Sermon by Dr. Wayne C. Sedlak
Based upon Romans 8 and Ecclesiastes 1
Audio Only HERE
Christian Soldier: John G. Paton
Missionary to New Hebrides Islands (1858)
Ecclesiastes 1 teaches us that the world has the appearance of “vanity. ” In that chapter we are treated to the design of nature, it’s regularity:
- the winds travel their circuits and return again
- rivers flow ultimately into the sea yet the sea is not full
- “that which is done is that which shall be”
- there is no new thing under the sun
So, the world around us, is well-designed and yet appears to have no discernible purpose or meaning. “All dressed up and nowhere to go.”
The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8 that God has filled the earth with the “appearance” of vanity – “emptiness” i.e., there appears to be no reason for the existence and design of the world around us. And the mystery is, GOD HAS FILLED THE EARTH WITH THE APPEARANCE OF SUCH EMPTINESS!
Every religion and movement of mankind is dashed itself on the rocks of this vanity, attempting somehow to explain that which is inexplicable WITHIN the material world itself. In other words, fallen man – in every movement and religion (except the Christian faith grounded in the Scriptures) – attempts to find the MEANING of the world around by, in essence, seeking that meaning INSIDE the elements of the world itself. If somehow the material world – trees, mountains, animal life – could somehow suddenly speak for itself, and were asked the question “Why are you here?” They would all reply in unison, “We don’t know.”
So it is that the pollen man strives for meaning, having atheized is world. In Acts 28, the barbarians of the island of Malta, saw that the apostle Paul was bitten by a deadly Viper, so they concluded, he must be a murderer. After all, nature was sent to put to death this man. So he must be a killer/murderer.
John G. Paton was a missionary to the New Hebrides islands in the Pacific. He ran into exactly the same kind of thinking. Their idolatries (spiritism – occult) taught them to seek the meaning of the things of life and death in the force of nature around them.
So why has God apparently frustrated fallen man stinking by casting the appearance of vanity – meaningless existence – upon the world around? John Patton in the answer: there is no REAL VANITY to the world. God has preserved to His Church – God’s People – the authority and the insight from His Throne, as expressed solely in the Scriptures and empowered by the Presence of Holy Spirit… to explain to the fallen world the express Will of the Lord. In essence, God is reserved to His Church (His People of all eras) a virtual monopoly of interpretation to be freely given to us to glorify Name and Person of Jesus Christ!
However, to do that the Christian must walk into the darkness of this world equipped as a soldier of Jesus Christ. Satan, the world in its darkness, and our fallen – sinful nature, will contest the advance of the Christian (Ephesians 6).
Missionary John Patton was such a soldier of Christ. Many hundreds of times he stood before angry mobs of inhabitants of the islands, threatening to kill him. On many other occasions, they listened eagerly to his teaching and from among them were some who came to Christ. Of those, some became known as “Teachers” to the inhabitants of the islands.
Listening to preaching about heaven, the atonement of Christ, and other Great Trues of the Christian faith was often welcomed by the inhabitants. HOWEVER, when Patton and his Teachers began to expound upon the Law of the Lord, that’s when offense was raised most often against them. Because you see Patton was uncompromising. He and His Teachers preached that their cannibalism, their incessant warfare, their wife beating, their child molestation, their propensity to take slaves of neighboring island inhabitants, and many other such vices were sinfully opposed to the Law of the Lord (“for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.” – Romans 7).
John Paton’s courage in the face of “all hell” is a 28 year saga that eventually resulted in 25 of the 30 islands inhabitants turning away from their ungodliness to faith in Jesus Christ.
You won’t want to miss the message of Christian heroism in the face of terror and all evil.
