FROM OUR ARCHIVES... THE BILLY GRAHAM CLASSICS. [applause] TONIGHT I HOPE YOU HAVE
YOUR BIBLES WITH YOU. I'VE BEEN ASKING YOU
TO BRING YOUR BIBLES, BECAUSE WE'RE HERE TO SEE
WHAT THE BIBLE HAS TO SAY ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS,
AND MY PROBLEMS, AND THE NATION'S PROBLEMS,
AND THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS. NOT WHAT SOMEONE
ELSE HAS TO SAY, BUT WHAT DOES
GOD HAVE TO SAY? AND I WANT YOU TO
TURN WITH ME TO THE 2nd CHAPTER
OF JOHN'S GOSPEL. THE 2nd CHAPTER
OF JOHN'S GOSPEL. IN THE 23rd VERSE, JESUS SAID,
OR THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, "NOW WHEN HE WAS JERUSALEM AT
THE PASSOVER IN THE FEAST DAYS, "MANY BELIEVED IN HIS NAME
WHEN THEY SAW THE MIRACLES "WHICH HE DID, BUT JESUS DID
NOT COMMIT HIMSELF UNTO THEM, "BECAUSE HE KNEW ALL MEN, "AND NEEDED NOT THAT ANY
SHOULD TESTIFY OF MAN, "FOR HE KNEW WHAT WAS IN MAN. "THERE WAS A MAN OF
THE PHARISEES NAMED NICODEMUS, "A RULER OF THE JEWS. "THE SAME CAME TO
JESUS BY NIGHT, "AND SAID UNTO HIM, RABBI,
WE KNOW THAT THOU ART A TEACHER "COME FROM GOD, FOR NO MAN
CAN DO THESE MIRACLES "THAT YOU DO EXCEPT
GOD BE WITH HIM. "AND JESUS ANSWERED
AND SAID UNTO HIM, "VERILY, VERILY,
I SAY UNTO THEE, "EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN "HE CANNOT SEE
THE KINGDOM OF GOD." I REMEMBER THE FIRST DAY
THAT I EVER WENT TO SCHOOL. I WAS SCARED TO DEATH. WE HAD TO WALK TO SCHOOL
IN THOSE DAYS, ABOUT TWO OR THREE MILES, AND WALK BACK IN
THE AFTERNOON AFTER THE SCHOOL
WAS FINISHED, AND MY MOTHER HAD FIXED ME
A LITTLE LUNCH TO TAKE AND EAT AT LUNCH TIME
OR THE RECESS TIME. NO ONE TOLD ME THAT
THERE WERE TWO RECESSES, SO THAT HAD ONE RECESS
ABOUT 10 OR 10:30, FOR US TO GO OUT AND STRETCH
OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT, AND SO I ATE MY LUNCH VERY
QUICKLY AT THAT TIME, WELL, WHEN THE REAL LUNCH
TIME CAME AT 12:30 I HAD NOTHING TO EAT. AND I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT DAY
AS LONG AS I LIVE. I GOT ON THE BUS
THE WRONG WAY OR-- THIS WAS FOUR YEARS LATER-- I GOT ON THE BUS
THE WRONG WAY, AND THE PRINCIPAL CAME OUT
AND HE GRABBED MY EAR. AND I THINK PART OF
IT IS STILL GONE. [laughter] BUT SOMETIME AGO, BILL HYBELS
SAID IN ONE OF HIS SERMONS THAT THERE IS SO MANY CHANGES
HAPPENING RAPIDLY THAT WE DON'T EVEN REALIZE HOW MANY OF THEM
ARE AFFECTING US. HE SAID THAT
THIS IS AN ERA OF INFORMATION OVERLOAD. YOU AND I HAVE ACCESS TO
MORE INFORMATION, DATA, FACTS AND NEWS AND KNOWLEDGE
THAN ANYBODY IN HISTORY. AND INFORMATION IN THE WORLD
IS DOUBLING EVERY FIVE YEARS. AND THEN WE GET
INFORMATION THROUGH MAGAZINES
AND NEWSPAPERS. WE'RE TOLD THAT WE FORGET UP TO
80 PERCENT OF IT IN 24 HOURS, AND VIRTUALLY ALL OF IT WILL BE FORGOTTEN BY THE TIME
WE REACH ETERNITY. NICODEMUS, THE MAN THAT
WE WERE JUST READING ABOUT IN THE BIBLE, WAS A GREAT
RELIGIOUS LEADER. AND HE CAME BY NIGHT. HE PROBABLY WAS AFRAID
OF CRITICISM, OR HE HAD A DESIRE FOR
A PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH JESUS AND MAYBE THAT
