THE GREAT Commission

FULFILLING CHRIST’S LAST COMMAND 

SD: As I think back over the years, you have always been willing to involve even the newest believers around the Great Commission. Why did you do that?

BB: Because it's our Lord's command. I want to obey the Lord, and I want to teach other Christians how to obey the Lord. You see, Jesus came to seek and save the lost and His last words were to be filled with the Spirit so they could take the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost part of the earth. And Matthew 28 speaks of, "All authority in heaven and earth is given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach the things I've taught you and be sure of this, I’m with you always even to the end of the world." So, every believer should be involved in helping to fulfill the Great Commission either in their Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria or some part of the world. We should be doing that with our time, our talents and our treasures. If you can’t go to the mission field, give money to send missionaries. If you send the literature overseas, whatever is needed. The Great Commission should be the number one priority of every believer. In fact, I try to evaluate everything I do every day in light of the Great Commission, and the only reason I am doing this video right now is to inspire listeners to get involved in helping to fulfill the Great Commission.

SD: As this new millennium has begun, you revised the way you close your letters. Why is that, Bill?

BB: Steve, as you know for the last 50 years I have signed millions of letters, "Yours for fulfilling the Great Commission in this generation." Now, in light of the fact of the technology available, we can fulfill the Great Commission every year. So, I sign my letters now, "Yours for fulfilling the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns." In fact, I believe in five or ten years we can be able to say, "Yours for fulfilling the Great Commission every day," because we have the technology for it. There are the hidden people groups for example are now being reached through an organized effort by Crusade and YWAM, Wycliffe and other groups. The technology now via satellite enables us to present the gospel to every square inch of planet earth. So, there's no reason why we shouldn't take the gospel to the world every day if the Christians would only give and go and pray and fast.

TRAINING DISCIPLES 

SD: Often, Christians are labeled as anti-intellectual by non-believers. How do you feel about that?

BB: Well, first of all it's not true, and if you trace the origin of these so-called narrow-minded, bigoted, anti-intellectual right-wingers, that is something that the propagandist from the left wing has perpetuated and these are the anti-Christ people. I learned long ago not to count your critics, but to weigh them. Who is calling us anti-intellectuals? Certainly not the legitimate intellectual, because some of the most brilliant minds in the world today and through the centuries have been followers of Jesus Christ, but there is a strong organized, strategic effort on the part of the anti-Christ movement in America to minimize everything Christian and they've had a great influence in Supreme Court decisions. They have a great influence in intimidating congressmen and senators and governors and mayors, school principals and superintendents because they threaten lawsuits if people talk about Jesus or even pray in His name. So, don't be distressed over the people who are calling us anti-intellectual. That is a part of their game plan. It’s a part of their strategy, and what we should be aware of is who is saying it. Who coined the phrase? Now, unfortunately it's coined by the anti-God, anti-Christ and many other anti-American people, and unfortunately the secular and sometimes the Christian press are quoting them. It's like Hitler. He learned that if you say a lie often enough and with great enthusiasm, people believe it. And now that's what's happened to this whole idea, that Christians are shallow and anti-intellectual and really not worth listening to.

SD: Is there something unique about how CCC trains people to present Christ to other people?

BB: I was at Penn State and I saw this big chart and here were generation after generation after generation, up to ten generations. This person led this person to Christ, who lead another and discipled that person, who lead and discipled, and led and discipled, and that's very rare in America. Overseas where people are not as rushed and have more time to memorize scripture and to be involved in fellowship and discipleship, the generations are dramatically increased.

Wherever I go I meet people who say that I'm their spiritual father or grandfather, or great grandfather, or great, great, great, great grandfather because of the discipleship emphasis. I was speaking at a breakfast in the Philippines and there was this medical student, Dr. Chen, who had led and discipled another medical student to Christ, and he had discipled another, and another, and another. So, here were all ten of these medical doctors and students standing before this large gathering of hundreds of Christians talking about spiritual multiplication. That’s what Christianity is all about. As a matter of fact, I've often reasoned if I led a thousand people to Christ a day for 365 days a year for 50 years that’d be around 18 million people. That's a lot of people, but through spiritual multiplication and to all glory and praise go to God, not Bill Bright, there are hundreds of millions who have received Christ through people who have been won and discipled, and won and discipled, and won and discipled and that goes on all over the world.

