Covenant Protestant Reformed Fellowship
Ballymena
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 26 December, 2004
"Honour and majesty are before Him: strength
and beauty are his sanctuary" (Psalm 96:6)
Morning Service - 11:00 AM
The Apostolic Office (4)
Apostolic Authority
II Corinthians 10:8
I. Its Extent
II. Its Source
III. Its Purpose
Psalms: 92:1-6; 119:121-128; 68:18-22; 103:17-21
Evening Service - 6:00 PM
Church Discipline, a Key of the Kingdom of Heaven (1)
Incest at Corinth
Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 31; I Corinthians 5:1-2
I. The Members Evil Deed
II. The Church’s Sinful Response
Psalms: 99:1-7; 119:129-136; 106:28-33; 101:3-8
For audio cassettes of the worship services, contact the bookstore.
CPRF website: www.cprf.co.uk
Quotes to Consider:
The Second Helvetic (Swiss) Confession (1566) Article 18: "The apostles remained in no certain place, but gathered together divers churches throughout the whole world: which churches, when they were once established, there ceased to be any more apostles, and in their places were particular pastors appointed in every Church."
Philip Schaff: "The Twelve (excepting Matthias, who, however, was an eye-witness of the resurrection) and Paul were called directly by Christ, without human intervention, to be his representatives on earth, the inspired organs of the Holy Spirit, the founders and pillars of the whole church. Their office was universal, and their writings are to this day the unerring rule of faith and practice for all Christendom. But they never exercised their divine authority in arbitrary and despotic style. They always paid tender regard to the rights, freedom, and dignity of the immortal souls under their care. In every believer, even in a poor slave like Onesimus, they recognized a member of the same body with themselves, a partaker of their redemption, a beloved brother in Christ. Their government of the church was a labor of meekness and love, of self-denial and unreserved devotion to the eternal welfare of the people. Peter, the prince of the apostles, humbly calls himself a ‘fellow presbyter,’ and raises his prophetic warning against the hierarchical spirit which so easily takes hold of church dignitaries and alienates them from the people" (History of the Christian Church, vol. 1, p. 490).
Godet on church discipline: "‘There is a Holy One in the midst of thee,’ said the prophet Hosea to Israel. A Holy one lives also in the Church, and from him there go forth, in every true Church which has life and not merely the name to live, a protest and reaction against all notorious wickedness. This reaction, the work of the Holy Spirit who proceeds from Christ, is discipline. Where it is weakened, the Church is in the same measure confounded with the world" (Commentary on I Corinthians 5).
Announcements (subject to God’s will):
The December issue of the Covenant Reformed News is available. Prof. Engelsma’s e-mails are available for those who did not pick them up last week.
Copies of McCheyne’s Daily Bible Reading are also available for use in your daily devotions in the new year.
Catechism classes and Bible Study won’t meet this week due to the holidays.
The young adults are invited up to the manse on New Year’s Eve for food and fellowship. Please come around 7 PM or as soon as you can.
Website: Most of the sermons on Elijah have now been added.
The Reformed Witness Hour next Lord’s Day, 2 January (8:30-9:00 AM, on Gospel 846MW) is "Watchful Servants" (Luke 12:35-38).
Last Week’s Offerings: £704.91. Donations: £40 (tapes), £100 (tapes).
PRC News: Rev. Bruinsma (Kalamazoo, MI) declined the call to Hudsonville PRC. Rev. DenHartog (Singapore) received the call to Southwest PRC.