TITLE: WILL THE REAL ST. PATRICK PLEASE STAND UP?
PROVERBS 10:1-17 TEXT: v7 MEMORY/JUST: BLESSED
The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.
We do not worship saints or elevate
them beyond the strict boundaries set/Bible. However, we do honour them
and our text gives us/warrant to do so. Patrick was a just man (Romans
5:1) & worthy of our remembrance. Again: Hebrews 11:4
(dead/speaketh) and it for us to hear what he has to say. There are two popular images of St Patrick.
[1] Cartoon image/Patrick: Leprechaun merry/drink
[2] Others: he appears/form: rather severe looking statue robed/full regalia: Roman bishop, with mitre & bishop's crook.
As we examine Patrick's own writings (final authority in this matter) we find that neither of these perceptions are true.
He was neither a drunken/fool on one hand nor a Roman Bishop/other.
How does he reveal himself?
4 areas/thought on this matter:
1) PATRICK'S SLAVERY - PHYSICAL & SPIRITUAL:
Assumed (not told) he came from Britain to Ireland. Scotland? Wales?...some venture to say: France. Not vitally important.
Thought/born around 390AD If from Briton...only native Briton we know anything about from this era.
A/ Christianity had already come/Britain. His father (Calpurnius) was a
deacon/Celtic Church & also a high ranking civil servant under
Roman Empire. Patrick: known the old Celtic tongue & also Latin
(privileged) Our advantage: his writings in Latin.
B/ Despite His Christian upbringing, Patrick tells us that he rebelled
against it all. In his Confession: "Knew not true/God...departed from
God and
kept not His commandments and disobeyed those who preached to him
salvation." Try/picture him sitting in simple meetings, ever
resisting the claims/invitations of the gospel:
Hearing words like Jn 7:37/Matt 11:28 and saying: Not for me!
When this is the case, you are looking at spiritual slavery. Patrick's Bible tells us this:
John 8:34 Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin.
2 Timothy 2:26 led captive by the devil at his will
C/ Such spiritual slavery soon gave way to the physical.
When 16 years old...Irish raiders came and killed some servants and carried away others plus Patrick. A common occurrence. Patrick:
Many thousands of persons were carried away/Ireland. A very traumatic
time. Patrick quotes Bible: The Lord pouring upon him the fury of His
anger...So it was no picnic!
D/ Worth saying here...God was in control/events. Get the big picture.
Events just don't happen... ordained before hand. Humanly speaking this
ought to have driven Ireland ever from Patrick's thoughts... created
undying bitterness etc., too painful memories. But it didn't. Psalm
76:10 Certainly so here. Patrick himself: God kept me...before I knew
him and
before I had discernment between good/evil, [God] protected/comforted
me as a father doth his son. And yet he was still unsaved. Still a
rebel/God. But God was in control/all things. Still the same God today.
2) PATRICK'S CONVERSION BY THE GRACE OF GOD:
A/ Like the Prodigal Son...Patrick: down/dumps in a strange land &
most miserable. Began to think about home. Advantage. Though a
rebel/God...familiar with the gospel/Christ. Flooded back.
B/ Sat among the heathen Irish/great hardship he tells us:
The Lord opened/understanding of my unbelieving heart that I might recall my sins & turn/all my heart to the Lord my God.
Recalling/sins is important: Luke 5:32 Patrick: did a very un-Irish thing!
Did not deny/excuse sin or cover it up.
When enslaved, (Cp Repentant Thief) ack: slavery was his just deserts.
We can see here Repentance...so necessary/saved (Luke 13:3)
C/ As quoted...He turned/all heart to the Lord His God. (Faith)
Believed God would receive him. Believed He could receive him.
How can God receive the guilty sinner? Patrick's doctrinal part:
Christ overcoming death when interpreted (light/NT) refers:
Cross-work of Jesus Christ. Substitutionary atonement/Christ:
Summed up: Galatians 2:20 i.e. paid price for our sins.
