martin Luther King

(Baptist pastor, American Civil Rights leader)

Intro to Luther: The news headlines![Have two people ready who are able to ‘deliver the news’ and then go to an ‘outside broadcast’.]


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Martin Luther continued

Newscaster: Good morning – in breaking news, a little-known monk has caused outrage today by questioning the way the Church makes money. Martin Luther, 34-year-old Professor of Theology at the University of Wittenberg, is deeply unhappy about the selling of indulgences, which are used to raise money to build a Church in Rome.

In a document fastened to the church doors of All Saints Church, Luther disputes raising money for the church by selling the benefits of good works, saying that this doesn’t make you right with God.

But the Church disagrees. Johann Tetzel, speaking for the Catholic Church, states that ‘as soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs’. Tetzel has been sent from Rome to raise money from the German people.

We have a report from our Church Correspondent outside Wittenberg University:

Reporter: Thank you. Martin Luther is holed up in his study behind me, not expecting the response to his original post. I have, however, recently spoken to him about his ideas. Martin is said to be taken by a line from the Bible book of Romans which says, ‘the righteous shall live by faith’. He says he can’t seem to shake the fact that in order to be right with God you simply need to trust in God’s word, and that, most importantly, you don’t need to pay any money, or do anything good to merit God’s favour. He is particularly steamed up about Tetzel’s insistence on people buying themselves out of purgatory, which Luther calls ‘gesamtabfall’ (total rubbish)! ‘You can’t buy God’s friendship’, Luther is quoted as saying.

There has been no official response from the Bishop of Mainz as yet, but it seems as if they will not be too pleased about a drop in their income. Earlier this afternoon a postman from the town of Worms arrived bringing a summons to a Diet there as soon as Luther can travel – in order to answer some questions they have. The Church seems quite concerned as to how this might play out. Right now, Martin and his wife are staying away from the public eye, and I’m told they are reading and praying.

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Explain: Luther had uncovered a very old truth that was written down in the Bible, that you cannot earn God’s friendship: you cannot buy it, or deserve it, you can only receive it as promised, and by faith in God. Any good works happen as a response to that, not to prepare you for it. The Church in Luther’s day had lost this truth and when he began to speak about the importance of faith in Christ alone, a movement began that caused major Reform of Church, State, and (beginning in Europe) the entire world.

Bible reading and teaching pointsRead Romans 1:1–7, 16–17. Remind them that this was a verse which had a massive impact on Martin Luther. See if they can see why. • v3: Who is the gospel about?

God’s Son.• Who is God’s Son descended from?

King David of Jerusalem.• v4: By what event is He declared to be the Son of God?

His resurrection from the dead.• Paul then names this ‘Son’. Who is He?

Jesus Christ the Lord. So the gospel is about Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of God.

• v16: Why does Paul not need to be ashamed of this good news? It is the power God uses to save people.

• Does this include everyone? Yes, Jews and Gentiles.

• v17: What is revealed in the gospel? The righteousness of God.

You may need to explain this term. It refers to two aspects of the same thing. Firstly, God is righteous in all He does. His punishment of sin in us is righteous, and His saving of a people for Himself is righteous. Secondly, He makes us righteous, completely and perfectly. ‘The extraordinary good news of the gospel is about how God can make us righteous, without compromising His own righteousness.’ (RML Romans, Marshall Pickering) • vv2, 16 & 17: How are we saved? How does this happen?

By faith. By trusting in God’s promised good news.• Who has saved us, and can we save ourselves?

God has, and No.• What difference did this verse make to Martin Luther?


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Memory Verse: Romans 1:17 (or for a challenge, verses 16 & 17)or Game:• For a break/in larger areas: Stuck in the mud, or equivalent.• For smaller groups/smaller rooms: Push penny/ping pong/tiddlywinks

challenge. • Push penny – a table top or sheet of paper on which a coin can be

rolled or shoved into a small circular ‘target’. See how many times the group can get a good shot. Can you get a perfect score, e.g. 10/10?

• OR Ping pong balls into a cup after one bounce. Application1 ‘All have sinned’. • What is wrong with the world? Take some responses.• Author, journalist and critic, GK Chesterton apparently once wrote to

The Times newspaper in response to the question ‘What is wrong with the world?’: ‘Dear Sir, I am. Yours, GKC.’ Do you agree?

