(Faroe Islands)—"Have you ever wanted to run?" (Photo via BillyGraham.org)
That's
the question Franklin Graham had for the thousands who gathered in
Torshavn, Faroe Islands, on Sunday for the Midsummer Festival.
While many dads celebrated Father's Day
back in the United States, Franklin spoke to the crowd about God's love
for His children despite our rejection, using the familiar tale of the
Prodigal Son told in Luke 15.
"People are searching for happiness and
they think money will do it. Others turn to drugs and alcohol," Franklin
said. "We're waiting to find purpose and meaning to our life, but
something is missing."
And for many in the crowd, that something
was Christ. As hundreds got up from their seats during the invitation,
it was evident they were ready to fill that void.
Sunday's Festival came just one day after
Franklin Graham preached the Gospel in Ukraine, where nearly 2,000
responded to the call to accept Christ into their lives.
Because of space, the Midsummer Festival had
to be split into morning and evening events, with the latter geared
towards youth. Between the venue and overflow area, organizers prepared
for 2,200 people at each event.
Michael W. Smith led the crowd in worship for both sittings, before Franklin Graham stepped on stage to preach.
"This whole night is about hope," Smith said in between songs. "Jesus is the answer for the world today."
Piggy backing off that statement, Franklin
spoke a bit about breaking God's standards. He challenged those
listening to uphold what God established in the Bible, mentioning
various issues from a white lie to an abortion.
"God's standards are the same 1,000 years ago as they are today and 1,000 years from today," Franklin said.
As he often does when preaching the story
of the Prodigal Son, Franklin also talked about his own disobedience
growing up and how he came around to accepting Christ at age 22.
"I
had been running from God," he said. "I believed in God. I just didn't
want Jesus running my life. I wanted to run my own life. (Photo via BillyGraham.org)
"But I was miserable," Franklin continued. "I was empty and my life was broken into pieces."
Church leaders at Sunday's event are hoping that relatable message will stick and begin to spread throughout the Faroe Islands.
Torshavn is located north of Scotland,
halfway between Norway and Iceland. The Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association had a longstanding invitation from local church leaders to
hold a Festival in the city.
Though much of the Faroe Islands consider
themselves to be evangelical Christians, organizers said there are still
residents who need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So after much
planning, a stop in the Faroe Islands was added to Franklin Graham's
list of 2015 events a few months into this year.
Forty-five churches from various denominations united to help organize the Midsummer Festival.
Before leaving the stage, Franklin looked out into the crowd with a smile, knowing the one-day event was well worth it.
"I'll see you in Heaven," he said.
Source: www.breakingchristiannews.com/