The story I want to tell you this afternoon is called The Link in the Chain. The Link in the Chain. There's many links in the chain in a person coming to Christ. I know what my own life was like. There was my wife's mother praying for me for 30 years or more. There was a daughter that prayed for about nine years. There was people in this church, in this neighbourhood, praying. Going out to the Graham Crusade on the invitation of the local pastor was another link in the chain. And hearing a message from the Bible, spoken by Billy Graham, was another link in the chain. There's many links in the chain. Sometimes we could be the first link, the second link, the third link, or it could be the final link. And we really know that the final link really is the Holy Spirit of God through the Word of God. But the challenge, fellas, is to make sure we're not the missing link. The missing link. This story I'm about to tell you is a true story. And it is a remarkable story. It concerns a Baptist pastor called the Reverend Francis Dixon from Bournemouth in England, and a layman in Sydney called Mr. Jenner. I first heard the story way back in about 1964, 65 in New Zealand. and it was told by the Reverend Francis Dixon and it made a big impression on me and I've never ceased to tell this story. There are some sequels to this story which I'll share at the end. It was in 1950 that the Reverend Francis Dixon, in his church in England, he had a young people's leader called Peter. And Peter, one Saturday night, was asked to give his testimony. And it went something like this. He said, in 1945, I was in the Royal Navy, and I was stationed in Sydney, Australia. And one day, I'm walking down George Street, Sydney, and a middle-aged man, soft-spoken, came up to me and said, excuse me, fellow, I just want to ask you one question. Please don't be annoyed. But this is a question I'd like to ask you. If you were to die tonight, where would you spend eternity? Would it be in heaven? Or would it be in hell? For the Bible says it's going to be one place or the other. Would you give consideration to it? Goodbye. And Peter said, why? I've never had anybody speak to me like that at all. No sir. And this thought played on my mind, where am I going to spend eternity? Well, Peter returned home to England and he sought the counsel of Reverend Francis Dixon and Francis Dixon led him to the Lord. After telling Francis Dixon this story, he wasn't sure where he was going to spend eternity because this man asked him, So this man was the first link in the chain. That was in 1950. In 1953, the Reverend Francis Dixon was having a mission in his church. And one Saturday night six young men were asked to give their word of personal testimony of how they became a Christian. And one young fellow, a fellow called Noel, during his talk said that during the Second World War, I was in the Royal Navy. I was stationed in Sydney, Australia, and one day I'm walking down George Street, Sydney, and a middle-aged man, quietly spoken, came up to me and said, excuse me, fella, I'd just like to ask you one question. Please don't be annoyed, but if you were to die tonight, where would you spend eternity? Would it be in heaven or would it be in hell? for the Bible says it's going to be one place or the other. Would you give consideration to it? Goodbye." And now I said, boy, this shook me to my boots. And he said, while in Sydney, he said, I start to attend some church service and one night I heard the gospel message for the first time and invited Christ to come into my life. Well, after the meeting at the Saturday night, This fella Peter, the first fella, happened to be there and he went up to Noel and he said, Noel, you've got my testimony. So they shared notes and here it was. So they had the same testimony. Same place, Sydney, Australia, George Street, Sydney, same man, same message, same awakening, same result. Came to Christ. Links in the chain. Later on, in 1953, the Reverend Francis Dixon was in Adelaide, South Australia, talking on personal evangelism one Sunday morning. And he told the story of Peter and Noel. And halfway through the service, a man stood up. He says, Sir, I'm another. Right halfway through the service. You'd think you'd get a Salvation Army turn out, wouldn't you? That happened to me in Brisbane one night while I was preaching. A fellow got up in the middle of the service, just like that, and boy there was like revival. But this fellow got up in the middle of the service and said, I'm another. And Francis Dixon said, give us your story. He said, well I was in the Australian Navy during the Second World War, and I'm also stationed in Sydney. And I'm walking down George Street, Sydney one day, and a middle-aged man come up to me. He said, excuse me, sir, could I ask you one question? Please don't be annoyed. But if you were to die tonight, where would you spend eternity? Would it be in heaven or would it be in hell? Well, the Bible says it's going to