Dougal, Neil: Ministry 90-17 ~ Acts 26 And 27

Good evening and welcome once again. As fellow general had just remarked, keep praying and keep coming. Only a few more days, and we need all the help we can get to overcome the power of the evil one. We will see this evening, if we're in God's family, we are on the victory side. Shall we turn, please, to two scriptures? The first in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter twenty six. Acts twenty six, I'm reading verse twenty seven. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Second scripture in the Acts of the Apostles. Acts chapter, rather the Epistle to the Romans, we looked at the Acts, the Epistle to the Romans, and we shall read in chapter eight. Romans eight and verse twenty eight. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also called, and whom he called, then he also justified, and whom he justified, then he also glorified. What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, the Father that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or puto, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature or creation or thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Once again, the Lord will bless to us these readings from his precious word. In Acts chapter twenty six. Paul is before King Agrippa, and at the end of a tremendous presentation of his Christian experience, King Agrippa said, thou almost persuadest me to become a Christian, almost. But Paul wrote to the Romans, and he says, I am persuaded. Almost persuaded, but fully persuaded. Now, in what category will you be found in this evening? Almost or fully persuaded? Many years ago, I was privileged to have time spent with the great G.M. Davis, a missionary to India. And I knew personally George Cutting, who wrote the famous world track, famous track called A Safety, Certainty, and Enjoyment. George Cutting was traveling in a train one day in England, and one lady was in the compartment with him, carrying a Bible. Typical English reservation, she didn't see anything looking out the train window. Finally, he thought he would try and, eh, develop a conversation. He said to the lady, man, you're carrying a Bible. What is your persuasion? She says, sir, I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. Well, he was delighted with the answer, but he didn't quite expect that kind of an answer. So then he said to her, you're carrying a Bible, where did you worship this morning? She says, sir, I worship inside the veil. She was a genuine believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. A woman that was fully persuaded. But here is Paul in Acts twenty six, and he says in verse two, and here with Paul's conviction, we didn't read the verse in the interest of time, he says, I th- I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because I will answer for myself this day the things touching all the things whereof I'm accused of the Jews. I think myself happy. Now here's a man, he's in chains, he's in prison, and yet he's happy. You see, because he was enjoying the emancipating power of the sovereign spirit. Happy to give a- an account of his Christian experience before this King Agrippa. I wonder, do you and I have such a conviction? Are we happy to speak well of the Lord Jesus Christ? And then, not only was he a man of great conviction, but he was a man who was very courteous. He said, I know that they were an expert in all the customs and questions which are among the Jews, and every servant of the Lord ought to be very courteous. That was Paul, his conviction and his courtesy. But then he seems to develop into a great crescendo, and he comes right down to his conversion. And he said, at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the nun- noonday sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Is it hard for thee to kick against the prick? And I said, who art thou, Lord? I am Jesus, who now persecutes, but rise and stand upon thy feet. Paul was not only prepared to stand up in defense of his master, but able to tell that he was a man who was converted, born again because he must be born again. The Lord said to Nicodemus, except a man be born again, he cannot see or enter into the kingdom of heaven. So you must check your foundation tonight to see if you're really born again. Because nothing that defileth will ever enter into that celestial city. Have you ever been born again? Now, Paul knew the time, and Paul knew the place, and he, Paul knew how he got saved. Where did he get saved? On the Damascus road. When did he get saved? At noonday. How did he get saved? He saw Jesus. I can take you to the very location where I was saved, in a small town outside of Edinburgh, Scotland, place called Loan Head. Where? I can tell you when I got saved, five minutes past three on the tenth of January, nineteen thirty seven. And I can tell you how I got saved. I saw the Lord high and lifted up at the place called Calvary, bearing my sins in his own body on the tree. Now, some people don't know the day or the, the, the, the time, but the most important thing is that you