Tinney Chapel Today

SUNDAY WORSHIP IN OUR SANCTUARY (ABOVE).
Photo by Tinney Chapel UMC Associate Pastor Rev. Gene Miller
MORNING SERVICE TODAY, 9:00 A.M.
Greeters: L. R. Kemp and Roger Schneider.
Soundman: Bob Deitering
Ushers: Roger Schneider & L. R. Kemp.

MUSIC

Pianist: Pat Hollingsworth.
Songleader for hymns: John Futral.
Songs: Joy To The World, O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night, Alleluia.


Morning Prayer & Lord's Prayer: Pastor Duncan Graham
LITURGY BY ASSOCIATE PASTOR GENE MILLER:
Call To Worship
Offertory Prayer
Doxology
Gloria Patri
Apostles Creed

LIGHTING OF THE THIRD ADVENT CANDLE: JOY.

Frankie Brewer & Mary Marrs brought light to the Third Candle of Advent today. They presented devotional readings associated with joy and celebration: affirming the present and embracing the future.

CHILDREN’S SERMON TODAY:

Senior Pastor Duncan Graham’s topic today was the Third Sunday of Advent and the Advent candle of joy. He sang an acappella version of a song from the King James Version of Isaiah 51:11:

Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: They shall obtain gladness and joy;
and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

“So, when your parents seem stressed out during these Christmas Holidays, tell them to remember JOY,” suggested the Pastor. “Now, I have some handout sheets for you with puzzles and pictures to color you’re your crayons.”

In his closing prayer, the Pastor thanked the Lord for joy and prayed that we be sensitive to all that we have been given, grateful for all that we enjoy: joy unspeakable and glory untouchable in this world. “In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

TODAY’S ADULT SERMON:

Senior Pastor Rev. Duncan Graham’s sermon title was “Article 3 of the Apostles’ Creed: I Believe, Part 3” based in part on Luke 24:36-53:


36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took it, and did eat before them. 44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: 53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
---King James Version

“Today, we conclude our series on the Apostles’ Creed by focusing on the final two lines: ‘I believe in… the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting,’” said Pastor Graham. “In every age, there have been those who did not believe in the resurrection, and especially did not believe in bodily resurrection. But, our Apostles’ Creed affirms a belief that we will be bodily raised from the dead, a Christian doctrinal concept that is too often overlooked. Today’s Scripture Lesson begins just after the resurrected Jesus has appeared to the pilgrims who were walking to Emmaus.

“So, the events in this Scripture Lesson occurred after the first Easter, and after Jesus had been physically raised from the dead,” explained Pastor Graham. “One day we will all be like Him in that respect. We will be bodily raised from the dead. Of course, I expect my resurrected body to be in better shape than this physical body: One that is pain-free and one on which my clothes, a robe of righteousness, will easily fit.

“In Jesus, we see the first evidence, the first fruits of the resurrection: raised with a body in a glorified state. With it, Jesus appeared in a room behind locked doors via some miraculous, spiritual manner. Yet, He could still be touched and felt. Those present could feel His flesh and bone. A glorified body will not be limited by natural laws, but the glorified body will have much of the same content and we can still consume food. The Apostles’ Creed affirms that believers will follow the pattern of Jesus’ resurrection in some manner. When we recite the Apostles’ Creed, we affirm a faith in a resurrection of a glorified body that will be far beyond anything we have known in this past life. Jesus has proved wrong those who deny the resurrection. "

Here, the Pastor was reminded of another Scripture from 1 Corinthians 15, one that is often used at funerals to indicate that death is not the end:

12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
---King James Version

“If any of you have planted a garden, you’ve likely gone daily to see if any of the firstfruits had popped through the ground, and when that happens you know that more will follow,” explained Pastor Graham. “Jesus Christ is the firstfruits, the assurance that resurrection will happen: There is much more to follow.” Here, the Pastor read more Scripture from 1 Corinthians 15:

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
---King James Version

“When we say we believe in the resurrection of the body, we affirm our belief that the grave will give up its dead,” added the Pastor. ‘Perhaps you recall that Ezekiel, in the valley of the dry bones, saw the scattered bones, without flesh, unattached. He was told to prophesy to them, and when he did, it was as if suddenly the wind of the Holy Spirit blew through and just as suddenly the flesh started forming on the dry bones, eventually re-creating a new body. That was a foreunner, telling us that nothing is impossible with God. The divine Creator can re-create as well as create. What seems impossible is nothing to God.