be one place or another. Goodbye. Now, this fellow was a churchgoer, but he'd never given consideration to things, eternal things. He sought the counsel of a minister, and that minister led him to the Lord. But he had to have that first link in the chain. This man, whose name was Murray Willis, became one of South Australia's leading Christians. I'm going over to Adelaide on invitation in July, and I'm going to make enquiries if this man's still alive and about, because I'll be very personally interested. Well, getting on with the story. Reverend Francis Dixon went from Adelaide to Perth on a week's mission, and one night in the mission he told the story of Peter, Noel, and Murray. And after the meeting one night, a deacon of the church, a leader of Christian Endeavour, it was the Fremantle Baptist Church, came up to Francis Dixon and said, Sir, I'm just another. He says, give me a story. And it was the same thing in the Royal Australian Navy, stationed in Sydney, walking down George Street, Sydney one day. The same question, the same stirring up, the same result. He came to Christ. So that was number four. Francis Dixon went back to England and told the same story one Sunday morning in a church of these four men, Peter, Noel, Murray and the deacon. And after the service, a young girl came up to him and said, Sir, I'm another. You, another? Tell me how it happened. She said, well, I was in the rent. during the time of the war, and if nobody here knows what the Wrens is, that's the women's side of the Navy. Ask me, I used to know. Well, she said she was walking down Sydney one day, and a middle-aged man, sort of a gracious type of fella, stopped her. And he said, excuse me, dear, but I'd like to ask you one question. Please don't be annoyed, but if you were to die tonight, where would you spend eternity? Would it be in heaven or would it be in hell? For the Bible says it's going to be one place or the other. Would you give consideration to it? Goodbye." And this girl said, boy, she said, this really stirred me up. And she said, I sought counsel from a local minister too, and he led me to the Lord. So that was number five. And Francis Dixon goes on to tell how he was in Keswick later on in England. And he spoke at a Methodist church one Sunday morning. And there he found, number six, same circumstances, same story, same place, same results. And the person he found in Keswick happened to be another Englishman, a Royal Navy man. In 1957, in India, Francis Dixon was asked to speak to a group of missionaries that had assembled from all over I don't know where it was, could have been in Delhi, Madras, or Bangalore. And Francis Dixon thought, boy, these people should be ministering unto me. But those of us that know about the missionaries on the field, they need a lot of ministering unto. They're so busy. They just burn out for Christ in those lands over there. So Francis Dixon was led to tell a story of these six people. and what happened in their life. And after the meeting, a middle-aged lady came up to Francis Dixon and said, Sir, I'm another. You another? Tell me the story. She said, Well, I was like that young girl that you spoke about, and I was in the Wrens, and I was stationed in Sydney, Australia, and I'm walking down George Street, Sydney one day when a very gracious Quite spoken, humble man, came up to me and said, excuse me, dear, but could I ask you one question? Please don't be offended. But if you were to die tonight, where would you spend eternity? Would it be in heaven or would it be in hell? But the Bible says it's going to be one place or the other. Please give consideration to it. Goodbye. So she said she did give consideration to it and was led to Christ not long after because This man, Mr. Jenner, was a link in the chain. And Francis Dixon goes on to finish the story and says later in Jamaica he found number eight with the same circumstances, same story, same result. Well, Francis Dixon was a world traveller and conference speaker and he thought next time I go back to Sydney I'll try and seek out this man. used to be in George Street, Sydney, giving this one message. So there's a Mr. Alec Gilchrist here in Sydney, so many of you know him. He has the finger on so many things going in the evangelical world, and Francis Dixon is a friend of his. And by the way, I had the privilege of praying in this church with Francis Dixon before I even knew this story. And Francis Dixon said, Alec, Alec Gilchrist, would you know of a man, the Jew in the Second World War, would we be down George Street, Sydney, asking him these particular questions? Oh, he said, I know him well. His name is Mr. Jenner. He said, could you take me out to meet him? He said, yes, I know where he lives. So he took him out to Surry Hills Way somewhere. He had a little cottage, very humble living. And he met this Mr. Jenner. And he asked him what he was doing. about this special type of witnessing. And Mr. Jenner said, well, for the