{"id":6695,"date":"2018-03-06T07:15:21","date_gmt":"2018-03-06T12:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/?p=6695"},"modified":"2018-02-28T13:48:16","modified_gmt":"2018-02-28T18:48:16","slug":"march-11-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/march-11-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"March 11, 2018–The Message That Made a Man"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sylvia Alloway, Granada Hills, CA<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Warm-up Question<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you were asked to give a message that would be heard around world, what would you say? Why would you say that?<\/p>\n

The Message That Made a Man
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If you were asked to give a message that would be heard around world, what would you say? Why would you say that?<\/p>\n

Billy Graham, the Man with the Message<\/p>\n

Christians argue over a lot of issues which they consider important. How much water should be used in baptism? What kind of music is truly worshipful? Would Jesus approve of current political causes?<\/p>\n

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For Billy Graham there was only one important issue: Jesus Christ. He loves you. He died for you. He forgives you. His single-minded focus on Christ\u2019s saving work and his simple, intense presentation of the Gospel were so impressive his audiences numbered in the hundreds of millions world-wide. Known as \u201cAmerica\u2019s pastor,\u201d he was arguably the most famous Christian of the 20th<\/sup> century. On February 21st<\/sup> William Franklin Graham passed into the presence of his Lord at the age of ninety-nine.<\/p>\n

So what was so special about this guy? How did he manage to make the \u201cTen Most Admired Men\u201d list 61 times? When other evangelists were brought down by scandal, how did Billy stay on top? Was he superhuman or something?<\/p>\n

(The teacher may play this clip https:\/\/billygraham.org\/video\/happiness-lexington-4-28-71\/<\/a> as an example of Billy Graham at his height.)<\/p>\n

No, he was not superhuman. He was super-faithful. His focus was on faithfulness to his message \u2013 the truth of salvation through Christ. Fame didn\u2019t tempt him to put his public image ahead of his message. Money did not distract him from his message. For social and political missteps (and he made a few) he almost always admitted his fault, apologized, and continued to preach his message. As his audience increased, he grew in humility, not pride. Giving people God\u2019s truth was a responsibility he took seriously.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been asked, \u2018What is the secret?\u2019\u201d Graham once said. \u201cIs it showmanship, organization or what? The secret of my work is God. I would be nothing without him.\u201d<\/p>\n

In summing up his attitude towards death he revised a quote from D.L. Moody, an earlier evangelist whom he admired:<\/p>\n

Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don\u2019t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.<\/p>\n

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Discussion Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n