Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 16 February, 2025
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
The Old Testament Offerings (3)
The Sin Offering [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Leviticus 4:22-5:13
Text: Leviticus 4:22-5:13
I. The Need for the Sin Offering
II. The Name of the Sin Offering
III. The Newness of the Sin Offering
Psalms: 130:1-8; 119:17-24; 19:9-14; 119:57-64
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
The Old Testament Offerings (4)
The Ritual of the Sin Offering [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Leviticus 4:1-21
Text: Leviticus 4:1-21
I. Two Distinctive Features
II. Outside the Camp
III. Inside the Tabernacle
Psalms: 26:6-12; 119:25-32; 40:6-8, 11-13; 27:4-7
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
Andrew Bonar on Leviticus 4:5-6: “The blood is to be thoroughly exhibited before the Lord—life openly exhibited as taken to honour the law that had been violated. It is not, at this time, taken within the veil, for that would require the priest to enter the Holy of holies—a thing permitted only once a year. But it is taken very near the mercy-seat—it is taken ‘before the veil,’ while the Lord that dwelt between the cherubim, bent down to listen to the cry that came up from the sin-atoning blood. Was the blood sprinkled on the veil? Some say not, but only on the floor, close to the veil. The floor of the Holy Place was dyed in blood; a threshold of blood was formed, over which the high priest must pass on the day of atonement, when he entered into the most Holy, drawing aside the veil. It is blood that opens our way into the presence of God; it is the voice of atoning blood that prevails with Him who dwells within. Others, however, with more probability, think the blood was sprinkled on the veil. It might intimate that atonement was yet to rend that veil; and, as that beautiful veil represented the Saviour’s holy humanity (Heb. 10:20), how expressive was the continual repetition of this blood-sprinkling seven times! As often as the priest offered a sin-offering, the veil was wet again with blood which dropt on the floor. Is this Christ bathed in the blood of atonement? Yes; ‘through that veil’ the way was opened to us—through the flesh of Jesus—through the body that for us was drenched in the sweat of blood.”
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Monday catechism classes:
5:00 PM: Hannah, Penelope & Xander (Seniors OT)
5:45 PM: Grace, Jonas, Liam & Sammy (Beginners OT – Book 2)
6:30 PM: Eleanora, Felicity, Jorja & Sophie (Juniors OT)
7:15 PM: Jason, Kyan, Maisie & Sebastian (Heidelberg Catechism – Book 1)
8:00 PM: Bradley, Jack, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Essentials)
Tuesday Bible study will meet this week at 11 AM to look more at the significance of Antioch in Syria, the sending church for Paul’s three missionary journeys.
The Belgic Confession class will meet on Wednesday at 7:30 PM to consider Antichrist’s impressive skill set.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Haak is entitled, “Jesus Is My Saviour” (Matt. 1:21).
Offerings: £2,245.50.
Translation Additions: 1 Dutch, 1 French, 1 Italian, 2 Polish, 1 Russian, 1 Spanish and 4 Urdu.
PRC News: Lynden PRC called Rev. Eriks. Southwest PRC called Rev. Maatman. Hudsonville PRC will call from a trio of Revs. Engelsma, D. Holstege and Prof. Huizinga
Integrity
Rev. Dale Kuiper in the Standard Bearer, vol. 72, issue 4
Are you a person of integrity? Perhaps we think of integrity only in certain limited spheres: a business man must stand behind his product, a researcher must have intellectual honesty, a reporter must present the facts of a case or an event. But the Bible makes clear that every child of God is to demonstrate integrity in every sphere of life. This word is found sixteen times in the Old Testament; although the New Testament does not contain the word, it expands on the idea in several places.
The Hebrew word has the basic meaning of completeness, wholeness and simplicity. Then the word takes on the moral values of perfection, innocence, and uprightness, but always from the point of view of consistency. The person of integrity displays a moral consistency that begins within the heart and proceeds outward without any change. Integrity implies homogeneity of such a high order that wherever you look at a person, or however a person reveals himself, you see the same thing. The plural of the Hebrew word is thummim. On the breastplate of the high priest were placed the Urim (lights) and Thummim (perfections), objects which were used to reveal the will of God for Israel in a certain matter (Ex. 28:30). Although we do not know the method of using these things, the idea of wholeness, completeness and perfection is strongly present.
God informed Solomon that David his father walked in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do all God’s commandments (I Kings 9:4). Though Job lost all, he still held fast his integrity, being a perfect and upright man who feared God and eschewed evil (Job 2:3). David dared to ask God to judge him according to his righteousness and the integrity that was in him (Ps. 7:8). Even though the enemy is deceitful, David will walk in his integrity (Ps. 26:11). He confesses that he is able to do this because God upholds him in his integrity (Ps. 41:12). God chose David to feed Israel, and David did this with integrity of heart and skilfulness of hands (Ps. 78:72). Integrity is a safe guide (Prov. 11:3). The poor man who has integrity is better than a rich fool (Prov. 19:1). When the just man walks with integrity, his children are blessed after him (Prov. 20:7).
The prophets warned Israel when she lived a segregated rather than an integrated life. In Hosea 7:8, we read that Ephraim (the kingdom of the ten, northern tribes) is a cake not turned. The life of this nation revealed that she was spiritually inconsistent; she was as a cake that is baked to a golden brown on one side, but on the other side and within she is raw dough. In God’s judgment, she was unpalatable and the reason for this was that Ephraim mixed himself among the people (heathen). Isaiah 1 records God’s complaint over Judah’s outward, religious exactitude. Their sacrifices, feasts and prayers were unacceptable to God, because their hearts were not right with Him. Such a lack of integrity, consistency and uprightness that the prophet must call Israel Sodom and Gomorrah, and liken Jerusalem to a harlot.
Jesus had the same thing in mind when He called the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites! Outwardly they appeared righteous, but inwardly they were full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Pretty hard to distinguish a hypocrite from an unturned cake. The inner life of heart, mind and soul was not integrated with their words and deeds. Foolishly and sinfully, they tried to separate the law from the gospel, Moses from Christ, the heart from the hand. Woe to those who lack integrity! James says to all outward professors of Christianity, “Show me thy faith without thy works [if you can], and I will show thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18). For faith without works is dead, unprofitable and inconsistent. The beloved disciple instructs us that “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar” (I John 4:20); and “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (I John 3:18). The ninth commandment of God’s holy law requires spiritual consistency or integrity, according to Lord’s Day 44: “That even the smallest inclination or thought, contrary to any of, God’s commandments, never arise in our hearts; but that at all times we hate all sin with our whole heart, and delight in all righteousness.”
The whole law was fulfilled for us by Jesus Christ, the Man of perfect integrity. The zeal of His Father’s house consumed Him. He had meat to eat that the disciples did not know, and that was to do the will of Him that sent Him and to finish His work (John 4:32-34). With complete self forgetfulness, with undivided heart and, unswerving will, He was always about His Father’s business (Luke 2:49).
Perhaps the best test for integrity is to ask oneself these questions: Do I behave myself the same way when I am alone as when I am with others? When I am among the worldly as when I am with the saints? When I am on vacation as when I am at home? If we can say yes, we have integrity!
