Sermon from Bruce Laidlaw's Funeral

Bruce Laidlaw was a faithful and true minister of the Word of God; a lover of robust doctrine and a preacher of the gospel. In the period of only 5 weeks he was diagnosed with cancer and fell asleep in the Lord.

He leaves behind his godly wife and three precious daughters. He leaves the parents who trained him up in the way he should go and two younger brothers. He leaves a faithful ministry at Markdale Baptist Church. He departs long before any of us thought his race would end, at the age of 42.

In his final 5 weeks he trembled at times before the near certainty that life would end; but never broke or turned from his confidence in Jesus' saving power and his security as one who was joined with Christ. I spent over an hour of sweet fellowship with him 8 days before the end and found him animated and alive in Christ and the truths of the gospel.

His twin prayer requests of me were that he might be granted as much time with his family as possible so that he might lead his children after Christ, and that no matter what the outcome, God might be glorified. We prayed to that end.

His request for the funeral service was that the gospel be presented simply and to spare no offence in preaching it boldly. This message was preached in accordance with those wishes and is presented here with the prayer that God might use it for the salvation of sinners and for his own glory.