NOTICE: WE CARRIED THIS COLUMN HERE SIX YEARS AGO. WE HAVE SAD NEWS. MARK HAS RECENTLY PASSED ON INTO THE ARMS OF JESUS. WE OFFER OUR CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY. YOU MAY SEE MY INTERVIEW WITH MARK LAUBMAN ON YOUTUBE - Pastor Max Solbrekken
LESSONS IN HOMILETICS!
By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
former Mormon Bishop Mark Laubman
on Community 10 TV, Camrose AB, 2016
Mark Laubman, after 35 years with the Mormon cult, was recently born again at People's Church in Edmonton. During last summer's House of prayer Camp Meeting on Highway 623 New Sarepta, AB, he was baptized with the Holy Spirit, speaking with other tongues. A few days later, he was healed of diabetes.
Since that time he has grown rapidly through prayer, Bible study, and witnessing everywhere possible to anyone with an open ear.
Recently, Mark began taking a course in homiletics. Some of his friends and coworkers perceived his desire to put together Scripture, human interest stories, illustrations and the promises of Jesus in a Gospel message.
Three fellow workers have invited him to their home to practice his preaching on their family members. His mother shared with her 25-member Bridge Club that he was studying homiletics, and they invited him to practice on them. What an opportunity to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to his fellowman! And what an example this new Christian is now to many long-time Christians who have left their first love for Jesus and His gospel.
Quoting the Holy Scriptures while preaching is always right, but promulgating one's own philosophical and ideological bent is not!
Peter's message was powerful because it was the truth. His sermon was effective because he was motivated by Spirit of the Lord. It cut to the heart because it was filled with Holy Scriptures. It was emotional because Peter was emotional and it was convicting because the message of the cross convicts of sin. It brought salvation because the blood of Jesus brings forgiveness, peace and assurance!
"But Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: "For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophecy, and your men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams:
"And on My servants and handmaidens will I pour out in those days of My Spirit upon all flesh: and they shall prophesy...And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
"Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it...
"This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He had shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
"Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, Whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
PRICKED IN THEIR HEARTS! "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
"And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then, they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
"And they continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2: 14-18, 21-24, 32, 36-42)
The Holy Spirit had filled 120 followers of the crucified, risen and ascended Jesus Christ. The Spirit-filled believers overflowed in their glorification of the Lord, speaking in various tongues which attracted the attention of many.
Word spread like wild fire among the thousands of observant Jews who had gathered from many nations to celebrate the annual feast of Pentecost. They all gathered together to see and hear this phenomenon.
Simon Peter tied the Baptism of the Holy Spirit to the prophecy of Isaiah. He boldly declared that the One Who had sent the Holy Spirit was the glorified, Living Jesus, Whom their leaders had colluded with the Roman Authorities to crucify. He accused them of killing their Messiah, Whom Almighty God had sent among them.
He declared that God would forgive their sins if they would cry out for mercy, and in faith receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. The outcome of Simon Peter's powerful sermon was that 3,000 unbelievers were born again that day!
REPENTANCE IS THE KEY!
God commanded: "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet and show My people their sins." (Is. 58:1); "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly. Gather the people, sanctify the congregation...
"Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare Thy people, O Lord." (Joel 2:15-17); "Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, PREPARE to meet thy God O Israel." (Amos 4:12).
"Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare Thy people, O Lord." (Joel 2:15-17); "Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, PREPARE to meet thy God O Israel." (Amos 4:12).
"If My people which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will FORGIVE their sin and will HEAL their land. (2 Ch.7: 14)
King David's prayer is a sermon: "Have mercy upon me O God, according to Thy loving kindness: according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sins.
"For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
"Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit." (Ps. 51: 1-3, 7,9-12)
David had sinned grievously. He had committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered. God's prophet confronted him. The king was smitten with a great fear that God would cut him off forever.
He cried out: "Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me." In His great love and mercy, God forgave him and restored him!
