Sermon – How to go to Church: Gospel Gifts (1 Cor 12:1-11)

Read the text – 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

In this Bible talk, Ken Noakes look at what is written to the church of Corinth about how spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit for a purpose. Misused, these gifts and our attitude toward those who don’t seem to have the same gifts, can cause us to become prideful and feel superior to others spiritually. That should not be. We are reminded that each gift from the Holy Spirit is used for serving each other, for the common good, while glorifying the Lord. It is not for ranking each other spiritually.

Talk Outline Download

Sermon – How to go to Church: Trouble caused by Division (1 Cor 11:17-34)

Read the text – 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

In the letter of 1 Corinthians the Apostle Paul has been addressing numerous matters to help the Christians in Corinth consider how they live for Christ – both before the world, and within the church family.

In this talk Ken Noakes looks at the rebuke that is written to the church of Corinth because of their selfishness has hurt their fellowship. He focuses on the way that they share in the Lord’s Supper. There are lessons for the church today. The Lord’s Supper should humble us as we remember Christ’s death and proclaim his coming again. When you remember Christ’s death, and where he is taking us, there is no room for a pecking order, or being concerned with social status, or competing with each other. As a result, we must examine ourselves (11:28) and wait for one another (11:34).

This talk will also help us thing about how we deal with division within the church family.

Sermon – How to go to Church: Men and Women (1 Cor 11:2-16)

This post, we offer two different (yet complementary) sermons on the same passage – 1 Corinthians 11:2-16…

Preacher: Ken D Noakes

Talk Outline: 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 (Ken D Noakes)Download

Preacher: Nick Lindeback

Talk Outline: 1 Cor 11:2-16 (Nick Lindeback)Download

Read the text – 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

Previously in this series we have considered what Paul has said about Christian freedoms as taught in chapters 8-10. In this talk we turn our attention to how Christians should live together as a church family – and there are several matters which will be addressed from Chapters 11 through to 14 which all relate to what happening in a specific church gathering. We start with the first half of chapter 11 which speaks in particular to those who are married within a church family.

Sermon – How to go to Church: Freedom to Go to Without (1 Cor 9:1-23)

Read the text – 1 Corinthians 9:1-27

As a society we have never had more freedom – yet we use that freedom to serve ourselves. The Corinthian Church know they are free in Christ. Yet they use this freedom to love themselves and not others. How will we, who are free in Christ, use our freedom? Will we follow our society and the Corinthian Church by loving ourselves? Or will we use our freedom to build up the church in love?

In this Bible Talk, Ken Noakes looks how our ‘age of entitlement’ in fact limits our personal entitlements. And for the Christian person there are key responsibilities that come with our gospel entitlement.

Sermon – Partnership in the Gospel (Phil 1:1-11)

Read the text – Philippians 1:1-11

The Apostle Paul writes to his friends in the church located in Philippi – and he is thankful for their partnership in the gospel. In this talk, Ken Noakes looks at the importance of partnership when it comes to gospel mission and ministry. It is the gospel that shapes our partnership together in church. And it is this partnership that helps us defend and confirm the gospel as we all share in God’s grace together.

Bible Talk Outline Download

Sermon – Rebuke & Refuge: Mercy and Hope (Zeph 3:9-20)

Read the text – Zephaniah 3:9-20; 2 Peter 3:14-18

After two and bit chapters of rebuke and judgement, Zephaniah shifts to focus on a fully fledged future hope. The flipside of God’s terrible wrath is his unmerited and complete mercy where he shows his remnant people a perfect fellowship in mutual love which comes on the Day of the Lord.

In this Bible Talk, Ken Noakes addresses a specific events surrounding the newly appointed CEO of the Essendon Football Club. Hours after his appointment, issue was raised because of his association with his church (an evangelical church in Victoria) whose statements of beliefs are biblically shaped and consistent with traditional Christian doctrines. He was forced to choose between his church or his football club. He choose his church.

Sermon – Rebuke & Refuge: Shame (Zeph 2:4-3:8)

Read the text – Zephaniah 2:4-3:8

The Day of the Lord is a universal eschatological disaster. Yet God’s judgement is tantalisingly mingled with hope of restoration and his character of righteousness. All humanity is clearly at his mercy. In this talk Ken Noakes helps us to see that God not only holds all nations to account, but he hold his own people to account. It all hinges on how God can be righteous and just, and at the same time merciful and forgiving.

Sermon – Apostles’ Creed: Risen Hope

Read the texts – Daniel 12:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:1-34

We continue in our Apostles’ Creed Bible Talk series and in this talk consider the line which says ‘On the third Day, he rose from the dead’. This gives us opportunity to spend some time looking at the importance of the resurrection of Jesus for us.

In this talk, Ken Noakes looks at some of the evidence for the resurrection, then at what might be lost if the resurrection didn’t happen, before considering why the resurrection is so significant for the believer.

Bible Talk Outline Download

Sermon – Concerning Marriage (1 Corinthians 7:1-24)

Read the text – 1 Corinthians 7:1-24

What should hold a church together – Our relationships? Our feeling of belonging? Our gospel convictions? Jesus? The Apostle Paul wrote this extraordinary letter to a church he knew well, yet a church which had got itself into a bit of a muddle. It turns out that the Christian Family does matter – and it is important to ensure that Jesus sits at the heart and soul of this church and in fact any church. We look at 1 Corinthians 1-7 because it holds a mirror up to us and it would be wise for us to consider carefully what it might say to us today.

In this Bible Talk, Ken Noakes carefully looks at what 1 Corinthians says about the place of sex in marriage and how it might help us to recognise the gospel importance of the marriage covenant. There are specific matters addressed here and there are specific relationships in view (i.e. – those married, those unmarried and widowed, to Christian married couples, and Christians married to unbelievers). The gospel speaks to each circumstance.

Sermon – Litigation in the Family (1 Cor 6:1-11)

Read the text – 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

What happens when Christians disagree? The church of Corinth was using the legal system, not to seek justice, but to deal with church family disagreements that should never involve secular authorities.

Ken Noakes helps us to see a biblical model for disagreement. The aim is to restore and uphold each other in faith and in the Christian family. Grace and unity are far more important that some of the ideals that a secular court of law will achieve. Interestingly, Ken shows how this passage addresses the way that we can unhelpfully use social media.

Bible Talk Outline Download