Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
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Covenant Protestant Reformed Church

 

Ballymena

Rev. Angus Stewart

Lord’s Day, 25 July, 2010

 

"One generation shall praise thy works to another,

and shall declare thy mighty acts" (Ps. 145:4)

 

Morning Service - 11:00 AM

Ezekiel’s Vision of the Future (5)

The Destruction of Gog and Magog  [download]   [youtube]

Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 39

Text: Ezekiel 39

I. The Graphic Prophecy

II. The Apocalyptic Fulfilment

III. The Profound Theodicy

Psalms: 19:1-8; 71:20-24; 76:1-9; 83:9-18

 

Evening Service - 6:00 PM

The Lamb Takes the Book  [download]   [youtube]

Scripture Reading: Revelation 4-5

Text: Revelation 5:5-7

I. The Book

II. The Lamb

III. The Comfort

Psalms: 94:1-8; 72:1-8; 110:1-6; 89:1-6

 

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

 

Quotes to Consider:

George Lubbers on Ezekiel 39: "It should also be observed that the battle field becomes a ‘burying-place’ of these nations, Gog and Magog! It will be called the ‘valley of Hamon-gog,’ that is, the multitude of Gog. And what a stench these bodies are portrayed to be in the land. Hence, there will be a great cleansing of the land. It will be a new heaven and a new earth where the former things shall be remembered no more. The ‘signs’ of the great hordes in the land will be utterly removed. It is true that prophets speak of the cleansing as if it were to be done by human hands. However, the reality is on higher ground" (Standard Bearer, vol. 41, p. 297).

Announcements (subject to God’s will):

We welcome Marco Barone to our worship services. He arrived on Friday and is staying with Francesco De Lucia and will be attending the BRF Conference. He will be in the country until 16 August.

Mr. Callender remains in the Royal Victoria Hospital. Let us continue to remember our brother and his family in our prayers.

Rev. Stewart’s bi-monthly letter to the PRC is available on the back table today.

Today we have our last services in the Protestant Hall. Volunteers are needed to clean the church building on Thursday or Friday. If you can help, please sign up on the sheet on the back table and bring your own cleaning equipment and supplies. We also need donated kitchen items and cleaning materials (see the sheet on the back table).

On the back of the bulletin today are rules for our new church building. These were drawn up in accordance with Scripture and after consultation with members of the congregation and other Protestant Reformed churches.

Stephen Rushton arrives on Friday morning. He plans to be with us for Missionary McGeown’s ordination and next Lord’s Day.

Call to Worship: The ordination of Missionary McGeown is scheduled for this week Friday, 30 July, at 7:30 PM in the new CPRC church building.

Alison, Beth and Sinead are organizing tea after the ordination this week, dedication next week and farewell for Francesco on 15 August.

The Reformed Witness Hour next Lord’s Day (8:30-9:00 AM, on Gospel 846MW) is entitled "True Faith" (II Timothy 1:12).

The Council will meet Monday, 2 August, at 7 PM in the new church building.

Our church dedication service is scheduled for Thursday, 5 August, at 7:00 PM beginning with the tape-cutting ceremony.

Offerings: General Fund: £329.45. Donations: £100 (CR News).

PRC News: Wingham PRC called Rev. W. Langerak. Rev. A. Lanning is considering calls from Hope, Cornerstone and Edgerton. Rev. Eriks is considering the call from Holland. Rev. J. Laning will be installed as pastor of Hull PRC today.

Honouring the Lord in Our Church Building

I. General Principles

  • "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (I Cor. 10:31), including behaviour in the church building.

  • Our covenant God requires "decency," "order," "peace" and not "confusion," indecency, disorder or shouting at church gatherings: "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints ... Let all things be done decently and in order" (I Cor. 14:33, 40).

  • "Let all things be done unto edifying" (I Cor. 14:26) so that together we may be sanctified by God’s Word of truth (John 17:17) and so "grow in grace" through "the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18).

  • The eighth commandment calls us to love our neighbour in his property, including caring for the church building for it belongs to the whole congregation and was paid for by the CPRC and friends of the church.

  • The fourth commandment applies to behaviour at meetings on the Lord’s Day: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Ex. 20:8).

  • The fifth commandment requires (a) covenant parents to bring up their children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4) and train them in the way they shall go for when they are old they will not depart from it (Prov. 22:6); (b) covenant children to "obey [their] parents in all things: for this is well pleasing to the Lord" (Col. 3:20).

  • We and our children are to be good examples to visitors and our neighbours (Matt. 5:16).

  • Let us think of others, deny ourselves and be considerate especially of older and less able saints: "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things" (I Cor. 13:4-7).

　II. Sanctuary

  • No food and drink in the sanctuary.

  • The back two rows on both sides are to be left for parents with young children.

  • Treat the Psalm books and creeds books with care; damaged books have to be replaced out of our offerings.

  • Please be quiet in the sanctuary before the start of the service as we prepare for corporate, divine worship.

  • If you must enter or exit the sanctuary during the services, do it quietly out of consideration for others and reverence for the Lord (Ps. 89:7).

  • After the service, the minister will shake hands with the elders at the front and they will exit the sanctuary first. Then the minister will shake hands with the congregation as they leave the sanctuary, after which the sanctuary doors will be closed.

III. Cry Room

  • The cry room is a place designed for the training of small children so that they are enabled in due time to sit quietly in the sanctuary and join the main body of the saints.

  • As much as possible, and in accordance with the capacity of the children, those in the cry room should participate in the service by sitting, facing the front, praying, standing and singing the Psalms, and listening to God’s Word, at the appropriate times (Matt. 21:16).

  • In the PRC, ordinarily, children are trained so as to be able to sit quietly in the sanctuary by about 2½ years old.

IV. Various

  • No children in the kitchen or distributing food or drinks (health and safety).

  • No unsupervised children on the stairs or upstairs (health and safety, and electronic equipment upstairs).

  • No unsupervised children in the lift (e.g., the call out fee is £120 and a replacement door costs about £2,000).

  • No running in the church building or on the grounds (health and safety).

V. Summary

  • We are called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and our neighbour as ourselves (Matt. 22:37-40).

  • This includes showing consideration for our brothers and sisters in Christ, avoiding giving or taking offence and caring for our church building.

  • This is the way in which we will promote peace and harmony, be good witnesses to others and honour the Triune God.