Preserving the Gospel

Taken from a post I just made on the forums at http://www.tddm.org/index.php/community
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What a strange world we live in.
Things change. Preferences and opinions shift, ideals change, dreams come and go, and things we thought were certain are dashed to pieces. People we had the utmost respect for fall from grace, or perhaps we merely begin finding out things that aren't so admirable. Such has very recently been the case for me, as I have been hearing odd tidbits about a well-known evangelist. Accusations of apostasy, antisemitism, and even an involvement in the Masonic system. The name? Billy Graham. I'm currently reading up on the issue, but what I've seen documented so far has me very worried. I've watched several interviews in which he (in a somewhat muddled, wordy way) denies the concept of Christ being the only way to heaven. Certainly he preached the gospel in his famous crusades, but looking at these interviews and seeing how weak his spiritual convictions truly are, I'm concerned to think that this man is seen as a spiritual leader for America. (As a side note, I'm a Canadian, but regardless of what you may have heard, we're not all that different.) If you have more information on Billy Graham, either positive or negative, I'd love to continue that conversation. I've started by reading a few articles and watching this series of four videos showing and commenting on Billy Graham's interviews over the years: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUXDFHnFxdI
Here's another question: how many of the "converts" from Billy Graham's ministry went on to become strong Christians? I never attended one, but it seems to me that these crusades- as well as countless other contemporary evangelical efforts- are based on emotional pull, the prosperity gospel, and a watered-down, simplified version of God's love for us. Personal accountability is all too often overlooked, and I fear that many people attending these events get the impression that life after conversion will be rosy and God will take care of anything without any effort on our part. This is a dangerous gospel, leading to the kind of church the New Testament describes as apostate. Lackluster, apathetic, unconcerned Christians cannot fight the evils that are facing us each day in our rapidly deteriorating culture. Billy Graham himself could not even say with certainty whether people who do not call on the name of Christ would go to heaven or not; how about the thousands of people who respect him as one of the greatest spiritual leaders of the century? Are we becoming a generation of Christians who cannot stand up for truth?
I believe the Christian community needs a shift. We need to shift from revering particular leaders of the faith to revering Christ and Christ alone. All men are imperfect, no matter how eloquent or well-trained in spiritual matters they may be. Every bit of spiritual advice we receive, whether from a globally-known speaker, your local pastor, your grandfather, or a good friend, must be compared against the holy Word of God. This is our source of authority in a world of uncertainty. I plead with not only all who read this but with myself to consider carefully our sources of spiritual food. Do not take anybody's word unquestioningly; familiarize yourself with the Bible, and as you do so, you will be able to discern solid truth from feel-good, wishy-washy, watered-down renditions of the truth. We live in a world that will challenge everything we stand for as Christians- not just moral absolutes, but the very gospel of salvation through faith in Christ. You and I need to be completely grounded in our faith, or else we will not stand. Please take prayerful consideration to all this.
Here are a few questions to consider:
-What Christian leaders do you respect?
-Have you ever heard a Christian (leader or otherwise) state something that seemed slightly off? Did you compare it against the Bible?
-Is mass evangelism a dangerous (or at least overrated) method of spreading the gospel?
-What can we do to combat the half truths and untruths that are infiltrating the church?
I believe these issues may be some of the most relevant we can discuss, perhaps even more so than hot-button issues like abortion and homosexuality. The church is not only being attacked from the outside, but also being corroded from the inside. I was shocked to find Billy Graham's weakness in spiritual matters; I have little doubt there are more surprises to come. Please do not discredit all the information available merely out of respect for a man who seems to have done so much for the kingdom. We must not let popular opinion sway us in our quest for truth and our mission to bring glory to God. I believe we, as a generation, can rise above the apathy prevalent in the church and by God's grace, we will maintain a pure testimony to the gospel of Christ.