WAS THE ONLY TIME JESUS COULD GIVE HIM. OR MAYBE HE THOUGHT ABOUT COMMITTING HIMSELF
IN A NEW WAY. MANY OF YOU HAVE
THOUGHT A LONG TIME ABOUT RELIGION AND CHRISTIANITY. WE'RE LIVING IN A REVOLUTIONARY
AND CHANGING WORLD. MAN'S ABILITY'S,
MAN'S MORAL ABILITY'S LAGGING BEHIND HIS
TECHNOLOGICAL ABILITY. AND IT COULD MEAN DISASTER
AND CATASTROPHE FOR THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE, AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE A FEELING THAT SOMETHING IS
ABOUT TO HAPPEN. I'M ASKED MORE QUESTIONS
WHEREVER I GO TODAY ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD
THAN I EVER HAVE IN ALL OF MY MINISTRY
PUT TOGETHER. PEOPLE LOOK AT OUR WORLD
WITH ALL THE CRIME, AND ALL THE HEADLINES SCREAMING
AT US ABOUT THE KILLINGS, AND WE SEE THE MORAL DEPRAVITY
ON SO MUCH OF OUR ENTERTAINMENT, AND WE ASK OURSELVES,
ARE WE NEARING THE END? ARE WE LIVING IN
THE DAYS OF NOAH, AS JESUS PREDICTED
WOULD COME SOMEDAY? I HEARD ABOUT A DRUNK
IN LONDON. HE WAS UNDER A STREETLIGHT AND HE WAS LOOKING FOR HIS
WALLET THAT HE HAD LOST, AND SOMEBODY CAME BY AND SAID,
"DID YOU LOSE IT HERE?" HE SAID, "NO, 'BOUT A
HALF BLOCK BACK." "WELL, WHY DON'T
YOU LOOK THERE?" "THERE'S NO STREET LIGHTS
BACK THERE," HE SAID. [laughter] SEARCHING IS IMPORTANT. SEARCHING FOR PURPOSE AND
MEANING IS VERY IMPORTANT. DO YOU HAVE PURPOSE AND
MEANING IN YOUR LIFE? I TOLD MANY TIMES ABOUT
THE 10-YEAR-OLD BOY, WHO WENT TO HIS MOTHER AND SAID,
"MOTHER, HOW WAS I BORN?" AND SHE SAID,
"THE STORK BROUGHT YOU." AND HE WENT TO HIS
GRANDMOTHER AND SAID, "GRANDMOTHER, HOW
WERE YOU BORN?" SAID, "THE STORK BROUGHT ME." SAID, "HOW WAS MY MOTHER BORN?" "WELL, THE STORK BROUGHT HER." AND HE WAS TO WRITE A LITTLE
PAPER IN HIS CLASS ON BIRTH. AND HE WROTE IN HIS PAPER
AND SAID, "THERE HASN'T BEEN A NATURAL
BIRTH IN OUR FAMILY "IN THREE GENERATIONS." [laughter] NOW NICODEMUS WAS SURPRISED AND STUNNED WHEN JESUS TURNED TO HIM AND SAID, "NICODEMUS, "YOU MUST BORN AGAIN." IF CHRIST HAD SAID
THAT TO ZACCHAEUS, HE WAS CHEATING THE PEOPLE
OUT OF MONEY, YOU COULD UNDERSTAND THAT. OR THE WOMAN AT THE WELL
WHO'D HAD FIVE HUSBANDS. YOU COULD UNDERSTAND IT. OR THE THIEF ON THE CROSS
WHO WAS GUILTY OF ROBBERY AND MUGGING AND ALL
KINDS OF THINGS. WHO BEGGED JESUS
WHO SAID TO JESUS, "LORD, REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU
COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM." OR THE WOMAN
TAKEN IN ADULTERY, BUT TO SAY IT TO A RELIGIOUS
LEADER LIKE NICODEMUS SURPRISED EVERYBODY. YOU SEE NICODEMUS WAS
A RULER, HE WAS RICH, HE WAS RELIGIOUS, AND YET HE
WAS SEARCHING FOR REALITY, AND THAT'S WHY HE WAS THERE. HE WANTED FULFILLMENT
IN HIS LIFE WHICH HE HADN'T FOUND
IN ALL OF HIS RELIGION. LET ME TELL YOU HOW
RELIGIOUS NICODEMUS WAS AND SEE HOW YOU STACK UP. HE FASTED TWO DAYS A WEEK. HE SPENT TWO HOURS
EVERY DAY IN PRAYER. HE TITHED ALL OF HIS INCOME. HE WAS A PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY. HE WORKED HARD AT HIS RELIGION. BUT JESUS SAID, "NICODEMUS
