Billy Graham - Death - Ft Lauderdale FL

I'm going to ask you to turn with me to the third chapter of the book of Genesis and at the end of that chapter it says this and the Lord God said Behold the man is become as one of us to know good and evil and now lest he put forth his hand and take also the tree of life and eat and live forever therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which it taken so he drove out the man and he placed at the east of

the Garden of Eden a cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every one to keep the way of the Tree of Life in other words God was keeping man away from the tree of life because it man had eaten the tree of life he would have lived forever in his sins without his hope of redemption suppose for example that a man like Hitler came along and ate of the tree of life and live forever and we would have Hitler for thousands of lives and many more Hitler's and they would control the earth and so God

sent death alone as a judgment but also a blessing because every generation comes and dies in a new generation is born and all the Hitler's of the world die eventually and the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3 - there's a time to be born and a time to die it's appointment at 9:00 once to die but after that the judgment but often I find is the clergyman that people do not wish to talk about death why in America 17 year olds by the time they're 17 have seen on average of 15,000 murders on television and there's

a rise of bestsellers on death right now and some think of death period of life so Winston Churchill once said the older you get the more sleep you need finally was sleeping all the time in life there are many avenues he said but alone lead to that all-embracing death and I want to ask you tonight are you prepared to die have you made any preparation at all for your death oh yes maybe financially you have but what about your spirit your soul that's going to live forever have you made a study of it oh it

occupies a lot of your thinking I know the law my son-in-law is a psychologist here and he's telling me a little bit about this how many people are preoccupied with the fact that they have to die and some go out and live it up and say I'm going to get the last ounce of pleasure I can before that day and others take it very seriously and they prepare their hearts to meet Almighty God whom they shall have to face with their sins and their failures at the judgement death is tragic because of its finality I

remember when one of my great friends died and I remember going into the home before I was to preach the funeral sermon and the wife said you know I never realized until this day the finality of death and they had been missionaries to South America and he was a great college president in this country and she said the finality of it that I'll never see him again till I get to Eternity he'll never come in as I've seen him day after day and our long married life but the loss and the severance of things you

love then I'd like to leave behind family and friends and for others it's not only a time of life but it's a customer death I just in so much uncertainty and we ask ourselves i Wi-Fi last Monday I stood at the grave of a great friend a great man of government dr. Harrell Duck and gay and I remember I couldn't help but ask myself why because he had so much to give but then I read and knew that he was nearly 80 years of age and he'd lived a marvelous life but lying there he looked

like he was 35 or 40 but I can never help but ask myself why you still young man cut down in the prime of life and you ask why or you see a boy or girl and you're asked why why does all just have to happen part of it is the Terra and the fear of the unknown people never like to be unprepared they're anxious about the future and I want to quote one passage from endless the fourth chapter this says prepare to meet thy God are you prepared if you're not prepared and have a

doubt about it pick up the telephone and call the number on your screen they'll be counselors there that will talk to you about how you can prepare to be death and judgment now we want to soften the reality of death we didn't want to talk about it some of us don't want to think about it so we have a lot of cosmetics and facelifts and the frantic search for the mythical Fountain of Youth that goes on them but I don't want to turn tonight to the psychologist or the sociologist or the medical students but to

the Bible what does the Bible say about death first the Bible says the death is an enemy of man and God Paul calls an enemy says first Corinthians 15 the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death Knights an enemy to God because God never meant for man to die when he created us he meant for us to live forever but we broke his law we rebelled against him and he said if you do that you're going to die he had to keep his word neither sin the pain the disease nor death were part of

God's original plan for man death is the penalty for sin when he said thou shalt surely die and the judgment dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return came after man's rebellion are you prepared and then secondly the Bible teaches that this enemy of death is going to be destroyed first Corinthians 15 26 the last enemy to be destroyed is death when we were touring Russia this past year and we went to these great old rocks cathedrals and it was my privilege to preach in them the gospel just like I do here and in

the Soviet Union I had a theologian from the theological Academy in Leningrad say to me and the cars we were riding along he said Mr Graham he said I would like to see you put more emphasis on the resurrection of Christ because he said if Christ be not risen our faith is in vain and I thought to myself Here I am learning at the feet of a man in the Soviet Union about the resurrection of Jesus Christ now some people question the resurrection in this scientific age but Arnold of rugby said I know no fact

