Reflections from Billy Graham

The January 2011 issue of Christianity Today included an interview with Billy Graham. He's now 92 and in frail health but still very alert, and he reflects on some weighty things.

When asked what he'd do differently, Graham said he'd study more and preach less. This reminds me of what I heard him say at Urbana '79 (I believe it was in a Q&A session), that if he were starting out in ministry he'd take more time for training and preparation. In the thick of on-the-go ministry, Billy Graham had gained a new appreciation for the value of thorough biblical and theological education. And he wanted restless college students to take that as a challenge.

Back to the CT piece. Another thing he'd do differently is steer clear of politics. He admits that, at times, he crossed that line. He's not suggesting, however, that he would not reach out to leaders in public office--people in high places are sometimes very isolated and need someone to talk to.

And on the topic of aging? Accept it and be content in it--growing old is part of God's plan for your life. Be thankful for each new day, even if you face great hardship in old age.

Graham says more about aging: "As we grow older we should focus not only on the present, but more and more on Heaven. This world, with all of its pains and sorrows and burdens, isn't our final home." I really appreciate this word of wisdom, and yet two concerns come to mind: 1) I don't hear many conversations among believers about heaven--it just doesn't seem to be on people's minds (this is partly my fault, of course); and 2) it's not just in old age that believers should be thinking about heaven--at least, as I see the matter. If we take the biblical pictures and promises of the life to come seriously, the glorious looming reality of "coming home" and reaching our "better country" and (most of all) reveling in the radiant and unveiled presence of the Lord would seem to be so awesome and wonderful that it would preoccupy believers all through this life, not just in the "senior years."

It's vintage Graham when it comes to making evangelism a priority: "But the most important issue we face today is the same the church has faced in every century: Will we reach our world for Christ? In other words, will we give priority to Christ's command to go into all the world and preach the gospel? Or will we turn increasingly inward, caught up in our own internal affairs or controversies, or simply becoming more and more comfortable with the status quo? Will we become inner-directed or outer-directed? The central issues of our time aren't economic or political or social, important as these are. The central issues of our time are moral and spiritual in nature, and our calling is to declare Christ's forgiveness and hope and transforming power to a world that does not know him or follow him. May we never forget this."

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Channel Surfing

I remember ages ago when, to change the TV channel, you had to actually get up and go turn the knob. That’s right, get off the couch and walk all the way over to “the tube” to check the choices—all four of them: CBS, NBC, ABC, and Public Television. No FOX, CNN, ESPN; no plethora of cable selections. And no remote control for surfing through the options.

The remote is powerful: so many choices to make—and with such little effort. Enough options to keep one from ever really pay­ing attention to anything! With the greatest of ease we zoom past this game, that reality show, this ad, that sit-com, this info­mercial, that forecast, and on and on, world without end. Our culture expects to be able to choose between limitless options with minimal effort.

And that hurts churches. When you gather with your church family, please leave your remote control mindset at home! I realize this is more easily said than done. Our preference reflexes kick in a thousand times a day—and at lightning speed: Car ad? Switch it. Traffic report? Switch it. Country music? Switch it (sorry country fans). Empire carpet commercial? Switch it fast. And so, when it comes to church, we quickly switch off any awkward conversations or stern messages or non-preferred songs or less-than-fashionable neighbors in the pew, etc.

But God’s vision of church—of his people’s sweet shared life in worship, nurture and outreach—is profoundly insensitive to our preference reflexes and comfort zones. Church life is not intended to meet one’s every whim and wish; in fact, many of our wishes need to be dragged into the light and destroyed. Church is a fellowship of Christ-followers that loves you enough not to let you have your way, not to let you live in an endless, suffocating pursuit of your own likes and tastes.

Church is for the weak (2 Cor 12:7-10) and sick (Luke 5:31-32)—can you admit that that’s you? It’s about dying to sin together (Luke 9:23-24; Rom 8:13) and putting others first instead of me (Phil 2:3-4). And the truth is, following the self-forgetting Son of God is actually the path to true joy.

So brace yourself to say NO to those impatient channel-switching reflexes, and open your heart to life within the beautiful counter-culture of Jesus, the church!

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Preaching through Hebrews

This Sunday I’m beginning a sermon series on HEBREWS, “Christ Supreme.” The idea is to move through the letter from beginning to end, care­fully weighing each statement and closely tracing the line of thought, and setting out practical applications of God’s gripping truth along the way.

The Letter to the Hebrews is amazing. But one could say more: it’s complex, rich, demanding, deep, imposing, daunting … and simply breathtaking. Hebrews is like a rugged mountain peak, so the heights must be scaled with great care—and intense anticipation! Grappling with Hebrews is like standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon: it makes your legs ache with that sense of reverent wonder. The majesty of Christ is staggering! I'm praying for the Lord's all-important help in the preparation and proclamation side of things, and that he'd awaken (and re-awaken) Christ-exalting faith in the hearts of his gathered people.

By God’s help, immersion in Hebrews will rivet our eyes on Jesus Christ. At the heart of this letter is the argument and passion that Christ reigns supreme. The glory of God revealed in his Son is a treasure of matchless worth. And so, above all else, cling to Christ—or come to Christ, if you don’t yet trust him!

Hebrews is brutally realistic about the world’s appeals to turn back from the Lord and find our security in lesser “gods,” even though they can never truly satisfy our thirsty souls. But Satan will try to anesthetize you with the delirium of disinterest in Jesus and the vain hope of worldly security and the lazy attitude that quickly labels Hebrews “too difficult”: be warned.

This letter brings a no-nonsense message, confronting hypocrisy and pointing the way of authentic faith. Numerous warnings against sin and spiritual immaturity grab the reader’s attention: don’t turn back from Christ—you’ll lose everything!

Hebrews helps us understand the relationship between the testaments. How is the Old Testament valid for today’s Christian, and in what sense is it superseded by a new way of relating to God: how new is the New Covenant? Getting this right is immensely important if we intend to treat the whole Bible with respect as God’s relevant word for our day and every day.

Sound kind of heady? It is—and “hearty” too. It’s no secret that God’s Word makes demands on your mind; healthy faith calls for careful study. And among the biblical books, it may be that Hebrews leads the way in this regard! We live in a profoundly impatient culture that shuns thoughtful reflection and rushes on to action: do, do, do. What about you? Too busy to study? All that “academic” stuff not your cup of tea? I guess you’re saying you only have time for baby-bottle spirituality.

Finally, Hebrews prepares believers for the real trials and temptations that we hit along the discipleship path. Following Jesus is a joy; no other life can meet your heart’s deep longings. But following Jesus can also be hard. Perseverance is a necessary dimension of authentic faith in Christ, and in order to stand firm, God’s people need to be pulled and pushed (i.e., encouraged and warned) to cling to Christ all the way to glory. Hebrews is God’s gift to his church to do just that.

(For Goshen Baptist Church sermon audios, click here.)

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