Hopewell Herald – June 6, 2020
Dear Congregation,
While many are tempted to proclaim their
good sentiments to be seen by men, it is God’s good providence to bring us to a
passage that reminds us that our blessedness depends entirely upon God who sees
and knows what we are in secret (cf. Mat 6:1–18).
He is pleased to reward us for the good
that He Himself has produced. For, He has punished in Christ the sin and guilt
that belonged to us, and He produces by Christ whatever good comes from us.
One of the most subtly seductive of
earthly treasures is to have others esteem us (cf. Mat 6:19–21). But, we should
seek rather the esteem of God, and do it in a way that brings Him all the
honor, if others happen to notice.
It is not Isaac that Abimelech esteems
in Genesis 26:26–33. Rather, what even the Philistine king sees is that it is the
Lord who has blessed Isaac.
Not only do Isaac’s circumstances show
evidence of blessing, but he has conducted himself so very differently than the
world does. And, his public conduct is complemented by his public worship. He
is that odd Hebrew, with the odd altars, and the odd public worship, to his odd
God.
When many are clamoring to be seen by
the godless as virtuous, there could hardly be days in which we more need the
reminder that our character and conduct are not supposed to be like that of the
world, but rather distinct by their difference.
And, with the necessity of worship’s “publicness”
under fire, there could hardly be days in which we more need the reminder that
we should be so devoted to the public worship of the true Lord that, when
others have observed our distinctiveness, they know to ascribe that difference
to Him.
So, as our gracious Redeemer has so
often done for us, He brings us tomorrow to just the portion of His Word that
we need at just the time that we need it.
Truly, He is worthy of our worship. And
truly, He is abundantly good to us to give us such a means by which to worship
Him!
Looking forward to doing so with you,
Pastor
LORD'S DAY – June 7,
2020
9:50 a.m. Breakfast
Line Opens
10 a.m. Bible Class
We are studying the ARP’s confessed
theology from Scripture. This week, we continue the doctrine of justification (how
sinners are declared righteous by God) moving from the alone ground of our
justification (what Christ has done) to the alone instrument (faith) through
which we can be credited with Christ’s righteousness.
11 a.m. Public Worship
▫Children’s Catechism
for June 7
Q32. Who tempted them to this sin? A. The devil tempted Eve, and she gave the fruit to Adam.
Q32. Who tempted them to this sin? A. The devil tempted Eve, and she gave the fruit to Adam.
▫Shorter Catechism for June
7
Q40. What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience? A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience was the moral law.
Q40. What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience? A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience was the moral law.
Psalms and Hymns
TPH376 “The
Head That Once Was Crowned with Thorns”
ARP104A “My
Soul, Bless the Lord”
TPH47A “O,
Clap Your Hands”
Scripture Text for first portion of
worship service
Scripture Readings
Sermon Scripture text and topic
We will be hearing from Genesis 26:26–33 about how believers must be those who
know that all true blessedness is only in Christ, and who wish for their lives
to be displays of that true blessedness which is in Christ.
12:45 p.m. Coffee
Fellowship and Catechism Class
1 p.m. Fellowship
Lunch & Open Mic Time
There will be plenty for everyone, but
as with breakfast, those who are uncomfortable eating from the line are
encouraged to bring their own food that they keep separate.
At open mic time, we’ll begin with
birthdays and anniversaries and recitations of the memory verse: (Genesis
26:28) But they said, “We have certainly seen that the LORD is
with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us;
and let us make a covenant with you’”
2:30 p.m Psalm/hymn
Sing
Carryover song requests from last week:
Carryover song requests from last week:
Red: 476, 459
After Party at ???? (No open invitations
to congregation yet at time of writing)
Hopewell this Month
Hopewell’s
Presbytery Prayer Focus for June:
Prosperity
ARP in Taft, TN
June
Psalm of the Month
ARP104A My Soul, Bless the Lord
Upcoming Events
•June 8, Session Meeting, 6 p.m.
•June 10, Prayer Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
•June 20, Men’s Breakfast, 6:30 a.m.
•October 2-4,
HARPC 200th Anniversary Celebration
Congregational Prayer Requests
(new/updates in bold)
▪ Pray with the Reformed sidewalk-counseling group @PP in
Nashville for their Wednesday and Friday ministries
▪ Early Rain Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church,
Christians in Nigeria, and other persecuted churches like them; Pastor Wang Yi
in prison.
