PATRICK, A MAN OF DREAMS
SERMON STARTER
Today is March 17th. On this day the year 461 AD the Patron Saint of Ireland died. His real name wasn't Patrick, but Maewyn Succat. He was most likely born in today's Scotland or Wales. He was captured by Irish raiders as a 16-year-old in northern Britain, Patrick was taken across the Irish Sea by pirates and sold into slavery.
He was born in Britain around the A.D. 390 to an aristocratic Christian family with a townhouse, a country villa, and plenty of slaves. At 16, Patrick’s world turned upside down. He was kidnapped and sent overseas to tend sheep as a slave in the chilly, mountainous countryside of Ireland for seven years.
According to folklore, Patrick had a dream that showed him how to escape! He found passage on a pirate ship back to Britain, where he was reunited with his family.
His dreams then told him to go back to Ireland, which he did as a missionary spent the rest of his life evangelizing Ireland with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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.”
At the age of 46, Maewyn returned to Ireland. He was not well received when he first went to Ireland but through the next 29 years, much was accomplished by Maewyn:
Baptized 120,000 – Planted some 300-700 churches – He Converted Pirates, Pagans Paupers and Princes – He was credited with performing a thousand miracles.
Pastor Phil <><<
March 17, 2019 - St. Patrick's Day
Sheepfold Ministries - Pastor Phil Roland <><<
PATRICK, A MAN OF DREAMS
"Patrick was a man of dreams. Through an anointed dream, God led him out of terrifying circumstances as an Irish slave and back to his family in England. His dreams motivated him again to return to Ireland as a priest, missionary and Bishop. He inspires us to live for Christ." Pastor Phil <><<
Numbers 12:6
6 Then He said, "Hear now My words: "If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.
28 "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. Joel 2:28; Acts 2:26
PATRICK HAD THREE NAMES DURING HIS LIFETIME
1) Maewyn Succat was born in 387 AD in Roman Britain (MY-win SUK-kat)
2) Patercius, Roman, Latin Name (Pa-TER-cius)
3) Patrick was his Gaelicized Name (PAH-trick)
PATRICK WAS LED BY HIS DREAMS TWICE
1. In Ireland where he was held captive six years from his 16th to his 22nd birthday. God spoke in a dream to the young man who found Christ through his hardships. He was told to go South to Dublin where he found passage on a pirate ship that took him back to Britain. He was reunited with his overjoyed family.
2. He became a Priest in England and had a parish. However, he was tormented by dreams of the Irish calling to him, "Come back to us, Patrick!" He asked his Bishop in England if he could become a missionary to Ireland. He poured himself out 29 years, evangelizing the Island. His ecclesiastical structure became a model for all of Western Europe.
THREE TRAITS OF PATRICK WE CAN ADMIRE AND FOLLOW
I. PATRICK WAS A MAN OF PRAYER - Psalm 109:4
4 In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
A. David was a Man of Prayer, so was Patrick
1. As a slave, he was trained to be a shepherd by fellow slave Cedd who became his close friend
2. Cedd was a Christian and led his friend to Christ
B. Patrick said hundreds of prayers day and night
1. Patrick's early hardships taught him dependency on God
2. Daily communion with God was his highest priority
C. The Apostle Paul taught us to pray with Rejoicing- 1 Thes. 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
PATRICK, A MAN OF DREAMS, cont., p.2
D. He taught us to give up Anxiety and Worry - Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus. In the same way, we must pray and trust God
to direct our lives.
SECOND TRAIT OF PATRICK WE CAN ADMIRE AND FOLLOW
II. PATRICK WAS A MAN OF PATIENCE - James 1:2-4
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the
testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that
you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
A. PATIENCE DEFINED - “The ability to endure hardship or inconvenience without complaint.”
1. It took Patrick from his 22nd birthday to his 46th before
God commissioned him to do his life's work
2. He earned favor with his superiors
3. He earned his education and became fluent in several languages
B. PASTOR PHIL’S DEFINITION - “The ability to have your heart broken and healed by the Master’s Hand and still be able to love, forgive and
restore your perpetrators in the future.”
