Bethel Pulpit - Primitive Baptist Sermons

This 7/26/26 sermon by Michael Gowens is based on Philippians 4:5 and is #30 in the Exposition of Philippians series. Gowens devotes the first half of the sermon explaining the various nuances of the term "moderation," than spends the balance of the time explaining the means by which the believer maintains his/her spiritual balance.

Elder Gowens' sermon on 7/12/26 is taken from Philippians 4:4 and is message #29 in the Exposition of Philippians series. He highlights the imperative "Rejoice," an activity of exulting in God, as the key to maintaining joyful feelings in the believer's heart. This practical sermon emphasizes the primary difference between secular happiness and true, biblical joy, a difference captured by the crucial phrase "in the Lord."

This 7/5/26 sermon from Mike Gowens is based on Philippians 4:1 and is message #27 in the Exposition of Philippians series. The apostle's warm, pastoral heart is on full display as he writes to the church at Philippi, especially in this text. Gowens develops the holy fraternity that is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, a relationship unlike anything this world might duplicate.

The 5/31/26 message by Mike Gowens is #25 in the "Exposition of Philippians" series, and is based on Philippians 3:8-14. Gowens develops Paul's metaphor of the athlete that strains for the goal as a metaphor of the Christian life. The entire passage emphasizes the importance of focus, self-discipline and strenuous effort in living the life of discipleship.

This 5/24/26 sermon by Michael Gowens is #24 in the Philippian series. It is based on Phi. 3:7-10. Paul's language reveals his personal passion and ambition. Gowens elaborates on the impropriety of ambition if it is self-centered and self-promoting, but argues that when a deeper knowledge of Christ and conformity to Him is the goal, it is not only a proper, but essential personal trait.

Brother Gowens sermon from 5/10/26 is based on Psalm 127-128, companion Psalms that paint a lovely portrait of home blessed by God. Before developing the thought of the godly family, however, Gowens considers two other "houses" that God builds: 1) The Entire Family of God; 2) The Household of Faith.

This sermon by Michael Gowens, delivered on 4/26/26, focuses on Philippians 3:3. Gowens first develops the New Testament emphasis on "spiritual" Israel, then proceeds to describe the three distinctive traits that mark true worshipers of God. This is message #22 in the expository series on Philippians. 

This message from the Philippians study was delivered by Mike Gowens on 4/12/26. The text is Phi. 3:2-3. This is sermon #21 in the series.

This 4/12/26 sermon by Michael Gowens is #20 in the Exposition of Philippians series. It is based on Philippians 3:2, a text that introduces the challenge that false teaching in general, and legalism in particular, poses to Christian joy. Paul will continue to develop this contrast between an emphasis on righteousness by human works and righteousness by Christ's finished work in following verses.

This 4/5/26 sermon by Michael Gowens is based on 2 Corinthians 4:7-18, a passage in which the apostle Paul traces the Christian basis of perseverance to the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

On Sunday, 3/29/26, Elder Gowens considered the account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, as recorded in Matthew 21:1-11. This deliberate and staged event was our Lord's debut as the true Davidic King and the fulfillment of the messianic prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. Gowens explores a number of lessons from the powerful symbology of this event.

This 3/15/26 sermon from the exposition of Philippians is based on Philippians 3:1. Pastor Gowens extracts from the text two important safeguards designed to protect the precious treasure of Christian joy: 1) The Safeguard of Repetition; 2) The Safeguard of Reflection.

This 3/8/26 message by Mike Gowens from the Philippians series takes a look at the clause in Phi. 2:12 - "...with fear and trembling." Gowens sketches a Biblical portrait of "godly fear" and shows how this reverential attitude is a priority in living the Christian life. 

In this 3/1/26 sermon from the Philippian series, Michael Gowens considers Philippians 2:19-30 and Paul's tribute to two exemplary Christians - Timothy and Epaphroditus. These two men embody the selfless and sacrificial nature of Christian discipleship, and serve as role models for the rest of us to emulate.

In this message from 2/22/26, Elder Gowens considers Philippians 2:17-18 and the third mark of authentic Christian living highlighted in this important section. The Christian life involves selfless service and sacrifice toward Christ and others. Gowens spends the bulk of this sermon developing the paradoxical nexus between the apparently opposite concepts of sacrifice and joy. This is message #16 in the exposition of Philippians.