past 25 years, he said, I've been speaking to at least 10 people a day, but I just have this one line of approach. He said, I pray, I don't meet everybody and speak to everybody, but I just pray, Lord, which one do you want me to speak to? I might speak to this one, that one, that one. And he said, I'm just led by the spirit of God, who to speak to. And Francis Dixon said, well, he said, look, he said, I have found eight people in my small circle that have come to Christ through you being the first link in the chain. How many more must there be? And they discussed the value of personal witnessing. And Francis Dixon happened to say that not one of these eight were in the habit of attending a church. They needed a layman to go to them, to tell them the news about eternity. And another thing too, wise fellows, that the first four men, which was Peter, Noel, Murray and the deacon, became outstanding leaders in Christian work. You see, Mr. Jenner was just a man filled with the love of Christ. And Colossians 1, 27, 29 sums it up for me for Mr. Jenner, that God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, and base things of the world, and the things which are despised have God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence." Colossians 1, 27-29. But there came a very stirring point in this meeting with Mr. Jenner by Francis Dixon. Mr. Jenner heard all this about what had happened. Mr. Jenner said with a tear in his eye, I believe, he said, Reverend Francis Dixon, I've spoken to hundreds of people. Yeah, I've really spoken to thousands, but I've never led one person to Jesus Christ. I've just been a link. in the chain. Francis Dixon, when I heard him tell this story, closed. The little story about a lady in England attending an exhibition very similar to our Royal Easter show. She was by herself and she was just about to go through the turnstiles when two young boys came racing up to her, two young urchins, you know, two young ragamuffins. And they said, lady, lady, can you help us to get in? Can you help us to get in, please? She said, boys, behave yourself, please. They said, lady, lady, can you help us to get in? And just for peace sake, she opened the purse, pulled out two coins, put them in the turnstile, and these two boys raced through like the old Bondi tram. Well, about an hour later, she's walking through one of the pavilions, And she heard a little voice in the distance saying, hey George, hey George, there's the one that helped us to get in. And the Reverend Francis Dixon said, wouldn't it be wonderful in the day of glory when we meet the Lord face to face in the day of heavenly sunshine that we just might hear in the distance somebody saying, Hey George, hey George, there's the one that helped us to get in. And fellas, I'm challenged on that story. I don't necessarily want to be the last link, but I want to be one link in the chain of people coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who's not only my Saviour and Lord, my God, but the one who is my very life, the one who has given me full abundant life and true to his promise where he said I'm come that you might have life and you might have it more abundantly. Have you ever been a link in the chain of somebody coming to Christ? Well if you've spoken when you've asked to speak you'll never know until the day of glory until you get there somebody that you've spoken to who's been there because you've been a link in the chain Perhaps the first link, the second link, may have been the last link. But fellas, please, please do not be the missing link. Do not be the missing link. Let me share with you just some sequels of this story. We were very fortunate in 66, 67 to have an eight month trip around the world with the invitation of navigators to go to most places where the navigators were working. were away eight months. We spent four and a half months in the United States, and one night over on the East Coast I spoke to a group of Navigator contacts, fellas, and in that group was a fella called Jim Conradge. He had just finished three years in a Bible college. And when we left we had to go out and go elsewhere. and eventually end up in England. But the Navigator representative, Ron York, wrote me a letter and it was there for me in London when I arrived. This fellow, Jim Conrads, was really challenged by the message. And he had the thought in his heart, boy, I'm not too sure, even though I've been three years in a Bible college, I'm not really sure where I'm going to spend eternity. So he sought the counsel of Ron York. The Navigator representative, Ron York, took him in the lounge, opened the Bible, and for the very first time, Jim Conrad saw his need to personally invite Christ to come into his life. And this was a blessing. And Ron York wrote me in London to tell me about him. So that was one sequel. Another sequel was, there's a businessman in Oklahoma City called Gene Wall, We stayed at his home by invitation, and I told