Word of Salvation – Vol. 20 No.51 - September 1974   The Parents' Responsibility To Bring Up Children In The Lord   Sermon by Rev. N. Hart, B.A., B.D. on Ephesians 6:4 & 4:13 Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Ephesians 6:1-4 and 4:11-14 Psalter Hymnal: 172:1,3,8; 55:1,4,5 (Law); 298 (Creed);                          412:1,3; 235:1,9; 490 (Benediction)   With the resumption of sessions in both houses of the National Parliament, the nation is again faced with the BILL OF HUMAN RIGHTS, introduced by Senator Lionel Murphy, Q.C., in the Senate last November.  This Bill in particular parts is a direct contradiction of the WORD...

Word of Salvation – Vol.  20 No.50 - September 1974   Survival Of The Weakest   Sermon by Rev. A. I. de Graaf, B.D. on Matt. 5:7 Scripture Reading: Amos 5:6-24; James 2:1-17 P/Hymnal: 204: 1,2,3,5; 301:2,3; 326:1,2,3; 326:4 (dox)   You all know how Darwin's evolution doctrine tells of THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.  According to him, one of the main-springs of the evolution of simple, limited organisms into complex and resourceful ones, is the way the weak ones don't make it and die off in the hard struggle for life. And so the strong ones are left over and...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 20 No.49 - September 1974   The Gentile Pentecost   Sermon by Rev. J. de Kievit, Th.Grad. on Acts 11:2,3,17,18 Scripture Reading: Acts 10:44 - 11:18 Psalter Hymnal: 187:1,2,4,6; 430:1,3 (Conf. of sin); 260 (After rule of gratitude);             194:1,2,3; 400:1,2,3,4; 400:5 (Doxology)   Every year again, ESPECIALLY around the time of Pentecost, we hear a fair bit of talk about the baptism with the Holy Spirit after Pentecostalist fashion.  There is the stress on the speaking in tongues and all that goes with it.  And we are assured by people who are caught up in...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.04 - October 1974   Sense And Nonsense Of Christmas   Christmas Sermon by Rev. C. Moerman, Th.Grad. on Luke 2:18 (with apologies to Dr. J. J. Buskes) Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-20 Psalter Hymnal: 337: all; 335: 2 and 3 (after Law);              339: all; 336:1 and 3 (after sermon); 341: all; 345:5   Congregation of the Christmas Child, Yes, the shepherds HAD BIG stories to tell. For it IS something when you, all of a sudden, experience a bit of heaven already here on earth. A BIT OF HEAVEN ON EARTH. And isn't that...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.02 - October 1974   Jesus Christ... Star!   Advent Sermon by Rev. John Goris, on Numbers 24:17-18 Scripture Readings: Revelation 12; Numbers 24:10-19 Psalter Hymnal: 111; 129;1,2 (Law); 231 (Creed); 219; 331; 400:1,5   Beloved in the Lord, Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone who will celebrate Christmas this year, would REALLY know Who Jesus is? Many at least know of Baby Jesus in the manger, but there is little more about Him that most people know.  And what they know about His glorious Person is such a far cry from what the Scriptures...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.01 - October 1974   Lest We Forget...!   Sermon by Rev. Adrian Leenman on Joshua 4:7b Scripture Reading: Joshua 4:1 - 14 Psalter Hymnal: 192; 94:1,2 (Law); 37: 441:1,2,5; 43:6,7; 316:3   Beloved Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, The purpose of celebrating your birthday is to remember the day you were born; and to express your thankfulness for it. Apart from birthdays there are also other occasions we, as individuals wish to remember or celebrate. We also recognise celebrations on a national scale, so we have Liberation Day or Independence Day, Anzac Day...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.07 - November 1974   New Year's Eve Sermon   Sermon by the Rev. W.F. Van Brussel, B.D. on Isaiah 5:4 Scripture Reading: Isaiah 5:1-7, Luke 20:9-18 Psalter Hymnal: Psalm 136:1,2,3; Hymn 173:1,2,6; 286; 230; 475   God wants to ask a question of us this evening.  It will be a healthy exercise this final evening of 1974 to act as if God was asking this question of all and everyone of us.  It is always a good thing, of course, to stop for a second or two whenever we meet with a question in...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.06 - November 1974   O Come Let Us Adore Him   Christmas Sermon by Rev. P. J. Berghouse on  John 4:24 Scripture Reading: John 4:1-26 Psalter Hymnal (New) 195, 272:2,3 (summ/Law), 272:4 (Law),                          92:2,6 (Off.), 209:1,3,6 (sermon), 325:2 (Dox.)   Beloved of the Lord, One of the favourite songs at Christmas is:             "O come, all ye faithful.  .  .              O come ye to Bethlehem!.              O come, let us adore Him... CHRIST THE LORD.” Yes, that Babe in Bethlehem, is CHRIST THE LORD! We do not 'adore Him' because He is...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.05 - November 1974   God's Private Christmas Present   Christmas Sermon by the Rev. N. Hart, B.A., B.D. on Luke 2:11a, 18,19 Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-20   Some 1970 years ago, the small town of Bethlehem was a crowded place.  From all over the country the descendants of David had gathered in the city of their forefather.  But there was nothing princely about their gathering.  They came at the command of a foreign emperor.  There they were, herded together.  How far the royal tribe of David had fallen! Yet, among them, happened the greatest...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.12 - December 1974   The Steward of Unrighteousness... Preparing For The Future   Sermon by Rev. Dirk J. van Garderen on Luke 16:1-9 Scripture Readings: Psalm 49, Luke 16:1-12 Psalter Hymnal: 298; 66:1,3,7,9 (Hymn of penitence a.m. service only);                          412:1,2 (children’s hymn); 462; 211:1,3,23.   Dear Congregation, The parable of the unrighteous steward is very confusing.  It leaves you wondering what Jesus is telling us by this story.  