Bethel Pulpit - Primitive Baptist Sermons

The Main Point of Hebrews

On Sunday 11/7, Pastor Gowens considered Hebrews 8:1-6, a passage that highlights the principal theme of the epistle. To the Jews in the first-century Mediterranean world, believers that had left the synagogue for the Christian church had walked away from 1,500 years of rich history and tradition for virtually nothing. They had no church buildings, no special ceremonies, no prescribed festivals, and certainly no priest. But the apostle affirms that Christians do, in fact, have a Priest, and He is the penultimate Priest. In fact, Christians have the reality, not merely the shadow. This is message #23 in the Hebrews study.

The Beauty of Holiness

This message by Michael Gowens, delivered on 10/24/21, is based on 1 Chronicles 16:29. It explores the third dimension of the triad of philosophical virtues - the good, the true and the beautiful. Gowens describes the importance God places on beauty and proceeds to distinguish beauty that appeals to the senses and the intellect from that which appeals to the soul, i.e. the beauty of holiness. Such beauty is personified in the Lord Jesus Christ, and displayed by His church, the perfection of beauty and the joy of the whole earth.

The Superior Priesthood of Christ

Elder Mike Gowens' 10/10/21 sermon continues the Hebrews 7 passage concerning Melchizedek and the parallels between that mysterious figure and Jesus Christ. The text is Hebrews 7:11-19. This is message #22 in the ongoing exposition of Hebrews.

Christ‘s Ancient Priestly Order

The 10/3/21 sermon by Elder Mike Gowens is a look at Hebrews 7:1-10 and one of the most mysterious figures in the Bible, a king-priest named Melchizedek. Going back to the brief historical narrative of Genesis 14, then moving to Psalm 110, Gowens discusses the mystery, the history and the superiority of this fascinating character, and what it means for the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Precious Remedies Against Satan‘s Devices

Using 2 Corinthians 2:11 as a text, Michael Gowens moves to the Old Testament in this 9/26/21 sermon to consider four individuals that had encounters with Satan. From these four episodes, Gowens emphasizes particular tactics employed by the devil and the corresponding resource God has provided to counter the assault.

The Swelling of the Jordan

Michael Gowens' 9/19/21 sermon focuses on Jeremiah 12:5 and the Lord's surprising answer to the prophet's perplexity. From the contrast between the calm of training and the crisis of battle in this passage, Gowens highlights the Lord's ability to use pressure and tension to mature his servants for greater usefulness in ministry, insisting that the little struggles we are called to endure today may very well be preparations for greater service tomorrow. 

The Ground of Christian Assurance

This 9/5/21 message by Elder Mike Gowens is based on Hebrews 6:13-20. In this important passage, the writer transitions back to his main theme of the priesthood of Christ by introducing the premier figure in Jewish history, the patriarch Abraham. Just as Abraham's hope was premised on God's covenant faithfulness, so the believer's assurance of final blessedness is grounded on a solid foundation of sovereign grace.

He Whom Thou Lovest is Sick

The 8/22/21 sermon by Michael Gowens begins with a tender expression from John 11:3, and proceeds to discuss the theme of sickness under three heads: (1) The Surprise of Sickness; (2) The Spiritual Struggle occasioned by sickness; (3) Some Divine Supports for the Sick. 

The Diligent Pursuit of Assurance

Elder Mike Gowens' 8/15/21 message looks at Hebrews 6:9-12 in a continuation of the exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Gowens believes that assurance is the crown jewel of temporal blessings, the choicest mercy to be had this side of the immediate presence of God in heaven. This is message #19 in the Hebrews study.

A Warning to the Backslider

Elder Michael Gowens' sermon on 8/8/21 looks at what is arguably the most controversial passage in the New Testament - Hebrews 6:4-9. After presenting arguments against the two most popular interpretations of this passage, Gowens presents a third interpretation that is consistent with what Scripture teaches concerning both the doctrines of eternal security and total depravity.