must know that you are born again. That is the bottom line. And I remember on a certain special occasion, coming to your conference many, many years ago. You used to have four preachers then at the conference, and we sang the testimony chorus, and two of the preachers didn't know the day, the other two did. But the bottom line is we all knew that we were born again. That's what the challenge is tonight. Have you ever been saved? And so it was a thrill for Paul to tell King Agrippa about his conversion. And as he's relating the message, there's a man standing by, and he was called Festus. And when Paul was telling about being saved, he says, Paul, they were beside thyself. Much learning doth make thee man. He thought he was a maniac. That happens, does it not? There's a dear brother in the city of Detroit, Michigan. He says, you know, Brother Neil, they call me in this town Johnny the Craze in his broken English. In other words, they said he was crazy. They call me Johnny the Craze because wherever he goes, he tells how he got saved. He came to the city of Detroit, expecting to find gold from Italy on the streets of Detroit, and what he found was a depression. One day, Cesar Patricio and Frank Pasoli, two great Italian evangelists, were preaching in a tent right there in Detroit. He wandered into this tent, having nothing to do. But that night, Caesar Patricio was preaching on John three sixteen, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. All John Buffer got out of that meeting tonight was, oh God, don't let me die. Don't let me die. The next day he went to the market area in the Depression. He says, a man says, John, you want a job? Yes, boss, I want a job. And so he said, I got a job that day, seventy five cents a day. Wasn't God a good, he said in his broken English. As he was leaving that night, the boss says, John, you're a good worker. He said, there is a nickel, buy yourself a Coca-Cola. He says, boss, give me the nickel and I'll buy a loaf of bread for my wife and kiddies. Well, the boss says, John, there's your seventy five cents, and there's the five cents, and there's a Coca-Cola. He says, wasn't God a good? He says, I went home, my heart a sing. His heart was singing. Wasn't God a good? He said, the next day I went back to the market area, and he says, I got promote. He got promotion. A dollar a day. Wasn't God a good? And as he was leaving that night, the boss says, John, you like a squash? Yes, boss. He put into a large basket a squash. You like potat- potatoes? And there that basket was filled with fruit. And he went and he walked five miles with that basket on his shoulder. He says, my heart is sick. And he said, when I got home, he said, I said to my wife Teresa, God's been a good father to me. I'm going to be not be a good a son to him. And they both got down on their knees, and they got saved that day. You see, it was the goodness of God that brought him to repentance. And he's always talking about the Lord, and that's why they called him Johnny the Crave. Well, Festus says, much learning doth make me men. But King Agrippa was more impressed, and he says to Paul, as Paul challenged him with this, verse twenty seven, and this was Paul's concern. You saw at the other part of the chapter his conviction and his courtesy and also his conversion, but here it's his concern for the king. You and I ought to have a concern for every unsaved soul in Spanish Wales. And that's why we are obligated to keep working and working with the intent that they will have a new birth and go with us to glory. So he says to the king, believest thou the prophet? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, almost thou persuadest me to become a Christian. You see, he believed the prophets, but he didn't believe Christ. He had a knowledge of the old Testament scripture, but he failed to appropriate the blessed Savior of his soul. Almost persuade his me to become a Christian. Having meetings in Hamilton, Ontario, invited to the hospital where a dear lady who sent her children to the Sunday school was dying with cancer. We appealed to her as she came out of a coma, and we read Revelation three twenty, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with me. That dear lady, she put her head back in the pillow. She said, I'm too. And she was gone. Almost persuaded. And into eternity. But we have read tonight of one who was fully persuaded, and we trust tonight that will be your experience before you leave this building. Romans chapter eight, the Apostle Paul reminds us, and I want you to observe the repetition of the small word all. He says, for we know. Now there are lots of things we do not, we do not know, but here is something that we do. And we know that all things work together for good, to them that are called according to his purpose. And then in verse thirty three he says, but he delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? And in verse thirty seven, nay, in all these things we are more than confident. So you see, friend, all things are controlled by God. And in verse thirty two, all things are conferred. And in