Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 26 December, 2021
“… walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering
and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Eph. 5:2)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Administration of the Lord’s Supper
Christ’s Triumphal Entry [youtube]
Scripture Reading: John 12:1-19
Text: John 12:12-19
I. The Crowds Rejoice
II. The Pharisees Despair
III. The Disciples Understand
Psalms: 113:1-9; 12:1-8; 40:6-10; 118:19-26
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Applicatory
Christ Shall Come Again! [youtube]
Scripture Reading: II Thessalonians 1
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 19
I. The Same Person
II. The Glorious Future
III. The Comforting Hope
Psalms: 96:8-13; 13:1-6; 50:1-6; 23:1-6
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast: www.cprc.co.uk/live-streaming
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quote to Consider
Leon Morris on John 12:13: “The Law provided that palms should be used at the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:40). Later they were used on other festal occasions also (I Macc. 13:51; II Macc. 10:7). In keeping with this we read in Revelation of a multitude before the throne with palms in their hands (Rev. 7:9)” (The Gospel According to John, p. 584).
D. A. Carson on John 12:13: “From about two centuries earlier, palm branches had already become a national (not to say nationalist) symbol. When Simon the Maccabee drove the Syrian forces out of the Jerusalem citadel he was fêted with music and the waving of palm branches (cf. 1 Macc. 13:51, 141 BC), which had also been prominent at the rededication of the temple (2 Macc. 10:7, 164 BC). Apocalyptic visions of the end utilize palm branches (Testament of Naphtali 5). Palms appear on the coins struck by the insurgents during the Jewish wars against Rome (AD 66-70, 132-135); indeed, the use of the palm as a symbol for Judea was sufficiently well established that the coins struck by the Romans to celebrate their victory also sported it. In short, waving of palm branches was no longer restrictively associated with tabernacles. In this instance, it may well have signalled nationalist hope that a messianic liberator was arriving on the scene (cf. 6:14-15)” (The Gospel According to John, p. 432).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
After a week of self-examination, CPRC confessing members in good standing are called to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Your participation in the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood is in part a witness that you repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ as your only righteousness, and desire to live a new and godly life. As this heavenly food can be taken to one’s judgment (I Cor. 11:28-30) and as the common reception of the Lord’s Supper is a confession of doctrinal unity (Acts 2:42), the elders supervise the partaking of the sacrament. Visitors who are members of other denominations must already have presented to the Council an attestation from their church that they are confessing members in good standing and have received permission from the Council to partake of the Lord’s Supper.
The December Covenant Reformed News is on the back table. Bible reading programmes for 2022 are also available on card stock and standard paper.
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will meet to discuss temporary faith.
Membership Class: Thursday, 11 AM with the Goulds.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Bruinsma is entitled, “By Faith Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons” (Heb. 11:21).
Monday catechism classes: Classes will resume on Monday, 3 January.
Prof. Gritters and Elder Sid Miedema are to be in N. Ireland from 5-14 January. Prof. Gritters will be giving a lecture entitled, “Being the Hand of God: Godly Parenting in an Ungodly World,” on Wednesday, 12 January at 7:30 PM.
The Belgic Confession Class will not meet this Wednesday but will meet again next week, 5 January, when we will begin a study of the nearness of Christ’s return.
Sadly, with all the developments and uncertainty regarding COVID and regulations from the civil government, there will be no congregational dinner on 7 January.
Offerings: General Fund: £521.
Translation Additions: 3 Polish.
PRC News: Rev. J. Langerak (Heritage, SD) accepted the call to Covenant of Grace PRC (Spokane, WA). Rev. Spronk (Faith PRC) has declined calls from both Hudsonville and Doon PRC.
On the Supervision of the Lord’s Table: Close Communion
A letter from John Calvin on the elders’ supervision of the Lord’s table:
“Dearest brothers, since this letter largely relates to individual churches in your midst, we have decided that the most convenient thing to do is to give you our letter to share. We are doing this not so much to avoid labour as to avoid expending so many words uselessly in individual letters, and especially to convince you that we are not saying one thing in one letter and something else in another. We want our consensus to be made known to all equally.
We hear that certain people are displeased when they are questioned about their faith in order that, if they are found to be poorly instructed in the faith, they may be denied admittance to the Lord’s Supper until they have made better progress. To those who are displeased by this strictness of yours, we say that they should not indulge their wickedness or seek indulgence in a matter that concerns their destruction. The apostle’s opinion ought to be well known among Christians, that anyone who eats the Lord’s bread unworthily is considered sacrilegious [1 Cor. 11:27]. For a person to use the bread worthily requires that he should examine himself; the apostle teaches quite clearly that those who are incapable of examining themselves should not approach that table.
Anyone, therefore, who approaches the Lord’s Supper heedlessly, without being instructed beforehand in the faith, arouses God’s anger. Those who are forbidden to approach it for this reason have nothing to complain of, since their salvation is being protected. If everyone were wise, everyone could be his own judge; but because many pay too little attention to themselves, it is expedient that the church have a definite procedure so that it never fails to prevent the sacraments from being profaned.
For everyone to be admitted to the Lord’s Supper, without distinction or selection, is a sign of contempt that the Lord cannot endure. The Lord himself distributed the supper to his disciples only. Therefore anyone not instructed in the doctrine of the gospel ought not to approach what the Lord has instituted. No one should be distressed when his Christianity is examined even down to the finest point when he is to be admitted to the Lord’s Supper. It should be established as part of the total state and system of discipline that ought to flourish in the church that those who are judged unworthy should not be admitted.
We know this seems novel to those who do not maintain a distinction between the yoke of our Lord Jesus Christ and the tyranny of the papacy, but it is your responsibility to search out the Lord’s will and submit yourselves to it, rather than to relax the reins on your desires. Even the example of infidels may inspire us with shame. Granted that they did not show that reverence in their superstitions which we ought to show in the sacraments; they nevertheless acknowledged that those judged to be defiled by some crime should be kept away from their superstitious rites.
When the Lord’s Supper is forbidden to someone, he should not think that he is excluded for all time, or that he has been thrown into a desperate situation. The purpose is for him to humble himself, and for others to learn through him. All this is set forth in the Word of God, and we ask of you through the Lord that you not be ashamed to subject yourselves in a matter that you know to be good and holy.”
Zacharias Ursinus: “To profane the covenant of God, is to commend and recognise those as the confederates, or friends of God, who are his enemies, and to represent God as such an one, as is in league with hypocrites and wicked men” (Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, p. 430).
Van Dellen & Monsma on Article 61 of the Church Order: “… the Reformed Churches from the Reformation era on have held that attendance at the Lord’s Table is not free to all. It is not a matter which is to be left to the judgment of individuals. The office-bearers are guardians over the Lord’s Table. They must only admit those whom they believe to be worthy. Erastus and the Remonstrants—those defending the tenets of Arminianism—held that attendance or non-attendance at the Lord’s Table should be left to the individual conscience” (The Church Order Commentary, p. 390).
Augustus Hopkins Strong: “Open communion logically leads to open church membership, and a church membership open to all, without reference to the qualifications required in Scripture, or without examination on the part of the church as to the existence of these qualifications in those who unite with it, is virtually an identification of the church with the world, and, without protest from Scripturally constituted bodies, would finally result in its actual extinction.”
