1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,320 Billy Graham. Billy Graham. 2 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:02,760 Billy Graham. Billy Graham. 3 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:08,640 It's the 21st of February 2018 and the world's most powerful 4 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,720 people are mourning the loss of 1 preacher. 5 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:15,000 I am tired of hearing people speak out against Billy Graham 6 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:16,960 and not really understanding why. 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,520 Who is this guy? How did he rise to become the 8 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,640 world's most famous Christian? Why do presidents trust him? 9 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,520 And why have so many people been converted by his preaching? 10 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,680 So I've been on one big deep dive to uncover everything I can 11 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:31,960 from his his roots to his relationships, and most 12 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,760 importantly, to try and understand how one man who 13 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,960 preached so much love can at the same time attract so much hate. 14 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,640 I mean, what exactly did he do wrong? 15 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,960 You see, I'm prepared to die. In fact, I'm looking forward to 16 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:51,040 it. And when you're prepared to die, 17 00:00:52,720 --> 00:01:01,840 you're also prepared to live. Billy Graham Junior was born 18 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,000 into a farming family with heritage that stretched deep 19 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,480 into North Carolina soil. He arrived around 4:00 PM on 20 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,960 November the 7th, 1918, just four days before the end of the 21 00:01:12,960 --> 00:01:15,040 First World War. Billy's parents were called 22 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,000 Frank and Mauro Graham and they would raise him along with three 23 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,840 siblings in the rolling pastures on their family dairy farm. 24 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,160 If you ever wondered what denomination were the Grahams, 25 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,440 well, they were faithful members of the Associated Formed 26 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:30,320 Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. 27 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,480 Despite having limited formal education, Morrow consistently 28 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,760 read the Bible to the family in the evenings, and Frank Senior 29 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:39,480 prayed. But here's the twist. 30 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:42,920 Young Billy wasn't naturally drawn to church, he recalled. 31 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,360 I don't even remember not going to church. 32 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,280 If I told my parents I did not want to go, they would have 33 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,920 wailed the tar out of me. You see, church attendance, like 34 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,520 in most Christian households, was a given. 35 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:56,800 Whether he liked it or not, he would have to go. 36 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:01,120 By outward appearance, he was just another boy, but those who 37 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:03,880 knew him sent something completely different. 38 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:06,800 We were very typical of country people. 39 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:12,200 My brother, who is 5 1/2 years older than I, never took to 40 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:16,840 farming. He worked only because my daddy 41 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:21,360 required him to. He was interested primarily in 42 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,120 baseball. Growing up in Charlotte, NC, 43 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,360 Billy was surrounded by churchgoers. 44 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,440 You can almost see the crowds gathering as popular itinerant 45 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,720 evangelists like Billy Sunday and Mordecai Ham arrived in his 46 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,640 city. They drew huge audiences to the 47 00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:39,680 wooden 5000 seat structure on the edge of town. 48 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,920 But there's more to this story than just excitement. 49 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,600 Whilst the locals buzzed with anticipation to hear these big 50 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,640 name preachers, Billy wasn't impressed. 51 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,040 So reluctant was the young Billy Graham that he even refused to 52 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:55,960 attend one of these revivals. He remembered feeling like 53 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,880 everything he had heard or read about them made him feel 54 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,040 antagonistic towards the whole affair. 55 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:05,240 It sounded like one big religious circus in his words. 56 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:09,880 However, even after all this, his close friend Albert Mcmakin 57 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,120 somehow managed to convince Graham to go along, even if it 58 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,520 was just out of curiosity. You can probably guess what 59 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,760 happened next. Billy Graham got saved. 60 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,760 Ham's words about sin and rebellion seem like they were 61 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,240 aimed directly at him. He felt an undeniable conviction 62 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,120 that he was a lost Sinner before a holy God, and the only way for 63 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,920 him to be saved was by coming to the cross where Jesus died for 64 00:03:33,920 --> 00:03:36,240 his sins. Billy had no choice. 65 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:40,320 At that very revival he went forward and accepted Christ as 66 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,840 his Lord and Saviour. I remember this church. 67 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,400 I've joined the church, yes. So was Billy Graham when he was 68 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,400 converted. In my meeting in North Carolina. 69 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,440 He was a member of the church and Marlon Queen. 70 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,080 I just read his experience as told in his latest book. 71 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,280 And when he came down there and when I pointed my finger right 72 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,120 out of him, he said I don't. Of course, the Lord told him I 73 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,960 was pointing at him and he resented it, got mad when I 74 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,040 referred to him being a Sinner. Well, I didn't refer to him. 75 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,000 I didn't know he was there. Meanwhile, Billy Graham, fresh 76 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,200 out of high school, faced his own crossroads. 77 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,760 And this is where our story starts to shift. 78 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,680 He and his friend Grady Wilson sold fuller brushes, and despite 79 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,680 skepticism from the family, Billy excelled at this. 80 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,080 Now listen to me. Even success in sales didn't 81 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:28,480 satisfy him. Why? 82 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,560 Because he knew that his life was meant for more. 83 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:35,200 So Billy enrolled at the Bob Jones College, only to leave 84 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,920 after one semester when the head of the college called him a 85 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,360 failure. Now this was the moment that was 86 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,960 going to change everything. Rejected, discouraged, but not 87 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:48,280 defeated, he found a new path at the Florida Bible Institute in 88 00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:51,240 1937. From there, Billy started 89 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,560 preaching. At first he started small, 90 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:56,360 preaching to stumps along the riverbank, imagining that they 91 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,320 were people. He even preached to cows 92 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,400 sometimes. But one year later, aged 18, 93 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:04,000 Billy would move on from addressing the cattle to 94 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,080 addressing crowds of 500 to 1000 people. 