C. Acquiring the Patience of Patrick requires Obedience -Acts 2:42
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
1. Patience comes by doing Right Things Consistently
2. Obedience and Steadfastness come with a Promise
"He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” Rev. 21:7
D. The Patience of Patrick Requires an Act of the Will – John 15:14
“"You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”
E. Patience is developed through facing and dealing with Trials
“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and
character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God
has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given unto us." Romans 5:3-5
THIRD TRAIT OF PATRICK WE CAN ADMIRE AND FOLLOW
I. PATRICK WAS A MAN OF PERSEVERANCE - Phil. 3:13,14
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
A. Patrick applied for missionary status to go to Ireland
1. He was consistently refused because of false accusations
2. Finally when he was 46 officials relented and sent him
PATRICK, A MAN OF DREAMS, cont., p.3
B. When falsely accused Jesus said we're in good company
11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of
evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for
great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who
were before you. Matthew 5:11-12
C. Remember, without Injustice there would be. . .
1. No Abraham who heard God to tell him – Genesis 12:1
“get thee out of your country … unto a land that I will show you” 2. No “Prophet Moses” without Standing before Pharaoh
3. No Joshua without the battles in Canaan
4. No David without Goliath and his flights from Saul
5. No Daniel without the lions
6. No apostles without persecutions
7. No Jesus without the cross
D. Never forget Patrick's Spiritual Vow to Persevere
Christ in me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ
beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ
when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the
heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouths of everyone who
speaks of me, Christ in the eye of everyone that sees me, Christ in every
ear that hears me.
OLD IRISH BLESSING
May your day be blessed.
May your road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warmly upon your face
May the rain fall softly upon all that you plant
And until we meet again,
May God cradle you in the palm of His hand.
GOOGLE,
Bible Characters God speaks to in Dreams
https://www.gotquestions.org/dreams-visions-Bible.html
Luke 18:6-7 (NKJV)
6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.
7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?
God tells Miriam and Aaron
6 Then He said, "Hear now My words: "If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.
7 Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. 8 I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?" Numbers 12:6-8
God's Wisdom and Direction
Asking God for Interpretation -
Physical Visions and Dreams - Pursuing God's Will on earth. . .". . .Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven."
Joel 2:28; Acts 2:26
28 "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.
Acts 2:17 (NKJV)
17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
Daniel 1:17 (NKJV)
17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
Genesis 20:3 (NKJV)
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, "Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife."
Genesis 40:8 (NKJV)
8 And they said to him, "We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it." So Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please."
Joseph was a dreamer of dreams
Genesis 37:5-8 (NKJV)
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.
6 So he said to them, "Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf."
8 And his brothers said to him, "Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Matthew 2:13 (NKJV)
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."
Matthew 2:19-20 (NKJV)
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."
Numbers 12:6-8 (NKJV)
6 Then He said, "Hear now My words: "If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.
7 Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house.
8 I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?"
Matthew 1:19-25 (NKJV)
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
PROFESSOR ROBERT WHITAKER'S PROPHESY
At my Bible School in Anaheim we always started class with 10 minutes of worship and in the silence that followed Dr. Whitaker have a word of prophesy.
"One of you hot shots thinks he's gonna set the world on fire. You're wrong. He going to send you out into the sticks where you can feel lost and forgotten, before He ever shows you what He wants you to do."
In my heart I said,
Gulp! That's for me!"
Patrick was 45 before the Lord called him to his anointed work in Ireland. I was 36 before I knelt with Lois as an ordaining counsel ordained me / us into the Gospel Ministry full time in NE Ohio / NW Pennsylvania.
Raiding parties, with warriors known as the "Picts," would land somewhere on the coast and, if the place was inhabited, would usually do a "smash and grab job" of looting – young people, animals, clothes, weapons, etc. – and if they were opposed by anyone, they would kill them in order to get what they wanted. They were able to run inland for about three miles non-stop while leaving a handful of men to guard their vessels.
On one such raid, Patrick was snatched and brought to Ireland as a slave. His job was to mind the sheep at night in case wolves, wild dogs, foxes or even wild bears would take them or their lambs. He did this on the slopes of the Slemish Mountains in County Antrim.
We know from our history that Patrick's father was a deacon and, therefore, a good Catholic. He was one who taught the faith in his own community, and no doubt one who prayed unceasingly for Patrick in a special way after his son's kidnapping, asking the Lord for his safe return.
Patrick often thought about the Irish and prayed for their conversion to the faith. During his time in Ireland, even though he was a slave, he had developed a profound relationship with God and a great ability to pray.
Later, as he said himself in his "Confessions," he was tormented by the "Voice of the Irish," whom he had heard calling in the night: "Come back to us Patrick."
https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/st-patricks-life-kidnapping-catholic
