Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 7 November, 2021
“… walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering
and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Eph. 5:2)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Jesus Is Lord [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Philippians 2
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 13
I. The Meaning
II. The Reward
III. The Calling
Psalms: 118:1-9; 5:8-12; 45:1-7; 119:121-128
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Solomon: Israel’s Wisest King (12)
Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom [youtube]
Scripture Reading: I Kings 3:1-15; II Chronicles 1:1-13
Text: I Kings 3:1-15
I. Its Striking Occasion
II. Its Spiritual Rationale
III. Its Abundant Answer
Psalms: 17:1-6; 6:1-10; 16:1-7; 90:11-17
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 I Kings 3:5-15: “God is well pleased with his own work in his people, the desires of his own kindling, the prayers of his Spirit’s inditing. By this choice Solomon made it appear that he desired to be good more than great, and to serve God’s honour more than to advance his own. Those are accepted of God who prefer spiritual blessings to temporal, and are more solicitous to be found in the way of their duty than in the way to preferment. But that was not all; it was a prevailing prayer, and prevailed for more than he asked … Let young people learn to prefer grace to gold in all that they choose, because godliness has the promise of the life that now is, but the life that now is has not the promise of godliness. How completely blessed was Solomon, that had both wisdom and wealth! … Let us see here, [1.] That the way to obtain spiritual blessings is to be importunate for them, to wrestle with God in prayer for them, as Solomon did for wisdom, asking that only, as the one thing needful. [2.] That the way to obtain temporal blessings is to be indifferent to them and to refer ourselves to God concerning them. Solomon had wisdom given him because he did ask it and wealth because he did not ask it.”
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
On the back table are copies of Rev. Stewart’s letter to the PRC.
Monday catechism classes:
5:00 PM: Jason, Maisie & Sebastian (Juniors NT)
5:45 PM: Eleanora, Felicity, Hannah, Jorja, Penelope, Sammy, Somaya, Sophie, Xander & Yossef (Beginners OT, Book 2)
6:30 PM: Angelica, Bradley, Jack, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Heidelberg, Book 1)
7:15 PM: Alex, Jacob & Nathan (Essentials)
The Council meets tomorrow night at 8 PM at the church.
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will meet to discuss forms of counterfeit or false faith.
The Belgic Confession Class will meet this week Wednesday at 7:30 PM to study the 1,000 years, Gog and Magog, and heaven (Rev. 20).
Membership Class: Thursday, 11 AM with the Goulds.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Bruinsma is entitled, “By Faith Abraham Obeys God’s Call” (Heb. 11:8-10).
Offerings: General Fund: £1,637. Donations: £200 (England), £600 (England), £100 (Malaysia).
Translation Additions: 2 Russian and 2 Polish.
Thank you, ladies, for all the birthday gifts, cards, food and planning that went into the “surprise” party this past Friday. It was great that so many of you were able to come and that we could enjoy a night of fellowship together. Thanks again! Mary
Attitudes (2)
Herman Hoeksema (an excerpt from the Standard Bearer, vol. 17, issue 1)
Closely related to those [attitudes] we have mentioned [last week] are those who assume the attitude of self-complacency and cold indifference. They are people that are really well satisfied with the goal that has been attained, with the actual condition of the church, no matter what it may be. They have no ambition, no zeal for the cause of the kingdom of God. They are self-satisfied. You can never persuade them to do anything in the interest of the church … And there is no need of saying that they are never an asset to the church. You can do nothing with them in any sphere of the church’s activity.
