# Just one tract

Key Passage: Isaiah 55:10-11
Date: June 7, 2024

Isaiah 55, if you would, please. And while you are turning there, I am going to ask the ushers if they would pass out tracks. We have new tracks. I want each individual just to get one. We will get more later on, but just each individual to get one. I know some got it in Sunday school, but I want you to each one get one right now.

I want you to take it and I want you just see it for a moment. By the way, on the Internet, you could just title this one, “Gospel Tracks,” just gospel tracks. It will be different for our guest. I would ask if you would come back some other time. I want you to stay today. I am not saying do not leave. But this is not going to be the typical as what I am trying to say. It will be a touch different for us. But I believe it is what God wants us to talk about it and preach for them for just a minute here this morning.

But I want you to get one of these first, and maybe just briefly look at it, and notice the key word, briefly, amen. And just take a glance at it. Of course, the front there, just kind of an introduction that has our church on there, the church steeple there.

And then that very first page on the backside, how you can know that you are going to heaven. Now, I like it just gets down to the, if you will, to the bare bones, gets to the facts real quick, probably a whole lot quicker than you and I can one-on-one. It just gets down to business, if you would. And then it very briefly, very, very briefly goes through the plan of salvation.

First, you must admit that you are a sinner and cannot earn your way to heaven. And second, second, you must accept the penalty for your sin is death. By the way, did you notice that? You know, we had, I think, three people proofread. And still, as soon as you get it printed, do you see that first mistake? Did you see that first mistake? All you critics, I mean, I am joking with you about that.

Second, you must accept that the penalty for your sin is death in hell. Not supposed to be in death in hell. But anyway, then third, you must believe that Jesus has already paid for your sin when he died on the cross. It gives your Bible verses for each of those. Jesus died in your place, without sin and perfect. Finally, since Jesus has done everything for you, all you have to do is believe on him. By the way, that is very important: on him, not just about him, but on him for your salvation.

It gives you some Bible verses. It gives you a sample prayer. By the way, just saying a prayer for you to understand and mean it does not save you. You have got to understand what you are doing for it to save you. But it gives you a sample verse there. Then on the back there, if you just fold it in, it has some questions and answers there. Then on the very back, it has the address of the church and so on and so on. All right, so you looked it over. All right.

So would you do this? Would you put it somewhere where you will not be looking at it right in the middle of service, all right? Unless reading it, maybe where you have it handy, but you will not be looking at it because I want you to look at the Word of God for just a moment. But I want to just see what we are talking about, a track that just gets to the gospel. And I want you to see that right off the bat, all right?

Now, Isaiah, chapter number 55. And good. If the rest of us are there, would you say amen? Good deal. Would you look at verse number 10, please? And if you are able to, would you please stand just to show the word of God respect? Isaiah 55 and verse number 10 of God’s word. And we will read 10 and 11. All right, y’all ready out there?

Good deal. We are trying to get all of us on board. There we go. Good, good, good. Verse number 10. The Bible says, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it shall give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall my word be that go forth out of my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I send it.”

Would you pray that God would just kind of give us a vision or maybe stir our hearts about gospel tracks?

I needed this. I will be kind of confessed before I pray. I think I was just kind of drifting a little bit and maybe coasting, coming a lot slower about gospel tracks until, oh, maybe three or four weeks ago, God burdened my heart, just through a simple preacher in Michigan, and just said a few words, but man, God just tugged too much, just tugged, said, “Man, we have got to get back to get gospel tracks out.” I appreciate my wife. She designed the track. I had something kind of in mind, but she put it all together. I will put it out last night. But you pray that God will work in our hearts about gospel tracks today. Would you do that as a prayer?

Father, Lord, we come. Lord, it is awesome to have the privilege of getting your word out. And Lord, I ask, would you give us a vision and, Lord, a burden for getting your word out through tracks? Father, I yield to you. Lord, if you want to change anything, it is your service. It is your church, your preacher, it is your word. So, Lord, anything you will not change, I would gladly change to fit what you want. Lord, we ask, would you bless, would you move? Would you convict? Would you challenge us? Excite us, Lord, about getting your word out. And Lord, we will thank you and praise you and brag on you for what you do. And, Father, we ask for these things in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

