Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 20 July, 2014
“But our God is in the heavens: he hath done
whatsoever he hath pleased” (Psalm 115:3)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
The Seven Churches in Asia (10)
Laodicea: A Lukewarm Church [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Revelation 3
Text: Revelation 3:14-22
I. The Meaning
II. The Calling
III. The Promise
Psalms: 62:5-8, 11-12; 77:1-6; 14:1-7; 21:1-6
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Murder! [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Romans 12:1-13:5
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 40
I. External Murder
II. Internal Murder
III. The Opposite of Murder
Psalms: 122:1-9; 77:7-13; 63:3-11; 16:1-7
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: https://cprc.co.uk/live-streaming/
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quote to Consider
Herman Hoeksema on the church at Laodicea: “… the church of today begins to reveal an alarming degree of similarity with the church of Laodicea. Also in the church of today there is a goodly measure of self-satisfaction and self-righteousness. The church cries out more loudly than ever: ‘We are rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.’ I am speaking of what calls itself the church in the modern world. Christianity of today boasts that she is waking up to the great task of the church of all ages. We speak of big things. We are going to bring righteousness and peace in society and state, and thus usher in the kingdom of God. It appears that man intends to do so in his own power, which by the way, already miserably fails … The church knows not that she is wretched and miserable and poor and naked” (Behold He Cometh!, pp. 142-143).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
We welcome our Pete & Marilyn Adams (First PRC), Jan and Beth McKerihan, and Sid, Lisa, Lynnae and Laura Miedema (Byron Center PRC) to our worship services today.
On the back of the bulletin is a letter Rev. Stewart wrote to the CERC in Singapore, which is appearing in their church bulletin today.
The new BRF book, Ye Are My Witnesses, has arrived and is available from the bookstore for £5. Copies are on the back table, as is Rev. Stewart’s bi-monthly letter to the PRC.
The Tuesday Bible study meets at 11 AM to look at Christ’s controversies on justification. After this week, there will be no class for three weeks, but we will resume on Tuesday, 19 August.
The BRF Conference begins this Saturday! Those travelling to the conference on the coach and ferry are to be at the CPRC car park at 9:15AM to get to the Stena ferry in Belfast for the 11:30AM sailing (you have to be at the ferry terminal by an hour or so before sailing). We would expect the coach to return to the CPRC car park after the conference (Saturday, 2 August) at about 6:30-6:45PM, if all runs smoothly.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s Day (Gospel 846MW at 8:30 AM) is entitled “Prayer From a Whale’s Belly” (Jonah 2).
Next Sunday (27 July), Elder Brian Crossett is to lead the services and a DVD of PR sermons will be on the projector screen. Prof. Hanko is to preach for us at both services on Sunday, 3 August.
Offerings: General – £530.60.
Website Additions: 2 Italian, 2 Hungarian, 1 Tagalog and 1 Afrikaans translations were added.
PRC News: Rev. Key received the call to be missionary to the Philippines. Doon PRC, Faith PRC and First PRC have all extended calls to Candidate Engelsma.
Dear saints in the CERC,
It has now been over two months since the lovely week that Mary and I spent in your midst (29 April – 6 May). We enjoyed getting to know you and the history, struggles, strengths, joys and ways of your congregation. We hope and pray that our fellowship with you will deepen and grow. As you know, when we were in Singapore, we discussed the possibility of a sister-church relationship between the CPRC and the CERC. Since returning to N. Ireland, neither your congregation nor ours has been idle in this regard.
Your pastor, Rev. Lanning has written six letters to our church which were printed on the back of six CPRC Sunday bulletins. In these, he explained our doctrinal and creedal unity, for we share the same major and minor confessions. It is crucial that Reformed churches seeking to form an official relationship are faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ in doctrine, sacraments, discipline, government, worship, preaching and catechizing. Your minister also discussed the practices of the CERC, the benefits of a sister-church relationship, the ways in which we do and can help each other, etc.
In order to familiarize the CPRC with you, I wrote about the CERC in my last two bimonthly letters (16 May & 18 July), Salt Shakers were given out, and members were pointed to your website (www.cerc.org.sg) and Standard Bearer articles on the witness in Singapore. To the best of my knowledge, we discussed a relationship with you in the homes of all the saints in family visitation (26 May onwards). At our Annual General Meeting (AGM), I gave a presentation on the CERC and fielded questions (23 June). I also introduced the CERC in our mission work, the Limerick Reformed Fellowship (LRF), after its morning worship service (8 June).
The results have been uniformly positive. The saints here are very interested in having a sister-church relationship with you. The same goes for the CPRC Council (consisting of one minister, two elders and two deacons) and our missionary, Rev. McGeown. The council has discussed the CERC at all three of its meetings since my return from Singapore. As far as we are concerned, it only remains to discuss the nature of our sister-church relationship, assuming you are still willing. Any agreement we come to would then be brought to the Synod of the PRC, for part of our mutual sister-church relationship with them is that we inform (and seek approval from) their broadest assembly regarding any official relationships we establish.
Soon Lisa Ong will be joining many members of the CPRC, LRF and PRC (and others) at the British Reformed Fellowship (BRF) Conference in Scotland (26 July – 2 August). She will be our first Singaporean conferee for 20 years! Eunice and Christine, her mother and sister, will also be joining the conference for a day. Later, Lisa and her parents will be staying with Mary and me at the CPRC manse (23 – 28 August). Thereafter, Lisa will be studying for some months at the University of Limerick and joining with the saints in the LRF. Such face-to-face contact is vital.
Rev. McGeown enjoyed his fellowship with Elder Lee Kong Wee at Synod 2014 and the Chinese dishes he shared with CERC saints in Grand Rapids at the time. Soon the CPRC webmaster is to receive your recent Chinese translations of several Covenant Reformed News articles. Daisy Lim of the CERC Bookstore ordered 100 copies of Ye Are My Witnesses, a BRF book authored by Profs. Hanko and Engelsma, and produced by the CPRC with help from the RFPA. This excellent new work was published just a couple of days ago. These are just some ways in which we have assisted each other in the Lord recently.
May the Lord guide our churches into a deeper relationship, institutionally and organically, in the days ahead for the good of both our congregations, the advancement of His kingdom and the glory of His name.
In Christ,
Rev. Angus Stewart
