Tinney Chapel Today

From Triumph to Tragedy

MORNING SERVICE, 9:00 A.M.

Greeter: Elaine Knoop

Sound: Bob Deitering

Ushers: George Jordan & Randy Stanley.

MUSIC

Pianist: Jean Anderson for Pat Hollingsworth.

Songleader for hymns: Angela Wylie.

Songs: The Solid Rock; Great Is Thy Faithfulness; Bless His Holy Name; There Is Power In The Blood.

SPECIAL MUSIC by Tinney Chapel Choir, director Pat Hollingsworth could not attend today’s service:

Jesus What A Savior/We Fall Down/Worthy! The Lamb

Choir singers today included: Josie Garrett, Alice Deitering, Angela Wylie, Bobbie Hollingsworth, Linda Hallman, Sadie Jordan, Stacey Stanley (solo), Randy Stanley, Ronny Ellison, David Wylie, George Jordan, Jami Smith, Marcella Salter.

Call to Worship & Opening Prayer: Rev. Gene Miller.

Morning Prayer & Lord’s Prayer: Pastor Duncan Graham

LITURGY BY ASSOCIATE PASTOR GENE MILLER:

Offertory Prayer

Doxology

Gloria Patri

Apostles Creed

CHILDREN’S SERMON TODAY:

“Who is the most important person in the world today?”

That was the unexpected question posed to the children today by Senior Pastor Rev. Duncan Graham. After a few false starts by the kids, Pastor Graham directed the discussion to consider the President of the United States making a hypothetical visit to Winnsboro. He told them that we would likely have a parade with all the usual celebrity trimmings: noisemakers, a black convertible limo and such.

It was the Pastor’s way of introducing the topic of Palm Sunday, when King Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, riding on the colt of a donkey. People waved palm branches during that First Century parade, the Pastor told the children. The people were likely just as excited then as we would be today if the President came to town.

In his closing prayer, the Pastor asked our gracious Lord to help us always remember that Day we’ve all heard about, when our King came to town, and that we long for the day that Jesus will come again, and we can be part of the crowd that welcomes Him to rule and reign in His Kingdom. “In His most precious Name we pray,” concluded the Pastor. “Amen.”

ADULT SERMON TODAY:

Senior Pastor Rev. Duncan Graham’s sermon title today was, “From Triumph To Tragedy,” and was based on John 1:10-11:

1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

---New King James Translation

“Some things occurred during Holy Week that must have been divinely orchestrated,” began Pastor Graham, who explained the absence of “standard” public relations advance planning during that First Century event. Yet several events (such as the arrangement for Jesus riding on a donkey’s colt) fell into place that were necessary both for the events of that week, and also to fulfill previous Bible prophecy. “Yet, Jesus only came to the Jerusalem area on Friday, and stayed with friends at Bethany in order to relax. The next day, Saturday, was the Jewish Sabbath, which Jesus always observed.

“People had likely heard about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and were curious to see him,” added Pastor Graham. “People came to join the happy chorus, and they were excited. The big question was this: Did Jesus really know and understand where He was headed and what would happen? The answer, of course, is YES. He was on a collision course with the order of the day and with the work of evil in the world. Yes, Jesus knew and accepted wholeheartedly the outcome of that event by which He would overcome death, the wages of sin.

“His task was to overcome and win the final victory,” added the Pastor. “So, Jesus set His face resolutely to conquer the greatest enemy of mankind. In doing so, and without any advance planning, He rode the colt of a donkey that had not been ridden before, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9:

9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. ---New King James Translation

“Jesus, as a mortal, could not have arranged for all the events to take place as they did, but God could,” explained Pastor Graham. “If the powers-that-be-in-Jerusalem had understood what was taking place at that time, they would have done everything in their power to change the outcome. They were jealous, envious and afraid, because Jesus was a threat to the way they taught religion. He could remove the wealth and power that was then associated with the way they practiced religion. They wanted Jesus dead!

“So, it would not have been in their interests to have allowed Jesus to become a martyr, a kind of paschal lamb that would be worshipped,” said Pastor Graham. “So, they would not have allowed his crucifixion to take place that week. But, because events were orchestrated by God, the arrest, the mock trial, the torture and the crucifixion all did take place that week. It was divinely ordained. It was planned by God, and the people did not know what was going on. They had no opportunity to change things. They were blind to what was going on.

“Thus, we see Jesus make His triumphal entry, and on Monday, He cleansed the Temple,” added the Pastor. “That was not the thing to do if your goal was to win friends and influence people. Instead, Jesus was into righteousness! He accepted nothing less than total following of God, and so He made more enemies when He cleansed the Temple on Monday and discoursed on Tuesday. Jesus laid before the people the things of Life, rather than judgment. On Wednesday, the Scriptures are silent about His activities. Some scholars think Jesus rested, but I don’t think so. It seems unlike Jesus to take a day off and rest during what He knew would be His final week of human life on earth.