in history of mankind which is attested by fuller and better evidence of every solo said would Clark think the High Court judge said some time ago the evidence of the resurrection I accept unreservedly as fact over and over again in the High Court I've I've secured a verdict on evidence not nearly so compelling many of our scientists believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ now thirdly the Bible teaches that this enemy of death has already been defeated already defeated Paul says o death where is thy sting o grave where is victory by death and resurrection

of Christ he said I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am Alive for evermore and have the keys of hell and death think of it he has the keys of hell and the keys of death now what is this defeat of death paul likens it to a poisonous insect whose sting has been withdrawn he says the sting of death is sin now I want you to think about death for a person who does not know Christ for an unbeliever this jock is a revival that old pep song of David clayton-thomas which

goes and when I die I pray there ain't no hell but the Bible teaches there will be a judgment michelangelo's last judgment considered by many to be man's greatest work of hair you go immediately after you down to face the judgment and the judgment is not going to be to decide whether you're saying the lost the judgment is going to be to decide your place in hell because the decision is being made by you here now in this life and you cannot read the Bible and miss the references to hell and I don't see how

our German can preach without talking about because it's so much in the scriptures and the one that thoughts so much about it is Jesus more than any other person in the Bible to be in hell is to be out of the presence of God what is hell I'm not going to give you my imagination I'm not going to do what some have done in the past and use their imagination to frighten people we ought to be frightened but I want to tell you what I believe the Bible teaches there are three words that describe Hell

in the Bible for me one is fire for our God is a consuming fire said Hebrews 12 but the Bible also teaches that fire is used symbolically it says our tongues are set on fire well that doesn't mean combustion and James it's symbolic and Jesus used this symbol over and over I believe that the fire is a thirst for Almighty God that can never be quenched you go out into eternity thirsting for God and you can never find him and you can never find the fulfillment that you missed in this life and then secondly the

word darkness the Bible says God is light in matthew 8:12 says but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness hell is called outer darkness it's separation from God in darkness that's the reason those that go to hell will not see anybody else it'll be too dark you're not going to go down there and set up a nightclub and have a big time and have beautiful golf courses and all the rest of it it's gone people think no it's separation from God from darkness from from light and then the on 3rd

phrase that Jesus uses is the second death God is life it is separated from life and death and he'll the cast into the lake of fire this is the second death revelation 20:14 says you die the first time naturally your body dies now your soul your spirit is still alive but it's dead it's dead toward God just like it is to know there are thousands of people here in this audience in South Florida tonight whose spirit is dead told go your body is alive you go to church you're religious as most people are on the

world you could Indian you'll find more religion any country in the world but deep in your heart you don't really know Christ you haven't made your peace with God now God doesn't take any delight in hell he didn't create a hell for you he made hell for the devil and his angels but if you persist in going the devil's way that's where you're going now with Jesus Christ died on the cross that was a judgment God judged Christ in your place and Jesus being who he was had the capacity to endure hell for you and

when Christ said my God my God why have sound forsaken me in that terrible movement in a way that we cannot possibly fathom or understand the Lord Jesus Christ and his father was separated and Jesus took the pangs of hell and he suffered in that moment everything that man will ever be called upon to suffer he did it for you because he loved you and now God's fish you must repent of your sins and receive him into your heart and if you don't do it and you persist in listening to the voice of the devil

who says you have plenty of time I'll tell you that it's not true or whatever he's whispering to you yes you have to make a choice you have to make a choice between some things that are wrong in your life and you have to make a choice with Christ which will it be what is your choice if you want to make a choice tonight for Christ or if you want to talk about it pick up the telephone and call the person that's on the other end on that number that's on your screen write it down

now you may dial several times and keep on dialing they'll be there all evening the death of Christ was a judgment and the scripture says that God's desire is that all men should be saved all women should be saved that's God's desire he wants it so much that he did his son to die on the cross for you and the words used in those scriptures are designed which not will in purpose it's not God's will or purpose that you die it's his desire that you be saved and you have a choice now what about what