David had sinned grievously. He had committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered. God's prophet confronted him. The king was smitten with a great fear that God would cut him off forever.
He cried out: "Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me." In His great love and mercy, God forgave him and restored him!
John the Baptist admonished: "Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." (Matt. 3:2); "Repent ye and believe the Gospel." (Mark 1:15). Jesus of Nazareth said: "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13: 3)
St. Peter declared: "Repent and be baptized every one of you in he Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)
Stephen, the first Christian Martyr, delivered a detailed history of Israel and God's miracles in the lives of their ancestors. His anointed discourse ended with a stinging rebuke of their sins of rejecting and crucifying their Messiah.
He charged, "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have ye not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
He charged, "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have ye not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
"Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
"But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly into Heaven, and saw the glory of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord. And they cast him out of the city, and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (Acts 7: 51-60)
Stephen's extraordinary sermon was so 'on target' that it stirred the devil within the enemies of the gospel and revealed their hatred for Christ's Gospel. And it cost him his life!
Jesus didn't promise us a rose garden. He did, however, promise that He would be with us unto the end of the world. He freely gives us His power over sin, fear, disease and Satan. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit empowers us to preach His Gospel and fills our lives with peace and joy as we serve Him with all our heart.
WE ARE SECURE IN JESUS!
Here is His Word of truth: "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteous is of Me. saith the Lord." (Is. 54: 17)
Herein are four great truths for Believers:
1. No weapon that Satan or his minions conspire against us, will prosper. It will come to naught. God says so and we must believe it and stand on His promise! (2 Cor. 10: 4,5; Luke 10: 17-19)
2. Every tongue that shall rise against us in judgment, we shall condemn. That includes the lies that Satan the 'Great Liar' brings to condemn you. Resist him in the Faith and he will flee! (1 Peter 5:8, 9; James 4: 7)
3. This is our heritage as believers in Christ. It belongs to us because we are children of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 8: 23-7;35-39)
4. It is all because of our precious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who purchased our eternal salvation by shedding His blood for us on Golgotha and rising from the dead for our justification! (John 15: 1-16; Rom.4: 20-25; 5: 6-10)
He promised: "So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return again void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing where unto I sent it." (Is. 55: 11)
Writing to former pagans, St. Paul declared that according to the Holy Scriptures, the resurrection of Jesus Christ PROVED Him the Son of God!
"Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, Which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead." (Rom, 1:3,4)
In no uncertain terms he lays out Who Jesus is. He Who was God from Eternity was incarnated (God in human flesh). He had come to earth to die for our sins. He was MADE of the seed of David according to the flesh. (Phil. 2:5-11)
His resurrection from the dead gave Him the power and the right to offer Eternal Life to all who receive Him. (John 1: 11, 12). St. Paul declares that he is a DEBTOR to the pagan Romans. He is compelled to preach and he must preach the Gospel to them. And, he states that he is READY to do so.
He trumpets out the clarion call, "For I am NOT ASHAMED of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Rom. 1:14-16)
He warns: "For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them: for God hath shown it unto them.
"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead: so they are without excuse." Rom. 1:18-20). Amen.
Writing to former pagans, St. Paul declared that according to the Holy Scriptures, the resurrection of Jesus Christ PROVED Him the Son of God!
"Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, Which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead." (Rom, 1:3,4)
In no uncertain terms he lays out Who Jesus is. He Who was God from Eternity was incarnated (God in human flesh). He had come to earth to die for our sins. He was MADE of the seed of David according to the flesh. (Phil. 2:5-11)
His resurrection from the dead gave Him the power and the right to offer Eternal Life to all who receive Him. (John 1: 11, 12). St. Paul declares that he is a DEBTOR to the pagan Romans. He is compelled to preach and he must preach the Gospel to them. And, he states that he is READY to do so.
He trumpets out the clarion call, "For I am NOT ASHAMED of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Rom. 1:14-16)
He warns: "For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them: for God hath shown it unto them.
"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead: so they are without excuse." Rom. 1:18-20). Amen.