“So it is that we anticipate the renewal of our bodies and the everlasting, never ending life with God,” declared the Pastor. “That is our promise and our hope, and we talk about the joy far exceeding anything we experience now. In our Scripture today from Luke, those present thought they were seeing a ghost, an apparition, but you can’t touch either of those. Jesus was a living, breathing, touchable human being and said we would have a like ending. So we stand in faith with the totality of the universal church and attest to our faith in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.

“If we have anything to rejoice at Christmas, in addition to the birth of Jesus, it is the resurrection in that glorified body that will last forever,” said the Pastor. “The death experience is only for a moment, and holds the promise of greater things ahead. So that every time we recite the Apostles’ Creed, I hope you stop and think of this: It carries with it a great depth of meaning in the faith and witness of who we are, what we believe and what we want others to know about our beliefs.

“Sometimes we recite the Apostles’ Creed and go through the motions without really thinking about it,” said Pastor Graham. “But, in doing so, we are actually growing nearer to God, giving our testimonies to brothers and sisters with all of our hearts, minds and souls. Let’s all recite the entire Apostles’ Creed again, together, now. (The congregation does so.)

In his closing prayer, the Pastor said: “Our dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the saints who have gone before, for giving us the affirmation of faith, this creed, for putting it in our trust. Especially, we thank you for Jesus Christ, for His death, His resurrection, His ascension and for the things we believe. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”


BIBLE READINGS TODAY:

Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 1:47-55; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11.

TO READ THE CURRENT DEC. 10 NORTH TEXAS METHODIST REPORTER ONLINE, GO TO:
http://www.ntcumc.org/ArcUMR/2004/041203mr.html


TO READ BISHOP RHYMES MONCURE JR. COLUMN, GO TO:
http://www.ntcumc.org/Bishop/2004/041203bc.html

CLASSES TODAY:

SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS TOPICS:

WISE ONES, Frankie Brewer: Leadership Qualifications.

LADIES BYKOTA, Peggy Boyd: The Prodigal Son.

TINNEY CHAPEL MEN, Bill Knoop: The Case For Christ, a study by Lee Strobel.

OVERCOMERS: Jenna Nelson: The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.

YOUTH: Stephen Graham: Purpose.

CHILDREN: Linda Hallman: Angels.

The Remnant Class, Joe Dan Boyd: God’s First Remnant 7: God Tells Noah: Never Again!

The Remnant Class handout is below:

REMNANT RIGHTEOUSNESS (Life Lessons # 247)

Take home lessons from studying Genesis 9:1-17 and related Scripture:

1. Unlike other biblical covenants, Richard Davison (writes in the Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology): The Noahic covenant, which prohibits another flood, sealed by the rainbow, is made not only with humankind, but also with the whole earth, including every living creature!

2. We read in chapter 8 that Noah blessed God by his altar and sacrifice, and in chapter 9, God blessed Noah and his sons. Commentator Matthew Henry noted that God graciously blesses those who sincerely bless God & are truly thankful for the mercies they receive.

3. Some scholars believe that, notwithstanding verse 9:3, man already possessed God’s implied grant of flesh as food through God’s earlier divine grant to Adam of power and dominion over all other creatures.

4. Several Christian commentators cite the Seven Universal Laws of Noah (also called the Commandments of the Children of Noah) in relation to this lesson, although these are found only in Jewish writings rather than Scripture.

5. God's instructions specifically prohibit suicide and ordain capital punishment for murder in verses 9:5-6.

TODAY’S DATE: 12-12-04

Tinney Chapel UMC
The Remnant
Sunday School Class
Winnsboro, Texas

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT SUNDAY: 12-19-04

READ: GENESIS 9:18-29

Afterwards, reflect upon these things:

1. The legacy of Noah’s three sons.
2. Noah as a man of the soil.
3. The dangers of too much wine.
4. Drunk & uncovered.
5. Respect.
6. Blessings and curses.
7. Longevity.

A MISSIONARY'S BLOG:

Rev. Dr. Wes Magruder is a new Methodist Missionary to Cameroon. To view Rev. Magruder’s regular ongoing posts from Cameroon, go to: http://preachpeace.blogspot.com/

CALENDAR:

TODAY, SUNDAY EVENING, DEC. 12: CHRISTMAS PARTY & VARIETY SHOW AT THE CHURCH, 6:00 P.M. ELVES, SNOWMAN, REINDEER, SANTA & MRS. CLAUS, SONGS, STORIES, SKITS & SURPRISES FROM TINNEY CHAPEL KIDS OF ALL AGES, SAYS COORDINATOR SADIE JORDAN! FELLOWSHIP & REFRESHMENTS, TOO! BE THERE.

*****