Today, as a part of our 2021 Year of the Gospel emphasis, we begin a new ministry of giving out 5,000 gospel tracts before the end of the year. A gospel tract ministry is not hard to accomplish.  You do not need theological training to be successful. A tract ministry is like a farmer sowing seeds in the field. 
 
Remember the parable of the Sower and the Seed?

The farmer went out to his field and began to sow his seed. He threw the seed everywhere. Some fell on the roadside. Some fell in rocky places and still other seed fell in sunny places. Some fell where thorns and weeds choked it out. The point of the parable is that not every seed produces a harvest. Then at last some of the seeds fell in the good soil and produced a 30-fold, 60-fold and 100-fold harvest. That is the secret of the harvest. God produces when we are faithful to participate. God brings in when we go out.
 
Think about the possibilities. When we are faithful to distribute 5,000 tracts, what will happen if we trust God for the lowest return of 30 percent. Thirty percent of 5,000 is 1,500.
 
What will happen if 1,500 people actually read the tracts, we give them?
What about the possibilities if 10 percent of the 1,500 people read the tract twice?
 
That means that 150 people will at least go deeper and think more about Jesus and what it means to trust Him as their personal Savior. We could anticipate, according to the promise of the harvest, that planting the seeds of these gospel tracts might result in 150 people, which is an equal number of people attending our regular Sunday morning services prior to the pandemic thinking seriously about becoming a believer in Jesus Christ. By the 30 percent promise of the harvest, we could see 45 new believers born into the kingdom of God. Do not minimize the power of God’s promise of the harvest when we are faithful to sow the seeds of the gospel. The Psalmist said, “He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, will indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:6)
 
There is a gospel tract in your bulletin this morning. I want to challenge you to take that one tract and give it to somebody this week. Don’t be choosy. Give it to a work associate, or a friend, or a family member, or a stranger you meet and the store or anywhere. Leave it on the table in the restaurant with your generous tip inside. Let’s pray about these tracts. Ask God to bless this one tract and give you the joy of doing something that will build up the kingdom of God. Let’s see what God does.
 
I will ask you next Sunday to report in and share with our church family how God used you to plant a seed. We can motivate each other to be more faithful in sharing our faith. We can test the Lord of the Harvest about the way He works to build up our church and His kingdom work. Let’s expect miracles to happen.
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The apostle Paul wrote, “…speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, cause the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:15-16)
 
A healthy body is mutually dependent on the proper functioning of each individual part. Believers who belong to the Body of Christ, the church rely on each other to function appropriately so that the body may do its work and stay healthy. We are responsible for each other. Otherwise, the whole body suffers.
 
A woman was getting ready for church when her son said, "I'm not feeling well".
 
"You just don't want to go to church," said the woman. "Now get ready as quickly as possible."
 
Part way through the service, she noticed that he was groaning. "What's wrong?" she asked.
 
"I think I'm going to throw up," he replied.
 
"Well don't do it here. Go outside." The boy stood up and ran for the back door. He was back within a few seconds.
 
"So, you didn't throw up, after all?" said the woman.
 
He replied, "Oh yes, but I didn't have to go outside. When I got to the back, there was a box there with a label on it saying, 'For the Sick.'"
 
When one part of the body of Christ is sick, it can get messy. When some members are not feeling well about things, the whole body feels the impact. Our church family has suffered because of the problems and pain our nation is now suffering. People are hindered from doing what they normally do and want to do. Businesses are suffering. Schools are uncertain about what lies ahead. Everybody has a dread of getting COVID. Families are stressed by politics and divided agendas. I cannot remember a more uneasy time where feelings and fellowship have been under more constant pressure. Remember: the whole church suffers when the parts of our body suffer.
 
When I get sick at home, Robbie does everything she can to take care of me until I am feeling better. When I tested positive for COVID, she left my meals at the top of the stairs so I could eat regularly. She called me from upstairs on the phone to make sure I was taking my meds and was not getting worse. She put my clothes on the top step to keep me warm and comfy. With Robbie taking care of me from the upstairs, I was able to ward off the impact of severe sickness downstairs. Praise God for the therapy and care we get from upstairs.
 
Jesus knows our church is feeling the strain and discomfort of the present crises. He is with us, tending to our needs from His upstairs advantage. Jesus is the great physician. He made it His business to heal many diseases and cleanse many who were demon possessed. Jesus calmed the storms. He raised up the dead. Jesus knows exactly what we need and how to make our body well.
 
Our church family is safely and securely held in the hands of our caring and loving Savior. Let’s pray for each other. Let’s stay with each other during these difficult days. Let’s learn how to suffer together, pray together and get well together.