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

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