At Covenant Family Church we seek to apply the word of God to our lives, not just on Sundays but throughout the entire week.
To this end, we worship God, study the Bible, pray for one another, evangelize and disciple our own children, care for the needy, witness to the lost, and seek to advance Christ’s kingdom here on earth.
It is our singular purpose to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We hope that this website encourages you with beneficial resources as you grow in your own walk with the Lord.
Moreover, please know that you and your family are welcome to join us for worship on the Lord’s Day.
Hymn of the Month: #358 “For All the Saints”. This traditional English tune (Sine Nomine) is wonderfully combined with lyrics that focus on the promise of eternal rest for all who trust in the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Thess. 4:16; Rev. 14:13). Soli Deo Gloria!
Men’s Advance: Join us at CFC for the 2010 Men’s Advance w/ Elder Bill Potter and Pastor Serven speaking on the theme: “The Battles that Men Fight” (Feb. 26-28, 2010). Also, a dinner & concert for families will be held on Saturday night w/ Nathan Clark George! Sign-up now to take advantage of the early-bird price!
Upcoming Events:
Jan. 29th - Westminster Presbytery Mtg. in Belleview, FL
Feb. 7th - Fellowship Meal following the worship service
Feb. 11th - Meeting of the Overseeing Session (7PM)
Feb. 26-27th - Men’s Advance w/ Bill Potter in Troy, MO
Feb. 28th - Fellowship Meal after the worship service
Special Events in 2010:
Mar. 5-6th - CHEC Family Economics Conf. in Colorado
Mar 20th - Liberty Day w/ Dr. Paul Jehle in Chicago, IL
June 22-23rd - CHEF Conf. w/ Ken Hamm in St. Charles
Aug. 13-16th - CHEC/VF Father & Son Conference in CO
Oct. 25-30th - Film Academy & SAICFF in San Antonio
“The 5th Commandment: Honor Your Father and Mother” (Part 1)
Deuteronomy 5:16 January 24, 2010
Pastor Marcus J. Serven
Covenant Family Church (RPCGA)
In the first table of the Law (Commandments 1-4) we learned about we should relate to our holy God. Now as we come to the second table of the Law (Commandments 5-10) we learn about how we should relate to one another. Specifically, how would the Lord have us treat our parents, and our superiors? The answer is clearly stated in the Bible (cf. Exod. 20:12; Deut. 5:16; Eph. 6:1-3). However, there are many other significant Bible passages as well—especially in the Psalms and the Proverbs. Moreover, the always wise and expansive Larger Catechism of the Westminster Confession of Faith summarizes our responsibility with these following citations:
Q. 124: Who are meant by father and mother in the fifth commandment?
A.: By father and mother, in the fifth commandment, are meant, not only natural parents, but all superiors in age and gifts; and especially such as, by God’s ordinance, are over us in place of authority, whether in family, Church, or commonwealth.
Q. 127: What is the honor that inferiors owe to their superiors?
A.: The honor which inferiors owe to their superiors is, all due reverence in heart, word, and behavior; prayer and thanksgiving for them; imitation of their virtues and graces; willing obedience to their lawful commands and counsels; due submission to their corrections; fidelity to, defense and maintenance of their persons and authority, according to their several ranks, and the nature of their places; bearing their infirmities, and covering them in love, that so they may be an honor to them and to their government.
Q. 128: What are the sins of inferiors against their superiors?
A.: The sins of inferiors against their superiors are, all neglect of the duties required toward them; envying at, contempt of, and rebellion against, their persons, and places, in their lawful counsels, commands, and corrections; cursing, mocking, and all such refractory and scandalous carriage, as proves a shame and dishonor to them and their government.
Wow! It would be difficult to add anything more to this list. Therefore, I would commend this summary to your careful study and application.
The Main Point of this Sermon:
“Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you.” Deuteronomy 5:16a
What are the benefits in keeping the 5th Commandment?
1. Godly Growth in Children, (Proverbs 6:20-23)
2. Godly Growth in Parents, (Eph. 6:4, Col. 3:21)
3. A Long Productive Life, (Exodus 20:12; Proverbs 22:6)
Men’s Advance: Join us at CFC for the 2010 Men’s Advance w/ Elder Bill Potter and Pastor Serven speaking on the theme: “The Battles that Men Fight” (Feb. 26-28, 2010). Also, a dinner & concert for families will be held on Saturday night w/ Nathan Clark George! For more information and to register—go to www.genevanfoundation.com.
