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The Curious Case of Billy Graham · Off The Kirb Ministries

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Billy Graham. Billy Graham.
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Billy Graham. Billy Graham.
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It's the 21st of February 2018 and the world's most powerful
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people are mourning the loss of 1 preacher.
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I am tired of hearing people speak out against Billy Graham
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and not really understanding why.
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Who is this guy? How did he rise to become the
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world's most famous Christian? Why do presidents trust him?
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And why have so many people been converted by his preaching?
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So I've been on one big deep dive to uncover everything I can
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from his his roots to his relationships, and most
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importantly, to try and understand how one man who
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preached so much love can at the same time attract so much hate.
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I mean, what exactly did he do wrong?
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You see, I'm prepared to die. In fact, I'm looking forward to
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it. And when you're prepared to die,
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you're also prepared to live. Billy Graham Junior was born
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into a farming family with heritage that stretched deep
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into North Carolina soil. He arrived around 4:00 PM on
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November the 7th, 1918, just four days before the end of the
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First World War. Billy's parents were called
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Frank and Mauro Graham and they would raise him along with three
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siblings in the rolling pastures on their family dairy farm.
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If you ever wondered what denomination were the Grahams,
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well, they were faithful members of the Associated Formed
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Presbyterian Church in Charlotte.
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Despite having limited formal education, Morrow consistently
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read the Bible to the family in the evenings, and Frank Senior
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prayed. But here's the twist.
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Young Billy wasn't naturally drawn to church, he recalled.
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I don't even remember not going to church.
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If I told my parents I did not want to go, they would have
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wailed the tar out of me. You see, church attendance, like
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in most Christian households, was a given.
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Whether he liked it or not, he would have to go.
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By outward appearance, he was just another boy, but those who
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knew him sent something completely different.
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We were very typical of country people.
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My brother, who is 5 1/2 years older than I, never took to
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farming. He worked only because my daddy
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required him to. He was interested primarily in
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baseball. Growing up in Charlotte, NC,
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Billy was surrounded by churchgoers.
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You can almost see the crowds gathering as popular itinerant
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evangelists like Billy Sunday and Mordecai Ham arrived in his
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city. They drew huge audiences to the
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wooden 5000 seat structure on the edge of town.
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But there's more to this story than just excitement.
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Whilst the locals buzzed with anticipation to hear these big
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name preachers, Billy wasn't impressed.
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So reluctant was the young Billy Graham that he even refused to
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attend one of these revivals. He remembered feeling like
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everything he had heard or read about them made him feel
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antagonistic towards the whole affair.
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It sounded like one big religious circus in his words.
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However, even after all this, his close friend Albert Mcmakin
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somehow managed to convince Graham to go along, even if it
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was just out of curiosity. You can probably guess what
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happened next. Billy Graham got saved.
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Ham's words about sin and rebellion seem like they were
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aimed directly at him. He felt an undeniable conviction
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that he was a lost Sinner before a holy God, and the only way for
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him to be saved was by coming to the cross where Jesus died for
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his sins. Billy had no choice.
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At that very revival he went forward and accepted Christ as
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his Lord and Saviour. I remember this church.
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I've joined the church, yes. So was Billy Graham when he was
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converted. In my meeting in North Carolina.
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He was a member of the church and Marlon Queen.
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I just read his experience as told in his latest book.
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And when he came down there and when I pointed my finger right
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out of him, he said I don't. Of course, the Lord told him I
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was pointing at him and he resented it, got mad when I
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referred to him being a Sinner. Well, I didn't refer to him.
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I didn't know he was there. Meanwhile, Billy Graham, fresh
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out of high school, faced his own crossroads.
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And this is where our story starts to shift.
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He and his friend Grady Wilson sold fuller brushes, and despite
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skepticism from the family, Billy excelled at this.
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Now listen to me. Even success in sales didn't
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satisfy him. Why?
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Because he knew that his life was meant for more.
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So Billy enrolled at the Bob Jones College, only to leave
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after one semester when the head of the college called him a
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failure. Now this was the moment that was
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going to change everything. Rejected, discouraged, but not
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defeated, he found a new path at the Florida Bible Institute in
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1937. From there, Billy started
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preaching. At first he started small,
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preaching to stumps along the riverbank, imagining that they
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were people. He even preached to cows
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sometimes. But one year later, aged 18,
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Billy would move on from addressing the cattle to
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addressing crowds of 500 to 1000 people.
