You Are Called to Minister | Billy Graham Classic

You may not be called into the ministry, but you are called to minister. Billy Graham explains more in this 1975 message from Lubbock, Texas

in 1949 of bold and dynamic young

preachers set out on a journey that

would have an impact on every continent

for generations to come

for more than 50 years and to more than

210 million people Billy Graham is

passionately spoken about the certainty

of wholesome found in Jesus Christ I

don’t understand or comprehend I accept

his revelation of himself by faith he’s

brought races and denominations together

toward a common purpose as he’s preached

in 185 countries around the world

he is stood alongside presidents met

with dignitaries and world leaders and

today Billy Graham is recognized among

the most influential religious leaders

in the history of the world

from our archives the Billy Graham

classics now tonight I want you to turn

with me to the 12th chapter of the book

of Matthew Matthew’s Gospel the 12th

chapter beginning at verse 34 beginning

at verse 34 I want to speak on the

subject tonight of Jaws and I’ll tell

you why I call it jaws in just a moment

here’s the words of Jesus Matthew 12 old

generation of vipers how can ye being

evil speak good things for out of the

abundance of the heart the mouth

speaketh our good man out of the good

treasure of the heart bringeth forth

good things and an evil man out of the

evil treasure bringeth forth evil things

but I say unto you that every idle word

that men shall speak they shall give an

account thereof at the judgment for by

the words thou shalt be justified and by

thy words thou shalt be condemned then

certain of the scribes and the Pharisees

answered saying master we want to see a

sign show us a sign so that we can

believe in you but he answered and said

unto them an evil and adulterous

generation seeketh after a sign you’re

only going to get one sign from me and

that’s the sign of Jonah who is three

days and three nights in the whales

belly so shall the Son of Man be three

days in three nights in the heart of the

earth the men of Nineveh shall rise in

judgment with this generation and shall

condemn it because they repented at the

preaching of Jonah and behold a greater

than Jonah is here during the past few

months we’ve been listening and hearing

and reading all about the Hollywood’s

blockbuster of the year

it’s already been viewed by one out of

every four Americans and it’s the

account of a killer shark in the waters

around Martha’s Vineyard in New England

who swallows victims and de limbs a lot

of victims and they made a motion

picture out of it that’s shown all over

the world and Time Magazine’s made a

cover story of it and they could only

liken it to Jonah and the Whale they

could only find that one literary

reference in literature of Jonah and the

Whale and so the front pages of our

newspapers have carried story after

story about how people are afraid to go

swimming on the beaches in California

and Oregon and Washington and up and

down the East Coast this past year or

this past summer and then I read the

other day about a man in Australia that

lassoed a two-ton shark in Australian

waters well I can understand that

because I’ve seen on many a shark in

Australia cliff Barris and I were out

swimming one day in the surf and there

came running up to us the men and they

said watch out the Sharks are on the way

there was a shark alert up and we were

out swimming right where the Sharks was

supposed to be and we had a girl in

Australia that played in one of our

motion pictures the shadow of the Mumma

rang she played the part of a nurse and

she was a very wonderful girl and she

went out with her fiance and the boat

got stuck in the water or in the sand

and she got out to help lift the boat

off the sand and she wasn’t in water

more than waist-deep and a shark came

along and took off a leg and she died

before they could get any medical

attention to her and down into Tona

Beach Florida they said they had five

shark attacks on humans this past year

but this is the year of the big fish

stories both factual and fictional and

it’s interesting to me that at the same

time this pictures come out frightening

people we

have another picture called the towering

inferno and another one called

earthquake besides all the B pictures

with all their horror and Munster

pictures that are coming out to frighten

people no wonder people are biting their

fingernails often taking tranquilizers

and afraid to move in their sleep at

night there’s never been such an

avalanche of horror and fright and some

of it very sophisticated to descend upon

the human race and in addition to that

we have to think about the atomic bomb

and the hydrogen bomb and so we’re

living at a time when people jesus said

their hearts would fail them for fear

and today if ever there was a frightened

generation from almost every angle it is

today but that’s not what I want to talk

about I like Jonah’s story the story of

Jonah and the big fish better than I do

