Bay Leaf Baptist Church Weekly Sermons

In this sermon from Romans 15:14-21, Pastor Jared Richard challenges Bay Leaf Baptist Church to continue the legacy of global missions exemplified by both the Apostle Paul and William Carey. Pastor Richard reminds us that while Christianity is growing globally with nearly 3 billion Christians alive today, approximately 5 billion people remain unreached, with less than 2% of their population knowing Christ. The sermon coincides with the commissioning of a missionary family from Bay Leaf, emphasizing that God's promise in Isaiah 52 that "those who have never been told of him will see" is still being fulfilled today.

Paul's ministry demonstrates three principles we should follow: expecting great things from our great God, attempting great things for His glory, and watching God do great things through our obedience. Like William Carey who said, "I will go down if you'll hold the rope," we all have a part to play in global missions—some by going to the nations and others by supporting through prayer, encouragement, and financial giving. The Great Commission wasn't a suggestion but a command that requires our collective commitment.

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In this sermon on Romans 15:8-13, Pastor Jared Richard explains that Christian hope differs fundamentally from worldly hope. While worldly hope expresses desire for uncertain possibilities, Christian hope is a confident expectation in guaranteed promises. This hope is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is a gift from "the God of hope" (Romans 15:13).

Pastor Richard outlines how the entire Trinity works to build this hope in believers: the Father sent the Son, inspired Scripture to be written, and sent the Spirit to empower our hope. This divinely-given hope serves two crucial purposes. First, it keeps believers together in unity, as they recognize God's plan to unite people from all nations in worship. Second, it keeps believers going through suffering and persecution, enabling them to experience joy even in the darkest circumstances, as exemplified by Richard Wurmbrand who danced for joy in his prison cell despite brutal torture. Through faith in Christ, believers can have this abounding hope that sustains them in all circumstances.

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In this sermon on Romans 14:13-15:7, Pastor Jared Richard addresses how Christians should handle differences of opinion on disputable matters. He explains that while mature believers understand their freedoms in Christ, they have a spiritual obligation to restrain those freedoms when they might cause spiritual harm to weaker believers. Using examples like Charles Spurgeon giving up cigars when he realized his public example might lead others into sin, Pastor Richard emphasizes that being together in faith is more important than being isolated in individual freedom.

The pastor reminds us that "the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Our ultimate joy is found not in our freedoms but in Christ himself, who modeled this sacrificial love by giving up heaven's glory to save us. The goal is church unity where together we "may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 15:6).

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Pastor Jared Richard's sermon on Romans 14:1-13a examines how the church can maintain unity despite differences in matters of conscience. Drawing from Paul's letter to the Romans, he identifies the problem of division between "weak" and "strong" believers over issues like food restrictions and special days. This division threatens both the church's witness and mission.

Pastor Jared explains that the solution is found in three Gospel demands: accepting those whom God has accepted in Christ, individually living under the lordship of Christ, and anticipating God's perfect judgment. He introduces the concept of "theological triage," distinguishing between essential Christian beliefs (dogma), denominational differences (doctrine), and personal convictions (disputable matters). The sermon concludes with a powerful reminder that while we don't have to agree on everything, we must welcome one another just as God has welcomed us in Christ, keeping the main things central while giving freedom in matters of conscience.

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Romans 13:8-14 • Dr. Jared Richard

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Romans 13:1-7 • Patrick Austin

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Romans 12:9-21 • Dr. Jared Richard

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Romans 12:3-8 • Dr. Jared Richard

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Romans 12:1-2 • Dr. Jared Richard

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Romans 11:33-36 • Dr. Kyle Graham

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