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I know the first time I heard him preached his the recalled,
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he preached so loud you wouldn't believe it.
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He didn't need a microphone, literally you could hear him
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from 1/4 of a mile away. She even worried and said to the
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young Billy Son, you can't preach that loud, you'll scare
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people away. Now while Billy's voice was
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booming across riverbanks and chapels, something else was
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unfolding quietly in the background.
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At that same time, Billy had met a girl.
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She was the daughter of missionaries and so had spent
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most of her childhood in China. Ruth carried a quiet but firm
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desire to serve God, not overseas, in fact, so much so
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that she decided that she never wanted to marry.
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And here Billy found himself instantly drawn to her.
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Alright, so as you can see, this is where things get a little
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complicated. Both remain committed to their
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separate futures. Ruth was going to be a
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missionary and Billy was going to be an itinerant preacher.
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I was frightened to death to ever ask her on a date.
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Graham said. But he finally did, taking her
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to a local Chapel to hear Handel's Messiah.
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And that small moment would set the stage for everything that
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comes next. I didn't even know the man.
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I just been with him that for that one date, but I just prayed
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and I said, Lord, if you will let me share his life, I will
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consider it the greatest honor possible.
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And fortunately, I didn't know what lay ahead.
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I wouldn't have had the nerve to pray a prayer like that.
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Billy's first pastorate came in Western Springs, IL, a village
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Baptist Church. They were just a small
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congregation of 35 members. Under normal circumstances, a
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church that tiny, meeting only in the church basement wouldn't
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seem like the starting point for anything remarkable.
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But you're about to see why this was the start of something truly
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incredible. Opportunity knocked on the door.
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Tory Johnson, a preacher in Chicago, invited Graham to take
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take over songs in the night. And if you only remember one
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thing from this part of billye life, let it be this.
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That invitation became a pivotal turning point, suddenly placing
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him in front of bigger audiences, bigger than he could
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ever imagine. Now, unfortunately, the frequent
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absences from Western Springs Church caused a tension between
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Billy and the deacons. What would you do here?
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I mean, how long could this situation realistically last?
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Graham had an unexplainable drive to preach the saving
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gospel anywhere and everywhere, and this kept pushing him to win
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lost souls over preaching to the converted.
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Then it happened. On December 1947, he finally
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resigned. Now, Graham was about to step
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into a completely different role.
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He was going to become the president of the Northwestern
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schools in Minneapolis. This was a liberal arts college
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and a theological seminary. But over to you.
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Do you think this caused Billy to slow down on his evangelistic
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preaching? Of course not.
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Even while running a school, he spent more than half his time
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traveling, preaching for you, for Christ across the country.
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And as you know, most college presidents would never get away
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with this. And yet somehow, Graham managed
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to balance both. You don't need me to tell you
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that the world was a mess. I after World War 2, cities were
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in ruins, food was scarce and people were hungry not just for
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bread, but for hope. It was into this broken world
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that Billy Graham was sent on a mission that would change
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everything. Remember that guy Tori Johnson?
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Well, he had a vision for you, for Christ, and it wasn't
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limited to the USA and to Canada.
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He dreamed of an international evangelistic movement among
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young people and he wanted Graham to spearhead it as the
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first full time evangelist. Imagine this scenario just less
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than a year after the war ended, Graham and the team went to
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Europe. Thousands of people were
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struggling with shortages, rationing and displacement.
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This situation was not easy for the young Billy Graham and his
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team, but the need was overwhelming.
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So they pressed on, holding 3 or 4 meetings a day in churches,
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movie houses and public halls, anywhere that a crowd would
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gather. Whilst Billy spent all of his
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energy traveling thousands of miles to reach souls, inside he
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was facing a more personal struggle.
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He missed his wife, Ruth. The fact is this, even though
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they had both accepted this as part of their calling, the
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extended distance weighed heavily on them.
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Ruth would later write in her book Footprints of a Pilgrim.