jaws because Jonah was saved not

destroyed by a big fish you say Billy do

you really believe that this fish

swallowed Jonah notice I’m calling it a

fish because the Bible says a big fish

was prepared by the Lord

it doesn’t call it a whale it does in

this passage in the New Testament but in

the Book of Jonah it says a big fish I

don’t know what kind of fish it was it

could have been a big shark for all I

know you said you believed that actually

happened yes I believe it why because

Jesus said it did and that’s all the

proof I need

if Jesus believed it then I believe it

but I believe that it took an even

bigger miracle for this particular fish

to be on the very spot where Jonah was

thrown overboard and then by some

mysterious programming of an internal

computer to deposit Jonah precisely on

the spot where God wanted him to be and

with all the things that are happening

in the biological world today people

have much less difficulty

editing this story than they did 50

years ago 50 years ago they’d laugh at

Jonah and the big fish but not today

after we’ve seen jaws and some of these

other things and after all the

scientific and technological

achievements and every once in a while

you’ll pick up a newspaper and you’ll

find that a man or a crocodile or an

alligator or something has been

swallowed by a big fish and they found

him inside the fish having never been

digested whatever now the story of Jonah

is one of the most thrilling stories in

all the Bible it’s only for little

chapters in fact you could read it in

about five minutes maybe 10 minutes

I’m the scripture says that the word of

the Lord came unto Jonah and told him to

go and preach judgment to the people of

Nineveh now Nineveh were had 600,000

population and Nineveh was a city that

was very wicked and very godless in very

materialistic it was a permissive

society sexual immorality was rampant

throughout Nineveh and God said I’m

going to destroy Nineveh but God said

Jonah I want you to go to Nineveh and I

want you to warn them that they are

going to be judged in 40 days unless

they repent but Jonah didn’t want to go

to Nineveh every Christian that is here

tonight is called to Ministry yes your

call I didn’t say you were called to the

ministry I said you were called to

ministry you know what the word ministry

means the word ministry means service

our Lord Jesus Christ came as a servant

to serve and every Christian is called

to be a servant to serve to serve God to

serve the Lord Jesus Christ to serve his

fellow man

Jonah was called of God to go and

proclaim the message that God had given

him but secondly Jonah refused you know

it’s tough to do the will of God you say

to God tonight Lord I’m willing to do

your will I’ll do what you want me to do

in go where you want me to go and be

what you want me to be and you’re going

to find tough going because you see to

do what God wanted him to do it was

several journeys the wave over mountains

and forests and burning deserts and

Nineveh was the wickedest city in the

world a city of six hundred thousand

people he would face disease and wild

beasts and highway robbers and then when

he got there that people may stone him

to death and Jonah began to run from God

Jonah couldn’t take it so he decided to

flee from the presence of God and he

went down to Joppa and he got on a boat

going to Tarsus and the scripture says

he paid the fare thereof and I want to

tell you something if you start running

from the Lord the devil will always have

a boat there for you and you’ll always

have the money to pay the way and at

first it’ll be smooth going you’ll say

boy I’ve made the right choice I know

I’m not doing God’s will but I’m doing

what I want to do and I know that I have

made the right choice but after a while

you’re going to start running into some

rough seas then the storms and the

Hurricanes and the tornadoes and the

rocks and the reefs are going to come no

man ever turned away from God and found

happiness and peace and joy that was

permanent and lasting the psalmist asked

father shall I go from thy spirit or

whether shall I flee from thy presence

and you know Jonah thought he had paid

the fare and the captain thought so too

but then the storm came up

and the sailors were frightened Jonah

was asleep and they said what’s wrong

with our ship somebody on the ship must

have displeased their God and they began

to pray to their gods isn’t it strange

how people began to pray when they’re in

trouble and maybe they haven’t prayed in

all their lives they began to pray and

finally Jonah told them that he was the

one after they’d cast lots and the lot

came to Jonah he confessed that he was

running from God and they said what we

do with you Jonah he said throw me

overboard they said no we’ll try

something else first and they began to

row and row and row and they threw

everything else over but the storm got

worse and worse and it looked like the

ship was going to be wrecked so finally

in desperation they threw Jonah over and

immediately the sea calm down and the

