In this #MondayNightClassic, Billy Graham makes one truth clear: Tomorrow is not promised. Choose to follow Jesus today.
from our archives the billy graham
classics
today i want you to turn with me to the
14th chapter of luke’s gospel the 14th
chapter of luke’s gospel
and turn to the
15th verse jesus is telling a story
and when one of them sat at meat with
him heard these things
he said unto him blessed is he that
shall eat
bread in the kingdom of god then said he
unto him
a certain man made a great supper and he
asked many people to come
and send his servant at suppertime to
tell them that they were bitten
come for all things are now ready and
they all with one consent began to make
excuses
the first said unto him i bought a piece
of ground and i must go and see it i
pray thee have me excused
and another said i bought five yoke of
oxen and i go to prove them
i pray they have me excused and another
said i’ve married a wife
and therefore i cannot come so that
servant came and showed his lord these
things
then the master of the house being angry
said to his servants
go out quickly into the streets and
lanes of the city
and bring in hither the poor and the
maim and the halt and the blind
and the servants said lord it is done as
thou is commanded and yet there’s room
and the lord said unto the servant go
out into the highways and hedges and
compel them to come in
that my house may be filled for i say
unto you
that none of those men which were bitten
shall taste
of my supper here he tells the story
of christ eating at the home of the
chief
pharisee and while eating he used two
stories to illustrate
spiritual truths jesus always did that
he always told stories common everyday
stories to illustrate
spiritual truths jesus always knew how
to adapt himself to every surrounding
and his use of common everyday
happenings as illustrations
made him the great preacher of all time
but this is the story of a supper
invitation
he said come for all things already and
there are three things that stand out
come immediately and it’s personal
no greater invitation has ever been
given than this invitation that jesus
illustrates in this little story it
includes everyone
the rich the poor the beggars the lame
the halt the blind everybody
all colors all races are invited because
he’s telling us the story that we’re
invited to the cross for salvation
everybody’s bidden to come because it
was there that he spared not his own son
but delivered him up for us all and he
said how shall we not with him also
freely give us all things
the apostle paul wrote for when we were
yet without strength in due time
christ died for the ungodly but they all
began to make excuse
here they were invited by the king of
kings and the lord of lords
to a gospel feast to have their sins
forgiven
to have eternal life to have their name
written on the book of life
and they begin to make excuses
and one of them said well i’ve bought a
piece of ground and had to go see it
now this man was either a liar or a fool
this man was more interested in the
things of the world he was interested in
wealth and materialism and in his
business
and this jesus said how hard it is for
them that trust in riches
to enter into the kingdom of god notice
he said trust in riches
it’s not wrong to be a rich man it’s not
wrong to have money
the wrong is when you put your trust in
it and make it first
because you can be the richest man in
the world and die and go to hell
and you won’t have one penny to take
with you
you leave it behind for people to fight
over i read the other day about a robber
who shot a man dead for two dollars
and sometimes wealthy people feel that
they don’t have any need now you people
in leon county and all around here are
wealthy did you know
that you have one of the highest per
capita incomes in the united states
and by the world standards you’re
wealthy
so jesus is talking to you he’s talking
to me
the people of bangladesh and the people
in some parts of india and africa
live in absolute poverty compared to
even our poor people
in this country
and we today give preference to the body
over the soul
and to the things of time above those of
eternity
jesus said what shall it profit a man if
he gained the whole world and
lose his own soul then there was a
second guy who had been invited
and he said i’ve bought five yoke of
oxen and i go to prove them
please excuse me he had been invited to
eat bread
in the kingdom of god to eat with the
lord jesus christ
he too was either a liar or fool who
goes to prove oxen at night he didn’t
have any flashlights
he was just making an excuse like buying
a used car without trying it out
and then the third man said i’ve married
a wife and therefore i cannot come now
he might have had a little bit of an
excuse
but most married men if they’re marrying
a
the right kind of a girl want to show
her off
she would have been invited i’m sure
jesus but jesus had earlier said that if
any man come to me and hate not his
father and his mother and his wife and
his children his brothers and sisters
and his own life also he cannot be my
follower he didn’t mean to use the word
hate in the sense you and i do
he said the priority is christ the
priority is god
everything else is second even your
family
and the scripture says they were without
excuse romans 1 20 so that they are
without excuse
several things christ is teaching these
men were naive or
they were an insult to intelligence or
they simply were cover-up for
unwillingness to come
now what are some of the excuses that
