Last week, most of the world said goodbye to a legendary figure. A man who was able to draw thousands of people, both physically and via the airwaves, to one single event. He reached over 200 million in over 180 countries. He was able to bring them together regardless of race, color, age, sex, denomination, or socio-economic status. And they came together by the masses not to hear him sing, do stand-up comedy, or watch him perform some acrobatic or magic act. No, they came to hear his message. But his message was not just any ordinary message. It definitely wasn’t about social justice, racial equality, political agendas, or how to be rich and successful. His message was always the same. It was simple, yet profound. It was not eloquent, yet it pierced the heart of its listeners. It was a message of hope. Hope in the midst of a world filled with hatred, pain, lewdness, violence, hypocrisy, sickness, suffering, and even death. Hope, not only for the here and now but most importantly for the hereafter.
One may ask, how was he able to cross political, religious, social, and even racial lines to gather so many people and get their attention? How did he do it? Well, for one, he didn’t! He didn’t do anything but stand on a platform and speak from the heart. It wasn’t his charisma, looks, eloquence, or oratory skills. No, it was the essence of his message. The message that God placed in his heart and which he delivered through the power of the Holy Spirit. That is what allowed him to reach the world. Who was that man? He was a true patriarch of the faith. He was none other than the late Reverend William Franklin Graham. Better known a Billy Graham. Billy Graham died last week, but the message he delivered throughout the world for over 60 years did not go to the tomb with him.
That message, which he spent most of his lifetime sharing, was a message of GOOD NEWS. Good News that began as a promise made about 6,000 years ago in the Garden of Eden. “..and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel " -Genesis 3:15. And one starry night, about 2,000 years ago, that message was mortalized in a little town called Bethlehem. 33 years later that MESSAGE became the MESSENGER. Who was He? He was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. Jesus, the Good News of God’s salvation came to proclaim the eternal Kingdom of God to everyone in His path. And He did not vacillate in telling his audience that HE was the Good News and that the only way to God the Father was through Him. “Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:4.
You see, while taking the form of a servant in a human body, Jesus was still 100% divine. He came to the earth He created in order to rescue mankind from the penalty of sin, which is eternal damnation. After completing His redemptive work on Calvary’s cross, Jesus ascended back to heaven, but not before he himself prepared 12 other men and entrusted them with the task of proclaiming the Good News of His salvation to ALL mankind. That same message, which has been passionately preached for centuries, is the message Rev. Billy Graham preached. It is the same message I proclaim to you today. It is the message that our beloved sister, Lorraine Ahrens, heard and believed in. It is the message that gives true PURPOSE and meaning to life on earth. The message that promises a PEACE beyond human understanding, a JOY that is unspeakable, a LOVE that is unconditional, and a HOPE that is ever-lasting. It is the message that promises STRENGTH in times of weakness, SECURITY in times of fear, FAITH in times of doubt, ASSURANCE in times of uncertainties. And most of all, ETERNAL life in times of physical death.
Many cultures and religions around the world believe that death is not the end but the beginning. In other words, they believe in the continuation of one’s soul or consciousness in some shape or form after it has ceased to exist here on earth. Among them were, and still are, many cultic, false, and pagan ideologies such as those of the ancient Egyptians. They believed that the soul would be weighed against a feather in order to determine its eternal fate, which was either the ability to travel to and fro the after-world or disappear into oblivion. The four major Asian religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism) believe in reincarnation, which is living a cycle of aimless drifting and wandering with the goal of escaping the death cycle and achieving spiritual liberation determined by Karma. Mormonism teaches that the soul re-embodies so that the embodied material soul can continue toward achieving the (God-like) perfection for which it is striving.
These and other unconventional concepts of the afterlife are very appealing to many. In fact, over 500 million people around the world embrace one of these beliefs. The promise of a life extended beyond the one we are experiencing is not only attractive but comforting and even exciting, to both those who believe that life is good and like the idea of extending it forever and those who are sick and tired of all the challenges that come along with it.
So the question is, is the Good News of Jesus Christ just one more message similar to that of other religions and cultures? Well, yes and no. Yes, because the Good News of Jesus Christ is about eternal life (after death). It is about the promise of a better world where there is no more pain and sorrow. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with mankind, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Rev. 21:3-5. It is a message that promises a life free from the bondage of mortality. So, in that sense, it too declares that physical death is not the end but the gateway to eternity. And no, it is not similar to other beliefs because it is also about the redemption from sin. Ah, sin! There is a word that pagan cultures and religions fail to address. You see, sin is what separates us from the One and only true Holy God. It is what keeps us from truly knowing, serving, and loving Him. It is what Christ came to take away by dying on the cross on our behalf. The Good News of Jesus Christ is also different because it guarantees an eternal life in the presence of Almighty God, but ONLY to those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. "...It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth...Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." -Acts 4:10-12. The message of the Good News is certainly not about an aimless cycle of a reincarnated life waiting to be liberated. True freedom (from sin, guilt, and condemnation) is readily available to anyone the moment they come to Jesus and surrender their lives to Him. Nor is the message about ceasing to exist if we don’t meet certain moral criteria. The truth is that if we don’t meet God’s standard for salvation, which is forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ, there is a literal place where we will spend an eternity separated from Him. A place the Bible refers to as hell. But most important, the Good News is not like other religious or cultural beliefs because it’s not about what WE can do to gain God’s love and favor. It's not about how we can reach God, but how He reached us. It is about what He did 2,000 years ago on the cross. It is about His love for us, His sacrifice, and His willingness to pay the price for my sin, your sin, and the sin of the world. In short, the Good News message is not about religion or embracing a set of spiritual beliefs. It's about having a personal relationship with the eternal God. The God who came to save us! "For God so loved the WORLD that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." -John 3:16.
We may not know when and how we will be called into eternity like our beloved sister Lorraine, like the Rev. Billy Graham, and like so many others who have gone before them, but we can most certainly choose where we will spend that eternity. The Bible is clear. It’s either in heaven or in hell. You can cross over into the darkness and torment of an eternal separation from God or you can cross over into the loving arms of your Heavenly Father. You can live the rest of your days here on earth with the uncertainty of what will happen to you after you die or you can live with the assurance of the eternal hope of glory.
Just like Rev. Graham, the truth is that our beloved sister Lorraine has not truly died, she has just changed address. I already know without a shadow of a doubt what my eternal address is. Do You? If not, DO NOT ignore THE MESSAGE.