happens to the believer so much could be said about this I got to look all evening about heaven and about the joys and the thrill and the excitement it's going to be in heaven you know Christ in Christ the judgment is past the storm is over the hell is past if you know Christ there'll be no judgment for you there is therefore now no judgment to them that are in Christ Jesus there is no hell for you you will live eternally with the Lord Jesus Christ and with the saints of all the ages by his

death he destroyed dead in Christ we no longer will God get as the king of terrors Paul said I have a desire to depart to be with Christ which is far better he said to be with Christ is better than living here now I want to be with him said the Apostle Paul why was it because he worked so hard for Christ because he'd suffered so much no he was ready because long ago he had met Christ on the Damascus Road and had an experience with the Lord Jesus Christ and Christ came into his heart

and he had found a fulfillment and a peace and a joy he found the purpose in the meaning of his life when he had that encounter with Christ you can have that same experience with Christ tonight right here before you leave here there many people think that it's a long process in there may be a process in which you're convicted by the Spirit of God and there may be a process like birth this is the moment of conception this is the months of gestation then comes Beryl and then there comes growing all of those are

different steps and different processes stop may take place almost all at once we do not know how the Holy Spirit works at that point in each individual life sometimes it's individual but tonight you need to take a step to Christ and make sure if you don't know and you're not certain be sure many people do not have a date when they came to Christ but it's good for many people to come and make a date and say yes that was the night that I became sure now the conquest of death is the final great achievement

of what we call Christianity and Judaism physical death is but a transition from life on Earth with Christ to eternal life in heaven with Christ it's like going through a dorm when you die you leave one room and you enter another bigger room which is more beautiful and more wonderful and the transition which we call death is based on the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead for we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again death no longer has been a dominion over him says Romans 6:4 as in Adam

all die so also in Christ shall all be made alive for Christians there is such a thing maybe as the shadow of death it cast a shadow over those to the left behind the English Book of Common Prayer in the order for the burial of the dead says man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live and in the midst of life we are in death and it says who fleeth as it were a shadow I remember a friend that many of you knew perhaps for the name of Donald Road

Barnhouse a Presbyterian minister in Philadelphia and many years ago his first wife died and left him with three children and they won their way to the grave or to the service that they were to hold former and he had decided to preach in himself and a big truck overtook them and cast a shadow for their car and he asked the children would you rather be run over but the truck or by the shadow and his daughter answered a shadow can't hurt you and with that answer doctor Barnhouse said to his three motherless little children your

mother has been overrun not by death but by a shadow of death and then he spoke on the 23rd psalm yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me you're not going to die alone if Christ I believe as I said in a book that I wrote on angels that there is a death angel and that angel comes and takes you by the hand and leads you into the presence of Christ it's a wonderful thing

to die as a believer I've seen believers die and I've seen those who did not know Christ died and there's a vast difference in the way they die today people are so sedated we don't have their final words as we used to have but I have many memories of people dying talking about the music that they hear talking about who they see my own mother was woman she seemed as though she could hear and see into the future jesus said he that believeth on me shall never die believe it's now this he meant that you

never dies spiritually an atheist only sees a hopeless end to life but the Christian sees an endless hope we look beyond our present sorrow to the triumph of Christ blessed are the dead who die in the Lord but Christ brings her permanent freedom from evil to the believer who dies in him those that don't know Christ may not desire this they may prefer go on living in your sins you have in their short time so live it up as we get older life is pressing in on us get all you can out of it now

that's the philosophy of being here in South Florida as well as all over the world you don't have a little you'll be an eternity and the decision you make tonight may decide where you'll be do you know Christ the word depart the Bible uses the word depart you see the Bible teaches that we're citizens of two worlds none I'm a citizen of the United States but I'm also a citizen in heaven I'm a citizen of another world heaven and that's where I'm going and I'll be there it won't be too many months of years if

