Sermons – Lismore Bible Church

Personal Christmas

Text: Luke 2:9-11

Soul-Searching Christmas

Text: Matthew 2:1-12

Artificial Christmas

Text: Matthew 1:21

A Lying Tongue | Taming the Tongue #3

The Sin of Gossip | Taming the Tongue #2

Jesus and the Troubled Soul

How Healthy Are You? | Taming the Tongue #1

Great Tribulation & Great Hope | The Book of Daniel #19

Daniel 12:4-13

The Antichrist King | The Book of Daniel #18

Daniel 11:36 — 12:3

Christian Generosity

John 19:23-24

Your Money and Your Heart

Luke 16:14-15 — “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts…” 

“It’s Not Going to Be OK”

Luke 23:27-31 — “But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.” In this sermon, we consider what Jesus said to the women who followed Him as He carried His cross through the streets of Jerusalem. We think about who these women were, and…

The Very Clever Bad Manager

Luke 16:1-9 — “And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely…” In this sermon, we consider one of Jesus’ lesser known parables, The Parable of the Unjust Steward.  It is a story that many Christians puzzle over because it is not so easy to understand. Why was the unjust steward commended for…

“That’s Not My Problem”

Deuteronomy 22:1-4 — “Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them…” In this sermon, we consider some rather obscure commands that God gave His people in the Law. These commands were practical applications of the charge to love one’s neighbour. When we reflect on what God said,…

“An Abomination to the LORD”

Deuteronomy 25:13-16 — “Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.” In this sermon we consider some laws in the Old Testament that were intended to ensure that God’s people were honest and fair in the business dealings. We trace the principle through to the New Testament and we see…

A Very Human Story

Luke 15:11-32 — “And he said, A certain man had two sons…” Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son is perhaps the famous parable He gave. Most Christians know it very well and even young children can understand its message. In this sermon, we reflect on the human dimensions of the story and how Jesus intended…

Parables for Pharisees

Luke 15:1-10 — “The Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” This sermon covers the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin. We are careful to think about these familiar stories in their context because we want to know what Jesus was getting at. When…

Salt and Apostasy

Luke 14:34-35 — “Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out.” Jesus closed His sermon to the multitudes with this illustration about salt losing its taste. He used this illustration…

This Is Serious

Luke 14:28-33 — “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” What did Jesus mean when He made this bold declaration to the multitudes who were following Him? Why did He speak so strongly? And what is the message for us today? The Bible is clear that…

Church Unity and the Lord’s Supper

II Corinthians 11:17-22 — “For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you…” In this sermon, we consider what was going in the church at Corinth. The congregation was divided along several lines and they were quarrelling with each other. When they came together to…

Good News for Gloomy Days

James 1:2-4 — “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” Our community is living through a difficult season. We’re continuing to deal with the impacts of major flooding and COVID is still causing sickness and disruption. It’s easy to become frustrated and discouraged. In this short message we’re given some positive news. Even…

The Virtuous Woman

Proverbs 31:10-31 — “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” How are we supposed to understand the famous description of a virtuous woman in Proverbs 31? What are we supposed to take from it and apply to our lives? Is it a message solely for women? These are the questions…

The LORD’s Great Supper

Luke 14:15-24 — “A certain man made a great supper, and bade many…” The Parable of the Great Banquet is one the most well-known in the New Testament, but have you ever thought about what prompted Jesus to give it? Have you ever thought about the message Jesus was intending to communicate to His original…

Authentic Hospitality

Luke 14:12-14 — “When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind…” Jesus was invited into the home of a leading Pharisee for a meal on the Sabbath day. When Jesus saw who had been invited to this meal, He was prompted to say some words to the host. It’s…

Choose To Be Humble

Luke 14:7-11 — “When thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room…” When Jesus was invited to lunch in a Pharisee’s home, He noticed how the other guests were behaving and that prompted Him to give us some very wise counsel. Jesus illustrated what happens when we are proud, and He reminded…

Uncomfortable Love

Luke 14:1-6 — “And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day…” In this message we think about Jesus’ attendance at a meal in the home of a Pharisee. During this meal He performed a miracle and gave one of His…

Do You Want to Have a Church?

