A Godly Legacy: A Tribute to Billy Graham
Chuck Sligh
March 4, 2018
NOTE: A PowerPoint presentation is available for this sermon by request at chucksligh@hotmail.com.
TEXT: Proverbs 13:22 - "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just."
INTRODUCTION
Friday was the funeral for the Evangelist Billy Graham, who died on February 21. I watched a couple of his crusades on TV as I was growing up and have heard a number of his sermons on tape. I told Susan that there are only a handful of people who are considered the "greatest preachers of all time." Billy Graham was one of them. The Apostle Paul, Chrysostom, Charles Spurgeon, and D.L. Moody are in that rarified pantheon…but none preached or won more people to Christ in their lifetime than Billy Graham. To have lived in a time to be able to hear one of the greatest in history is an privilege.
As I watched the funeral yesterday, something big came into my thoughts. That is the wonderful legacy he left his children. Each of his five adult children shared some personal things about their father. Each of them had struggles earlier in their lives, despite being the progeny of one of the world's greatest preachers; yet each one is now faithfully following Christ.
Why?-Because of the legacy of a true man of God. This morning, I want to talk to you fathers. Ladies, I don't mean to leave you out, and what I will say today applies to you too, but in this day and age, when many men are spiritually A.W.O.L., I feel led to speak to you men especially…about a godly legacy
Our text deals with leaving an inheritance to our children, which is a good thing. But if all you leave your kids is a MATERIAL inheritance without leaving them a SPIRITUAL legacy, they will be impoverished, no matter how large the inheritance.
A legacy is defined as something passed down to the generations that follow us. Men, how can you leave a godly legacy to your children? Let me share three ways with you, illustrated from the life and ministry of Billy Graham.
I. FIRST, LIVE A LIFE OF GODLY CONDUCT.
We live in an age of moral decline, so it seems like godly conduct hardly counts anymore. You can cheat people, cheat on your spouse, drink with abandon, live immorally, curse like a sailor…and hardly anyone cares about it anymore. "Live and let live!"; "Let it all hang out!"; "Do your own thing!"-Those are the mantra of our increasingly amoral society.
Sadly, this general lack of emphasis on godly conduct has crept into our Christian churches. The conduct of believers is sometimes hardly distinguishable from that of those in the world today. That's a blight on the testimony of our Lord.
One of the things that stood out in Dr. Graham's legacy was the godliness of his conduct.
1. For instance, he not only did not have sex before he was married, he never kissed his wife until their wedding! - And they had a wonderful marriage, a romance that lasted until her death in 2007.
2. Early in his ministry he set up a set of rules for him and his staff.
One was called "The Billy Graham" rule. Here's how Billy described it: "We pledged among ourselves to avoid any situation that would have even the appearance of compromise or suspicion. From that day on, I did not travel, meet or eat alone with a woman other than my wife."
That seems quaint today. Vice President Pence, a vibrant Christian, said that he followed the same rule and CNN and MSNBC mocked and ridiculed him. But a Christian with integrity is wise to be careful to avoid sexual temptation and any appearance of doing something considered morally objectionable.
3. It wasn't just sexual morality Billy Graham was concerned about: In the wake the scandals of TV evangelists in the 80s and 90s, Dr. Graham promoted a consortium of churches and Christian organizations that pledged to shun the excesses of the TV charlatans, and to exercise a set of transparent and honest financial practices that brought glory to God, demonstrated integrity and avoided scandal.
Peter teaches us in 2 Peter 1:5 - "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue (which means "moral excellence")…"
In Ephesians 4:1, Paul says, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation [calling] wherewith ye are called."
Paul tells us why we should do this in Philippians 2:15 - "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."
Illus. - Your character and conduct will impact generations to come, as shown by a study by A.E. Winship in 1900 of two men who lived and died in the 18th century.
1. The first, Max Juke, was an athiest and married a girl of the same opinion. From this union came 1,026 descendants. A study of this man's descendants showed that around 100 were sent to the penitentiary; 190 became prostitutes; 100 were drunkards; and the family cost New York state $1,100,000.00, an astronomical figure in 1900!
2. Another man, the great preacher Jonathan Edwards, believed in God and married a girl of like character. From that union 729 descendants were studied. They discovered that around 300 were preachers, 65 were college professors, 13 were university presidents; 6 authors; 3 U.S. congressmen and 1 was vice president of the United States.
One man left a tragedy; the other left a legacy.
