Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 22 September, 2024
“My covenant was with him of life and peace” (Mal. 2:5)
Ordination/Installation of Office-Bearers
Paul’s Exhortation to the Ephesian Elders [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Acts 20:17-38
Text: Acts 20:28
I. Their Office
II. Their Sphere
III. Their Calling
Psalms: 63:1-8; 106:43-48; 75:3-8; 23:1-6
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Preparatory
The Israel of God [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Galatians 6
Text: Galatians 6:16
I. Who They Are Not
II. Who They Are
III. How They Walk
Psalms: 26:4-11; 107:1-9; 73:1-9; 125:1-5
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
F. F. Bruce on Acts 20:28: “There was in apostolic times no distinction between elders (presbyters) and bishops such as we find from the second century onwards: the leaders of the Ephesian church are indiscriminately described as elders, bishops [or overseers] and shepherds (or pastors).”
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
This morning there will be the installation and ordination of office-bearers: Brian Crossett installed as elder, David Crossett ordained as elder and Joe McCaughern ordained as deacon. Please remember these men in your prayers as they labour and serve the church in these offices.
This evening, we will have a preparatory service with a view to partaking of the Lord’s Supper on Sunday, 29, September.
A draft of a new CPRC address list is on the back table. If you have not yet confirmed your details, please check to see if they are correct and place a tick by your name or clearly indicate changes to be made.
Monday catechism classes (please remember to sign and return the consent forms):
5:00 PM: Hannah, Penelope & Xander (Seniors OT)
5:45 PM: Grace, Jonas, Liam & Sammy (Beginners OT – Book 2)
6:30 PM: Eleanora, Felicity, Jorja & Sophie (Juniors OT)
7:15 PM: Jason, Kyan, Maisie & Sebastian (Heidelberg Catechism – Book 1)
8:00 PM: Bradley, Jack, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Essentials)
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will consider further the sources of Paul’s teaching (it will help if you read Acts 9, 22 and 26 beforehand).
The Belgic Confession classes will begin for the season this Wednesday at 7:30 PM. We will continue our study of eschatology (Article 37) with “Antichrist: An Introduction.”
Ladies Bible Study meets this Thursday night at 7:30 PM at church. We will be discussing Psalm 51 using the book A 30-Day Walk with God in the Psalms.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Bruinsma is entitled, “Peace Shall Destroy Many” (Dan. 8:23-25).
Family visitation: Friday, 4 October
7PM: Buchanans
8PM: Trevor
9PM: Spences
Offerings: £1,288.00. Donation: £30 (N. Wales).
Translation Additions: 3 Polish, 1 Portuguese and 1 Spanish.
God’s Charge
by Rev. Gerrit Vos (Standard Bearer, vol 37, issue 9)
“Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (I Pet. 5:2-4).
Peter, the apostle of the Lord, was eminently fitted to write about the office of shepherd. He heard the Lord Jesus say to him “Feed My sheep!” and “Feed My lambs!” Hence he calls himself an elder. Neither is that all.
He is fitted to say something about the shepherding of the flock of God because he was led by the Holy Ghost to write the Word of God without error. The product of his writing is the infallible Word of God. Let’s listen to him.
Did you note that this admonition is surrounded by a call to humility? Humility is stressed, emphasized in this section. Not only shall the younger be subject to the elder but Peter concludes that “all should be subject to one another.” And his reason is one of the foundation stones of God’s Kingdom: “For God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble!” Let us look at God’s charge to the elders with that in mind. “Feed the flock of God,” and the mentioning of the Shepherd, is language which is imagery. And it is imagery which is found repeatedly in God’s Word. Both in the Old and New Testament you find the church likened to a flock of sheep, and their feeding by shepherds or pastors, which is the same thing.
The world over, in all lands, among all peoples, we find this beautiful picture of the many flocks, together at night in the fold, called by the individual shepherd in the morning, returning at night …
And Jesus calleth His own sheep by their individual names. No, no, I do not mean the names which your father and mother gave you, but the names of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God gave you. And being called by Jesus, they follow Him. “He will lead His flock like a shepherd” (Isa. 40:11). “Jehovah of hosts hath visited His flock, the house of Judah” (Zech. 10:3).
In many lands there are many flocks, but they are going to the eternal fold and they shall be one. At that time the great Shepherd shall appear and the office of the earthly shepherd shall come to an end. This great flock is called God’s heritage in my text.