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To keep me company, I used to sleep with Bill's tweed jacket
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when he was away. Very few people realized the
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cost that minister's wives have to pay to support their
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husbands. And since Billy would be gone
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for most of the time, Ruth moved in with her parents in Montreat,
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NC, which helped with the loneliness and gave some kind of
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stability whilst Billy travelled 200,000 miles in that first
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year. With you for Christ.
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And this was only going to be the beginning of his trips away
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from home. It's worth noticing that years
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later in his diary, he reflected just before another crusade.
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This is the first spring that I've ever spent at home.
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What a wonderful and thrilling few weeks it has been to run and
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play with my children every day and to listen to their problems.
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Today Roof and I took our last stroll and little Franklin keeps
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pleading Daddy don't go. But here's the beautiful part.
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Ruth Graham once famously said I would rather spend 2 weeks out
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of the year with Bill than with any other man full time.
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Can you imagine saying goodbye to my father, knowing that he's
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going to be gone not just for a week, but for two months, four
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months, six months? I don't know how she did it.
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In November 1948, Billy, his singers Cliff Barrows, Beverly
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Shea and his childhood friend Grady Wilson were holding a
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revival in Modesto, CA. This was Cliff's hometown now.
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Am I the only one who is disillusioned by the amount of
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famous preachers who didn't practice what they preach?
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Well, here in Modesto, Graham was reflecting upon a similar
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looming challenge. He saw in church history that
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many evangelists had stumbled, creating scandals that
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discredited the cause of Christ. So we told the team, let's go to
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our rooms and let's think about experiences we've all heard
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about, things we know that have taken place, and let's write
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them down. Then we'll come back together,
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share them, and ask God to guard us from making those same
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mistakes. So this is the part where our
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story gets a little bit more serious.
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The team compiled a list with just four items, small in number
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but monumental in effect. Are you ready to hear them?
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All right, first money. They decided to never exploit
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crowds with emotional appeals. Every penny would be
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accountable, checked by an independent committee.
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No shortcuts, no gimmicks #2 temptation.
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Integrity was important, and so many great preachers had wrecked
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their marriages and ministries when they fell in this area.
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Therefore, no evangelist would ever be alone with another
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woman. Except for their own wife, of
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course. This would later be called the
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Billy Graham Rule and was followed so stringently that
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there were even stories of Billy getting out of elevators to
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abide by it #3 respect for churches.
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They vowed never to criticize local pastors or congregations.
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Every church, every leader, they felt deserved honour, even when
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opinions were different. Finally, truthfulness.
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Numbers couldn't be exaggerated. Success or attendance had to be
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verified by local authorities or by newspapers.
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In other words, the truth mattered more than the applause.
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Later, we're going to find out, did Billy manage to keep the
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Modesto Manifesto even when he became the most famous Christian
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in the world? But first, watch this.
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Billy Graham was about to attempt his most ambitious
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campaign yet, a citywide tent revival in Los Angeles.
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This was going to be the most important event in his ministry.
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But there was a problem. Billy was beginning to doubt if
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the Bible was actually true. Days before the Los Angeles
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Crusade, Graham struggled with the crisis of faith.
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You see, his friend and colleague Charles Templeton
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challenged his beliefs, questioning the inspiration and
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accuracy of Scripture. For the first time, Graham's
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faith was under serious intellectual scrutiny.
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One night, Graham went into the San Bernardino Mountains looking
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for answers. After much thinking, he knelt on
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a tree stump, laid his Bible on it, and prayed.
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Lord, I don't understand this book.
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There are many things I don't understand, but I accept it as
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your word by faith, and I can promise you this.
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That moment was crucial for Billy Graham, because from then
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on, he resolved to accept the Bible as the inspired Word of
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God. With his faith renewed, Graham
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was ready for Los Angeles. However, things were still far
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from plain sailing at the opening of the Revival meetings.
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The crowds were embarrassingly small, and the committee
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sponsoring the campaign had debated whether to even
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continue. But for Billy, the stakes were
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even higher. This event could define his
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entire ministry. Thankfully, A breakthrough came
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along with the conversion of a popular radio personality,
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Stuart Hamblin. His testimony on the airwaves
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drew attention and slowly the crowds began to groan.
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Mind you, what was about to happen to Billy would be even
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bigger. One evening he arrived at the
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tent at Washington and Hill streets to find it overflowing
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with newspaper reporters. A reporter explained You've just
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been kissed by William Randolph Hearst. 2 words written and by
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Hurst, Puff Graham or in modern terms promote Graham.