Fifthly, I must call your attention to a type of people that assume the attitude of what is often erroneously styled “broad-mindedness,” the latitudinarian attitude. They are really not broad-minded at all, but rather lacking in definite and well-established convictions. They halt between two or, perhaps, between a dozen or more opinions … We ought to have due respect for the opinions of others. There is some good in every view, no matter how far it may be beside the truth of the Word of God …
The last type of attitude to which I wish to call your attention in this connection is that of the double-minded man. He is, of course, very closely related to the type just mentioned, yet he is also distinct from the “broad-minded” man. James mentions this type when he speaks of the double minded man that is unsteady in all his ways. It is the attitude of those that are never sure whether they would serve the world or confess the Lord in word and walk. They divide their devotion. On Sunday they are with the people of God, on Monday they are friends with the world. They sway to and fro. And as it is with their walk, so it is with their attitude toward the truth. One never knows where they really belong …
These are some of the outstanding types of different attitudes mentioned in Scripture and exemplified in the actual life of the people of God in the world. No doubt, other types could be described than those we characterized above, but these are sufficient to show that the only two possible attitudes of “for” and “against” are not always clearly manifested by those that profess to be of Christ. And it also proves that here we have a calling, a task to perform. I mean that as a church and as a people … we should be careful and diligent to cultivate the proper attitude. What this attitude is we have, in general, already indicated. It is that we love the Lord our God with our whole heart, and with all our mind and soul and strength. It means that we assume an attitude of opposition over against the world and the flesh, and that we walk in a new and holy life. Specifically it implies for us as a Protestant Reformed people, that we embrace the truth, we profess with all our heart and mind and soul, that we consistently reject every heresy repugnant thereto, and that we are faithful to this truth in profession and walk.
If we analyze this attitude I would say that it implies especially three things: single-heartedness, whole-heartedness, and steadfast-heartedness. It implies single-heartedness because the Lord our God is one Lord, Christ is one, the truth is one. It follows that the only proper attitude we may assume with relation to this one God, this one Christ, this one truth is that of single-heartedness in confession and walk. It implies whole-heartedness, because God is God, the Lord, the sole Sovereign of heaven and earth, and His Anointed, our Lord Jesus Christ, is at the right hand of God, and has a name which is above every name. And He is our Lord. We belong to Him with body and soul, for time and eternity. Hence, there can be no division in our devotion and obedience. Whole-heartedness and, therefore, complete consecration of our whole mind and will and all our powers in every relation and in every department of life is the only attitude that may be assumed toward this one Lord of all. We must serve and confess Him always and everywhere. And it implies steadfast-heartedness, because God is Jehovah, the eternal and immutable One, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever, and the truth is unchangeable. Hence, we must be steadfast and unmovable and not be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, assured that our labour shall not be vain in the Lord. And in all this we stand antithetically over against the world and the powers of darkness, fighting the good fight even unto the end, that no one take our crown!
This only proper attitude we are called to cultivate. When I say this I do not mean that this only true attitude is merely a matter of cultivation. Christianity is not a matter of cultivation but of regeneration, of the efficacious operation of the Spirit of Christ and the grace of God in our hearts. The natural man cannot see the kingdom of God. He certainly cannot reform himself and cultivate the only proper attitude over against God and His cause in the world … But the Christian, he that is in Christ Jesus and has become a new creature in Him; who principally stands in the right relation and proper attitude to his God and the things of the kingdom of God; but who has but a small beginning of this new obedience, while he is daily tempted by the flesh, the world and the devil—that Christian has the sacred calling to watch and pray and fight that he may assume and maintain the only proper attitude of being single-heartedly, whole-heartedly and steadfastly “for,” and never “against.”
How this may be done, you ask? In answer to this question I would emphasize in the first place that instruction in and study of the truth is paramount. We must study the Word of God. We must be founded in our Reformed doctrine. This is all important. The ignorant Christian is a weak Christian. The more we grow in the knowledge of the truth, the stronger we will become spiritually, the more firmly rooted will be our convictions, the better we will be able to oppose all false doctrines and reject all heresies. In the second place, I would emphasize that we should study the Word of God prayerfully, and that our whole life should be in the attitude of prayer. Mere intellectual knowledge is not sufficient. It must become spiritual knowledge, so that we spiritually discern, love and appropriate the truth of God in Christ. This can be realized only through the grace of the Spirit, which God will give unto us in the way of prayer. Thirdly, I would emphasize the necessity of close fellowship with the church in which you have a place, faithful attendance of public worship, employment of the means of catechetical instruction, exercise of the fellowship of the saints, active participation in society life … may [these] be a power for good in this task of cultivating and keeping the right attitude. May they … serve as a means to strengthen us in the determination to cultivate that one and only proper attitude: to love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, forsake the world, crucify our old nature and walk in a new and holy life! Be ye therefore steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour shall not be vain in the Lord!