• According to the Bible, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory God intended for us. The problems do not lie only ‘out in the world’, but also in each of us. Our hearts and lives are set against God and against His love and His rule. This is a much more serious problem than people thought in Martin Luther’s day and do today.

• We only want what God offers to us on our terms, not on His.• Is there anything we can do for, or offer to, or trade with, God that will

solve this issue?

2 ‘But now righteousness is revealed…’ • So God has acted. Was God right to set out to save us? Why/why not?• Is God right to offer His only Son in our place for us to be saved?• When we trust in Jesus and are saved, what is the result/outcome?

(Righteousness, NOT perfection – yet)• How did people in Martin Luther’s day think they might gain

righteousness?

3 ‘Trust’ – This salvation cannot be bought, or earned. We did not ‘achieve’ or ‘deserve’ the death of Jesus.

• How then can we be saved?• What does it mean to ‘have faith’ (trust/believe)? It means to hear the

gospel of Jesus and turn to follow Him.• Why is it ‘for faith’ (Romans 1:17)? Because faith produces eternal

results: we will one day receive the fruit of our faith, our eyes will one day see Jesus who is our joy and our salvation. Church

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William TyndaleHow William Tyndale changed the world!Key verses: 2 Peter 1:16–21 Theme: We can trust the Scriptures as the very word of God.Aim: To learn that the Scriptures are trustworthy and true, and can be relied on for life and faith. To be able to say with understanding ‘I can read and trust the Bible for myself.’

Note: This session works particularly well if you have access to a large screen for a presentation about William Tyndale, including pictures of him, his Bible, a timeline of his life and so on. You can also set up the Bible quiz with multiple choice questions. If you don't have a screen, you can use other ways to introduce the young people to Tyndale and make them listen carefully to the quiz questions and answers!

Intro: to consider the importance of the Bible for previous generations and contrast it with our attitude today. ‘When I am crowned I will receive…’On the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of England (2nd June 1953), she was given an item with these words: ‘…we present you with this… the most valuable thing this world affords.’ What do you think ‘this’ was? [Take responses]

If you were to be crowned and were to receive a gift which was the most valuable thing this world affords, what would it be? What would you want to receive? [Take responses]

Distribute the full prayer: 'Our gracious Queen, to keep your Majesty ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God, as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes, we present you with this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords. Here is Wisdom. This is the royal Law. These are the lively Oracles of God.'

Discuss: What is different now about our attitude to the Bible, and why? Would you say you trusted the Bible? Why/why not?

OR Desert island Stuff: Stranded on a desert island you can take: 1 extra item of clothing3 books and 5 pictures1 sports item or game (not a sailing boat!)1 friend and 1 pet.What would people choose and why? Did anybody pick a Bible?


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William Tyndale continued

Intro to TyndaleUse the ‘Notes for Leaders’ section to prepare yourself, and then present an introduction to Tyndale’s life and work. You can use a timeline, a PowerPoint presentation, or simple drama to illustrate his life. What was Tyndale’s goal and why was it so important to him?

Bible reading and teaching pointsBefore the session, prepare this study for yourself first, reading the passage and praying for God to reveal His truth to you, as you prepare to teach the young people. What are the main challenges that you have faced about the trustworthiness of the Scriptures? How have you overcome them?

During the session, pray first then Read 2 Peter 1:16–21.What do you know about Peter the Apostle? Try and piece together a basic biblical history, but don’t spend too long. Illustrate it if it helps your young people.

Questions• Verse 16. Did Peter make up the Bible? What does he say about where

it came from? • What event in his own experience is he referring to in v17?

The Transfiguration of Jesus.• Read Matthew 17:1–8. This event makes Peter an eyewitness to the

life of Jesus and one of only three people who can say they saw this. What did he see, and hear?

• v19. But he says that we can be ‘more sure’ than just his eyewitness testimony. What can we be more sure about? The Prophecy of Scripture about the power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (v16).

• What should be our response (v19) to this testimony and prophecy? We do well to pay attention.

• Do you pay as much attention to what the Bible says as it deserves? Why/why not? How is William Tyndale an example for us here?

• We are to pay attention because we are waiting for something to happen. What is it? The second coming (the Day) of Jesus, and our resurrection to a life of purity, when our hope is revealed (morning star rises in our hearts).

