I just say again, Happy Lunar New Year and Happy New Year.
It's January, it's that time of year where we look forward to the year that's been,
we celebrate maybe what's been, we certainly, or the year that's coming,
but also look back and reflect upon the year that's been, lessons learned, things like that.
Reflection, however, is not something that we tend to do,
it's not something that is a habit nowadays for most people,
that is the ability to assess what has been, learn the lessons from it,
and make the necessary changes as we move forward into the future.
What we tend to do is escape.
Moment of January, moment where things may be not as busy, we self-indulge,
we escape into TV and movies and holidays and everything else,
rather than actually pause and reflect.
So this series in January here is really an opportunity for us to spend some time reflecting
and looking forward to the year that is,
and what might it be to run the race of discipleship into 2023.
Now one of the things that I've always found helpful throughout my life,
and particularly my Christian life, is to get close to people,
and I'm looking at what does it look like to run the Christian life,
is to get really close to people who have run the race and are further down the track than I am,
and to learn lessons from them, even if they've been dead for 200 years.
There is so many lessons to learn for those who have not just started the race,
but actually run the race all the way to the finish line.
And so I want to encourage you as Christian brothers and sisters to read biography,
to read biography, to learn the lessons of those from the past.
And so in this January series, we're looking at,
we're really basing it on Hebrews 11, Hebrews 12,
to be people of faith and to run the race of faith,
and particularly where Hebrews 11 talks about the great cloud of witnesses,
based on them, run the races before you.
And so we've tried to throw a couple of extra people into that list of Hebrews 11,
of great cloud of witnesses,
and today I want us to introduce one more person to that cloud of witnesses that have gone before us,
who have run the race and finished the course.
And that is, today is John Patton.
So let me pray, and I'll launch into that.
Gracious Father, as we look at one life,
a life redeemed by you,
sovereignly guided by you,
empowered by you,
a life lived well for your glory,
I pray that you would give us the gift of reflection,
as we consider our own life,
the choices we're making now,
and whether or not it is ultimately for your glory or for our own.
And I pray, Father,
that the mission of Matthew that has just been thrown in front of us
would be the mission that drives us,
a mission to see all people come to know and to love you,
and we ask it for your sake.
Amen.
A chain of islands in the Pacific were discovered in 1606 by Spain.
They were named New Hebrides in 1773 by Captain James Cook,
and in 1980,
the New Hebrides gained its independence from Britain and from France,
and was named Vanuatu.
John Williams and James Harris from the London Missionary Society
landed in 1839 as the first Christian missionaries.
And this is what was written about them.
Within a few minutes of their touching land,
both were clubbed to death, cooked and eaten.
The London Missionary Society sent another team
to the island of Tanner in 1842,
and these missionaries were driven off within seven months.
Now, just think about that for a moment.
That's just not history.
Just think about that.
Matthew just read out to us,
go to all nations with this discipleship message,
and it's 1,800 years before that message hits the New Hebrides.
1,800 years.
What was the church doing?
Anyway, that's not my main point.
Now, that's the remarkable missionary context
of the life and the ministry of John G. Patton,
a missionary to the New Hebrides
who landed there 16 years after Williams and Harris.
So today, if you've got your St. Paul's app,
open it up, you'll see an outline for my message in there today.
I want to look at the life of John G. Patton.
I want to look at the courage of John Patton,
and I want to look at what was the source
of Patton's courage for the gospel.
Most of my information comes from autobiography of John Patton,
published in 1889.
This is the 1965 edition of that.
So again, encourage you to read biography
and learn from those in the past.
Patton was born in Scotland in 1824.
He sailed for the New Hebrides via Australia
with his wife Mary in April 1858.
They reached the island of Tanner
on November the 5th of that year,
and four months later,
both his wife and his brand-new-born son died.
He served alone on the island for the next four years
in constant danger
until he was eventually driven off in February 1862.
For the next four years,
he travelled around Australia and Great Britain,
raising awareness of the work
of the Presbyterian mission in the New Hebrides.
He married again in 1864.
He took his wife Margaret back this time
to the smaller island of Anewa.
They laboured together there for 41 years.