95 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,200 I know the first time I heard him preached his the recalled, 96 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:13,760 he preached so loud you wouldn't believe it. 97 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,280 He didn't need a microphone, literally you could hear him 98 00:05:16,280 --> 00:05:19,040 from 1/4 of a mile away. She even worried and said to the 99 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:22,320 young Billy Son, you can't preach that loud, you'll scare 100 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:24,680 people away. Now while Billy's voice was 101 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,920 booming across riverbanks and chapels, something else was 102 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:29,800 unfolding quietly in the background. 103 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:32,920 At that same time, Billy had met a girl. 104 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,240 She was the daughter of missionaries and so had spent 105 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:39,320 most of her childhood in China. Ruth carried a quiet but firm 106 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,400 desire to serve God, not overseas, in fact, so much so 107 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,600 that she decided that she never wanted to marry. 108 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,680 And here Billy found himself instantly drawn to her. 109 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,240 Alright, so as you can see, this is where things get a little 110 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:53,840 complicated. Both remain committed to their 111 00:05:53,840 --> 00:05:56,000 separate futures. Ruth was going to be a 112 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,160 missionary and Billy was going to be an itinerant preacher. 113 00:05:59,280 --> 00:06:02,280 I was frightened to death to ever ask her on a date. 114 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:04,920 Graham said. But he finally did, taking her 115 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:07,520 to a local Chapel to hear Handel's Messiah. 116 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:11,760 And that small moment would set the stage for everything that 117 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:14,600 comes next. I didn't even know the man. 118 00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:20,400 I just been with him that for that one date, but I just prayed 119 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,320 and I said, Lord, if you will let me share his life, I will 120 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:25,480 consider it the greatest honor possible. 121 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:30,440 And fortunately, I didn't know what lay ahead. 122 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:32,600 I wouldn't have had the nerve to pray a prayer like that. 123 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:36,280 Billy's first pastorate came in Western Springs, IL, a village 124 00:06:36,280 --> 00:06:38,440 Baptist Church. They were just a small 125 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:42,360 congregation of 35 members. Under normal circumstances, a 126 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,640 church that tiny, meeting only in the church basement wouldn't 127 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,320 seem like the starting point for anything remarkable. 128 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:52,120 But you're about to see why this was the start of something truly 129 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:54,720 incredible. Opportunity knocked on the door. 130 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,120 Tory Johnson, a preacher in Chicago, invited Graham to take 131 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,000 take over songs in the night. And if you only remember one 132 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,760 thing from this part of billye life, let it be this. 133 00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:07,440 That invitation became a pivotal turning point, suddenly placing 134 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,480 him in front of bigger audiences, bigger than he could 135 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:14,240 ever imagine. Now, unfortunately, the frequent 136 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,800 absences from Western Springs Church caused a tension between 137 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,400 Billy and the deacons. What would you do here? 138 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:24,200 I mean, how long could this situation realistically last? 139 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:28,040 Graham had an unexplainable drive to preach the saving 140 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:31,400 gospel anywhere and everywhere, and this kept pushing him to win 141 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,600 lost souls over preaching to the converted. 142 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:38,520 Then it happened. On December 1947, he finally 143 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:40,600 resigned. Now, Graham was about to step 144 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:42,320 into a completely different role. 145 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:45,080 He was going to become the president of the Northwestern 146 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,680 schools in Minneapolis. This was a liberal arts college 147 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:51,280 and a theological seminary. But over to you. 148 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,920 Do you think this caused Billy to slow down on his evangelistic 149 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:56,520 preaching? Of course not. 150 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,720 Even while running a school, he spent more than half his time 151 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:02,640 traveling, preaching for you, for Christ across the country. 152 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:05,840 And as you know, most college presidents would never get away 153 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:08,440 with this. And yet somehow, Graham managed 154 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:11,000 to balance both. You don't need me to tell you 155 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:14,360 that the world was a mess. I after World War 2, cities were 156 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:18,120 in ruins, food was scarce and people were hungry not just for 157 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,520 bread, but for hope. It was into this broken world 158 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,360 that Billy Graham was sent on a mission that would change 159 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:27,000 everything. Remember that guy Tori Johnson? 160 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,560 Well, he had a vision for you, for Christ, and it wasn't 161 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:31,880 limited to the USA and to Canada. 162 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,679 He dreamed of an international evangelistic movement among 163 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:39,600 young people and he wanted Graham to spearhead it as the 164 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:43,679 first full time evangelist. Imagine this scenario just less 165 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:46,560 than a year after the war ended, Graham and the team went to 166 00:08:46,560 --> 00:08:48,440 Europe. Thousands of people were 167 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:51,480 struggling with shortages, rationing and displacement. 168 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:55,080 This situation was not easy for the young Billy Graham and his 169 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,400 team, but the need was overwhelming. 170 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:01,560 So they pressed on, holding 3 or 4 meetings a day in churches, 171 00:09:01,560 --> 00:09:04,880 movie houses and public halls, anywhere that a crowd would 172 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,080 gather. Whilst Billy spent all of his 173 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,720 energy traveling thousands of miles to reach souls, inside he 174 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,000 was facing a more personal struggle. 