The message doesn't come through too clearly. Reading this passage leaves us with some unanswered questions: What is the lesson of this parable?  How are...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.11 - December 1974   The Holiness And Majesty Of Our God   Sermon by Rev. K. J. Campbell, B.A., B.D. on Isaiah 6:1-5 Scripture Readings: 1Peter 1:13-25; Isaiah 6:1-8 Psalter Hymnal (New): 189:1-5; 318 Opening; 160; 352; 193; 310 Doxology   Introduction: Do you all remember the account in Exodus of Moses and the burning bush?  How Moses was shepherding a flock of sheep belonging to his father-in-law, Jethro, and how, as he wandered past Mt. Horeb, Moses noticed a flame of fire coming from the midst of a bush, but that the bush...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.10 - December 1974   The Intermediate State   Sermon by Rev. G. I. Williamson on Phil. 1:23 Psalter Hymnal: 307, 246 (Law), 22, 38:1-3, 38:4,5   The Bible does not contain a great deal of information about the intermediate state.  It is not the intermediate state that occupies the place of primary importance.  No, the great focus of Christian hope and expectation in the days of the Apostles was not the intermediate state, but the final state.  It was not the day in which the believer dies, but the great day in which Jesus...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.09 - December 1974   Remember Lot's Wife   Sermon by Rev. P. G. Van Dam, M.Sc.,B.D. on Luke 17:32 Scripture reading: Genesis 18:16-33; 19:12-28 & Luke 17:28-37 Psalter Hymnal: 233:6,7,8; 275 (law); 193 (creed); 1; 394   We know how it all had begun. Abraham and his nephew Lot had decided to part ways.  So, one day they stood at Bethel and Abraham offered Lot the first choice between the green, fertile plains of the Jordan river and the barren country around Mamre. Lot chose the valley of the Jordan river, and we know...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.16 - January 1975   And I Will Make All My Mountains A Way   Sermon by Rev. P. G. Van Dam. M.Sc., B.D. on Isaiah 49:11a Scripture Reading: Psalm 121, Isaiah 49: 8-13 Psalter Hymnal: 263, 193, 493 (Creed), 259, 52:1,4,5   In Scripture – in our text also – the mountains are 1.  Symbols of the hardships of life (Jer.13:16, Matt.21:21),             but also, and MORE SO, they are 2.  Symbols of God's glory and dominion (Psalm 121)             and of His victory; of His victory over sin             and over the results...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.15 - January 1975   Blessed Peacemakers   Sermon by Rev. J. de Kievit. Th.Grad. on Matthew 5:9 Scripture Readings: James 4:1-12, Ephesians 2:11-22 Psalter Hymnal: 315, 170, 436, 278, 231 (Doxology)   Of all the Beatitudes, here seems to be one at least with which modern man can completely agree.  For you will hardly find anyone anywhere – who loves war with all its devastation; its death and destruction of moral values.  Especially now that there is the added horror of the nuclear threat which hangs like a terrible sword over the whole world,...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.14 - January 1975   Being Christened   Sermon by Rev. J. J. C. Westera, B.D. on 1John 2:20 Scripture Reading: 1John 2:18-29 Psalter Hymnal: 146, 94:1,3; 286:1,4; 463; 375; 395   The word anointed in our text is a very interesting one and a very peculiar one too.  It is connected with one of the names of our Redeemer, namely His second name, Christ, and we know what that means.  Christ means the ‘anointed one’ and when our catechism explains it, it says that Jesus is ordained of God the Father and anointed with...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.13 - January 1975   For Better Or Worse   Sermon by Rev. G. H. W. Kroon, Th.Grad. on 1Peter 3: 1-7 Scripture Reading: 1Peter 3 Psalter Hymnal: 58, 246:1,4. 212:1,5. 120, 447, 491   We are living in a time which seems to indicate that many have no idea what marriage is all about.  It is a time in which we find that separation and divorce are the order of the day.  There are countries where the divorce rate is up to 45% of all the marriages taking place. Faithfulness in marriage is taken...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.20 - February 1975   Hallelujah!  What A Saviour!   Sermon by Rev. Keith McPhail on Lord's Day 16. (Romans 6:6) Scripture readings: Matthew 27:33-60; Romans 6:1-11 Psalter Hymnal: 194, 84, 390, 440, 493   Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ died for us.  Knowing what the Lord our God tells us in Scripture about sin and its reward, none of us would ever want to face the condemnation which is due to us because of our very own sinful nature.  The thought of us having to bear the penalty of our own...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.19 - February 1975   Man Of Sorrows   Sermon by Rev. R. O. Zorn, B.A., B.D., M.Th. on Lord's Day 15 Scripture reading: Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Psalter Hymnal: 259, 286, 355, 381, 487   Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, The Lord Jesus was a man of sorrows. This is Holy Scripture's own testimony of Him. Isaiah 53 not only calls Him a man of sorrows, but also goes on to describe His sufferings in detail, telling us why this name fits Him so well. In Handel's immortal oratorio, "The Messiah", a tenor aria...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.18 - February 1975   The Word Became Flesh   Sermon by Rev. J. J. Van Wageningen, B.D. on Lord's Day 14 Scripture reading: Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1-18 Psalter Hymnal: 317 (opening hymn), 332 (after scripture reading),                         336:1,3 (after sermon), 345:3,5 (before Benediction),                         491 (closing hymn) W ith the Church of all ages we believe and confess the incarnation, "The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us" (John 1:14).  "God appeared in a body", "Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great!" (I Tim.3:16).  The meaning of...