St David's Bridge Strict Baptist Chapel

~~~~~~~ No 20 in the series - The Epistles of Peter. ~~~~~~~ **Considering 1 Peter 4: 17-19** For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: ......... *1/ Seven descriptions of the people of God where Judgment must begin. 2/ How judgment is know in the house of God. 3/ A comparison.* **Sermon summary:** The sermon explores the theological concept that divine judgment initiates within the community of believers during the present age of grace. By examining 1 Peter 4:17-19 alongside Hebrews 12, it identifies God's corrective discipline and church accountability as evidence of His fatherly love rather than condemnation. The preacher contrasts this internal purification with the ultimate fate of the ungodly, emphasizing that Christ has already absorbed wrath for the redeemed. This perspective encourages believers to view trials and correction as marks of their status as children of God. The message concludes by urging faithful submission to God's sovereign ordering in daily life.

Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. (Psalms 44:4) ~~~~ This sermon was preached at Swavesey Particular Baptist Chapel on Tuesday Evening. ~~~~ *1/ The Churches profession - "Thou art my King, O God:" 2/ For whom deliverance is sought - "For Jacob." 3/ The Churches petition - "Command deliverances for Jacob"* **Sermon Summary:** The sermon explores Psalm 44:4, emphasizing the believer's profession that God is King and their petition for Him to command deliverances. It contrasts the ideal of Israel with the reality of Jacob, illustrating how God provides salvation and guidance even when His people feel weak or discouraged. The preacher argues that divine deliverance is rarely instantaneous but follows a sovereign, strategic plan involving trials, refinement, and grace. Using examples from Gideon, Paul, and the Exodus, the text demonstrates that God orchestrates every step of a believer's journey to ensure ultimate victory and spiritual growth. The central message encourages trust in God's supreme authority and wise ordering of all circumstances for the good of His people.

But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. (Isaiah 49:14-16) ~~~~~ This sermon was preached at Swavesey Particular Baptist Chapel, on Lord's Day evening. ~~~~~ *1/ The glorious promises of God through Christ. 2/ Zions complaint. 3/ The Lord's answer.* **Sermon Summary:** The sermon addresses the spiritual complaint of feeling forsaken by God despite His prior promises. It contrasts Zion's sense of abandonment with divine assurances that God has engraved His people upon the palms of His hands and keeps their needs continually before Him. The preacher illustrates this enduring care through the imagery of a mother's compassion for her child and the permanence of Christ's wounds. This message encourages believers to bring their honest struggles to God, trusting in His faithful timing rather than their own perception of silence. Ultimately, it affirms that God's love and redemptive plan remain secure even when His presence feels distant.

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. (2 Timothy 2:20-21) ~~~~~~ This sermon was preached at Swavesey Particular Baptist Chapel Lord's Day morning. ~~~~~~ To be prepared for the masters use we need to: *1/ Be strong in grace. 2/ Be aware of a solemn reality. 3/ Heed the words of direction. 4/ Keep the end in view.* **Sermon Summary:** The sermon explores the biblical metaphor of believers as vessels in a great house, emphasizing the necessity of being sanctified and prepared for the Master's use. It establishes that grace through faith in Christ is the foundational requirement for any spiritual usefulness, warning against relying on religious busyness without genuine salvation. The preacher urges listeners to purge themselves from sin, vain babblings, and foolish controversies by fleeing from them rather than engaging in unprofitable strife. Instead, believers are called to study Scripture, exhibit meekness, and maintain a gentle spirit when instructing others. Ultimately, the message encourages all Christians, regardless of age or role, to seek personal holiness so they remain ready and effective for God's service.

