Sermons by Murray Lean
Murray Lean
Evangelizing a Pagan Culture
Acts 17:16-34 Today’s world is full of idols that people ‘worship’ … things like money, possesions, power, sex and drugs. But do they satisfy? In the first century AD, Paul found himself in Athens, the intellectual and cultural capital of the world at that time. What he found was a city full of idols to the Greek gods. But the only true God was missing. So he took the opportunity to tell them, even getting an invitation to the Areopagus,…
The Spark that Ignited the Church’s Mission
Acts 6:8-8:3 Stephen’s speech before the Sanhedrin shows just how clearly he understood that the Old Testament points to Jesus. For this, very sadly, he became the first martyr of the early church. But his death was not in vain. In this message we see how God used this event in a wonderful way to scatter Christians beyond Jerusalem, and in the process spread the gospel and grow the church. And the ripples of that day are still being felt…
When the Spirit Comes in Power
Acts 2:1-41 Today we begin a new series on the main sermons/speeches in the book of Acts. Peter’s message to the crowds in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost takes us to the heart of all the public speeches in the book as he fearlessly and powerfully preached the Lord Jesus – His life, death, resurrection and ascension, and how He fulfilled the OT prophecies of the coming of the Messiah. The result? 3000 people repented of their sin, believed…
Big Questions About Death and Eternity
1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 5:11 What happens beyond death raises all sorts of unanswered questions. But while death always hurts, Christians face it differently. We “don’t grieve like those who have no hope”. But on what is our hope based? Our passage teaches us what will happen to dead believers at the second coming of Jesus, and how we who are still alive should live as we prepare to meet the Lord on that day. Who knows when we might…
Gospel-Motivated Caring for Others
1 Thessalonians 2:17 – 3:13 How much do we as Christians care for one another? In these verses we see how much Paul cared about the the new believers at Thessalonica. Most of all he wanted to know whether they were ‘standing firm in the Lord’. While he cared about their physical well-being, he cared even more about their faith. May our care for one another have this kind of focus. If so, the question we should be asking each…
Motives and Methods of Gospel Ministry
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 The credibility of Christians in Australia is being seriously challenged today, and this is causing churches and gospel-centred ministries to defend themselves. In our passage today Paul defends himself against attacks which were being made against him and his team. In particular he reassures the believers at Thessalonica that his motives are pure, and his methods are driven by a genuine love for them. There is absolutely no room for hypocrisy in genuine gospel ministry. I wonder…
Jesus – the perfect sacrifice
Hebrews 10:1-18 Like many religions still today, the ancient Israelites showed remorse for their sins by approaching God through a complex system of animal sacrifices. Year after year they sacrificed an animal at the temple to symbolise their repentance. But this was a never-ending ritual that could never truly expunge their sin. What was needed was a perfect sacrifice. Finally God provided that sacrifice Himself by sending His sinless Son, Jesus, who willingly gave Himself for us on the cross.…
Faithful to the End
2 Peter 3:1-14 Today’s message marks the end of our 8-part series on the end times. We are currently in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are disorientated by the speed with which our way of life has been turned upside down. All over the world people are isolated, anxious and fearful. Could this be a foretaste of life in the end times? While cannot escape much of the chaos around us, the strategy given in our passage today…
Longing for Home – the Hope of Heaven
Revelation 21:1-7 Except for the most hard-bitten atheists, most people still hold to some view of an after-life. Often at non-Christian funerals reference will be made to the departed one smiling down on us and enjoying some vague new state of existence. But for the Christian, heaven is the promised destiny of all God’s redeemed people. While the Bible doesn’t teach us everything about heaven, there is much that it does. In this message Pastor Murray gives us a glimpse…
Jonah’s problem with God
Jonah 4:1-11 Throughout the book of Jonah we encounter a troubled man. And even after God had spared his life and his “successful” ministry to Nineveh, he is still angry with God. But why? In this message we take an honest look into the heart of this reluctant prophet and see the selfish biases that made him so miserable. Ultimately he had a wrong view of God. He wanted judgement on the Ninevites (which Jonah himself deserved) but mercy for…
Differing views about the end times (part 2)
Revelation 20:1-10 The end times have always been a source of speculation and debate among Christians, and no more so than how we understand (a) the role of Israel and (b) the question of the 1000 year millennial reign of Christ in the last days. For some Christians these subjects barely make it onto their radar, while for others they demand compulsive attention. In this message Pastor Murray gives us a balanced overview of the main positions adopted by evangelicals,…
Differing views about the end times (part 1)
While no serious believer doubts the fact of Christ’s return, many will have differing views on the events and key people who will play important roles in the lead up to that day. Today we look in greater detail at some of these: tribulations, antichrists, the beast, Armageddon and apostasy in the church. And what do we make of the so-called ‘Great Tribulation’ and ‘the Antichrist’? Perhaps this message will help clarify for you what the Bible says about these…