Men, which kind of legacy will you leave when you die? Will you be like Max Juke, or will you be like David who left a legacy to his son, Jehoshaphat to follow, as we read about in 2 Chronicles 17:3-6a - "And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; But sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments,…And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD…"
Jehoshephat walked in the ways of God because of the trail first trod by his dad. Men, your character and your conduct speak volumes to your kids. Chances are, they'll seek to be like you, so lead the way with honesty, integrity, uprightness and morality.
II. THE SECOND WAY TO LEAVE A GODLY LEGACY IS TO STAND FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE.
Six times in the New Testament Paul tells us to "stand fast." My favorite one is 1 Corinthians 16:13, where Paul says, "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men [or literally, "act like men" or "man up"], be strong."
The great Bible expositor, William Barclay, says that these four simple commands "have a military background and are like a commander's orders to his soldiers."
These commands would make a wonderful sermon in themselves, but today I want us to just focus on the commands to "stand fast in the faith" and to "act like men."
1. To "stand fast" was a term commonly used to describe the proper response when soldiers were under attack.
It means to dig in and stubbornly refuse to give ground. In this verse, it means to have some strong convictions about what you believe and not to fold under peer pressure or the attacks of the ungodly.
Dictionaries usually define conviction as a fixed or strong belief. But conviction is really much more than that. Your convictions include your values, commitments and motivations.
I like the great Bible teacher Howard Hendricks's definition of conviction: "A belief is something you will argue about. A conviction is something you will die for!" Men, are there some spiritual and moral convictions that you would die for? Are there things you believe so strongly that nothing can sway you? Are there things you believe with such moral force, that you feel you MUST pass them on to your children?
These are important questions because our convictions determine our conduct. Our convictions motivate us to take a stand; to act according to our values; to stand against the moral morass of our day.
2. You'll never do that if you're a lilly-livered, pusillanimous wimp, which is why Paul says "ACT LIKE MEN!" or perhaps today he would say, "Dude, MAN UP!"
The problem is that most men today put their finger to the wind to see which way it's blowing rather than take a bold stand on truth and righteousness. They're more concerned about the CROWD than CHRIST. They're more concerned about PEER PRESSURE than PRINCIPLE. They're more concerned about what their GROUP thinks than what GOD thinks.
What we need today are men who will stand for God and truth and righteousness even if it means they lose the world's applause.
Illus. - Athanasius, early bishop of Alexandria, stoutly opposed the teachings of Arius, who declared that Christ was not the eternal Son of God, but a subordinate being. Hounded through five exiles, he was finally summoned before emperor Theodosius, who demanded he cease his opposition to Arius. The emperor reproved him and asked, "Do you not realize that all the world is against you?" Athanasius replied, "Then I am against all the world."
Are you willing to stand for what you believe; and to live it out even if it's unpopular?
This was so wonderfully illustrated in the ministry of Billy Graham.
1. Billy Graham never compromised on the Gospel.
He never watered it down. He preached the same Gospel at his last crusade in 2005 at age 87 as he did at his first crusade in 1947 at age 29.
2. And he never changed in his belief in the inspiration of the Bible, the basic doctrines of Christ's divinity, virgin birth, death, burial and resurrection and the doctrine of salvation by faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. He also stood for social justice in our society, though it brought him much opposition from racists and segregationists in the South.
After months of preparation and a small fortune poured into the Little Rock, Arkansas Evangelistic Crusade, he was told that the crowds he would be preaching to would be segregated. Billy Graham threatened to cancel the crusade, and almost did because he stood his ground until the crusade organizers finally relented. When others would not, Billy openly stood with and supported Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s drive for civil rights.
One of the things Billy Graham's grown children shared at the funeral was his single-minded devotion to loving God, leading his family in the things of God and mentoring how to live out the Christian faith before his children.
The eldest sibling, Gigi said, "Oh, Daddy wasn't perfect, I'll tell you that, and he would be the first to tell you that too. But Daddy was AUTHENTIC. He loved God and the Gospel with all his heart and he wanted us to as well."
What a legacy to leave your children!
III. THE THIRD WAY TO LEAVE A GODLY LEGACY IS TO DEMOSTRATE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
If there was one chink in Billy Graham's armor, it was that he was so involved in his evangelistic crusades that they took him away from home about half of every year. His wife, Ruth, tried her best to raise their five children up, but three of them suffered from the long absences of their father, and acted out in various ways.
1. Their third daughter, also named Ruth, divorced her husband who had carried on a long-running affair he refused to end, and Ruth was deeply hurt because of the perception that Billy Graham was more concerned about the reputation of the ministry than her emotional pain and suffering.
2. As an adolescent, the fourth son, Franklin smoke, drank, drove fast and was a self-described rebel.
3. And Ned, the youngest sibling, manifested his rebellion by turning to more than a casual use of drugs, including cocaine.
