Sermons by Murray Lean
Murray Lean
Humility in an Entitled World
Philippians 2:1-11
Sexual purity in a permissive world
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8It goes without saying that modern society is very open about sex, and there is great pressure today adopt a permissive lifestyle. In the days of the early church things were very similar, perhaps even more extreme. So how does God want Christians to live in this sort of world? In this message Pastor Murray deals with God’s view of sex and marriage in a clear and uncompromising way …. a message that needs to be heard today.
The all-powerful God
Isaiah 40:25-31One of the most common names for God in the Bible is ‘Almighty God’. But what does that mean? In this message we explore this aspect of God’s divine nature. With a word He can create the universe. He controls the galaxies, overthrows armies, suspends the laws of nature, and oversees every detail of our daily lives. And He has absolute power over sin, death and hell, as he has shown through Christ. Nothing is too difficult for Him.…
The secret of contentment
Philippians 4:4-13For all the creature comforts and blessings of modern life, many people today, including many Christians, are actually quite discontented. Why? Particularly through TV and the internet we are being constantly bombarded with reminders of what we don’t have or want we ought to have in order to be happy. Just as the devil deceived Adam and Eve with this tactic, so he uses it very effectively against us today. So what’s the secret? In Philippians 3 Paul tells…
Recognising the ‘Christ’ of Christmas
Luke 2:1-20Despite the medical variables of childbirth, most babies make fairly unspectacular entries into the world. In many parts of the world they are still not born in a hospital. Nor was Jesus. Yet despite His humble birth, He has divided history! As we consider the people mentioned in the Christmas story, we can’t help noticing a variety of different responses to this newborn baby – the innkeeper, the shepherds, King Herod and the wise men. Still today people struggle…
The Hope of Christmas
Luke 2:21-40With all the hype of a traditional Christmas it’s easy to overlook the small yet profound details of the original event. Two people who picked up on these details were Simeon and Anna, who had a very personal ‘chance’ encounter with Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus in the temple. This simple story has much to teach us about God, and how He still brings hope and joy to people like us today.
The all-knowing God
Isaiah 40:25-31Knowledge can be a wonderful thing. Through reading, study and now the internet, it is possible to accumulate a lot of information. But only God knows everything! In our pride we can think we know better than God, doubt His ways, and trust ourselves instead. Claiming to be wise we actually become fools. Because we are human we are not meant to know everything. But we are meant to live in dependence on God. When we do that we…
Revive us, O Lord!
Isaiah 64:1-12Severe drought often leads Christians to desperate prayer. How much more should spiritual drought drive us to God! The Jews in Babylon were desperate. Now, in their desperation they cried out for God to “rend the heavens and come down” as He had done in the past at Mt Sinai. They recognized that it was their sin that was blocking their deliverance, and pleaded for God’s mercy. We today also need God to revive us with a fresh visitation…
What God thinks about worship
Isaiah 58:1-14The subject of worship can be rather controversial in many Christian circles. Often the conversation will focus on the Sunday service ….. music, what we do with our arms, liturgy etc. But what does God think about worship? In today’s passage God uses the practice of fasting (common among the Jewish exiles in Babylon) to make the point that true worship must come from the heart and must involve all of life 24/7. In particular this will be seen…
A day to be thankful!
Psalm 100:1-5 Comment: Being thankful should come naturally to Christians, but sometimes we need to set time aside to do it intentionally. Today is such an occasion for us at City North, and this message reminds us of some specific reasons why we ought to be thankful in 2019. “For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:5).
The self-sufficient God
Isaiah 40:12-25Understanding all there is to know about God is a task too big for any human mind to fully comprehend. But there is always more for us to discover about God through the pages of the Bible. In this message Pastor Murray explores God’s self-sufficiency. He is perfectly able to look after Himself without being dependent on anyone or anything else. He does not need us, but we need Him. We have been created to be dependent on Him.…
Good news for troubled times
Isaiah 49:1-50:3Where do we turn when life seems hopeless? Isaiah is writing to his people in exile in Babylon, slaves with no apparent hope of being rescued. Except that God had not forgotten them. Firstly, He promised that a day would come when He would send them His “servant”, whom we now know as the Lord Jesus Christ, the ultimate Deliverer. But secondly, He promised that a day was coming when He would set them free and lead them back…