175 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:16,640 He missed his wife, Ruth. The fact is this, even though 176 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,640 they had both accepted this as part of their calling, the 177 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,320 extended distance weighed heavily on them. 178 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,480 Ruth would later write in her book Footprints of a Pilgrim. 179 00:09:25,560 --> 00:09:29,280 To keep me company, I used to sleep with Bill's tweed jacket 180 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,000 when he was away. Very few people realized the 181 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,960 cost that minister's wives have to pay to support their 182 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:37,160 husbands. And since Billy would be gone 183 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,680 for most of the time, Ruth moved in with her parents in Montreat, 184 00:09:40,680 --> 00:09:44,280 NC, which helped with the loneliness and gave some kind of 185 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:48,480 stability whilst Billy travelled 200,000 miles in that first 186 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:49,920 year. With you for Christ. 187 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:53,480 And this was only going to be the beginning of his trips away 188 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:55,840 from home. It's worth noticing that years 189 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:59,240 later in his diary, he reflected just before another crusade. 190 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:02,240 This is the first spring that I've ever spent at home. 191 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:06,200 What a wonderful and thrilling few weeks it has been to run and 192 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,920 play with my children every day and to listen to their problems. 193 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,920 Today Roof and I took our last stroll and little Franklin keeps 194 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:17,720 pleading Daddy don't go. But here's the beautiful part. 195 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,360 Ruth Graham once famously said I would rather spend 2 weeks out 196 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:24,440 of the year with Bill than with any other man full time. 197 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,480 Can you imagine saying goodbye to my father, knowing that he's 198 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:32,240 going to be gone not just for a week, but for two months, four 199 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:36,240 months, six months? I don't know how she did it. 200 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:40,640 In November 1948, Billy, his singers Cliff Barrows, Beverly 201 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,880 Shea and his childhood friend Grady Wilson were holding a 202 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:48,400 revival in Modesto, CA. This was Cliff's hometown now. 203 00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:51,880 Am I the only one who is disillusioned by the amount of 204 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:55,240 famous preachers who didn't practice what they preach? 205 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:59,000 Well, here in Modesto, Graham was reflecting upon a similar 206 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,840 looming challenge. He saw in church history that 207 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,440 many evangelists had stumbled, creating scandals that 208 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:09,480 discredited the cause of Christ. So we told the team, let's go to 209 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:12,680 our rooms and let's think about experiences we've all heard 210 00:11:12,680 --> 00:11:15,560 about, things we know that have taken place, and let's write 211 00:11:15,560 --> 00:11:17,400 them down. Then we'll come back together, 212 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,880 share them, and ask God to guard us from making those same 213 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:23,000 mistakes. So this is the part where our 214 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,560 story gets a little bit more serious. 215 00:11:25,560 --> 00:11:29,640 The team compiled a list with just four items, small in number 216 00:11:29,680 --> 00:11:33,000 but monumental in effect. Are you ready to hear them? 217 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:36,440 All right, first money. They decided to never exploit 218 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,680 crowds with emotional appeals. Every penny would be 219 00:11:39,680 --> 00:11:42,400 accountable, checked by an independent committee. 220 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:46,440 No shortcuts, no gimmicks #2 temptation. 221 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:50,360 Integrity was important, and so many great preachers had wrecked 222 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,680 their marriages and ministries when they fell in this area. 223 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:57,440 Therefore, no evangelist would ever be alone with another 224 00:11:57,440 --> 00:11:59,200 woman. Except for their own wife, of 225 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,160 course. This would later be called the 226 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,680 Billy Graham Rule and was followed so stringently that 227 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:08,160 there were even stories of Billy getting out of elevators to 228 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:11,720 abide by it #3 respect for churches. 229 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:16,160 They vowed never to criticize local pastors or congregations. 230 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:20,000 Every church, every leader, they felt deserved honour, even when 231 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,400 opinions were different. Finally, truthfulness. 232 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:27,680 Numbers couldn't be exaggerated. Success or attendance had to be 233 00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:31,040 verified by local authorities or by newspapers. 234 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:34,280 In other words, the truth mattered more than the applause. 235 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,400 Later, we're going to find out, did Billy manage to keep the 236 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:41,400 Modesto Manifesto even when he became the most famous Christian 237 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:43,960 in the world? But first, watch this. 238 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:46,640 Billy Graham was about to attempt his most ambitious 239 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:50,440 campaign yet, a citywide tent revival in Los Angeles. 240 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:54,080 This was going to be the most important event in his ministry. 241 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:57,200 But there was a problem. Billy was beginning to doubt if 242 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:00,360 the Bible was actually true. Days before the Los Angeles 243 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:03,120 Crusade, Graham struggled with the crisis of faith. 244 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:05,840 You see, his friend and colleague Charles Templeton 245 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:09,040 challenged his beliefs, questioning the inspiration and 246 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,440 accuracy of Scripture. For the first time, Graham's 247 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:15,960 faith was under serious intellectual scrutiny. 248 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:19,720 One night, Graham went into the San Bernardino Mountains looking 249 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:22,440 for answers. After much thinking, he knelt on 250 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:25,480 a tree stump, laid his Bible on it, and prayed. 251 00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:27,880 Lord, I don't understand this book. 252 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:31,640 There are many things I don't understand, but I accept it as 253 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:34,520 your word by faith, and I can promise you this. 254 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:37,840 That moment was crucial for Billy Graham, because from then 255 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:41,560 on, he resolved to accept the Bible as the inspired Word of 256 00:13:41,560 --> 00:13:43,840 God. With his faith renewed, Graham 257 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:47,200 was ready for Los Angeles. However, things were still far 258 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:50,520 from plain sailing at the opening of the Revival meetings. 259 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:53,600 The crowds were embarrassingly small, and the committee 260 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:56,480 sponsoring the campaign had debated whether to even 261 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:59,080 continue. But for Billy, the stakes were 262 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:01,880 even higher. This event could define his 263 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,000 entire ministry. Thankfully, A breakthrough came 264 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,440 along with the conversion of a popular radio personality, 265 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,840 Stuart Hamblin. His testimony on the airwaves 266 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:15,160 drew attention and slowly the crowds began to groan. 