Tinney Chapel Today

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.