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Francis Dixon
Francis W. Dixon (1910–1985). Born in north London, England, in 1910, Francis W. Dixon grew up in a non-religious family but converted to Christianity in 1929 at age 19 through the preaching of Irish evangelist W.P. Nicholson. Initially working in business in London, he spent evenings and weekends preaching, feeling a call to full-time ministry. From 1940 to 1945, he pastored Hamilton Road Mission in Whitstable, Kent, and in 1945–1946 served as assistant minister to Alan Redpath at Duke Street Baptist Church, Richmond, London. In late 1946, he became pastor of Lansdowne Baptist Church in Bournemouth, where his evangelistic and expository preaching led to significant congregational growth over nearly three decades. Dixon’s warm, compelling gospel presentations and clear Bible teaching fed and challenged ordinary believers, with printed notes from his weekly Bible studies reaching a global mailing list of 40,000. A pioneer, he produced “Words of Life” sermon recordings, braille Bible studies, and a daily two-minute telephone ministry. A regular speaker at the Keswick Convention, he also undertook overseas preaching tours. Dixon authored booklets like Other Preachers’ Bones and Living in the Sunshine. Married, though family details are private, he retired in 1975 and died in 1985 in Bournemouth, saying, “The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ for all who will receive it.”
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Francis Dixon emphasizes the great privilege and responsibility of being God's servant, highlighting how being chosen by the most high God for His eternal purpose is an immense honor. He explains that as ambassadors for Christ, we represent the King in this foreign world, living 'in Christ's stead' in our homes, workplaces, and potential mission fields. Dixon challenges listeners to consider where God may want them to serve Him, whether it's in their current location or in a distant land, stressing the importance of manifesting God's life through their actions and words.
God's Servants Are Privileged and Responsible
A second lesson which shines out of our text is that to be God's servant is a great privilege and a great responsibility. The exact wording of the text signifies this, because the damsel did not say, "These men are the servants of God"; she said, "These men are the servants of the most high God." This immediately emphasises the privilege of our high calling, and also the responsibility of it. As a matter of fact, it is very hard for us to take it in, that God, our God, who is the most high God, has selected us and caught us up into His eternal purpose for the redemption of mankind. What an immense privilege it is for anyone to be a servant of the most high God, and what a great responsibility rests upon such a one! There is one verse in the epistles which emphasises this, and it is 2 Corinthians 5:20 - "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." In simple terms this means that we are representatives of the King in a foreign land, for that is what an ambassador is. We are here in the foreign land of this world, and we are here "in Christ's stead". Did you ever think of it like this in relation to your own home and loved ones, that the Lord has placed you there "in Christ's stead", in order that He might live His life in you and speak His word through you? What a privilege, and what a responsibility! Did you ever think of it like this in relation to the place where you work, whether it is in hospital, or office, or shop, or factory, or in the home? You are a Christian, and God has placed you there, and you are there "in Christ's stead", so that He may manifest His life in your body and through your actions and so that He may speak His word through your lips. What a privilege, and what a responsibility! Did you ever think of it like this in relation to the mission field? I wonder whether you have seriously faced up to the question as to where God really wants you to live and labour for Him? You may live in Birmingham, but He may want you in Bolivia; you may live in Liverpool, but He may want you in Liberia; you may live in Cardiff, but He may want you in Congo. To be in the place of God's choice, doing God's work, living day by day "in Christ's stead" - what a privilege, and what a responsibility!
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Francis W. Dixon (1910–1985). Born in north London, England, in 1910, Francis W. Dixon grew up in a non-religious family but converted to Christianity in 1929 at age 19 through the preaching of Irish evangelist W.P. Nicholson. Initially working in business in London, he spent evenings and weekends preaching, feeling a call to full-time ministry. From 1940 to 1945, he pastored Hamilton Road Mission in Whitstable, Kent, and in 1945–1946 served as assistant minister to Alan Redpath at Duke Street Baptist Church, Richmond, London. In late 1946, he became pastor of Lansdowne Baptist Church in Bournemouth, where his evangelistic and expository preaching led to significant congregational growth over nearly three decades. Dixon’s warm, compelling gospel presentations and clear Bible teaching fed and challenged ordinary believers, with printed notes from his weekly Bible studies reaching a global mailing list of 40,000. A pioneer, he produced “Words of Life” sermon recordings, braille Bible studies, and a daily two-minute telephone ministry. A regular speaker at the Keswick Convention, he also undertook overseas preaching tours. Dixon authored booklets like Other Preachers’ Bones and Living in the Sunshine. Married, though family details are private, he retired in 1975 and died in 1985 in Bournemouth, saying, “The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ for all who will receive it.”