Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 8 September, 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
The Idolatry of Micah and Dan (6)
Micah’s Confrontation with the Danites [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Judges 18:7-26
Text: Judges 18:21-26
I. His Idolatrous Protest
II. His Neighbour’s Support
III. His Pathetic Return
Psalms: 96:1-7; 110:1-7; 27:1-5; 73:23-28
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Thou Shalt Not Murder [youtube]
Scripture Reading: I John 2:1-11; 3:7-18
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 40
I. The Wide-Ranging Prohibition
II. The Implied Calling
Psalms: 147:1-8; 111:1-5; 10:7-12; 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: www.cprc.co.uk/live-streaming
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quote to Consider
Herman Hoeksema: “Only by grace can we even begin to keep the sixth commandment. By nature we hate God, and by that same nature we hate one another. By nature we mean to destroy the living God, and by that same nature we mean to destroy the neighbor. But by the power of the grace of God in Jesus Christ, we have a small beginning of the new obedience, according to which we love God, love one another, and love the neighbor as ourselves for God’s sake, even when he stands against us as an enemy and means to destroy us. By that same grace we fight the good fight also against our own old murderous natures. We put off the old man, put on the new man, and walk antithetically in a world of darkness as children of the light” (Love Thy Neighbor for God’s Sake, p. 81).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
The Wingham Wire is on the back table today.
A vote by male confessing members to approve/disapprove David Crossett for a 3-year term as deacon will be held immediately after the worship service this evening.
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, starting with Lesson 13B)
7:45 PM – membership class
Tuesday Bible Study meets at 11 AM to conclude our discussion on the prophecy of Gentiles as priests and Levites in Isaiah 66, etc.
Belgic Confession class resumes this Wednesday at 7:45 PM with Article 35 on the Lord’s Supper.
Ladies’ Bible Study meets this Friday at 10:30 AM at the church to discuss chapters 1-3 of the book Respectable Sins.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s Day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Haak is entitled “Youth, Remember” (Ecc. 12:1).
Lord’s Supper dates: 29 September and 29 December.
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.”
Offerings: General Fund: £857.60. Building Fund: £188.60. Donation: $150.
Translation Additions: 2 German, 1 Mongolian and 1 Ovambo (a language of SW Africa).
PRC News: Candidate Matt Kortus accepted the call to Redlands PRC and Candidate Jacob Maatman accepted the call to Southeast PRC.
The Power of the Tongue (1)
Brian D. Dykstra
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Prov. 18:21).
We don’t think of the tongue as being powerful. When we think of the powerful muscles of our bodies, we think of thighs and biceps. Some young athletes do weight training to develop strong thighs and biceps. However, nobody checks online for workout programs to develop a powerful tongue. The Bible tells us the tongue is the most powerful member of the body. In fact, it is so powerful, it holds life and death. This power comes from our ability to use the tongue to speak.
The spoken word is not that impressive to us. Right now as I present this speech, my diaphragm is pushing air out of my lungs. This air passes between my vocal cords which are stretched by muscles in the voice box. Then I use my teeth, lips and especially the tongue to form words which are nothing but weak sound waves passing through the air. My voice is not very powerful. If it weren’t for this microphone and the sound system here in the gym, many of you would have a hard time hearing me. We do not think our tongue or our words are very strong.
Despite this apparent weakness, our tongues have great spiritual power. The words we speak come from our hearts and reveal what is in them. The words we speak also exert power on the people who hear them.
God tells us our tongues have the power of death and life. This shows how powerful our tongues are, so the use of the tongue is important in our spiritual lives. The two possibilities given here, death and life, are two extremes and there is nothing listed as in between the two.
When God has Solomon use the word “power” here, the reference is to the power usually associated with the hand. We often use our hands to do our work. Sometimes the work of our hands is done carefully and lightly with attention given to detail. Think of a gold or silversmith making beautiful, intricate etchings on a platter. At other times, we need the strength of our hands to do work. Think of someone using an axe to cut down a tree. The Bible teaches us the same is true for our tongues. At times, we must use our tongues delicately, choosing our words carefully. We also need our tongues to speak very powerfully. No matter how we use our tongues, the tongue reveals what is in our hearts, what is important to us. Do our tongues show we are interested in the things of this earth, spiritual death, or do our tongues reveal our love for spiritual life, the things of God’s kingdom?
Let us look at four examples from the Bible of how people used their tongues, and how their tongues had the power of death and life. First, we have two examples of death: Jezebel in I Kings 21:1-10 and Jehoshaphat in I Kings 22:1-14. Then we have two examples of life: Joseph in Genesis 50:15-21 and Daniel in Daniel 1:8-16.
Jezebel is first. Sinful pride filled Jezebel, so she would think she should be first. In her pride, she believed royalty should always have what they want. Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard for a beautiful garden of herbs. Naboth told Ahab he could not sell his inherited vineyard because it was against God’s law. Naboth did not want to break the law of the God whom he loved. This displeased Ahab and Jezebel noticed he was sad. She talked with her husband.
How did she use her tongue? She didn’t point out the foolishness of breaking God’s law. She didn’t point out that a life of unrepentant disobedience leads to spiritual death. She didn’t say Ahab had better remove sinful, covetous thoughts from his heart. No, instead she used her tongue to lie. She found two sinful men willing to use their tongues to lie about Naboth. As a result of these lies, Naboth is declared guilty and put to death. Ahab could now take what he wanted.
Naboth, though physically dead, now entered into the spiritual life of heaven. Jezebel, though physically alive, showed that her heart was spiritually dead, so dead that she did not care that Ahab, her husband whom she was supposed to love, was on the same path to God’s everlasting judgment as she. However, they could enjoy their earthly pleasures which their tongues showed was really their hearts’ desire.
God’s people do not always use their tongues properly either. We see this in the example of Jehoshaphat. He was a god-fearing king. However, he had his sins. In the second passage, his tongue also showed the power of death.
Israel’s enemy, Syria, had taken a city, Ramoth-Gilead, from Israel. Ahab wanted to fight Syria and retake the city. He didn’t think he could do this alone, so he asked for Jehoshaphat’s help. Jehoshaphat did not use his tongue for the power of life. He did not instruct Ahab that Judah could not join with Israel until Israel had put away her idols. He didn’t tell Ahab to repent, turn from idolatry, worship God properly and ask for His help. Jehoshaphat used his tongue to join with Ahab which would lead to Ahab’s death.
Ahab’s false prophets encouraged him with their lies. A true prophet, Micaiah, warned Ahab he would be killed if he went to battle. Ahab followed the lie, went to battle and died. Jehoshaphat also followed the tongues of death but God graciously spared him, as one of His children in Jesus Christ.