people make today one of them that i
hear is i cannot understand the bible
jesus never said only understand
he said only believe augustine was a
great
scholar before he became a christian and
looking back he said i always had to
understand socrates and plato and
aristotle
before i could believe them with jesus
christ i believed in him first
then i began to understand who
understands gravity who understands
electricity
who understands how you can eat a meal
and that food becomes
blood and hair and bone and muscle and
fingers and nerves and brains
and teeth and skin who understands a
black cow
that you can milk and get white milk and
yellow butter
who understands all that no one can
explain
all of it so when you eat
we’re strengthened
you have to start with the abcs when you
come to christ
come in simple childlike faith i’ve met
some of the greatest scientists in the
world
who are believers and they came just
like you have to come by simple
childlike faith the bible does not say
you have to think your way
the bible says by wisdom man knows not
god now that’s hard on a professor here
at the university
that’s hard on a student sometimes
because we want to understand everything
but when you come to christ and you come
to spiritual things there’s some things
you don’t understand you accept by faith
i don’t understand how god never had a
beginning
god never has an end that he’s the same
yesterday today and forever i don’t
understand that
i quit trying to understand that a long
time ago i accept it by faith
that god is and that god is the creator
of the universe and he’s my creator
and he’s my savior as well
the wonderful things about the bible are
the simple things
the things that are peripheral though
important are the most difficult things
to understand
everybody can understand john 3 16 for
god so loved the world that he gave his
only begotten son
that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish but have everlasting life
25 words a minute to a bible
you can understand that that god loves
you
that christ died for you
that you’re a sinner that you’ve broken
god’s laws
and in order to know god in order to be
sure you’re going to heaven
you must believe and trust in his son
all you need to know to be
a believer is that you’re a sinner and
that god is looking for sinners
mark twain once said it’s not the things
in the bible i don’t understand that
bothers me
it’s the things i do understand that
give me trouble
you see our problem many times are the
things we do understand
the disciples were not educated at the
great universities
but they went out and turned the world
upside down
and thousands of universities and
colleges and
all kinds of things are named for them
today
two thousand years later these ignorant
and unlearned men
but they knew one thing they knew jesus
and that’s all you have to know to get
to heaven and to have eternal life
and that’s more than a grave many of our
great men
knew or know and second excuse that i
hear sometimes
is i want to make a commitment to christ
but i’m too
sinful i’ll wait till i do better
i read in the press the other day of an
actress who said i’ve ruined my life
no she hadn’t ruined it if she’d come to
christ at the cross
this power and the blood of christ to
cleanse her from all the mistakes and
all the sins that she’d made
paul said this is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation
that christ jesus came into the world to
save sinners of which i’m chief
notice paul said he’s the chiefest of
sinners
don’t you feel like saying that
sometimes i do
i feel like saying i am the chief of
sinners not paul it’s billy graham
and i come to the cross and i recommit
my life to christ
and i find cleansing and forgiveness
there
jesus christ came to save sinners and
you cannot justify yourself
all our own righteousness is filthy rags
the bible said
all the good works that we do will not
save us we’re to do good works
we’re to give to the poor and the hungry
and we’re to help build hospitals and
we’re to help in the work
for peace and to help better race
relations and all these other
things but that is not going to save our
souls
our souls are saved by the grace and the
mercy of god as we come
in simple faith to the cross
have you done that i told last night
about the preacher
that came here for our school of
evangelism this week and he was a highly
educated clergyman
and he came forward one night and the
counselor was talking to him
and said i suppose you’ve come to
rededicate your life he said no i’ve
come to accept christ
i’ve been to school i’ve been to
seminary i’ve been to all of that but i
don’t really know christ is my savior
and there are many of you like that you
may be an eld in the church or a deacon
or a sunday school teacher
and we’ve had many of them this past
week that have come and said i
need to recommit my life to christ
and you’re one of those and then there’s
some people that say well i’m
self-sufficient i don’t really need
christ there are people right here in
tallahassee
i took a tour out here these beautiful
homes that are being built
and i looked at those homes and
beautiful golf courses and all of that
and i just wanted to grab one of them
and say i’d like to just stay here for
about a year and not have to go anywhere
and see anything
and just play golf every day and just
relax
but i thought to myself i imagine a lot
of people like there are in my hometown
self-sufficient we don’t really need
anything
we have everything what do we need