Several years ago, I had the privilege of going out to Colorado. I preached in a couple’s retreat. And I flew into, I think it was Durango. My wife and I, the preacher met us there, and picked us up, and it took us a couple towns over. And a little bit from the airport there, there are mountains, beautiful mountains. How many have been to Colorado? You have been to Colorado for? It is beautiful. And all those mountains, wonderful. And he said, “Now, typically this time of year, there is still snow in the mountains.” He said, “Unfortunately, this year, we have not had much snow, and there is not really just spring. There is not any snow left on those mountains right there.” And he said, “That is a bad thing.” He said, “Because this summer, it will really just hurt our farmers.” He has a farmer in his church, the Powers. Actually, the… their grandson has taken over the farm and thousands of acres. And for us, we think, well, our little garden in the backyard, no big deal. But for them, that is their money for the year. And he said, “It is going to hurt.” And he said, “We will probably have a lot of fires also this summer because that right there, I mean, if there is not snow on the mountains, then it equals really not green fertile fields. It is going to be a lot of brown this year. And to get a lot of brown, there is going to be a lot of fires this year.” It is not a good thing at all.

You remember how it was around here in June and July? I mean, it seemed like the hottest, driest June we had had in 40 forever, you know, and talk about that. You know, it was just hot. And I did not like all that, but on the other hand, you did not have to catch your grass free off the same in right there. Yeah, that is a pretty good thing, you know.

Now, the Bible here is comparing the Word of God, the Bible, to the rain and to the snow on those mountains. And if we do not get the word or the Bible out, you know, you have a dry crop. You do not have much old plants that produce. And out of that, you get seeds for next year. You are hurting. You see how important the Bible is now talking about in the Bible. That is what he means in verse number 10. By the way, you just want to say it, verse number 10 right there. We just read it, “For as the rain cometh down and as the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater.” Then he starts that next verse, “So shall my word be that go forth out of my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I send it.”

Friend, that is what he is saying. Just like that rain, that is what the Bible. It waters. It refreshes. It brings forth fruit.

There are a lot of ways to get the Word of God out. Church is key. Church really is for God’s people. It means called out assembly. We just preached about that not too long ago. God’s people gather, and they hear the word of God preached, and it washes our dross off, and it gives us energy, and we get fed. That is the first job, an elder or a bishop, the first thing God tells them to do: feed the flock. How do you do that? With the Bible.

And church is important for that, but friend, it is so vital that we get the word beyond the church doors into the marketplace, if you will, out where the fields are. See? If the word is just here in church, well, that means we are green, if you will, but we want it to be producing outside the church.

See, y’all will be this morning. A lot of ways you can do that. I thank God, I thank God for Christian radio. Amen. The church my wife and I got married in almost 30 years ago, they have a Christian radio station. I thank God for that. It is a wonderful thing. You say amen about that. I mean, it would be wonderful for Rutherford County Baptist Church to have a radio station one day. Yeah, those things are great and wonderful.

I thank God for the gospel on TV. It is a good thing. Y’all out there this morning, you are quiet. I love quiet. I thank God for all those things. I thank God, believe it or not, for every guy on Super Bowl Sunday that holds up John 3:16, and the TV cameras very briefly flat. They turn it away real quickly, you know. I might not do it exactly like that, but I am not going to criticize the guy. At least he is getting it out there. Amen.

You know, I thank God for every individual that goes to work and tries to talk to his buddy at work about Jesus Christ and the Word of God and stuff. But thank God for that. Thank God for every person that goes to family reunion. And when they go to family reunion, they say, “Hey, Uncle Joe, I cannot help it. I love you. I have been thinking about you. I want to make sure you are saved going to heaven. Uncle Joe, you are saved.” Those are wonderful ways. Thank God for those ways.

There are many ways of getting the word out to other people. And I am full. I think about Steve Page on social networking, trying to get the Word of God out. He is argued with them, but, you know, he is trying to get the Word of God out to him. I am teasing him a little bit, but I thank God for all that. But can I say one of the best, just a great way to get the Word of God out in the marketplace?

You got that track. You got that track. So would you get that track out? Would you get that out for just a second there? You get that just for a moment. This is one of the greatest tools to get the Word of God in the marketplace. It really is.

Isn’t it interesting when God, when God Almighty knows everything, omniscient God, when He wanted to get His word out, He uses preachers and prophets and all that, but He put it for us in print. And God, in His wisdom, can I borrow that for just a moment? In His wisdom said, “Hey, I want to get my words out.” God put His words in black and white in print. Do not you think God knows what He is doing?

