Tinney Chapel Today

Pastor: Rev. Duncan Graham

MORNING SERVICE, 9:00 A.M.

Greeters: Clay Spears & Roger Schneider

Sound:

Ushers: Roger Schneider & Clay Spears

MUSIC

Pianist: Pat Hollingsworth.

Songleader for hymns: Pastor, Rev. Duncan Graham

Songs: Standing On The Promises; Take Time To Be Holy; Sanctuary; Leaning On The Everlasting Arms.

SPECIAL MUSIC

Praise Be The Name Of Jesus/Glorious Is Thy Name by the Tinney Chapel UMC Choir.

Today’s choir singers, included Pat Hollingsworth, director; Clay Spears, Stacey Stanley, Randy Stanley, Derrell Hollingsworth, George Jordan, Linda Hallman, Emmaline Hallman, Bobbie Hollingsworth and Sadie Jordan.

Call to Worship & Opening Prayer

Morning Prayer & Lord’s Prayer:

LITURGY

Offertory Prayer

Doxology

Gloria Patri

Apostles Creed

CHILDREN’S SERMON TODAY:

Pastor Duncan Graham began the children’s sermon with a reference to some directions that Jesus offers in the 14^th Chapter of John’s Gospel: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

“No one comes to the Father except through Me: That was a strong, bold statement that Jesus made,” declared Pastor Graham. “In your lives today, many will try to point life’s way to you, and some of their directions may look like fun, but may not be The Way that Jesus proclaimed, and if it is not the Way of Jesus, their directions can destroy your life. All of us have probably, at some point, had some experience on a wrong path, and some of us have perhaps walked a wrong path, at least for a while. Jesus says: Follow Me, I am the only Way of Truth, the only Way to Eternal Life.

“Jesus is The Way, The Truth and The Life, and when we remember that, we will ultimately get the Final Reward,” added the Pastor. “We all want to get to heaven, don’t we? When compared with hell, who wouldn’t choose heaven? We know the Way to get there is to follow Jesus.”

In his closing prayer, Pastor Graham called on our Gracious Lord to keep His Hand firmly on the children, to bless and help them, so that they may stay firmly in the Way of Jesus, to rejoice in the Life that He has planned for them. “For all this we give thanks in Jesus Name. Amen.”

ADULT SERMON TODAY:

Rev. Duncan Graham’s sermon title, “Transformation,” was based on John 3:1-15. To view the King James Translation of today’s Scripture Lesson, click HERE

“Today’s Scripture and sermon takes us back to some of the basics of our faith: What it’s all about,” declared Pastor Duncan Graham. We never know: Some may have not heard it, or perhaps it did not register.

“Nicodemus was probably a member of the Sanhedrin, and he was certainly a Pharisee,” explained the Pastor. “He was a man who was recognized as one of the elite religious leaders of Judaism. He was well-respected. He was someone that others listened to. He likely did some teaching, and would have been very familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures, which was all they had at that time, from Genesis to Malachi. He would have been very familiar with the Law as given to Moses, then interpreted and re-interpreted by the Jewish rabbis. Nicodemus was a pillar of the temple and the synagogue. He would likely have commanded attention, in much the same manner as suggested by the old brokerage advertisements for E. F. Hutton: When he spoke, people listened!

“So, it’s important to recognize that a man of that stature came to Jesus,” reminded Pastor Graham. “He came to discuss, to dialog, to find out what the doctrine meant, for enlightenment. And, he came by night, a fact that has caused some to suggest that he did so in order that others of his stature might not know about his visit with Jesus. But that is probably not true. It would not have been unusual for a man of his stature to be in a discussion with Jesus, and both Nicodemus and Jesus were probably busy during the day.

“Jesus had already performed miracles and drawn crowds, so the nighttime visit could have been to assure a private audience, and to allow them more time to discuss ideas,” added the Pastor. “We must applaud his coming at all to Jesus, and it was also very important for him to come when he could have the full attention of Jesus. Yet, he comes in a seemingly meek and humble manner to find out what Jesus has to say and what He has to offer. For instance, Nicodemus says: ‘Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him’. So, we find here that Nicodemus recognizes the God-given authority of Jesus.

“This was a bold, telling statement for Nicodemus to make, because so much of what Jesus taught, although it represented completion of the Old Testament, made it seem to many that He did not fit the mould,” said Pastor Graham. “By His works, Jesus answered the Old Testament. Nicodemus recognized something about this Man, Jesus, that told him He needed to be heard.

“The problem with the Pharisees of that day was that they thought they knew all the answers,” added the Pastor. “This reminds me of a poster I once gave someone. The poster pictured an ape with the caption: ‘Just when I think I have all the answers, you change the questions.’ Well, that’s life! That’s the way it was for Nicodemus when faced with Jesus Christ. He was a well-trained scholar, but then he encountered Jesus, who told him: ‘Nicodemus, every person has to be transformed!’

“If you want to experience the Kingdom of Heaven, you have to be born again: transformed,” added Pastor Graham. “Nicodemus did not quite grasp the meaning of what Jesus told him, but it was not because the term, born again, was unfamiliar. That was definitely not a new concept to the Jews, who believed that every proselyte to Judaism was born again. But that the concept applied to a Jew? To Nicodemus, that would have been kind of like saying the same thing today to a good Methodist, who has been in church all his life, perhaps with perfect attendance, regular offerings and at least one turn at all the offices of the church.

