Bethel Baptist Church

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 16:5-11 As Paul writes about his plans to visit his friends in Corinth, he drops a phrase into his sentence which reveals something of his perspective of life.  The phrase is "if the Lord permits."  "For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits " (1 Cor 16:7). The apostle realizes that everything rests on...

NOT UNDER COMPULSION Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 It is an important element of living … in the Old Testament nation of Israel and in the New Testament church … that God calls on His people to give some of their money to His earthly work.  The Bible gives us principles to govern our giving and great motives for doing it. "On the first day of every week, each of you...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 Some Corinthian teachers had denied the reality of resurrection.  They had, no doubt, reasoned from seeing what death did to a body that resurrection was impossible.  Paul calls such people 'fools' and then proceeds to cite illustrations of the possibility of human resurrection.  The seed the farmer plants in the ground is transformed into a different 'bod...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:22-28     Daniel 7:9,10,13,14      Revelation 20:1-5 There is a sequence of events in 1 Corinthians 15:22-25.  First, Christ is raised from the dead (1 Cor 15:20).  "Then, at his coming," those who belong to Christ will be raised from the dead (1 Cor 15:23).  "Then comes the end, when [Christ] delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule an...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:20-28,50-58 The second coming of Christ is a prominent and recurring theme in the New Testament.  Most of the 27 New Testament books mention this glorious, coming event … including 1 Corinthians 15.   Often lost in the intrigue of the details of Christ's second coming is the purpose for the Biblical doctrine.  It has been revealed to us that it might have a deep...

  Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12-23 One way of approaching the story of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is to discuss whether or not it really happened.  Down through the centuries, and to this day, people have talked about the historical reliability of Christ's resurrection.  Once someone is convinced of the truthfulness of the story, the discussion can turn to the meaning of the...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 In the middle of his declaration of preaching the gospel to the Corinthians and of their reception of the message, Paul drops in the phrase "unless you believed in vain" (1 Cor 15:2).  There are passages in the New Testament that present to us the notion of a kind of belief that comes short of saving faith.  It is the kind of faith that James says is 'dead'...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 In a letter addressing the problems in the church at Corinth, Paul comes now to the resurrection of Christ.  Some people in the Corinthian church believed that there is no such thing as a resurrection from the dead (1 Cor 15:12).  The implications of such an opinion meant an undermining of the entire gospel of Christ.  So, in exquisite fashion, Paul spends...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 14:20-40 Within the context of a discussion of the gift of tongues, Paul instructs the Corinthians about proper decorum in worship … ending with the exhortation: "All things should be done decently and in order" (1 Cor 14:40).  The abuse of the exercise of the gift of tongues is at the center of chapters 12-14 in this letter.  In this passage Paul outlines the prop...

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10 The Greek word that is translated 'gospel' in the New Testament is a compound word that literally means 'good news.'  The Bible reveals to us the best news imaginable to the human mind and heart.  In fact the 'good news' presented in the Bible is greater than our thoughts can imagine.  The good news of the Bible is that everlasting life is possible for human bei...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 14:1-19 1 Corinthians 12:1 began with the words, "Now concerning spiritual gifts."  Paul would write about the issue of spiritual gifts for 3 chapters.  The main issue seems to be a misuse of the gift of tongues.  The apostle speaks directly to that issue in chapter 14. The Corinthians had elevated the gift of tongues to an unhealthy prominence.  To put the gift of...

  Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 In 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul is talking about the supremacy of love as necessary for the operation of spiritual gifts … and necessary for the vitality of a church, in general.  To emphasize the nature and value of love, there is, in these verses, a contrast between the temporal and the eternal. In the immediate context, Paul's point is that the s...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 We live in a day of imitations.  We have plastic flowers, artificial grass, wax fruit … false joy, false humility.  But perhaps the saddest imitation offered by our culture is that of love.  Our society has shown us an idea of love that looks something like real love, but is not.  Love, at its foundation, is much more than a romantic emotion.  It is not som...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 To illustrate the function of a local congregation, Paul uses the analogy of the human body.  He wants to highlight both the unity of a church and the diversity of a church.  "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ" (1 Cor 12:12). In terms of unity, believers are al...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 There are four main passages in the New Testament in which spiritual gifts are mentioned:  Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28-31; Ephesians 4:7-16; 1 Peter 4:10,11.  The lists are somewhat different … they are different in number and different in the gifts listed.  That probably means that the lists are not meant to be exhaustive.  They are general ca...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 The next issue in the church in Corinth that Paul addresses is the Lord's Supper.  The Corinthians had made a mockery of this sacred ritual by allowing factions in the church to exist.  There was even some drunkenness which resulted from this meal.  Paul's instruction about this wonderful ordinance is very helpful to us. The Lord's Supper is designed to be...

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1:1-9 In 1 Peter 1, Peter makes reference to the resurrection of Jesus two times (1 Pet 1:3; 21).  What we see in this chapter is a glorious description of the salvation Christ has purchased for us through His perfect life, His sacrificial death, and His triumphant rise from the grave.  Our inheritance in Christ is according to God's graciously choosing us (1 Pet 1:2). ...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 An issue had arisen in the church in Corinth which caused Paul to address the God-designed differences between men and women.  The evidence of some confusion about male and female roles was that Corinthian women in the church had flaunted the custom of wearing some sort of veil or head-covering when coming to worship.  In the culture of the first century th...

This sermon was originally presented on June 7, 2015 Scripture Reading: Matthew 3:1-3, 13-17 One of the wonders of the work of Christ is His sufficiency to secure for us our eternal salvation.  Jesus did everything necessary to "bring us to God" (1 Pet 3:18).  When God justifies someone, two wondrous things happen.  Something is taken away and something is given.  In justification the penalty for...

Scripture Reading: Jude: 20-25 Once again Bethel Baptist Church is pleased to present the Reverend Greg Hands during Pastor Cosand's absence. 

This sermon was originally presented on May 31, 2015 Scripture Reading: John 1:1-14 Solus Christus is Latin for 'Christ alone.'  The single most important element of Christianity, and that which makes it unique, is that it centers completely on Jesus Christ.  And the single most important element in a discussion of Jesus Christ is the fact that He was God in flesh.  The nature of Jesus Christ, the...

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 13:11-14 Bethel Baptist Church is pleased to present the Reverend Greg Hands during Pastor Cosand's absence. 

This sermon was originally presented on May 24, 2015 Scripture Reading: Psalm 19:7-11 There are many truths that are held in connection with the doctrine of sola scriptura .  The inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible issue from the idea that God has given us one book as His revelation.  In practical terms there are many today who would hold to the inspiration of the Scriptures, but not to their s...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:23 - 11:1 In this passage Paul concludes his discussion of eating food offered to idols, which has taken up chapters 8-10.  This issue falls into the category of 'things of indifference.'  Regarding the food itself, it would not have been sinful to eat such food, nor sinful not to eat such food.  There are two principles cited in this passage which should govern...

This sermon was originally presented on May 17, 2015 Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 3:12-17 Theologians sometimes refer to five 'solas' upon which the Christian faith rests.  The wording used in the days of the Reformation is Latin and that wording is often still used today to name these great doctrines.  These five doctrines are sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), solus Christus (Christ alone), sola...