GIFT OF EVANGELISM 

SD: Bill, I hear people say sometimes that they shouldn’t witness because they don't have the gift of evangelism. What would you say to someone who says that?

BB: I would say to them I don't either.

SD: Oh, they would never believe that.

BB: Well, the fact is in a sense we all have. As a matter of fact Jesus didn't say, to you who have the gift go witness or follow me. He says to every believer, "Follow me and I'll make you fishers of men." So, I respond to those who say I have the gift of evangelism, because I do see a lot of people receive Christ, if you talk to as many people about Christ as I do, you would see people come to Christ as I do. It's not a matter of having some unique supernatural gift. God is surrounding us with people who are hungry for God. There are people who wet their pillows at night with tears. There are people who are afraid they're going to hell. There are people that have all kinds of confusion and all they need is someone, the most unskilled even, to put an arm around them and say, I love you and I want to tell you about Jesus. Anybody can lead others to Christ, and of course one of the things we would like to do is train thousands, yes, tens of thousands of people at Lake Hart to know how to share their faith, how to be filled with the Holy Spirit, how to be a part of the Great Commission and help be a part of this great idea, this great dream of seeing the world enveloped with the love of God.

SD: Okay, Bill, we've heard you say you don't have the gift of evangelism, but when did you get started in evangelism? I'll bet it was way back, wasn't it?

BB: It was in 1945 that I received Christ on my knees in my home in Hollywood, California. I was not a believer. I was in business for myself. I was a happy illiterate pagan. Illiterate in the sense that I had no knowledge of God.

SD: Right.

BB: I had been active in student affairs, president of the student body, editor of the year book, Who's Who and all those magnificent awards and honors, but I was a spiritual illiterate and my mother, of course, was a saint. She loved Jesus, but she had never been trained how to share her faith. She prayed for all of us. She dedicated us all, I'm sure, to the Lord and it was not until many years later I had the privilege of leading my father to Christ and most of my siblings, and in the meantime God had worked in others of their lives. But the experience of witnessing was a shocker to me. I remember there was a young businessman about my age who came to the church and the Holy Spirit told me to witness to him. I was scared to death. I didn't know what to do. I didn’t know what to say. I was just a new baby Christian. So, I went with fear and trembling to talk to him about Jesus and he was so ready I didn't even have to convince him. He was already ready. 

SD: The fruit was falling off the tree in your hands, hum?

BB: He received Christ. Well, that gave me courage. That gave me faith. I began to witness to people more regularly, and more regularly and I saw more and more people come to Christ and I reached the point where I thought, this is the greatest thing anybody can do. Sharing Christ with others is more important than going around giving away million dollar checks.

SD: That's different than the world's perspective.

BB: Yeah, absolutely. I've often prayed, Steve, with people who have just received Christ or people who have been believers for a long time and I say, if I could give you a million dollars and you had the choice between receiving a million dollar check and receiving Christ, which would you chose? I've never had anyone say I'd receive the million dollars. They all say, even new believers, old believers, young believers, old believers saying, I would like of course to know Jesus. So, I don't know why more people don't witness as a way of life. You know Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. Without me you can do nothing." All we really have to do is to love God with all our heart, soul and mind and recognize that Jesus, the one who came with us, who created the heavens and the earth, died on the cross for our sins, was raised from the dead, now lives in us, we're a suit of clothes for Him and we just say to him, "Lord Jesus, you came to seek and save the lost. Now, seek and save the lost through me." That's simple. 

MOTIVATION TO WITNESS 

SD: You know Bill, I'd like you to actually answer your own question. Why is it that so many people don't witness? I think you've got some thoughts on that don't you? There are reasons that they don’t witness.

BB: Well, one is because they don't know what I've just shared. They don't know that Jesus, the omnipotent, holy, incredible, peerless Son of God lives in them if they're true believers, and that all the authority of heaven and earth belongs to Him. In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He's the visible expression of the invisible God, and that He who created everything loves us so much He died for us and all we really have to do is to say to Him, Lord I want to obey you. I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to do that. Teach me. Help me. All I want to do is bring glory and honor and praise to you. Then He puts the pieces together. It all goes out as Paul said, "The love of Christ constrains me." It all begins with love. Love for God, love of God and the desire to see others experience the wonderful forgiveness and grace of Jesus Christ. Can you imagine what God has done for you, for me? I often just, with tears of gratitude, say Lord, thank you. You didn't let me go my own, self-centered, foolish, selfish way, but you by your divine grace and sovereignty -- in answer to my mother's prayers more than anyone else -- you drew me to yourself. You forgave me of my sins. You gave me eternal life. You gave me joy and excitement, adventure. I can't imagine keeping silent. I was reading this morning where Peter and John you remember and the other man who had been laying for 40 years and they were admonished, don't talk about Jesus anymore or you'll hear from us, and they replied, how can we stop talking about Jesus. You've either got to answer to God or man.

