Once you die, is that it? Is that all there is? Or will you live again? Hear from Billy Graham about the power of Jesus’ resurrection—and what that means for you—taken from his 1966 message in Greenville, South Carolina. Watch more #MondayNightClassics weekly at 8 p.m. Eastern.
from our archives the billy graham
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classics
than tongue or pen can’t
ever tell it goes beyond the highest
star and reaches
to the lowest
could we within the ocean fill
or were the skies of parchment made
would every stalk on earth a quill
and every man ascribe
by trade
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the
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oh
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and strong
it shall fall
forever more
endure
the saints angels
now tonight i want you to turn with me
to job the 14th chapter
and the 14th verse job the 14th chapter
and the 14th verse now job is in the old
testament
and it’s the oldest book in the world
there is
no known book in the world as old as the
book of job
and yet job asked a question that i’m
sure disturbs
many of you tonight he asked a question
that every great philosopher has
wrestled with
he asked a question that every great
thinker an intellectual at some time
wrestles with he asks
the same question that one of the
greatest scientists in this country
asked me about three weeks ago
he said science knows nothing about it
but he said i’m disturbed about it and
worried about it
here is the question if a man die
shall he live again if a man die
shall he live again
the problem of death and life
are life and death haven’t you ever
thought about that
you’ve been to a funeral for a few
moments you’re solemn you’re thoughtful
that night you go back you go to bed you
think about it
one of these days they’re going to be
taking me out to the cemetery
they’ll be saying some words over me is
that the
end is it all over
you know what the bible says the bible
says there’s a time to be born
and a time to die
birth is a happy event death is a tragic
event
and we have tears
you take the fifth chapter of genesis
and you’ll see the list of
all those men that live to be old men
adam lived
930 years but he died
methuselah lived 969 years but he died
i read about a man the other day in
brazil that they claim lived 134
years but he died
at the end of every life is death life
is very brief
the bible says it’s a tale that is told
it’s a weaver shuttle it’s a flower that
fades it’s like the grass that withers
henry wadsworth longfellow expressed it
once when he said
art is long and time is fleeting
and our hearts though stout and brave
still
like muffled drums of beating funeral
marches
to the grave and that’s exactly where
we’re all headed
it is appointed unto man once to die
thou shalt die and not live
now the great question is are you ready
to meet god because the bible says it’s
appointed unto man once to die
but after that the judgment
there is something after death according
to this book
now again i say i can’t take you to a
scientific laboratory and prove it to
you
but this book teaches from genesis to
revelation that
this life is only a preparation room for
eternity
there is another life the old testament
teaches it the new testament teaches it
jesus taught it the apostles taught it
if a man
dies shall he live again that’s the
question job asked
that’s the question that millions are
asking tonight and the answer from the
bible is a resounding
yes yes
there is a life after death
if a man dies shall he live again
cicero the great romans said upon this
subject i entertain no more than
conjecture
i’ve spent a great deal of my life
searching for the answer
mrs roosevelt eleanor roosevelt in one
of her columns a few years ago said
it’s instinctive for man to believe in
life after death and it is
you never find a tribe anywhere in the
world you never find a culture you never
find a civilization
anywhere in history that didn’t believe
in some form of life after death
and when the early forefathers and
pilgrims came to this country they
thought they had found some tribes in
new england
that didn’t believe tribes of indians
that didn’t believe in life after death
but they soon
found when they communicated with them
that they believed in the happy hunting
ground
yes man instinctively something down
inside
says there must be a future life
there must be something beyond this life
but after all there’s only one
authoritative person that can speak on
this subject
because he came from the grave
he rose and his name was jesus christ
about two or three years ago i had the
privilege of having an interview with
con
with chancellor conrad adenauer in his
last year
in office as chancellor of germany
he had invited me i was preaching in
germany and he had invited me to come
and see him and i didn’t know what about
i was quite surprised and of course
flattered to get the invitation
and i went he greeted me
big tall giant of a man the man that had
almost single-handedly
brought democracy back to germany after
the war
and i wondered what does this great man
want of me
the first question he asked me was this
he said do you believe
in life after death i said yes sir i do
i said i believe the bible teaches it
he said i do too he said i
am studying the resurrection of jesus
christ
and he said when i leave office as
chancellor i intend to spend the rest of
my
life studying the resurrection of christ
because he said if christ is alive
there is hope in the world he said if
christ is not alive there is no hope
that i can see that civilization can be
saved
wasn’t that something
yes jesus christ is alive
he rose from the dead in that day that
easter sunday morning that first easter
when mary and mary magdalene and
stallone
went to the grave expecting to anoint a
dead body
they saw the angel sitting there
and they said where is jesus the angel
said he is not here he is risen
i submit to you tonight that that’s the
greatest news the world has ever heard
he is not here he has conquered the
grave