“That’s a good way for us to imagine what Nicodemus was going through in this conversation with Jesus,’ said the Pastor. “I have to be born again? Any good Baptist, Methodist, Catholic or whatever, might respond in like manner: Yes? Well that offends me. Yet, isn’t it interesting that Nicodemus registers no offense! Instead, he wants to know more! He wants to know what it means to him. Jesus says it’s just like it is for the proselytes: A step for all, even the Jews have to be born again!

“Today, we might say that even church members must be born again,” added the Pastor. “The temple will not save us. The synagogue will not save us. Church membership will not save us. Only Life in Christ will save us. Jesus talked of being born of water and the Spirit. I truly believe that one may accept Jesus as Savior and, when baptism is not possible for one reason or another, be saved without being baptized. But, for most, I think that something works in conjunction with water baptism that we don’t fully understand. It’s a working of the grace and mercy of God that goes on in our lives. I say you need to experience that.

“Several years ago, a man was expected to die in the hospital, and I went to see him there at someone’s request,” recalled Pastor Graham. “I prayed with him, and when he accepted Jesus, since I had taken my water with me to the hospital, I baptized him there. Now, I had rather have dunked him in a bathtub! I know that Scripture tells of being sprinkled with water, but we understand immersion as representing our own burial and resurrection with Jesus. When Jesus speaks of being born of the Spirit and water, he is referring to water baptism.

“In other Scripture, we read of baptism by Spirit and fire,” added the Pastor. “We are not a new being until a new Spirit indwells and transforms us as nothing else does. It’s the Spirit that assures us we are the Children of God. Yet, we may be able to picture a man who has done it all, and appears to be a model of a man of God, yet is lacking in the transformation experience, which is what makes us a new creature, a new person, leads us into righteousness, leads us into Truth, leads us into God’s Mercy, leads us into the Kingdom of Heaven.

“You must be born again,” emphasized Pastor Graham. “One of the greatest difficulties in the organized church, regardless of the denomination, is the great problem, time and again, of people who grew up in the church and think they have been born again because of that. But, you are not born again until you are broken-hearted over your sins, accept Jesus without reservation, turn your life over to Him, and allow Him to do His Will, and not your own, in your life, which you agree to live His Way rather than your own.

“I’ve said this here before, but you can’t get into the Kingdom of Heaven by anyone’s coat tails, not the coat tails of your parents or grandparents,” added the Pastor. “Not until you have been touched by Him personally, made your confession and received the indwelling Spirit of God, of Jesus, you are not born again! You can go to church 100 years, but until that happens you have missed the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. This is what it’s all about in the church. That message accepted from a Savior who longs to save souls, regardless of who or what we are. He is always the Way, the Truth, the Life, and we must be born again!”

In his closing prayer, the Pastor called on Our Gracious Heavenly Father that His Word burn deep in our hearts and flow richly out of our mouths, that others feel His Being in their hearts: “We know You desire that every person be called to serve You, and we pray that we see Salvation come to many, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, for it’s in His Name we ask it. Amen."

CLASSES TODAY:

SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS TOPICS:

WISE ONES, Frankie Brewer: Living In Harmony.

LADIES BYKOTA CLASS, Peggy Boyd: Heeding The Word of The Lord.

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: You will Be My Witnesses.

REMNANT, Joe Dan Boyd: Proverbs 6: Seven things the Lord hates!

The Remnant handout is below:

REMNANT RIGHTEOUSNESS

Life Lessons # 264 from studying Proverbs 6 and related Scripture:

1. Be wary of signing a friend’s note, and don’t ever become a partner with a stranger.

2. Hold fast to your friends and steer clear of your enemies.

3. Avoid laziness, and use spare time wisely, especially to study the Word of God.

4. The self-presentation of a Christian should be straightforward and unambiguous: sincere, gentlemanly, respectful, holy and honorable. God is not mocked.

5. Men of good will may disagree and reason together without fostering strife.

6. “God is love but He hates evil,” says commentator Vernon McGee, who says all of us should hate the 7 things that God hates. “God is love, but by the same token, God is hate, and Scripture adequately states the case.”

7. God hates a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, a mouth that lies under oath and a troublemaker in the family.

8. “The heart blazes the trail that the feet will follow,” paraphrases commentator McGee.

9. “We should try putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes more often,” advises the Proverbial Woman online commentary.

10. We should show equal respect for the teachings of our mothers and our fathers.

11. “Satan is crafty; he likes to lure us through the weakness of our flesh into the lusts of the eye or the pride of life, and lead us into an occasion for sin,” paraphrases the Gospel Chapel website commentary.

TODAY’S DATE: 04-24-05

The Remnant

Sunday School Class

Tinney Chapel UMC

Winnsboro, Texas

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT SUNDAY: 05-01-05

FIRST SUNDAY HEALTHY CHURCHES LESSON:

Characteristic # 1, God’s Empowering Presence (from Chapter 2 of Stephen A. Macchia’s Becoming A Healthy Church)

The healthy church actively

seeks the Holy Spirit’s direction

and empowerment for its daily

life and ministry.

