Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

On January 6, after the Americans had spent several days of waiting and shouting basic Huaorani phrases into the jungle, the first Huaorani visitors arrived.

A young man and two women emerged on the opposite river bank around 11:15 a.m., and soon joined the missionaries at their encampment.

The younger of the two women had come against the wishes of her family, and the man, named Nankiwi, who was romantically interested in her, followed.

The older woman (about thirty years old) acted as a self-appointed chaperone.

he men gave them several gifts, including a model plane, and the visitors soon relaxed and began conversing freely, apparently not realizing that the men’s language skills were weak.

Nankiwi, whom the missionaries nicknamed “George”, showed interest in their aircraft, so Saint took off with him aboard.

They first completed a circuit around the camp, but Nankiwi appeared eager for a second trip, so they flew toward Terminal City.

Upon reaching a familiar clearing, Nankiwi recognized his neighbors, and leaning out of the plane, wildly waved and shouted to them.

Later that afternoon, the younger woman became restless, and though the missionaries offered their visitors sleeping quarters, Nankiwi and the young woman left the beach with little explanation.

The older woman apparently had more interest in conversing with the missionaries, and remained there most of the night.

After seeing Nankiwi in the plane, a small group of Huaorani decided to make the trip to Palm Beach, and left the following morning, January 7. On the way, they encountered Nankiwi and the girl, returning unescorted.

The girl’s brother, Nampa, was furious at this, and to defuse the situation and divert attention from himself, Nankiwi claimed that the foreigners had attacked them on the beach, and in their haste to flee, they had been separated from their chaperone.

Gikita, a senior member of the group whose experience with outsiders had taught him that they could not be trusted, recommended that they kill the foreigners.

The return of the older woman and her account of the friendliness of the missionaries was not enough to dissuade them, and they soon continued toward the beach.

On January 8 the missionaries waited, expecting a larger group of Huaorani to arrive sometime that afternoon, if only to get plane rides.

Saint made several trips over Huaorani settlements, and on the following morning he noted a group of Huaorani men traveling toward Palm Beach.

He excitedly relayed this information to his wife over the radio at 12:30 p.m., promising to make contact again at 4:30 p.m.

The Huaorani arrived at Palm Beach around 3:00 p.m., and in order to divide the foreigners before attacking them, they sent three women to the other side of the river.

One, Dawa, remained hidden in the jungle, but the other two showed themselves.

Two of the missionaries waded into the water to greet them, but were attacked from behind by Nampa.

Apparently attempting to scare him, Elliot, the first missionary to be speared, drew his pistol and began firing.

One of these shots mildly injured Dawa, still hidden, and another grazed the missionary’s attacker after he was grabbed from behind by one of the women.  . . .

The other missionary in the river, Fleming, before being speared, desperately reiterated friendly overtures and asked the Huaorani why they were killing them.

Meanwhile, the other Huaorani warriors, led by Gikita, attacked the three missionaries still on the beach, spearing Saint first, then McCully as he rushed to stop them.

Youderian ran to the airplane to get to the radio, but he was speared as he picked up the microphone to report the attack.

The Huaorani then threw the men’s bodies and their belongings in the river, and ripped the fabric from their aircraft.

They then returned to their village and, anticipating retribution, burned it to the ground and fled into the jungle.

This is the recounting of what happened to five missionaries who gave their lives trying to preach the gospel to the Acua Tribe in Ecuador.

Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian lost all they had to gain what they could not lose.

Their story has been chronicled in books, movies, and countless other formats.

What is of interest to us this morning is their faithfulness to preach the gospel no matter the cost, but also to know this key result of their sacrifice.

The deaths of these men galvanized the missionary effort in the US.

Not only did the Acua people come to know who Christ is, it spurred on thousands, dare we say millions to boldly fund and selflessly proclaim the gospel.

The most infamous quote from Jim Elliot’s journal reads, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

- Jim Elliot

This is an example of what life looks like when the gospel is prized more than life itself.

This morning the question we must all wrestle with is “How much to I love the gospel?”

The second question is “What am I willing to do to advance the gospel?”

The Gospel Advancing Through Difficulty

What is not typical for any of us is to ignore the circumstances in life that we find ourselves in.

And yet in this letter Paul penned to inform the Philippian church on how he was doing, Paul failed to inform them of what he was going through.