~~~~~~~ No 19 in the series - The Epistles of Peter. ~~~~~~~ **Considering 1 Peter 4: 12-16** Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, ..... Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. *1/ Fiery trails and thinking rightly about them. 2/ A cause of rejoicing. 3/ God's verdict concerning his people and those that reproach them for his sake. 4/ A searching question - Are we really suffering as a Christian?* **Sermon summary:** This sermon, drawn from 1 Peter 4:12–16, presents a profound theological reflection on the nature and purpose of suffering for believers, framing trials not as random afflictions but as divinely appointed experiences designed to refine faith, deepen fellowship with Christ, and reveal God's sovereign goodness. It emphasizes that suffering—particularly when endured for Christ's sake—is not strange or indicative of divine abandonment, but a mark of spiritual kinship with Christ, who Himself endured reproach and persecution, and a foretaste of the future glory that will be revealed. The preacher underscores that God's perspective on suffering differs radically from human judgment: while the world may revile the believer, God declares the believer glorified, and the Spirit of glory rests upon them. The sermon calls for discernment, urging believers to examine whether their suffering stems from faithful witness to Christ or from personal sin, misbehaviour, or misguided zeal, reminding the audience that true Christian suffering is not self-inflicted but arises from faithful discipleship.

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3) *1/ The gift of Eternal life. 2/ The effect, or what is life eternal.* **Sermon summary:** Eternal life is not merely an extended duration of existence but a transformative, personal relationship with the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom the Father has sent. Rooted in the sovereign gift of God, this life is instantaneously bestowed through divine grace, not earned or developed through human effort, and is evidenced by a growing, experiential knowledge of God that transcends mere intellectual understanding. This knowledge is cultivated not through abstract doctrine alone, but through the Spirit's work in the heart—revealed in Scripture, confirmed by divine providence, and recognized in the Lord's faithful, gentle, and gracious dealings with His people. The believer's assurance lies not in self-examination, but in the unshakable truth that when God acts, His people come to know Him personally, intimately, and irrevocably, recognizing His voice, His hand, and His character in every circumstance. Ultimately, eternal life is both a present reality and a future hope, marked by fellowship with God here and now, and the certain anticipation of seeing Him face to face in glory.

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13) *1/ **In Christ Jesus** - a quickened soul - Ephesians 2:1-8 2/ Where all are by nature - far off. 3/ A blessed soul - made nigh. 4/ How God brings nigh - By the blood of Christ. 5/ Words of Application.* ~~~~ This sermon was preached at Ebenezer Strict Baptist Chapel Broad Oak, Heathfield. ~~~~ **Sermon summary:** The sermon centers on the transformative reality of being brought near to God through Christ, emphasizing that all humanity—by nature alienated and far off due to sin—are reconciled to God not by works or religious observance, but solely through the blood of Jesus Christ. Drawing from Ephesians 2:13, it unfolds a theological journey from spiritual death to life, from separation to intimate fellowship, highlighting the necessity of a personal, heart-changing encounter with Christ that transcends ethnic, cultural, and religious divisions. The message underscores that true communion with God is not achieved by human effort but by grace, secured through Christ's atoning sacrifice, which satisfies divine justice and restores broken relationship. The preacher calls both the unconverted and the backslidden to repentance and faith, urging them to rest in Christ's finished work, while exhorting the spiritually blessed to recognize their fellowship as a gift purchased by His blood. Ultimately, the sermon proclaims the gospel's power to make the far off near, the dead alive, and the estranged a beloved child of God.

~~~~~~~ No 16 in the series - The Epistles of Peter. ~~~~~~~ **Considering 1 Peter 3:18-22** For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, ...... once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah,..... The like figure whereunto even baptism ..... *1/ Christ - His suffering and death and resurrection - 1 Peter 3:18 2/ Noah - The gospel preached to those before Christ died and who did not profit from it - 1 Peter 3:19-20 3/ Baptism - The answer of a good conscience - 1 Peter 3:21* **Sermon summary:** The sermon centers on the redemptive work of Christ, emphasizing His substitutionary death as the just suffering for the unjust to bring his people back to God, a sacrifice that was once for all and fully satisfied divine justice. Drawing from Genesis and 1 Peter, it highlights Noah as a prophetic figure whose faith and obedience in building the ark—despite ridicule—foreshadowed the gospel message of salvation through faith, with only eight souls saved by water as a type of baptism. The sermon then connects this to believer's baptism, not as a ritual cleansing of the flesh, but as a public, obedient response of a good conscience toward God, rooted in the resurrection of Christ and the believer's identification with His death and new life. Through the lens of Noah's faith, Christ's atonement, and the sacrament of baptism, the preacher calls the congregation to live in faithful obedience, recognizing that true salvation is a gift of grace, not of works, and that the ultimate hope is eternal fellowship with God, secured by Christ's victory over sin and death.