ALL THAT IS NOT ENOUGH. "YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN." WHY DID JESUS SAY THIS? JESUS COULD SEE
IN HIS HEART. HE COULD SEE THAT
HE HAD ALL THIS OUTSIDE RELIGIOUS
EXPERIENCE, HE HAD ALL THE
TRADITIONS OF RELIGION. LIKE FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, "TRADITION, TRADITION,
TRADITION," IS WHAT HE SANG. AND WE HAVE TRADITIONS
IN OUR CHURCH, AND ALL THE CHURCHES,
WE HAVE TRADITIONS. AND WE STICK TO
THOSE TRADITIONS. BUT ALL OF IT'S NOT ENOUGH. JESUS SAID YOU MUST HAVE A
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH GOD. YOU MUST COME TO KNOW ME AS YOUR LORD AND YOUR SAVIOR,
PERSONALLY. YOU CAN'T DEPEND
ON YOUR TRADITIONS, YOU CAN'T DEPEND
ON YOUR FAMILY. JESUS SAID TO NICODEMUS, "NICODEMUS, ALL OF
YOUR RELIGION IS NOT ENOUGH." WHY? THE LITTLE BOY PUT HIS
FINGER ON IT WHEN HE SAID, "I GUESS I WAS JUST BORN WRONG." YES, THE BIBLE SAYS, "IN SIN
DID MY MOTHER CONCEIVE ME." I WAS BORN IN INIQUITY. WHAT CAUSES LYING, CHEATING,
HATE, PREJUDICE, GREED, INJUSTICE,
SELFISHNESS, CRUELTY, RACIAL TENSIONS? WHAT CAUSES IT,
WHAT CAUSES PERVERSION? JESUS SAID, "THE HEART." HE SAID, "BUT THOSE THINGS
WHICH PROCEED OUT OF THE MOUTH "COME FORTH FROM THE HEART, "AND THEY DEFILE A PERSON." THEY'RE IN OUR HEARTS. WE WERE BORN WITH
THAT TENDENCY TO SIN. AND AS WE GROW OLDER,
WE MAKE CHOICES TO SIN, SO WE BECOME
SINNERS BY CHOICE. AND THEN WE BECOME
SINNERS BY PRACTICE. WE PRACTICE THIS SIN, IT'S A DISEASE WORSE THAN CANCER,
WORSE THAN AIDS. AND THE WHOLE
WORLD IS INFECTED. AND YOU MAY LIVE TO BE
70 OR 80 OR 90 OR A HUNDRED YEARS OF AGE, BUT YOUR SPIRIT,
YOUR SOUL, THAT PART OF YOU THAT
WILL LIVE FOREVER EITHER IN HEAVEN OR HELL, THAT PART OF YOU IS DEAD. DEAD TOWARD GOD. AND IT'S SINFUL. AND THAT'S THE REASON
YOU NEED FORGIVENESS. THAT'S THE REASON YOU NEED
FOR GOD TO COME ALONG AND JUSTIFY YOU. DID YOU KNOW THAT TONIGHT
BEFORE YOU LEAVE HERE YOU COULD BE JUSTIFIED
BEFORE GOD, JUST AS THOUGH YOU HAD
NEVER COMMITTED A SIN? THAT'S WHAT THE CROSS
IS ALL ABOUT. THAT'S WHAT THE RESURRECTION
IS ALL ABOUT. THAT'S WHAT THE BLOOD
OF CHRIST IS ALL ABOUT. JESUS CAME TO GIVE HIMSELF
TO YOU BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU, AND WHEN HE DIED
ON THAT CROSS GOD LAID ALL OF
OUR SINS ON HIM. HE BECAME GUILTY OF MURDER,
OF LYING, OF ADULTERY, OF GREED, ALL THE SINS THAT YOU
AND I HAVE WERE LAID ON HIM. HE VOLUNTARILY DID IT
BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU. GOD LOVES YOU. THERE ARE MANY WORDS USED
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT FOR SIN, I'M NOT GONNA
TRY TO USE THEM ALL. ONE OF THEM IS TURNING ASIDE
FROM A STRAIGHT PATH, "ALL WE LIKE SHEEP
HAVE GONE ASTRAY. "WE'VE TURNED EVERY ONE TO
HIS OWN WAY," SAID ISAIAH. IN ROMANS 5 IT SAYS,
"WHEREFORE AS BY ONE MAN "SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD,
AND DEATH BY SIN, "AND SO DEATH PASSED UPON ALL
MEN FOR ALL HAVE SINNED." THUS A RADICAL CHANGE
MUST TAKE PLACE BEFORE YOU CAN
GET INTO HEAVEN. BEFORE YOU CAN BE