christ for
well one day they’re going to wake up
and they’re going to realize
that they’ve waited too late they need
him
they need him now to prepare for the
future because whether they like it or
not they’re going to die
and they’re going to face the judgment
it’s appointed and demand wants to die
and
after that the judgment and everybody
that you see on the streets of
tallahassee
they’re walking dead people they’re on
their way to the grave
they’re on their way to their own
funeral there was a man here the other
night
you read it in the paper he accepted
christ
he was an alcoholic but he really came
to know christ and
when the police found him the next
morning dead
on the street here in tallahassee all
they could find was
was the identification of the counselor
that had spoken to him
the night before and the little card
that he had filled out that’s how they
were able to trace him down
he didn’t know that in the next few
hours he would be an eternity
but he went into eternity with christ
and he’s going to be in heaven
not because he lived a good life or
deserved it he’s going because of what
christ did
for him on the cross there are four
words i want you to remember
fact faith
feeling fruit
the first thing is fact what is the fact
in so far as your salvation is concerned
first corinthians 15 that christ died
for our sins according to the scriptures
and that he was buried
and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures
that’s the fact christ died he rose
again for you
second faith in that
fact the second word is faith faith in
that fact
he that believeth on the son hath
everlasting life and he that believeth
not the son shall not see life
but the wrath of god abides on him now
the wrath of god is on you right now if
you haven’t come to christ john 3 38.
you see faith is the fact faith in the
fact
fact failing now feeling what kind of
feeling
feeling of peace forgiveness
assurance a living hope
feeling of deliverance now that my sins
have been forgiven
and then the fruit follows by their
fruits you shall know
them said jesus if someone professes to
be a follower of christ and they are so
and they’re no different than before we
have ever a reason to question whether
they have had a genuine experience with
christ
because the bible says therefore if any
man be in christ he is a new creature
old things are passed away behold all
things have become new
because when you come to christ a change
takes place a change in direction
a change in attitudes you begin to love
love begins to dominate your life you’re
a different person in the home
you’re a different person in the
community you’re a different person at
school or at work
and then there are other people that say
well there are too many hypocrites in
the church
i think that’s the most foolish of all
excuses
they’re quacks among doctors does that
mean you’ll never go to a doctor
because there’s a false one somewhere
the church is not a perfect organization
the family isn’t perfect you’re not
perfect
we live in an imperfect world and we’re
not going to be perfect till we get to
heaven
but when you come to christ you’re on
your way that’s called sanctification
you start being sanctified and you are
sanctified progressively
and you’re fully and totally sanctified
when you stand in the presence of christ
i don’t expect perfection
till i get to heaven and then there are
people that say well i would come to
christ but i’d have to give up too much
you give up a great thing great deal for
other things
you give up a great deal to get an
education or to give your children an
education
some of you’ll give up almost anything
for power
look at what we’ve heard during the past
few days of all the politics
people going for offices that’s fine we
need them
but all the claims that were made and
the counter claims
and negative type of politicking in some
instances
people will give up almost anything for
money
whether it’s money or power social
prestige you’ll do most anything
but what about coming to christ the
scripture says thou will show me the
path of life
in thy preciousness fullness of joy at
thy right hand their pleasures
forevermore
in christ there’s pleasure in christ
there’s joy
in christ this fulfillment this purpose
and meaning to life in christ
moses gave up a home in the palace of
pharaoh for the prospect of wearing the
crown of an empire
he gave the whole thing up for christ
he gave up all the pleasures of egypt to
become a leader for god
you never give up anything that is
worthwhile to become a believer
everything you now have that is
wholesome and worthwhile you can keep
and everything that is unwholesome and
unhealthy and destructive
god will take away from you as you turn
from sin and put your trust in christ
god gave everything he had for you the
scripture says he spared not his own son
and when they were driving those nails
in the hands of jesus
and they were pulling his beard when
they were pulling out his hair
when he was bleeding and they put the
spear in his side and the spikes through
his feet
how do you think god felt god the father
seven to two thousand angels pulled
their swords ready to come and rescue
him
but jesus said i love them too much
because if i come down from this cross
there will be no salvation for any human
being
i have come to do the will of my father
to reconcile
man to god and only through the cross
can it be done
and he stayed on that cross because he
loved you
and you’re important to him
and then there are others that say i’ve
