Billy Graham on the Most Important Issues Evangelicals Face Today

Christianity Today recently published online a short interview they did with Billy Graham covering the issues of aging, changing the past, and the challenges of modern Evangelicalism.  Its only 2 pages and well worth the read.  My favorite part of the interview came at the end.  Graham was asked, "What are the most important issues facing evangelicals today?"  He answered:

I'm grateful for the evangelical resurgence we've seen across the world in the last half-century or so. It truly has been God's doing. It wasn't like this when I first started out, and I'm amazed at what has happened—new evangelical seminaries and organizations and churches, a new generation of leaders committed to the gospel, and so forth. But success is always dangerous, and we need to be alert and avoid becoming the victims of our own success. Will we influence the world for Christ, or will the world influence us?

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.

One of the things I respect most about Billy Graham is his unyielding dedication and concern for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This is what has made Billy Graham truly great.  Though there is plenty of room to criticize the man, one must respect and learn from his example of making the gospel first.  He continues to preach the gospel even when he is unable to preach the gospel.

Christianity Today - Q & A: Billy Graham on Aging, Regrets, and Evangelicals 

For more:

Blogizomai - Graham: The Unwavering Love of God  

Theology - Billy Graham on Inclusivism  

GPB - Billy Graham and Eschatology

Reviews - "The Preacher and the Presidents"

Reviews - "Billy Graham: His Life And Influence"

Reviews - The Evangelist

Reviews - "Why?: Trusting God When You Don't Understand"

Short-Blogizomai - Hall: Remembering Los Angeles

Short-Blogizomai - Billy Graham, Time Magazine, and the Devil?