D/ Patrick speaks often re: grace/God. Key/salvation: Ephesians 2:8-9
Every word here: important. Not of works...religious/otherwise.
E/ How can we tell Patrick truly converted?
Gave the evidence of a new life.
Before: Unlearned/clownish. Lived as a fool lived. Lived without God in sin/rebellion.
Afterwards: Sober life. Became a praying man - true praying - studied Bible. (Writings are saturated/Scripture)
Test of a true Christian: Nothing vague about this.
Bible is very precise/matter: Matthew 7:21/2 Corinthians 13:5
If you have just a vague notion/salvation...you can readily improve it.
Vagueness: Probably linked to mere religious views without any real place give/authority of the Bible.
3) PATRICK'S RETURN TO PREACH THE GOSPEL:
After his conversion/grace of God...escaped/slavery. Walked 200 miles (foot?) & took boat/Britain and was reunited/family.
A/ His days/slavery had stood him in good stead.
Often alone in communion/God/.
Learned Irish language/customs & borne testimony to his faith/among the captives. Truly: Romans 8:28
B/ "A few years later"...He had a dream:
"And there verily I saw in the night
visions a man whose name was Victoricus coming as it were from Ireland
with countless letters. And he gave me one of them, and I read the beginning of the letter, which was entitled, "The Voice of the Irish"; and while
I was reading aloud the beginning of the letter, I thought that at that
very moment I heard the voice of them who lived beside the wood of
Foclut which is nigh unto the western sea. And thus they cried, as with
one mouth, "We beseech thee, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more." And I was exceedingly broken in heart, and could
read no further. And so I awoke. Thanks be to God that after very many
years the Lord granted to them according to their cry."
C/ Despite every fear/dread/nasty memory he might have had: Patrick
returned again/Ireland to preach the gospel/Irish. We know that he had
to overcome druids etc., He faced great opposition from the High
King/Tara and many other dangers etc., but he remained faithful/calling and saw many churches established/island.
D/ He particularly speaks of people turning from idols.
He tells us again how such a transformation came about:
"I am a debtor exceedingly to God who
granted me such great grace that many peoples through me should be
regenerated to God [born again]"
Patrick preached (like the Lord Jesus/Apostles) the need of the new birth.
The old heart cannot be patched up...it needs to be made new. " a new heart will I give you..." (Ezekiel 36:26)
4) PATRICK'S GOSPEL - ABLE TO SAVE SINNERS:
Entitled our message: Will the real St Patrick please stand up? We contrasted the two extremes of modern perception.
A/ Patrick preached holiness/life.
This rules out the drunken Leprechaun type figure.
On one occasion, he returned the gifts people gave him (caused some
offence) but he desired to "keep myself warily in all things" so that
he would give no occasion to the unbelievers etc., to defame/disparage
him.
Far removed from drunkenness/gross ungodliness associated with this day.
B/ Was St Patrick a Roman Bishop?
Was he sent/Ireland by the Pope?
If so...no mention of it.
Seems very strange especially when we are looking at a not inconsiderable amount of his writings.
An argument from silence is no argument at all.
Historical fact: Early Celtic Church was independent from Rome until long after Patrick.
Interesting: No mention in Patrick's writings of any distinctive Roman doctrines.
No mention of BVM for example.
Writings are thoroughly evangelical in character.
C/ In Patrick's Ireland...there was a Bishop for each Church. Goldwin Smith: "There seems to have been a bishop in every village" (Irish History & Irish Character p.33) This effectively rules out prelacy. Bishop = Teaching Elder.
D/ Whatever we may think of Patrick...more important:
What do we think of Jesus Christ?
If Patrick was here...Patrick would preach Christ.
He says: "I have devoted myself to the end/my life to Christ my Lord"
Patrick would preach: Acts 4:12/Romans 10:13
At the end of that doctrinal part known as Patrick's Confession...he specifically quotes Psalm 50:15
"Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will deliver thee..."
That's the way/salvation. Appeal.
THE END
Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland