The Tomb Is Empty

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The Tomb Is Empty

April 12, 2020 • Ben Sorbello

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As we enter into Easter Weekend, let us prepare our hearts and minds by putting ourselves in Jerusalem on the day when Jesus was entering on a donkey. If we were in the crowd, we were anxiously awaiting this man called Jesus. We would have heard of many of the miracles that he was doing in Capernaum and the neighboring towns in Galilee. Maybe we would have been with him when he was teaching on the Mount. On the other hand, we might have been with him when he raised Lazarus from the dead after he was wrapped and entombed for four days in Bethany, which was less than two miles from Jerusalem, according to John 11:18. So, he passes by us and proceeds to go into town with his disciples, and we return to our homes or stores and continue on with our day, wondering, "could this man be the Messiah we heard about at temple?" How would we spend our time that week? Would we spend it complaining about our circumstances or neighbors? Would we complain about our job or not having enough food for Passover supper? Just a few days later, when we heard this Jesus fellow was being brought to the governor Pontius Pilate and we rushed over there to see the commotion and then we started to cheer, “FREE BARABBAS!", would we wonder what happened to us? We knew he performed miracles; we knew he talked about repentance and Love. We knew Barabbas was a criminal and murderer. WE KNEW. As I reflect on this message, it reminds me of the words of the old hymn, “Were you there?”. Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross? Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? Sometimes it causes me to Tremble, Tremble, Tremble. We should take this time to search our hearts and minds, and then get on our knees and thank the Lord for what he did for us so that we do not have to Tremble, but REJOICE instead. When he took our sins to the cross with him he gave us a new life with Him. Matthew 16:24 says, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” This happened months before he was crucified, making this a prophecy. So this week, I invite us to take up our crosses and follow Jesus; do not let the world shake our FAITH but RENEW IT!

More from Previous Sermon Series "Journey From The Empty Tomb"

Eyes On The Prize

May 31, 2020 • Pastor Logan Ames

As we've entered into the period between Memorial Day and Independence Day, between remembering those who sacrificed for us and the freedom they provided, it's a time when many will be thinking about our blessings in this country. One of the symbols of our great nation is the bald eagle. I remember learning once about the unique ability of the eagle to focus on its prey. The eagle already has vision that is 6 times better than that of humans, but it can be flying up to 100 mph over 200 feet above water and still spot the fish that it wants for a snack swimming beneath the surface. That's why they usually time it perfectly, swooping down to grab the fish just as it gets to where the eagle thought it would be and then returning skyward again. The biggest reason the eagle has this laser-like focus as its secret weapon is because it rarely, if ever, gets distracted by what else is around it. The eagle doesn't look back or side-to-side, but remains singularly focused on the goal, which is to win the prized prey. The eagle is always looking ahead and working as such. This week at Friendship, we close out our post-resurrection series by considering the goals of the Christian walk and how we might remain focused with our "eyes on the prize". We must endure hardships and challenges to the end because we know our full reward is with Christ in heaven. This message will challenge you to do away with any earthly gains that our temporary and to live for the eternal prize that is promised us if we remain faithful.

The Resurrection Memorial

May 24, 2020 • Pastor Logan Ames

Before becoming the pastor at Friendship, I rarely, if ever, used a calendar and it certainly wasn't part of my routine. When God gives you a great ability to recall information, it's easy to be overconfident in it. As a single person with very few others depending on me or anything I do, it wasn't hard to remember meetings or other important things. But in the past 4 years, I've gotten married, had two children, took over as pastor in a congregation with hundreds of regulars, and bought our first home. To say the least, I'm now in the real world like the rest of you and absolutely depend on my calendar or others to REMIND me of certain things. We always think we'll remember the important stuff, but how's that working for you? I find that it's getting harder and harder, especially with more things keeping me busy. I share this because I'm sure most of you can relate. This week at Friendship, for Memorial Day weekend, we'll consider what it means to REMEMBER the sacrifices. How easily we forget! We'll also talk about Jesus, who bled and died and then rose from the grave, yet is just as easily forgotten by the world and even by his followers. What does it mean to be his living, breathing "resurrection memorial"? How can we live in such a way that others see us and think of Jesus? Find out as we gather in person - for the first time in 2 http://months...yes LORD! - to worship and hear the word this weekend.

Entertaining Angels

May 17, 2020 • Pastor Logan Ames

There are times when what God commands in His word and through His apostles flies in the face of what we are taught by the world, and even by well-meaning and kind people around us. When it comes to strangers, for example, we are taught as children not to speak to them. Then, as we grow up and become more aware of the evil that is out there, we still do our best to avoid strangers even though we have more capacity for protecting ourselves. Jesus tells us to be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves - when dealing with the WORLD! But God's word calls us to a different reaction to those with whom we may not be familiar in the body of Christ. This week at Friendship, we'll talk about hospitality; not the kind you show your best friends and family members, but the kind we are commanded to show to the body of Christ even when we don't really know someone well. Too often, even in church, we are hesitant to get to know new people and show personal love and hospitality to them. But God says that when we are hospitable to Christian strangers, we may be "entertaining angels" without even knowing it. Gather with us online Sunday for this challenging, yet very practical message!