You have a choice to make. “You either have to decide that you’re going to serve the gods of materialism all around us, or the true and living God,” said Billy Graham in his 1981 message from San Jose, California. Watch more #MondayNightClassics every Monday at 8 p.m. EDT. CONNECT with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BillyGrahamE… on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BGEA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BGEA on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bgea on YouTube:    / billygraham   on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bgeaofficial

from our archives the Billy Graham

classics

to you that are watching by television

this great Stadium here at San Jose

University

in the southern area of San Francisco

Bay in San Jose

is filled to overflowing there are few

empty seats here and there but if you

took the people on the ground that are

sitting all over the ground it more than

fill this great Stadium where the

Spartans play

tonight I want you to turn with me to

the Old Testament to Joshua the 24th

chapter to Joshua the 24th chapter now

you that are watching on television are

going to see a telephone number across

the screen you call

anytime during this program or after the

program and their council is standing by

to talk with you about your spiritual

problems and your spiritual needs

and so pick up the phone and call if you

call and it’s busy call again

now the 24th chapter of Joshua

Joshua as you know was a great military

leader and he took the place of Moses

when Moses went to be with the Lord

and the 15th verse

now he had called all the leaders of

Israel together at a place called

shechem and he’s getting ready to die

and this is his Farewell Address

and during this address he warns the

people about their idolatry he warns

them that the judgments of God will fall

upon them unless they live for the Lord

and here’s what he says and if it seem

evil unto you to serve the Lord

choose you this day whom you will sir

if you want to serve the devil’s serving

but make a choice

whether the gods which your father

served that were on the other side of

the flood are the gods of the amorites

and whose land you dwell

but then he says as for me and my house

we will serve the Lord

Joshua said if every one of you serves

of idols and other gods

makes no difference

as for me and my house we’ve already

made a decision

we are going to serve the Lord

and that’s a decision that every single

person here tonight has to make

you either have to decide that you’re

going to serve the Gods

of materialism all around us

or

the true in the Living God

and Joshua was warning the people

to choose God to follow him instead of

these other gods

and so

we have to make a choice Moses had

warned Israel much earlier generation

earlier when he was dying he said I call

Heaven and Earth to record this day

against you that I’ve said before you

life and death blessing and cursing

therefore choose life that both thou and

thy seed may live

Moses had said the same thing that

Joshua is saying separated by many years

and every generation has to hear it over

and over and over again and that’s why

the gospel never grows old

it applies to every generation alike

we have to make a choice

Alexander the Great was asked how he

conquered the world he said by not

wavering

and James says in the first chapter he

that waverith is like a wave of the seed

driven with the wind and tossed he said

a double-minded man is unstable in all

his ways

are you unstable about your relationship

to Christ do you waver in your

relationship to Christ are you totally

committed to Christ as Savior and law

why do you waver about it

many of you waver the way you live

and Jesus warned the Hypocrites people

who pretend one thing and live another

this was his great battle with the

Hypocrites in the church

we have old Proverbs that are familiar

to us all he who hesitates is lost

procrastination is the thief of time a

stitch in time saves nine a bird in the

hand is worth two in the bush don’t wave

up make a decision do it now that’s what

Joshua was saying and Joshua the great

military hero that had led them from

Victory to Victory reminded them of all

the victories that God had given

and he said serve God and live

serve these other gods and you’ll die

and come under the Judgment of God and

the message has not changed

now the wars were over

but Joshua found that the people were

going toward idolatry and many times the

problems of Peace are greater than the

problems of War

and he had called all these leaders to