SD: Right. Right.

BB: I pray for the day when every true believer of Jesus Christ will be so excited about Him they just can't keep still, and I pray more for myself. I want more of that love. I want more of that God-given anointing to share His love, but I don't look upon myself as having special gifts.

You know people make a big issue of gifts, and it's Biblical, but I don't know what my gifts are. My own conviction is whatever God calls me to do, He will enable me to do.

DIVINE APPOINTMENTS 

SD: Bill, you believe in divine appointments don't you? Tell us a little about that.

BB: Well, wherever I am I assume that I'm there by divine appointment.

SD: And what do you mean by divine appointment?

BB: Well, God rules in the affairs of men and nations. He regulates the universe. He created. He runs it and the scripture says, "The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord." Now, my responsibility is to be righteous. So, every morning that I awaken, I worship the Lord. I read the scripture before I go have breakfast or anything else, because to me it's seeking first the kingdom of God by reading the word and praying and saying, now Lord walk around in my body today. Think with my mind. Love with my heart. Speak with my lips. Seek and save the lost through me today, and I assume wherever He leads me, He has done so by appointment. He leads me to nonbelievers, I have a message. He leads me to believers who are discouraged and defeated, I have a message. So, all day long I assume that wherever I am, the one to whom I've prayed before I begin my day has directed me.

SD: That's great. Bill, tell us about the story, or perhaps its many stories where people have called and you discover that it's the wrong number. What do you say to someone?

BB: Well, I say no it's not the wrong number. Wait a minute. I have something very important to share with you. God has a message for you.

SD: Ha, ha. You've got the right number.

BB: So, I've had that happen on many occasions and have seen a number of people receive Christ, because you know almost everybody's a candidate for the kingdom. If they're not already believers they’re candidates for the kingdom. If they are believers, they're candidates for the ministry of the Holy Spirit. If they're spirit filled, they're candidates for Campus Crusade for Christ staff, the Great Commission. So, I don't want to miss an opportunity. And you know the God who rules in the affairs of men and nations just doesn't allow that telephone call to be made to the wrong number. If I'm sitting there, I'm sure He has something for me to say.

SD: I'm sure you've stalled a few people when you said, "No, no, you've got the right number."

BB: I remember a fellow in San Bernardino called and had the wrong number. He and his wife were estranged and he received Christ, and then he wanted me to talk to his wife and I was able to talk to her, though she was very skeptical. But it's amazing what God does.

SD: That's great.

BB: I have a friend, Colonel John Fain, who has a lot of -- he's home. He's in his 90's, and people call him and they ask him they can present a commercial sales, Encyclopedia Britannica or whatever, insurance and he says, "Okay if you will give me equal time." They promise. So, when they finish making their presentation to him, He tells them about Jesus and many of them receive Christ.

SD: I'll bet he makes more sales, so to speak, than they do.

BB: Yes, he's incredible.

SD: That’s great. 

WITNESSING TO CAB DRIVERS 

SD: Bill, in the overflow of your sharing your faith, you also happen to share your faith in taxicabs. How many taxicab drivers would you guess that you led to Jesus Christ through the years?

BB: Well, the reason I talk to so many taxi drivers is I get off the airport, I drive to the hotel and I have about 10, 30 minutes generally and that's a lot of time to talk to a person about Jesus.

SD: No point in sleeping or doing anything else. You might as well witness, right?

BB: And I see a good percentage of those taxi drivers with whom I ride for a few minutes indicate a desire to know the Lord. I remember I was talking to this fellow from Ethiopia and I asked him if he had heard about how Philip had been led of God to talk to the Ethiopian eunuch and he said, "Yes, I’m a member of the Orthodox Church," and I went on to explain to him how he could know Jesus personally because he didn't know Jesus personally but he was a member of the church. So, he was so excited, he pulled over to the side of the road and we prayed on the way to the airport.

