Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 6 October, 2019
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering …” (Col. 3:12)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Stealing: The Sin of Achan [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Joshua 7
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 42
I. The Defeat at Ai
II. The Mourning of Joshua
III. The Punishment of Achan
Psalms: 145:1-8; 115:10-18; 33:12-20; 24:1-6
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Practical Christianity (2)
Asking God for Wisdom [youtube]
Scripture Reading: James 1
Text: James 1:5-8
I. The Continual Need for It
II. The Huge Encouragements to It
III. The Vital Requisite of It
Psalms: 25:8-14; 116:1-8; 37:1-7; 66:12-20
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
Prof. Herman Hanko on James 1:5: “Wisdom is very practical. Wisdom presupposes knowledge. Woe to the man who is always pleading for practical preaching and expresses vehemently his distaste for and impatience with doctrine and the knowledge of the truth. One cannot entrust one’s car to a man who has never done anything else but fix people’s teeth. He must have some knowledge of what makes a car run. Woe to the man who knows no doctrine and yet thinks he can live the Christian life. Woe to the man who tries to cope with the trials of life without any awareness of all the detailed instruction scripture gives concerning suffering” (Faith Made Perfect, p. 21).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Monday catechism classes:
5:30 PM – Angelica, Bradley, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Seniors NT)
6:15 PM – Corey & Katelyn (Juniors OT)
7:00 PM – Alex, Jacob & Nathan (Essentials)
The Council meets tomorrow evening at 7:45 PM.
Tuesday Bible Study meets at 11 AM. We will continue our discussion on the source of faith, looking at the scriptural teaching of the creeds, the errors this exposes and the practical implications, etc.
Belgic Confession class this Wednesday at 7:45 PM will continue with Article 35 considering the physical elements in the Lord’s Supper, including whether we should drink grape juice.
S. Wales Lecture: Rev. McGeown will speak in Margam Community Centre on Thursday, 10 October, at 7:15 PM on “The Development of God’s Covenant (7): Joseph and the Bondage in Egypt.” Remember this witness in your prayers.
Ladies’ Bible Study meets this Friday at 10:30 AM at the church to discuss chapters 4-6 of Respectable Sins.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s Day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Bruinsma is entitled “The Faith of Sarah” (Heb. 11:11-12).
The CPRC Reformation Day Lecture is planned for Friday, 25 October at 7:30 PM. Rev. Stewart will speak on “William Tyndale: English Bible Translator.”
Offerings: General Fund: £934.15
Translation Additions: 2 Hungarian and 7 Tamil (our Reformed forms).
PRC News: Grandville PRC will call a missionary on loan to the CERC of Singapore from a trio of Rev. Eriks, Rev. R. Kleyn and Rev. Mahtani. Pastor-elect Kortus is to be ordained and installed into office today in Redlands, CA, with Rev. Decker officiating. Rev. & Mrs. Griess, Rev. & Mrs. Spronk, and Pete & Dorothy Vander Schaaf are visiting the BERG in Giessen, Germany, on behalf of the Contact Committee.
Man’s Chief End
by Robert C. Harbach
(an excerpt from the Standard Bearer, vol. 58, issue 6)
“My aim in life is in finding happiness!” It seems almost everybody these days says this. There is nothing really wrong in wanting happiness, is there? No, indeed; not if you want to obtain it in the right way. On this note there is much to be said. But pause for a moment and consider that the word “happiness” is not found in our Authorized Version of the Bible. Yet it is still the world’s “best seller” book. (I wonder how that “grabs” modern joy-seekers!) The word “happy” is found in the Bible about twenty-eight times. But the word “obey,” in all its forms, appears there about one hundred forty-six times. Why is that? Isn’t the Lord telling us something in this comparative word emphasis? He sure is! For one thing, as the “happy” texts show, happiness comes to us only in the way of doing right. For example, it comes: in showing mercy to the poor (Prov. 14:21), trusting in the Lord (Prov. 16:20), keeping His law (Prov. 29:18), in knowing and doing the word of Christ (John 13:17), by enduring patiently (James 5:10-11), and suffering for righteousness’ sake (I Pet. 3:14) or for Christ’s sake (I Pet. 4:14). Further, to be happy, would you be willing to sell all that you have and give to the poor? … Do you imagine that you could be happy in any enterprise in which you would not be trusting in the Lord? Is there happiness in any way of sin or transgression of the law of God? Could you be happy in ignorance, in not knowing anything of God’s truth? (Is ignorance bliss?) Could you be happy intellectually knowing the truth, but never having a lick of godly conformity to truth? David has said, “Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk … Teach me to do thy will” (Ps. 143:8, 10). Happiness comes by knowing the way, plus an obedient going in the way. Knowledge without obedience is lame and obedience without knowledge is blind. Therefore, for lasting happiness, divine knowledge and holy obedience may not be separated. Could you be satisfied with a temporary happiness, one which does not endure? Do you imagine happiness would be obtained if only you could succeed in removing all suffering from your life? If happiness comes in the way of suffering for righteousness’ sake and for Christ’s sake, then are there, after all, many, or any, happy people in the world?
