Category Archives: Ken Noakes

Sermon – Gathering to Proclaim Christ (Colossians 1:15-2:7)

2020 Vision

How good it would be to have 20/20 vision? So many opportunities open up to you when you can see with clarity. Colossians helps the Christians person to see clearly. And as Colossians is written to a church, the gathering of disciples, it helps to set our sights on what we might be able to do in ministry and mission for the cause of the gospel. The core business of an assembled group of Christians is to fulfil the commission which our Lord gave us – to go out and make disciples.

Read the Bible text – Colossians 1:15-2:7

Talk Outline – Col 1.15-2.7

Watch the Video – here

Sermons: A Festal Garment – Despair & Kindness (Ruth 1-4)

Ruth Sermon Series Graphic

Do you love a good party? Go back a millennium and you may have found yourself at an Israelite party – or ‘festival’ to be more accurate. Israel as the people for God conducted festivals which celebrated or reminded them of what God had done for his people. At these festivals they would read out one of their (Old Testament) scrolls – Ruth at Pentecost, Song of Songs and Passover, Ecclesiastes at the Feast of Tabernacles, Esther at Purim and Lamentations at the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem. This custom was not continued by the Christian church.

Yet these little books exist in our Bible and it is not often that you hear them preached. So, in our Five Festal Garments series we are going to look at these little biblical treasure troves and see what Christians can learn today as we get dressed to live godly lives.

Let’s start with the Book of Ruth

Read the Bible text – Ruth 1-4

Talk – Ruth 1-2 (Outline)

– Ken Noakes

Watch the Video – here

Talk – Ruth 3-4 (Outline)

– Ken Noakes

Watch the Video – here

Sermon: Unshakeable Confidence (Romans 8:31-39)

Romans 1-8 Slide

‘We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him’ (Rom 8:28). What a promise! Yet, the promise here is not that ‘all things’ will be good – but that in ‘all things’ God would do what is good.

How do we know?

Read the Bible Text – Romans 8:28-39

Talk – Romans 8.31-39 (Outline)

– Ken Noakes

Sermon – Nothing to Fear (Romans 5:1-21)

Romans 1-8 Slide

Hope is a funny word. It’s such a positive thing, and yet it can seem so fragile.

Psychologists tell us that hope is crucial for healthy functioning. People without hope die, while people with hope thrive. We all want something to look forward to; something to live for; a ‘destination’ in life.

And yet, who can predict the future? Life can often seem like little more than a wrecking yard of dashed hopes. What do we really have to live for? Can anyone have any certainty about what’s to come?

The fantastic message of the Bible’s letter to the Romans is that we can! – and not just a vague sense of wishful thinking, but real, grounded, impregnable confidence! – not just for now, but for all eternity!

Read the Bible Text – Romans 5:1-21

Talk Outline – Romans 5

Talk - Romans 5 (PPT Image)

– Ken Noakes

Is Every Christian Called to be an Evangelist? (Part 7 of 7)

Consider Colossians 4:2-6

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.                                                                                           (Colossians 4:2-6)

This is a call to do evangelism, that is, to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

From time to time there is a little bit of discussion among Christian folk about what Paul means here. Is every Christian called to be an ‘evangelist’?

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Can Paul and James be friends?

What does scripture say?

 ‘Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness’ (Genesis 15:6)

When the apostle Paul cites this verse in Roman 4:3 he uses it to make the claim that a person is justified by faith alone.

James in his epistle also cites this verse in James 2:23 yet he used it to suggest that ‘a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

It appears the Paul and James are at odds.

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Sermon – Faith: Sure and Certain

It is one thing to say that you believe in what Jesus had done to save you – it is another step to act on that belief.

James 2:14 asks the question: ‘What good is it brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such a faith save them?’.

This third talk on the topic of ‘faith’ looks at faith in action.

Read the Bible Text – Hebrews 12:1-3 James 2:14-26

Talk Outline – Hebrews 12 and James 2

Talk - Hebrews 12 & James 2.gif

– Ken Noakes

Sermon – Faith: Fully Persuaded

‘Faith’ is the Christian calling. And one could ask: ‘How do I know my faith is real?’ or ‘Does doubt mean I have a shallow faith?’. Yet, you don’t need to be Christian to have questions about ‘faith’: ‘How do I get faith?’ or ‘What does faith achieve?’.

This talk, the second in a series on ‘Faith’, looks how faith comes to a person.

Read the Bible Text – Hebrews 11:1-39 Joshua 2:1-24

Talk Outline – Hebrews 11 and Acts 10

Talk - Hebrews 11 & Acts 10 PPT

 

– Ken Noakes

How to be Bold in Witness? (Part 5 of 7)

Why is it that Christians are often reluctant to be bold in witness? For me that is simple – it is often hard work, or I am too chicken, or I am too distracted, or I am…

I know the excuses, because I have used them all. I am the reluctant evangelist.

It is not uncommon for me to be standing on the sidelines of a soccer pitch watching my sons play football. Alongside, stand the other parents. A perfect opportunity to speak about Jesus?

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