The Greatest Lesson I Ever Learned - Bill Newman

As I entered full-time ministry in 1995 I read a book compiled by Dr Bill Bright entitled, "The Greatest Lesson I Ever Learned". It was a collection of stories from Christian leaders. It inspired me to ask various Christian leaders in Australia that I knew (or, mostly, knew of) for their story. These have been sitting in my computer for 10 years waiting for publication, but I didn't collect enough to warrant publishing them. So, I am now posting them as blogs so the stories can get out there. I trust you enjoy them as much as I do.

Geoff

Bill Newman

Dr. Bill Newman is an Australian evangelist with an international reputation. Over the past 15 years he has addressed audiences of thousands across the Australian continent and the nations of the world.

He addresses the deep needs of the individual human heart with a compassion and objectivity that leaves people from all walks of life ready to listen and find hope in his gospel message.

Through the years thousands have found the reality of Christ through his unique gift of proclamation.

Bill Newman is also a best-selling author, having written a number of books, the most popular being "The Ten Laws of Leadership”, "Soaring with Eagles" and "The Power of a Successful Life ", which together have sold well over 100,000 copies.

He also has contributed regularly to Australian newspapers, spoken on radio and has produced and featured in several television specials.

Around the world he is held in high regard as a national statesman who is endorsed by Prime Ministers, Government Heads and Civic Authorities for his positive contribution to society.

A family man, Bill Newman and his wife, Dorothy, live in Queensland, Australia with their two sons, Ben & Luke.

THE LIFE OF FAITH

I will never forget the excitement that we had and the adrenaline that was pumping through our veins as we put up, for the first time, our blue and white tent. We had just taken delivery of it from America, people had given sacrificially, others had helped us with seating, still others had donated towards the P.A. and lighting and we were putting it all together for its first time in a united meeting. As it was going up that day we never dreamed how many thousands of people would come under that canopy to hear the gospel and how many would make their way to the front to commit their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I guess we were too young and naive to know what was really happening - the people who were talking about us and saying, "What a white elephant! We will never fill that thing! What a waste of time, tent campaigns are so old and out-of-date, they will never work in Australia!"

We were working too hard and too fast to hear any of these stories, let alone to listen to them. We had a dream that God had placed in our hearts and that is all that we could think of.

That tent would be replaced many times in the future with even bigger and better tents, but it was the beginning, the start. We were stepping out believing God for greater things. We were learning the life of faith.

My wife, Dorothy, and I had been invited to a prayer meeting in someone's home and, as we were leaving, an envelope was squeezed into our hands. As we arrived at our own home we opened the envelope and there, to our surprise, was $1,000! We had never received a gift like that in our lives and the note said, "Put this towards a tent."

God was encouraging us in our dream. Just a little time before that we had hired a tent ourselves. We saw that it was neutral ground and non-threatening. It was a novel attraction. Young people would come into the tent without having to be dressed up. People would be out of their normal church environment so that they weren't conditioned, as they were when walking into their own buildings, as to how they should act and behave. It was a novel attraction in that it brought lots of media attention - the newspapers, radio and television would all come around to find out what was really going on. I guess they thought it was a circus though they couldn't see any elephants anywhere! I guess all they could see were clowns!

We were just walking one step at a time. The logistics at that time weren't important. All we could see was one step that God was opening to us. We would need trucks to take the tent from one place to another, we would have to learn many lessons in how to organise united campaigns, there would be many heartaches and challenges along the road. But in our youthful enthusiasm we could see none of this. All that we could see was just a venue, another way, another opportunity where we could take the precious gospel to so many desperately needy hearts.

I believe that it excites the heart of God to stand back and see His children exercising faith in Him. I'm sure He says in His heart, "There are My children, they believe in Me. They are exercising faith in Me. And I will reach out and bless their endeavours."

Today in our work of evangelism we have all sorts of different venues. They might be auditoriums, stadiums, tents and equipment but, when it all boils down, we don't need any of these things. All that we need is a Bible and a group of people who will stand and listen to us so that we can relate the precious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God honours the life of faith. If there is one gift that I am constantly asking God to give me, it is the gift of faith. To simply trust Him in childlike faith, to take His Word, to read it and believe exactly what it says and to allow that to apply to my life.

Our ministry takes us often into the South Pacific, where we see thousands of people come out to special rallies to hear the gospel. What a delight it is to see many flocking to the front to register their commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. The thing that always touches me about the people of the South Pacific is their ability to believe God, to exercise childlike faith in Him. Our problem in our Western society is the mindset that we have which stops us from really believing God to do what He says He will do.

We have stood back in awe over the years and watched God work miracles as we have reached out in faith - miracles through radio, miracles in seeing the gospel go out in prime time on the television, thousands upon thousands of books and so much literature. God delights to take the weak and the base things of this world to confound the wise.

I think back to my childhood in a coalmining town in New South Wales, a young boy who knew nothing, or very little, about Christianity. Our family struggled from week to week to make ends meet. God in a remarkable way brought me to Himself through the love and care of other young Christian people. God placed in my heart an intense love for Him and a burning desire to see people coming to the Lord Jesus Christ.

God had placed a dream in my heart and, along with that, the faith to believe Him for great things. So often I stand back in awe and amazement at what God has done, but realising that it must not stop here for God's heart is breaking over this world and there is so much to be done. Each one of us on our team say, "To God be the Glory, great things HE has done."

No matter how much God may use us, all the glory praise and honour must go to Him and to Him alone, but there is no other joy in this life that can compare to the joy of serving the greatest Master - the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.