Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
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Covenant Protestant Reformed Church

Ballymena

Rev. Angus Stewart

Lord’s Day, 18 April, 2010

 

"But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee

more and more" (Ps. 71:14)

 

Morning Service - 11:00 AM

Keeping the First Commandment   [download]   [youtube]

Scripture Reading: Psalm 86

Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 34

I. Things We Must Avoid and Flee

II. Things We Must Learn and Do

III. Things We Must Renounce and Forsake

Psalms: 122:1-9; 60:1-5; 62:5-8, 11-12; 86:8-13

 

Evening Service - 6:00 PM

The Parables of Christ’s Last Week (3)

The Wicked Husbandmen    [download]    [youtube]

Scripture Reading: Matthew 21:18-46

Text: Matthew 21:33-44

I. The Story

II. The Interpretation

III. The Application

Psalms: 84:1-6; 60:6-12; 80:8-13; 118:20-29

Contact Stephen Murray for CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services.

CPRC website: www.cprc.co.uk

CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni

CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Ballymena-United-Kingdom/Covenant-Protestant-Reformed-Church-N-Ireland/337347932331

Quote to Consider:

Herman Bavinck: "On the occasion of [Christ’s] going to the cross, he commanded the women not to weep over him but to weep over [the people of] Jerusalem (Luke 23:28). He even proclaimed that the salvation rejected by Israel would be shared by the Gentiles. The kingdom of God will be taken from Israel and given to a people who produce the fruits of that kingdom (Matt. 21:43). The vineyard will be rented out to other tenants (21:41). Invited to the wedding are the people from the main streets (22:9). The lost son takes precedence over the older son (Luke 15). Similarly, Jesus states that many will come from the east and the west and sit down in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matt. 8:10-12), and that he has other sheep not of this sheepfold (John 10:16). He rejoices that, as certain Greeks desire to see him, he will soon, like a grain of wheat, fall into the earth and die and so bear much fruit (John 12:24). Accordingly, after his resurrection he instructs his disciples to preach the gospel to all nations (Matt. 28:18-20)" (Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 4, p. 666).

Announcements (subject to God’s will):

The April CR News is on the back table.

Unless flights are cancelled due to the Icelandic volcano, Rev. & Mary Stewart will travel to Naples with Francesco tomorrow to visit with some saints there (including Marco Barone), give some speeches (with Francesco translating) and meet Francesco’s parents. They are scheduled to return on Friday. Catechism classes and Midweek Bible Study will resume next week.

The Reformed Witness Hour next Lord’s Day (8:30-9:00 AM, on Gospel 846MW) is entitled "The Suffering Servant (5): The Success of His Mission" (Is. 53:10-12).

Upcoming Meetings:

Shannon, Thursday, 29 April, Bible Study

Limerick, Friday, 30 April, Lecture on "What About Israel?"

S. Wales, Thursday, 13 May, "Preaching: The Voice of Christ"

Website Additions: Two new resource pages on "Uncommon Grace" and "God’s Effectual Saving Desire" have been added. Resource pages link to all the resources (articles, audio, books, etc.) on our website about a certain subject, which make them useful when you are witnessing and discussing these topics. Two Italian translations were also added.

Offerings: General Fund: £574.92. Donations: £100 (CR News).

PRC News: Heritage Protestant Reformed Fellowship of Sioux Falls, SD will hold its organizational worship service this Friday evening. We rejoice with this new sister congregation and pray the Lord’s blessing on them. Kalamazoo PRC will call from a trio of Revs. Eriks (Hudsonville, MI), Haak (Georgetown, MI) and Kuiper (Randolph, WI).


Encouraging Quotes:

"When I arrived in Brazil, I started to talk about common grace with my pastor, the teacher of systematic theology at the seminary I attend, who believed in it. I gave to him the copy of Hyper-Calvinism and the Call of the Gospel you sent to me ... My pastor says he now denies common grace. Now he teaches against common grace at the seminary and in his preaching. I say this as a testimony about what the work with translations and books is doing for the pure doctrine and the glory of God." - Chile

"Many thanks again for sending me copies of your CR News etc., which I find very very helpful. I notice that the BRF Conference is located in Cardiff ..." - S. Wales

"The question about Solomon going to heaven came up recently in our Sunday School class. A search on Yahoo brought up Prof. Hanko’s article in the Covenant Reformed News. Thank you, the article was timely and quite helpful." - Georgia, USA

"I e-mail you to see if I can regularly receive the CR News by e-mail ... I have watched some of your debates and listened to some of your sermons. The divorce and remarriage one was fascinating. I have never heard someone preach about it in this manner, as most professing Christians seem to think that you can divorce and remarry ..." - Ontario, Canada

"[‘The Psalms vs Common Grace’ (1) in the January CR News is] very good! May I put it on my blog? ... I like the position you take on several matters. In fact you are a great reference for me. I hope that God may continue to use it for His kingdom." - Portugal

"I wish to be included in the circulation of the monthly e-mailed edition of the CR News. I appreciate your website for its uncompromising position and its steadfast defence of the truths of the Scriptures and the thoroughly biblical doctrines of grace." - New Zealand

"I have seen a wonderful video on YouTube of a debate between you and an Arminian pastor on the topic of Calvinism vs. Arminianism. Although I’m new to these systems, your arguments regarding God’s sovereignty simply amaze me beyond belief. I am convinced beyond any doubt that Calvinism will be blessed by God because it promotes the truth about God’s plan for His people. May I subscribe to your Covenant Reformed News so I may learn more about Calvinism and its doctrines?" - Alberta, Canada

"I know you through the [Calvinism vs. Arminianism] debate with Timothy on YouTube. I am a Calvinist, just like you, just still undecided on the issue of common grace. I am tilted toward the position of Prof. Engelsma in his debate with Richard Mouw ..." - California, USA

"Thank you for sending me the Confessions and Church Order book. I was getting it particularly for the services, baptism and communion, but it has already been such a blessing having all the Bible references for the Heidelberg Catechism printed out. I’ve studied the first six Lord’s Days and will continue now. It is such a great help!" - Yorkshire, England

"I was very pleased to listen to your debates on Calvinism and Cessationism. Your patience was incredible and reflecting the patience of God. Nevertheless, I find it so hard to build any doctrinal conversations when the authority of the Scripture is undermined by the authority of experience. The real debate seems to me to be: Do we accept the total authority of the Word of God? Seeing you handle the Bible like you did was refreshing and stimulating. Your church is blessed to have a pastor who teaches sound doctrine." - Quebec, Canada

"I would like to express what a joy it has been to download and listen to the Lord’s Word from your sermons on-line. I do quite a bit of studying every morning and stumbled across your discussions on YouTube. I have since gone to your website and listened to several sermons ... I do thank you for all the sermons that the Lord has laid upon your lips to speak and I do look forward to listening to more of them." - Virginia, USA

"Just watched your debate of Calvinism vs. Arminianism, and I thought you did a fine job of defending the Reformed position ... I thought it was telling that you used way more Scripture to defend the Calvinistic view ..." - UK

"I just finished listening to your lecture on ‘The Psalms Versus Common Grace’ and I must say I’ve learned quite a lot from it. You tie many things together. Combining this sermon with the ones about ‘God and the Tsunami’ and ‘The Moral Foundations of the Church’ that’s a whole topical education. Speaking of God and natural disasters, also referring to your two articles and Martyn McGeown’s one on these things, one sees it is God pouring out His wrath on the world ..." - Madrid, Spain

"I enjoyed [the YouTube video of] your lecture on Calvin vs. Darwin. It was very interesting and well-delivered." - New Jersey, USA