Bethel Pulpit - Primitive Baptist Sermons

This message, #4 in the series on Romans 8, considers verses 18-27, and was delivered on Sunday, 6/8/25. Everyone, even God's children, experiences the pain of living in a world under the curse of sin. No one is immune from suffering. But the believer may face life's struggles in hope of the glory that awaits him. 

Br Gowens' 6/1/25 message from Romans 8:5-17 is the third in a study on Romans 8 titled "On the Road to Assurance." In this sermon, Gowens addresses the tension between the child of God's legal standing before God and his practical struggle with "the flesh," or indwelling sin. But just as God has provided the righteousness of Christ to resolve sin's penalty, He has also provided the indwelling of...

Brother Gowens' 5/25/25 sermon is a continuation of the series of messages on Romans 8. In this message, Gowens considers verses 1-4, a passage that expresses the very heart of the gospel message, and shows the relationship between the truths of justification/regeneration--the objective ground of salvation--and the believer's quest for subjective assurance.

In this 5/18/25 sermon, Mike Gowens offers a survey, or overview, of Romans 8, arguably the premier chapter on Christian assurance in the Bible. He insists that Paul's emphasis on "freedom" is best understood against the tension described at the end of Romans 7. This is message #1 in a mini-series of studies from this tremendous chapter.

This message from 5/11/25 is a tribute to the mother of King Lemuel, from Proverbs 31. This unnamed woman made a tremendous impact on the young prince, and the lessons she taught him were included for our benefit in the final chapter of Solomon's Proverbs. So many unnamed wives and mothers have taught the most valuable life lessons to their little ones, behind the scenes and out of the limelight....

Brother Gowens' 5/4/25 message was based on 1 Kings 20:28. The Syrian army believed that if they could lure the Israelites into the valley, they would prevail in battle. But God would not allow such a defamatory claim to be perpetuated. Although Ahab was a wicked King, God, motivated by a supreme concern for His own glory, determined to give Ahab and his army the victory. The narrative teaches the...

What is the big picture of Holy Scripture? How may one make sense of world history? In this 4/27/25 sermon, Michael Gowens explores Psalm 2, a passage which distills and crystallizes the answer to these questions in summary form. This Psalm is a sort of meta-narrative, comprehending the message of the entire Bible in a dozen or so Divinely-inspired verses.

The 4/20/25 sermon by Elder Gowens is based on John 20:19-29, one of the half-dozen post-resurrection appearances of the Lord Jesus Christ. This Resurrection Sunday message is a reminder of the breathtaking fact of the empty tomb and the several reasons we have to live surprised by joy.

In this 4/13/25 sermon, Michael Gowens traces the "blessed man" statements through the Psalms to discover the reasons for his blessedness, or fulfillment in life.

This 4/6/25 message by Mike Gowens is the third and final segment in the mini-series on "Church Membership." Gowens considers the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22 as the springboard for the sermon, stressing the importance of compliance with the banquet protocols if one will enjoy the privileges of the banquet. This very practical message emphasizes a half-dozen responsibilities that att...

The 3/30/25 message by Michael Gowens is Part 2 in a mini-series on "Church Membership." This sermon, based on Revelation 22:14ff explores several benefits of membership in the church.

On Sunday, March 23, 2025, Mike Gowens began a mini-series of 3 messages on the subject of "Church Membership." This message, sermon #1 in the series, is based on Moses' conversation with his brother-in-law Hobab, in Numbers 10:29-32. Gowens invites believers to join with the church on its pilgrimage to their God-given inheritance.

The 3/16/25 sermon by Michael Gowens is based on Zechariah 9:11-12. This powerful Messianic passage contains the heart of the gospel message. Making an important distinction between the indicatives and imperatives of Scripture, Gowens proceeds to preach the gospel from this text.

Brother Gowens' 3/16/25 sermon considers Paul's profession in Romans 1:16 and emphasizes four main reasons believers should not be ashamed of Christ, his gospel or his church.

On Sunday, 3/2/25, Elder Gowens delivered the last message in the Elijah series. This message taken from 2 Kings 2 emphasizes both doctrinal and practical lessons that may be gleaned from the dramatic account of Elijah's translation to heaven.

The 2/23/25 message by Mike Gowens is #13 in the Elijah study. Gowens considers practical lessons from God's reinstatement of Elijah in the wake of his bout with despondency. This sermon is based on 1 Kings 19:13-21.

This 2/16/25 sermon by Michael Gowens continues the narrative of Elijah's despondency in 1 Kings 19. God is very kind and gentle with his weary servant, giving him a fresh revelation of Himself to encourage him on his way. This is message #12 in the Elijah series.

In the 11th sermon in the Elijah series, Mike Gowens considers the reasons for Elijah's despondency in the aftermath of the victory on Mt Carmel. Like us, the prophet was very human, but God addresses his spiritual fatigue with tenderness and grace. This message was delivered on Lord's Day morning, 2/9/25.

This sermon, based on the narrative in 1 Kings 18:41-46, was delivered 2/2/25. Elder Gowens returns to the theme of prayer, the dominant feature of Elijah's life and ministry, in this focus on the ending of the three-and-one-half-year drought. This is message #10 in the "Life & Times of Elijah" series.

This 2/2/25 message by Michael Gowens focuses on the premier event in the life of the prophet Elijah, i.e. the contest high atop Mt Carmel with the 850 false prophets of the State. Everything in the narrative has been moving to this moment of crescendo in which the question of "Which is the true God, Baal or Jehovah?" will be resolved once and for all. This is message #9 in the Elijah series.

Elder Gowens' 1/26/25 sermon looks at 1 Kings 18:1-16. After three years in hiding, Elijah is sent back to King Ahab in lieu of ending the drought. From this passage, Gowens extracts a number of practical lessons as well as a doctrinal lesson concerning the encouraging doctrine of the remnant.

Elder Gowens' 1/12/25 sermon looks at the narrative in 1 Kings 17:17-24. The unexpected trauma of the death of her son brought both the widow woman and the prophet Elijah to a point of spiritual crisis. This painful experience, however, led to tremendous spiritual blessings, and stands as an example to us of the glorious future awaiting us.

In this message from 12/8/24, Michael Gowens examines the narrative in 1 Kings 17:8-16 concerning God's provision for Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath. The Lord Jesus cites this episode in Luke 4 as a case study of God's sovereign grace.

In this message from 1/5/25, Mike Gowens considers Nehemiah 8:10 before moving to four New Testament references to the exhortation, "Be of good cheer." A disposition toward cheerfulness is basic and fundamental to spiritual strength. In this message, Br Gowens reminds us of the reasons we have to "cheer up" as we face the unknown tomorrow. 

In this message from 12/29/24, Michael Gowens considers Galatians 2:20 to answer the question, "What is the Christian life?" From this familiar verse, Gowens extracts four characteristics of authentic Christian living, as well as the dominant feature of the Pauline example, namely, the Christ-centered nature of Christian living.