ACCEPTED BY GOD, AND THAT CHANGE CAN
TAKE PLACE TONIGHT. TO FIND TRUE OR REAL
FULFILLMENT EVEN IN THIS LIFE, THAT CHANGE
MUST TAKE PLACE. TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO GOD,
THAT CHANGE MUST TAKE PLACE. NOW WHAT IS THIS NEW BIRTH, WHEN JESUS SAID,
"YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN"? NICODEMUS ASKED
THAT QUESTION. HE SAID, "HOW CAN A MAN BE
BORN AGAIN WHEN HE'S OLD? "CAN HE ENTER HIS MOTHER'S
WOMB AND BE BORN AGAIN?" HE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND. JESUS INDICATED,
THE BIBLE INDICATES THAT WE WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND
ALL THESE THINGS. WE'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND
ALL THE MYSTERIES OF GOD, WE COME BY FAITH. NICODEMUS COULD ONLY SEE
THE PHYSICAL AND THE MATERIAL. AND JESUS WAS SPEAKING
OF THE SPIRITUAL. WHEN JESUS SAID,
"YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN," HE DIDN'T MEAN THAT
YOU'RE GONNA INHERIT IT. YOU DON'T INHERIT SALVATION
FROM YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER, THE SCRIPTURE
SAYS IN JOHN 1:12, "WHICH WERE BORN NOT OF BLOOD
NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH "NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN,
BUT OF GOD." I CAN BE BORN IN A GARAGE BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE ME
AN AUTOMOBILE. YOU CAN BE BORN IN
A CHRISTIAN HOME, BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE
YOU A CHRISTIAN. THERE HAS TO COME A TIME
IN YOUR OWN LIFE WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION
AND YOUR OWN CHOICE. AND THEN SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY
CAN COME BY THEIR OWN WORKS, BY BEING, BY DOING MANY
GOOD THINGS AND GREAT THINGS. THAT'S WONDERFUL,
KEEP DOING THEM, BUT THAT DOESN'T
SAVE YOUR SOUL. IT'S A RESULT OF
YOUR SALVATION. IN TITUS 3:5 IT SAYS,
"NOT OF WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS "WHICH WE HAVE DONE, "BUT ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY
HE SAVED US." YOU ARE SAVED BY
THE GRACE OF GOD. NOW GRACE MEANS
UNMERITED FAVOR, GRACE MEANS SOMETHING
YOU DON'T DESERVE. YOU CAN'T WORK FOR IT,
YOU CAN'T PAY FOR IT, IT'S A GIFT FROM GOD. HAVE YOU RECEIVED THAT GIFT? YOU RECEIVE THAT
GIFT BY FAITH, AND HE COMES INTO YOUR HEART,
AND CHANGES YOU, AND YOU BECOME BORN ANEW. YOU SEE MAN SINNED IN
A PERFECT ENVIRONMENT. WE HAD IT ALL. ADAM AND EVE HAD EVERYTHING. THEY DIDN'T EVEN NEED
TO HAVE POLICE FORCES; THEY DIDN'T NEED
TO HAVE GOVERNMENT. THEY DIDN'T NEED ANYTHING
BECAUSE THEY HAD IT ALL, BUT THEY REBELLED
AGAINST GOD, THEY SINNED AGAINST GOD. AND THEY PASSED IT ON DOWN
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION DOWN TO YOU AND ME,
'TIL WE'RE ALL SINNERS. NOW TO BE BORN AGAIN MEANS BEING BORN
INTO GOD'S FAMILY. IN EZEKIEL IT SAYS, "A NEW
HEART ALSO WILL I GIVE YOU, "AND A NEW SPIRIT WILL
I PUT WITHIN YOU." IN ROMANS PAUL SPEAKS OF IT
AS BEING ALIVE FROM THE DEAD. IN II CORINTHIANS , HE CALLS IT
