Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 5 November, 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
The Idea of the Book of Life [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Revelation 17
Text: Revelation 17:8
I. The Writing of the Book of Life
II. The Title of the Book of Life
III. Our Response to the Book of Life
Psalms: 139:13-17; 78:55-60; 69:23-28; 102:13-18
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
The Book of Life in Revelation [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Revelation 20:11-15; 21:22-27; 22:18-21
Text: Revelation 20:12
I. The Book of Life and Ethics
II. The Book of Life and Eschatology
Psalms: 45:1-6; 78:61-66; 87:1-7; 149:4-9
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
John Gill: “… and their ‘names being written therein from the foundation of the world’ (Rev. 17:8) … denotes that election is eternal, and is not an act of time, nor dependent upon anything done in time; and that it is of particular persons, and not of bodies of men, of nations and churches, and still less of propositions, or of persons so and so qualified, or under such conditions and circumstances; and that it is perfectly well known to God, and is sure and certain in its effects, and is unchangeable and irrevocable; for what is written in it, is written, and will always stand, not upon the foot of works, but of the sovereign grace of God; and this is called the Lamb’s book; that is, Christ, who is compared to a Lamb for its harmlessness, meekness, and patience, and was typified by the lambs in the legal sacrifices; and this book is called his, because he was present at the making of it, and was concerned in putting down the names in it (John 13:18), and he himself stands first in it as the elect of God, and the head of all the elect, who, as members, were chosen in him: the act of election was made in him, and stands sure in him; and he is the author and giver of that life, which men are chosen unto both here and hereafter: and he may be said to be ‘slain from the foundation of the world’; in the decree and purpose of God, by which he was set forth, or foreappointed to be the propitiation for sin, and was foreordained, before the foundation of the world, to redeem his people by his blood, and in the promise of God immediately after the fall of man, that the seed of the woman should have his heel bruised, and he himself should bruise the serpent’s head, which made it as sure as if it was then done; and in the sacrifices, which were immediately upon this offered up, and were types of the death and sacrifice of Christ; and in the faith of the saints, which brings distant things near, and considers them as if present; and also in his members, in Abel, and others, in whom he suffered, as he still does in his people; to which may be added, that such is the efficacy of the bloodshed and death of Christ, that it reached to all the saints from the beginning of the world, for the justification of their persons, the atonement of their sins, and cleansing from them; for the remission of sins, that are past, and for the redemption of transgressions under the first testament; for Old Testament saints from the beginning are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, as New Testament ones are.”
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Monday catechism classes, and the Tuesday and Wednesday studies, are cancelled this week. Rev. Stewart will be speaking at a conference near Budapest, Hungary. He and Mary will be in Hungary from Monday through Friday (6-10 November).
The conference in Hungary on the theme “The Local Congregation: Seeking the Welfare of the Church” is to be held on Wednesday-Friday of this week. Rev. Stewart will be speaking on 1) The Importance of the Local Church, 2) The Universal Invisible Church and the Local Church, 3) The Autonomy of the Local Church, 4) Unity Between Individual Churches, 5) Membership in a Local Church.
Ladies Bible Study fellowship meets this Thursday, 9 November, at church at 7:30 PM. We are discussing Psalm 90 from the book A 30-Day Walk With God in the Psalms. All ladies are welcome to join us.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Bruinsma is entitled, “Jehovah Does What Pleases Him” (Ps. 135:5-6).
Offerings: £1,493.52. Donations: £200 (W. Yorkshire), £120 (Co. Down), £50 (Rep. of Ireland).
Translation Additions: 1 Polish and 1 Spanish.
Hope PR Ministry Podcast: “Listen to and follow us on your favourite podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts, by searching for ‘Hope PR Ministry.’ We recently published a series of seven speeches from the 2022 BRF Conference, titled ‘Union with Jesus Christ.’ We believe you will find the content of these speeches both insightful and encouraging, and so encourage you to tune in to these episodes. In the next month, we will be publishing interviews that were conducted on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio. In these interviews, Rev. Stewart discusses the topics of regeneration and man in the image of God. In addition, we continue to publish sermons on Wednesdays and daily devotionals.”
PRC News: Lynden PRC will call from a trio of Revs. Brummel, J. Engelsma and Eriks. Rev. Decker declined the call from Hudsonville PRC. Rev. Eriks declined the call from Georgetown PRC. Loveland PRC called Rev. Eriks. Hope PRC (Redlands, CA) has formed a trio of Revs. Decker, Mahtani and Smidstra.
Scripture Texts on the Book of Life
A. In the Book of Revelation
Rev. 3:5: “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”
Rev. 13:8: “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
Rev. 17:8: “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”
Rev. 20:12: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
Rev. 20:15: “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Rev. 21:27: “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Rev. 22:19: “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
B. In the Rest of Scripture
Ex. 32:32: “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.”
Ps. 69:28: “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.”
Ps. 87:6-7: “The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.”
Isa. 4:3: “And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem.”
Isa. 44:5: “One shall say, I am the Lord’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.”
Jer. 17:13: “O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.”
Eze. 13:9: “And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord God.”
Dan. 12:1: “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”
Luke 10:20: “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
Phil. 4:3: “And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.”
Heb. 12:23: “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.”