In seeking to understand and implement God’s will,

the church:

• articulates a clear understanding of who God is

• teaches the whole counsel of God, and relates it

to the contemporary Christian church

• emphasizes a supernatural-reliance instead of a

self-reliance

• creates enthusiasm about being a part of the

Kingdom of God

• prays for God’s initiative and anticipates that

God will act

• encourages its leaders to be change-agents

under God’s guidance

• desires the fruit of the Spirit for all its members

• seeks the gifts of the Spirit within the Body

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we

are God’s children.

---Romans 8:16

BIBLE READINGS TODAY:

Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter: Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14.

MORNING SERVICE, 9:00 A.M.

Pastor: Rev. Duncan Graham

Greeter: Roger Schneider

Sound: Bob Deitering

Ushers: Roger Schneider & Bob Deitering.

MUSIC

Pianist: Pat Hollingsworth.

Songleader for hymns: Angela Wylie.

Songs: Tell Me The Story Of Jesus, Blessed Assurance, Sanctuary, Rock Of Ages.

SPECIAL MUSIC

In The Presence Of The King, by the Tinney Chapel UMC Choir.

Today’s choir singers, included Pat Hollingsworth, director; Jami Smith; Marcella Salter; Alice Deitering; Angela Wylie; Ronny Ellison; Clay Spears; Josie Garrett; Judy Spears; Stacey Stanley; Randy Stanley; David Stanton; Derrell Hollingsworth; George Jordan and Sadie Jordan.

Call to Worship & Opening Prayer

Morning Prayer & Lord’s Prayer

LITURGY

Offertory Prayer

Doxology

Gloria Patri

Apostles Creed

CHILDREN’S SERMON TODAY:

Pastor Duncan Graham began today’s children’s sermon by talking about his own love for fishing, and eventually emphasized John 10 and its reference to Jesus as The Good Shepherd.

“A shepherd’s sheep know his voice, and if we recognize the voice of Jesus, we will be led by The Good Shepherd,” declared Pastor Graham. “On the other hand, we hear many things that might not be right and good, and such things can destroy us. Sometimes such destructive messages may come to us through peer pressure, and from friends. In those instances, we should discipline ourselves to listen for the voice of Jesus to tell us what to do. A WWJD (what would Jesus do?) bracelet really is a good idea. Jesus sees us as the sheep of His pasture, and we are to follow Him.”

The Pastor distributed pages for coloring and a puzzle before his closing prayer: “Oh, gracious Lord, we thank and praise You for being our Shepherd, and leading us in Your Way according to Your Wisdom that we can use in our daily lives. Bless, guide and cover our children in all they say and do during all the days of their lives. Amen.”

ADULT SERMON TODAY:

Pastor Duncan Graham’s sermon today was based on another in his series of post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus, this one from John 21:15-19. To set the stage, Pastor Graham said, “Jesus had gone to the Sea of Galilee, built a fire and cooked fish while the Apostles were fishing in a boat. From the shore, Jesus guided them to a big catch of fish and invited them to a big breakfast. Peter jumped out of the boat and swam ashore.”

To view the New King James Translation of today’s Scripture Lesson, click HERE

“Jesus does some interesting things in this Scripture Lesson,” reminded Pastor Graham. “We can speculate about some of them, but we don’t want to miss the obvious. As some of you will recall, I have preached before about the various Greek words, at least four of them, that are translated as love. Two of those words are used in this Scripture Lesson: agape, for a high and devoted Godly love; philia, a word signifying a more humble form of love for a friend.”

For a linguistic analysis of these two Greek words, begin by clicking HERE.

“Jesus is asking Peter: Do you agape Me? This is a Godly love, a love of the volition of the will, a self-sacrificial kind of love such as Jesus displayed. So, Jesus is here asking Peter: Do you love Me with a determined volitional act of the will? Peter answers: I philia You. This means I have feelings and emotions for you in a brotherly kind of love.

“So, Jesus again asks Peter: Do you agape me? And Peter again responds: I philia You. Finally, Jesus drops the agape question, and asks Peter: Do you philia Me? Peter tells Jesus that since He knows all things, He knows that Peter loves Him.

“Today, we live in a culture that depends more on other kinds of love than on agape,” adds Pastor Graham. “Today’s use of the term love is understood as more one of emotion than of will. I will philia you means an emotional love: As in I will love you as long as you do what I want, compared with the type of agape love demonstrated by Jesus. This is a love that says I will love you even when you do not do the things that are the right things to do: a love not based on worth or emotion, and I will rescue you from your sins. It is a love that will not go away even when you do sinful things.

“We are called to be like Jesus in this same way,” said the Pastor. “We are to love others even when they do things that we don’t agree with. The love of God stretches beyond these things. Jesus told Peter: I want you to have a Love that stretches beyond. The text doesn’t specifically say that, so I am speculating a bit. He wanted Peter, and us, to say that we choose to love and care for Him and each other. Choosing to love is something you and I can do at any time, no matter our circumstances.

“I hear some at Whispering Pines nursing home say they don’t know why they are still living,” said Pastor Graham. “My thought is that I don’t care if someone is physically incapacitated, one can always choose to love and pray; pray to be a blessing, even though others do not recognize it. God does! He answers, and will bless, so that you have been a blessing, and your reward will be great in Heaven.

