Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 9 July, 2023
“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed,
and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Administration of the Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper—A Seal! [youtube]
Scripture Reading: I Corinthians 11:17-34
Text: I Corinthians 11:23-26
I. Christ’s Gifts
II. Our Activities
Psalms: 145:1-8; 71:15-19; 34:1-10; 116:9-19
Evening Service – 6:00 PM – Applicatory
Nehemiah, a Man Who Sought the Welfare of Israel (12)
The Feast of Trumpets by the Water Gate [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 7:73b-8:18
Text: Nehemiah 8:1-12
I. The Holy Day
II. The Wonderful Scene
III. The Godly People
Psalms: 122:1-9; 71:20-24; 81:1-8; 119:33-40
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 Nehemiah 8:7-8: “It is requisite that those who hear the word should understand it, else it is to them but an empty sound of words … It is therefore required of those who are teachers by office that they explain the word and give the sense of it … With great attention and a close application of mind: The ears of all the people were unto the book of the law (Neh. 8:3), were even chained to it; they heard readily, and minded every word. The word of God commands attention and deserves it. If through carelessness we let much slip in hearing, there is danger that through forgetfulness we shall let all slip after hearing.”
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
After a week of self-examination, CPRC confessing members in good standing are called to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Your participation in the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood is in part a witness that you repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ as your only righteousness, and desire to live a new and godly life. As this heavenly food can be taken to one’s judgment (I Cor. 11:28-30) and as the common reception of the Lord’s Supper is a confession of doctrinal unity (Acts 2:42), the elders supervise the partaking of the sacrament. Visitors who are members of other denominations must already have presented to the Council an attestation from their church that they are confessing members in good standing and have received permission from the Council to partake of the Lord’s Supper.
The Council has granted permission to Pete & Marilyn Adams to partake of the Lord’s Supper with us this morning. They are members in good standing of First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Sadly, the membership papers of Ivan Ortu have been sent to his home.
Family visitation on Monday (10 July):
1:30 PM – I. Mawhinneys (Crossett/Rev. Stewart)
2:30 PM – Richard (Crossett/Rev. Stewart)
3:30 PM – W. J. Mawhinneys (Crossett/Rev. Stewart)
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will continue our discussion of the alleged grounds for “subsequence” in the Pentecostal/Charismatic doctrine of the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Bruinsma is entitled, “Watching for Christ’s Return” (I Thess. 5:1-6).
Offerings: £2,641.05. Donations: £44 (Massachusetts, USA), £200 (Yorkshire).
Translation Additions: 1 Afrikaans and 1 Spanish.
PRCP Young People’s retreat (a joint retreat by Berean PRC and All of Grace Protestant Reformed Fellowship in the Philippines) is set for 3-6 August wth theme: “Ye Are the Salt and Light of the World” (Matthew 5:13-14). It will be held at Leivy Lance Resort, Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija.
A PRCA Seminary-sponsored course on Christian discipline begins this week, on Wednesday, July 12, 7PM at Hudsonville PRC. Prof Gritters will teach regarding the important topic of Christian Discipline. All are welcome to attend or watch the livestream from Hudsonville PRC’s web-site. This week’s class will explain seven ways in which all God’s people are privileged and called to participate in discipline, and how discipline may not and cannot be exercised only by elders.
“The Short Examination of Faith” (a sixteenth-century preface to the Dutch Reformed Lords’ Supper form)
All those who are committed to the congregation of God and desire to be admitted to the Lord’s supper must first be instructed in the articles of the Christian faith from God’s Word. The form and manner of such instruction in the churches is to be that which is deemed most edifying.
So when they have attained a basic understanding and confession of the articles of the faith, they are to be asked whether there remain any doubts (regarding the doctrine) so that they may be satisfied. If they answer in the affirmative, one tries to satisfy them from holy Scripture.
When their doubts are dispelled, ask them if they intend to remain committed to the aforesaid doctrine, to forsake the world and to lead a godly life.
