Sermons by Murray Lean (Page 16)
Murray Lean
Avoiding the Truth about Jesus
Justice is not a word that we normally associate with the crucifixion of Jesus. His treatment by the high priest, the Jewish ruling council (Sanhedrin), the Roman governor Pilate, and even the onlookers, is nothing less than shameful. Yet throughout His trial the dignity of Jesus shines through. He did not deny that He was a king, but He was a very different sort of king than His accusers imagined. His kingdom would be made up of people who submitted to His reign over their lives… a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly one… a kingdom based on truth which could only be found in Jesus Himself. A few hours later Jesus would die to establish this kingdom and publicly declare this truth. Have you found the truth that makes sense of your life? Then take a serious look at Jesus today.
The Rejected Jesus
You can’t understand the life of Jesus without facing the facts about his death. And these facts are recorded in considerable detail in the New Testament accounts. In today’s message we see the way Jesus was harshly interrogated by the high priest (Annas) and denied by his friend (Peter). His journey to the cross was a painful one. Yet, amazingly, it didn’t deter him. We can be critical of people like Annas and Peter today as we look back at these details, but who of us has never been guilty of rejecting or denying Jesus? Despite his treatment, Jesus actually died for people who reject and deny him, and Peter is the classic example of the forgiveness Jesus offers to the person who sincerely repents. What about you? What do you believe about Jesus? That’s a question which only you can answer.
A Prayer for Spiritual Growth
When you hear of a friend in trouble, and they’re hundreds of kilometres away, you can feel pretty helpless. But there’s one thing you can do, and that’s pray! Paul was in prison in Rome but he prayed for the people in the Colossian church. They were becoming confused because of the influence of false teachers. So Paul prayed for God to strengthen their faith in three ways: by transforming their minds, their way of life, and their hearts. He wanted them to know God’s will better (mind), to live more distinctively as Christians (life), and to be more joyful and thankful because of what Jesus has done (heart). This is a powerful combination in a Christian’s life, and a great testimony to the unique, saving and keeping power of Jesus Christ.
Shirkers, workers and serving God
When you read the book of Proverbs it doesn’t take long to see that the topic of work receives a lot of attention. Lazy people (often called “sluggards” even in modern translations!) are described in detail as undisciplined, full of talk and excuses, procrastinating, party-going, frustrating to their friends, and eventually failing to succeed in life. It’s not a pretty picture. On the other hand, hard workers do succeed. But there is an even more important reason why we should take work seriously, and that’s because God has made us to work… for Him. He is the real boss we are serving, so our attitude to our work must ultimately reflect our relationship with Him. And one day we will stand before Him to give an account of what we have accomplished with our lives.
Managing Money God’s Way
The whole question of money is one which makes many of us feel uncomfortable. Really… how much do we need to live comfortably? What is a reasonable lifestyle for a Christian today? What we can afford is not necessarily what God desires for us. The Bible doesn’t give us a simplistic formula for managing our finances. That’s our challenge! But it does give a lot of principles and good advice. Today we will mine some of the nuggets from the book of Proverbs which alert us to the dangers of wealth, and give us practical guidance about how to handle money wisely and generously. True wealth will never be found in an investment portfolio or a bank account, but in a relationship with Jesus Christ “who for our sakes became poor that we might become rich”.
The Power Of Words
History is littered with examples of the power of words. Famous speeches, heartfelt letters, words of comfort , biting criticism… The results of our words can last a lifetime, for better or for worse, and don’t we know it! In the book of Proverbs we find much wise advice about how we should and shouldn’t speak in many different contexts of life. This wisdom is startlingly practical and embarrassingly convicting. Luke 6:45 states: “Out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks”. Ultimately what we say betrays who we really are. To be able to control our tongues requires more than will-power. It needs “heart surgery”. And only the Holy Spirit can change us in this way so that our words consistently honour God and build up others.
The Marks of a True Friend
As the modern world becomes more and more “connected” through social media, there is a paradoxical increase in loneliness. More and more people today are looking for friends, even virtual friendships through online sites. God made us to live in relationships and enjoy the company of friends. In the book of Proverbs there is some excellent practical advice about how we should relate to one another as friends, and in today’s message Pastor Murray explores some of this teaching. However, there is only one person who can be the perfect Friend. Jesus referred to Himself as “the friend of sinners” and He proved this by dying for us. In the words of the old hymn: “What a friend we have in Jesus”! Is He your friend? He’s inviting you today!
The Case for God
The famous Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, the first man into space in 1961, made the sarcastic comment on his return to earth: “I looked for God but couldn’t find him”. Atheists love to taunt Christians about the lack of hard evidence for God. In Psalm 8 we have a powerful response to this skepticism. The evidence for God is all around us… if only we will see it! From the vastness of the universe to the cry of the tiniest baby creation speaks of His greatness. And so do people, like us, made individually in God’s image with their special place in God’s world. Psalm 8 calls the doubter to reconsider, and even points to the “perfect man” (Jesus) who would one day perfectly display God’s majesty to a broken and skeptical world.
The wise way to celebrate Christmas
Perhaps the most fascinating part of the Christmas story is the journey of the wise men to find, then worship, the baby Jesus. For hundreds, if not thousands, of kilometres they followed a star all the way to Jerusalem, then to Bethlehem, in their relentless quest. Three things stand out: the diligence of their search, their unquestioning belief in the Old Testament prophecy about the birthplace of the Messiah, and their humble worship of this baby born to a very ordinary peasant couple. No wonder we refer to them as “wise men”. Their wisdom led them to Jesus. On this Christmas Day 2015 are we wise enough to look for, believe in, and worship Jesus too?
Joseph’s great discovery
The story of Christmas focusses strongly on the baby Jesus, Mary, the shepherds and the wise men, but what do we make of Joseph? Often he is seen as a support player in the narrative. But is that all? In today’s message Pastor Murray takes a closer look at this intriguing man – his background, the dilemma he faced on learning about Mary’s pregnancy, and the wonderful discovery he made when he realised the true identity of the baby… God with us (Immanuel)… Jesus, the One who saves us from our sins. Joseph, along with Mary, came to believe in Jesus. Have you? Surely this is the best reason to celebrate Christmas!
A Different Kind Of King
Leaders are generally rated by how they perform in a crisis. By this measure, King Saul was a miserable failure. But the king-in-waiting stands in stark contrast. When faced with yet another massive crisis, David showed his true colours by casting himself upon God for strength and guidance. And when God delivered him and his people, he was quick to give all the glory to God and share the rewards with others. Here was a king who would rule for God and under God, and for the good of his people. Compared with Saul the future looked bright. Unfortunately David was not the perfect king that Israel longed for, but 1000 years later that King did come ….. the Lord Jesus Christ. He rules with righteousness and justice, and He gives rather than takes from His people. In fact, He has given His life for them! We all need this King. Is He ruling in your life today?
Flirting With The Enemy
Tucked away in the stories of most people’s lives there are usually some details which we wish weren’t there. The heroes of the Bible are no exception …. Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses etc. In today’s message we read one of these chapters in David’s life. After years of faithfully holding on to God while on the run from Saul, he started to lose confidence in God and this led him to lie and compromise his integrity. He deserved God’s judgement. Instead, what God gave him was “amazing grace”. There is more than a bit of David in all of us, and we deserve to have our sins exposed and punished. But God’s grace is for us, too. Because of Jesus we don’t have to live with our guilt. That’s why God sent His only Son into the world …. to free us from our sin and give us a second chance. As you look at the story of your life, do you need to flee to the God of grace today?