verse thirty seven, all things are conquered. I tell you, it's a great thing to be a Christian. All things are controlled. Everything is under the guidance and direction of our sovereign Lord. He moves the chariots of fire at his will. He controls the orbits in outer space. He is in complete control. We sometimes sing we search the starlit Milky Way, a million worlds in rhythmic sway. Men in the blindness say there is no God controlling. But as we grope from spear to spear, new wonders fill the eye, the ear, and faith grows firmer every year to know that God's control. He is in control of everything, and that's why it's beneficial to be on his side and not on Satan's side, for his days are numbered. All things are controlled. For he says, all things work together for good to them that love God. Do you love God? Do you love the Lord Jesus? Do you love the Holy Spirit? That's a challenge tonight from the Word of God. All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. People take this scripture out of context, and they throw it something at a person who's in the valley of the shadow and facing monumental difficulties, and they say, well, all things work together for good. They miss it by a mile. Because this verse is telling us that the whole plan of salvation works together for good to them that love the Lord and to them who are the called according to his purpose. Have you responded to the call of the Lord Jesus? There's Abraham in idolatry, in out of, out of the Chaldees, not like you folks in Spanish Wales who are saturated with the gospel. He was an idolater, but God called him, and he left out of the Maldives, and he went out in faith, not knowing where he was going, but he knew the God of the universe, and he rested in the God of direction. Call. To them who are the call. Noah responded to the call. Come thou and all thy house into the ark. You know, when preachers are involved in the gospel, I s- was in Toronto just a few weeks ago, and eight souls came to Christ in two weeks, I couldn't sleep for joy. But when souls are not getting saved, you, you can't sleep for anxiety. Noah preached for a hundred and twenty years, and all he sa- saw saved was his family. Thank God, every one of Noah's children was saved. And so we take encouragement, for God is calling, calling, calling. And Noah responded, come thou and all thy house into the ark. And the Lord Jesus Christ is calling you tonight. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, and ye shall find rest for your soul. So in a troublesome world, tonight you can have the peace of God, which passes all understanding. To them who are the called according to his purpose. And to them who, who he has called, we read that he justified. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also called, and whom he called, then he also justified. And tonight you can get saved, justified, never had sinned. So tremendous is the work of Christ that your every sin, your every transgression can be forgiven and forgotten by God. Thy sins and thy iniquities I will remember no more. Justify. Some years ago, it was our privilege to be in a place called Peterhead in the north of Scotland. There was a man there who spent many years in the penitentiary. His name was Finney Fraser, a r- a jailbird renowned in the north of Scotland. Just released from the penitentiary, and in that assembly in Peterhead was a man who, like Philip the Evangelist, was controlled by his movements through the Holy Spirit. A bus was coming by, and the Holy Spirit says, not this bus. But the next bus came by and stopped there right at the depot. The bottom section got filled up, and the Holy Spirit says, now. And he climbed up into the top decker, which was filled with smokers, much to his displeasure, and he sat down next to this jailbird, just released from the prison, who had secured himself a little job as a night watchman in a housing project. They sat and they talked. The jailbird said to my friend, he said, Mr. Buchan, he said, I saw that you lost your dad recently. Yes, said Mr. Bucken, but dad was ready to go. Oh, he said, I would give anything to know that I was ready to go. He says, do you mean that? Yes, he said. And so they got off the bus. You see, the Holy Spirit was guiding in everything. He got off the bus, went right to this little shack where he was a night watchman on this housing project, and Buller Buchan opened up the scriptures and pointed that jailbird to Christ. He said, I've got to tell my wife. And so he set off, the two of them, right back home, and they stood there on the threshold of the door, and his wife opened the door. There stood Fenny Fraser, the tears coursing down his cheeks. He says, my dear, I've just gotten saved, and my whole past is wiped clean in the blood of the Lamb. She said, the God that could make Fenny Fraser weep is worthy of my trust. And she got sent. And we were in the open air that night. About two hundred people in the open air. An assembly of about five hundred people. That ex-jailbird got out into the circle, and in his own language, told the passersby that he'd