267 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:18,360 Mind you, what was about to happen to Billy would be even 268 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:20,360 bigger. One evening he arrived at the 269 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,840 tent at Washington and Hill streets to find it overflowing 270 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,720 with newspaper reporters. A reporter explained You've just 271 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:32,320 been kissed by William Randolph Hearst. 2 words written and by 272 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:36,720 Hurst, Puff Graham or in modern terms promote Graham. 273 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:40,200 These instructions sent him into the national spotlight. 274 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:43,600 The tent was packed, people stood outside, and the revival 275 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:48,920 continued for another 4 weeks. Have you trusted Christ Jesus 276 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:52,960 Savior tonight? I'm glad to tell you as we close 277 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:59,120 that the Lord Jesus Christ can be received, your sins forgiven, 278 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:04,040 your burdens lifted, your problems solved by turning your 279 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:08,080 life over to Him, repenting of your sin, and turning to Jesus 280 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,760 Christ as St. The press attention was only the 281 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:13,040 beginning. Graham's crusades expanded 282 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:16,240 across the US from Georgia to New England at the South 283 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:19,040 Carolina Crusade, Life magazine wrote. 284 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:22,880 Not since the great days of Billy Sunday have South Carolina 285 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:25,720 seen anything like it. After this was written, 286 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:30,320 unbelievably more than 40,000 people over flowed into the 287 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:34,000 stadium on the final day. This was the largest crowd that 288 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,520 Billy had ever preached to. He was technically famous now 289 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:41,000 and he was starting to even look like a celebrity. 290 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,280 His face was on Time Look magazine and his name could be 291 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:46,680 found on the front pages across the world. 292 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:52,080 By 1950, ABC Radio offered Graham a massive opportunity, 293 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:55,440 but Billy wasn't sure why because he was already up to his 294 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:58,040 ears in work and speaking engagements. 295 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:01,040 But on the other hand, though he he'd seen the power of local 296 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:04,760 radio with songs in the night back in Chicago, so eventually 2 297 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:08,480 persistent producers who even showed up outside Billy's hotel 298 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:12,560 managed to persuade him to sign the deal with ABC to broadcast 299 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:15,520 it nationally. The first broadcast aired from 300 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:18,960 Atlanta on Sunday, November the 5th, 1950. 301 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:22,600 Billy's music director Cliff Barrows introduced the program 302 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:27,280 as This is the Hour of Decision. Oh, and by the way, it was Ruth 303 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:30,680 Graham who suggested the name, a title that captured Billy's 304 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:34,120 message of calling people to respond in faith to the Saviour 305 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,480 who loved them and laid down his life for them. 306 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:41,760 The hour of Decision was broadcast on over 150 stations 307 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,200 to 9 million listeners. And to put it in modern terms, 308 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,360 he went crazy viral. Overnight, letters and donations 309 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:53,320 poured in and within 5 weeks it held the highest audience rating 310 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:55,480 in religious broadcasting history. 311 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:59,480 And within five years, NBC joined ABC, expanding the 312 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:02,480 programmed to more than 800 stations. 313 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:04,960 But I know exactly what some of you are thinking. 314 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:08,880 Did all of this fame and success go to Billy Graham's head? 315 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:13,000 No, once he was away from the public spotlight, Billy lived a 316 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:17,000 quiet lifestyle with his family in a simple home nestled in the 317 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:20,359 mountains of North Carolina. Check this out though the 318 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:24,520 world's greatest boxer, whoever lived Muhammad Ali, also at my 319 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,440 Billy Graham and once went to visit him in his home. 320 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,040 He said when he approached the house he thought he would live 321 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:34,840 on 1000 acre farm but we drove up to his house made of logs, no 322 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:37,800 mansion with crystal chandeliers and gold carpet. 323 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:40,560 It was the kind of house a man of God would live in. 324 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:44,280 I look up to him. Whilst Ali was very positive 325 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:47,880 about Graham, not everyone was. His next challenge was already 326 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,840 forming a three month campaign in England. 327 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:53,640 This would become a massive test of endurance. 328 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:56,560 And to make matters worse, advertising posters were 329 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:00,480 criticised, the English press were sharply negative, and many 330 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:04,160 clergy and pastors across the UK were very skeptical. 331 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:07,760 I distrust the use of crowd techniques to influence 332 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:10,680 individual decisions. My difficulty is the type of 333 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:13,720 member they are are producing, which not in my view the best. 334 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:18,320 I'm not convinced that Billy Graham is the answer to England. 335 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:21,960 'S problem On the opening night, sleet and freezing rain fell. 336 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,080 Hundreds of photographers photographed empty seats. 337 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:28,080 Yet when Billy and Roof arrived, they discovered thousands 338 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:30,120 waiting outside braving the storm. 339 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:33,600 But listen to this At the close of Billy's sermon, people 340 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:37,160 paddled across the wet earth in their socks to make their 341 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:39,440 commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. 