When they came to Anewa in November 1866,
the islanders in that place were destitute.
They were cannibals who had, by that time,
only occasionally ate people,
but it was normally their enemies that they ate.
And Christian missionaries were enemies.
They practised infanticide,
that is the killing of infants,
widow sacrifices.
So if your husband died,
they normally killed you
so that you could be with him in the afterlife.
They would...
A number of other things.
He and Margaret laboured in those conditions
for 41 years, hard conditions.
In the next 15 years,
within 15 years of his landing,
the entire island of Anewa turned to Christ.
Remarkable.
That in itself is remarkable.
To go from cannibalism to life in Christ
is remarkable.
Margaret died in 1905 in Kew, Victoria.
Patton outlived her another two years.
He died in Canterbury, Victoria.
In January 28th, 1907.
Both are buried in Kew, Melbourne.
You can visit their tombs today.
This coming Sunday...
Sorry, this next Sunday
will be 116 years since his death.
And his legacy is remarkable.
Vanuatu nowadays has a population
of around 250,000 people.
Around 94% of that population
are confessing Christians.
73% claim to be Protestant Christians
with the largest group,
the Presbyterian Church.
With 550 congregations
with over 70,000 people affiliated
with that denomination.
That's more than Sydney Anglicanism.
And a large part of it,
they track it back to John G. Patton.
So, that's his life.
That's his legacy.
Let's look at his courage.
One of the things that stands out
as you read his life
is that he was a man of just incredible courage
for the cause of Christ.
Incredible courage.
And I've got a few things I want to mention.
He had courage to make the advancement
of the gospel,
his greatest and highest priority of life,
even as a teenager.
Mark that.
Even as a teenager.
In his teens,
he had an opportunity
to further his career prospects
as a surveyor,
which was,
you know,
in his day and age,
that was unheard of.
This guy did not come
from some,
you know,
wealthy connected family.
And so,
this was a remarkable opportunity
for effectively a peasant boy.
He was called into the boss's office
and was promised promotion
and special training
entirely at the government's expense.
And the only condition was
that he signed
a seven year engagement contract.
This is what he wrote
about that moment.
Thanking him most gratefully
for his kind offer,
I agreed to bind myself
for three years or four,
but not for seven.
Excitedly,
he said,
why?
Will you refuse an offer
that many gentlemen's sons
would be proud of?
I said,
my life is given
to another master.
And so,
I cannot engage
for seven years.
He asked sharply,
to whom?
I replied,
to the Lord Jesus.
And I want to prepare
as soon as possible
for his service
in the proclaiming
of the gospel.
In great anger,
he sprang across the room,
called the paymaster
and exclaimed,
accept my offer
or you are dismissed
on the spot.
His anger
made him unwilling
or unable
to comprehend
my difficulty.
The drawing instruments
were delivered up,
I received my pay
and I departed
without further parley.
Secondly,
he had courage
to overcome
the criticism
that he received
from respected elders
for in fact
going to the New Hebrides
New Hebrides
as a missionary.
A Mr. Dickinson
who he described
as a dear
old Christian gentleman
tried to deter him
from the New Hebrides.
The cannibals!
You'll be eaten
by cannibals!
Now remember,
Williams and Harris
were eaten
by cannibals
19 years earlier.
Patton's response.
I love it.
Let me read it to you.
I'll put my tone on it.
I'm not sure
it's Patton's tone
but I can't read it
with any other tone.
Mr. Dickinson,
you are advanced
in years now
and your own prospect
is soon to be laid
in the grave
there to be eaten
by worms.
I love the moxie
of this guy.
I really do.
I confess to you
that if I can live
but live and die
serving and honouring
the Lord Jesus
it will make
no difference to me
whether I'm eaten
by cannibals
or by worms.
And in the great day
my resurrection body
will rise
as fair of yours
in the likeness
of the risen Redeemer.
That is a remarkable
perspective on life.
He writes that
another objection
came up
was this.
He said
the rejection is
there are heathen
here at home.
Why on earth
would you leave
Chatswood
for goodness sake?
Let us seek
and save
first of all
the lost ones
perishing at our
very doors.