“On Thursday, He prepared for the Passover in the Upper Room with His disciples,” explained Pastor Graham. “There, Jesus instituted for us what we now call a memorial service of Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper and the Eucharist. Thus, the Passover Meal took on a new meaning with the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: Do this in remembrance of Me. A very special and Holy moment evolved from that Last Supper. Remember the roots going back to Egypt and the first Passover. It is now fulfilled in its greatest meaning and takes away our sins.

“Then Jesus was arrested, tried in a mock trial, tortured that night and went to the cross on Friday,” added Pastor Graham. “Throughout this week, we remember what Jesus suffered, and what He accomplished. We will have the Maundy Thursday service, and in faith He is here to celebrate it with us. On Friday, we will have the Seder celebration in Fellowship Hall, a type of Christian Passover Meal. Then, on Sunday morning, we will celebrate the Resurrection of Easter Sunday. That, of course, is the highest holiday in the Christian calendar.

“The Resurrection of Jesus was the first fruits of Life Everlasting,” explained the Pastor. “It is ordained by God in Faith, and was orchestrated by God with the greatest care: Whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die!

“So, the triumphal entry begins with great cheers, which soon turn to jeers,” said Pastor Graham. “It turns to seeming tragedy when our Savior is treated so cruelly and died on the cross, but He emerges victorious. What begins in triumph ends in seeming tragedy, but becomes the greatest victory of all: Eternal Life.”

In his closing prayer, Pastor Graham said, “Oh, gracious, heavenly Father, may we understand all the events in the last week of Jesus’ life on earth, and believe and follow the ways of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We look for and long for His Return when His Kingdom will be on earth as it is in heaven. In His most precious Name, we pray. Amen.”

CLASSES TODAY:

SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS TOPICS:

WISE ONES, Frankie Brewer: Praising Through Faith.

LADIES BYKOTA CLASS, Peggy Boyd: Demonstrate Your Trust In God.

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, Ronny Ellison: Life Lessons from 1 & 2 Peter, a study by Max Lucado.

CHILDREN, Linda Hallman: Sit, Wait & Pray.

REMNANT, Joe Dan Boyd: Proverbs Chapter 2.

The Remnant Righteousness handout # 259 is below:

1. Solomon shows that they who diligently seek wisdom shall find it, says Methodist founder John Wesley.

2. Proverbs challenges a young man to be a wise young man, says commentator J. Vernon McGee.

3. He also says the way to find out about the Lord is through His Word.

4. But, Proverbs 2 makes it clear that if one is to know the will and Word of God, that person will have to study, adds McGee.

5. The sayings of God are to be received, adds McGee, and his commandments are to be stored up with your other valuables.

6. When Proverbs says to incline thine ear unto wisdom, McGee says this means allowing something to enter the head through the ear gate, but its final destination is the heart.

7. When the Word of God gets into the heart, it brings understanding, contends commentator McGee.

8. We should go after knowledge of the Word of God as if we are mining, adds McGee, looking for something very valuable.

9. John Wesley puts it like this: Seek with unwearied diligence and earnest desire and patient expectation.

10. Don’t let devotional reading substitute for serious Bible study: McGee says there is no easy, pious way of learning, and no substitute for just digging it out.

11. Let the Holy Spirit reveal God’s Word to you, advises McGee, who emphasizes that this can sometimes result in a greater knowledge of the Word of God than is found in others with a Ph.D or Th.D.

12. You must come to the Word of God, adds McGee.

13. Proverbs 2 teaches that the child of God has two enemies: the “evil man” and the “strange woman.”

14. The path of duty is the way of safety, says the Clarke Commentary of Proverbs 2:18.

TODAY’S DATE: 03-20-05

The Remnant

Sunday School Class

Tinney Chapel UMC

Winnsboro, Texas

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT SUNDAY: 03-27-05

READ PROVERBS 3.

AFTERWARDS, REFLECT UPON THESE THINGS:

1. Trust & honor God.

2. Write love & faithfulness on the tablet of your heart.

3. Don’t be wise in your own eyes.

4. The Lord disciplines those He loves.

5. The Lord will be your confidence.

6. Don’t withhold good to those who deserve it if you have power to act.

7. The wise inherit honor.

BIBLE READINGS TODAY:

Readings for Passion/Palm Sunday: Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66 or Matthew 27:11-54; Matthew 21:1-11; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29.