gotten sick. Very poor. So the brethren decided to take a collection to help him in his extremity. He says, thanks for your kindness. But he says, the people around here will say, I joined the brethren to get something. No, he says, I got into this mess myself, and by the help of God, I will get out of this mess alone. Justified as if he had never sinned. That's what he can do for you and I. And then he justified, then he also glorified. Now notice it's in the past tense. Whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them also glorified. You see, the moment you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal savior, you receive glory. God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. You can have an inward radiance that can shine out and reach the unsaved around the island and make them jealous of what you have got, that they may covet what you have got, God's salvation, and live to prove it, glorify. A friend that will be developed because it is also not only redemptive, but glory is anticipated. One day, every one of God's children in this gathering will walk down Redemption Avenue in heaven and meet in Hallelujah Square and see the glory of the Lord Jesus filling every corner of that satellite city, one billion eight hundred and seventy five million cubic miles, fifteen hundred miles length and fifteen hundred miles breadth and fifteen hundred miles high. What a city! I'm believe there's no need of the moon or the sun to shine in that city. The glory of God is light in it, and the Lamb is the light and the rock, and he wants to share that glory with you and me. He said in his high priestly prayer, Father, I would that the glory that thou hast given me, notice the tense, I have given them, that they might be one even as we are one. Father, I would those also whom thou has given me be with me where I am, that they might behold my glory. Glorify, call, justified, glorified. All things are controlled. And the ultimate is that you and I might be predestinated to the image of his blessed son. People today get all mixed up between predestination and election. All mixed up. Election in the Bible has always to do with service, not conversion. It said of our blessed Lord, behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect. The Lord never was lost, never saved. He's the perfect Son of God, and yet he was elected to serve. And angels are called elect angels. They were never lost, never saved, faithful angel, but they're elect to serve. But predestination in the will of the Lord on Saturday, unfortunately for me, in a way, our predestination will be Worcester, Massachusetts. You know, we're in a straight with quick stew. We love to be in Spanish Well, but there's four grandchildren up there in Massachusetts, and little Benjamin says, Papa, why you go preach? Why you not stay at home? So there's a tug, there's a pull. But the predestination of us on Saturday will be Worcester, Massachusetts. You see, it's the end of things, and the end of things is that you and I will be conformed to the image of his son. That will make heaven wonderful, rid of this old body with all its failures and shortcomings, and to be like him, body, soul, and spirit. How can you miss it, friend, if you're not saved? What a tragedy. All things are controlled. Then he says, and all things are confirmed. He that spake not his own son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things. All things are controlled, and all things are confirmed. As I said before, you might be as poor as the proverbial church mouse, but if you're in God's family, you are a spiritual millionaire. Endless blessings, blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ. All things are controlled. Nothing but the best God has available for you and for me. Like the prodigal coming back from the far country with the smelly rags of the pig pen on his body, the father smothered him with kisses in spite of all the smell. He says, bring forth the best robe, the masterpiece of tapestry, nothing but the best for my son. Go into the pen and kill the fatted calf. Select the best. Put a ring on his finger. The symbol of relationship. We are together again. For this my son was lost and is found. Was dead, but is alive again. All things are. Finally, all things are controlled. All things are controlled. We find here a real picture of a law court. God's supreme court. In verse thirty one, there's no plaintiff. Who shall, what shall we say to those things? If God be for us, who can be against us? No plaintiff. In verse thirty three, there's no counsel for the prosecution. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? And in verse thirty four, there's no judge. Who is he that condemneth? There's no judge. And in verse thirty five, there's no warden or police officer standing by to separate you and me from the love of God. God is in complete control. So all things are conquered. We are more than conquerors through him that love. So, friend, briefly, eh, we have the source of the victory. Again, if you're not saved, you are a loser all the way. I was taking some children's meetings in Pfister in Oxfordshire, and there was a large US Air Force base nearby, and because they announced it was Neil Dougal from Worcester, Massachusetts, they didn't expect the Scottish accent, but anyway, they showed up at this Bible school. And I mentioned that morning, I said, if you are on Satan's side, you are a loser all the way. But if you're on Christ's side, you're on the victor side. I tell you, these were teenagers. What a response that is. They wanted to be on the victory side and pointed many to the Savior. The source of the victory, the signs of the victory, and the song of the victory is absolutely constant. What is the source of the victory? If God. You're saved, he will keep you and preserve you. He'll put a hedge around you, he'll put his arms around you. Under me is the everlasting arms, and we saw at the Bible class on God's day, there's a place by me. And I will put you in the cliffs of the rock. I will cause my glory to pass by, and I will cover you with my hands. Safe in the arms of Jesus. When Gerald was talking about our dear sister taking the stroke, we were touched indeed. But I just read in the newspaper today, through the kindness of Calvin, he gives me the paper from Miami. A judge tried to commit suicide over the weekend, and the note that he left behind was this: I am alone. I am alone. I am alone. Loneliness. A terror, if you die without Christ. But if you're in God's family, like our dear sister taking this story, when thou passest through the waters, I shall be with thee. We're assured of its perpetual passage. How can you turn away love so amazing, so divine, demands my heart, my life, my all. That's the source of the victory. The signs of the victory. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died. Yea, Father that is risen again, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. These are the signs of victory. Our Savior has been accepted in him. And the song of victory is from thirty five down to thirty nine. So we can say with Moses, he is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation. So we have here, and with this I close, he says, for I am persuaded, not almost, but fully persuaded. I am persuaded that neither death nor life, that state, condition, neither death nor life, nor angels or principalities, no being could ever separate us from the love of God. State, being. Nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers. You think of the tremendous forces out there in the unseen world. We have the evil angels, fallen angels, demons now, and we have these holy angels. Steak or beer. Nor power. All the nuclear warheads at the disposal of the combined USA and USSR arsenals. All the military hardware. Nuclear weapons, can separate you and me from the love of God, which is in Christ. No power can touch us. State, beings, force, nor time, nor things present, nor things to come, no time. And then he puts into spit, height of death, nor any other creature or thing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Now let me ask you a question as I close. Are you almost persuaded or fully persuaded? I think I mentioned one night in Victoria, in the month of September, a lady, very religious, about seventy five years of age, took my hand at the back of the chapel there in Victoria, British Columbia. She said, I was baptized in this certain church as a child. I was confirmed in that church at a certain age, and I thought I was right for him, but tonight I am fully persuaded. See, and embrace God's salvation. Nothing will separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. Are you born again? So, friend, as I close, I ask you again, time is running out. Why don't you get right with Christ in it? Just right where you are without any assistance. Lord, remember me. Lord, save my soul and me now. Now, if you need help, I'm your friend. We'd love to sit down with you and open up the street, step by step, and whatever you do, don't leave the building without the Savior, and you'll be on the victory side with us. Shall we pray? Father, we thank thee once again for the luxury of preaching the gospel of the grace of God. We thank thee it is possible, Father, to be fully persuaded, to know that our sins are forgiven and that we are heaven bound, without any dubiety whatever, absolutely sure. So, Lord, for those who are halting between two opinions and not really sure, we pray tonight they'll be able to see with Paul, I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that. Remember the sick, remember our brethren and sisters who've left to go to the States. We pray, Lord, for thy preserving care over them, and bring them back safely to the island. Those who are sick, touch their bodies and give them a measure of health. Oh, Jesus come. We pray in his precious name. Amen. Shall we sing in closing? Number two hundred and fifty one. Two five one. Almost persuaded now to believe, almost persuaded Christ to receive. Seems now some soul to say, go spirit, go thy way. Some more convenient day on thee I'll call. Friend, he fully persuaded the night. Two hundred and fifty one.