This I felt
to be most true
and an appalling
fact.
But I
unfailingly
observed
that those
who made
this retort
neglected
these home
heathens
themselves.
And so
the objection
as from them
lost all
its power.
They would
ungrudgingly
spend more
on a fashionable
party at dinner
or tea
on concert
or balls
or theatres
or on some
ostentatious
display
or worldly
and selfish
indulgent
ten times more
perhaps in a
single day
than they would
give in a year
or in half
a lifetime
for the conversion
of the heathen world
either here
or abroad.
I do
and always
did
only pity
them
as God's
stewards
making such
miserable
use of time
and money
entrusted
to their care.
Can you see
why I'm doing it?
It's an opportunity
for the Holy Spirit
to speak to each
one of us
about our time
and our priorities
our talents
our treasures.
Thirdly
he had courage
to risk losing
his loved ones
for the cause
of the gospel.
I've already
mentioned this
he and his wife
first wife Mary
arrived on the
island of Tanna
in November
1858
their baby
was born
February
1859
four months
later
yeah
four months
later
Mary then
died within
a few weeks
of the birth
of the baby
on the 3rd
of March
the baby boy
died less
than three weeks
later on the
20th of March
Patton himself
dug the graves
with his own
hands
right beside
the house
the little
sort of shack
that he had built
for them
as a family
and
to add
to his grief
he slept
on their graves
to protect
them from being
dug up
by the
cannibals.
you see
the courage
to risk
the loss
of a loved
one is one
thing
the courage
to experience
the loss
and to press
on alone
with the same
mission
is remarkable
I felt her
loss beyond
all conception
or description
in that
dark land
but feeling
immovably
assured
that my
God
and Father
was too
wise
and loving
to err
in anything
that he
does
or permits
sovereignty
of God
goodness
of God
I looked
up to the
Lord
for help
and I
struggled
on
in his
work
he had
the next
thing
he had
the courage
to face
the constant
threat
to his
own life
from the
islanders
I think
this is
what makes
this
autobiography
reading
like a
thriller
in his
first four
years of
Tanner
he moved
from one
crisis
to the next
crisis
to the next
crisis
like
constant
crisis
it's
like
he's
fully
charged
flight
or fight
you know
all the
time
there's no
pastoral
retreat
there's no
weekend escape
to the beach
or the
mountains
or
you know
there's none
of that
it's not a
quick trip
overseas
he's there
by himself
all the
time
he writes
my enemies
seldom
slacken their
hateful designs
against my
life
however
calmed
or baffled
for the
moment
a wild
chief
followed me
around
for four
hours
with his
loaded
musket
and though
often
directed
towards
me
God
restrained
his
hand
I
spoke
kindly
to him
and attended
to my
work
as if
he had
not
been
there
fully
persuaded
that my
God
had
placed
me
there
and
would
protect
me
till
my
allotted
task
was
finished
looking
up
in
unceasing
prayer
to my
dear
Lord
Jesus
I
left
all
in
his
hands
and I
felt
immortal
till
my
work
was
done
one
of the
most
remarkable
things
about
Patton's
dealing
with
danger
is he
often
rebuked
his
enemies
to their
faces
for their
bad
behaviour
even
as they
held an
axe over
their head
to bring
it down
on his
head
remarkable
here's
another
one
morning
at
daybreak
I
found
my
house
surrounded
by
armed
men
and
a
chief
intimated
that
they
had
assembled
to
take
my
life
seeing
that
I
was
entirely
in
their
hands
I
knelt
down
and
gave
myself
away
body
and
soul
to
the
Lord
Jesus
for
what
seemed
to be
the
last
time
on
earth
rising
in other
words
rising
from
that
prayer
I
went
out
to
them
and
contrasting
it
with
all
of
my
good
contact
towards
them
at
last
some
of
the
chiefs
rose
and
said
