Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
Ballymena
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 20 July, 2003
“I was glad when they said unto me, Let
us go into the house of the Lord.”
(Psalm 122:1)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Scandalizing One of Christ’s Little Ones
Matthew 18:6-7
I. The Meaning of Scandal
II. The Necessity of Scandal
III. The Punishment for Scandal
Psalms: 140:1-5; 77:13-16; 106:32-39; 119:161-168
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Good News for Households
Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 27, Acts 16:30-34
I. The Promise for Households
II. The Baptism of Households
Psalms: 146:1-7; 77:17-20; 103:13-18; 22:27-31
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:
James Durham: “The effect of a scandal is to grieve and make others heavy, and so any indifferent action which is apt to do that, is a scandal (as we may see [in] Rom. 14:15); because it mars their spiritual comfort, weakens them in love to us, faints them in the doing of duty, at least mars the cheerfulness in it, etc., and so is against charity, and becomes a breach of the Sixth Command … Things become offensive when they prove obstructive to the edification of others, and (Rom. 14:21), do make them weak, or infirms them, not only by fainting and weighting them, as is said before, but by confounding them in the truth or practices of religion, whereby they are either shaken in their former assurances, and so weakened, or made doubtful whether such things are duties and truths or not…” (Concerning Scandal, pp. 14, 15).
Prof. Herman Hanko: “… in answering that question of the jailer, Paul also speaks of the salvation of the jailer’s house. Paul does not say: You, jailer, believe and you will be saved; and presently, if your house also believes, they too will be saved. Quite the contrary is true. Paul clearly states that if the jailer believes, not only he will be saved, but also his household. In other words, the salvation of the jailer will be also the salvation of his household” (We and Our Children, p. 48).
Dr. Gregg Strawbridge: “Was it coincidence that virtually all of the newly reached Gentile households were baptized? Acts is a selective history of thousands of examples of baptism over the first few decades of the church. It would be incredible to believe that Luke recorded the only household baptisms in the entire apostolic period! On the contrary, Luke does not present these household baptisms as though they were extraordinary just because they were household baptisms. Rather, this was the routine practice of the apostolic church as the gospel went to Gentile families. The gospel and its outward sign went to families because it was families that were to be saved. Most evangelicals know the answer to the Biblical question, ‘What must I do to be saved?’—‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved.’ But that’s not the answer to the Bible, rather, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household’ (Acts 16:31). Contrary to this, consider the individualistic practice of baptism in baptistic churches today. Those who deny the baptism of the children of believers simply do not conform their practice to the facts of apostolic Christianity” (BRJ, no. 37, pp. 15-16).
Announcements:
5-a-side football is arranged for this Friday, 8-9 PM, at the Antrim Forum.
The Reformed Witness Hour next Lord’s Day, 27 July, (8:30-9:00 AM, on Gospel 846AM/MW) is “Our Prayer for Divine Examination” (Ps. 139:23-24).
Last week’s offerings: £420.10. Donation: a scanner.
PRC News: Rev. Gritters (Hudsonville) accepted the call to be professor in the PRC seminary. Rev. Terpstra (Holland) declined the call to be the 2nd missionary in Ghana. Rev. Bruinsma (Kalamazoo) declined the call to Byron Center. Southeast called Candidate Langerak.