That sounds both sinister and beautiful. Sinister, because heritage reminds us of death, and of bereavement. And that is correct. It indicates the means by which God binds the church to Himself. Christ is the Testator who died in order to save the flock from eternal death and shame. It shows the preciousness of the flock.
But also beautiful. Ah me, what shall I say of this? Words fail me! … Beautiful! The Great Shepherd dies for His flock! Jesus, that is, Jehovah God, in the human nature of Jesus, dies and dies and dies again and again, He dies the eternal death so that the sheep may be saved.
But then I have not said all.
He dies the eternal death and becomes an open shame before all the worlds, in order to show the whole universe how inexpressibly lovely God is! The cross of Jesus Christ is the most lovely thing the universe has ever seen, sees or will see. Christ, the Lamb of God, shall be displayed in the midst of the throne of God unto all eternity. All the hosts of heaven shall always look at that focal point in heaven and earth. No one there shall ever become tired of looking at that loveliness of God, nor grow weary of singing and saying to God, “O God! We praise Thee and thank Thee for that child Jesus!”
Elders! Do you want me to tell you what you ought to do in the midst of God’s flock?
Here it is: tell the church of that loveliness! And see to it that the minister among you, who is also an elder, tells the church ever of that loveliness of Jehovah.
I know, I know, your calling is to feed the flock, to guide the flock, to govern the flock and to defend the flock. And all the foregoing boils down to what I said before: tell the flock about Christ, the wisdom of God and the power of God.
Attend to this: 1) to feed the church is found in Psalm 17:15, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” And we all know that God’s face and His likeness is Christ Jesus our Lord. 2) To guide the flock is also Christ. This we find in Isaiah 40:11, “He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” 3) To govern the flock is also Christ: “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” Psalm 2:6. And 4) to defend the flock is Jesus: “neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:28).
The charge of any elder in God’s church is: see that Christ is given to the Christians! The chief labour for an elder is, however, to feed the flock … To do that in a way that God approves of demands certain requirements. Of them the text speaks. Some are positive, some negative.
You must take the oversight of the flock. Yes, I know that this is most difficult. You must stand above the flock and watch it with supreme interest. You must watch the flock and every one of its individual members, both sheep and lambs, and see to it that they walk according to Jesus Christ.
Moreover, you must be ensamples to the flock. What does that mean? It means that you stand before the cross of Jesus Christ and adore it, speak of it, design your life according to it and, most important of all, that you silently listen to that cross and let it instruct you. Yes, listen to the truth of God without gainsaying, contradiction.
If you do that, it will be seen. If you do that, the flock will love and respect you for it. If you do that, the flock will follow you, and walk with you to heaven.
There are also negative requirements.
You must take, stand and walk as elders of Christ “not by constraint, but willingly.” Oh, for elders that love their office! Some say, “I have not the time for it! I dislike to be an elder!” Some say, “I am not worthy of it!” I like that. And I am sure that God likes that. For it is true: no one is worthy of the office of elder. That office is so wonderful, so beautiful, so soul-satisfying, that I can find no words for it. Of all work in this filthy world, there is nothing that can be compared to it.
Further, “not for filthy lucre.” You should not have any mundane profit, money or otherwise, in your mind when you seek or receive that wondrous office of elder. You remember Simon?
Rather, you must do your work of elder “of a ready mind.” That means that you love your office and gladly, joyously do the work.
“Neither as being lords.” Oh, but that is an ugly thing. It is a cursed fault. God means that you should not try to bring the flock under your power. You should never try to subdue the members, to master them … For then the servant acts as though he is the Lord Himself. Contrariwise, you should rule and speak and act in the Lord’s Name always, and according to His Word.
Yes, they may hate you for it, but that is an honour, reserved for God’s true and faithful servants. But let them never hate you because of your filthy pride.
And now comes the most difficult part: your reward. Difficult, not because it is vague, difficult to lay our finger on, either in the text or in the Bible generally. Oh no, it is found throughout God’s Word and in words easy to grasp. But, it is difficult for me to write on it for it is so unbelievable.
Imagine: we will get “a crown of glory” because we have been elders in God’s flock! O God! Of all miracles: how is this possible? … Christ said: “And, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be!”
Beloved reader! I am also an elder of Jesus Christ, and I assure you that I am speaking the truth: I feel so worthless after my work is done! I feel so unworthy of any honour at all, least of all to receive a crown of glory! Allow me to go no further, except this yet: this reward is a reward of GRACE! And I can well believe that.