our
conduct
has
been
bad
but
now
we
will
fight
for
you
and
kill
those
who
hate
you
so
they're
fickle
it's
a
remarkable
thriller
lastly
on the
idea
of
courage
and
there's
many
other
ones
he
had
the
courage
to
face
the
criticism
that
he
did
not
have
the
courage
to
die
I
mean
how
dare
you
do
that
after
four
years
the
entire
island
population
rose
against
him
and
finally
a
wonderful
answer
to
prayer
as
a
ship
arrived
just
in
time
to
take
him
off
the
island
in
response
to
this
after
four
years
of
risking
his
life
hundreds
of
times
losing
his
wife
losing
his
child
he
recounts
this
incident
one
dear
friend
said
you
should
not
have
left
you
should
have
stood
at
the
post
of
duty
till
you
fell
it
would
have
been
an
honour
been
to
your
honour
and
better
for
the
cause
of
mission
had
you
been
killed
at
your
post
welcome
home
from your
missionary
service
how
easy
it
would
have
been
for
him
to
respond
with
that
moment
of
discouragement
well
I've
had
enough
of
this
church
it's
not
suiting
my
needs
I'm
done
I'm
done
how
easy
it
would
have
been
for
him
to
respond
with
that
but
courage
he
pressed
on
for
another
four
decades
of
fruitful
ministry
on the
island
of
Inewa
and in
fact
around
the
world
they
reckon
John
Patton
was
the
impetus
that
God
used
to
increase
global
mission
in a
remarkable
way
from
Europe
to
other
parts
of
the
world
most
of
us
don't
even
know
he
existed
so
let me
just
go
now
to
the
source
of
John
Patton's
courage
because
where did
this
remarkable
courage
for the
cause
of
Christ
come
from
now
there
are
a
number
of
things
let me
say
I
think
that
each
one
of
these
things
would
be
a
sermon
in
and
of
itself
I've
already
referred
to
his
trust
in
God's
sovereignty
God's
control
over
all
circumstances
including
the
ability
of a
native
with a
musket
to pull
the
trigger
of that
musket
he said
that guy
will not
be able
to do
that
if
God
does
not
enable
him
to
do
that
totally
under
God's
control
he
also
had a
very
strong
sense
of
God's
call
on
his
life
to
be
a
missionary
to
the
southern
seas
but
I
want
to
mention
two
firstly
his
courage
came
from
his
father
James
Patton
that
is
a
guy
like
John
Patton
doesn't
come
from
a
vacuum
even
if you
don't
read
anything
else
in
this
autobiography
the
tribute
that
he
pays
to
his
father
is
worth
the
price
of
buying
it
if
you
can
buy
it
anymore
I'm
not
sure
if
you
can
it
is
remarkable
the
first
75
80
pages
absolute
remarkable
tribute
to
his
father
his
father's
prayer
life
stands
out
particularly
as
being
extraordinary
and it
had a
deep
impact
upon
his
children
there
was a
small
room
in
their
little
cottage
that they
had
a very
small
cottage
like
three
bedrooms
three
rooms
sorry
not
three
bedrooms
three
rooms
I can't
remember
I think
there
was
like
eight
kids
raised
there
very
different
from
nowadays
where
parents
need
retreats
and
everything
and his
dad
would go
to that
small
room
and he
would
pray
it was
called
the
closet
he
would
pray
and the
impact
on
John
Patton
was
immense
how
much
my
father's
prayer
at this
time
impressed
me
I
can
never
explain
when
on
his
knees
and
all
of us
kneeling
around
him
in
family
worship
we
he poured
out his
whole
soul
with tears
for the
conversion
of the
heathen
world
to the
service
of
Jesus
and for
every
personal
and domestic
need
we all
felt
as if
in the
presence
of the
living
saviour
and learned
to know
and love
him as
our
divine
friend
prayer
covered
his
discipline
of
his
children
challenged
by this
if
anything
really
serious
this is
if
anything
really
serious
required
us
to be
punished
he
retired
first
to his
closet
for
prayer
and we
boys
got to
understand
that he
was laying
the whole
matter
before
God
this is a
man
let me just
pause
before I