342 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,360 As you can imagine, the criticism began to fade as the 343 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:45,680 crowds grew nightly, so much so that these numbers would 344 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:49,920 eventually break records. For 88 nights, every seat at 345 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:53,760 Harringway Arena was full, overflow crowds led to 2nd 346 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:57,880 services and more than 2 million people attended over the three 347 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:02,240 months, with nearly 40,000 decisions for Christ being made 348 00:19:02,360 --> 00:19:04,840 later. I do want to talk about someone 349 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:08,240 very precious to me who also became a Christian when Billy 350 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:10,920 Graham visited England. But right now I want you to 351 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:15,040 remember that this campaign and the many others, the impact was 352 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:17,760 felt from generation to generation. 353 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,120 Why? Because young man who got saved 354 00:19:20,120 --> 00:19:22,960 under Billy's preaching would later fill evangelical 355 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:26,480 seminaries and these men would shape the future of British 356 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:29,280 Evangelicalism. Not many people know this, but 357 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:33,040 whilst in England Graham tried to meet Winston Churchill but 358 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,600 was initially rejected. However, by the end of the 359 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,920 crusade, the Prime Minister simply could not ignore this 360 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:43,040 tornado of a preacher and so invited him to 10 Downing St. 361 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:48,400 for a brief meeting. I walked in and he shook hands 362 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:50,240 with me. It was a shorter man than I had 363 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:52,840 thought. He said, young man, he said, I 364 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,360 want to ask you a question. He said, what do you say that 365 00:19:56,360 --> 00:20:00,200 fills all these big stadiums? And I told him, I said, it's the 366 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,600 gospel of Christ. I said, Sir, people are hungry 367 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:05,480 to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ. 368 00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:09,720 He said that must be it. He said, you know, I'm an old 369 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:12,600 man, I don't have any hope for the world. 370 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:15,720 And he said, do you have hope? I said, yes, Sir. 371 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:18,320 And I took my New Testament out and I turned from Scripture to 372 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:22,040 Scripture and read to him. As we were going out the door, 373 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,240 he shook hands with me and he said this conversation, as long 374 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:27,520 as I live, will be between us. Is that agreed? 375 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:30,800 I said yes, so I never told it as long as he was alive. 376 00:20:31,120 --> 00:20:34,200 Graham's reach would expand even further through television. 377 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:37,480 Broadcasts from Madison Square Garden allowed millions to 378 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:39,840 experience his message from their living rooms. 379 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:44,000 ABC estimated around 7 million viewers per telecast. 380 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:46,840 This exponentially would increase his reach, which if you 381 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:50,320 did the maps, that was 70 times more than the amount of people 382 00:20:50,360 --> 00:20:52,400 who would attend his physical meetings. 383 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:55,440 Hey, if you think Billy had already stirred the pot, it's 384 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:58,080 nothing compared to what you're going to see next. 385 00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:02,000 For many in the 1950s, crusade audiences were divided by an 386 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,840 evil custom. You see, black and white people 387 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:09,160 were separated by visible lines before they even stepped inside. 388 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,800 In one Southern Cities Revival meeting, the organizers had 389 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,200 arrived with ropes that would split the seating up. 390 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,000 But get this. When Billy Graham saw that 391 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,440 something inside him rebelled, he didn't just murmur quiet 392 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,480 disagreement. He walked from the pulpit, tore 393 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:28,240 down those ropes himself, and insisted I will never preach to 394 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,400 a divided audience. From that night onward, every 395 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:34,200 rally he held was open to all guys. 396 00:21:34,360 --> 00:21:37,080 I don't think you realize how countercultural this was, 397 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:39,720 especially in some of the southern cities that Billy would 398 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,080 preach in. Billy could have easily lost his 399 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:46,080 entire platform and yet he didn't care because he knew it 400 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:49,320 was wrong and he knew that the Lord was number respecter of 401 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:52,720 persons. All men and women are equal and 402 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:55,440 they are made in the beautiful image of God. 403 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:58,760 Now, apart from inviting black pastors to share the stage with 404 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:02,200 him and speaking out against the injustices in America, Billy 405 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:05,960 also refused to stay silent on other worldwide issues of the 406 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,280 day. For instance, for decades it 407 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:11,160 looked like the nations behind the Iron Curtain might be 408 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:13,320 forever closed off to the gospel. 409 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:16,920 Locked borders, government control, churches silenced or 410 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,640 marginalized. I can't believe how tough it was 411 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:22,200 for believers there. Did you know if they could even 412 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:24,200 pray? It had to be done in secret. 413 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,040 So when Billy Graham made the journey, he decided that it was 414 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:31,080 time to step over these lines. Though his first visit to the 415 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:35,400 Soviet Union in 1959 was only as a tourist, he left with a 416 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,960 prayer. Someday he and others would 417 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,880 proclaim the gospel to this vast land years past. 418 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,920 Finally, in 1982, he was invited back in Moscow. 419 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,520 He preached openly to a packed congregation at a Baptist 420 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:53,080 Church, greeting them in Russian, declaring Jesus is 421 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:56,920 risen, and urging his listeners that the greatest contribution 422 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,880 you can make to World Peace is to live every day for Jesus 423 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:03,040 Christ. During that same visit, he 424 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:06,240 accepted a speaking role at the International Religious 425 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:08,760 Conference on Peace and Disarmament. 426 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,120 And you don't need me to tell you that Billy took this 427 00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:14,880 opportunity with both hands, refusing to leave faith out of 428 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,520 the conversation. Then, after years of quiet 429 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,960 groundwork by local Christians and the prayers, visits, 430 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:24,040 friendships of believers all around the world, something huge 431 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:26,600 happened. The iron walls began to crack. 432 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:29,240 I think we can both agree that it's impossible to claim that 433 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:31,440 one man brought down the Iron Curtain. 