“Jesus said: Peter do you love Me more than these? By these, Jesus might have meant the other disciples, the fish that He was cooking, Peter’s fishing tackle and equipment, the worldly thrill of fishing, or something else entirely,” pointed out Pastor Graham. “Scripture does not tell us exactly what Jesus meant, but we know that Peter was a leader. That the others followed Peter when he decided to go fishing proves that he was a leader. If Jesus was referring to the fishing tackle, then the reference was to worldly things, and all of us have some of those that are important in our lives. So, perhaps Jesus was asking Peter if he loved Him more than these things, which is a most important choice all of us have to make.

“Peter denied Jesus three times,” reminded the Pastor. “Peter professes his love for Jesus three times in this Scripture Lesson. The text does not specifically say this, but Jesus seems to be attempting to get Peter to come to the point, and say something like I forsake all to do Your will. And Jesus tells Peter that His will is for Peter to tend His lambs, feed His sheep, to take care of all that Jesus gives Peter. So, Peter at once is given a responsibility to follow the Lord in guiding the sheep given to him to guide and direct.

“Peter seems quite willing to do the will of Jesus,” added Pastor Graham. “If you are a leader type, you are always ready to take on responsibility, which is easy to do when the sheep follow. But when the sheep scatter, a leader wonders what he got himself into. Yet, Jesus says to remember agape love, and that you are called to a self-sacrificial calling and service: It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s all about Jesus! Therefore, what we have to do is be like Peter: Say yes, Lord, You know that I love You, and I will do what You have for me to do.

“Jesus says to Peter: When you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish,” explained the Pastor. “This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, Follow Me. Church tradition has it that when Peter was martyred, he asked to be crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy to suffer the same fate as Jesus. So, Peter goes from denial to ultimate sacrifice dedicated to his faith in Jesus Christ.

“Peter had made great claims to a strong faith in Jesus, but when the chips were down, Peter learned how difficult it was to live up to that,” added Pastor Graham. “But then Jesus sealed Peter’s redemption when Peter lived, served and died for Jesus Christ. We might think of that as telling us what Jesus was really asking Peter in this Scripture Lesson, and it raises the same question for us. Are we willing to live, serve and die for Jesus Christ? Opportunities will abound for you and me to serve Jesus Christ. He was willing to go where needed to reach and touch those who failed Him, and you, too, will be failed by people. All of you have been failed by others. The question is how will we respond to those who fail us? Jesus responded by laying down His life for those who failed Him. His question to Peter might have been: Are you willing to lay everything on the line for My lambs?”

In his closing prayer, Pastor Graham called upon our gracious, and loving Heavenly Father to do what it takes in our lives to re-mould us, re-shape us and renew us so that we may serve Him and do His glorious work.

CLASSES TODAY:

SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS TOPICS:

WISE ONES, Frankie Brewer: Living The Christ Life.

LADIES BYKOTA CLASS, Peggy Boyd: Lead Others To The Lord.

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: Fishing.

REMNANT, Joe Dan Boyd: Proverbs 5: Ring of Fire: I Walk The Line.

The Remnant handout is below:

REMNANT RIGHTEOUSNESS

Life Lessons # 263 from studying Proverbs 5 and related Scripture:

1. The effort of listening is part of the requirements of wisdom, say commentators Roger Hahn & Dennis Bratcher.

2. They also say that part of wisdom is the ability not to talk too much.

3. The Old Testament, as indicated in Proverbs 5, stands firmly in favor of marrying within the religious tradition. Marriage outside the faith puts a person at risk, assert Hahn & Bratcher.

4. In addition, the pair suggests the reason that few people today warn against marrying outside one’s religious faith is because it reflects a cultural assumption that religious faith plays only a small role in a person’s life.

5. Whether a man succumbs to the invitation of a prostitute or the flirtatious appeal of a foreign wife to worship her idol, the result is devastating, according to analysis by Hahn & Bratcher.

6. They conclude that life-shattering consequences may result from making wrong sexual choices.

7. The first of these serious consequences is death itself.

8. Stay out of the neighborhood of the adulterous woman, warns The Message Translation. Come not nigh the door of her house, advises the King James Translation.

9. A man has only so much strength, time, energy and passion to give, remind Hahn & Bratcher, and it is tragic to bestow those limited resources on empty relationships.

10. The result of doing so is bitterness directed against yourself because you know you made the choices.

11. Another consequence of such poor choices is a reduced ability to form and participate in healthy relationships that sustain Christian marriage.

12. God designed sexual intimacy as the most obvious expression and symbol of the unity of a husband and wife, emphasize Hahn & Bratcher.

13. They say the shared joy and sense of belonging that result from such a relationship produces emotional intimacy and bonding that is more powerful than the sex act itself.

14.Enjoy the wife you married, says The Message version.

TODAY’S DATE: 04-10-05

The Remnant

Sunday School Class

Tinney Chapel UMC

Winnsboro, Texas

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT SUNDAY: 04-24-05

READ PROVERBS 6

Afterwards, reflect upon these things:

1. Snared with the words of your mouth.

2. Consider the ways of the ant & be wise.

3. Six things the Lord hates.

4. Seven are an abomination to Him.

5. Adultery destroys the soul.

6. Keep your father’s commandment & don’t forsake the law of your mother.

BIBLE READINGS TODAY:

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter: Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2:19-25; John 10:1-10.

