Sermons by Murray Lean (Page 11)
Murray Lean
Is eternal life possible?
(Baptismal service) Sometimes you can’t help asking the big questions of life. Is there a God? … What’s the meaning of life? … Is there life after death? One day a young man asked Jesus one of these questions: What must I do to inherit eternal life? It’s obvious from the story that he was a decent chap with good morals and a social conscience. But still he had nagging doubts about whether he was doing enough to get into heaven. What Jesus said to him that day was devastating. Jesus made him realise that for all his supposed goodness, he really wasn’t even close to being good enough to get there. Only a miracle of God could make it possible! And that’s why we all need to be saved by faith in Jesus Christ. It’s not about what we do, but all about what He has done.
Holy people for a holy God
What do we mean when we say that God is holy? In His very being he is pure, perfect and unique – separate from anything and anyone tainted by sin. As God’s people we are called to be holy. At Mt Sinai, as the Israelites were about to commence their journey to the Promised Land, God gave them practical instructions regarding how they were to live their holiness. While the details may sound rather harsh and legalistic to modern ears, the principles behind them are still very relevant to us today. Holiness is not a vague other-worldliness that belongs to a different time in history. The holiness of Jesus Christ is ours! It is God’s gift to every believer, to be lived out each day in every part of life with the help of the Holy Spirit. It should be the distinctive mark of every Christian!
Order in the camp
The two million Israelites were out of Egypt, camped at Mt Sinai, and now ready to head off to conquer the promised land of Canaan. But before beginning the journey God gave them a set of instructions… a census to determine the size of their army, how to set up the camp around the tabernacle, a census of the Levites, and the roles of the different Levite families. Why were these details so important? Certainly there was a practical dimension, but even more so, God was teaching them about Himself – His faithfulness, His presence with them, His holiness and His desire for their obedience, especially in view of the battles ahead of them. Jesus has come to save sinners from slavery to sin and lead us to our heavenly destination. How well do we know our God as we make our journey through life?
Challenge to a young pastor
Today we welcome a new pastor to our team at City North. What does God’s Word say to a young pastor about his life and ministry? Actually, quite a lot… especially in the pastoral epistles (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus). In what appears to be the last letter he wrote from his prison cell before being martyred, Paul wrote to Timothy to urge him on. Stir up the gift God has given you! Be strong in the face of opposition! Be clear about the gospel message! Don’t deviate one millimetre from it, even when it’s unpopular to be a gospel man! See yourself as a guardian of this gospel to your generation! Be willing to suffer for it, if necessary! It’s getting harder to be a preacher and pastor in Australia today. May God continue to raise up more Pauls and Timothys today.
Ready to face the Judge?
What happens when we die? The atheist says: “We rot!”. But most people have at least vague notions of an after-life. And generally these notions are positive and often expressed at funerals, such as: “At least Dad’s no longer in pain and he’ll be up there now having a good time with his mates!”. But is this true? According to Jesus a day is coming when we will all face Him as our judge and there will be a division into two groups. More sobering, He will take into account not just what we have believed but how we have lived out those beliefs in practical deeds of love and compassion. And even more sobering, many will be surprised on that day to find themselves rejected by Jesus and consigned to eternal punishment. Never joke about hell! Jesus says it’s real.
The danger of resisting God
Is God relevant in the 21st century? Does He have any power? Should we fear Him? Should we take any notice of what He says in the Bible? These questions are extremely relevant today because if the answer is “NO” then Christianity is a waste of time. On the other hand, if the answer is “YES”, that has huge implications. Pharaoh tried to brush God off …. over and over again as God sent one plague after another. Every encounter ended badly for Pharaoh and his people. Yet his pride and stubbornness refused to admit defeat, and his heart became increasingly hardened. This was not so much a battle with Moses but a battle with the one true God, Yahweh. Still today this God is real and very powerful, and he will one day judge us all. Beware the sinful, unbelieving heart.
The blessings of giving
As a follow-on from last week’s message, we continue exploring Paul’s teaching on giving. For at least some of us, giving does not come easily and, if we’re honest, we are not generous and cheerful. So in today’s message we look at some of the blessings that flow from generous giving. Paul tells us that when we give with the right motives it is like sowing seeds – seeds of righteousness – that will one day produce a harvest in our lives. In particular it liberates us from the bondage of materialism! It also results in thankfulness and praise to God, and strengthens relationships between the giver and the receiver. But most of all it reminds us of the ultimate gift we have been given by God – the Lord Jesus Christ! Have you received Him?
The grace of giving
The question of money is always a touchy one among Christians. How much we earn, how much we give, and what we do with our money is “strictly private” in our culture, so it is with some trepidation that pastor’s raise the issue, for fear that their motives might be misconstrued. In actual fact, Jesus spoke often about money, and Paul is very upfront in today’s passage. In it he lays down a number of clear principles that help us think through the whole question of giving. Essentially he makes the case that giving is a natural, joyful response to the riches we receive through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather than a burdensome duty, it is a sheer privilege to be able to share our resources with others in need. Is there someone God might want you to help financially?
A broken relationship restored
Relationships are an essential part of life. We are created as social beings. Yet how often do we see relationships break down – marriages, families, neighbours, workmates, long-term friends, fellow Christians in the church… and so on. In today’s passage we see the great apostle Paul discussing his severely damaged relationship with the folk in the church at Corinth. Clearly, he was deeply affected by this breakdown between them. How did he deal with it? How did they respond? What can we learn? Listen in as Pastor Murray unpacks this chapter and challenges us to consider more carefully the state of our relationships in light of it.
Who cares about holiness?
Mention the word “holiness” and you can be sure to stir some debate. Sure, there are some wrong views among Christians as to what it means to be holy. But correctly understood, holiness is to be a major goal of every Christian. As Hebrews 12:14 puts it: “… without holiness no one will see the Lord”. But why is holiness so important? And what does holiness look like in practice? In today’s message Pastor Murray unpacks these sorts of questions, helping us to see more clearly that as God’s holy people we are fundamentally different from the world around us. We are set apart to live distinctively for Him, and this inevitably affects our relationships and partnerships with those who don’t share our faith. That may seem tough… but it’s necessary.
One amazing woman!
There are countless would-be female role models held up to us by the world of entertainment, sport, politics, the media and more. But what sort of woman does God hold up today as worth copying? Well, actually she was described 3000 years ago in Proverbs 31. Interestingly we are told nothing about her looks or sex appeal. But what a woman she was! No wonder she is “worth more than rubies”, “clothed with dignity and strength”, and worthy of praise. In many ways she has similarities to the 21st century working woman. But what’s her secret? Her role as a wife and mother, her relationships with others, her work and… well, everything about her revolves around her love and respect for God. O for more godly women like her today!
Living as a Christian in a pagan world
As modern society becomes more secular, it is gradually becoming more difficult to publicly identify as a Christian. In many instances these days it is actually risky to stand up for Christ. Yet that’s the way it has been for most Christians over the past 2000 years. The idea of Christians being a triumphant majority in society is the exception rather than the rule! So how should we live out our faith in a predominantly pagan world? Tonight’s message explores this question and shows just how radically counter-cultural the Christian life should be. We’re not meant to fit in too comfortably. Our lifestyle ought to be different. And rejection is actually an expected part of following Christ. That’s the theory. Now to put it into practice!