Bethel Pulpit - Primitive Baptist Sermons

Perfected Forever

On Sunday, 4/3/22, Mike Gowens continues his look at the Epistle of Hebrews by focusing on Hebrews 10:1-18, especially the contrast between verses 1 and 14. The Law could not make anyone perfect, but Jesus Christ perfected forever those set apart in the everlasting covenant as His own. This perfect salvation originates in the Father's perfect will (vs 5-10), is secured by the Son's perfect work (vs 11-14), and is manifested in the Spirit's perfect witness (vs 15-18). This is message #32 in the Hebrews study.

The Last Things

The 3/27/22 sermon by Mike Gowens focuses on Hebrews 9:27-28, a passage that frames the eschatological "bad news" in terms of the gospel's "good news." Human history is bracketed by the original appointment with death and final judgment at the end of time. Redemptive history, however, is bracketed by the two comings of Jesus Christ - the first to resolve the problem of death and judgment, and the second to consummate the work of salvation. This is message 31 in the Hebrews series.

Four Christian Certainties

On 3/20/22, Elder Gowens follows up from the previous week's message by returning to the Savior's final sermon in John 14. In verses four and following, Brother Mike looks at four "ye know" statements, extracting from them four great certainties to stabilize the heart when it is overwhelmed with sorrow and care.

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

The 3/13/22 message by Michael Gowens is taken from the opening words of the Lord's final sermon, recorded in John 14:1-3. Is it even possible in a world of trouble to maintain a calm and composed heart? Jesus' words reveal the answer in five encouraging truths.

What Did the Death of Christ Accomplish?

Brother Gowens considers Hebrews 9:23-38 in this 3/6/22 message from the Hebrews series. By his sacrificial death on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ did not merely make salvation possible. He made it a reality. Jesus is an actual Savior, not a mere potential or hypothetical Savior. This is message #30 in the "Exposition of Hebrews" study.

Nothing But the Blood of Jesus

On Sunday 2/27, Michael Gowens continues the study in Hebrews by looking at Hebrews 9:15-23. The emphasis on "blood redemption" in this passage references the sacrifices outlined in Leviticus 16 on the Jewish high festival called "the Day of Atonement." Gowens explains that "blood" stands for "sacrificial death." This important passage reveals three benefits from Christ's sacrificial death: 1) Expiation of sin; 2) Access to God; 3) Forgiveness.

Not Made With Hands

Brother Gowens' 2/20/22 message extracts a single clause from Hebrews 9 (vs. 11, 24) as a springboard to the use of this intriguing expression elsewhere in holy scripture. The clause is a single word in the Greek, meaning "not manufactured by man; without human agency," and refers to something miraculous and supernatural. The same Bible that describes the incarnation of the Messiah, the eternal home of the soul, and the final defeat of the Antichrist also employs this expression to describe the work of grace in the heart of one of God's children.

Cleansing the Guilty Conscience

On 2/6/22, Michael Gowens emphasizes that one of the primary ways the New Covenant is superior to the Old is in terms of its ability to deal with our internal, spiritual needs. The Old Covenant addressed mere external and ceremonial matters. The New addresses the conscience. The text for the sermon is Hebrews 9:9-14. This is message #27 in the "Exposition of Hebrews" series.

The Symbolism of Tabernacle Worship

Michael Gowens continues the exposition of Hebrews with message #26 in the series from Heb. 9:1-10. Drawing heavily from the contrast between the symbolic and the substantive, the figurative and the real, Gowens shows that the entire arrangement of Hebrew worship in the wilderness pointed forward to Christ, and the superiority of the New Covenant. This message was delivered on 1/30/22. 

Discipleship in Three Time-Zones

Elder Mike Gowens follows up his message from the previous week with this 1/23/22 sermon employing the same grid. The text for the sermon is Psalm 78:1-8. A healthy church (and balanced Christian life) maintains a three-fold focus: respect for past history, relevance in the contemporary culture, and a readiness for future generations.