MORNING SERVICE, 9:00 A.M.

Elena Darby joined the church today!

Pastor: Rev. Duncan Graham

Greeter: Roger Schneider

Sound: Bob Deitering

Ushers: Roger Schneider & Danny Lake.

MUSIC

Pianist: Pat Hollingsworth.

Songleader for hymns: Angela Wylie.

Songs: In My Heart There Rings A Melody, Glory To His Name, Sanctuary, The Nail-Scarred Hand.

SPECIAL MUSIC

Medley (including When We All Get To Heaven and King of Kings) by the Tinney Chapel UMC Choir.

Today’s choir singers, included Pat Hollingsworth, director; Jami Smith; Marcella Salter; Alice Deitering; Angela Wylie; Bobbie Hollingswoth; Ronny Ellison; Clay Spears and Sadie Jordan.

Call to Worship & Opening Prayer

Morning Prayer & Lord’s Prayer:

LITURGY

Offertory Prayer

Doxology

Gloria Patri

Apostles Creed

CHILDREN’S SERMON TODAY:

Tinney Chapel UMC Pastor, the Rev. Duncan Graham, presented the children with a puzzle picture of Jesus: To see Jesus, they were told to gaze intently at the page for at least 15 seconds, after which they might see Jesus. This activity led the Pastor into a Bible story about two men walking, after the first Easter Sunday, toward a place called Emmaus. They were upset at the events of the past few days, which had seen Jesus arrested, tried, crucified, dead and buried. On Him these two men had pinned their hopes of a Jewish Messiah, and they now seemed to consider these hopes of no further avail.

Suddenly Jesus joined the two men walking on the road, but they failed to recognize Him. Jesus went through the motions of asking what concerned the two men, and then used the opportunity to teach them what Scripture actually says about the necessity for the Messiah to suffer all those things which they had just related as having befallen Jesus. Not until the three reached Emmaus, and they were about to dine, was Jesus recognized in the breaking of the bread, at which point Jesus promptly disappeared.

Pastor Graham’s message to the children today was that if we want to see or meet Jesus, we should look at the Scriptures, pray real hard, desire it with all our hearts and it will happen. In his closing prayer, the Pastor called for God’s richest blessings on the young hearts represented here today, that they seek after Jesus with all their hearts and that all may see Jesus.

ADULT SERMON TODAY:

In today’s sermon, perhaps as a tribute to Tinney Chapel church secretary Elaine Knoop, who was a team member of an Emmaus Walk this week at Lone Star, Texas, Pastor Duncan Graham preached on the original Walk to Emmaus. His Scripture today was Luke 24:13-34. To view the New Living Translation of today’s Scripture, click HERE

The Pastor noted that today’s sermon was also a part of his continuing look at the post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus, which might also be regarded as first-fruits.

“In retrospect, one might ask why these two men did not recognize Jesus,” said Pastor Graham. “But Scripture tells us that God kept them from recognizing Him. Why? I suppose it was because Jesus had something important to teach them. They needed to do some self-evaluation.

“As they walk along, the two men talk about the hopes they had for the recently crucified Jesus, who had been prophet and a teacher,” continued the Pastor. “They had also regarded Him as the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel, but the as-yet-unrecognized Jesus teaches them that they had misunderstood what He was all about. He had not come as a great military, political leader to deliver Israel from all its misery. Some of the people then did not believe in a Resurrection because their lives were so miserable: They simply wanted to get it over with.

“If any of you have not struggled with the difficulties of life, just wait,” emphasized Pastor Graham. “Anyone who has no difficulties must already be in the cemetery, and if that person died without knowing Jesus, he still has problems.

“Meanwhile, these first-century people were chafing under the Roman yoke,” added the Pastor. “It was a tyrannical empire, and many were anticipating a day when they would be free from oppression, and the Messiah was the hope of many for realizing that deliverance. They expected the Messiah to raise them to the top of the heap, where they would be king of the hill, so to speak: free from the Roman yoke.

“Just to be free of all troubles in this life does not answer the problem of sin—yours or mine,” said Pastor Graham. “Such a deliverance as these people expected would be only temporary, only for this life and not the next life. How many of you think that life is short? Many of us, including me, once thought we would be always young. So, perhaps we are like those men on the road to Emmaus. Perhaps we have the wrong idea about our own needs.

“I have engaged in self-evaluation, and have asked myself why I preach and why I pastor,” added the Pastor. “I have asked myself if I do it for my own ego, for the attention it brings and other similar questions of self-evaluation. I have asked myself if I am on the right road in doing this. I have asked myself if I am doing this for Him or for myself.

“As a young man, I sold insurance for several months, and spent some time in hotel rooms,” said Pastor Graham. “I began to read the Bible regularly during those hotel stays, and the Lord came to me in one of those rooms. I knew His Presence in a way that I had not previously. He told me there was something He wanted me to do. I went to my pastor, who asked me what I thought He wanted me to do. I told him that I thought He wanted me to go back and serve the people at Buffalo, my home area, or that He wanted me to go into the ministry.