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These instructions sent him into the national spotlight.
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The tent was packed, people stood outside, and the revival
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continued for another 4 weeks. Have you trusted Christ Jesus
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Savior tonight? I'm glad to tell you as we close
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that the Lord Jesus Christ can be received, your sins forgiven,
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your burdens lifted, your problems solved by turning your
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life over to Him, repenting of your sin, and turning to Jesus
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Christ as St. The press attention was only the
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beginning. Graham's crusades expanded
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across the US from Georgia to New England at the South
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Carolina Crusade, Life magazine wrote.
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Not since the great days of Billy Sunday have South Carolina
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seen anything like it. After this was written,
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unbelievably more than 40,000 people over flowed into the
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stadium on the final day. This was the largest crowd that
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Billy had ever preached to. He was technically famous now
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and he was starting to even look like a celebrity.
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His face was on Time Look magazine and his name could be
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found on the front pages across the world.
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By 1950, ABC Radio offered Graham a massive opportunity,
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but Billy wasn't sure why because he was already up to his
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ears in work and speaking engagements.
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But on the other hand, though he he'd seen the power of local
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radio with songs in the night back in Chicago, so eventually 2
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persistent producers who even showed up outside Billy's hotel
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managed to persuade him to sign the deal with ABC to broadcast
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it nationally. The first broadcast aired from
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Atlanta on Sunday, November the 5th, 1950.
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Billy's music director Cliff Barrows introduced the program
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as This is the Hour of Decision. Oh, and by the way, it was Ruth
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Graham who suggested the name, a title that captured Billy's
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message of calling people to respond in faith to the Saviour
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who loved them and laid down his life for them.
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The hour of Decision was broadcast on over 150 stations
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to 9 million listeners. And to put it in modern terms,
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he went crazy viral. Overnight, letters and donations
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poured in and within 5 weeks it held the highest audience rating
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in religious broadcasting history.
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And within five years, NBC joined ABC, expanding the
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programmed to more than 800 stations.
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But I know exactly what some of you are thinking.
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Did all of this fame and success go to Billy Graham's head?
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No, once he was away from the public spotlight, Billy lived a
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quiet lifestyle with his family in a simple home nestled in the
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mountains of North Carolina. Check this out though the
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world's greatest boxer, whoever lived Muhammad Ali, also at my
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Billy Graham and once went to visit him in his home.
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He said when he approached the house he thought he would live
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on 1000 acre farm but we drove up to his house made of logs, no
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mansion with crystal chandeliers and gold carpet.
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It was the kind of house a man of God would live in.
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I look up to him. Whilst Ali was very positive
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about Graham, not everyone was. His next challenge was already
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forming a three month campaign in England.
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This would become a massive test of endurance.
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And to make matters worse, advertising posters were
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criticised, the English press were sharply negative, and many
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clergy and pastors across the UK were very skeptical.
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I distrust the use of crowd techniques to influence
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individual decisions. My difficulty is the type of
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member they are are producing, which not in my view the best.
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I'm not convinced that Billy Graham is the answer to England.
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'S problem On the opening night, sleet and freezing rain fell.
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Hundreds of photographers photographed empty seats.
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Yet when Billy and Roof arrived, they discovered thousands
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waiting outside braving the storm.
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But listen to this At the close of Billy's sermon, people
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paddled across the wet earth in their socks to make their
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commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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As you can imagine, the criticism began to fade as the
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crowds grew nightly, so much so that these numbers would
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eventually break records. For 88 nights, every seat at
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Harringway Arena was full, overflow crowds led to 2nd
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services and more than 2 million people attended over the three
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months, with nearly 40,000 decisions for Christ being made
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later. I do want to talk about someone
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very precious to me who also became a Christian when Billy
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Graham visited England. But right now I want you to
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remember that this campaign and the many others, the impact was
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felt from generation to generation.
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Why? Because young man who got saved
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under Billy's preaching would later fill evangelical
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seminaries and these men would shape the future of British
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Evangelicalism. Not many people know this, but
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whilst in England Graham tried to meet Winston Churchill but
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was initially rejected. However, by the end of the
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crusade, the Prime Minister simply could not ignore this
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tornado of a preacher and so invited him to 10 Downing St.