434 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:35,280 But his example of refusing to be deterred by political walls, 435 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:38,640 his example of insisting that the Gospel was for every person 436 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:42,120 everywhere, I think this certainly helped crack open some 437 00:23:42,120 --> 00:23:46,360 doors, at least in a world divided by ideology, He preached 438 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:50,640 unity in Christ and offered the people the only message that 439 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:53,920 could give them hope. Jesus is the King of kings and 440 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:57,840 the Lord of Lords, and he is the only one you can put your trust 441 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:01,240 in, because he alone is the one who will never fail. 442 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:04,600 I wonder whether I should tell you this, but when I first 443 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:08,200 started my study into the life of Billy Graham, I knew he was 444 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:12,400 friends with presidents, but I severely underestimated just how 445 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:16,480 many presidents confided in him. First there was Harry S Truman. 446 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:20,640 Now surprisingly, their initial meeting in 1950 didn't go all 447 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:22,920 that well. After their White House press 448 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,680 session, it caused quite a stir in the media, with Truman later 449 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:29,720 saying that he thought Graham was just after publicity. 450 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:33,360 He treated that rejection not as a closure, but as part of a long 451 00:24:33,360 --> 00:24:35,520 game. He kept showing up quietly, 452 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:39,320 offering faith, counsel, and gradually, over time, he gained 453 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,680 access and respect by the White House. 454 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,440 Then, under Lyndon B Johnson, the relationship really 455 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,880 deepened. Johnson, who was weighed down by 456 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,640 crisis, conflict and moral pressure, turned again and again 457 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:55,800 to Graham for counsel. They had late night calls, ranch 458 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:58,600 house, prayer meetings and even played golf together. 459 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:01,600 That's why it's no secret that many folk believe that Billy 460 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:05,840 Graham was closest to Lyndon Johnson after perhaps a more 461 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:08,560 shocking friendship with another president. 462 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:10,320 But we'll get to that in a second. 463 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:13,400 Ronald Reagan, on the other hand, also saw Billy as a 464 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:16,520 helpful counsellor during some dark days he went through as a 465 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,600 president and thus gave him the highest honor that could ever be 466 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:21,960 given to a civilian, the Medal of Honor. 467 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:25,200 OK, take a look at this. And so we're gathered here today 468 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:30,840 because Billy Graham, the man, the preacher, humble farmer's 469 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:35,080 son who helped change the world, is a spiritual gift to all of 470 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:38,800 us. That's the former President 471 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:42,960 George HW Bush showing his love and respect for the evangelist 472 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:46,400 when the Billy Graham Library was opened in 2007. 473 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:49,920 And an even more memorable moment was when his son George W 474 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,920 Bush, who by the way, was also the president of the United 475 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:55,880 States of America. Well, he later said that after a 476 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:59,920 one-on-one chat with Graham, it was the spark that helped him in 477 00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:02,360 his own recommitment to faith in Christ. 478 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,920 Billy's friendship with Nixon raised a lot of eyebrows, 479 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,640 especially with what you're going to see got leaked from a 480 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,560 private conversation. But some would argue that what 481 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:16,400 happened at Bill Clinton's 1993 inauguration wasn't a good look. 482 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:20,360 I the Evangelist made a choice that drew sharp criticism from 483 00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:23,720 some Christians who disliked Clinton's political views. 484 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:27,120 When invited to pray at the inauguration, Billy agreed, 485 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:31,120 whilst many Christians urged Graham to withdraw as it might 486 00:26:31,120 --> 00:26:34,160 give the impression to the world that the preacher was somehow 487 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:38,080 endorsing Clinton's stance on key issues that went against the 488 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:41,800 teachings of the Bible. However, Graham insisted his 489 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:45,320 calling wasn't to endorse a party, it was to be a minister 490 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:48,680 to the people, and he quietly reminded supporters that he had 491 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:52,200 long been registered Democrats, something that shocked and even 492 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:55,520 bothered many who assumed he leaned the other way. 493 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:59,040 Whatever Billy Graham's political stance was, no one 494 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:02,520 could argue with this statement. Billy would eventually be known 495 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:06,280 as America's pastor, and he was the only preacher in history 496 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:09,880 who, president after president, trusted and went to for 497 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:13,000 spiritual counsel. This in and of itself was an 498 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:16,920 important ministry which would span for a period of 55 five 499 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:19,160 years. Okay, so here's the answer we 500 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:22,160 all want to know. If Billy Graham did so much for 501 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:25,240 the Lord and reached so many souls with the saving gospel of 502 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:29,280 Jesus Christ, why does so many people dislike him? 503 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,760 Billy Graham, I think 1. Can see all the symptoms of a 504 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:34,560 self-conscious fraud. I mean someone who doesn't 505 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:36,800 believe. Any of this at all, but it is a 506 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:38,280 reasonably. Good businessman. 507 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:40,600 One other thing with Billy Graham is that he was people 508 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:44,120 look at all these people that streamed down after he would 509 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:48,680 make his messages and the reality is he was superb and 510 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:51,840 manipulating audiences. That's why I believe that Billy 511 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:54,200 Graham. Has never won anybody to Christ 512 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:57,680 in his life. Because Billy Graham is not 513 00:27:57,680 --> 00:27:58,920 saved. All right? 514 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:02,160 For starters, being friends with presidents wasn't always 515 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:05,440 glamorous for Billy Graham. If anything, his closeness to 516 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:08,400 the White House sometimes created the appearance of 517 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:12,120 compromise, especially when the Watergate scandal hit the front 518 00:28:12,120 --> 00:28:14,400 page of every newspaper in the world. 