he’s alive and ladies and gentlemen
i believe that there is more proof that
jesus christ rose from the dead
than almost any other fact
in roman history i don’t believe there’s
a fact in ancient history today
so well proven as the resurrection of
jesus christ
but even if there was no proof no
historical proof
no scientific proof and there is
i would still believe it because i
believe this book is god’s inspired word
and the whole early church went up and
down the country
preaching the resurrection of jesus
christ that was the thing that shook the
roman empire
that a man had risen from the dead that
he was alive
that death could not hold him
christ is alive he’s a living savior
and yet many of his followers and
christians
live and act as though he’s dead
he’s not dead he’s alive
and the bible says that at a given
moment a given signal
he’s coming back to this earth to set up
his kingdom
and what a kingdom it’s going to be
it’ll be a world in which there will be
no tears and no sorrow
and no death there’ll be no suffering
there’ll be no war there’ll be no police
forces there’ll be no armies
it’s going to be a glorious world ruled
by
one person the lord jesus christ
he’s alive i’ve given my life not to a
dead
christ but to a living christ and i’m
following a living
savior and he’s given me a song to sing
he’s given me a flag to follow
he’s given me something to believe i
have reason for existence
i know where i’ve come from i know why
i’m here
i know where i’m going do you
god said hezekiah get your house in
order you’re going to die
now you and i are going to die because
you see the bible teaches that you and i
have a body
but living inside of our body is the
real you
you’re a real person and that’s the part
of you that lives forever
your body is going to go to the grave
but you the real you your intelligence
your memory your personality is going to
live forever and ever
according to the bible you will never
die
and you’re going to spend a million
years
a billion years in one of two
places according to jesus
not according to billy graham
but according to jesus jesus talked a
great deal about heaven
but he talked three times more about
hell than he did heaven the other
writers of the bible don’t have too much
to say about hell
but jesus talked about it all the time
in the sermon on the mount i’ve had
fellas say i don’t believe in hell i
live but the sermon on the mount well
you’ve never read the sermon on the
mount
jesus talked about it now what did he
mean by it
he said the son of man shall send forth
his angels
and they shall gather out of his kingdom
all things that offend and them which do
iniquity
and shall cast them into the furnace of
fire and there shall be
weeping and wailing and gnashing of
teeth what did he mean
matthew 25 41 then shall he say unto
them on the left hand depart
from me you cursed into everlasting fire
prepared for the devil and his angels
what did he mean
he is saying that hell was never made
for man
he is saying that god will never
send anybody to hell
if man goes to hell he goes by his own
free choice
hell was created for the devil and his
angels
not for man god never meant that a man
should go there
and god has done everything within his
power to keep you out he even gave his
son to die on that cross to keep you out
because you see when god made you he
made you a free moral agent
you can live any kind of life you want
to
you can live a good life you can live a
bad life you can break god’s laws you
can obey them
you can shake your fist in god’s face
and there’s nothing god can do
because when he created you he gave you
a gift
a free choice you’re not a robot that he
pushes you push a button and you jump in
a bag
you’ve got a right to resist god to
reject god
but the bible says in spite of our
rebellion and rejection god
loves you he loves you so much that he
gave his son to die for your sins
and when christ died on that cross
we don’t understand all that happened on
that cross
but we know one thing that he
took the hell and the judgment that you
deserved
and i deserve because of our sins he
took it on that cross
and that’s why that terrible expression
comes from his lips
my god my god why hast thou forsaken me
because you see the very meaning of hell
is separation from god
and in that terrible moment a shadow
passed between god the father and god
the son for the first time since
eternity began
christ dying for you and he suffered the
pangs of hell
he became guilty of lying he became
guilty of slander he became guilty of
jealousy
he became guilty of the most filthy
dirty sins
and when those sins came into his soul
your sins and my sins came into his soul
god could not look because god cannot
look upon iniquity god is so holy
christ took the hell that you and i
deserved
on that cross now god says
receive him believe in him put your
trust in your confidence in him
and i will forgive your sins and i will
guarantee you eternity
in a place called heaven
it’s all yours and it’s all free
all you have to do is receive it
what an offer he offers you tonight
eternal life now eternal life doesn’t
begin the moment you die now when you
die
as a christian eternal life doesn’t
begin that
eternal life begins the moment you
receive christ
now many of you here in south carolina
and in north carolina and all over the
country have been rid
in christian homes
or you go to a church
you live a fairly decent life
and you’re sort of living on the
reflected afterglow
of your parents religion but you’ve
never
really received christ for yourself
you’ve never really trusted him for
yourself
you don’t know him really
you’re not really sure that you’re ready
to meet god and the bible says prepare
to meet
thy god are you prepared
are you sure you’re prepared you know
the bible says these things i write unto
you that believe on the name of the son
of god that you may
know that you have eternal life i can
stand here tonight without being
egotistical without being conceited
i can stand here tonight and say to you
on the authority of this book
i know my sins are forgiven
i know i’m going to heaven i know that