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for a brief meeting. I walked in and he shook hands
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with me. It was a shorter man than I had
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thought. He said, young man, he said, I
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want to ask you a question. He said, what do you say that
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fills all these big stadiums? And I told him, I said, it's the
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gospel of Christ. I said, Sir, people are hungry
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to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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He said that must be it. He said, you know, I'm an old
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man, I don't have any hope for the world.
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And he said, do you have hope? I said, yes, Sir.
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And I took my New Testament out and I turned from Scripture to
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Scripture and read to him. As we were going out the door,
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he shook hands with me and he said this conversation, as long
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as I live, will be between us. Is that agreed?
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I said yes, so I never told it as long as he was alive.
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Graham's reach would expand even further through television.
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Broadcasts from Madison Square Garden allowed millions to
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experience his message from their living rooms.
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ABC estimated around 7 million viewers per telecast.
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This exponentially would increase his reach, which if you
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did the maps, that was 70 times more than the amount of people
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who would attend his physical meetings.
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Hey, if you think Billy had already stirred the pot, it's
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nothing compared to what you're going to see next.
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For many in the 1950s, crusade audiences were divided by an
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evil custom. You see, black and white people
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were separated by visible lines before they even stepped inside.
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In one Southern Cities Revival meeting, the organizers had
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arrived with ropes that would split the seating up.
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But get this. When Billy Graham saw that
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something inside him rebelled, he didn't just murmur quiet
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disagreement. He walked from the pulpit, tore
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down those ropes himself, and insisted I will never preach to
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a divided audience. From that night onward, every
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rally he held was open to all guys.
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I don't think you realize how countercultural this was,
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especially in some of the southern cities that Billy would
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preach in. Billy could have easily lost his
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entire platform and yet he didn't care because he knew it
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was wrong and he knew that the Lord was number respecter of
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persons. All men and women are equal and
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they are made in the beautiful image of God.
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Now, apart from inviting black pastors to share the stage with
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him and speaking out against the injustices in America, Billy
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also refused to stay silent on other worldwide issues of the
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day. For instance, for decades it
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looked like the nations behind the Iron Curtain might be
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forever closed off to the gospel.
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Locked borders, government control, churches silenced or
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marginalized. I can't believe how tough it was
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for believers there. Did you know if they could even
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pray? It had to be done in secret.
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So when Billy Graham made the journey, he decided that it was
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time to step over these lines. Though his first visit to the
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Soviet Union in 1959 was only as a tourist, he left with a
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prayer. Someday he and others would
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proclaim the gospel to this vast land years past.
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Finally, in 1982, he was invited back in Moscow.
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He preached openly to a packed congregation at a Baptist
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Church, greeting them in Russian, declaring Jesus is
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risen, and urging his listeners that the greatest contribution
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you can make to World Peace is to live every day for Jesus
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Christ. During that same visit, he
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accepted a speaking role at the International Religious
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Conference on Peace and Disarmament.
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And you don't need me to tell you that Billy took this
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opportunity with both hands, refusing to leave faith out of
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the conversation. Then, after years of quiet
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groundwork by local Christians and the prayers, visits,
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friendships of believers all around the world, something huge
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happened. The iron walls began to crack.
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I think we can both agree that it's impossible to claim that
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one man brought down the Iron Curtain.
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But his example of refusing to be deterred by political walls,
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his example of insisting that the Gospel was for every person
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everywhere, I think this certainly helped crack open some
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doors, at least in a world divided by ideology, He preached
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unity in Christ and offered the people the only message that
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could give them hope. Jesus is the King of kings and
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the Lord of Lords, and he is the only one you can put your trust
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in, because he alone is the one who will never fail.
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I wonder whether I should tell you this, but when I first
24:04
started my study into the life of Billy Graham, I knew he was
24:08
friends with presidents, but I severely underestimated just how
24:12
many presidents confided in him. First there was Harry S Truman.
24:16
Now surprisingly, their initial meeting in 1950 didn't go all
24:20
that well. After their White House press
24:22
session, it caused quite a stir in the media, with Truman later
24:26
saying that he thought Graham was just after publicity.