Bible says that Jonah was caught by a

big fish now you think of the jaws that

fish had how wide his mouth must have

been but see that was a specially

prepared fish by God to be there at that

precise moment and let me tell you when

you run from God you’re going to be

under God’s judgement and Jonah had

three days in three nights in the belly

of that fish to think and brother let me

tell you he was doing some thinking and

he was doing some pray he was saying

lord save me help me I don’t know where

I am what happened

and God said Jonah I called you into my

service and told you what to do and you

refused me now Jonah if you’re willing

to repent of your sin I’ll give you

another chance and Jonah said yes Lord I

repent I’ll keep my vow and the Bible

says on the third day the fish

vomited up Jonah and jonah found himself

on dry land and the scripture says and

the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the

second time now God doesn’t give many of

us a second chance like that but he gave

Jonah a second chance and Jonah ran as

fast as he could in every way he could

strengthen innama and he went up and

down the streets of Nineveh crying out

repent turn to God

judgments coming in 40 days repent

repent repent of course he didn’t expect

anybody to repent but do you know what

happened that was the greatest and most

successful evangelistic campaign in the

history of the world there’s never been

anything recorded in history like it the

king the people 600,000 of them repented

and turned to God and God spared Nineveh

suppose everybody in Washington suddenly

repented and turned to God I’m the

people of America turn to God as we

approach this bicentennial year

what a glorious and thrilling thing it

would be and I want to tell you this if

we didn’t God would spare us but if we

don’t this country is in for judgment

tonight you as an individual can resist

God’s call to you and go deeper and

deeper in sin or you can turn back to

God and obey God and do God’s will

which is it going to be there are many

of you young people that have come to

Texas Tech University and you have

gotten away from God you need to come

back to him tonight and God will forgive

the past and give you another chance in

another moment to serve and follow him

and I’m going to ask you to do that in

just a few minutes Jonah preached the

gospel of judgment but you know there

was an interesting thing about the

message that he preached there was no

mercy in it he didn’t offer the people

mercy he didn’t tell him that God loved

him but tonight I have an opportunity to

say to you much more than Jonah said to

the people of Nineveh I can say to you

tonight that God loves you and God is a

merciful God and God will forgive you

but Jonah didn’t say that

he just said judgments coming judgments

coming repent repent and the people

repented and that’s why Jesus made this

astounding statement he said the people

of Nineveh are going to rise up at the

judgment and testify against you

you see they repented never hearing the

gospel of mercy in the grace of God in

Jesus Christ but you’ve heard the gospel

of grace in Christ and you have refused

to repent they had never heard that

Jesus Christ was to die on the cross for

their sins they didn’t know that God

loved them so much that he was willing

to give his son to die on the cross but

in spite of that they repented and Jesus

said they are going to be your accusers

on the day of judgment they will testify

against you

but then something very interesting

happened Jonah

was upset he didn’t want anybody to

repent you see he was a paying God’s

called to go and proclaim the message

but his heart still wasn’t quite right

with God because he was afraid that the

Ninevites were going to attack his own

country Israel and he had prophesied

that judgment was coming and he didn’t

like the people of Nineveh and he wanted

to see judgment conquered he wanted to

be able to say I told you so

but he didn’t know the mercy and the

Grace and the love of God that would

take these wicked godless Ninevites and

forgive them and change them and

transform them if they would only turn

to him and the Bible says whosoever

shall call upon the name of the Lord

shall be saved

God is willing to forgive anybody even

you whatever your sins are however bad

you’ve been God says I love you I gave

my son for you I forgive you but Jonah

didn’t like that so he went outside the

city and got up on top of a hill and

looked down over the city and he had a a

hard mean scowl on his face

as he looked down on the city waiting

for God to burn it up and the hot wind

and the Sun came and he was tired and he

was angry and the Bible says that God

allowed during the night a gourd to grow

up by a miracle and covered Jonah and

the next morning a worm came and cut it

off and it fell and Jonah sat there in

the Sun and the hot wind blowing on him

and God said Jonah you’re worried about

that gourd and you loved that gourd more

than you do those 600,000 people of

Nineveh and that’s how the Book of Jonah

ends

