Bethel Baptist Church

Fundamental Truths

Admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:55:56 +0000

In just about everything in life, mastery of the fundamentals is essential to success. This fact applies whether you are a beginning surgeon, musician, athlete, artist, etc. This also applies when it comes to the world of ideas; specifically, those ideas which have to do with the area known in philosophy and theology as epistemology: the “branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge.” During the first two decades of the 20th century, there arose a war within the evangelical church between those people termed “liberals” and those called “fundamentalists.” Today those are especially freighted terms. As Bible-believing Baptists, we hold that while it is impossible to know God in the entirety of his being, he has made it possible, by his Holy Spirit and his Word, the Bible, to know his truth. We cannot know all truth, but being made in his image, we can know “true truth.” Essential to this knowledge is the firm grasp of the fundamentals as laid out in God’s Word, the Scriptures. Please join pastor Don Ebel of Bethel Baptist Church in Portland, Oregon as we explore some of the fundamental truths which must be grasped and mastered before we can have a successful life on this earth and in the hope for life hereafter.

Is God’s Word Working in Me? 1 Thessalonians 2:13

Admin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:40:57 +0000

A wise commentator once said, “Solemn responsibility rests upon those who hear the Word of God mediated through Spirit-filled preachers. It is tragically possible to be so preoccupied with the person of the preacher, or so prejudiced by proud or obstinate thoughts, that the Word becomes only words” (Airhart).Such words are very true and very applicable to many Christians today. They go to church and hear a sermon not as the very Word of God, but as only potential ear-tickling material. If the preacher fails to meet their expectations, he is no longer able to convey the Word of God, but merely the words of men. How can we overcome this tendency? Listen and find out as pastor Don Ebel of Bethel Baptist church in Portland, Oregon explores the gravity of sin when we treat the “very word of God” as only the “mere words of men.”

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“No Griping Allowed” – Dr. Robert Anderson

Admin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:18:36 +0000

We live in a nation so blessed by physical wealth, yet we Christians still seem to manage to be some of the biggest gripers about what we don’t have or when things aren’t going our way. Please join Dr. Bob Anderson, filling in for pastor Don Ebel of Bethel Baptist church in Portland, Oregon, as he explores the marvelous implications of Colossians 1:12-20. His sermon title is timely and appropriate: “No Griping Allowed.”

“Trustees, Mothers, Fathers” – 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:30:52 +0000

It was suggested in last week’s sermon (the thanksgiving of Paul for the Thessalonians) that the apostle Paul planted the seeds of several themes he would cultivate throughout the rest of the letter. We come now to that first theme: the integrity of the apostles. Because it is dealt with right out of the gate after the greeting and thanksgiving, Paul’s reputation with and integrity in the eyes of the Thessalonians must have been heavy on his heart. Indeed, in my own experience, it is very painful to think that someone or a group of people with whom you have diligently labored should have their opinion of you be lowered either by their own reasonings or the accusations of others. Join pastor Don Ebel of Bethel Baptist church in Portland, Oregon, as we look at Paul’s pastoral heart in the face of Thessalonian doubts.

“Turning, Serving, Waiting” – Thessalonica: The Young Church in Action

Admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:06:36 +0000

Many Christians think that we are living on the brink of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Such was also the case for the apostle Paul and the newly formed church in the city of Thessalonica in 49 A.D. The church was being greatly persecuted, yet the Thessalonians themselves were gaining a resounding reputation for living out lives that consisted of faith, love, and hope with the joy of the Holy Spirit. How is it that they were able to live lives of joy in the midst of such severe affliction? How can we? Being imitators of the apostle Paul and the Lord Jesus Christ, they were transformed by the power of the word of God. They turned away from the worship of idols, were serving the living and true God, and were prepared for the return of Jesus Christ. Join us as pastor Don Ebel of Bethel Baptist Church in Portland, Oregon explores what it means to be a Thessalonian church in the 21st century; how we must likewise continue to turn, serve, and wait.

