SUPREME TASK OF THE CHURCH
By Pastor Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
Joseph Smith, the founder of
the Mormon cult said,
"The greatest responsibility in
this world that God laid upon us is to seek after our dead"! This was reported by Newsweek, March 1,
1976. Have you heard such Stupidity? Such
utter pagan anti-biblical teaching? Can you call this Christian? Joseph
Smith was deceived by the Devil when he accepted another Gospel and another
spirit!
Spiritist mediums who "mutter and peep" (Isa. 8:19), seek to talk to the dead. And they are often deceived by impersonating demon spirits! The only time Jesus spoke to the dead was when He raised them back to life. (widow's son, Luke 7:11-15; Lazarus, John 11:43-44; daughter of Jairus, Luke 8:51-55) Jesus said, "Let the dead bury their dead but go thou and preach the kingdom of God". (Luke 9:60)
St. Paul warned: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Gal.1:8,9)
During the early years of my ministry, often Mormon missionaries attended my crusades. They were always respectful and were interested in the miracles God was doing. God gave me the ability to notice them in the service and make a special appeal for Mormons to answer an altar call. In 1968, Donna and I preached in the world’s northernmost city, Hammerfest, Norway.
As I was making the altar call, with every head bowed suddenly I saw two Mormon missionaries. I said, “I invite the two Mormon missionaries that God is calling to receive Christ as your personal Saviour.” Since we had to leave within a few minutes to catch the last Ferry, the two missionaries approached me, and I knelt with them in the aisle and I prayed with them!
MORE THAN 3 MONTHS IN NORWAY!
Earlier, I had preached for more than 2 months in churches, crusades, and conventions. The Pentecostal Assemblies said that they had me booked for another month. I stated that I missed my wife and wanted to go home. They said that they would pay for Donna’s ticket to join me. I agreed, Donna joined me, and the Revival continued across Norway! Thousands were saved, healed, and filled with the Holy Spirit! Glory to God!
My strong conviction is that the chief duty of the Church is to make Christ known wherever possible and to reach as many souls for Jesus and His kingdom as we can before He returns. Yes, the Supreme Task of the Church is to Evangelize the world by the Proclamation and Demonstration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Many take the glorious truth of Christianity and its blessings for granted. Have you ever asked yourself, "Why did Jesus come into this world"? The fact that He did come is well known. Hundreds of millions today date their letters by His birth – January 2023 A.D. (Anno Domini - In the year of our Lord). The prophet foretold His coming more than 700 years before His birth. "...Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel". (Isaiah 7:14)
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace". (Isaiah 9:6)
BEHOLD A VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD!
The Scripture says, "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
"And she shall bring
forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus (the Salvation of God):
for He shall save His people from His sins.
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of
the Lord by the prophet saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and
shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which being
interpreted is, God with us.
"Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had
bidden him and took unto him his wife:
And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and
he called His name Jesus."
(Matt. 1:20-25). Again, the Bible says, "And in the sixth month the angel
Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a
virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David;
and the virgin's name was Mary.
"And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that are highly
favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed
art thou among women. And when she saw
him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of
salutation this should be. And the angel
said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favor with God.
"And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus (Saviour). He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
"Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore, also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:26-35)
WHY DID JESUS COME INTO THE WORLD?
1. To bring abundant life. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
2. To destroy the works of the devil. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)
3. To seek and save the lost.
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was
lost." (Luke 19:10)
4. To do His Father's Will.
"Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless
not My will, but Thine, be done." (Luke 22:42) "...because
I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which sent Me." (John 5:30) "For I came down from heaven, not to do
Mine own will, but the will of Him that
sent Me." (John 6:38) "I must work the works of Him that sent
Me, while it is day: the night cometh, which no man can work."
(John 9:4)
5. To bring many sons to glory. "...in bringing many sons unto glory
..." (Heb. 2:10) “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on His Name." (John 1:12) “...that
we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into
your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."
(Gal. 4:5-7)
WHAT DID JESUS PREACH?
1. Repentance.
"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
(Matt. 4:17)
2. Faith. "...the
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the gospel."
(Mark 1:15). "...thy faith hath saved thee; go in
peace." (Luke 7:50)
3. Water Baptism for Believers.
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:16)
4. Divine Healing. "Then He
called His twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over
all devils, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and
to heal the sick." (Luke 9:1-2)
"After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself would come. Therefore, said He unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest. And heal the sick that are therein." (Luke 10:1, 2, 9)
5. Casting Out Devils. "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19): "And these SIGNS shall follow them that believe; In My Name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:17-18)
6. There Is Only One Way to Be Saved.
* "...I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by
Me." (John 14:6)
* "I
am the door: by Me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
(John 10:9)
* "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28)
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be Saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth is made unto salvation.” (Rom. 10: 9,10)
7.
His Death and Resurrection. "From
that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples, how that He must go
unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of
the elders and chief priests and scribes,
and be killed, and be raised again the third day." (Matt. 16:21). "For
as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and
three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matt. 12:40). "...Destroy this temple, and in three
days I will raise it up." (John 2:19)
8. A Separated Life. "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matt. 6:24)
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matt. 7:13-14)
"And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:34-37)
WHAT DID JESUS DO?
He preached the gospel, healed the sick, cast out devils and forgave the sinner. He gave new hope, peace, and joy to all those who put their trust in Him. To the sinner woman, He said, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more". (John 8:11). To the blind man whom He had healed, Jesus said, "Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee". (John 5:14)
He was moved with Compassion: "And Jesus went about all the cities and
villages, teaching in their
synagogues, and preaching the gospel
of the kingdom, and healing every
sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He
was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were
scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." (Matt. 9:35-36)
"When the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed
with devils: and He cast out the spirits
with His Word and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by Isaiah the prophet saying, Himself
took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." (Matt. 8:16-17)
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things
which ye do hear and see: The
blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the
deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to
them." (Matt. 11:4-5)
To finish the work He came to fulfill - namely the propagation of the gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations baptizing them..." (Matt. 28:19). "...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15). "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matt. 24:14)
SOMETHING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT!
2. More than 120,000 souls go into eternity every 24 hours.
3. More people are alive now than have lived since the time of Adam till
the beginning of the 21st Century!
4. Every time one convert is made to
Christianity, 30 more souls are born into non-Christian families. And for every convert we make, the Muslims
make 3!
5. Over 750 million souls died in the last generation who never heard the
gospel of Christ - We are responsible
for those alive Now! Our generation needs us. Let us not miss the golden opportunity
to reach the lost for Christ while it is still day! Amen.