It is plain that everybody wants to be happy. But do we realize that we can never attain to happiness by trying to be happy? Make happiness your aim and you will always miss it. For happiness is the child (fruit) born of the inseparable union of its parents, knowledge and obedience. Then happiness is not a goal in itself, but the result of pursuing the right goal. So that that pursuit is not the pursuit of happiness as such, but the pursuit of that which results in happiness. Nor is it according to Scripture that all men are endowed by God with an inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness. Like sleep, keep pursuing it and it keeps eluding you.
Put happiness first and we think like neither Calvinists nor Christians. For the Christian puts first God and how best to worship and serve Him. Cain did not do this. He supposed God could be worshipped and served as he felt was good enough for Him. Actually, though not literally, he offered God the lame and the blind. No wonder he did not know happiness! For Cain’s face fell and he was miserable. He would have done well if only he had sought God’s chief end for man. “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q. & A. 1). Glorifying God must be my chief and only good. When it is, then I shall enjoy Him and that will make me happy. That, too, is the order of the gospel. “Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Cor. 10:31). The glutton has it all wrong—seeking happiness in gorging and swilling. Happiness is to be found in these common and necessary activities only if we enjoy God in them. What is it to glorify God? It is to honour Him, to praise Him, to boast of His wonders, of His lovingkindness and tender mercies, to extol the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvellous light (I Pet. 2:9). It means to make great, to magnify all His magnificent attributes. It means to show God in His essence. Of all the multitude of God’s attributes, they are comprehended in the mass of them we call His glory … We glorify God by showing forth His excellencies, that is, the attributes of His Being, by honest behaviour and good works (I Pet. 2:9, 12). “Happy is that people that is in such a case!” (Ps. 144:15).
We are really, here, speaking of God’s chief end, which is the purpose God had in creating man, and also the ultimate purpose man must always have in conception and conduct. God’s purpose for man is one, with two aspects, namely, to glorify Him and to enjoy Him forever. The catechism does not speak of “all men,” although all men shall certainly glorify Him, whether willingly or unwillingly. Rather, it speaks of man, that is, mankind, namely, elect mankind. Therefore, God’s purpose that man should enjoy Him forever shall surely be realized. It is man, in the Man Christ Jesus, that is ultimately crowned with glory and honour, to have dominion, with all things under his feet (Ps. 8:5-6). It is man as chosen in Christ before the foundation of the universe to be holy and blameless before Him who shall in the way of a holy life enjoy God forever. In this lies the happiness the world neither knows, gives, nor is able to remove.
… The other aspect of man’s chief end is the enjoying of Him forever. What is it to enjoy God? To worship and serve Him, always striving to do so more perfectly (Ps. 27:4; 96:6; Acts 27:23; Rev. 22:3, 9). For never could anyone enjoy God apart from worshipping and serving Him (Ps. 43:4). Those verses in Revelation show that the happiness of heaven consists in worshipping and serving God there. They also reveal how long God is to be enjoyed, namely, forever. If this enjoyment of the eternal God should or could come to an end, it would so spoil present enjoyment as to turn it into nothing more than a forlorn hope. So the glorifying and enjoyment of God are to be considered one, not two ends. There are two aspects of one end, the relation between them being that of cause and effect. Enjoyment of God is the effect of glorifying Him. These two aspects are inseparable, so that we may not seek, neither can find the one without the other (I Pet. 4:11; I Cor. 15:58).
If life oriented to the glory of God and the enjoyment of Him is what really motivates us as Christians, so that we desire no more on earth or in heaven than to worship and serve Him, we ought not to be plagued with bitterness, wrath, anger, resentment, envy, jealousy, foolish talking … indifference, apathy, impoliteness, lack of love, lack of discipline … we are all capable of every bit of it. In many of these things we all offend. We continually stumble and fall into sin. But may we keep short accounts with God to repent, confess and forsake our sins, ask forgiveness for them, and then on our knees give thanks to the Lord for His pardoning mercies. Thank Him that He causes us to know the way in which we should walk. Give thanks that He answers the prayer, “Teach me to do Thy will” by giving us His good Spirit to empower us to do His will. Thank Him that because we are so dead, dull, and slow, He will quicken us to righteousness and bring our soul out of trouble (Ps. 143:8-11). That way we immediately get back on the track to the life motivated to glorify God and to enjoy Him. This way we give heed to the command, “My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments” (Prov. 3:1). Then our life in the Lord’s service will be characterized by calm, fruitful and happy activity.
