Sermon: Thrive not survive!
Pastor Brian from Master’s Commission shares about what it means to thrive not survive in our day and hour.
Vernon comes up toward the end of Brian’s message to highlight how he thrived in Master’s Commission.
Scripture Text: Hebrews 12: 1-3:
1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Thesis: Patrick role modeled for the Christian community what it means to be a hero of the faith. He showed us what it meant to thrive not just survive. His attitude in life showed us how to over-come in this world. The key was to draw closer to God. He also taught us that we have to follow the call of God because it will make a difference in this world. He became a hero of the faith by winning the Irish to Jesus Christ.
Introduction:
Read the prayer “From Patrick’s Breastplate “I Rise Today,” with Celtic music playing in the background.
I bind unto myself today the strong name of the trinity,
by invocation of the same, the Three in One, the One in Three.
I bind this day to me forever by power of faith Christ's incarnation,
his baptism in the Jordan river, his death on the cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spiced tomb, his riding up the heavenly way,
his coming at the day of doom I bind unto myself today.
I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay, his ear to harken to my need,
the wisdom of my God to teach, his hand to guide, his shield to ward,
the Word of God to give me speech, his heavenly host to be my guard.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me;
Christ to comfort and restore me;
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the name, the strong name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three,
of whom all nature hath creation, eternal Father, Spirit, Word;
praise to the God of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord!
Patrick’s life exemplifies Jesus command to reach the lost. The Gospels give us the following messages from the heartbeat of Jesus on the importance of doing the Great Commission and thriving not just surviving today:
Patrick’s life and ministry teach us to be open to the call of God in our lives. His beginning in Ireland did not dictate his future but it drew him into a love relationship with Jesus Christ. His relationship with Christ helped him to overcome adverse circumstances in his teen years. His ability to draw close to God and forgive had a dramatic impact on the Irish people. His willingness to follow God’s call makes him a hero of the faith.
T.S. - Let’s learn from this man of God and ask our self a few questions, “Am I willing to draw closer to God in turbulent times? Am I willing and able to forgive those who have caused pain in my life? Am I willing to follow the call of God and even give my life to those who enslaved me? If you do you could become a hero of the faith like Patrick.”
Historical Background of Patrick:
Patrick lived in the fifth century, a time of rapid change and transition. In many ways we might say that those times of turbulence and uncertainty were not unlike our own. The Roman Empire was beginning to break up, and Europe was about to enter the so-called Dark Ages. Rome fell to barbarian invaders in 410. Within ten years of that time, the Roman forces began to leave Britain to return to Rome to defend positions back home. Life, once so orderly and predictable under Roman domination, now became chaotic and uncertain. Patrick entered the world of that time (Joyce).
Patrick’s biography is as follows: By Anita Mc Sorley
The uncontested, if somewhat unspecific, biographical facts about Patrick are as follows: Patrick was born Patricius somewhere in Roman Britain to a relatively wealthy family. He was not religious as a youth and, in fact, claims to have practically renounced the faith of his family. While in his teens, Patrick was kidnapped in a raid and transported to Ireland, where he was enslaved to a local warlord and worked as a shepherd until he escaped six years later. He returned home and eventually undertook studies for the priesthood with the intention of returning to Ireland as a missionary to his former captors. It is not clear when he actually made it back to Ireland, or for how long he ministered there, but it was definitely for a number of years. By the time he wrote the Confession and the "Letter to Coroticus," Patrick was recognized by both Irish natives and the Church hierarchy as the bishop of Ireland. By this time, also, he had clearly made a permanent commitment to Ireland and intended to die there. Scholars have no reason to doubt that he did. He died on March 17 the day we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day which is today.
Patrick’s life reveals a life that chose to thrive not just survive – because he made that choice his heroics in the faith have been told for over 1,500 years.
T.S. - Let’s explore Patrick’s life and discover some spiritual lessons that we can apply to our lives today to show us how to thrive not just survive.
I. He modeled for us the importance of following the call of God in our lives.
a. Patrick was taken as a slave at 16 from England by Irish raiders.
i. During his time of slavery he worked as a Shepherd and he says his faith grew. He turned to God for comfort. He had been raised as a Christian but he considered his faith to be nominal even at some points nonexistent.
1. He said, I would pray constantly during the daylight hours…and the faith grew…one day I would say as many as a hundred prayers, and at night only slightly less” Christian History page 12.
2. He had a close encounter with God in his slavery. He grew in the faith and learned to listen for God ‘s voice over his six years of captivity. He drew closer to God in captivity and one day he received a revelation from God to fast. So he did. He then received a message in the spirit to flee to a certain village and a ship would be there that would lead him to freedom. He escaped by ship as the revelation had said.
a. I Cor. 2:10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
b. He escaped by a vision from God
i. He escaped Ireland from a vision from God. The vision told him where to go and how to escape. He followed the leading of the Lord and escaped back to England.
ii. After his escape he went and studied in France and became a priest and a Bishop after about 15 years.
c. God spoke to him to return to Ireland and win the Irish to Christ.
i. His call – After completing his studies in France Patrick returned home and received a call in a dream. The dream is said to have had a man standing on the shore of Ireland crying out for help. Patrick believed it was a message from God that he was to return to Ireland and evangelize them with the Gospel.
ii. His call is similar to the apostle Paul’s call.
1. Galatians 1:12: 12I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
2. Galatians 2:2: 2I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.
iii. The Irish people would never have become Christian if someone like Patrick had not gone to them to share the message of good news.