• On what is this hope based? The resurrection of Jesus (which is alluded to here), and its clear testimony in the prophecy of Scripture – which did not come about by the will of man, but is the Word of God.

• How do we see a similar trust in the Bible in the life of William Tyndale?


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Memory verse: 2 Peter 1:21 Take some time to learn this verse by heart, and think about the difference it makes and the difference it made to William Tyndale.

And/or activity: Bible General Knowledge quiz. William Tyndale knew his Bible incredibly well. How well do you know it? (multiple-choice quiz with prizes for right answers and penalties for wrong ones.)1 How many books are there in the Bible? 22, 44, or 662 Who wrote most of the Psalms? Moses, David, Solomon3 Which of these is NOT a King of Israel? Chedorlaomer, Jehoahaz,

Menahem, Pekaniah? 4 Who fought the battle of Jericho? Moses, Joshua, Samson, David?5 Deborah, Delilah, Abimelech and Eglon all appear in which book?

Judges, Acts, Revelation, Genesis6 Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Judah. Which two of these were

brothers? Jacob and Judah, Judah and Joseph, Joseph and Isaac, Abraham and Jacob, Isaac and Abraham

7 Which disciple betrayed Jesus to His death? Bartholomew, Matthew, Judas, Thomas

8 Which is the last book in the Bible? Revelation, Jude, Malachi, PsalmsAdd your own questions in preparation.

ApplicationThis is the opportunity to cement the main lessons from the morning’s teaching. How can we trust the Bible today, based on what it is like? What stops us from trusting it for ourselves? What events of history testify to the trustworthiness and integrity of Scripture?1 Why do we seem to find it so hard to read the Bible regularly for

ourselves? [Take answers; it most likely comes down to a matter of trust and authority as well as personal discipline.]

• It is very important to realise that the Bible records God working through and in historical events; it is not a bunch of mythical stories. What is it about the way the Gospels are written that helps you to see that they are not ‘made-up stories’?

• If the Bible is not full of ‘made-up stories’, it’s main message seems to be ‘the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’. The Bible wants you to trust Him. You won’t be publicly persecuted in the UK for reading it, but your friends might laugh at you if they knew. How is William Tyndale an example for us today?

• Talk to each other about what is most difficult about reading the Bible, and work out where you can turn to ask for help.


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2 Why do we find it hard to trust that the Bible is true today? What are some of the alternative ‘authorities’ that we turn to in order to explain (away) Jesus and the Church?

• What are some of the main objections today given to someone who says they read the Bible? If you asked a friend to read it with you, what would be the main two or three responses?

• In answering the ‘big’ questions of life (Who am I?, where am I from?, what is wrong with the world?, where are we heading?) there are any number of experts to whom we can turn. Geologists and climatologists will deal with the future of our planet, biologists with our species, psychologists with personal identity, DNA specialists and genealogists with our history, and politicians (amongst others) who will talk about what is wrong! Do you see how we now turn to ‘experts who have studied’ for our answers? How is the Bible different in proving answers to these questions? What answers does the Bible give? What does it mean to trust the Bible with the answers it provides?

• Explain to a friend how reading the Bible gives you hope and encouragement in the face of today’s concerns and events.


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Thomas CranmerHow did Thomas Cranmer change the world?Key verses: 2 Timothy 4:1–5; Colossians 4:2–6; Matthew 28:19–20 Theme: A disciple’s task is to get the Gospel out.Aim: To appreciate that we have received the gospel because others (like Cranmer) have preached it faithfully through history, and to be inspired to get the Gospel out consistently and faithfully.

Activity: Guided MissilesSet up: three chairs side-by-side and slightly apart at one end of the room. Three volunteers (Missiles) stand in front of the chairs, blindfolded. Upon each chair stands an Aimer. Have an agreed target at the other end of the room, which the Missiles haven’t previously seen. The aim is for each ‘Aimer’ to guide their Missile to the target as quickly (and safely!) as possible, using only their voice and remaining on the chair. The winner is the first Missile to reach the target and ‘hit’ it. For smaller rooms, introduce background noise (e.g. music) to confuse the Missiles.