24:29
He treated that rejection not as a closure, but as part of a long
24:33
game. He kept showing up quietly,
24:35
offering faith, counsel, and gradually, over time, he gained
24:39
access and respect by the White House.
24:42
Then, under Lyndon B Johnson, the relationship really
24:46
deepened. Johnson, who was weighed down by
24:48
crisis, conflict and moral pressure, turned again and again
24:52
to Graham for counsel. They had late night calls, ranch
24:55
house, prayer meetings and even played golf together.
24:58
That's why it's no secret that many folk believe that Billy
25:01
Graham was closest to Lyndon Johnson after perhaps a more
25:05
shocking friendship with another president.
25:08
But we'll get to that in a second.
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Ronald Reagan, on the other hand, also saw Billy as a
25:13
helpful counsellor during some dark days he went through as a
25:16
president and thus gave him the highest honor that could ever be
25:19
given to a civilian, the Medal of Honor.
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OK, take a look at this. And so we're gathered here today
25:25
because Billy Graham, the man, the preacher, humble farmer's
25:30
son who helped change the world, is a spiritual gift to all of
25:35
us. That's the former President
25:38
George HW Bush showing his love and respect for the evangelist
25:42
when the Billy Graham Library was opened in 2007.
25:46
And an even more memorable moment was when his son George W
25:49
Bush, who by the way, was also the president of the United
25:52
States of America. Well, he later said that after a
25:55
one-on-one chat with Graham, it was the spark that helped him in
25:59
his own recommitment to faith in Christ.
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Billy's friendship with Nixon raised a lot of eyebrows,
26:05
especially with what you're going to see got leaked from a
26:08
private conversation. But some would argue that what
26:11
happened at Bill Clinton's 1993 inauguration wasn't a good look.
26:16
I the Evangelist made a choice that drew sharp criticism from
26:20
some Christians who disliked Clinton's political views.
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When invited to pray at the inauguration, Billy agreed,
26:27
whilst many Christians urged Graham to withdraw as it might
26:31
give the impression to the world that the preacher was somehow
26:34
endorsing Clinton's stance on key issues that went against the
26:38
teachings of the Bible. However, Graham insisted his
26:41
calling wasn't to endorse a party, it was to be a minister
26:45
to the people, and he quietly reminded supporters that he had
26:48
long been registered Democrats, something that shocked and even
26:52
bothered many who assumed he leaned the other way.
26:55
Whatever Billy Graham's political stance was, no one
26:59
could argue with this statement. Billy would eventually be known
27:02
as America's pastor, and he was the only preacher in history
27:06
who, president after president, trusted and went to for
27:09
spiritual counsel. This in and of itself was an
27:13
important ministry which would span for a period of 55 five
27:16
years. Okay, so here's the answer we
27:19
all want to know. If Billy Graham did so much for
27:22
the Lord and reached so many souls with the saving gospel of
27:25
Jesus Christ, why does so many people dislike him?
27:29
Billy Graham, I think 1. Can see all the symptoms of a
27:32
self-conscious fraud. I mean someone who doesn't
27:34
believe. Any of this at all, but it is a
27:37
reasonably. Good businessman.
27:38
One other thing with Billy Graham is that he was people
27:40
look at all these people that streamed down after he would
27:44
make his messages and the reality is he was superb and
27:48
manipulating audiences. That's why I believe that Billy
27:51
Graham. Has never won anybody to Christ
27:54
in his life. Because Billy Graham is not
27:57
saved. All right?
27:58
For starters, being friends with presidents wasn't always
28:02
glamorous for Billy Graham. If anything, his closeness to
28:05
the White House sometimes created the appearance of
28:08
compromise, especially when the Watergate scandal hit the front
28:12
page of every newspaper in the world.
28:14
The problem wasn't that Graham was implicated.
28:16
It's important to remember that he wasn't involved whatsoever.
28:19
But the way it looked was awkward, as now public trust in
28:24
the government was collapsing and anyone tied to Nixon even
28:27
loosely felt the heat, too. But let me ask you a question.
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What do you think about all of this?
28:33
Because Billy's critics questioned whether a preacher
28:36
should ever be near to the machinery of Washington at all.
28:39
This tension only sharpened when previously recorded
28:42
conversations with Nixon became public years later, revealing
28:46
the way the president spoke in private was very unbecoming and
28:50
almost indicated he was living a double life.