and tonight many of you are more

interested in materialism your own

personal safety you’re interested more

in the things that money can buy and the

comforts of life and their fluency that

we’ve developed in the United States you

are more interested in that than you are

doing the will of God and sharing in the

mercy in the grace of God and let me

tell you you’re going to have to make a

choice jesus said there are two roads of

life the broad road in the narrow road

there are two destinies heaven and hell

there are two ways to live two masters

materialism and God which is your master

which world are you are and God has put

a little computer down inside of you

you’ve got a computer system down there

it’s your will and you have the ability

to choose whether you’re going to serve

Christ and whether you’re going to serve

God in his kingdom and put yourself in

the will of God and say oh Lord I’ll

march in your army I’ll March under your

flag I’ll go out with love in my hearts

to try to help change the world I’ll go

out and do your will no matter what it

costs whether it’s a burning desert or

steaming jungle I’ll go out even if it

means I have to break up with my

boyfriend who doesn’t live for God I

will go out o Lord and serve you no

matter what the cost

and Jesus said count the cost if you’re

not willing to pay the price then quit

it don’t even fool with it it’s costly

to follow Christ but I want to tell you

the rewards are absolutely unbelievable

the reward of joy and peace and security

knowing that your sins are forgiven

knowing that you’re going to heaven

knowing that you’re in the will of God

whatever comes in whatever codes

I’m going to ask hundreds of you tonight

to get up out of your seat and come and

stand in front of this platform and say

tonight I want Jesus Christ into my

heart I want him not only as Savior but

I want him his Lord I want to put myself

in his hands

I want his forgiveness I want his

transforming power and I’m willing to

serve him if he should call me and I’m

going to ask older people and younger

people you need Christ whoever you are

I’m going to ask you to come and stand

and after you’ve all come and stood I’m

going to say a word to you and have a

prayer with you and give you some

literature then you can go back and join

your friends if you’re with friends or

relatives they’ll wait on you if you’ve

come in a bus or a delegation from a

distant city they’ll wait it’ll only

take a couple of three minutes for you

to come perhaps more from the upper

stands but get up and come now bring

your friend with you whole families can

come together you need Christ tonight

you want Christ to be yours and you’re

ready to pay the price whatever it costs

to serve and follow Christ you get up

and come quickly from all over this

stadium we’re going to wait on right now

men women young people you say well

Billy why do you ask us to come every

person Jesus called in the New Testament

he called publicly he said if you’re not

willing to acknowledge me before men

I’ll not acknowledge you before my

father which is in heaven it’s very

important that you come publicly and

openly and declare yourself for Christ

many people are already on the way you

come and join them right now

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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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you’re watching the Billy Graham

classics please call the phone number on

the screen right now for spiritual help

and guidance

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as you that are watching by television

can tell there are many hundreds of

people that are coming tonight to find

Christ is their Lord and Savior to

confess their faith in Christ or to say

Lord I’ll go where you want me to go

I’ll be what you want me to be I wish

you could see this great sight that we

see from this platform is hundreds and

hundreds of young people and older

people alike are coming you can make

that same commitment where you are in

your hotel room in your living room in

your bedroom or perhaps at a bar

somewhere

I had a man just two days ago tell me he

accepted Christ at a bar watching one of

these telecasts and it changed his life

that could happen to you if you just

prayed that prayer with my father or if

you have any questions about a

relationship with Jesus Christ

I’ll just call that number that is on

the screen there’ll 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 187 seven seven

two four five five nine that’s one eight

seven seven seven seven two 45:59 or you

can write to us at billy graham one

Billy Graham Parkway Department C

Charlotte North Carolina two eight two

zero one or you can contact us on the

web 24/7 at peace with God TV will 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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brand-new

witness the story there and give you one

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me

do the Billy

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