BEING A NEW CREATION. "OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY
BEHOLD ALL THINGS BECOME NEW." HAS THAT HAPPENED TO YOU? PETER SAID, "WE BECOME PARTAKERS
OF THE DIVINE NATURE." HOW WONDERFUL TO BECOME A
PARTAKER OF GOD'S VERY NATURE. JOHN CALLS IT PASSING
FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. YOU'RE NO LONGER HEADING FOR
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION AND HELL AND JUDGMENT. YOU'RE HEADING FOR A NEW LIFE, AN ETERNAL LIFE
WITH GOD IN HEAVEN. AND YOU RECEIVE IT TONIGHT. WELL, HOW IS THIS
NEW BIRTH ACCOMPLISHED? THERE'S A MYSTERY TO IT,
THE BIBLE SAYS. JESUS SAID, "THE WIND
BLOWS WHERE IT LISTETH." I CAN'T SEE THE WIND. I CAN FEEL IT. I CAN SEE THE RESULTS
OF THE WIND BUT I CAN'T SEE THE WIND. THE WIND BLOWS
WHERE IT WANTS TO. AND THEN THERE'S THE ANALOGY
TO NATURAL BIRTH. THERE'S CONCEPTION, JUST A FEW SECONDS WHEN THE SPERM AND THE EGG
ARE JOINED TOGETHER, AND THEN THERE'S GESTATION
FOR NINE MONTHS, AND THEN BIRTH COMES. AND THE LABOR LASTS A FEW
MINUTES OR MAYBE A FEW DAYS, AND HOW DOES THAT BECOME
AN ANALOGY TO THE NEW BIRTH? WELL, THERE'S THE RECEPTION
OF THE WORD OF GOD-- THAT'S CONCEPTION. I PETER 1:23, "BEING BORN
AGAIN NOT OF CORRUPTIBLE SEED "BUT OF INCORRUPTIBLE BY
THE WORD OF GOD "WHICH LIVETH AND
ABIDETH FOREVER." AND THEN ROMANS 10:7 SAYS, "FAITH COMETH BY HEARING AND
HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD." "IT PLEASED GOD BY
THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING," (OR DECLARATION OR PROCLAMATION) "TO SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE." IT'S ALSO THE WORK
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE BIBLE TEACHES
THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS US OF OUR SINS. YOU CAN'T COME TO CHRIST
EXCEPT THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS YOU AND DRAWS YOU. JOHN 16 SAYS, "AND WHEN
HE HAS COME HE WILL REPROVE "THE WORLD OF SIN AND
RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUDGMENT." HE'LL USE
A MOTHER'S PRAYERS. HE'LL USE
A TRAGIC EXPERIENCE. HE'LL USE A PASTOR'S SERMON. HE'LL USE A TRACT OR SOMETHING YOU'VE READ
OUT OF THE BIBLE. THE HOLY SPIRIT
GIVES NEW LIFE. THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT
WE'RE DEAD IN SIN, "AND YOU HATH HE MADE ALIVE "WHO WERE DEAD IN
TRESPASSES AND IN SINS." MAN NEEDS NEW LIFE, AND THAT NEW LIFE IS BROUGHT
BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. THAT'S THE NEW BIRTH. AND THAT COULD HAPPEN
TO YOU TONIGHT. YOU CAN LEAVE HERE
BORN ANEW. AND START LIFE ALL OVER AGAIN,
WITH JESUS CHRIST. BEING BORN FROM ABOVE. AND THEN THE BIBLE TEACHES
THAT WHEN YOU RECEIVE CHRIST THE HOLY SPIRIT
COMES TO INDWELL, "HE DWELLETH WITH YOU
AND SHALL BE IN YOU," THE SCRIPTURE SAYS. "KNOW YOU NOT THAT YOUR BODY IS
THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT "AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD
THAT DWELLETH IN YOU?" HE GIVES YOU A NEW POWER. "BUT YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER "AFTER THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT
IS COME UPON YOU." THAT POWER CAN COME FROM GOD
TONIGHT, BEGINNING TONIGHT. I READ OF A WOMAN WHO TRIED
HER DRIVER'S TEST FOR THE 38th TIME AND FAILED
IN ENGLAND. PERHAPS YOU'VE TRIED, NEARLY THAT MANY TIMES,
IN RELIGION. BUT YOU HAVEN'T FOUND IT. YOU'RE STILL SEARCHING,
YOU'RE STILL WANDERING, YOU'RE STILL UNCERTAIN
ABOUT THE FUTURE. YOU'RE NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE. OH YOU'VE BEEN BAPTIZED
AND CONFIRMED PERHAPS, AND YOU'VE BEEN
IN THE CHURCH OR MAYBE YOU'RE A LEADER
IN THE CHURCH, BUT SOMETHING IS MISSING. THERE'S STILL A VACUUM THERE, THERE'S STILL A SEARCH THERE, THERE'S STILL AN
UNCERTAINTY THERE. I'M ASKING YOU TONIGHT
TO MOVE OVER AND TRUST THE HOLY SPIRIT TO
DRIVE AND CONTROL YOUR LIFE. YOU CAN DO THAT TONIGHT. AND I'M GOING TO
ASK YOU TO DO IT. YOU SAY, "WELL, WHAT
DO I HAVE TO DO?" THERE ARE THREE THINGS THAT
ARE IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO DO. FIRST, YOU MUST
REPENT OF SIN. REPENTANCE MEANS THAT YOU
CHANGE YOUR WAY OF LIVING AND CHANGE YOUR THINKING. BE WILLING FOR A CHANGE TO
TAKE PLACE IN YOUR LIFE. THE SECOND THING, BY FAITH, AND FAITH AND REPENTANCE
GO TOGETHER. THERE'S NO DICHOTOMY,
THEY GO TOGETHER. YOU REPENT AND YOU BELIEVE,
BELIEVE IN CHRIST. YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN ANYTHING
ELSE FOR YOUR SALVATION EXCEPT
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. AND YOU RECEIVE HIM
IN YOUR HEART, AND SAY, "LORD JESUS, COME IN,"
AND HE'LL COME IN. THEN THE THIRD THING IS
TO OBEY HIM. SAY, "LORD, I KNOW I CAN'T
LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, "AND BILLY GRAHAM CAN'T
LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE," AND I CAN'T. IF I DIDN'T HAVE THE HELP OF
THE HOLY SPIRIT EVERY DAY, I WOULD BE A TOTAL
FAILURE EVERY DAY, AS FAR AS LIVING
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, I'M A FAILURE A GREAT DEAL
OF THE TIME AS IT IS. BUT IT'S THE HOLY SPIRIT
THAT COMES AND LIVES THROUGH YOU
AND IN YOU, AND GIVES YOU A POWER TO RESIST TEMPTATION THAT
YOU NEVER HAD BEFORE. AND GIVES YOU A NEW JOY
AND A NEW PEACE, THAT YOU NEVER KNEW EXISTED. THAT CAN ALL BE
YOURS TONIGHT, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO SAY,
"LORD I DO REPENT, "I DO RECEIVE YOU. "I OPEN MY HEART TO YOU." I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO DO WHAT WE'VE ALREADY SEEN
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE DO. I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO
GET UP OUT OF YOUR SEAT. FROM UP HERE,
AND OUT THERE, WAY BACK IN THE BACK, AND
OVER HERE, BACK THERE, AND COME AND STAND IN FRONT
AND SAY BY COMING, "I DO RECEIVE HIM. "I AM WILLING TO REPENT
OF MY SINS. "I WANT THERE
TO BE A CHANGE. "I WANT TO KNOW THAT
I'VE BEEN SAVED. "I'M NOT SURE WHERE I AM NOW,
BUT I WANT TO KNOW." YOU GET UP AND COME. WE'RE GOING TO WAIT ON YOU. GOING TO ASK PEOPLE
TO BE IN PRAYER FOR THOSE THAT ARE MAKING
THOSE COMMITMENTS NOW. AND ASK NOBODY TO LEAVE NOW, THIS IS THE HOLY MOMENT