Upcoming Events:
Jan. 17th - Guest Preacher: Rev. Charles Kuykendall
Jan 17th - Full Meal following the worship service
Jan. 29th - Westminster Presbytery Meeting in Belleview, FL
Feb. 7th - Full Meal following the worship service
Feb. 11th - Meeting of the Overseeing Session (7PM)
Special Events in 2010:
Feb. 26-27th - Men’s Advance w/ Bill Potter in Troy, MO
Mar. 5-6th - CHEC Family Economics Conference in Colorado
Mar 20th - Liberty Day w/ Dr. Paul Jehle in Chicago, IL
Aug. 13-16th - CHEC Father & Son Conference in Colorado
Oct. 25-30th - Film Academy & SAICFF in San Antonio
How do you and your family observe the Sabbath day week by week? The answer to this question throughout the history of Christ’s Church has generally evoked two opposite extremes—license and legalism. License, or doing whatever you wish, leads to an apathetic attitude regarding the 4th Commandment. Legalism, or the observing of special rules and regulations to justify yourself, leads to a rigorous and austere attitude regarding the Sabbath day. The middle point between these two opposite extremes is the position of Christian Liberty—the exercise of personal freedoms governed by the Law of God. Within this balanced viewpoint the Bible enumerates several aspects of Sabbath-keeping that give purpose and structure to this special day: Worship, Fellowship, Instruction, Necessity, Mercy, and Hospitality. Reflect upon these clear instructions found in the Westminster Confession of Faith,
This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe a holy rest, all the day, from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations, but also are taken up, the whole time, in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy. (WCF, Chapter 21: Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day, Article Eight)
The Main Point of this Sermon:
“…if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD…” Isaiah 58:13-14
Bible Text:
“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” Deuteronomy 5:11
Introduction:
Many Christians are exposed to blasphemous remarks directed against our Lord on a daily basis. Whether it may be at work with the cursing of a co-worker, at a family celebration with an uncouth relative, or in your own home with a movie or book containing some profanity, people wrongly pepper their language with expletives taking the name of our Lord in vain and many Christians simply put-up with it. The sad reality is that even some Christians struggle in this area of sin, either by accepting a bad habit or from a lack of self-control. The key questions that surround the 3rd Commandment are these: (1) What is the meaning behind a name, and especially the Lord’s name? (2) What does the Bible mean when it forbids taking the Lord’s name in vain? (3) What is the result when the Lord’s name is taken in vain? The always instructive Westminster Confession of Faith gives us the following practical advice:
The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence. Therefore, to swear vainly, or rashly, by that glorious and dreadful Name; or, to swear at all by any other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred. Yet, as in matter of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the Word of God, under the New Testament as well as under the Old; so a lawful oath, being imposed by lawful authority in such matters ought to be taken. (WCF, Chapter XXII Of Lawful Oaths and Vows, Art. 2)
The Main Point of this Sermon:
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Colossians 4:6
1. What is the Meaning behind a Name, and Especially the Lord’s name?
2. What does the Bible Mean when it Forbids taking the Lord’s Name in Vain?
3. What is the Result when the Lord’s Name is taken in Vain?
Think about it—how many times have you not fulfilled a promise that you have made? Perhaps, you could even make a compelling excuse for not fulfilling a particular promise; (i.e.) the circumstances changed; things didn’t turn out like you first expected; you didn’t intend to fail in keeping the promise, etc. But, be honest now, if you were on the receiving end of an unfulfilled promise, wouldn’t you be upset? Sure you would! However, when the promise is fulfilled, there is great joy! The LORD made significant promises in the Bible regarding the coming of a Messiah: He promised that the “seed” of the woman would give the “serpent’s seed” a mortal wound (Genesis 3:15); He said that the royal “scepter shall not depart from Judah” (Genesis 49:10); and, He said that the Messiah would come from the kingly line of David (2 Samuel 7:12-17). All these promises seem believable enough, but when you get to the promise of the Messiah as reported by Isaiah the Prophet, it seems unbelievable. How could a mere human child be called “Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace”? It is impossible! But God clearly fulfilled His messianic promise in sending forth his eternal Son, and that person is Jesus Christ (Psalm 2:7; John 1:1-18).
The Promise Concerning…
1. His Fame, (vs.1-5)
2. His Name, (vs.6)
3. His Reign, (vs.7)
Deuteronomy 5:8-10
December 13, 2009
Pastor Marcus J. Serven
Covenant Family Church
It is not too difficult to think of the differing types of idols that have been built by religious people throughout the history of the world. We have seen pictures in various books, or perhaps we have even seen these idols in person. The Bible teaches that idolatry is a stumbling block for all human beings. Calvin emphatically stated “that man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols.” (Institutes 1:11:8) Our very hearts, which by sin are opposed to God, seek to direct our worship towards someone other that the living, holy and eternal God. The Israelites battled the sin of idolatry all throughout their national history, and in the end they fell under God’s severe judgment because of it. Christians, likewise, must guard against idolatry or they and their posterity will suffer the awful consequences! Our Confession exhorts us in the following way,
I. The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and does good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might. But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture. (Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XXI “Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day“, Article 1)
The Main Point of this Sermon:
“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24
1. The Commandment, (vs. 8 )
A few weeks ago we began our study of the Ten Commandments by setting forth some preliminary principles. One of those was to take note of the basic structure of the Law of God: (1) the Moral Law—which is Ten Commandments; (2) the Ceremonial Laws—which are a “type” or “shadow” pointing towards the Messiah; they are fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; and (3) the Civil Laws—which are the “case law” that applies the Ten Commandments to particular problems in Ancient Israel; the principles of the “case laws” are still to be lived out in society today (cf. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 19 “Of the Law of God”). It is important to keep this basic structure in mind as we now come to the foremost of the commandments—the very 1st Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Deut. 5:7).
The Main Point of this Sermon:
“You shall not go after other gods…for the LORD your God…is a jealous God…” Deuteronomy 6:14-15
As chronicled in the Old Testament the Jewish people had lost sight of the fundamental relationship that they had with the Lord. They had been lured away from actually knowing the living God to only knowing about God. Instead of whole-heartedly giving themselves to God in loving submission, they had been deceived by false religious teachers into thinking that animal sacrifices excused them from their sin and made them righteous before God. They delighted in symbols, shadows, and types, rather than in God himself. In the midst of this dark period of history, however, God’s witness amongst the people was not totally extinguished. God had given them the Scriptures (the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms), and he would also send his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The life and ministry of Jesus Christ gave new meaning to the greatest commandment, because here was a man who fulfilled the law by living it out perfectly (Mt. 5:17-20, 48).
The Main Point of this Text:
“Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13