1. Romans 10:14: 14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
d. He returned to Ireland with the Gospel
i. He was the first in the Roman era to evangelize outside the Roman Empire with the Gospel.
ii. He returned to a place as he said, “I dwell among gentiles…in the midst of pagan barbarians, worshipers of idols, and unclean things.”
1. But he was there to thrive – not just survive – to bring the saving knowledge of Jesus to a barbarian nation steeped in darkness.
a. And with God’s help and direction he thrived!
T.S. – Patrick’s call came from the Lord and because he chose to thrive in the Spirit of the Lord he is credited for winning a pagan nation to Christ Jesus. The Lord gave him wisdom and insight in how to win the lost. Let’s see what he did to thrive not just survive.
II. He won a nation to Jesus Christ and gave us insight and wisdom in how to evangelize others.
a. He was not afraid to face the cults and dangers of being a witness for Christ.
i. He faced his heaviest opposition from the Druids who practiced magic, and offered human sacrifices. Many of their writings refer to the need to kill that holy Patrick.
ii. Patrick wrote this about his early battles with the spiritual enemies of darkness. ‘Daily, I expect murder, fraud or captivity…but I fear none of these things because of the promises of heaven. I have cast myself into the hands of God almighty who rules everywhere” (12,13-Christian History).
iii. John Eldrege shared in his book Wild at Heart that men need to be brave and face the battles that are in their lives. He states, “The most dangerous man on the earth is the man who has reckoned with his own death. All men die, few men ever really live” (169).
1. Patrick’s courage came as a result of his relationship with the Lord and that chose to die to his flesh and follow the Lord. This made him successful in Ireland.
a. This caused him to thrive not just survive!
b. He used their cultural beliefs to present the Gospel in a manner they could relate to.
i. He presented the Gospel with power and authority
1. He stood up to the Druids.
2. He believed in miracles and they happened.
a. One story tells us there was a confrontation between the Druids and Patrick. Patrick challenged the Druids to a contest in Tara performing miracles. There was a custom prior to Easter that whoever lit a fire would be put to death. A local king inspired by the Druids sent 27 chariots to seize Patrick. He prayed a prayer in front of the attackers and God destroyed the invading army. The king witnessing the destruction of his army came and bowed to Patrick.
b. In another incident supposedly the next day the Druids called a fog in to the land. When Patrick challenged them to remove it they could not. Patrick prayed to God and the fog lifted. Also it’s reported that flames consumed this Druid after the fog lifted.
c. The king became angry and Patrick warned him, “If you do not believe now, you will die with him (the Druid).” The king summoned his council and said, ‘It is better for me to believe than to die.’ And he believed as did many others that day in God (14).
ii. The shamrock – their belief of three. According to Christian History the Irish believed in a tri-faced god, for three was their magical number, and gods and goddesses often manifested themselves as three.
1. Patrick used the Shamrock to show the Irish how God was a Trinity by pointing to the three leaves on the Shamrock.
2.
iii. The result of Patrick going to Ireland also was he abolished human sacrifice in Ireland.
1. The Irish where known for sacrificing prisoners of war to the war gods and newborns to the harvest gods.
2. They also believed that the seat of the soul was in man’s head so they adorned their temples and their belts with heads of their enemies. They also used the skulls for football like games and for cups to drink from.
c. He focused on the leadership of the day. The royalty!
i. Result their changed lives influenced the lives under them.
ii. Many of the royalty became priests, monks, and nuns.
d. He built and planted local churches and monasteries.
i. The monasteries were the center of learning in many areas of Ireland.
1. He followed the example of Ezra 7:10: 10For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
2. He studied to show himself approved unto God and stressed the same with his converts.
a. 2 Timothy 2:15 15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
e. Patrick knew that his work was not done by just converting the Irish but that they had to be trained to renew their minds and to become mature followers of Christ.
Conclusion:
Timothy Joyce noted, “Patrick, then, is an intensely human person and not a plaster saint to admire from afar. He offers us a Christian vision of life honed out of his own experience and trials. He offers us a challenge to live our own Christian life today in changing and turbulent times. He comforts us when we are criticized and ridiculed. He gives to us the Celtic vision of the intimate presence of God in creation, in the Church, in people and in Scripture. He is a model for us, giving us an example to follow as we struggle to live authentically our own Christian lives in our own difficult times.”
Patrick’s life and ministry teach us to be open to the call of God in our lives. His beginning in Ireland did not dictate his future but it drew him into a love relationship with Jesus Christ. His relationship with Christ helped him to overcome adverse circumstances in his teen years. His ability to draw close to God and forgive had a dramatic impact on the Irish people and the success of his life. His willingness to follow God’s call made him a hero of the faith.
Let’s learn from this man of God and ask our self a few questions, “Am I willing to draw closer to God in turbulent times? Am I willing and able to forgive those who have caused pain in my life? Am I willing to follow the call of God and even give my life to those who enslaved me? If you do you could become a hero of the faith like Patrick and thrive not just survive.”
If you learn to be like Patrick you have the benefit to really start living right where you are at. You really start to live when you take your eyes off the circumstances of life and draw closer to God. Then you will learn to recognize God’s voice. This spiritual maturity will lead you out of bondage and slavery to freedom. Then as you continue to draw closer to God through study, prayer, and spiritual disciplines you will be called upon by God to do a ministry for Him. Who knows maybe you could win an entire nation to Christ? Maybe you could win a generation to Christ? Maybe you could win your family to Christ? The benefits to you will be eternal and the most rewarding thing you could do with your life.