519 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:16,880 The problem wasn't that Graham was implicated. 520 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:19,800 It's important to remember that he wasn't involved whatsoever. 521 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:24,240 But the way it looked was awkward, as now public trust in 522 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:27,720 the government was collapsing and anyone tied to Nixon even 523 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:31,400 loosely felt the heat, too. But let me ask you a question. 524 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:33,360 What do you think about all of this? 525 00:28:33,360 --> 00:28:36,120 Because Billy's critics questioned whether a preacher 526 00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:39,360 should ever be near to the machinery of Washington at all. 527 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,400 This tension only sharpened when previously recorded 528 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:46,520 conversations with Nixon became public years later, revealing 529 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:50,200 the way the president spoke in private was very unbecoming and 530 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:52,960 almost indicated he was living a double life. 531 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:56,360 Graham later admitted he felt used by Nixon and was in 532 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,120 embarrassed that he hadn't recognized the deception that 533 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:01,080 was happening behind closed doors. 534 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:05,040 After Watergate, he took a step back and deliberately distanced 535 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:09,080 himself and his ministry from any political endorsements, a 536 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,320 move that would later strengthen his credibility rather than 537 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:15,120 weaken it. Sadly though, that wasn't the 538 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:18,760 end of the Nixon drama though, because hands down, this is the 539 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:21,760 most embarrassing moment of Billy Graham's career. 540 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:26,040 And it was due to this one mistake in the early 1970s, a 541 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,200 gain in in conversation with Nixon, Billy made some remarks 542 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:33,120 privately about Jews, which resurfaced decades later when 543 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:36,000 the tapes were leaked. It stirred anger and deep pain 544 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:39,040 among many. In 2002, he publicly 545 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:41,160 acknowledged and owned his mistake. 546 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:44,840 He also clarified that his views had changed and he was asking 547 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:48,280 for everyone to forgive him. But hey now, that wasn't the 548 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:51,680 only moment that would cause an uproar and give his critics fuel 549 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:55,320 to discredit his ministry. Many evangelicals claimed that 550 00:29:55,320 --> 00:30:00,200 Billy was and that he was too close to Roman Catholicism and 551 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,480 to the Pope and others would say when asked in interviews, he 552 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:07,200 didn't always take a strong stand on certain moral issues of 553 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:10,920 the day, a stance his son Franklin would later take. 554 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:14,400 Even paying the price for it, including being unable to speak 555 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:17,760 at Liverpool and England over one particular issue that 556 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:20,920 Franklin Graham said was wrong and unbiblical. 557 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:24,840 I do believe though there was one particular occasion, one 558 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:27,480 thing that was most talked about with Billy Graham, and it 559 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:31,480 happened in 1997 whilst he was being interviewed on live 560 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:34,360 television. Billy Graham gave the indication 561 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,920 that there was more than one way to heaven, even for people who 562 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:42,080 didn't even know about Jesus. This was obviously unbiblical, 563 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:45,280 as Jesus said there was only one way to heaven, but Billy's 564 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:48,600 supporters would argue that these clips were heavily edited 565 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:52,040 and taken out of context. And also remember this Billy was 566 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:55,200 nearly 80 years old in this interview and was likely having 567 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,720 a bad day as he consistently time after time taught through 568 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:02,200 his many years of preaching that the only way to heaven was by 569 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,160 being washed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 570 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:09,040 The only way to get into heaven was by trusting in the finished 571 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:13,000 work of the cross of Christ. And let us never forget, even in 572 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:16,640 his last message to the world called the cross, he proved that 573 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:19,080 he didn't agree with what he said in that interview. 574 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:23,720 Because here we see the 95 year old evangelist telling millions 575 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:27,240 who would watch the video and receive the DVD that without the 576 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:31,080 shedding of Jesus blood there can be no forgiveness of sins. 577 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:35,120 An eternal life is only for those who come to the Saviour in 578 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:40,520 repentance and faith. There is no other way of 579 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:43,000 salvation except through the cross of Christ. 580 00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:48,560 Jesus said I'm the way, the truth and the life. 581 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:51,680 No man cometh to the Father, but by me. 582 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:57,760 The only way to the Father, Father God is through his Son 583 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:01,120 Jesus Christ. So what would I say about all of 584 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:03,600 this drama attached to Billy Grahams name? 585 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:05,720 Well, I would say this very simply. 586 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:09,040 All men have clay feet. There's only one who was 587 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:10,680 perfect. There was only one who was 588 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:13,880 righteous, and that's Jesus. In a time where many 589 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:16,600 teleevangelists were being exposed for affairs and 590 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:20,680 scandals, Billy Graham's record in that area remains remarkably 591 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:23,000 clean. He wasn't perfect, but no one 592 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,560 can deny that the Lord used that man greatly. 593 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:28,240 And the truth is this. If a camera followed you or I 594 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:31,240 around for 70 years, what would the evidence say about us? 595 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:33,680 I, for one, would be very embarrassed. 596 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:36,360 Guys, can I be totally transparent with you? 597 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:39,800 I have a lot to thank Billy Graham 4 and I'm going to get to 598 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,000 that in just a moment. But you see, when I think of 599 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,360 Billy Graham, what stays with me the most is how life changing 600 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:48,440 his ministry was not just for a few, but for millions. 