Friday With Spurgeon

My thoughts

over the last week or so have really focused on evangelism. I felt that I had used excuse after excuse for why my fervor for the proclamation of the Gospel to strangers had waned. Quite frankly, excuse time was over for me. I thought back to the days when like Lecrae, I had a "backpack full of tracts, plus a Johnny Mac......" Johnny Mac of course being a John MacArthur Study Bible. I would leave a tract AND a handsome tip at every restaurant my family ate in. I would carry them to the malls, and to WalMart, and wherever else I went and would approach a stranger with "did you get one of these? It's a Gospel tract; do me a favor, take 3 minutes and read it will ya?" Almost never was the tract turned down. Quite the contrary actually; I found myself surprised often at the amount of folks who seemed genuinely thankful that someone cared enough to pass it to them. "Hey, thanks I appreciate it" was a common response. So why did I ever stop? Well, here's the section that finds me being transparent and a bit embarrassed. It was actually one man's exposition of Matthew 28:19, and the perspective that the passage speaks of "making disciples" as the thrust of evangelism. In other words, this person reasoned, passing out tracts isn't really the method God has chosen to add to His Church. Random acts of evangelism and tract-distributing didn't necessarily fall into Biblical evangelism. Anyway, I began to think differently at the purpose for passing out tracts; sort of an all or nothing deal. If you can't pass out a tract AND present the Gospel to a person, the tract is worthless. Needless to say, I have rejected that line of thinking in light of several passages of Scripture.

Paul Kaiser, at The Reformed Evangelist wrote an excellent treatment on 10 Reasons for Using Gospel Tracts. In his article, he makes several excellent points that are worth considering. I would commend this article to you as an encouragement to spreading the Gospel. One theologian (also Reformed) says of evangelism, "we are all sent. it is our calling to be witnessess. EVERY Christian must get in the game." Well said. Romans 1:16 lets me know that in the Gospel, the power of God unto Salvation dwells. It also mentions not being ashamed of the Gospel, which is another thought altogether. What of planting seeds of the Gospel? Is there no value in that anymore? The Bible certainly puts value on it. 1 Corinthians says one plants, one waters, and God gives the increase. If the Gospel is clear in the tracts I chose, how is that not planting seeds? God's Words are alive, and powerful (Hebrews 4:12), spoken or written. The question isn't whether God can use tracts to bring conviction, repentance and faith in the life of a sinner. Of course He can, so long as the tract conveys the truth of God's Word concerning our nature and the consequence and remedy of that nature. The question is whether I will allow such a solid way of distributing God's truth to be stymied by misunderstandings of what God wants from us. The answer is now no. I thought last night after doing an Exemplary Husband study with a dear Brother of mine, what's the best way to Glorify God; never share the Gospel until there is opportunity for dialogue and discourse, or touch as many people with the Gospel through tracts as possible? The latter actually opens up more opportunity for the former. LOL. I discovered all this time I had been duped. Duped into believing that passing tracts was in some way ineffective. The notion actually appealed to my sinful flesh because now I could do even less and depend even more heavily on God's Sovereignty in Salvation. Well, praise God, I'm back to square 1. That is, God's Sovereignty and my diligence will not be separated. Excuses out the window, it's now time to prayerfully select a smorgasbord of tracts that clearly and effectively put the Gospel of my Savior on display. (I will later post resources for solid Gospel Tracts for those of you who wish to get involved with evangelism from this perspective). Now take a moment to read what Spurgeon's take on tracts is. This, like all my Friday with Spurgeons, is from "Spurgeon Gold," I hope you enjoy it. I'll see you on the frontlines!! Grace and Peace!!!

Distribution of Tracts

"I well remember distributing them in a town in England where tracts had never been distributed

before, and going from house to house, and telling in humble language the things of the kingdom
of God. I might have done nothing, if I had not been encouraged by finding myself able to do
something...[Tracts are] adapted to those persons who have but little power and little ability, but
nevertheless, wish to do something for Christ. They have not the tongue of the eloquent, but they
may have the hand of the diligent. They cannot stand and preach, but they can stand and distribute
here and there these silent preachers . . . They may buy their thousand tracts, and these they can distribute
broadcast.
“I look upon the giving away of a religious tract as only the first step for action not to be compared
with many another deed done for Christ; but were it not for the first step we might never
reach to the second, but that first attained, we are encouraged to take another, and so at the
last . . . There is a real service of Christ in the distribution of the gospel in its printed form, a service
the result of which heaven alone shall disclose, and the judgment day alone discover. How many
thousands have been carried to heaven instrumentally upon the wings of these tracts, none can
tell.
“I might say, if it were right to quote such a Scripture, ‘The leaves were for the healing of the
nations’—verily they are so. Scattered where the whole tree could scarcely be carried, the very
leaves have had a medicinal and a healing virtue in them and the real word of truth, the simple
statement of a Savior crucified and of a sinner who shall be saved by simply trusting in the Savior,
has been greatly blessed, and many thousand souls have been led into the kingdom of heaven by
this simple means. Let each one of us, if we have done nothing for Christ, begin to do something
now. The distribution of tracts is the first thing.”