shechem now shechem was a place the most

historical place in all of Israel at

that time and still is today it was

where Abraham had first settled when he

left Ur of the chaldees

it is where Jacob had purchased his

parcel of land it was where the bones of

Joseph had been buried when they were

brought up from Egypt

and so he has there are two mountains

there I’ve stood there

and on one mountain he put six of the

tribes and on the other Mountain he put

the other six and Joshua spoke with a

mighty voice even though he was an old

man

and he reviews the history of Israel and

how God had blessed them and how they

had won their victories not by their own

power and their own strategies and their

own Ingenuity and their own strength but

by the power of God

and the people should have been grateful

to God but instead they were now going

to other gods

and we in America

should be grateful to God for the

blessings he’s given us

but what do we find

we find that we’re worshiping other gods

the gods of pleasure

the gods of lust and greed and Hate

the gods of materialism

even the gods of War

and Joshua tells them that such a

condition cannot continue

they must decide whether they want to

serve the idols or to serve the Living

God

and he will not allow any neutrality

neither does Jesus Christ and Joshua

said you have to decide immediately now

choose you this day not tomorrow this

day

whom you’re going to serve and many of

you are going to have to decide tonight

what is the number one priority in your

life

is the priority

Christ

or is the priority of something else

Christ demands first place

there’s no room on the throne of your

heart

for two gods

it’s either Christ

or it’s the other God

because I believe the emphasis must we

must lay it out straight that you cannot

serve God and Mammon you must make a

choice

and I found that the heart of the

challenge is the greater the response

young people today want a challenge

they want something tough and hard all

right give your life to Christ

he’ll challenge you because he says You

must deny self and take up a cross

he says I’m going to a place of

execution come and go with me

deny your own selfish Ambitions and lust

and turn to me

and go to the cross with me

now Paul taught that a Christian is

someone who has turned to God from Idols

to serve the living and the true God

there’s a film showing throughout the

world this year called the idol maker

but a Christian is an idol breaker

and regardless of their decision Joshua

said it’s for me and my house we are

going to serve the Lord

you know Adam and Eve had to make a

choice in the Garden of Eden

God said if you

want to build a Wonderful World we’ll

build it together

but I’m going to test you because I’ve

given to you the ability to choose I

haven’t made you a robot in which I

could punch a button and you would obey

me

I’ve made you in my image

you have the right to choose

so when Adam and Eve face that choice

they chose wrongly

they broke the law of God and God said

in the day that you do you will suffer

and die

and man has been suffering ever since

and it’s all because of that first sin

in the Garden of Eden and man has been

inheriting that

tendency to sin ever since the seed of

sin is in us when we’re born

David said in sin did my mother conceive

me think of it now at conception sin was

already planted

and then comes the age of accountability

moral accountability remember eight and

nine or ten years of age when you are

held accountable by God for your actions

and you choose to sin and then the rest

of your life you practice sin

you’re born towards sin you choose to

sin at a certain point

and then you practice sin and the Bible

says we have all sin and we’re all

idolaters

now Adam had to make a choice and he

made the wrong choice you have to make a

choice many of you that are watching by

television I hope that you’ll use that

telephone number right now and call in

and make the choice for Christ and say

to that counselor as for me and my house

I choose the Lord

and then

many choices like the Rich Young Ruler

remember he came to Jesus

and he was filled with questions and he

wanted eternal life and he said sir what

must I do to find eternal life and Jesus

said looked at him and loved him and

said go sell all that you have

give it to the poor

take up the cross

follow me

the young man was grieved he wept

he wanted Christ

but he wanted his money more

now if he had said all right I’ll do it

Lord I’m sure the Lord would have said

no it’s not your money I want I want

your heart

it’s our attitude toward these idols and