tried before to live a christian life
but made a failure of it
what do i do i’m just i’ve just given up
you get up and confess your sins and
he’s faithful and just to forgive your
sins
and then there are people that said well
i’m afraid of being misunderstood
and the bible teaches that the world is
admitted with god
yea and all that will live godly and
christ shall
suffer persecution there’s going to be a
certain amount of persecution and
misunderstanding if you start living for
the lord
you start carrying a bible and reading
your bible and praying and witnessing
for christ if you’re a student here at
the university
and then there are others that say well
i’m afraid i can’t hold out
do you say that about the university
oh about being married i’m afraid i
can’t hold out
a lot of them do that anyway all about
to take a job i don’t think i can
hold out god can keep you
now unto him that is able to keep you
from falling and to present you
faultless before the presence of his
glory with exceeding joy
we are kept by the power of god no billy
graham cannot hold out
god holds me once i surrender to him
i can only hold out as christ holds me
up
and then there are other people that say
well i intend to make my decision for
christ sometime
but not now that’s dangerous
the scripture says in proverbs 27 boasts
not thyself of tomorrow
for thou knowest not what a day may
bring forth
the bible says behold now is the
accepted time and behold
now is the day of salvation there’s a
bestseller last year in england
that was called if tomorrow comes
there’s always a big if about tomorrow
we don’t know whether tomorrow will come
for us or not
what is your excuse what’s keeping you
from
making your commitment to christ i mean
you’re a total commitment
notice that the host here in this story
gets angry
he said none of these which are biden
shall taste of my supper
god says you’re without excuse
he said cast them out and go out and get
some others
now there’s other interpretations to
this passage that i’m not going to go
into
but this is a story for us to take to
our own hearts and our own lives
because you see the bible teaches that
there’s a dark line in god’s face
and that dark line is the line of
judgment god can become
angry with you when you refuse christ
you refuse god’s offer of mercy and love
and he’s done everything he can for you
and you reject him and turn him down and
say no
what else can god do there’s nothing
he’s offered you salvation he’s offered
you everything that he can offer you
now what do you have to do all you have
to do is receive i
offer you this book it’s not yours till
you receive it
he’s offering you forgiveness of your
sins he’s offering you a
new life and some of you here today need
to recommit your life to christ
you belong to the church you’ve been
baptized you may have been confirmed in
your church if it’s a liturgical church
but you have not yet really come to know
christ
in your own heart he doesn’t really live
in you
and this is the next to the last day of
this crusade and you may never have
another moment like this when you’re as
close to the kingdom of god
because you cannot count on tomorrow now
is the time right now i’m going to ask
you to do something that we’ve seen
hundreds of people do this past week in
the arena
i’m going to ask you to get up out of
your seat right now quickly hundreds of
you
and come and stand here on the grass
right in front of the platform
and as you come you’re saying in your
heart i really want my sins forgiven
i want to know i’m going to heaven i
want my name on the book of life and i
want to know it i want to be sure of it
and by coming you’re saying yes well you
say billy why do i have to come publicly
because every person jesus called in the
new testament he called publicly
every person he called publicly why
jesus hung on the cross publicly for you
now he asks you to come
he said if you’re not willing to confess
me before men i’ll not confess you
before my father which is in heaven
the ushers will show you the way i’m
going to i said no one leave the stadium
i know the
temptation is going to be to get up and
go out and be the first away
but you stay where you are and pray pray
for the person to the right of you and
left of you in front of you in back of
you can bring somebody today
as people come we’re going to wait you
may be in the choir and god has spoken
to you
you may be an officer in the church and
god has spoken to you
you come right now quickly and while you
come the choir is going to sing
as these many hundreds make their
personal decision for christ here in
tallahassee florida
you too can make that decision call the
number on the screen
right now
[Music]
[Music]
bye
[Music]
you that have been watching by
television can see here
in tallahassee florida the capital of
this great state
that many people have come to make their
commitment to christ today ought to
recommit their lives
you can do the same where you are and if
you will
pick up the phone and call the number
that’s on the screen
may god help you to make that commitment
today
and be sure and go to church next
weekend
god bless you
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’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 1-877-772-4559
that’s 1-877-772-4559
or you can write to us at billy graham
one billy graham parkway
department c charlotte north carolina
28201
or you can contact us on the web 24 7 at
peacewithgod.tv
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
[Music]
library