Finally, ask if they are also willing to submit themselves to the discipline of the church. When they have promised this, then admonish them to peace, love, and unity with everyone, and to reconcile with anyone with whom they may have unfinished business.
John Calvin in “A Short Treatise on the Lord’s Supper”
If we wish, then, to communicate worthily in the sacred Supper of our Lord, we must hold in firm and hearty confidence the Lord Jesus Christ as our sole righteousness, life and salvation, receiving and accepting the promises which are given us by Him as certain and assured; renouncing on the other hand all other confidence, in order that, distrusting ourselves and all other creatures, we may rest fully in Him and content ourselves with His grace alone. Now because this cannot be, unless we recognize the need for Him to assist us, it is of importance that we be also sharply touched to the very heart with a true feeling of our misery, to make us hunger and thirst after Him. In fact, what a mockery it would be to come without appetite to look for food. Now to have a good appetite, it is not enough that the stomach be empty; it is necessary that it be in good order and capable of receiving nourishment. Hence then it follows that our souls ought to be oppressed by famine and to have desire and ardent longing to be fed, in order to find their proper nourishment in the Supper of the Lord. Moreover, it is to be noted that we cannot desire Jesus Christ without aspiring to the righteousness of God, which consists in self-denial and obedience to His will. For it is absurd to pretend to be of the body of Christ while we abandon ourselves to all licence and lead a dissolute life. Since in Christ there is nothing but chastity, benignity, sobriety, truth, humility and all like virtues, if we desire to be His members, all uncleanness, arrogance, intemperance, falsehood, pride and like vices must be put far from us. For we cannot mingle these things with Him, without doing Him grave dishonour and affront. We must always remember that there is no more agreement between Him and iniquity than between light and darkness. Here, then, is how we should come to Him in true repentance, in the remembrance that our life is to be conformed to the example of Jesus Christ. While this should be general in all parts of our life, yet it has a special application to charity, which is above all recommended to us in this sacrament; for which reason it is called the bond of charity. For as the bread, which is there sanctified for the common use of us all, is made of many grains so mixed together that one cannot be discerned from the other, so ought we to be united among ourselves in one indissoluble friendship. What is more: we all receive there the same body of Christ, in order that we be made members of it. If we have, then, dissensions and discords among us, it is not our fault if Jesus Christ is not rent in pieces; and we shall be guilty of a like sacrilege, as if we had done it. We must then not at all presume to approach, if we bear any hatred or rancour against living man, and especially any Christian who may be within the unity of the church. To fulfil completely the order of our Lord, we must bring another disposition. It is to confess with the mouth and to testify how much we are indebted to our Saviour, and to render thanksgiving to Him, not only that His name be glorified in us, but also that others be edified and instructed by our example, what they ought to do.
But because not a man will be found on earth, who has so advanced in faith and sanctity of life, that he does not still have much infirmity in one or other, there might be a danger that some good consciences be troubled by what has been said, if one did not obviate it by moderating the commands which we have imposed concerning both faith and repentance. It is a perilous method of teaching that some adopt, to demand a perfect confidence of heart and a perfect penitence, and to exclude all who do not have them. For in so doing, all are excluded without exception. Were it so, who can boast of being untouched by all mistrust? or of being subject to no vice or infirmity? Truly the children of God have only such faith, that they have always need to pray that the Lord help their unbelief. For it is a malady so rooted in our nature that we are never quite cured until we are delivered from this prison of our body. Moreover, they walk in purity of life of such a kind that they need to pray daily both for remission of sins and for grace to make better progress. Though some be more imperfect and others less, yet there is no one who does not fail in many respects. Hence the Supper would be not only useless to us all, but also pernicious, if we had to bring an integrity of faith or life in which there was nothing with which to find fault. This is contrary to the intention of our Lord, for there is nothing given to His church that is more salutary. Therefore, when we feel our faith to be imperfect, and our conscience not so pure as not to accuse us of many vices, this must not hinder us presenting ourselves at the Holy Table of our Lord; provided that amid this infirmity we feel in our heart that, without hypocrisy and deceit, we hope for salvation in Christ, and desire to live according to the rule of the gospel …
