A Christian friend recently told me that he doesn't "like gospel tracts". So I thought I'd give a few reasons as to why I use gospel tracts (oh and I don't pass out any ol' tract - it must have a solid, and clear gospel message on it). And yes, you can still be a Christian even if you don't pass out tracts. :-)As long as you're being a witness and testifying of Christ, then that is wonderful (and this obviously can be done with out the use of tracts). The important question for a Christian is, 'Am I obeying the great commission?' Are you telling others about the Lord? Are you opening your mouth to preach the Good News of what Jesus Christ has done? If you're like me, you want to preach the Good News with everyone you meet. Tracts can be a handy tool to keep in your handbag or back pocket to help you be an effective witness to reach the lost when private talk and conversation isn't convenient.
Here's why I think tracts are effective ways to reach people (list is not in any particular order).
1. People can get saved by reading one - it has happened before and can happen again
2. Tracts go where you can't (like into someone’s house or in a handbag, pocket, etc to be read later)
3. Tracts don't lose their cool - they stick right to the gospel message - they don't get into arguments
4. Folks can read it over and over (I was checking out of a store and turned around to hand the lady behind me in line a Million Dollar Bill Gospel tract and she immediately reached in her purse and pulled out an old worn out Million Dollar Bill tract. "I think you need a new one." I said. She laughed and took it." Make sure you read the back...it has a gospel message on it." I added.
5. If there are verses on them we have God's promise that His Word will not come back void
6. They are a great door opener for the gospel to be preached
7. They make you more giving - I use my own money to purchase tracts
8. They can do the witnessing for us. I try to speak to everyone that I give a tract to but if you are timid and afraid to open your mouth you can start by give them a tract (I must be the most timid of all because my purse has about 500 tracts in it right now). 9. Good Tracts that have a clear Gospel presentation bring Glory to God - whether anyone ever gets saved from them10. They are a natural way of communication. We are told to "go and tell all the world". Pamphlets make sense and they are part of our obedience.
11. They help keep us prepared and alert to share the gospel with anyone we meet. Keeping a variety in our cars, pockets, handbags makes you ready with eternity in mind.
12. They remind us that God is Sovereign. Every encounter we have throughout our day is a "Divine Encounter". That awareness coupled with good tracts helps us to be good stewards of the breath and life God has given us.
13. They help us find other believers. It's neat to hand someone a tract and find out they are a brother or sister in Christ. I can't tell you how many times I've left encouraged to keep pressing on after talking to a fellow believer that I handed a tract to. My friend Mike O. met a lady in a donut shop one morning and she was so thilled another Christian was concerned about the Gospel.
14. Didn't God gave us one big tract, the Holy Bible?
I'm sure there are many other reasons. But that's just a few for now.
Here's a bit from my friend Ray Comfort on the topic, "There is an old story of how a diver saw a piece of paper clutched in the mouth of an oyster. The man grabbed it, found that it was a gospel tract and said, "I can't hold out any longer. His mercy is so great that He has caused His Word to follow me even to the bottom of the ocean." God used a tract to save the man. Why should a Christian use tracts? Simply because God uses them. He used a tract to save the great missionary Hudson Taylor, as well as many, many others. That fact alone should be enough incentive for a Christian to always use tracts to reach the lost, but there are even more reasons why we should use them."
"The only way to carry out the Great Commission will be by the means of the printed page." Dr. Oswald J. Smith
"When preaching and private talk are not available, you need to have a tract ready . . . Get good striking tracts, or none at all. But a touching gospel tract may be the seed of eternal life. Therefore, do not go out without your tracts." Charles Spurgeon