Acts 2:42 — “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” In this simple message, we think about the experience of the very first local church and what it has to teach us as we navigate some difficult circumstances. The life and growth of our church…

Floods & Wars

Amos 3:9-11 — “An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.” This message comes in the aftermath of the devastating flood that hit our town. In this somewhat obscure text from the Book of Amos, we find some…

“I Gave My Back to the Smiters”

Isaiah 50:5-6 — “The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious…” The Servant Songs in the Book of Isaiah give us profound insights into the mind and heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. They help us understand His relationship with God and the way He thought about His suffering. In this…

Containers from Kmart

II Corinthians 4:7 — “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” In this short sermon, we think about what the picture of an “earthen vessel” is meant to convey and what exactly this “treasure” is. We also consider why Paul…

Becoming the People We Want to Be

Psalm 1:2-3 — “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither…” We are living in a season where this is much that can unsettle us and make us anxious. We can feel like a boat being tossed…

A Little Poetry

Amos 3:3-6 — “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?…Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?” In our study through the Book of Amos we come to a series of seven questions that describe four scenes. It is poetry and therefore we need to interpret it as…

Slow to Hear and Immature

Hebrews 5:1 — “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.” In this sermon, we consider some of the first principles of the Christian life. It is vitally important that we take the right approach to interpreting the Bible, that we take the Bible seriously…

A False Assumption

Amos 3:1-2 — “You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” We tend to go easier on the people we’re closest to when they mess up. We might even overlook or excuse their bad behaviour. This was not the case when it came…

His Mercy Is Why We Persevere

II Corinthians 4:1 — “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;” This sermon was given on the occasion of our 12th Church Anniversary. Our time together as a local assembly of God’s people bears witness to the reality that Jesus has persevered with us! He has brought us…

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem”

Luke 13:34 — “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!” In this sermon we walk through Jesus’ lament over the city of Jerusalem. We see…

Antediluvian Evangelism

II Peter 2:5, Genesis 6:1-22 — In his Second Epistle, the Apostle Peter calls Noah “a preacher of righteousness,” and yet in the Old Testament there is no record of Noah ever preaching. Have you ever noticed that before? When we look at the account of Noah’s life before the flood, and consider it in…

What We Cannot Do Without in 2022

Galatians 6:2 — “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” In this new year we’re going to face difficult circumstances and we’re going to have to do some hard things. If we try to make it through by ourselves we will end up frustrated and discouraged. We’re going to need…

A Great Challenge in 2022

Romans 12:2 — “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” This is the first sermon in a New Year and it addresses something that we, as followers of Jesus, will undoubtedly face. It is something that will come against us as a kind of pressure, and…

The More Brightly His Love Did Shine

Mark 15:29 — “And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads…” This is the last sermon preached at our church in 2021. We began the year at the cross and that’s where we finish. We think particularly about those who passed by and mocked the Lord Jesus while He was dying. We…

“Away in a Manger”

Luke 2:1-20 — “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger…“ The manger is perhaps the most famous item of furniture in the Bible and it has great symbolic significance. It speaks profoundly of the Son of God’s humility. It shows that He came…

Selling the Poor for a Pair of Shoes

Amos 2:4-8 — “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes…” Greed was flourishing in Israel and as always happens, with greed came injustice and oppression. The poor and the vulnerable were being…

Gaius Octavius & God

Luke 2:1-7 — “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed…” Rome was a long way from Nazareth, and yet when Joseph and Mary became aware of Caesar’s decree they felt obligated to obey. Even though Mary was heavily…

The Mountain and the Manger

Exodus 19:16-19 — “And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire…” Can you imagine what it must’ve been like for the Children of Israel when the LORD descended upon Mt Sinai? Can you imagine what experiencing all the natural phenomena that accompanied His presence? Then the deafening…

Worried — Not Worried

Luke 13:31-33 — “Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.” There were certain Pharisees who told Jesus that Herod Antipas was planning to kill Him. When Jesus heard this, He was completely untroubled. He…

Does God Care?

Amos 1:1-2:3 — “The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.” The first two chapters of Amos contain eight oracles of judgment, each one is addressed to a different nation. In this sermon, we consider the…

The Open Door

Luke 13:22-30 — “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” In this passage we see Jesus urging His audience to enter into the kingdom of God before the door was shut. Jesus was very direct with His hearers in…

Not The Illustrations You Might Expect

Luke 13:18-21 — “Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? And whereunto shall I resemble it?…” In these verses we have two illustrations that Jesus gave to describe the kingdom of God. It might not seem so for those of us who are familiar with Jesus’ teaching, but these illustrations were…

A Very Angry Pastor

Luke 13:10-17 — “And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day…” In these verses, Luke records a miracle that Jesus performed during a worship service on the Sabbath. He healed a woman who had been painfully disabled for nearly 20 years. It was a cause for great…

Devotional: Keeping The Nastiness Out

Romans 12:16b — “Be of the same mind one toward another.” The coronavirus pandemic and the ever-changing list of rules and restrictions has caused many people to become frustrated and fearful. This, in-turn, has led to a decrease in respect and common courtesy. We have all heard accounts of people being treated rudely for wearing…