Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 16 February, 2020
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering …” (Col. 3:12)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Not Despising One of Christ’s Little Ones [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:1-20
Text: Matthew 18:10-14
I. Guarded by the Angelic Host
II. Sought by the Good Shepherd
III. Preserved by the Father’s Will
Psalms: 92:1-8; 124:1-8; 34:1-10; 113:1-9
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
The Kingdom of God Versus the Kingdoms of Man (5)
The God Who Reveals Secrets [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Daniel 2:10-30
Text: Daniel 2:19-30
I. Blessed by Daniel
II. Proclaimed to Nebuchadnezzar
Psalms: 95:1-6; 125:1-5; 75:3-10; 25:8-14
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
Matthew Henry on Daniel 2:14-23: “We ought in prayer to look up to God as the God of heaven, a God above us, and who has dominion over us, to whom we owe adoration and allegiance, a God of power, who can do everything. Our saviour has taught us to pray to God as our Father in heaven. And, whatever good we pray for, our dependence must be upon the mercies of God for it, and an interest in those mercies we must desire; we can expect nothing by way of recompense for our merits, but all as the gift of God’s mercies.”
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
On the back table are the February Covenant Reformed News and free Protestant Reformed Theological Journals.
Monday catechism classes:
5:30 PM – Angelica, Bradley, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Seniors NT)
6:15 PM – Corey & Katelyn (Juniors OT)
7:00 PM – Alex, Jacob & Nathan (Essentials)
7:45 PM – membership class
Tuesday Bible Study meets at 11 AM at the Kennedys to discuss the knowledge of faith.
Belgic Confession class meets on Wednesday at 7:45 PM to consider Anabaptist views of the state and “the Perfection of Christ” (Article 36).
This Friday is our annual congregational dinner at The Thatch in Broughshane. Please arrive from 7 PM onwards so that we are ready to eat by 7:30 PM.
Men’s Bible study meets this Saturday at 8 PM at the Kennedys to discuss Acts 19.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s Day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. R. Kleyn is entitled, “May God’s Kingdom Come” (Luke 11:2).
S. Wales Lecture: Rev. McGeown will give a lecture on “The Canon of Sacred Scripture” at Margam Community Centre on Thursday, 27 February, at 7:15 PM.
The Council’s next meeting is Monday, 2 March, at 7:45 PM.
The 2020 BRF Conference will be held at Castlewellan Castle from 11-18 July. Booking forms are on the back table. Rooms are filling quickly, so book in today!
Offerings: General Fund: £745.20. Donation: £200 (England).
Translation Addition: 3 Spanish.
PRC News: The Young Calvinists will be hosting a Talking Points Lecture on Saturday, 14 March from 2-4 PM (7-9 PM, GMT) at Georgetown PRC. Seminarian Josiah Tan will speaking on “Evangelism and the Covenant: How These Two Doctrines Come Together in the PRC’s Sister Church in Singapore.” This interactive workshop will be live-streamed to our churches in and out of state! We encourage you to Facebook message us with any questions on local evangelism that you would like addressed by our speaker.
Fellowship With God
Rev. Gise VanBaren
(an excerpt from an article in The Standard Bearer, volume 60, issue 11)
The truth concerning man’s relation with God is one which deserves our attention and our understanding. Nothing can be more important than one’s standing before God. It is very literally a matter of life and death.
There is a relationship of fellowship between God and His people. That relationship has been called a “covenant relationship.” This concept is fundamental unto a proper understanding of our duties and responsibilities before God and with men. Within the church it becomes very plain that some sort of beautiful relationship exists between God and this people of His church. It is also to be clearly understood that this relationship exists only because of and through the cross of Jesus Christ.
“Covenant” involves a coming together, a dwelling under one roof. The term emphasizes that God and His people have a basis for unity. This, we believe, is the purpose of God’s revelation outside of Himself—that a people might eternally dwell with Him in Christ.
This covenant with God must not be misunderstood. Many use the term “covenant” rather freely—while defining it in an unscriptural way. Some have regarded the covenant of God with men as a form of alliance. As two nations might sign an agreement for cooperation with mutual stipulations, so the covenant of God with man is presented. God will perform His part of the agreement provided that man carries out his part.