say anything
else
this is a
man
60 odd
years later
reflecting on
this as a
kid
we
loved
him
all
the
more
when
we
saw
how
much
it
cost
him
to
punish
us
we
were
ruled
by
love
far
more
than
fear
and
then
there's
this
quote
about
his
dad
no
hurry
for
market
no
rush
to
business
no
arrival
of
friends
or
guests
no
trouble
or
sorrow
no
joy
or
excitement
ever
prevented
us
at least
kneeling
around
while
our
father
led
our
prayers
to
God
and
offered
himself
and
his
children
to
there
James
Patton's
commitment
to his
local
church
also
had a
remarkable
impact
on the
young
John
James
was an
elder
in the
Presbyterian
church
in
Scotland
it was
about
four
miles
away
from
the
family
cottage
and
in
40
years
in
40
years
he
missed
church
three
times
40
years
and
just
so
that we
know
that
that's
not
an
exaggeration
John
mentions
the
three
times
once
when
the
snow
was
so
deep
it
was
impossible
couldn't
get
there
secondly
once
when
the
ice
was
so
bad
that
his
father
was
forced
to
crawl
back
home
on
hands
and
knees
because
he
had
fallen
over
multiple
times
attempting
to get
to
church
and
once
when
there
was
an
outbreak
of
cholera
and
all
commuting
between
villages
was
banned
and
just
to
make
sure
the
farmers
and
the
villagers
in
his
area
turned
up
to
the
pattern
home
to
plead
with
James
not
to
go
to
church
because
they
didn't
think
cholera
would
stop
him
from
going
to
church
this
commitment
to
a
public
devotional
I
mean
I
reckon
I
could
feel
like
I
could
stop
there
and
let
the
Holy
Spirit
challenge
all
of
us
on
that
one
this
commitment
to a
public
devotion
life
had a
profound
impact
on
John
and
his
brothers
and
sisters
he
wrote
each
of
us
from
very
early
days
considered
it
no
penalty
no
penalty
but a
great
joy
to
go
with
our
father
to
church
the
four
miles
were a
great
treat
to
our
young
spirits
one
scene
which
often
moves me
when I
read it
one scene
best captures
the depth
of love
and I'll
just give you
a shortened
version of
it
the depth
of love
between
John
and his
father
and the
power of
the impact
of John's
life
of
uncompromising
courage
and purity
for the
cause of
Christ
the time
came
for the
young
John
to
leave
home
he went
to
Glasgow
for
theological
training
he called
a divinity
school
from his
home
to the
train
station
was a
40 mile
walk
60
kilometres
walk
no Uber
or anything
back in
those days
and they
weren't
wealthy
enough
to own
a horse
or a
carriage
or anything
like that
and he
wrote
this is him
writing
40 years
after leaving
home
for this
journey
so
regard that
this is an
older man
my dear
father
walked with
me for the
first six
miles of
the way
his
counsel
and tears
and heavenly
conversation
on that
parting
journey
are as
fresh
in my
heart
as it
had been
but
yesterday
and tears
are on my
cheek
as freely
now
as then
whenever
memory
steals me
away
to that
scene
for the
last
half
mile
or so
we walked
together
in almost
unbroken
silence
his lips
kept moving
in silent
prayers
for me
and his
tears
fell fast
when our
eyes met
each other
in looks
for which
all speech
was vain
we halted
on reaching
the appointed
parting place
he grasped
my hand
firmly
for a minute
in silence
and then
solemnly
and affectionately
said
God bless you
my son
your father's
God
prosper you
and keep
you
from all
evil
in tears
we embraced
and we parted
and this
is
this is
the impact
of James
Patton
right here
vowed
deeply
and off
by the
help of
God
to live
and act
so as
never
to grieve
or dishonour
such a father
and mother
as he has
given me
James
Patton's
greatest
desire
for his
children
was that
they would
live
for the
cause
of Christ
and
John
Patton
in that
moment
is declaring
this is
in page
25
26
of the
biography
in that
moment
declaring
that I
will live