My pastor asked me where I thought I could help the most people, and my answer was the ministry,” recalled the Pastor. “So I prayed about it. In my own flesh, I did not want to preach or pastor. The idea scared me. I went through self-evaluation, and asked myself if I believed the Lord wanted me to do it. I asked myself if I thought I could do it. I wondered what the Lord would have me do.

“These people on the road to Emmaus were in need of this kind of self-evaluation,” said Pastor Graham. “Meanwhile, Jesus began to teach them that He did not come to overrun the world. Rather He came to pay for, to suffer for the sins of you and me. He came to give Everlasting Life. Now, I don’t know what Heaven is all about, or what we will do there. But I believe God has a plan. He may have us running from galaxy to galaxy, working on stars that burn out! Whatever He has in store will be much greater than anything we have ever done here on earth.

“The mission of Jesus to this world was not a temporary fix,” explained the Pastor. “Rather, He did it to take care of all Eternity. When these men on the road to Emmaus heard all this, they got so excited as the teachings of Jesus took them to a new plateau of understanding. Later, when they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread, they couldn’t wait to return to Jerusalem to tell the disciples, where they learned that Jesus had already appeared to Peter. That was a confirmation of what Jesus had already told them.

“These post-Resurrection appearances are the heart and soul of the Christian message of the Gospel of Christ,” added Pastor Graham. “Much of this was foretold by the prophets, going all the way back to Genesis, establishing the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, that His message and purpose would be accomplished in ways that confound the things of the world and that, if we listen, we can find the right path to live forever with Him. I thank God for Jesus Christ, the most wonderful gift that has ever been given to us. He is greater than a shiny bicycle. He is the greatest thing you have ever witnessed. His appearances are not over: It will happen again! Like a lightning flash from east to west. He will take and keep those who are His children. In all Eternity."

In his closing prayer, Pastor Graham called upon our gracious Heavenly Father: “We give thanks to Your Son, Jesus, constantly, daily, and we pray that we may know His purpose. Help us also to walk in accord with His purpose. Amen.”

CLASSES TODAY:

SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS TOPICS:

WISE ONES, Frankie Brewer: Affirm Christ As Lord.

LADIES BYKOTA CLASS, Peggy Boyd: Conform To God’s Purpose.

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: Easter: Doubting Thomas.

REMNANT, Joe Dan Boyd: Proverbs 4: Know How To Live.

The Remnant Righteousness handout # 262 is below:

REMNANT RIGHTEOUSNESS

Life Lessons # 262 from studying Proverbs 4 and related Scripture:

1. The 4^th Chapter of Proverbs promises that its teachings will, if dutifully followed, teach us to know understanding, or how to live.

2. Understanding is viewed as a gift from God, according to Carl Schultz, writing in Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Understanding is a gift worth praying for.

3. The nature of the gift of understanding is perhaps best exemplified by asking where it may be found: “God alone knows,” explained Job in Job 28:12,20,23.

4. Hearing is no assurance of understanding (Daniel 12:8), and it goes beyond the collection of data. Carl Schultz says the injunction is to trust in the Lord rather than rely on our own understanding, as we are also told in Proverbs 3:5.

5. In The Message Translation, we are advised to sell everything, buy wisdom, forage for understanding and forget it not.

6. When Paul speaks of winning or gaining Christ (Philippians 3:8-10), commentator John Gill interprets him to mean gaining a greater degree of knowledge of Him.

7. The King James Translation directs us to exalt wisdom (Proverbs 4:8), and commentator John Gill quotes the Talmudists as saying the Hebrew word for exalt in this case signifies a diligent search for wisdom.

8. Don’t take the wicked bypass, advises The Message Translation, while on Wisdom Way and The Righteous Road.

9. The road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker, while the ways of right-living people glow with light and the longer they live, the brighter they shine.

10. It is suggested that we keep the Word in plain view at all times, concentrate on it, learn it by heart and avoid bad company.

TODAY’S DATE: 04-10-05

The Remnant

Sunday School Class

Tinney Chapel UMC

Winnsboro, Texas

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT SUNDAY: 04-17-05

READ PROVERBS 5.

Afterwards, reflect upon these things:

1. Maintain discretion.

2. Preserve knowledge.

3. Drink water from your own cistern.

4. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.

5. Avoid adultery.

6. A man’s ways are in full view of the Lord.

BIBLE READINGS TODAY:

Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter: Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35.

MORNING SERVICE, 9:00 A.M.

HOLY COMMUNION WAS SERVED TODAY.

Pastor: Rev. Duncan Graham

Greeter: Charles Brewer & Roger Schneider

Sound: Bob Deitering

Ushers: Roger Schneider & Charles Brewer.

MUSIC

Pianist: Pat Hollingsworth.

Songleader for hymns: Angela Wylie.

Songs: All Glory, Laud and Honor, Revive Us Again, Let Us Break Bread Together, Blest Be the Tie That Binds.

Call to Worship & Opening Prayer

Morning Prayer & Lord’s Prayer:

LITURGY

Offertory Prayer

Doxology

Gloria Patri

Apostles Creed

CHILDREN’S SERMON TODAY:

Pastor Duncan Graham began today’s Tinney Chapel Children’s Time by asking if anyone remembered, or had ever heard of, Bob Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, which he described as at once a book and a newspaper, radio and TV series. After discerning elements of recognition, Rev. Graham recalled one remarkable event, described by Ripley as the tooth that grew out of a boy’s foot. He confessed to some doubts about that event, but cautioned that Ripley usually had the necessary documentation.