told these things the television itself

can become an idol

when we walk into the room all

conversation stops and we sort of sit

there in reverence watching that box

to see if J.R is going to be shot again

now the Bible says we must choose two

ways of life

Jeremiah had written thus saith the Lord

behold I set before you the way of life

and the way of death there’s a way of

life there’s a way of death which way

are you on

Jesus said I am the one I am the one I’m

the only one I’m the only way to

permanent peace I’m the only way to

permanent Joy I’m the only way to

eternal life I’m the only way to

forgiveness of sin I’m the only way to

the father

you have to come by me

and that eliminates a lot of people when

Jesus began to talk about dying on the

cross

a lot of his followers Lefty

they said Lord we thought you were going

to sit up on a big throne and we were

going to drive in Cadillacs and we were

going to have beautiful swimming pools

and lovely ladies and all the rest of it

we didn’t really know that you were

going to die and wanted us to go with

you we thought this was going to be a

kingdom and we were going to overthrow

Rome and we were going to rule the world

and that is going to happen someday

but not now the cross before the crown

some of us want the crown before the

cross

the Bible says there is a way

that seemeth right unto a man but the

end thereof are the ways of death

what are some of the ways well some

people say I’m going to follow my

conscience but you don’t follow your

conscience

many of us have dead consciences your

conscience is no longer a safe guide

you’ve hardened it you’ve deadened it

and then other people say well

I try to be sincere in everything I do

we’re here on a football stadium right

here

and many years ago I saw a man pick up a

football

and he ran 65 yards the wrong way

now he was one of the most sincere

fellas you ever saw

lost the game

and then there are many people that say

well you know I do a lot of good works

and I give money to charitable causes

and I do all that I’m sure God will

understand

the Bible says for by grace are ye saved

through faith not not that not of

yourselves but the gift of God not of

Works lest any man should boast

see if you could work your way to heaven

and pay your way to heaven you’d get up

and say look what I did I got myself

here by my own good works

the only way you’re ever going to make

it is to come to that cross

where Christ took our sins and our

judgment in our hell and identify

ourselves with him

and then there are some people that say

well I’ll reform I’ll do better I know

people that are always

saying I’m going to do better but they

never do better they don’t have any

power within them to do better until

they come to Christ and when you come to

Christ an explosion takes place

of power

that he gives you to live a new life I

can’t live the Christian Life

I have no power within me to live the

Christian Life the Holy Spirit has to

live in me and Christ has to live

through me I cannot live the Christian

Life I’m a total flop in failure

Jesus said enter you in at the Straight

Gate for wide is the gate in Broad is

the way that leadeth to destruction in

many there be which go in there Act

because straight is the gate and narrows

the way that leadeth unto life and few

there be that find it

few he said only a few are going to find

that narrow gate in that narrow way as I

said last evening

are you among that few

you’re not on the choose between two

ways of life but you choose between two

masters

Jesus said no man can serve two masters

father he will hate the one and love the

other or else he will hold to the one

and despise the other you cannot serve

God and materialism he says in Matthew

the sixth chapter in The Sermon on the

Mount you have to make a choice

all the way through the Bible choices

choices choices choices choices not only

between two ways of life and two masters

but you’re going to have to choose

between two fathers

two spiritual fathers

he said in John 8 a very shocking

statement

the 44th verse he said you are of your

father the devil

and the lust of your father you will do

now he says for many of you the devil is

your spiritual father

now you’re not aware of it

you wouldn’t admit it

but that’s the way God looks at it

there’s either God your spiritual father

the true and the Living God Christ

or there is the devil

and then you have to choose not only

between two ways of life and two masters

and two fathers but you have to choose

between two Destinies Heaven or Hell

Solomon wrote about the way to hell in

Proverbs 7 27.

