ENC Sermons

25. The Lord of the Dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)

Where does Jesus fit in the Corinthian picture of the Christian life? Chapter 15: bigger on the inside - What is it actually about? - Why leave it till last? 1. What you received: A once-dead Messiah, sacrificed for you (v1-7) 2. Who you believed: A deathly Apostle, spent for you (v8-11)

24. For the Many (1 Corinthinans 14:20-40)

1. Love teaches grownups to think of others (20-25) 2. Love teaches grownups to hold our tongues (26-35) “tongues” (27-28) Prophecy (29-33) Questions (34-35) 3. Love teaches grownups how much we owe (36-40)

Freedom from Flattery (Galatians 1:1-10)

Jesus: The doctor who gives us what we need (Mark 1:40 - 2:17)

Blessed is The One Who is Forgiven (Psalm 32)

Blessed is the One Who is Forgiven 1. Confession is Taking Responsibility for Disobedience 2. Forgiveness is Receiving the Gift of Deliverance 3. Obedience is Giving Our Life to The Lord Blessed is the One Who is Forgiven

Faith Shaped by The Reality of God (Hebrews 11:23-27)

1. Faith Means Seeing God’s Power Over Death 2. Faith Means Seeing God’s People as Family 3. Faith Means Seeing God’s Presence in Christ

Living in Joy (Isaiah 12)

Beware of deceit and dilution (Matthew 13: 24-52)

Looking inward, outward and onwards (John 17:20-26)

Out of this World! (John 17:6-19)

The Immortal God's Bucket List (John 17:1-5)

23. Building Back Babel (1 Corinthians 14:1-19)

On muskets and pikestaffs… - Divisive speech: pride, confusion and judgement 1. Two gifts, and two goals - “Tongues” - “Prophecy” - The heart of the matter (v4) 2. Self-Directed Worship: Building Babel - Lifeless (when we were made for life and meaning) - Alienating (when “barbarians” are meant to be brothers) - Elitist (when “idiots” are meant to be insiders)

The Cupbearer and the Covenant (Nehemiah 1)

1. Salvation and covenant: God’s people and his plan for them are never forgotten 2.Devotion and discipleship: The beauty of ordinary obedience in extraordinary times

22. Love, to the loveless shown (1 Corinthians 13)

A beautiful insult… - The heart of Paul’s argument concerning gifts (Ch 12-14) - The heart of Paul’s argument with the Corinthians 1. “Giftedness" without love (v1-3) 2. “Love" without content (v4-7) 3. “Maturity” without Jesus (v8-13)

21. On love, value, and usefulness (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)

(v12-14) Seeing things as they really are: Think ‘We’, not ‘Me” 1. (v15-20) “They don’t need me” people: God values you for more than your usefulness 2. (v21-26) “I don’t need them” people: God’s work in you goes deeper than your usefulness (v27-31) Learning to love God’s value system: Be zealous for the things you have, that serve others

20. Informed Spirituality (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)

The secret to the Spiritual Realm? - What we want to talk about - What they wanted to talk about - What Paul wanted to talk about True Spirituality shows… 1. …in what we confess about Jesus (v1-3) Don’t confuse it with what dumb demons demand. 2. …not in the jobs we do for Jesus (v4-11) Don’t confuse it with what proud people praise.

19. When church does more harm than good (1 Corinthians 11:17–34)

1. The problem all could see: A church they’d despised (17-22) 2. The problem Paul could see: A death they’d forgotten (23-26) 3. The problem they should have seen: A body they’d defiled (27-32) 4. The answer Jesus gives: One family, gathered round the cross (33-34)

18. Beautiful (no matter what they say): 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

A second week looking at this tricky but profoundly helpful passage. The Big Idea: Men and Women have been created differently, with a relational order we should honour and visibly express — especially (but not only) when we worship before a watching cosmos. v3-6) Shame:  What is beautiful can become ugly. v7-12) Glory:  What seems ugly should be our beauty. v13-16) Decency:  What feels arbitrary is often rooted in nature. Deep and joyful obedience: what would it look like? - Outwar...

17. On hats, hearts, and being human (1 Corinthians 11:2-16)

Clearing the ground... - Communicative clothing - Complexity and clarity - Context: the glory of God Recognising our assumptions... 1. Hats or hair? 2. Women or wives? 3. Church or world? 4. Lecturer or Lord? Men and Women have been created differently, with a relational order we should honour and visibly express — especially (but not only) when we worship before a watching cosmos.

"Don't be Afraid" (Luke 4:38 - 5:15)

“Don’t be afraid” — why not? 1. Resolute purpose in the midst of chaos (4:38-44) “That is why I was sent” 2. Revealed truth in the midst of life (5:1-11) “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man” 3. Reversal of death in a fallen world (5:12-16) “Be clean!”

