Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 2 February, 2014
“But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious,
longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth” (Psalm 86:15)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
The Prophet Jonah (9)
Jonah’s Missionary Call Is Renewed [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Jonah 3
Text: Jonah 3:1-2
I. The Second Call
II. The Same Call
Psalms: 148:1-10; 63:1-5; 51:8-15; 116:7-16
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
God’s Two Church Keys [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 3
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 31
I. What They Are
II. How He Turns Them
Psalms: 81:1-8; 63:6-11; 101:3-8; 95:6-11
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: https://cprc.co.uk/live-streaming/
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quotes to Consider
Hugh Martin: “The gospel, then, that is statedly preached to you, if in any measure faithfully preached, is the word of the unseen God,—the thoughts and will of the King Eternal, Immortal, and Invisible. They come forth through His own Son as the original, the one only authoritative, the perfect Prophet. They are now delivered—the message is handed on and handed round—from Him to the assemblies of His professing, worshipping people, by the lips of men, chosen from among themselves, and chosen by themselves. This is the singular and glorious treasure, that is deposited in earthen vessels; the word of the only wise God. Unless unfaithful to our office, we preach the preaching that the living God hath bidden us” (The Prophet Jonah, p. 254).
James Montgomery Boice: “We often hear the ‘Savior’ characteristics of God stressed—His love, mercy, goodness and so on—but the matter of his lordship is absent. The distortion is particularly clear in evangelism. In modern practice the call to repentance is usually called an ‘invitation,’ which one can obviously accept or refuse. It is offered politely. Seldom do we hear presented God’s sovereign demand to repent or his demand for total submission to the authority of his appointed king, Christ Jesus.”
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Monday Catechism: Bradley, Samuel (Beginners NT) – 5:30PM
Alex, Nathan (Juniors OT) – 6:15PM
Jacob, Joseph (Seniors OT) – 7:00PM
Timothy (Essentials of Reformed Doctrine) – 7:45PM
The Council meets tomorrow evening at 8:30 PM.
Tuesday Bible study meets at 11 AM to conclude our study of Christ’s controversy regarding marriage, divorce and remarriage.
Belgic Confession Class will be held this Wednesday at 7:45 PM as we continue article 23 on the nature of justification.
Ladies Bible Study meets this Friday at 10:30 AM at church to study Abigail. All ladies are welcome to attend.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s Day (Gospel 846MW at 8:30 AM) is entitled “When Things Go From Bad to Worse” (Job 2:1-10).
Upcoming Events:
28 February – lecture in Lurgan: “John Knox and Predestination”
6 March – Rev. Stewart’s S. Wales lecture: “John Knox and Predestination”
Offerings: General – £913.80. Donations: £200 (DVDs), £10 (S. Wales).
Website Additions: 2 Italian translations.
PRC News: Rev. Haak declined the call to Faith PRC.
The Paths of Judgment
Brian D. Dykstra
Proverbs 2:8-9: “He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.”
In the previous verses of Proverbs 2, God has promised that those who seek for His wisdom as one seeks for treasure will come to understand the fear of the Lord. God will give the lasting wisdom He has laid up for His saints and will be the shield of His people.
But are we always totally confident of the future? The shots being fired on the spiritual battle lines will not be fired with less anger. The hatred of the wicked will not transform from burning flames to ash covered embers. The world’s judgment of true Christianity will not be one that will accommodate us and leave us a place in which to live. Earthly peace and security would not appear to be our future lots in life.
Remember, God kept all His promises to His Old Testament saints. He brought them to the promised land while driving out the enemy. He brought them back from captivity. He realized the promise of the coming of the long-awaited Messiah. However, what if He fails to keep just one of His promises, the promise to preserve His church and saints even to the end? What if those saints dressed in white robes and found beneath the altar waiting for God to avenge their deaths, never see that great day?
In Proverbs 2:8, God promises to keep the paths of judgment. My concordance tells me the path mentioned here is the customary road, the road usually travelled. God will watch over and reserve this path for us. He is not suddenly going to change the manner in which His judgment is given by using a new and different path. At the end of this age, He will not suddenly change the law so that the evil are now good in His eyes and the righteous are now evil. The world does this, but not the unchanging God. He walks the customary road.
The judgment of God is coming. The wicked try to deny this. They turn to their drugs, adultery and entertainment to dull or busy their minds so they do not have opportunity to think of God’s judgment. Nevertheless, His judgment will come. Jehovah will form an opinion of each man. He will compare each man to the perfect standard of His law and discern whether that man is good or evil. He will then reward each man according to His works.
We give thanks that we will not stand before this great Judge as our own advocates trying to prove our innocence. No silver-tongued oratory will get us out of this bind. Christ will plead for His elect. Our guilt is taken away, and His perfect obedience is made ours through the gift of faith.
The “way” mentioned near the end of verse eight is the trodden path. It is not the path used by the same person day after day as he goes to the same field to tend his crops or flocks. This is a path that is used by many. We have company on this path, though it sometimes may seem not to be so. God watches over this path to keep us in safety because this is the way of His saints, not the path of every man. The way of the wicked will not be preserved. Their way will be destroyed in His judgment. Their path of evil and deceit disgusts Him. The perfect One will not allow such a way to exist in His presence after the last of His saints has been gathered.
We will understand what righteousness is when God preserves the way of His saints. It is not the way of toleration which the world praises so highly. Anything can be tolerated today, except the Truth. Our culture praises diversity, as long as none of these diverse paths are the way of godliness.
We will know equity as well. Equity is not fairness, at least not as man often uses the term. Equity is what is upright. Again, the standard God uses for equity is His own perfection which is revealed to us in His law.
The path at the end of verse nine is a path used by wagons. It is a broad path with room for many travellers. Apparently we are not alone on this path, though in our times of doubt it can often seem so.
We are encouraged to learn that God will keep the path of judgment and preserve our way. Our students need to be reminded also that although God’s church will number only a relative few in the last days, yet we have the hope of the final victory of God’s cause. Press forward on the way of the saints. Never doubt but that it is the good path. At the end of that path we will hear our Father tell us, “Well done thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