601 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:53,160 In 1973, during his crusade in Seoul, North Korea, it's often 602 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:56,920 said about 3 million people heard his message, one of the 603 00:32:56,920 --> 00:32:59,400 largest gatherings ever to hear the gospel. 604 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:01,360 Did you know? From his earliest days of 605 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:05,600 ministry, beginning in 1947, he is credited with preaching to 606 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:10,280 over 200 million people in life events, reportedly receiving 607 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:15,080 over 3.2 million responses of souls trusting in Christ 608 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:16,840 personally. But if you thought that was 609 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:20,280 impressive, listen to this. It is estimated through social 610 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:24,560 media now and TV combined that in total Billy Graham preached 611 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:30,040 to over 2.2 billion people. OK, between you and me, as 612 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:33,240 impressive as those things are, there is nothing that means more 613 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:37,440 to me than what Billy Graham did in September 1982. 614 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:41,480 He had gone to preach in Blackpool in the UK and a 17 615 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:43,080 year old girl had gone to listen. 616 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:45,840 She had grown up in a Christian family with both her parents 617 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:48,360 taking her to church even when she was little. 618 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,880 She'd heard the gospel many times, but she knew she wasn't a 619 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:54,800 Christian just because of her Christian upbringing. 620 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:58,360 In fact, she wanted to become a Christian, but she kept saying, 621 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:00,200 I I'll come to Christ when I'm older. 622 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:03,240 I'll come to Christ once I finished all of my exams. 623 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:07,000 However, that night she heard how there was one who loved her 624 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:11,080 enough to substitute himself for her, paying all of her debt of 625 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:13,679 sins in full when he was nailed to the cross. 626 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:17,199 She heard about One who rose from the dead to offer her 627 00:34:17,199 --> 00:34:19,239 eternal life. And though she was young, she 628 00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:22,600 knew that one day she would die. But she knew that if she trusted 629 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:25,560 in Christ in this very moment, she didn't need to fear death 630 00:34:25,679 --> 00:34:28,480 because she would live forever in paradise with Him. 631 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:32,920 She heard about one man, Jesus Christ, who came into the world 632 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:36,040 to save sinners. And there that night, Billy 633 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:39,040 Graham, as he did in all of his messages, said, I'm going to 634 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:41,800 invite anyone to come down to the front publicly. 635 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:44,760 If you want to commit your life to Jesus Christ, you need to 636 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:47,960 come forward publicly because whenever Jesus called people, it 637 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:51,040 was public. And so this 17 year old girl, 638 00:34:51,199 --> 00:34:52,840 you need to remember something about her. 639 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:55,679 She was very shy. And so she didn't go down to the 640 00:34:55,679 --> 00:34:57,880 front. But that very night on the 641 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:01,560 minibus, as she was being driven back to her home church, there 642 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:04,680 she called on the name of the Lord Jesus and asked him to 643 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:08,640 forgive her of all of her sins and to save her and to make her 644 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:11,600 into a Christian. So here's the big question. 645 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:13,760 Have you guessed who that girl was yet? 646 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:17,560 Of course it was my mother. And my mother would then raise 647 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:19,400 me to love the Lord Jesus Christ. 648 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:22,240 And so I have a lot to thank Billy Graham for. 649 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:25,560 And not only that, he is a tremendous inspiration for me as 650 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:28,000 an evangelist. Because I do believe to this day 651 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,600 there is still no one who preached the gospel better. 652 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:33,480 No one preached it more passionately, more powerfully, 653 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:36,840 in a way that connected with so many people and yet spoke to 654 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:39,680 their hearts in such a tender and loving way. 655 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:43,920 So yes, as we've already mentioned, he did make mistakes, 656 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:46,560 but you've made mistakes and so have I. 657 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:49,320 So let us all be careful how much we point the finger at this 658 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:53,240 man who literally in the UK, in the USA, even in this very 659 00:35:53,240 --> 00:35:55,080 comment section right now, I want to hear from you. 660 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:58,400 All around the world, there are Christians who are still going 661 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:01,560 on with the Lord because they heard the faithful preaching of 662 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:04,760 this evangelist who took the Great Commission and spread it 663 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:07,320 across the entire world. Was that you? 664 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:10,200 Did you become a Christian through hearing Billy Graham? 665 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:15,880 I've been asked so many times lately, do I fear death? 666 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:22,880 No, I look forward to death with great anticipation. 667 00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:30,680 I'm looking forward to seeing God face to face and that can 668 00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:38,520 happen any day. So for those of you who don't 669 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:42,480 know, Billy Graham, that great evangelist has just stepped into 670 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:49,240 eternity this very day, age 99. The world is mourning the loss 671 00:36:49,240 --> 00:36:52,040 of one of the most influential people in history. 672 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:54,640 This is just a a. Tremendous loss. 673 00:36:55,240 --> 00:36:57,680 Billy Graham was a was a Titan of this country. 674 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:04,720 It is hard to overstate his significance in American culture 675 00:37:04,720 --> 00:37:28,010 over the past fifty 60-70 years. If you ask me what was one of 676 00:37:28,010 --> 00:37:31,530 the most powerful quotes by Billy Graham, this would be at 677 00:37:31,530 --> 00:37:33,970 the top of the list, Billy once said. 678 00:37:33,970 --> 00:37:37,730 Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. 679 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:42,160 Don't you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am 680 00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:43,960 now. I will have just changed my 681 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:46,640 address. I will have gone into the 682 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:51,320 presence of God. What? 683 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:54,440 Do you hope they'll say? I don't want them to say big 684 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:57,440 things about me because I don't deserve them. 685 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:04,200 I want to hear one person say something nice about me, and 686 00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:06,920 that's the Lord. When I face him, I want him to 687 00:38:06,920 --> 00:38:12,040 say to me, Well done, thy good and faithful servant, but I'm 688 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:14,320 not sure I'm going to hear it. But that's what I would like to 689 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:14,640 hear.