the story of the link in the chain there. And it so gripped Gene Moore, this man was a conference speaker, he came to me the next day and said, would you mind giving me the notes again on that link in the chain story? He said, I could use it, I speak a lot on personal evangelism, and this could encourage people. I said, yes. So I gave him the notes, and we left there to go to Minneapolis, Minnesota. where my spiritual father lives, which is roughly about 700 miles away. We were there for about a week, and one night there was a person-to-person call from Oklahoma City to Jack Griffin. And I answered the phone, I said, is this Jack Griffin speaking? Hey, it's Gene Waugh here. What do you think, Jack? I found another, I found another. I didn't know what the poor guy was talking about. My thoughts didn't go to the link in the chain. And he was so excited. Tell me, Gene, what's it all about? You know that story you told us about Link and the Chain? Yeah! He said, well I went up to Columbus in Georgia, and there was a group of fellas there, and I told this story. And he said, after the meeting, he said, an army chaplain came up to me. He said, Gene Waugh, he said, I'm another. And Gene Moore said, you, here? He said, tell me your story. He said, I was with the United States troops. I was an ordinary soldier stationed in Sydney, Australia. I'm walking down George Street, Sydney one day when a middle-aged man walked up to me and said, excuse me, I'd like to ask you a question. Please don't be offended. But if you were to die tonight, where would you spend eternity? Would it be in heaven or would it be in hell? Please give consideration to it. Goodbye. This army chaplain said, boy, that really stirred me up. I'd never given any thought of where I was going to spend eternity. So I used to then start to attend the army church parades. And it wasn't long before I heard the gospel message and received Christ into my life and found a complete new life in him. And when I come back to the States, I went through Bible college and now I'm an army chaplain. So Jean War had cause to rejoice, and so did I. That was another sequel. Another sequel was that we were invited to travel to Barcelona, Spain. There was a missionary off the normal run of the tracks, and we were asked to go and spend four or five days with him just to encourage the dear fellow. His name was John Blake, and one of the navigator men in Italy during the time of the war had a big ministry in his life. But he was out in Spain slogging it away for the Lord, and we met him, and we had a real lovely time of encouragement in his life and his wife's life. So I told him the story of the link and the chain. Oh, he said, that really thrills my heart. He said, would you come down to the little Bible college I've got, there's only about six or seven people, and tell that story tomorrow morning and let me get it on tape? I said, yes, I do, I will. So I went down the next morning, I told the story and put it on tape. I got a letter from him, oh, it must have been about 18 months after we came back from our world trip, so this would have been roughly in about 68, 69. And he said, I just want to tell you, Jack, that story, the link and the chain has really been used. He said, first of all, in my own life, He said, I get that story out a couple of times a year, I listen to it, I'm challenged, and he said, each time I listen to it, tears come to my eyes, the challenge that's in that story. But let me tell you this, he said, I made contact with an army captain, an American army that was stationed in Barcelona, and he heard it, and he got it all on fire about witnessing. He went back to his barracks, and they repaired to about eight or nine months, led another six or seven people to the Lord, because he was stirred up. on the story of the link in the chain. That was another sequel. By the way, there's another sequel happened in the Shamgar here about three years ago. You fellows from the Church of England, St. Ives, would know a Dr. Gordon Stokes. And I'm telling the link in the chain story in this church one day, and halfway through the story, he got up, Jack, Jack, Jack, it's just a second, Gordon, let me finish my story. He said, no, he said, I want to tell you. I said, what do you want to tell me? He said, I'm another. There's a young fella, and he told the story. You fellas that know him will know his testimony. Just walking down George Street, Sydney one day, a man came up to him and asked him these same questions, had the same results. He came to Christ afterwards. We were speaking at the Navigator home in Stratford a couple of years ago. The Navigator was Franklin Elliot. They told this story, and I said at the end, if anybody's not sure where they're going to spend eternity, seek the counsel of Frank Lillard or his wife. And there was a young girl there, Jennifer, and a young fellow called Alan, two university students, were not sure and wanted to make sure. So they were