in such
a way
to honour
my
father's
God
you see
John
Patton
didn't
just
spring
up
from
nowhere
James
Patton
courageously
and
sacrificially
laboured
hard
to produce
not just
a son
but many
children
like this
and if
it wasn't
for John
Patton
we wouldn't
even know
James
Patton
existed
but what
a legacy
secondly
and this
is the
main
source
of his
courage
for the
cause
of
Christ
because
even in
the
moments
his
dad's
not
going
to be
enough
his
courage
came
from
his
own
deep
personal
fellowship
with
Jesus
this
is
him
on
page
359
hence
the
promise
of
Matthew
28
lo
I'm
with
you
always
to the
very
end
of
the
age
was
the
heartbeat
of
his
life
Jesus
promised
that I
will be
with my
disciples
always
was the
heartbeat
of his
life
and it's
in fact
inscribed
on his
grave
in
Melbourne
the
context
of this
promise
of
Jesus
to be
with
his
disciples
is
the
context
of
the
great
commission
to
go
and
make
disciples
more
than
any
other
promise
this
one
brought
Jesus
close
and
real
to
John
Patton
in
all
of
his
dangers
as
he
was
making
disciples
there
was
a
measles
epidemic
that
killed
thousands
of
islanders
and the
missionaries
were blamed
for it
and
John
wrote
this
during
the
crisis
I
felt
generally
calm
and
firm
of
soul
standing
erect
and
with
my
whole
weight
on
the
promise
lo
I
am
with
you
always
precious
promise
how
often
I
adore
Jesus
for
it
and
rejoice
in
it
blessed
be
his
name
one
of
the
most
powerful
in
my
view
one
of
the
most
powerful
paragraphs
in
his
autobiography
describes
an
experience
where
he's
hiding
in
a
tree
at
the
suggestion
of
this
fickle
unreliable
chief
you
know
the
island
is
coming
for
Patton
this
fickle
unreliable
chief
says
let me
take you
to this
special
place
and
hide
you
in
a
tree
how
do
you
feel
secure
yes
he
had
no
idea
where
he
was
being
set
up
but
this
is
what
he
writes
being
entirely
at
the
mercy
of
such
doubtful
and
vacillating
friends
I
though
perplexed
felt
it
best
to
obey
I
climbed
into
the
tree
and
was
left
there
alone
in
the
bush
the
hours
I
spent
there
live
all
before
me
as
if
it
were
but
of
yesterday
I
heard
the
frequent
discharging
of muskets
and the
yelling
of the
savages
and yet
I
sat
there
among
the
branches
as
safe
as
in the
arms
of
Jesus
never
in
all
my
sorrows
did
my
Lord
draw
nearer
to
me
and
speak
more
soothingly
in
my
soul
than
when
the
moonlight
flickered
among
those
chestnut
leaves
and
the
night
air
played
on
my
throbbing
brow
as
I
told
all
of
my
heart
to
Jesus
alone
yet
not
alone
if
it
be
to
glorify
my
God
I
will
not
grudge
to
spend
many
nights
alone
in
such
a
tree
to
feel
again
my
saviour's
spiritual
presence
to
enjoy
his
consoling
fellowship
see
what he's
saying
there
when
I
was
all
lost
Christ
was
all
to
me
and
it
was
beautiful
it
was
a
joy
to
be
in
that
tree
because
Christ
was
closer
to
me
Patton
finishes
his
recounting
of this
experience
of
close
fellowship
with
Jesus
with
a
question
for
his
readers
and
I
would
suggest
it's
a
question
for
all
of
us
this
is
on
page
200
of
the
autobiography
if
thus
thrown
back
upon
your
own
soul
alone
all
alone
in
the
midnight
in
the
bush
in
the
very
embrace
of
death
itself
have
you
a
friend
who
will
not
fail
you
then
in
other
words
do
you
know
the
friend
of
friends
who
will
never
leave
you
or
forsake
you
that's
the
challenge
of
Patton
Hebrews
chapter
12
calls us
to look
to
Jesus
the
friend
of
sinners
and
to run
the race
of
faith
in
him
John
Patton
is
one
who
ran
that
race
of
faith
with
increasing
joy
in
Jesus
as he
communed
closer
and
closer
with
Jesus
in
all
the
circumstances
of
life
so
I
want to
ask
you
as we
set
out
into
2023
what
is
your
next
step
how
is
Patton
challenging
you
what
is
your
next
step
to
commune
closer
with
Jesus
this
year