The Pastor also recalled such Ripley-described events as a square egg laid by a chicken and the world’s biggest wiener that weighed 885-lb., and required 103 butchers to cut it up. “That seems like a lot of baloney,” quipped Pastor Graham, who used these examples to lead into a discussion of one of the Disciples of Jesus: Thomas, the doubter. “Thomas said he would not believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead unless he could personally see and feel the scars on the body of Jesus,” explained Rev. Graham.

“Sure enough, a week later, Jesus appeared to Thomas, and invited him to see and feel His scars,” added the Pastor. “After that, Jesus said: ‘Blest be those who have not seen, and yet believe.’ None of us here, as far as I know, have seen the Risen Jesus (although there are those who have), yet we believe, based on the testimony of others who have done so. Paul tells of such powerful testimony, in I Corinthians 15, when he relates that the Resurrected Jesus appeared to more than 500 people. And, so we here today also believe.

“Because of that, Jesus says we are especially blest,” added Rev. Graham. “Over the years, multitudes have been similarly blest. It’s a confirmation of our salvation! Believe it or not: It’s up to you, but if you do, you receive Everlasting Life.”

In his closing prayer, Pastor Graham said, “Oh, gracious Lord, always help to foster in our hearts, that You really were raised from the dead, and that you will come again, to take us to Glory with You, because we have believed, and for that, we praise Your Name. Amen.”

ADULT SERMON TODAY:

Pastor Graham’s sermon today was not titled, but might be regarded as a follow-up to his powerful Easter sermon of last Sunday. To read the Scripture basis for today’s sermon, click HERE for the New King James Translation.

“I’m sure that some who went to the tomb of Jesus were not believers,” said Rev. Graham. “Even some unbelievers surely wanted to see for themselves if Jesus had indeed been resurrected. And, when they saw the stone rolled away from the empty tomb, they were confronted with the evidence, which they could believe or not. It was their choice! Some might have concluded instead that the Body of Jesus had been stolen away to make it appear that He had been raised from the dead.

“But, if there had been a very strong outcry for such a position, it would have been very easy for the authorities of that day to get to the bottom of it, by torture and other means,” explained the Pastor. “Rather, it appears that even those who had been left to guard the tomb had instead witnessed evidence of a resurrection, which they were free to believe or not.

“Last week, in my Easter sermon I shared with you how Jesus is the Living Example of the fulfillment of Passover: the Sacrificial Lamb and the Blood shed for the sins of the world, to wash a way those sins,” added Pastor Graham. “Paul, or whoever wrote Hebrews, tells us that the curtain or veil was rent or separated, allowing anyone, for the first time, to see into the holy of holies where dwelt the very Presence of God on earth. They could have seen, for instance, the Ark of the Covenant there.

“But, the symbolic Truth is that: Suddenly, it’s not just a high priest who has access to His Presence,” emphasized Pastor Graham. “But, now every believer is able, invited, worthy, cleansed enough to come to the Presence of God Himself, without the need for a priest to intercede. For the first time ever, for people as a whole, Jesus went into the Very Presence of God. When He shed His own Blood, it was the Supreme Sacrifice that washed our sins away and gave us access to God the Father.

“The next step after the remission of sins, after the Resurrection of Jesus, was the Divine Ascension that gives us this freedom of access that had not previously been experienced,” said the Pastor. “It was a very momentous occasion. Now, you are accepted by God, and can come into His Presence by the Blood of Jesus Christ, through His Sacrifice that made us acceptable, and our faith in that Sacrifice, and our faith in Him as our Savior. No longer do we have to earn our way into Heaven. Instead, we need only accept the Gift that is offered to you and me.

“Now is the time for us to take steps to cement it into our lives,” declared Pastor Graham. “It sets us free from a guilty conscience. It’s hard for us to get over that kind of freedom: We are sinners. But, with that Blood sprinkled, we are no longer sinners. We are a Royal Priesthood and a Holy Nation. As such, we are told not to forsake the assembling together as some were doing. We should not miss an opportunity to worship. We should not fall out with a Brother or Sister and allow that to cause us to withdraw our presence. Don’t cease joining together in corporate public worship.

“That’s the Word of God, not the word of Duncan,” added the Pastor. “Walk in obedience to Him, and as the Scripture says: ‘Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.’

“What does that mean?” questioned Pastor Graham. “Well, we’ve talked about the prophets on Wednesday evenings, and it seems that we are living in the end times. You can see it, and you can hear it. You can read the signs of the times. The Return of Jesus is getting nearer. I’ve been reading lately some things about the Catholic Church. Of course, the Pope has died, and a new Pope will be elected. There are those who believe the next Pope will be very liberal and perhaps favor the marriage of priests, acceptance of homosexuals and the ordination of women priests. I’m not speaking to these issues today, except to point out that things are changing!