Now, a great way to duplicate that is, yes, printing the Bibles for everybody. But it is for Christians to take, just take a little gospel track that has His word in there. We printed it in there, kind of following His pattern, and we put it in print. And it is not hard. It really is not hard at all. There are all kind of ways of getting the word out so we can have a fruitful area around here. You know, so it is not brown and dead.

By the way, America used to be very fruitful. That is right. And one problem we are having is we are not getting the Bible out into the marketplace. And that is one reason why it is darker than it used to be. And a great tool to do that.

I go to this very expensive, very elegant restaurant over here. It is a French restaurant called McDonald’s. Amen. Not McDonald’s. Come on, Mr. Gatorre. It is McDonald’s, you know. And I go through the drive-thru, and pretty much they all know me for several different reasons, for one reason because I often will go through that drive-thru. And if I do not know that I have given them one, I will try to remember it. I will say, “Hey, can I give you something to tell you how to go to heaven?” That is all you have to say.

Now, I have had them say to me before. I have had them say, “Hey, preacher, whatever.” Hey, so many of you and your people several years back, they say, “There are so many, man, we have got those things all over the place.” And I told them, said, “You need to have a contest to see who can get the most gospel tracks from our church.” Whoever wins, you know, we will do something for them, whatever. You know, I told someone, I said, “Take them all and wallpaper your bedroom with them,” you know. I am joking a little bit, but I would rather it be like that than there never been given out.

It used to be, if you go to some kind of a preacher’s convention, you know, you have got to stay in a motel, and you go there and you go to check in, and all the preachers are checking in there. It used to be, you guarantee, you try to give them a gospel track at that, you know, the person there checking you in. That is, “Well, I have already got ten of those things.” But can I sadly say, I have been to those in our day in time, and they have not gotten to one yet? And I am saying shame on us. It is vital that we get the word of God out into the fields.

You can do it all kind of ways. The school, the Christian school my kids went to. One preacher came into chapel one time. And he said, “All right, I am coming back in a month or so.” And he said, “Whoever has the most unique way of giving out a gospel track and you have done it, I will give you, I think it was 20 bucks,” you know. And 20 bucks still means something, but back then it made a little bit more, you know. But I said, “Hey,” a month later, he came back and preached to ask me again. I said, “What was the most unique way to give out a gospel track? Who won the $20?” And someone said they had gone to the restroom at a gas station and they had rolled the toilet paper out a little bit and then they rolled the track up in the toilet paper, you know. Now that is unique for sure now, you know. I am not saying you have got to do it like that, friend. But just get it out, it is easy to get it out there.

I went to Matt Cole over here, amen, and got my three-cent oil for whatever it was, you know? And when I was there, I just put a little gospel track in the gas pump yesterday. I am just saying it is easy to do. It is so easy to do.

And, you know, sometimes I could not stand there. Maybe I am standing there and I am trying to witness to this man right here. And I just try to get to the point. I say, “Sir, I love you. Could I ask you, if you were to die today, would you go to heaven?” He said, “Well, I am going to talk about that.” You ever hear him say, “We do not talk about politics or religion”? Well, friend, you are missing out on a whole lot of important stuff. You know what I am saying? Amen.

I will say that sometimes. Maybe Brother Ricky says that, “Well, he will not listen to me. He will not let me just stand there and talk about the gospel.” But I gave him one of those. He might take that. He might stick it somewhere, you know, in a drawer or pocket somewhere.

I heard someone talk about recently. He said, “I… I watched a video about it, and he said, ‘I did not even realize I had put a gospel track in my pocket. I was planning on walking down the street and throwing it away, but I just happened to put it in my pockets.’” So later on, when I got in the house, you know what those guys do? We take everything out of our pockets and just throw it down there. Any ladies want to complain right there? It is your chance, ladies. Come on now, you know. And, you know, the guys, do not mess with my stuff right there. Come on, guys. Come on, you know. I think I hit a chord with everybody in the room right there on that right there, you know.

And he said, “I was doing that, and I just pulled out that gospel track,” and he said, “I was not even planning on reading.” He said, “But I read that, and I was so convicted.” And he said, “I fell to my knees and asked Jesus to save me.” Amen. Friend, you just do not know. You just do not know. And he might not let me talk to him at the moment, but later on God might use that thing.