28:53
Graham later admitted he felt used by Nixon and was in
28:56
embarrassed that he hadn't recognized the deception that
28:59
was happening behind closed doors.
29:01
After Watergate, he took a step back and deliberately distanced
29:05
himself and his ministry from any political endorsements, a
29:09
move that would later strengthen his credibility rather than
29:12
weaken it. Sadly though, that wasn't the
29:15
end of the Nixon drama though, because hands down, this is the
29:18
most embarrassing moment of Billy Graham's career.
29:21
And it was due to this one mistake in the early 1970s, a
29:26
gain in in conversation with Nixon, Billy made some remarks
29:29
privately about Jews, which resurfaced decades later when
29:33
the tapes were leaked. It stirred anger and deep pain
29:36
among many. In 2002, he publicly
29:39
acknowledged and owned his mistake.
29:41
He also clarified that his views had changed and he was asking
29:44
for everyone to forgive him. But hey now, that wasn't the
29:48
only moment that would cause an uproar and give his critics fuel
29:51
to discredit his ministry. Many evangelicals claimed that
29:55
Billy was and that he was too close to Roman Catholicism and
30:00
to the Pope and others would say when asked in interviews, he
30:03
didn't always take a strong stand on certain moral issues of
30:07
the day, a stance his son Franklin would later take.
30:10
Even paying the price for it, including being unable to speak
30:14
at Liverpool and England over one particular issue that
30:17
Franklin Graham said was wrong and unbiblical.
30:21
I do believe though there was one particular occasion, one
30:24
thing that was most talked about with Billy Graham, and it
30:27
happened in 1997 whilst he was being interviewed on live
30:31
television. Billy Graham gave the indication
30:34
that there was more than one way to heaven, even for people who
30:37
didn't even know about Jesus. This was obviously unbiblical,
30:42
as Jesus said there was only one way to heaven, but Billy's
30:45
supporters would argue that these clips were heavily edited
30:48
and taken out of context. And also remember this Billy was
30:52
nearly 80 years old in this interview and was likely having
30:55
a bad day as he consistently time after time taught through
30:58
his many years of preaching that the only way to heaven was by
31:02
being washed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
31:05
The only way to get into heaven was by trusting in the finished
31:09
work of the cross of Christ. And let us never forget, even in
31:13
his last message to the world called the cross, he proved that
31:16
he didn't agree with what he said in that interview.
31:19
Because here we see the 95 year old evangelist telling millions
31:23
who would watch the video and receive the DVD that without the
31:27
shedding of Jesus blood there can be no forgiveness of sins.
31:31
An eternal life is only for those who come to the Saviour in
31:35
repentance and faith. There is no other way of
31:40
salvation except through the cross of Christ.
31:46
Jesus said I'm the way, the truth and the life.
31:49
No man cometh to the Father, but by me.
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The only way to the Father, Father God is through his Son
31:58
Jesus Christ. So what would I say about all of
32:01
this drama attached to Billy Grahams name?
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Well, I would say this very simply.
32:05
All men have clay feet. There's only one who was
32:09
perfect. There was only one who was
32:10
righteous, and that's Jesus. In a time where many
32:13
teleevangelists were being exposed for affairs and
32:16
scandals, Billy Graham's record in that area remains remarkably
32:20
clean. He wasn't perfect, but no one
32:23
can deny that the Lord used that man greatly.
32:25
And the truth is this. If a camera followed you or I
32:28
around for 70 years, what would the evidence say about us?
32:31
I, for one, would be very embarrassed.
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Guys, can I be totally transparent with you?
32:36
I have a lot to thank Billy Graham 4 and I'm going to get to
32:39
that in just a moment. But you see, when I think of
32:42
Billy Graham, what stays with me the most is how life changing
32:45
his ministry was not just for a few, but for millions.
32:48
In 1973, during his crusade in Seoul, North Korea, it's often
32:53
said about 3 million people heard his message, one of the
32:56
largest gatherings ever to hear the gospel.