i’m going to live as long as god lives
because the moment i received christ
i became a partaker of god’s own
life now i’m going to live a billion
years
and i’ll only have begun i know that
not because of any goodness of my own
i’m not
going to heaven because i’ve lived a
good life i’m not going to heaven
because i’ve preached to great crowds of
people
i’m going to heaven because of what
christ did on that cross
for by grace are ye saved through faith
that not of yourselves
not of works lest any man should boast
we’re not going to heaven because we’re
good we’re not going to heaven because
we work
we’re not going to heaven because we pay
we’re going to heaven because of what he
did on the cross and all i have to do is
receive it and it’s so
simple to receive christ that millions
stumble over its very simplicity
you see god made it so simple that
children can believe
he made it so simple and so easy that a
blind man
a deaf man a dumb man can believe
a man of any race can believe a man of
any nationality of any language can
believe
and that’s all god says you have to do
to get to heaven just believe
now that word believe is a little more
than maybe you think it is it means
commitment it means surrender
it means that i give everything i have
to jesus christ
and trust him alone for my forgiveness
and my salvation it means that the
moment you receive him your name is
written in the book of life
is your name in the book of life are you
sure you’re going to heaven
are you prepared to meet god if there’s
the slightest doubt in your heart
tonight that you’re prepared to meet
god don’t you dare leave here without
settling it
why because you may never have another
hour or another moment like this
you can’t come to christ anytime you
want to the bible says he that hardened
his heart being often reproved shall
suddenly be cut off
that without remedy thousands of people
have prayed for this crusade
the spirit of god has brought you here
hundreds of people have come to christ
already in this crusade
the way is prepared your heart is
prepared the spirit of god is speaking
tonight
this is the hour this is the moment and
you may never have this moment quite
like this again
i’m going to ask you to commit your life
to christ to make sure that your name is
written in the book of life
to make sure that you’re going to heaven
and to receive
tonight eternal life and here’s the way
we’re going to do it
i’m going to ask you to get up out of
your seat right now hundreds of you
get up out of your seat and come and
stand in front of this platform
right now quietly and reverently i’m
going to ask that nobody leave the
service please
get up out of your seat men women young
people
you may be members of the church you may
be in usher you may be a choir member
get up out of your seat and come and
stand here and after you’ve stood here
i’m going to say a word to you have a
prayer
give you some literature you can go back
and join your friends
that’s all there is to it but it’s very
important that you come and make this
public declaration
jesus said if you’re not willing to
acknowledge me before men i’ll not
acknowledge you before my father which
is in heaven
you get up and come right now
there’s something about coming forward
that settles it and seals it in your
heart
you get up and come quickly and i’m
going to ask that everyone be in prayer
bow your heads and pray pray for the
person to the right of you and left of
you in back of you in front of you
perhaps no one ever prayed that they
would come to christ before
many people are already on the way you
get up and join them and come
what an hour and what a moment for you
to come to christ
we’re going to wait as you come
you’re watching the billy graham
classics please call the phone number on
the screen right now for spiritual help
and guidance
me
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my
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ah
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my
as hundreds are responding to mr
graham’s invitation to make a public
commitment to jesus christ
you can make that same commitment right
where you are
just pick up the phone and call the
number you see on your screen
special friends are waiting to talk with
you and pray with you about this most
important decision
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oh
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uh
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uh
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to you that have been watching by
television
and you’ll be leaving the service now in
just a moment
you can make the same commitment and the
same decision
that these are making and the same
christ
that will come into their hearts and
give them assurance
will do the same for you you may be
sitting at a bar
somewhere maybe you’re in your living
room at home or maybe you’re in a
friend’s home
maybe you’re in some unusual place that
i couldn’t even think of at the moment
and you need christ and you need god in
your life
you can receive him right now and he can
bring about a tremendous change
and then go to church on sunday have a
talk with a minister
tell him the decision that you’ve made
and get to work for christ and live in
this brand new dimension of living
the spiritual dimension good night
and god bless you
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if you just prayed that prayer with my
father or if you have any questions
about a relationship with jesus christ
i would just call that number that is 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
or you can write to us at billy graham 1
billy graham parkway
department c charlotte north carolina
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
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we had to wait for the coming of christ
with patience
we are to watch with anticipation
scripture says christ is coming when
you’re least expecting him
coming as a thief he said be prepared
get ready
prepare to meet thy god are you prepared