Cannibals.

 

 

This morning I've been reading John Piper's sermon on John G. Paton, missionary in the late 1800's to the New Hebrides Islands of the South Pacific. Christianity had been attempted in the New Hebrides Islands by some of Paton's fellow Scotsmen and they were gruesomely murdered and consumed by the cannibalistic culture. "The natives were cannibals and occasionally ate the flesh of their defeated foes. They practiced infanticide and widow sacrifice, killing the widows of deceased men so that they could serve their husbands in the next world" (desiringgod.org). Knowing this outcome, knowing it was a real danger of bringing the Gospel to the New Hebrides, Paton wrote,"Thus were the New Hebrides baptized with the blood of martyrs; and Christ thereby told the whole Christian world that he claimed these islands as His own" (desiringgod.org). John G. Paton spent more than 15 years living life with such gusto-it's truly an inspiration to read Piper's narrative on his life.

 

From this inspiration, Piper constructed a sermon entitled "You Will Be Eaten By Cannibals! Lessons from the Life of John G. Paton: Courage In The Cause Of Missions". He examines not only Paton's life but also the lessons we can all learn from his legacy-listed below with a few bullet points.

 

What Kinds of Circumstances Called for Courage in Paton's Life?

• He had courage to overcome the criticism he received from respected elders for going to the New Hebrides.

            "The opposition was so strong from nearly all, and many of them warm Christian friends, that I was sorely tempted to question whether I was carrying out the Divine will, or only some headstrong wish of my own. This also caused me much anxiety, and drove me close to God in prayer"

• He had courage to risk losing his loved ones and to press on when he did in fact lose them.

          '' The courage to risk the loss was one thing. But the courage to experience the loss and press on alone was supernatural. "I felt her loss beyond all conception or description, in that dark land. It was very difficult to be resigned, left alone, and in sorrowful circumstances; but feeling immovably assured that my God and father was too wise and loving to err in anything that he does or permits, I looked up to the Lord for help, and struggled on in His work" (p. 85). Here we get a glimpse of the theology that we will see underneath this man's massive courage and toil. "I do not pretend to see through the mystery of such visitations – wherein God calls away the young, the promising, and those sorely needed for his service here; but this I do know and feel, that, in the light of such dispensations, it becomes us all to love and serve our blessed Lord Jesus so that we may be ready at his call for death and eternity"

• He had courage to risk his own sickness in a foreign land with no doctors and no escape.
• The most common demand for courage was the almost constant threat to his life from the hostilities of the natives.

"One of the most remarkable things about Paton's dealing with danger is the gutsy forthrightness with which he spoke to his assailants. He often rebuked them to their faces and scolded them for their bad behavior even as they held the ax over his head."

• One last call for courage that I will mention is the need for courage in the face of criticism that he did not have courage to die.

 

What Did His Courage Achieve?

• The entire island of Aniwa turned to Christ.
• The courageous endurance on Tanna resulted in a story that awakened thousands to the call of missions and strengthened the home church.

"In other words, the courageous perseverance of John Paton on Tanna, in spite of apparent fruitlessness, bore fruit in blessing for the mission field and for the church at home in ways he could have never dreamed in the midst of his dangers."

• Another one of those good effects was to vindicate the power of the gospel to convert the hardest people.  

Where Did this Courage Come From? What Was Its Origin?

• His courage came from his father.

"How much my father's prayers at this time impressed me I can never explain, nor could any stranger understand. When, on his knees and all of us kneeling around him in Family Worship, 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 Savior, and learned to know and love him as our Divine friend."

• His courage came from a deep sense of divine calling.

 "I continually heard . . . the wail of the perishing Heathen in the South Seas; and I saw that few were caring for them, while I well knew that many would be ready to take up my work in Calton" ."The Lord kept saying within me, 'Since none better qualified can be got, rise and offer yourself!'"

• His courage came from a sense of holy heritage in his church.
• His confidence in the sovereignty of God controlling all adversities.

"Feeling immovably assured that my God and father was too wise and loving to err in anything that he does or permits, I looked up to the Lord for help, and struggled on in His work"

• His courage came through a kind of praying that submitted to God's sovereign wisdom
• His courage came from a joy in God that he knew could not be surpassed anywhere in any other ministry.

"Oh that the pleasure-seeking men and women of the world could only taste and feel the real joy of those who know and love the true God – a heritage which the world . . . cannot give to them, but which the poorest and humblest followers of Jesus inherit and enjoy!"

• His courage came from personal fellowship with Jesus through faith in his promise, especially on the brink of eternity.

It's a pretty long read, but if you have twenty minutes to sit down and soak it in, it's quite the story of God's sovereignty displayed through adversity and faithfulness.

Blessings,

KB

P.S. Listening to Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks" today. Super good.