SD: Well, I'm glad he pulled over to the side of the road.

BB: There was no place to baptize him, so hopefully --

SD: You couldn't follow through on the story is that what you're saying?

BB: No, but the fact is I find whether they're maids in the hotel rooms, whether they're taxi drivers or congressmen or senators or CEO's of big corporations, in the heart of heart of hearts everybody needs Jesus, and when they hear about Him it's like passing a magnet over a field of iron filings. The filings leap to the magnet. Jesus, through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, draws men and women to Himself if we're faithful to witness.

TEMPTED NOT TO WITNESS 

SD: Bill, are you ever tempted not to share your faith with someone? I am sure everyone else can identify with that temptation. You get next to someone in an airplane and say, oh, I'm too sleepy or not now, or he looks intimidating. So, are you ever tempted like that?

BB: Would it shock you if I said I'm always intimidated?

SD: Oh, oh no.

BB: Because you see every time we witness, we invade enemy territory and Satan doesn't want us to witness. So, He brings all kinds of disconcerting thoughts to our minds. You have no right to impose your views.

You're invading their privacy and all kinds of arguments. So, we just simply have to say, Lord Jesus, you defeated Satan at the cross. We claim that victory now and ask that you will prepare the person seated beside me or whom I shall meet so that when I tell them about Jesus they will be ready to respond.

Of course not every body does. There's a time when you sow the seed. There's a time when you reap the harvest. But I can't say that I just go around buttonholing everybody, even though I'd like to. I feel the enthusiasm to do it.

SD: It'd be good for them, actually, if they'd respond.

BB: I think it's important for the believer to understand this. You're not trying to convince them of your way of life. You're telling them about Jesus. You're telling about forgiveness of sin, the love of God, eternal life. Who could say no if they really understood how much God loves them, how He's arranged for their forgiveness and eternal life. So, every time we witness, we're channels of God's love, for this is the greatest news the world's ever heard, but Satan intimidates us. I'm still intimidated after all these 55 years of sharing Christ.

SD: Bill, that may be the most encouraging thing that you can say in this interview is that you experience that intimidation, pray and gain victory over it.

BB: And it's just -- I want to say it again. We’re invading enemy territory. There are only two kingdoms in this world, Colossians 1, Christ' kingdom and Satan's kingdom. If we insist on going our own way, we're actually choosing by default or deliberately, to follow Satan's way, and we end up where he is going to end up.

SD: Not a pleasant thought.

BB: No. Satan defected and a great army of angels followed him, and hell was made for Satan and his angels, not for man. But if we insist on going Satan's way we end up in hell. But if we follow Jesus and His forgiveness, His wonderful plan, we end up in heaven. Now, I can tell you it's as simple as that. You know I've had five years of theological seminary, in two of the famous theological seminaries of the world. I've sat at the feet of the great scholars of the theological world and 55 years of studying on my own and it's simple. There are two kingdoms; Christ's kingdom, Satan's kingdom.

Satan wants you to go with him to hell and Christ wants you to go with Him to heaven.

SD: Now, let me think for a second about that choice. I think that's an easy one isn't it?

BB: But you see most people don't -- it's confused. A very successful and wealthy businessman sat right here in this room right where I’m sitting now a few days ago. He is in his 60's. He'll soon be 70. He has accumulated all the world's goods he'll ever need, but he's confused about his salvation. I asked him to come and see me for one purpose; to talk to him about Jesus, and he came knowing that and yet he has not yet -- even though I gave him materials to read and a video to see -- and I assume that before the week is over either he will call me or I call him, but he has to make a decision.

SD: So, he's not yet made a decision?

BB: No, not with me. You see, he's really developed an attitude of confusion. He says there are all these religions and he grew up in a -- apparently a very strong "thou shalt not" religion, and there are some shall nots we should obey.

SD: For sure.

BB: But in his case I'm not sure it was a happy one. In any case he has rationalized himself into being confused, and I made it very simple. There's no reason to be confused. There are only two kingdoms. You're either a member of Christ's kingdom or Satan's kingdom. You're either going to heaven or you're going to hell and God loves you too much, and I love you too much, and the reason I've asked you to come and see me is because I care for you. I really care for you. I want you to go to heaven, and I expect to see him in heaven.

SD: That's great.

BB: But he has not yet, as far as I know, said yes.
 

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