I go the vast majority of my life has already been lived my record is already been made I don't have very much longer I know that I don't plan to retire I feel like I'm 18 years of age but I know that I'm not I can look at the x-rays when they take the x-rays and the deterioration of a balloon here and there through something that I don't even know what it is I can't feel it but I know at some point I'll flip it'll start having its effect on the body we all die I'm

not going to escape it I don't want to escape but I want to go because to be with Christ is far better than to be meaningful ready the Bible says we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Napoleon once said I die before my time and my body will be given back to the earth to become the food of worms such as the faint soon of the great Napoleon what a contrast to the words of jube he said I know my Redeemer liveth and though after my skin worms destroy this

body yet in my flesh shall I see God I'm looking forward to seeing him face to face I remember a story that dr. HT Marston the great old Methodist preacher told many years ago in Kentucky he said that he was on a boat many years ago coming back from Europe and on that strange ship was Theodore Roosevelt who was returning and triumphs from hunting elephants and lions in Africa and a great crowd was there to meet Theodore Roosevelt and the bands were playing he was the former President of the United States and Morrison said he

stood there looking nobody was there to meet him and he said they had big signs saying to Roosevelt today welcome home and parson said he's somewhat felt an empty loneliness in his heart and then all of a sudden it dawned on him he said you know I'm not home yet I'll be home someday and I'll have a great welcome the compass will play the angels will be there Christ will be there what a glorious time that's going to be I heard about a young man from a Christian home and he had little interest in Christ

but one day his grandfather died unexpectedly and the boy was shaken and someone said was it your grandfather's death but changed you and he said no it was my grandfather's life that changed me there's an old English prayer that says Lord granted my last time maybe my finest hour Paul said I fought the good fight I finished the race I've kept the faith an anglican bishop of the last century said I hope when I come to die I shall not have to say I wish I had lunch Christ more I'm going to ask you tonight

to make sure that you're ready but you have to do father mother senior citizen boy a girl we never know in this world in which we live when anyone is going to go to get out on these highways and streets and you never know are you ready what do I have to do to be ready first the Bible teaches you must repent of your sins and you say well what is repentance repentance is changing changing your mind toward God and toward yourself seeing yourself a sinner and seeing the holiness and the righteousness of God looking

at the cross of Christ and seeing that he died for you but it also means the change of living you're going to change your habits from this moment on you're going to ask God to help you you may not be able to you may not have the strength to but if you'll ask God to help you he'll help you and then the second thing you must do is to believe that world believe means more than just believing with your mind it means committing yourself your total self to Christ I say they're normal and then the

third thing you must be willing to follow him and serve Him are you willing to do that you say Billy I decided that years ago did you really is there a doubt about it many older people have been religious and younger people too because I was young when I accepted Christ sixteen or seventeen years of age and vice-president the young people Society in my church but I knew that I really didn't know Christ I already knew that and when they asked to come and make it certain I went and I'm so glad that I did

that night you can make Schumer tonight I'm going to ask you to come and stand in front of this platform as we've seen hundreds every night do I'm going to ask you to get up out of your seat and stand here and this is a symbolic gesture a public gesture of coming to Christ now why do I ask you to do that because every person that uses cloned he's told publicly every person he called publicly I'm asking you to come publicly he said if you're not willing to acknowledge me publicly before men I'll not acknowledge

you before my father which is in heaven there's something about coming publicly that helps settle it and I'm going to ask you to come if you're with friends or relatives only and after you've all kind I'm going to say a word to you and have a prayer with you give you some literature to help you in your Christian life you get up and cuddle we're going to wait on hundreds of you if you come from this stand back here it'll take about a minute maybe a minute I have this stand and this one over here

close to two minutes get up and come right now and after you've come we'll stand here a few minutes then have a prayer and then you go back and join your friends very simple but very important because your whole eternal future may hang on what happens tonight and years are watching by television pick up the telephone and call that number and make your commitment to Christ as people are already beginning to come here in this stadium in Fort Lauderdale Florida just get up and come now hundreds of you we're going to wait them just as

many hundreds are making their commitment to Jesus Christ here at Lockhart stadium you can too by calling the telephone number on your screen right now this is probably the most important cause you can ever make so call now here that are watching by television you can still get here in Fort Lauderdale Florida many hundreds of people are coming to make their commitment to Christ to make sure that they know him as the Lord and Savior you can make sure it were you off you may be in a hotel room maybe in your bedroom living room

maybe in a bar cooler I don't know where you can say yes Lord Jesus come into my heart pick up the telephone and colorful that number and be sure and go to church next Sunday there's still time to call for spiritual help and counseling the line is busy just waiting to the moments write the number down call a later