Thessalonica: The Young Church in Action – “Grace to You and Peace”

Admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:48:52 +0000

What’s in a verse? The very first verse of the apostle Paul’s first letter to the young church in Thessalonica is absolutely packed with significance. Although the form of greeting in letters was common in the Greco-Roman world, by the power of the Holy Spirit Paul elevated it to an entirely new level. Join us as pastor Don Ebel of Bethel Baptist Church in Portland Oregon looks closely at how the deity of Christ is revealed in the very first verse in the very first letter that we have of the apostle Paul. We also explore the concept of “grace,” for without the grace of God given through Jesus Christ in the cross event, there is no hope for peace.

1 Thessalonians: The Young Church in Action – Welcome to Thessalonica!

Admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 01:57:53 +0000

A relatively young city in the ancient world, Thessalonica was an important commercial city in the bosom of the Roman empire. Known as “the gem of Macedonia,” Thessalonica lay along the important Roman road, the Egnatian Way. It also boasted of verdant farmlands to the north and sat on one of the busiest seaports in the Aegean Sea. Thessalonica was a “free city” and as long as it maintained its loyalty to the Emperor of Rome it was allowed to govern itself through a democratic system, mint its own coins, and was under the full protection of Rome. Sometime in the spring of 49 or 50 A.D., the apostle Paul, Silas, and Timothy, after being shamefully treated in the northern city of Philippi, boldly preach the gospel to both Jew and Gentile in Thessalonica. The gospel was gladly received, especially by the Gentiles, who “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). The Jews, however, became so jealous that they instigated an uproar in the city center, causing grave civil concerns to the authorities and thus, Paul and his companions were forced to leave abruptly. Join us as pastor Don Ebel of Bethel Baptist Church in Portland, Oregon starts this exciting new series on a young church in the midst of conflict but filled with the joy of new found hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Government: Where’s My Allegiance?

Admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 19:10:20 +0000

We live in an age in America (or many other places, for that matter) where unbridled criticism of the government is the norm. If our candidate or party is not in office, we feel free to cast aspersions. Whether or not the criticism is warranted, we must ask the question, “As Christians, what is to be our attitude toward those in authority?” Other than for ancient Israel, the Bible does not prescribe a specific form of government. Nonetheless, much is said about how we should behave toward all government, regardless of form. If our allegiance is toward the proper party, our attitudes and behaviors should follow. Listen as pastor Don Ebel of Bethel Baptist church in Portland, Oregon, explores what the Bible teaches about good citizenship.

Genesis 1-11 The End of an Age

Admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:35:14 +0000

As we come to the conclusion of the first section in our “Genesis: Starting for Home” series, we arrive at another genealogy. Like the other genealogies we’ve encountered in Genesis, this one is also of great significance, as it traces the righteous line of Shem down through the generations to the birth of Abram, who later becomes Abraham, “the man of faith.” Join us as pastor Don concludes this section of the series by offering an overview of this most profound story of creation, blessing, transgression, judgment, and grace.

The Tower of TragIrony

Admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:27:05 +0000

“The Tower of TragIrony”: When we come to the Tower of Babel account in Genesis 11:1-9, we are astounded by the simplicity, compactness, and depth of the story. Unfortunately, along with the Fall and the Flood, this incredible tragedy is relegated to the nursery and stories simply for children. What is God telling us in this account? Is it simply of man’s arrogance? Is it simply man’s disobedience in refusing to “multiply and fill the earth”? No, there is much more to this account than meets the eye. In it we have the beginning of the metaphorical but very real city of Babylon that stands diametrically opposed to God’s purposes for man and the world. And from Babylon we have a tradition that has infected all generations even up to our present day. Join us to explore the implications of the Tower of Babel as pastor Don Ebel of Bethel Baptist Church in Portland, Oregon continues the series “Genesis: Starting for Home.”