OF THE SERVICE, JUST VERY QUIETLY LET THE PEOPLE COME THAT
GOD IS SPEAKING TO. ♪ JUST AS I AM
WITHOUT ONE PLEA, ♪ ♪ BUT THAT THY BLOOD
WAS SHED FOR ME, ♪ ♪ AND THAT THOU BIDST ME
COME TO THEE ♪ ♪ OH, LAMB OF GOD
I COME ♪ ♪ I COME. ♪ ♪ JUST AS I AM
AND WAITING NOT ♪ ♪ TO RID MY SOUL
OF ONE DARK BLOT ♪ ♪ TO THEE WHOSE BLOOD
CAN CLEANSE EACH SPOT ♪ ♪ OH, LAMB OF GOD
I COME ♪ ♪ I COME. ♪ JUST AS HUNDREDS HERE HAVE
RESPONDED TO THE INVITATION, SO CAN YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE. JUST CALL THE NUMBER ON
YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW. SPECIAL FRIENDS WANT
TO HELP YOU WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT
DECISION YOU CAN EVER MAKE. SO DON'T WAIT, CALL NOW. ♪ ...HEALING OF THE MIND ♪ ♪ YEA, ALL I NEED
IN THEE TO FIND ♪ ♪ OH, LAMB OF GOD
I COME ♪ ♪ I COME. ♪ I WANT TO SAY A WORD TO YOU THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
WATCHING BY TELEVISION. WE'RE NOT ON
TELEVISION LIVE. THIS MAY BE SHOWN SEVERAL WEEKS OR SEVERAL
MONTHS FROM NOW. BUT YOU HAVE PARTICIPATED
IN THIS SERVICE. YOU'VE HEARD THE MESSAGE,
YOU'VE HEARD THE MUSIC, YOU'VE HEARD THE TESTIMONY. AND GOD HAS SPOKEN TO YOU. AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE
YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST TONIGHT AND MAKE SURE OF
YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO HIM. I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO PICK UP
THE TELEPHONE AND CALL THAT NUMBER THAT
YOU MAY SEE ON YOUR SCREEN. MOST CITIES WILL HAVE IT. MY GOD HELP YOU TO MAKE
THAT COMMITMENT TONIGHT. THERE'S STILL TIME TO MAKE
THAT IMPORTANT DECISION. JUST CALL THE NUMBER
ON THE SCREEN, OR WRITE THAT LETTER TONIGHT
TO MR. GRAHAM. SOMEONE IS WAITING TO PRAY AND
TALK WITH YOU AND HELP YOU. DON'T PUT IT OFF, CALL NOW. IF YOU JUST PRAYED THAT PRAYER
WITH MY FATHER, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP
WITH JESUS CHRIST, WHY DON'T YOU CALL
THE NUMBER ON THE SCREEN. THERE WILL BE SOMEONE THERE TO
TALK WITH YOU, PRAY WITH YOU AND ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. AND REMEMBER,
GOD LOVES YOU! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMIT
YOUR LIFE TO JESUS CHRIST, PLEASE CALL US RIGHT NOW,
TOLL FREE AT 1-877-772-4559. THAT'S 1-877-772-4559. OR YOU CAN WRITE TO US AT: BILLY GRAHAM 1 BILLY GRAHAM PARKWAY DEPARTMENT C CHARLOTTE, NC 28201 OR YOU CAN CONTACT US ON THE WEB
24/7 AT PEACEWITHGOD.TV. WE'LL GET THE SAME HELPS TO YOU
THAT WE GIVE TO EVERYONE WHO RESPONDS AT THE INVITATION. ON BEHALF OF
FRANKLIN GRAHAM AND THE BILLY GRAHAM
EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION THANK YOU FOR WATCHING AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS. (Franklin Graham)
WE STILL HAVE
A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO REACH A LOST
AND DYING WORLD WITH THE TRUTH
OF GOD'S LOVE. IT'S NOT TOO LATE. WE'VE GOT
AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL OTHERS
ABOUT JESUS CHRIST. WHAT ARE YOU GOING
TO DO WITH IT?
