Covenant Protestant Reformed Fellowship

Ballymena

Rev. Angus Stewart

Lord’s Day, 20 March, 2005

 

"Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye

of all his wondrous works"

(Psalm 105:2)

 

Morning Service - 11:00 AM

Abraham, Father of the Faithful (8)
God’s Covenant with Abraham & his Seed
Genesis 17
I. What is the Covenant?
II. With Whom is it Made?
III. What is its Sign?

Psalms: 111:1-5; 134:1-2; 25:8-14; 105:6-10

Evening Service - 6:00 PM

The Second Commandment
Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 35, Isaiah 44
I. What it Forbids
II. What it Enjoins
III. The Reason

Psalms: 89:3-8; 135:1-8; 84:4-11; 96:6-11

For audio cassettes of the worship services, contact Sean Courtney (cprfaudiostore@yahoo.co.uk).

CPRF website: www.cprf.co.uk

Quotes to Consider:

Robert Harbach: "But although the promise and the covenant are all throughout scripture inseparable, they are not absolutely synonymous terms. They are not entirely interchangeable. The promise, indeed, is so rich that it contains ‘the words of this covenant’ (Deut. 29:9), so that the covenant is proclaimed in the form of a promise (Gen. 15:17-18); and the promise is made in the form of a covenant (Heb. 9:16-22). Yet the promise is not the covenant, and the covenant is not the promise. The promise belongs to the covenant (so we speak of the promise of the covenant), and the covenant is advanced through the promise. It is not the covenant which is a mere means to an end, but it is the great end itself. The promise is the means to the realization of the covenant end. The covenant is a relation of friendship, uniting God and His people in the relation of Sovereign-Friend to friend-servants. The promise is a sure pledge that that relation shall be established, realized, maintained, and eternally enjoyed. As a pledge, the promise is an unconditional guarantee ‘from of old, from everlasting,’ that God will save His people. The promise is of Christ and all His benefits. The covenant is living fellowship with Christ. The essence, then, or the covenant is not the promise, but fellowship, communion, love. The essence of the promise is Christ and the infallible assurance that Christ shall be given and received" (Studies in the Book of Genesis, p. 326).

James Montgomery Boice: "Abraham’s obedience did not mean that he was contributing anything to the covenant. In fact, it meant the opposite. The cutting away of the flesh meant the renunciation of human effort, which arises out of the flesh, and the willingness to bear about in the body the mark of the individual’s identification with God."

Announcements (subject to God’s will):

The 15 March issue of the Standard Bearer is available today.

Everyone is welcome to stay for tea and sandwiches after the evening service tonight.

Catechism classes: Monday at the manse at 7 PM with the Campbells.

Midweek Bible Study will be held on TUESDAY at 8 PM at the manse. In our study of Pentecostalism, we will look at the biblical history of tongues.

Rev. & Mary Stewart will be travelling to Limerick this Wednesday to give a lecture on total depravity. Martyn McGeown hopes to accompany them.

The Reformed Witness Hour next Lord’s Day, 27 March (8:30-9:00 AM, on Gospel 846MW) is "Not Faithless But Believing" (John 20:24-29).

Rev. Stewart will give a lecture on The 1000 Years of Revelation 20 in Ballymena Protestant Hall, Friday, 8 April, at 8 PM.

Last Week’s Offerings: £541.01. Donations: £3,000.

PRC News: Rev. Mahtani (Pittsburgh, PA) declined Edmonton. Rev. Key (Hull, IA) declined Holland. Rev. Eriks (Loveland, CO) declined Bethel.