“There are those who believe that the system is shaping up in a manner that appears to suggest the great harlot church at the end times,” explained the Pastor. “This would mean a kind of pseudo-Christianity, perhaps after the Rapture of the Church. This might mean leaving the pseudo-Christianity, rather than the True Christianity, to walk hand in hand with politicians. I think it means a big ecumenical movement. And, I have read that some expect a uniting of the Methodist with the Catholic Church. I trust that, if so, it will be after the Rapture! Just remember that not every Catholic is going to hell because he is a Catholic, and that not every Methodist is going to Heaven because he is a Methodist.

“As Jesus in Scripture tells us, there will be Overcomers in all the 7 churches mentioned in Revelation, even in the church that was lukewarm,” added Pastor Graham. “The Good News is that you can become an Overcomer, no matter what your church. One reason I like to be associated with the District Russia Initiative is that Scripture also tells us that Gog and Magog, including Russia, will lead the charge against Israel.

“But now, we have the opportunity to preach the Gospel and souls there,” explained the Pastor. “This means there could be Overcomers there who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s as wrong to write off Russia because they are against Israel, as it is to write us off because we are not Jews and can’t know Jesus. That’s like Ripley’s giant wiener: a lot of baloney!

“My brother-in-law tells me there is a thriving church in Iraq today,” added Pastor Graham. “You don’t hear about that on CNN, and you don’t read about in the newspapers, but it’s a fact. The Lord is moving when people turn their hearts to Him. People are ready to listen to those who speak the voice of the Lord. What a glorious thing it is to know that the grace of God extends to all who believe: Believe it or Not! It’s our choice!

“The writer of Hebrews tells us to be wise as the day approaches,” said the Pastor. “When have you seen anything like the Tsunami? If we find it hard to grasp the devastation and great upheaval of that event, but Scripture reminds us of the signs of the times. We see suffering, and we send aid, but has it caused people to turn to God, to rush to church and give themselves to Jesus Christ? The signs abound, but people are oblivious!

“Wisdom says, when that time arrives, and the antichrist comes, we will not be deceived if our true nature is in Jesus Christ,” added Pastor Graham. “Those who never bow can be shown through a sign and will accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We need to be wise, recognizing that God is sending a message. The Rapture may be mid-, pre- or post-Tribulation, but we need to be ready for the window of opportunity. No one can tell the day or the hour. But Jesus said that if the master knew, he would have been ready. So it is with us: Be ready! That’s His Word. That’s His Will. That’s His recommendation. Be merciful.”

In his closing prayer, the Pastor said, “Oh, gracious, heavenly Father, work in our lives and hearts that we are willing to be ready, that we are truly looking for Jesus Christ to come, standing on tip-toe, with all of Creation, ready to see the Son of God return, to be with the Lord whatever His timetable. To Him be all Glory, Praise, Honor and Dominion, now and forevermore. Amen.”

CLASSES TODAY:

SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS TOPICS:

WISE ONES, Frankie Brewer: Power For Living.

LADIES BYKOTA CLASS, Peggy Boyd: Learn To Obey 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: Easter: The Stone Is Rolled Away.

REMNANT, Joe Dan Boyd: First Sunday Healthy Churches Lesson.

The Remnant Righteousness handout # 260 is below:

Remnant Righteousness

Life Lessons # 261 from The Holy Bible and Rick Warren’s “Emphasize Church Health, Not Church Growth,” 2005, and Chapter 21 of The Purpose Driven Life, “Protecting Your Church,” 2002:

1. “You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other.”—James 3:18, The Message Translation (MSG).

2. “Healing is the recovery of balance to the body, soul and congregation.”---Rick Warren.

3. “Churches grow warmer through fellowship, deeper through discipleship, stronger through worship, broader through ministry and larger through evangelism.”---Rick Warren on Acts 2:42-47, NIV.

4. “Each of these five purposes (above) must be in equilibrium with the others for health to occur; otherwise we must continually correct imbalance because it’s human nature to overemphasize the ones we are most passionate about and neglect the others.”—Rick Warren.

5. “Nothing on earth is more valuable to God than His Church.”—Rick Warren.

6. “God wants unity, not uniformity.” – Rick Warren.

7. “We must passionately love the church in spite of its imperfections.” – Rick Warren.

8. “Instead of leaving the church, we need to stay and work it out if at all possible.” –Rick Warren.

9. “There is no perfect church to escape to.”-Rick Warren

10. “Maturity is living with the tension.” – Rick Warren.

11. “Choose to encourage rather than criticize.”-R. Warren

12. “A critical spirit is a costly vice.” – Rick Warren.

13. “Other Christians, no matter how much you disagree with them, are not the real enemy.” –Rick Warren.

14. “People who gossip to you will also gossip about you.” ---Rick Warren.

15. “Practice God’s method for conflict resolution. If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take 1 or 2 others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church.” –Rick Warren on Matthew 18:15-17a, MSG.

TODAY’S DATE: 04-03-05

The Remnant

Sunday School Class

Tinney Chapel UMC

Winnsboro, Texas

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT SUNDAY: 04-10-05

READ PROVERBS 4.

Afterwards, reflect upon these things:

1. Gain understanding.

2. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.

3. Avoid bad company.

4. The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn.

5. Guard your heart (mind or inner being), for it is the wellspring (spiritual vitality) of life.

6. Do not swerve to the right or the left.

BIBLE READINGS TODAY:

Readings for the Second Sunday of Easter: Acts 2:14a, 22-23; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31.