Pergamum

Friendship Community Church

Pergamum

July 25, 2021 • Associate Pastor Ben Sorbello

I remember an Elvis song I used to enjoy listening to called, Stop, Look and Listen Baby. So I need to you to Stop what you are doing,unless you are driving, operating on someone or anything else that could hurt you or someone else...you know what I mean. Are you thinking about and Looking for areas to do Kingdom stuff or worldly stuff? Have you served someone other than yourself today? Have you been Listening to, and obedient to, the Holy Spirit of God today? How easy is it for us to take our eyes off Jesus during the storm or even in the calm waters, the church of Pergamos did just that when it came to watching out for their brothers and sisters. Because of all of the technology of our times we can spend hours online looking at kittens doing backflips or football games and being married to the World and neglecting the most important person in the World that came down from Heaven, taught us right and wrong, then took a huge beating for us, then got nailed to the cross, died then conquered death so that He can save the World that beat and hung Him on the Cross. So when we turn our attention to anything other than Jesus or helping the Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven, we risk becoming like the church in Pergamos and becoming Married to the World. This weekend at Friendship, we'll look at the letter to the church in Pergamos, in which Jesus commended the believers for being faithful and holding on to His Name,but rebuking them for allowing brothers and sisters to lose their faith and fall for the traps of the World, the Loving Father that we have uses the mistakes of the past to strengthen our present and future so we urge you to join us and learn with us!

Laodicea

August 22, 2021 • Reverend Bob Mattern

Water is one of the most basic needs for every human being on the planet. Along with food, air, and shelter, it is one of the four things we must have in order to survive. Water can also be very pleasing and comforting for us. When you are cold, have achy muscles, or have just come in from a hard day's work, nothing beats a nice, hot shower to sooth and relax you. On the flipside, if you've been active in sports, worked outside in the hot sun, or just got done on a treadmill, you're looking for the refreshing taste of ice cold water. So, hot water serves a great purpose at one time, and cold water serves a great purpose at another time. What should we think, then, about LUKEWARM water? Jesus says He'll vomit it out of his mouth. Yuck! This week at Friendship, we'll be looking at Jesus' letter to the church in the town of Laodicea. Laodicea was known for its lukewarm water because it sat between the hot springs or Hieropolis and the icy cold mountain waters of Colosse. But when it came to His followers, Jesus wasn't focused on lukewarm water; the issue was their lukewarm faith. Join us this weekend to find out how Jesus addressed this issue, and the opportunity for repentance that was yet again extended to those who mocked and rejected Him. God's grace and patience are amazing!

Philadelphia

August 15, 2021

Ah, Philadelphia, "The City of Brotherly Love"! If you have ever been to Philadelphia, you may have seen the MLB champion Phillies, the Stanley Cup champion Flyers, the NBA champion 76ers, or the NFL champion Eagles. Maybe you've seen the LOVE signage pictured here. Try walking in West Philly or even downtown on Broad Street and see how much LOVE you can find. Unfortunately, Philadelphia, PA does not live up to its namesake, found in Revelation 3. This city was one of two churches that Jesus complimented on their Faith without having much to correct or admonish in them. If you would like to know their secret to success regarding following Jesus and making Him happy, then join us at Friendship this weekend as we will be exploring this. You and your family and friends can come out and listen as the Holy Spirit of God speaks to YOU!

Sardis

August 8, 2021 • Pastor Logan Ames

I remember years ago traveling with my future sister-in-law to North Carolina for a huge family reunion. We drove over 8 hours and when we were just about 10 minutes away from our destination, she decided we needed to pull over and park so she could "do her makeup". What proceeded to happen as I sat there in the passenger seat made it seem like we were on the set of a Hollywood movie! When I asked her why all this was necessary 10 minutes before the reunion, she said, "Logan, I obviously can't be meeting my future family members for the first time without all this makeup on!" Being an obviously uninformed man, I didn't see what the big deal was. The makeup didn't actually change her; it just allowed her to keep up the image she preferred. In reality, this is what many people do spiritually. Rather than the hard work of repentance and change on the inside, we try to find ways to mask our blemishes so we can keep up the image we want others to have of us. This week at Friendship, we'll look at Jesus' words to the church in Sardis, a group of people who had a great reputation that they likely worked hard to keep. Yet, Jesus knew the truth about them and called them out on it. Once they were exposed as a dead church, the only way to be included in the book of life was to repent and walk with Jesus. We face the same options today. Join us over the weekend and let Jesus unmask you!