Psalm 41: The King Who Cares

v1-3. The Good God: God blesses those who share his care. v4-10. The Good King: The caring king, in need of a caring God. v11-13. The Good News: God delights in his king, and upholds him forever.

Psalm 40: The Song of the Risen King

Listening in to the New Creation…   - The One and the Many   - Call and Response  v1-10. Call:  The Song of the Risen King v11-17. Response:  The Cry of His Still-Dying People

Friend of Sinners (Luke 7:36-50)

Psalm 39: How to pray with a mouth full of bitterness

Sermon Notes: v1-3 He holds it in: but bitterness burns under our tongue. v4-6 He longs to learn: how quickly life slips through our fingers v7-13 He lets it out: because forgiveness brings a smile to our face.

The Lost and the Lonely (Luke 19:1-10)

On believing impossible things Why include Zaccheaus? v1-6: Christ breaks uninvited into our lives — People in trees v7-9: Our lives break open before a grumbling world — People at tables

Psalm 38: When God is Angry

Can God be angry with Christians? The bookends of the psalm: a basic plea (v1, 21-22) The guts: a bitter lament v2-8: Even under the cross of Christ, God’s wrath is horrifying. v9-20: Even under the stench of sin, God’s redeemed are never alone.

Psalm 37: Trusty Care for Twisty Knickers

When resentment gets your knickers in a twist… Quiet trust can quell your heats (v1-8) 1. Trust God’s kindness over your eternity: Lasting care, or a legacy in smoke? (v8-20) 2. Trust God’s kindness over your today: Gracious giving, or grasping greed? (v21-40)

16. Our Beating Heart (1 Corinthians 10:23 – 11:1)

Sermon Notes: What made Paul’s heart beat? (v24-24, v31-11:1) v25-27 An earth full of gifts Two freedoms to enjoy… v28-30 An earth full of souls …and to gladly surrender…. v31-1 An earth to fill with glory …for him who came to seek, serve and save.

15. Dining with Demons (1 Corinthians 10:1-22)

Sermon Notes: v1-13. The warning: Blessed bodies bloating v14-22. The lesson: Dumb demons dining

14. The Athlete Without a Spine (1 Corinthians 9:19-27)

Sermon Notes: v19-22 Freedom Chained by Love v23-27 A Heart Trained by Longing

13. The 'Others', the Ox, and the Apostle (1 Corinthians 9:1-18)

What could be so precious to Paul that he would surrender every right for it? v1-14 An Awkward Argument v15-18 A Precious Privilege

12. On Growing Up (1 Corinthians 8)

The issue behind the question in Chs 8-10: what is true maturity? True maturity understands how the cross reorders our priorities: v1-3 The purpose of knowledge …is love (not pride) - “Your knowledge doesn't show what you think it shows!” v4-6 The goal of life …is our Father (not our freedom) - “God’s uniqueness doesn’t mean what you think it means!” v7-13 The danger we worry about …is losing souls (not looking weak) - “Your message doesn't say what you think it says!”

3. His Destiny: The Sword in the Soul (Luke 2:33-35)

Jesus: The great divide 1. A Sign (v34) 2. A Sword (v35a) 3. A Searchlight (v35b)

2. His Rivals: The Tyrant on the Throne (Matt 2:13-23)

1. Man’s response to Christmas... is terrifying - Terrifyingly knowledgeable - Terrifyingly normal - Terrifyingly damaging 2. Christ’s response to man... is to enter in to our terror

1. His Foe: The Dragon in the Stable (Rev 12:1-12)

On earth: a baby batters a beast (v1-6) In heaven: a lamb conquers a liar (v7-12) Three things to know when you pick a fight with a dragon: 1. The Devil is dying 2. The baby has bled 3. His people are fed

Psalm 36: The Well and the Fountain

Preached on 29th November 2020, by Rupert Hunt-Taylor. Psalms | Book 1: Christ's battle for the kingdom Sermon Notes: 1. The human heart:  a well of death and deceit (v1-4) 2. The God of love: a fountain of life and light (v5-9) 3. From the depths of the well, drink from the fountain (v10-12)

Psalm 35: The Darkest Stain

The worst miscarriage of justice in history... which side were we on? How do Jesus’ true people respond to the world’s hatred of him: 1. Rage against the wrong 2. Rouse the one who cares 3. Rejoice in the righteous God

Psalm 34: The King Who Shares

A humiliating story... What king would so delight in sharing it? 1. Sing with the king: and share in God’s worth to Him (1-7) 2. Hear how to fear: and share in God’s love for Him (8-22)