I looked on a—oh, I am not a computer person—I guess you would call it a forum where people were just talking. And one guy, let me read it for you a little bit here this morning. This is what he said. He said, “I was always wondering if gospel tracks are actually effective at converting people.” He goes on to say, “I have been asked to go out with friends and put tracks in mailboxes. I would not advise him to do it that way. We want to have a jail ministry one day, but not that way, okay? No jail ministry that way. Do not put it in mailboxes, all right.” He said, “I am willing to do anything God puts it in front of me, but I cannot help but wonder if we are actually accomplishing anything.”

Now, people could respond back. Here is the first response. Y’all want me out there? Here is their first response: “I was not saved by one. But in my lost state, they definitely felt like guideposts. Let us put it this way. I knew I was wrong, and I admired the people out there fighting for Christ. I was just enslaved in my sin at that point.” Wow. So he did not get saved by a gospel track, but they were little signs along the way, and he said, in my heart, I always thought, “Man, I am glad those are those people who are—they got to go in.” God used it in his life.

Remembering for what the second person says in this just open forum. He says, “Sadly, I never had one Christian I knew tell me the true gospel. Not one. I was told I was going to hell. I was told I should read the Bible. I saw the hypocrisy in people claiming to be Christians who went to church on Sundays and then treated people poorly during their everyday lives. I sat in church services that spoke about different topics, but I never had one person explain who Jesus is and what He did to save humanity or explain the gospel to me.” Wow.

Pretty sad. By the land, it is a sad, sad state for America if someone can live here for years and years and never have someone just in love, a Christian say, “Can I tell you how to go to heaven?” Friend, I am praying, saying, we have got to get the word out if we want fertile green fields in our country. We have got to get the gospel to them. And a great way to do that is just a simple gospel track. I am not saying it is the only way. I see Brother Theo back there, and he has got a big old YouTube channel, and praise the Lord for that. But I am saying it is an effect of it. It is a great, great tool we can use.

Let me just read for you some testimony. “Someone left a track on a restaurant table, which I read, and a friend also gave me a track. With that combination, I turned from being Hindu to Christian. That was 10 years ago. I am now a pastor, Clovis, California.”

Here is another: “Over 20 years ago, my brother and his wife gave me several tracks. After reading them, the Holy Spirit convicted me so strongly that I knelt down at the foot of my bed, repented of my sins, and trusted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.” Alabama. Can you believe folks are getting saved in Alabama? What about that right there? I am teasing, of course.

“Tracks planted the seed that led me to Christ. I was saved after seeing tons of tracks laying all over Walmart while working, shopping, etc., California.” Now that may—maybe it is—can you believe people are getting saved in California? How about that right there, you know? I am joking, of course, about all those. But hey, friend, there are testimonies galore, just from a gospel track.

Now, the New Testament, the early church, it is supposed to be our pattern that we follow how the early church did that. Would you look over in Acts chapter 5? And let us just find out one of the things they did. It is in Jerusalem, kind of a hub at that time. Thousands of people were getting saved there. 3,000 got saved, a little bit later on, 5,000 men. Different numbers as far as how big the church of Jerusalem got, but it was huge. I am talking about thousands of thousands. None really will argue with that. The exact number they will argue, but it is a huge church. And I want you to see one of the things they did, Acts chapter 5. They were getting the gospel out. They were preaching. By the way, preaching can mean, yes, standing behind the pulpit, held in the truth, but it could be you in the marketplace telling someone about Jesus, just as you are telling the truth, getting the good news of the gospel out. It is what has to do with.

And they were doing that. They had been arrested, and God had brought them out of that. They went back and started telling them the gospel again, and they are in trouble again. Let us see what happens. Acts 5 in verse number 28. This is their accusers talking to them. Acts 5 in verse number 28, saying, “Did not we straightly command you that you should not teach in this name?” It is the name of Jesus.

Time out for just a second here. Would you look this way? Because this is very, very important. When someone mentions God, that is a wonderful thing. I mean, when somebody mentions a higher power, that is a good thing. God is a good thing. If someone sneezes, I say, “God bless you,” typically. You know, I am talking about it. That is a good thing. But when you say Jesus, that is much, much, or more controversial? That is where salvation comes in. When he says, “There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved,” that name, that name is Jesus. Amen.