This sad chapter in Graham's story reminds us that even godly, effective preachers, just like everyday Christian parents, can make serious mistakes in their personal lives, especially with their family. Never judge a person's life by one single aspect. The Bible is littered with men and women of faith and many great virtues and incredible works of God in their lives, yet had blots on their testimony. You see, it's true: No one really is perfect, despite their godliness or achievements.
But here's the thing about this in the life of Billy and Ruth Graham. Peter commands us in 1 Peter 4:8: "And above all things have fervent [love] among yourselves: for [love] shall cover the multitude of sins."
In each of the Graham's kids' troubled lives, they found grace and acceptance because their father and mother, in a spirit of contrition and humility, loved their kids back to wholeness and faith.
1. Too soon after her divorce, Ruth decided to marry again.
Both parents saw problems and counselled her to "Go a little more slowly." But Ruth wouldn't listen and got married quickly against their advice.
Within weeks, she realized she had made a huge mistake. She decided to leave her second husband. Divorce is, and should be, frowned upon, by Christians.
Every attempt should be made to make a marriage, sealed with vows before God, to work. But Ruth refused to go through again what she had experienced the first time. After leaving her second husband, she feared rejection and condemnation for leaving him because she had not listened to her parents' wise and loving counsel. And she was divorcing again, which disappointed her parents.
She was a broken, hurting, fearful mess of a person. She might very well have been at the very edge of her faith. Her parents' reaction was going to make or break her.
When she drove up to the Graham's home, there was Billy waiting for her. As she nervously walked to the door, Billy hugged her and said, "Welcome home." No judgment; no rejection; no "We told you so's."-Just love and care and compassion.
It was the beginning of wholeness in her life, and a renewal of her faith in God. Love made the difference.
2. Ned, while doing drugs and other sinful things, said this: "While I was embroiled in all that, my parents were just very patient. They expressed concern and displeasure over the behavior, but never once did they make me feel they rejected me as a person. Their love for me was always unconditional. Their home was always open, no matter what condition I was in. They gave themselves to me, and I never felt their love was conditioned on meeting some requirement. Eventually, their grace and love were just irresistible." [Washington Post, February 21, 2018, at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/02/21/divorce-drugs-drinking-billy-grahams-children-and-their-absent-father/?utm_term=.08febb3dcb88]
3. Franklin too was pulled back to faith by what the "fervent love" of his parents.
In the end, the whole family was reconciled, and today all five of them are in Christian ministry, the three daughters as Christian speakers and heads of Christian organizations, Ned as a pastor of a local church and head of an organization that sends Bibles to China, and Franklin as the current head of his father's Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
In reality, a fervent, unconditional love is the greatest legacy anyone can leave their kids. Paul teaches us this very truth in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 - "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not [love], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not [love], I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not [love], it profiteth me nothing."
CONCLUSION
Men, I know that many of you may be thinking: "Well, I'm not a great preacher like Billy Graham, so I could never have a such legacy."
You couldn't be more wrong. You can just be a good man, a godly man, a righteous man with convictions and a loving man and have an incalculable impact on your children that is eternal
And not just in your family. Watch this video clip to see what I mean: [SHOE VIDEO: "Who Converted Billy Graham" found at https://www.sermonspice.com/product/45853/who-converted-billy-graham. This video details that Billy Graham was converted by Evangelist Mordechai Ham, who was converted by the Evangelist Billy Sunday, who was converted by the Evangelist Wilbur Chapman, who was converted by the Evangelist D.L. Moody….who was won to Christ by Edward Kimball, who was a shoe salesman who taught Sunday School, where he won D.L. Moody to Christ].
You don't have to be a great preacher to have a great impact. You can be like Edward Kimball, a simple laborer, who served Christ and all he ever did for the kingdom of God was teach a Sunday School class, where he told a little boy about Christ who became a great evangelist who led other evangelists to Christ in successive generations, all the way up to the greatest evangelist in all history.
Who knows what children besides your own you could influence by serving God in your local church as a simple Sunday School or K.I.D.S. Church teacher? Who knows what co-worker can be influenced to come to faith in Christ by your living a consistent, godly, faithful, honest and moral life? Who knows what neighbor might be persuaded of the truth of Christianity on the basis a your Christian testimony in your neighborhood and community?
This morning I challenge you to three legacy callings:
1. Live a godly life as an example for your kids to follow.
2. Know what you believe and have the gumption to stand for what you believe, and teach those beliefs fervently to your kids.
3. Love your kids with unconditional love.