Lest We Forget

Remembrance Sunday 2020 Readings: Deuteronomy 6:4–12, Luke 23:32-43
 On memory... 1. We long for remembrance, because we are human — Memory values our past — Memory values our future 2. Our memories fail, because we are human — Memory is a wonderful but finite gift — God also gives us means to preserve our memory of himself 3. True hope lies in the one who remembers us


11. Happily Ever After (1 Corinthians 7:25-40)

A ring or a noose? Paul’s aim: pastoral wisdom, that frees us from anxiety However you decide... 1. You are free 2. This world is dying 3. Life in it is difficult 4. So devote that life to Jesus

Jonah 1: God’s grace is tenacious

1. We can be very serious about getting away from The Lord 2. Our God is surprisingly resourceful 3. What greater sign could ever be given us?

10. A better master, in a broken world (1 Corinthians 7:10-24)

How do we find contentment, in a world of disposable things? In a broken world, it’s enough... 1. …to fight for Jesus’ faithfulness (v10-11) • so don’t dispose of your marriage! 2. …to live in Jesus’ peacefulness (v12-16) • so don’t devalue your marriage! 3. …to belong to a better master (v17-24) • so don’t despise your freedom!

9. Make love, not prayers (1 Corinthians 7:1-9)

Good, better, best: a game of Spiritual Twister A reassuringly complicated response How do we “glorify God in our body”? 1. If God has given you marriage: make love, not prayers! (v1-7) The command: a cross-shaped bedroom (v3-4) The concession: a cautious exception (v5-6 Unwrap your own gift! (v7) 2. If God has given you independence: be wise about your weakness! (v8-9)

8. The worth of your body (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

On the love of our bodies... Christianity: an earthy, bodily religion. 1. What you’ve got wrong: Your life is more significant than you realise (12-14) 2. What you don’t know: Your relationships are more powerful than they feel (15-17) 3. What it means now: Your body is ‘you’, but not ‘yours’ (18-20) — So flee... — So glorify...

7. A crash course in anti-evangelism (1 Corinthians 6:1-11)

A tragedy: Christians who don’t know where they’ve come from, or where they are going. How might we become non-verbal heretics? 1. What we tell the world i. “We don’t believe in the last judgement” – church is a place full of squabbles (v1-6) ii. “We don’t believe in the cross” – church is a place for the strong (v7-8) 2. What we tell ourselves i. “We don’t believe in the last judgement” – Jesus doesn’t care about wrong (v9-10) ii. “We don’t believe in the cross” – Jesus d...

6. How to Shock an Apostle (1 Corinthians 5)

The real scandal in Corinth: - One Corinthian disease, right through the letter - How do chapters 5 & 6 relate to it? Dealing with sin in the church is hugely painful… so why bother? 1. Some real ‘judgement’: A loving heart (v1-5) - For his sake: your love for the sinner demands it 2. Some real ‘knowledge’: A fresh start (v6-8) - For your sake: the health of God’s temple demands it 3. Some real ‘spirituality’: A brotherly part (v9-13) - For the world’s sake: the mission you sh...

5. Our Embarrassing Father (1 Corinthians 4)

A paternity test… 1. When do we want our approval? (1-5) – A true child of Paul…cares for Jesus’ ultimate verdict on his heart, not that of others now. 2. What do we think of as success? (6-18) – A true child of Paul… boasts in nothing more or less than the message Paul was trusted with (6-7). – A true child of Paul… is willing to “lose” now, knowing that everything they have, they received (8-13). 3. Where do we look for our examples? (14-21) – A true child of Paul… follows his wa...

4. Two Ways to Smell

First Reading: Mark 7:5-8 Second Reading: Amos 5:21-24 Third Reading: Hebrews 12:28–13:16 Sermon Notes: When does worship make the heavens stink? - When we barge in, filthy and proud i. Liturgy ii. Lives When does worship make our Father smile? - When the crucified one fills our lips and our love i. Liturgy ii. Lives

3. The Exhausted Soul

First Reading: Genesis 1:31-2:3 Second reading: Hebrews 3:12-4:11 1. Human souls need rest 2. Jesus gives rest to the weary 3. We rest in him through worship [Please enjoy the sound of authentic Scottish seagulls, added into the background of this sermon at no extra cost.]

2. The Torn Photograph

Stitching the fabric of creation back together… 1. A Joyful Gathering: At the heart of this universe is a joyful celebration. 2. An Aching Rift: That gathering is a dangerous place to be if you don’t belong. 3. A Spiritual Homecoming: God gives his lost children ways to come home.