Years ago at a big fundraiser for doctors and lawyers and all those things. I would be glad to pray there, but I want you to know if I come pray at your event, I will pray in the name of Jesus. They did not have me pray in public at that thing. Because Jesus is the dividing line. God gave His Son Jesus. Jesus is what saves. The Bible is so clear when it says, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.” Friend, it is Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” Jesus. Amen. Very important. Jesus. Jesus.

So when he says over here, these people are getting—we just arrested you and we beat you and you commanded, “Do not you mention the name of Jesus anymore.” Our armed forces, some of the chaplains for a brief while, we were having a hard time. They could preach and teach, but they did not want them to use the name of Jesus. I think we won that one. But friend, that is always—that is important.

Someone was telling me at some event, I cannot remember where it was. I think it was in Sunday school last Sunday. They said, “Such, such event, Brother Richard,” and he said, “I was just happy they prayed at it.” I said, “I cannot help but ask Brother Richard, did they pray in the name of Jesus?” He said, “Yes, they did.” Praise the Lord. Huge.

So right here, Acts 5, verse number 28, saying, “Did not we straightly command you that you should not teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine. And intend to bring this man—that Jesus—this man’s blood upon us.”

Now, friend, they filled—they got that doctrine. What is the doctrine? Hey, you are a sinner on the way to hell except you receive Jesus as your salvation. By the one’s you are saved, you get baptized to grow and honor the Lord, and then you get in the local church and you continue to grow. That is the doctrine. He said, “Man, you filled Jerusalem with the doctrine.” Can I tell you a great way to fill Smyrna, La Verne—Murfreesboro—with that doctrine? It is a gospel track. Amen, amen.

Do you have it in your hands, friend? Do you have that gospel track in your hand? Can I say that right there might mean someone going to hell or heaven forever? We are not talking about them making a buck or two. We are not talking about them maybe, maybe, you know, having a better life all down here. It is true, but I am talking about for eternity.

There is a hell. Preacher, why do you try to get us to pass out gospel tracks? Because there is a hell. That is why. And I truly believe the gospel and I truly love people. I am going to try to get them the answer to Jesus so they do not have to go to hell forever. It is so easy. And if you go on to do other things, praise the Lord, I am for all that. I am just trying to emphasize a little bit this morning: just put a gospel track in their hand, nothing else. You just never know what God will do with that. He said His word will not return void. That is pretty amazing.

The early church, they just filled it. There was—I do not know, I take it that it was a man, I am not sure—in Plant City, Florida. How many know where Plant City, Florida is? Home of the Strawberry Festival. Come on now, you know. There you go. And he had a rack that he put in the hospital there. They let him do it. My dad tried to do it here and there. They would not let him do it. And I had in time, and just a little wooden rack with gospel tracks in there, and he just left it in the lobby.

My grandmother on my dad’s side—she is—but my dad was from Hungary; his parents from Hungary. And they could—my grandmother could speak English, my grandpa not really, but she really could not read English. But she would walk by, and I do not know, I think the Lord was in it. She just thought, “Well, I will pick up one of those gospel tracks.”

She took it home and she looked at it. Well, she really could not read English. And so she thought, “Well, what do I do with it?” I said, “Put it in the trash.” And so she saw her daughter-in-law, my mom. And she said, “Hey, Nita, let me give you something.” And she gave it to my mom. My mom, she took that little track home.

And she went in her bedroom, and she did not—at the time, she did not think of it. She opened her dresser and she stuck it in that drawer. She just threw it in there. This is before I was born. And Mom and Dad, pretty much everybody in our family, nobody was saved at that point. It was not a Christian home. Maybe I have one in—I have got a lot of ants and also. Maybe I have one aunt that was saved at the time. I do not know. Maybe my one grandmother on one mom’s side. I am not sure about that. But really, nobody in the whole family was saved.

My dad was a functioning alcoholic, drank, smoked, cussed, all the rest of it. They lived in the world like the world does. And, you know, the world just—it is a dead end. And they were kind of—my mom and dad were reaching it dead end, and they were having problems. Folks, you know what young couples do sometimes? Do not tell anybody, but they fuss and fight sometimes. You know that? Now, I know when you were in early words, you never did that, right?

I see those looks, those smirks out there. No, no, never, you know. Well, my mom and dad were doing those things and they were just trouble. There was a world, no hope. And my mom was at home alone. And she just happened to go to that dresser and open that drawer and pull out one of these things right here. Just at the time, turmoil, they needed something. And you know, sometimes problems make you where you are just searching. You have got to have an answer. I need something. You know what I am talking about out there?