led to Christ that particular night. And while down in Melbourne about 18 months ago, I'm not sure, 18 months or two years ago, Bob, do you know Chris? About two years ago, I was in Harvey Soderholm's home, you were there that night. And I told the link in the chain story. I'm not quite sure whether you brought him up or not, Bob, but somebody brought this young fellow up to me, and he wanted to know how he could know where to spend eternity. So we sat down on the lounge, we got out the steps to peace with God, and we, by the grace of God, just led him to the Lord. And this fella now has had a ministry in somebody else's life. I just want to tell you these things, just by the grace of God, how God works. But we fellas, we've just got to be alert to the hungry hearts that are about. We aren't about us. I want to leave you with three verses, if you'll take a note of them please. Three verses. The first one is 1 Corinthians 15 58. You can look them up when you go home if you like. 1 Corinthians 15, 58. Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. The next verse is Psalm 126, 5 and 6. 126, 5 and 6. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seeds shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Could I ask you a personal question? How long is it since you've shed tears for the unsaved? How long? You don't have to answer me on that, but I think you have to answer the Lord. And finally, Galatians 6.9, And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Now I'm the type of fella that takes nothing for granted, Rudy. And there may be one person in this group here now that's not sure, not doubly sure, You haven't got a Bible-based assurance of where you're going to spend eternity. Let me just share with you how you can know, just briefly. First of all, two things you might like to take a note of, because if you know, that's okay, but you might like to share this briefly with somebody else, your loved ones, your friends, your neighbors. Two things you must know. First thing you must know is that your sin has offended God. Your sin has offended God. Romans 3.23, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and that all includes you and includes me. And Ecclesiastes 7.20 says, For there is not a just man on earth that deareth good and sinneth not. That's the first thing you should know. The second thing you must know is that Jesus Christ died to pay the entire penalty for that sin. Jesus Christ died to pay the entire penalty for that sin, Romans 5.8. But God committed his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. So that's the two things you must know. Then there's one thing you must do. and I'm taking all this from the Bible, one thing you must do, you must personally invite the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your heart and life. You must personally invite the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your heart and life. First, to forgive you your sins, to forgive your sins. If you want a scripture reference on that, it's Acts 10.43. I won't quote it, you can look it up. The second thing you must do, or the second reason why you want Christ in your life, is to give you the gift of eternal life. To give you the gift of eternal life. And you all should know 1 John 5, 11 and 12. So the first reason why you want Him in your life is to forgive your sins. The second is to give you the gift of eternal life. And the third is to be your Savior and to be your Lord. How do you invite him to come in? Just by a personal invitation, as I said. For the risen and resurrected, Lord Jesus said in Revelation 3.20, he said, behold, I stand at the door and knock. I stand at your heart's door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, he says, I will come into him and I will supper with him and he with me. And we should just pray the prayer, the childlike prayer, Lord Jesus, come into my heart and life. You might say, Jack, I'm not sure. Make sure. Make sure. What's the thing that's going to stop you making sure in most cases? Pride. That's right, John, pride. Chinese proverb says to commence a journey of a thousand miles, you must take the first step. The Bible says the first step in becoming a Christian is to receive Christ into your heart and life. And for the one here this afternoon that possibly may have some doubt about it all, let me ask you a personal question. As you've read in the Steps to Peace with God, is there any good reason that's stopping you from inviting Jesus Christ into your heart and life right now? If there's any doubt, step up before you go to bed tonight. That's a thing you should do on your knees before the Lord. Just personally invite Him to come in. Know the forgiveness of sins, know the gift of eternal life, and know the full abundant life in Him. And that is the finish of the story of the link in the chain. I hope you enjoyed it. I trust you might have been challenged by it as I was challenged afresh in telling you. Amen.