▪ Alan McClelland and his ministry at
Ft. Rucker
▪ Repentance of the Church and the
Nations for general rejection of the Kingship of Christ
▪ Comfort and provision for the LeeAnn Billings
family as they grieve, especially for new work, as the university just
eliminated her position from the department
▪ Pray for the Jeffers family, whose
granddaughter Isabelle (14) and then her mother Norma both attempted suicide; there’s
a long way to go medically, financially, and especially spiritually for all
involved; please keep praying for them and for Sue’s ministry to them
▪ Pray for Kacey and family, going
through difficult trial
▪ Pray with D&L L for her 85yo
mother and her heart issues
▪ Pray with KC for her acquaintance Linda who doesn’t seem to know the Lord, and just
lost 21 year old son; and, for sister Diane and her husband Frank, who need a
living faith in Christ; and for friend Patty, a believer, that she will
continue to do well after treatment for uterine cancer
▪ Pray with D&M G that her mother
would continue healing well and not smoking; for Sean; for Jeremiah and
Julianna
▪ Pray with W&C G for her mother’s
health and caregivers; and for spiritual (and total) well-being of son Greg
▪ Pray with J&H H for his father’s cancer and recovery from
open-heart surgeries; and sweetness in his parents’ remaining time together;
for his youngest brother
▪ Pray with H&K H for their health (especially
Karen’s back, which keeps getting reinjured, and their schedule which it
affects) and for many of their loved ones; needing Christian fellowship: her
grandmother and father, widow Hope w/4 children, Brown family of 7 (wayward son
Nicholas); needing health: her mom, sister Lisa and husband w/high bp, Martina,
Donna, Joyce; needing spiritual life: Velvet and Reagan (lost their sister/daughter
to a brutal murder), neighbors Shawn, Merlin, & children; other widows:
Libby, Naomi (w/daughter Stacia), Stephanie (w/many children, were
missionaries); friend Andrea’s New Age friends; Charles & Robert to be able
to forgive; friends w/family problems: Dave, Lee, Melodie, Cole; spiritual
growth and wife for friend Scott; their family’s evangelism, recently
firefighter Dalton; Riggs to grow mighty in the Lord; Harwell’s sleep issues.
▪ Pray with R&M J for Meredith,
young daughter of M’s college friend Ashely (and husband Brad), who’s taking
medicine to shrink her brain tumor
▪ Pray with O&A L for her
unbelieving mother w/heart condition, and her family’s grieving over her
brother
▪ Pray with CM for friend Michael Duval
and his recovery from knee surgery
▪ PRAISE with SM for
relief from recent increase in pain and illness
▪ PRAISE with C&T P for new job,
and pray for the conversion of her brother Todd; and for her dad and family
in the loss of his wife Jolene, and for her interaction with her dad during her
time in Kansas
▪ Pray with AR for friend Caleb Figura
w/mysterious but debilitating gut illness
▪ Pray with D&K R for their
family’s growth in godliness, especially dying to self, godly speech, and
Lord’s Day keeping; for Micah, Rachel, and baby girl due in July; and for local
pastor/constable Darryl Thrasher, who has an aggressive, malignant brain tumor
▪ Pray with GR for friend Abby to come
to faith in Christ
▪ Pray with JeR for believing friend
Jeanette Cary’s CHF, Fibromyalgia, & slow-healing wound
▪ Pray with J&M R for baby Bentley,
and their family’s adjustment and future with him
▪ Pray with J&S R for her nephew,
who needs life in Christ; and for her and her family in the loss of her father,
especially spiritual impact on her sisters and nephews; and for her sister
Rebecca’s pregnancy; and for his whole family, and especially his mother, as
they grieve the passing away of his father; PRAISE for her sister Rebecca’s
safe and healthy giving birth to baby girl
▪ Pray with S&V Y for his parents
and siblings as they deal with his father’s declining health and his mother’s
dementia
▪ Please pray with Prosperity
ARP in Taft, TN, throughout the month of June
▪ Please pray for the TN-AL Presbytery
to be enabled to plant a faithful church with the resources available and
earmarked for that purpose
▪ Please pray for all ARP presbyteries, churches, and agencies
▪ Please pray for our nation, state,
community and all the officials thereof
Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one
special part of religious worship, is by God required of all men: and, that it
may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son, by the help of his
Spirit, according to his will, with understanding, reverence, humility,
fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and, if vocal, in a known tongue. (WCF
21.3)
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