C.S Lewis the great Cambridge and Oxford

Professor he taught at both universities

used to emphasize he said no one ever

had so much to say about the way to hell

as did Jesus Christ

on the other hand no one ever spoke of

heaven with more clarity and Authority

as Jesus Christ

and one of the most played pop songs is

the Led Zeppelin Stairway to Heaven

Jesus Christ is The Stairway to Heaven

he is the way to heaven

come to him

and if you want to come to him pick up

that telephone if you’re watching

and call that counselor who’s waiting to

talk to you about the way to heaven and

how you can find Christ

he said in my father’s house on many

mentions if it were not so I would have

told you

yes Jesus is in heaven preparing your

estate right now

waiting for you

there is a future life

and eternal life does not begin when you

die and go to heaven it begins here and

now when you make this choice for Christ

because eternity

eternal life comes to dwell in your

heart tonight Jesus Christ is the

Gateway To Heaven

now this Choice also you must make

yourself

Joshua said as for me and my house we

will serve the Lord

your father can’t make it for you your

mother can’t make it for you

your children can’t make it for you

this is where you must choose yourself

he knew that he could not choose for the

tribes of Israel they must choose for

themselves man is a social being however

there’s an inner Sanctuary within

ourselves where we retire from all other

fellowships comradeships and influences

and there’s a lonely Arena where the

greatest battles of Life must be fought

alone

and this is a decision that you have to

make alone

Moses said

I call Heaven and Earth to record this

day

that I have set before you life and

death blessing and cursing therefore

choose life

that thou and thy seed may live forever

notice it says thy seed this has

something to do with your children and

your grandchildren and your children’s

children my son and I were talking

tonight about how it passes on from

generation to generation

this faith that we have in Christ

the writer to Hebrews recounts how Moses

esteeming the reproach of Christ greater

riches in the treasures of Egypt

choosing rather to suffer the Affliction

with the people of God than to enjoy the

pleasures of sin for a season he made a

choice Moses could have probably been

the pharaoh of Egypt

he was the son of Pharaoh’s daughter

heir to all the riches and power of

Egypt

and he made a choice to suffer

persecution

and the reproach

with the people of God he didn’t know

that his name would be in history he

didn’t know that someday he would lead

all of Israel he didn’t know that

someday he would be considered one of

the greatest men that ever lived

when he made that choice

he made it on the basis of simple faith

in God

some think that guy LaFleur is the

world’s greatest hockey player

and he said a month ago that each of us

has only one Past

but there are many futures

you see you can’t change your past

but you can determine your destiny by

deciding for Christ and when you do that

Christ changes your past he wipes out

all the sins of the past

because you see the blood of Jesus

Christ his son cleanse it from all sin

without the shedding of blood there is

no forgiveness when he died on that

cross he forgave all the past

you tonight

are reminded

of the many sins in your life The Holy

Spirits bring them to your mind right

now

and you know they stand against you at

the Judgment where every secret thing

will be brought out

but Jesus tonight offers forgiveness

but he offers more than forgiveness he

offers justification just as though you

had never committed a sin

what a wonderful thing to go to bed

tonight and know that the past is gone

forgiven cleansed and God no longer

remembers your sins

yes

and this choice is very urgent to delay

makes the right decision harder

indecision is itself a choice not to

decide is to decide not to

choose now

here in the Bible does it promise a

tomorrow

come while you can

time itself makes the decision for you

if you don’t you say but what do I have

to do

three things you must be willing to

repent of your sin that means to change

your way of thinking

about your sins and realize how bad they

are in the sight of God

change your way you’re thinking about

God and say I love him and I’m going to

love him with all my heart mind and soul

I’m going to make him the priority of my

life I’m going to put him first from now

on he’s going to be not only my savior

but my Lord you may be a member of the

church you may not be a member of any

church you may be a officer in the

church but you’re not sure about your

relationship with Christ and you want to

be sure

and you must be willing to repent and

secondly by faith receive Christ into

your heart that means you put your whole

weight on him and trust him and him

alone and thirdly you follow and serve

him as his disciple and follower and

Obey him

that means a big change for many of you

if you make this Choice I’m going to ask

you to make it now and I’m going to ask

you to do it publicly as we’ve seen

thousands of people this week already

come to cross I’m going to ask you to

get up from your seat if you start from

that top stand up that’ll take you two

minutes so start now and come and stand

in front of this platform as you all

stand here in front of the platform I’m

going to say a word to you and have a

prayer with you and give you some

literature and you can go back and join

your friends you’re making that choice

by coming and standing here and the

reason I do it publicly is because every

person that Jesus called he called

publicly Joshua called upon the people

publicly Moses called upon the people

publicly

to inscribe

their commitment that would be seen

publicly for generations to come

I’m asking you tonight to publicly and

openly come and say tonight

Christ is going to be priority in my

life I want to know that I have eternal

life

and you that have been watching by

television pick up the telephone and

call that number there are people

standing by to talk to you right now

[Music]

[Applause]

as hundreds are responding to Mr

Graham’s invitation to make a public

commitment to Jesus Christ you can make

that same commitment right where you are

just pick up the phone and call the

number you see on your screen special

friends are waiting to talk with you and

pray with you about this most important

decision

thank you

[Music]

that are watching by television can see

that here in this Stadium at San Jose

University

in California

hundreds of people are coming to make

their commitment to Christ pick up the

phone

you see on your screen you dial that

number

and if you don’t get in right away keep

calling they’ll be there all evening

and make your commitment to Christ over

the telephone or ask the counselor to

ask answer your questions

God help you to make that commitment and

please go to church next Sunday

read that prayer with my father or if

you have any questions about a

relationship with Jesus Christ I would

just call that number that is on the

screen there’ll be someone there to talk

with you pray with you and answer those

questions and remember

God loves you

[Music]

if you would like to commit your life to

Jesus Christ please call us right now

toll-free at

1-877-772-4559 that’s

1-877-772-4559 or you can write to us at

Billy Graham One Billy Graham Parkway

Department C Charlotte North Carolina

28201 or you can contact us on the web

24 7 at peacewithgod.tv

we’ll get the same helps to you that we

give to everyone who responds at the

invitation

on behalf of Franklin Graham and the

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

thank you for watching and thank you for

your prayers

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

thank you