Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 3 February, 2013
“Those that be planted in the house of the Lord
shall flourish in the courts of our God” (Ps. 92:13)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
John the Baptist’s Public Ministry (7)
John’s Testimony of Christ’s Baptism [youtube]
Scripture Reading: John 1:1-34
Text: John 1:31-34
I. This Is Part of My Commission
II. The Spirit Descended Like A Dove
III. He Baptizes With the Holy Spirit
Psalms: 84:1-6; 24:1-5; 89:19-26; 2:1-8
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
John the Baptist’s Public Ministry (8)
The Lamb of God [youtube]
Scripture Reading: John 1:19-42
Text: John 1:29-30
I. The Beautiful Name
II. The Glorious Work
III. The Profound Revelation
Psalms: 147:1-10; 24:6-10; 90:1-7; 130:1-8
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart
CPRC website: www.cprc.co.uk
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quote to Consider
J. C. Ryle on John 1:32: “As a Levite, John doubtless was familiar with all the ceremonies by which the Jewish high priests and kings were solemnly inducted into their office. For his satisfaction, therefore, our Lord received visible attestation from heaven, and was publicly recognised as the Messiah, the anointed Priest, and King, and Prophet, before His forerunner’s eyes.”
Dictionary of Biblical Imagery: “Because of the dove’s softness, beauty of feathers and eyes, and affection for and faithfulness to its mate, Song of Songs several times likens the lover to a dove (e.g., Song 1:15; 2:14; 4:1; 5:2, 12; 6:9)” (p. 217).
George Hutcheson: “The virtue and efficacy of Christ’s death doth expiate and take away the sin of the universality of his elect throughout all the world, and is not restricted to Jews only, as these typical sacrifices were, but extended to all his elect among the gentiles also; for he ‘taketh away the sin of the world,’ which is not to be understood of all and every man (for their sins are not taken away), but of his own scattered through the world, and in all ages of it, and particularly as taking in gentiles as well as Jews, as the word ‘world’ is taken, I John 2:2” (The Gospel of John, p. 24).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
The February Covenant Reformed News is available on the back table.
Lucas Hall came home this past Monday. Philip & Susan thank the congregation for all their support and prayers.
Monday Catechism:
6 PM – O.T. Beginners (Bradley & Alex)
6:45 PM – N.T. Juniors (Nathan, Jacob & Joseph)
7:30 PM – Heidelberg (Timothy)
The council meets tomorrow night, 4 February, at 8:15 PM.
The Tuesday morning Bible study will be held this week at 11 AM. We will continue our discussion of “The Nearness of Christ’s Coming.”
The Belgic Confession Class will meet this Wednesday, at 7:45 PM, to continue article 19 on the two natures of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This Friday, 8 February at 7:30 PM, is the lecture on “Calvinism, Hyper-Calvinism and Hypo-Calvinism.” Come and invite others to hear about this crucial topic. Any help with the tea and biscuits provided after the lecture would be appreciated.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s Day (Gospel 846MW at 8:30 AM) with Rev. R. Kleyn continuing a series on Joseph.
Offerings: General Fund – £515.40. Donation: £200.
Website Additions: 2 Esperanto ecumenical creeds, 1 Portuguese and 2 Italian translations.
PRC News: Randolph’s new trio is Revs. Bleyenberg, Griess and VanOverloop.
Family Worship (5)
by J. H. Merle D’Aubigne
(preached in Brussels and published in Paris in 1827)
Thus, then, do you, who, by the grace of God, are well disposed, and have made good resolutions, make an attempt, and be not discouraged; make another still; resort to prayer; ask God to guide you himself, to sustain you, and give you success; ask Jesus Christ to be with you; for “where two or three are gathered together in his name there is he in the midst of them.” But, my brethren, if you wish to erect an altar unto God in your house, you must, first of all, erect one in your own heart. And is there one there? I ask you, my brethren, Is there one? Ah! could I draw back the vail, could I now penetrate into the hearts of those who listen to me, what would I see? Or, rather, O Lord! what must thou see in our hearts—thou, from whom nothing is vailed, and before whom all things are naked and visible!
In your heart, my dear hearer, I see an altar erected to pleasure and worldliness; there you offer up your morning sacrifice; there you sacrifice, especially in the evening; and the incense arising from it intoxicates and bewilders you even at night.
In your heart, my dear hearer, I see an altar erected to the good gifts of this world, to riches, to Mammon.
In yours, my dear hearer, I see an altar consecrated to yourself. You are the idol whom you worship, whom you exalt above every thing else, for whom you wish for all things, and at the foot of whom you would fain see all the world kneel.
My brethren, is there an altar in your hearts erected to the only living and true God? Are you the temple of God, and does God’s Spirit dwell within you? So long as there is no altar erected to God in your souls, there can be none in your houses; “For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?”
Be converted, then, in your hearts! Die to the world, to sin, to yourselves even, and live to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Immortal souls, Christ hath redeemed you at a great price! He gave his whole life on the cross for you. Learn, then, “that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” “Wherefore come out from among idols, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
O happy is that family, my brethren, which has embraced that God who says, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people”! Happy for time, and happy for eternity! How can you hope to meet with those whom you love near Christ in heaven, unless with them you seek Christ on earth? How shall you assemble as a family there, if you have not as a family attended to heavenly things here below? But as to the Christian family which shall have been united in Jesus, it will, without doubt, meet around the throne of the glory of Him whom it will have loved without having seen. It will only change its wretched and perishable dwelling for the vast and eternal mansions of God. Instead of being a humble family of the earth, united to the whole family of heaven by the same ties, it will have become an innumerable and glorious family. It will surround the throne of God with the hundred and forty-four thousand, and will say, as it said on earth, but with joy and glory, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power.”
O, my brethren, if but one father or mother would now resolve to meet together in the presence of the Lord, if one single person not yet bound by domestic ties were to resolve to raise an altar unto God in his house when he shall be so bound, and would, in some future day, so act that abundant blessings would descend upon him and his, I would give thanks unto God for having spoken!
Dear hearer! may the Lord so affect your heart that you may now exclaim, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord!” Amen.
PUBLIC LECTURE
Calvinism, Hyper-Calvinism
and Hypo-Calvinism
What is Calvinism (the biblical truth of God’s sovereign grace) and
how does one determine this? What are the errors of hyper-Calvinism
(over and above Calvinism) and hypo-Calvinism (under and below Calvinism)?
Can you simply define these terms as you wish and call people names—
“Hyper-Calvinist!” or “Hypo-Calvinist!”—if you don’t agree with them?
Come along to hear the truth about scriptural, creedal Calvinism that
honours the Triune God and humbles and comforts His believing people!
Speaker: Rev. Angus Stewart
Date: Friday, 8 February, 2013 at 7:30 PM
at Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence St., Ballymena BT43 5DR
All are invited!