And she read that gospel track. She is a sinner. Man, there is a hell. But Jesus loves me. And He shed His blood for me. If I go to Jesus, He will save me. And my mom in that bedroom all along—she prayed now Jesus Christ to be her Savior. I will be honest with you. At that point, she was saved. She was born again. But she did not even know she got saved. She had kind of been around some people that said, “Well, your hair’s got to stand on end to really get saved.” Well, that is bad for bald-headed people. They cannot get saved. Not mentioning any names here, all right, now, you know. And she thought, “Man, I’ve got to see bright lights in the sky.”

But God changed her heart. By the way, if you get saved, something changes inside. Amen. You are not the same. You can go do the same sins, but it is not going to be the same way or the same thing when you do it because something inside is going to say, “Uh-uh, uh-uh, that ain’t right.” And you lose that peace and that joy inside. And something changed inside, and she started going to a little bitty Baptist church, and she began to hear the gospel. And she said, “You know, I got saved that day.”

And for my mom getting saved, my dad got saved. For my dad getting saved, just about all of my aunts and uncles I have watched. I watched for about 30, 40 years. I can remember one after one, and sometimes in the beginning days they gave my mom and dad a hard time. I can remember going to family reunions or maybe Christmas time, and it is like, “Oh no, the outsiders are there because we are the Christians.” I remember my dad starting to witness to one of my cousins, Frankie, and his dad got mad about it because Steve is there witnessing. But can I say the man that got mad about it, he ended up getting cancer at the end, and at the end, Mom and Dad led him to the Lord.

And then once he got saved, he was in the hospital, and he told all the other—who was kind of leader of that family, there was a bunch of—can I put it—a bunch of rednecks, you know what I am talking about, you know. Back in the day, when we came to family events, you pretty much everybody was driving a four-wheel drive with the F-150, and back in the day, you know, pulled over, tied up, you know, you know what I am talking about, that is what it was. Everybody had that ring, you know, on the back of their jeans, you know, and a bottle. That is just the way it was. And so we came, we did not do it. Well, we are the outsiders, you know.

Well, that same man that got mad about it, he was kind of leader of the family. He got saved at the end, and he told his oldest—the rest of the family. He said, “Do not you come cussing in my room anymore. No cussing in my hospital room anymore. You tell Stephen Knight to come, and you tell him to bring their Bible. I want them to read their Bible.”

Friend, from that, you know, my siblings were all got saved and the ministry—the ripple effect—and I would dare say thousands of people have been saved from just one track. Just one track. Friend, I am saying you just never know. Do not tell me they do not work. I am a product of it.

Just the gospel track. It is not hard to do. But it is vital. It is vital.

Now, just a couple more thoughts. I have just been trying to give a lot of testimony on its own purpose this morning. But he says, like that rain and the snow, he says, so should my word be that go forth. Now, remember, when I flew into Durango, Colorado, it was early spring, if I remember right. And it is pretty early. Well, the crops did not come due till months later. So if there was snow on the peaks or not, there is rain or not at that time, it really, the effect of it did not show up until later on.

Now, so sometimes people, they say, “Well, I do not have—I do not have immediate results.” And so they say, “Well, it does not work.” that, you know. Friend, it is not always going to be immediate results. It takes time. It is amazing over the years, 22, almost 23 years being there. There are some neighborhoods—it is amazing to be—some neighborhood sometimes, it just seems like they are not productive. Man, that is not a good part in my comma. That is not good there. I am talking about witnessing going on. But it is amazing. Sometimes when we keep sowing the seed for years, I have watched some neighborhoods—God just seemed like He changes that neighborhood, and it becomes productive. But many times after years of raining, if you will, on there. And that is—it takes time. And you just consistently, you get the gospel. It may be your workplace. It may be your workplace. You have been trying to witness there, and when people live, and you are getting the word of God to them, there is no effect. Hey, it may take years.

But just think: if there is no water, if there is no snow, it is going to be brown. And that is what is talked about. That is the comparison there, friend. It takes time.

Can I say this about gospel tracks? Just very unique this morning: Gospel tracks, if they do not float away, they have a long shelf life, if you will. They would be around for years and years and years. I think my mom had stuck that track in that dresser drawer for a couple weeks. Me and you were there and going, unless we work with them or a relative. But I am just saying, we do not know the long-term effect. We just do not know that.