Connected with that, the covenant is presented as a way to an end. It is become the way to attain glory. It is, so it is said, God’s arrangement whereby He, with man’s assistance, will get some into heaven. With man’s obedience and cooperation, God will be able to save him and exalt him to the glory of heaven.
Rather, it is the teaching of Scripture that God’s covenant with man is itself the purpose and end of God’s grand design of creating all things and redeeming His people in Jesus Christ. God’s covenant with man is not an after-thought …
The full, glorious realization of this covenant relationship will be seen in heaven. There, the purpose of God will be fulfilled when His people can perfectly and forever have communion and fellowship with God. This is the goal which God has in mind …
This covenant fellowship is already enjoyed by the child of God in this earth. He has the opportunity to speak with God through prayer. He has the desire and opportunity to read His Word. He knows that God speaks to him through His Word and by His Spirit. There is the foretaste of eternal fellowship already now. This is the essence of eternal life, as Jesus taught, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).
The reason that God determines that this shall be the essence of the glory of heaven is that it is His pleasure to reveal outside of Himself to His people that glorious relationship which exists within the Triune God eternally. God, after all, plans all things in order to show within His creation the beautiful fellowship which exists in the Trinity between Father, Son and Spirit.
Though it is difficult for mere creature to comprehend, we confess that there is in God eternal communion of the three Persons in one Being. That is life—the life of God. Without that interaction, there could be no living God. Were He not three Persons in eternal fellowship, there would have been no creation and no salvation. Jesus spake of this eternal fellowship in John 5:19-20 … This covenant life of fellowship which eternally exists within God is the basis for the manifestation of covenant life between God and His people in Christ. God would show, in the highest way possible, the wonder and glory of that fellowship.
One recognizes through all of Scripture how wonderfully God shows this covenant when He created all things, and now redeems His creation and people through Christ. The truth concerning the establishment of this covenant between God and His people, a truth often ignored, is that God Himself establishes it. It is not a cooperative effort, not an agreement between God and man. Rather, God Himself establishes His covenant. He showed this great truth to Abraham in Genesis 15:9-18 in response to the question of Abraham, “Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit the land of Canaan?” God commanded him to take three animals and a dove and young pigeon. The animals were to be divided in half. Normally, when a covenant or agreement was made, the participating parties would together pass between the divided animals. In this case there was an obvious difference. When it was dark, Abraham saw a smoking furnace and burning lamp pass between the pieces—signifying the presence of God passing between. But Abraham, with whom the covenant was established, did not pass between the parts. What did that mean? It pointed to the wonderful fact that the establishment of God’s covenant with Abraham and all his spiritual seed was through the power and act of God alone—and not with the help of men. The covenant is established by God Himself.
God further pointed out in Scripture that, after the fall, the covenant is possible only through the blood of the Lamb. In Genesis 17:10, God spake to Abraham, “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.” This circumcision, the shedding of blood, pointed to the truth that the covenant can be established only in the way of shed blood—ultimately of Christ Himself on the cross. For God will establish a relationship with His people only in the way of having their sins covered—thus satisfying the just demands of the righteous God. Other Scripture confirms this same wonderful truth.
Another important truth which God had revealed concerning this covenant is that it would continue in the line of generations. The covenant was not made with single individuals haphazardly gathered from the peoples of the earth. Rather, God would fellowship with His people and their spiritual seed. Already to Abraham God had said, “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generation for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee” (Gen. 17:7). The same truth was repeated in the New Testament when Peter declared in Acts 2:39 at Pentecost, “For the promise is unto you and to your children …” This fact explains the church’s emphasis not only on the covenant, but also upon covenantal instruction of the youth and their baptism in infancy.
This covenant which God Himself establishes through Christ is the basis for hope and comfort for the child of God. Surely, first, there is no fear or terror of that One with whom we can now have fellowship and communion. God is God. He is just and righteous in all of His ways. He will not allow sin to go unpunished. But He has also provided the way of redemption—the cross. Now in communion with God, we can enjoy guidance and encouragement in our earthly journey to glory.
There is also assurance of God’s blessings daily. Those who enjoy a covenant-relationship with God, can do so because He bestows all spiritual blessings upon His people …