32:59
Did you know? From his earliest days of
33:01
ministry, beginning in 1947, he is credited with preaching to
33:05
over 200 million people in life events, reportedly receiving
33:10
over 3.2 million responses of souls trusting in Christ
33:15
personally. But if you thought that was
33:16
impressive, listen to this. It is estimated through social
33:20
media now and TV combined that in total Billy Graham preached
33:24
to over 2.2 billion people. OK, between you and me, as
33:30
impressive as those things are, there is nothing that means more
33:33
to me than what Billy Graham did in September 1982.
33:37
He had gone to preach in Blackpool in the UK and a 17
33:41
year old girl had gone to listen.
33:43
She had grown up in a Christian family with both her parents
33:45
taking her to church even when she was little.
33:48
She'd heard the gospel many times, but she knew she wasn't a
33:51
Christian just because of her Christian upbringing.
33:55
In fact, she wanted to become a Christian, but she kept saying,
33:58
I I'll come to Christ when I'm older.
34:00
I'll come to Christ once I finished all of my exams.
34:03
However, that night she heard how there was one who loved her
34:07
enough to substitute himself for her, paying all of her debt of
34:11
sins in full when he was nailed to the cross.
34:13
She heard about One who rose from the dead to offer her
34:17
eternal life. And though she was young, she
34:19
knew that one day she would die. But she knew that if she trusted
34:22
in Christ in this very moment, she didn't need to fear death
34:25
because she would live forever in paradise with Him.
34:28
She heard about one man, Jesus Christ, who came into the world
34:32
to save sinners. And there that night, Billy
34:36
Graham, as he did in all of his messages, said, I'm going to
34:39
invite anyone to come down to the front publicly.
34:41
If you want to commit your life to Jesus Christ, you need to
34:44
come forward publicly because whenever Jesus called people, it
34:47
was public. And so this 17 year old girl,
34:51
you need to remember something about her.
34:52
She was very shy. And so she didn't go down to the
34:55
front. But that very night on the
34:57
minibus, as she was being driven back to her home church, there
35:01
she called on the name of the Lord Jesus and asked him to
35:04
forgive her of all of her sins and to save her and to make her
35:08
into a Christian. So here's the big question.
35:11
Have you guessed who that girl was yet?
35:14
Of course it was my mother. And my mother would then raise
35:17
me to love the Lord Jesus Christ.
35:19
And so I have a lot to thank Billy Graham for.
35:22
And not only that, he is a tremendous inspiration for me as
35:25
an evangelist. Because I do believe to this day
35:28
there is still no one who preached the gospel better.
35:30
No one preached it more passionately, more powerfully,
35:33
in a way that connected with so many people and yet spoke to
35:36
their hearts in such a tender and loving way.
35:40
So yes, as we've already mentioned, he did make mistakes,
35:44
but you've made mistakes and so have I.
35:46
So let us all be careful how much we point the finger at this
35:49
man who literally in the UK, in the USA, even in this very
35:53
comment section right now, I want to hear from you.
35:55
All around the world, there are Christians who are still going
35:58
on with the Lord because they heard the faithful preaching of
36:01
this evangelist who took the Great Commission and spread it
36:04
across the entire world. Was that you?
36:07
Did you become a Christian through hearing Billy Graham?
36:11
I've been asked so many times lately, do I fear death?
36:18
No, I look forward to death with great anticipation.
36:24
I'm looking forward to seeing God face to face and that can
36:30
happen any day. So for those of you who don't
36:38
know, Billy Graham, that great evangelist has just stepped into
36:42
eternity this very day, age 99. The world is mourning the loss
36:49
of one of the most influential people in history.
36:52
This is just a a. Tremendous loss.
36:55
Billy Graham was a was a Titan of this country.
36:59
It is hard to overstate his significance in American culture
37:04
over the past fifty 60-70 years. If you ask me what was one of
37:28
the most powerful quotes by Billy Graham, this would be at
37:31
the top of the list, Billy once said.
37:33
Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead.
37:38
Don't you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am
37:42
now. I will have just changed my
37:43
address. I will have gone into the
37:46
presence of God. What?
37:51
Do you hope they'll say? I don't want them to say big
37:54
things about me because I don't deserve them.
37:58
I want to hear one person say something nice about me, and
38:04
that's the Lord. When I face him, I want him to
38:06
say to me, Well done, thy good and faithful servant, but I'm
38:12
not sure I'm going to hear it. But that's what I would like to
38:14
hear.