I thought about it a little bit. Some of our earliest—the very beginning days of our church—we went to a little neighborhood in La Verne, and we were trying to tell people how to go to heaven and love on them, tell them about Jesus. And we were putting gospel tracks in the doors when nobody was home. That neighborhood—I am not sure who went by the door, but I remember the neighborhood, and it looked like, well, we did not get anything out of that neighborhood. And yet a couple weeks later, the Dempseys, Tim and Mary Dempsey, they came to church. Tim—Tim came and we gave him a little video game. That is why he came back, and it was Father’s Day, and I am joking about that. But, ma’am, I spent about 22 years ago, and they came because somebody put a gospel track.

By the way, Tim and Mary got Donnie and Debbie to come to church. Amen. Donnie got his salvation. Maybe Debbie got it settled. She said she is already saved. And Donna got prayed in my office. We got on his knees. He asked the Lord to save, and he got baptized here. But Tim and Mary had a pardon there. But Tim and Mary came because of a gospel track. I am just saying, friend, it is not always a meeting with it. The rain and the snow comes, but it takes months sometimes. It is the byproduct of it.

A missionary, Jesse Boyd, was preaching in his city. He was pestered by a Hindu woman. They say she came and got in his face. The missionary writes, “A woman had been watching the exchange. She approached and with true joy on her face to thank me for my bold words to that Hindu lady. She complimented me on my language skills and ability to communicate the gospel in her language,” and she went on, and she thanked us for distributing gospel tracks and scripture booklets. She shared how she had picked up a gospel track at the Mission Hospital in Nepal 20 years ago. She had pondered the gospel message containing therein for four years, then gave her life to Jesus Christ. Her testimony was proof that the distribution of gospel tracts is not in vain, though it may appear so, for the results may not come until years later.

We have got to be done, folks. But he said it will not return to Him void. It shall accomplish that which He said it for. If nothing else, that person will stand before God one day at Judgment Day. He says, “Hey, you did not accept Christ.” They said, “Well, you never told me.” And God can bring back to remembrance that day while you were given the gospel track. Oh yeah. Now God wants it more. He gives us free will; the choice is up to us what it all produces. But he says it will not return void. It will have some fruit in it.

I think these are so encouraging. “I came to Christ out of a totally hidden background, and one of the most instrumental ministries in my life was a track given to me by my brother in Texas. Look at that, Brother Ethan. At the age of 10, I accepted Jesus because of a friend who had given me some of your tracks. I have been saved almost two years, and tracks really opened my eyes to see the real need of Christ.” God promises, “He that goeth forth and bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

I mentioned this morning, one of the songs we sang was about heaven. And I mentioned I want to go to heaven and see Jesus. I do. I am looking forward to just seeing Jesus. Man, fall at His feet. If He had just reached down His hand and touched me, said, “Good job, Paul,” that would make my day, make my life eternity. I want to see my dad. I want to see my Granny Lee. Maybe my Uncle David. Then you know the next person I want to find? He does not even know, as far as I know. He knows now as a version of heaven. I take it to Him, but some way up in heaven, I want to find out who put that gospel track there. I want to say, “Thank you for caring enough and working hard enough to get the gospel out.” Man, for all eternity, I will be grateful to that man. I do not know what happened. I might not be here today for sure if that man had not put that gospel track there.

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please? Our heads bowed, eyes are closed. Different type message that I felt like that is what the Lord wanted. But you are here this morning, you say, “Preacher, just between me and you and the Lord,” our heads are bowed, eyes are closed, “some way, somehow I am going to get involved. I am going to get involved in just getting tracks out. You can use our tracks, you can use your own tracks. It does not matter to me, just gospel tracks. But somehow I am going to get involved in getting gospel tracks out to people. I am going to be a part of that right there. God spoke to me. I am going to be a part of getting the gospel out to others through tracks.” That is you this morning. You slipped your hand up. “Preacher, I will get involved. I am going to be a part of this thing, just getting the tracks.” I have it. Wherever you do it. However you do it. That would be wonderful. That would be wonderful. That would be wonderful. God bless you. Thank you for your tribe. Thank you so very much. Thank you so very much.

Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - Just One Tract - Sunday AM 08282022