Bethel Pulpit - Primitive Baptist Sermons

Following Jesus in 2018

On Sunday, January 6, 2018, Elder Mike Gowens began the New Year with a look at the Savior's call to Christian discipleship, "Follow Me," from Mark 8:34-37. In this message, Pastor Gowens defines this imperative in three terms. To follow Jesus is (1) to spend time with Jesus in personal fellowship, (2) to imitate Jesus in personal attitude and conduct, and (3) to learn of Jesus with the goal of becoming like Him. Here is the essence of what it means to live as a Christian.

The Believer's Checkbook

Elder Michael Gowens takes his text from Philippians 4:19 for this final message of 2017. As we prepare to cross the threshold into a new year, it is crucial to sharpen focus on the One who promises to supply our every need. Great encouragement is available to the child of God in this sublime promise. Gowens employs the familiar image of a checking account to illustrate the meaning of this verse.

Behold the Lamb

Pastor Gowens completes his mini-series on the Person of the incarnate Christ with this 12/24/17 sermon on John 1:29: "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." He identifies this sublime sentence as the first gospel sermon preached in the New Covenant, and leads the congregation to consider (1) the herald, or messenger, that delivered the message, (2) the content of the message, and (3) the benefit of heeding this gospel summons.

Behold the Man

A popular song heard during each December asks the question, "What Child is This?" In this 12/17/17 sermon, Elder Mike Gowens continues the mini-series aimed at giving a Biblical answer to that question. Using the frequent summons "Behold!" Gowens invites us to look into Bethlehem's manger with sustained focus on the character of the Messiah. Today's message draws from John 19:5 and focuses on the important doctrine of the Humanity of Jesus Christ, a truth that is central to the apostolic gospel.

Behold the Servant

In his 12/10/17 message, Pastor Gowens looks at Isaiah 42:1-4, the first of Isaiah's four "Servant Songs." This particular prophecy concerns the Character of God's Servant. According to this thrilling passage, the One sent to do Jehovah's bidding will be marked by humility, gentleness and fidelity to God. This prophecy finds a precise fulfillment in one figure in human history, and one figure only--Jesus of Nazareth. He is the promised and anticipated Messiah, Jehovah's righteous Servant, come to fulfill the most important mission in history. 

Be Still My Soul

On Sunday, 12/3/17, Pastor Mike Gowens expounded the 46th Psalm, focusing on verse 10 as a text: "Be still and know that I am God." Three reasons for personal calmness in crisis may be deduced from the three stanzas of the Psalm, each marked by the musical notation "Selah": (1) God is our Shelter in the Storm (vs. 1-3); (2) God is our Supply in Want (vs. 4-7); (3) God is our Salvation from the Enemy (vs 8-11). 

Count Your Blessings

Elder Michael Gowens' delivered this Thanksgiving message from Psalm 103 on 11/19/17. In this wonderful chapter, David praises God as (1) the Bountiful Benefactor (vs 1-5), (2) the Compassionate Father (vs 6-18), and (3) the Sovereign King (vs 19-22). Will you join the chorus of thanksgiving and praise to God for His many mercies and benefits to you?

Patient in Tribulation

The Christian virtue of patience is increasingly rare in our modern, "push-button" culture, especially when it comes to perseverence during unpleasant circumstances. Operating under the illusion that we should never have to suffer, many modern folks look for the quick-fix to problems--whatever it takes to escape the pain. But God's word teaches may be used to further our spiritual growth and sanctification. There are lessons to be learned in affliction that may never be learned anywhere else. Pastor Michael Gowens discusses this very practical subject in this 11/12/17 sermon based on James 1:2-4.

One Truth

Sometimes a Bible verse appears quite simple on the surface, yet upon closer examination, we discover that it contains profound truth. First Timothy 2:5 is such a verse: "For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." In this 11/5/17 message, Elder Mike Gowens shows that by applying the two affirmations in this important verse as a test of orthodoxy, every worldview is elimintated as an option in the search for truth, leaving only Christianity; furthermore, every competing school of thought within Christianity is eliminated except for the position held by those who call themselves "Primitive Baptists." 

A Key to Understanding Bible Doctrine

The 10/29/17 message by Elder Michael Gowens considers 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 and the intriguing use of two adjectives in this passage of Scripture. In verses 1-4, Paul emphasizes the word "All." Then, in verse 5, he transitions to an emphasis on the adjective "Some" (vs 6-11). Gowens employs Paul's use of these two adjectives to suggest that here we have an important key to understanding doctrine and to accurately interpreting God's word. If a child of God is once able to understand this principle, he is well on the way to embracing what Primitive Baptists believe.