Paul’s most urgent concern was to demonstrate that his imprisonment actually served to advance the gospel.

And what none of us will ever hear is how Paul wrote this sentence.

You see Paul used the word advance which is pronounced prokope, and what the hearer would have been expecting perhaps is the word proskope, which mean hinderance.

Paul no doubt caught his readers and hears off guard by not focusing on himself, but rather on the one thing he valued more than life itself.

He valued His Savior and the story of salvation going forward more than anything.

Paul was not focused on what he was going through because He knew and we need to know that life circumstance doesn’t define the love of God to us.

All that Paul went through was orchestrated by God for the advancement of the gospel.

This is a point of connection for us because comfort is of the highest priority for us.

And the encouragement the Philippian church recieved is the encouragement or prodding we need.

God ordains difficult times and situations to further the gospel in us and through us.

Think of Jim Elliot and what happened as they desired to reach the most vicious tribe in Ecuador at the time.

Jim for instance was away from his wife and 10 month old daughter for what was supposed to be a 6 month season to begin this gospel work.

He left family, comfort, security and safety because the Acua people needed Jesus and the truth of the gospel more than anything.

What was the encouragement that Paul left the Philippian church and by extension us?

Throughout the Imperial Guard

All that Paul was going through was advancing the gospel.

The imperial guard, which were those soldiers tasked as the emperor’s elite army, came to know that gospel is why Paul was in chains.

Paul was not in chains for any other reason than God allowed it so that Paul might reach more people with the gospel.

Each and every person that Paul spoke with during his imprisonment was an appointment ordained by God that Paul used.

Word got around that Paul was bound by chains because of Jesus and His gospel.

Normally when a person is bound those chains represent the power of the one who ordered them to be shackled.

In this instance those chains did not represent the power of Caesar.

They did not demonstrate the strength of Caesar and Caesar’s will.

Rather the chains were evidence of Christ’s power in Paul’s life.

Paul was in chains because he belonged to Jesus, those chains resulted because of his proclamation that Jesus is Lord.

Every sound the chains made were a glorious song in Paul’s ears reminding him that he, Paul, faithfully served Christ no matter the cost.

One commentator put it this way:

Imagine a guard coming on duty to watch Paul.

He had no idea who Paul is.

So he asks Paul the most common question directed at prisoners, “Why are you in chains?”

Paul’s answer is Christ-centered: “I am in chains because I belong to Christ.

I serve Christ.

Jesus Christ in humility and in obedience to God’s will died for our sins on a Roman cross under Roman power.

Jesus Christ is now the risen and exalted Lord above all powers.

Christ called me to proclaim the good news about him among the nations.

Christ is the Savior of all who trust him.

One day everyone will recognize and worship Christ as the Lord of all.”

Can’t you see Paul doing that.

And the point is not that all who heard believed, but rather all heard.

We are not responsible for the salvation of anyone.

Paul was not responsible for the salvation of anyone.

Why?

Because Paul, nor you or I died for anyone.

Jesus and the work of the Spirit applies and accomplishes salvation.

We must be moved by the Spirit always to preach the gospel so that all have the opportunity to hear and respond, to hear and have the Spirit wake them from the dead.

Brothers Speaking the Word Without Fear

What is more striking to me is the truth that the gospel advanced by emboldening Christians not in chains.

The text in Philippians continues, “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

Paul was an example to those under the same rules and laws of not worshipping anyone above Caesar, to stand strong and treasure Christ over even the highest power in the land.

I read this statement this week, “ Many words can be spoken in human discourse without the slightest risk or need for courage.

But speaking this particular word—a Christ-centered word—always requires courage.

The message of Christ’s humble obedience unto death on a cross (2:8) strikes a blow at every proud heart.

The message of Christ’s exaltation to be the universal Lord over all creation (2:9–11) requires every knee to bow before him.

Anyone who dares to speak this word outside the church, outside the comfortable circle of Christian admirers, will be inspired by Paul’s courageous witness when he was chained to the emperor’s bodyguard.”

What was disheartening to me was the read the phrase most of the brothers.

Not all who claimed the name of Christ were compelled to share the gospel.

And here is the one point where I want us all to admit that we have not done everything we can to share the gospel with others.