Intro to Cranmer:Have someone ready to read this out, which you can have projected or printed out also, with the translation.What if your Church service began like this? 'Non accedimus ad hanc mensam tuam, O misericors Domine, fiducia justitiæ nostræ, sed in multitudine miserationum tuarum. Neque enim sumus digni, ut colligamus micas de mensa tua. Sed tu es idem Dominus, cujus semper proprium fuit misereri. Concede igitur, misericors Domine, ut sic edamus Carnem Filii tui, et bibamus ejus Sanguinem in his Sacris Mysteriis, ut nostra corpora peccatis inquinata munda fiant perceptione Sacratissimi Corporis sui, et nostræ animæ laventur in Præcioso Sanguine suo: ut perpetuo habitemus in eo, et ipse in nobis. Amen.'– from the Liber Precum Publicarum of 1560

'We do not presume to come to this thy Table (O merciful Lord) trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We be not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his Blood, in these holy Mysteries, that we may continually dwell in him, and he in us, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his Body, and our souls washed through his most precious Blood. Amen.'– from the 1549 Book of Common Prayer


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Thomas Cranmer continued

And what if the rest of the service, the songs and the Bible reading, was also in this language? Does anyone know what language this was? (Latin)

Cranmer was Archbishop of Canterbury and one of his deepest concerns was that ordinary English people could hear the gospel preached in their own language. He wrote a book called the Book of Common Prayer, which put all the services, prayers and liturgies into English. What difference do you think this made?

Not only were churches not teaching the good news, they were all teaching different lots of bad news! And Thomas Cranmer wanted to make sure that they all taught the good news about Jesus really well.Cranmer wrote the Book of Common Prayer so that everyone would hear how Jesus died and rose again so that they could be friends with God, every time they went to church. How wonderful!

Bible reading and teaching pointsMatthew 28:16–20• Can you pick out the verbs in verses 19 & 20?

Go, make disciples, baptise, teach.• Why should the disciples go? With what authority?

ALL the authority Jesus had received as a result of His sacrificial death and resurrection, proving that He is God’s King.

• And what assurance do they have as they go? That they will not be alone, but Jesus will be with them.

• What authority do we have as disciples to ‘Go and make disciples’? This is called ‘The Great Commission’, and it is one of the passages that made such a difference to people like Cranmer.

2 Timothy 4:1–5• Paul writes some final instructions to his young colleague, Timothy.

What specifically does he charge Him to do? (v2) Preach the Word.

• What does it mean to preach ‘in season and out of season’? Whether people are ready to hear or not!

• Take this opportunity to understand what the following words mean: correct, rebuke, encourage. What do they mean in relation to helping people to hear the gospel?

• How did Thomas Cranmer live out these verses? He wanted the gospel to be preached even though that ultimately led to his death. Church

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Thomas Cranmer continued

Colossians 4:2–6• Learning from Paul’s request for prayer, what can we pray for even

before we set out in speaking to others? (vv3–4)• What message do we preach – our own or one we have received?

(compare Colossians 1:26–27) The mystery of Christ, which is Christ in you the hope of glory!

• How should we behave towards classmates, friends & family? (vv5–6)• Where was Paul when he wrote these things, and did it stop him

preaching? In prison, and NO!• Similarly, did it stop Thomas Cranmer?

Memory verse: Correct, rebuke and encourage one another to learn this verse! 2 Timothy 4:2 ‘Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.’

And/or activity: ‘Missions Slot': Prepare some first-hand testimony, a letter, or information, about a missionary your church supports. This could be overseas or nearer to home, but make sure it is up to date, and includes both the joys and trials of missionary work. Include geographical, cultural and political information to illustrate the diversity of situations into which the Gospel has gone and can go.Finish with illustrations of how many people/peoples still have no access to the mystery of Christ in the Scriptures. Application• Begin by reminding one another what is the benefit of knowing Christ.

What do we have by being Christians? • Jesus is alive today. Does that mean He still has the authority referred

to in the Bible, or has He lost it sometime in history, e.g. when He left?• So He calls His church today to go and make disciples, by the same

authority that He always has. How has Thomas Cranmer inspired you in this task?

• Can you think of anyone whom God might use to speak to your friends about knowing and following Jesus?

• Do you think it will be easy? What does Paul say to Timothy that might encourage us here? (In season and out of season – we speak even if they are not ready to hear or accept that what we are saying is right.)

• What do we need to be doing before we go? Pray for ourselves and others who are preaching.

• What does Paul tell the Colossians about how to live that will help us here? Be wise, gracious, interesting and prepare answers in advance.

• Will it always work?


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