He described himself as a ‘happy pagan’.
Dare 2 Share - He described himself as a ‘happy pagan’…which to me means that he really never had an ‘extreme’ conversion experience. No reoccurring nightmares of hellfire and brimstone, no near-death experiences. Essentially he was a self-contented businessman who put his trust in Christ. But God had different plans.
Not long after his conversion, he felt a call on his life to fulfill the Great Commission by sharing the gospel with those around him- basically the same call that God gives every Christian, except here was a man who really listened.
In obedience to his call, he started a modest organization designed to reach college students with the gospel on the UCLA campus. This one time salesman left a successful business to go about his Father’s business.
That was 50 years ago. So what did God do with one person’s obedience?
Well in this case, I would say quite a bit. This man’s name was Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ International. He died on July 19th at 81 years old- and I would like to mention a few things about the legacy he left.
He authored a gospel tract that has been translated into 200 languages, and has been distributed to over 2.5 billion people.
He commissioned a movie about Jesus that has been seen by more than 5.1 billion people in 234 countries and has been translated into 786 languages.
Essentially, God honored his dedication to spreading the good news to the tune of 75% of planet earth being exposed to opportunities to trust Christ.
None of us will probably have that kind of impact, but isn’t that the whole point? There are many believers who think that God only uses people like Bill Bright to help fulfill the Great Commission, so they sit back comfortably with a ‘get out hell free’ card tucked safely in their pockets while those around them head towards a godless eternity.
Let Bill Bright’s death be a reminder that you have been given the message of life to share with everyone around you. Here’s the way the Apostle Paul put it:
It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful. If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us. (2 Corinthians 4:6-7)
Here was one man who understood a basic fact about his world: God placed him in his particular time and circumstances to be Jesus to everyone around him. May we all honor the legacy of Bill Bright by starting each day with the readiness to share the gospel with anyone and everyone who will listen.
Questions:
1) How can you be more effective in sharing your faith?
2) How is God calling you into a more radical walk?
3) Who or what is keeping you from being all that God wants you to be?
Quote from Bill Bright:
"I have enjoyed this life beyond measure. Business success I once knew. Worldly ambitions and possessions I once had. But they seem so hollow and vain, so pitiful compared to the exciting adventure of walking in harmony with our risen Lord. He who spun more than one hundred billion galaxies in space and reached down to touch little ol' me. What a Savior! I love him more than life."
