His Perfect Love

Guest (Male): Pastor Matt looks forward to our glorious future in heaven.

Matt VanderVen: You're going to be his ministers in heaven, and when you come to earth, like one that would be what we would understand what a priest does: dedicated unto God and ministering to God. We're going to have so much to do. It's going to be awesome. Not like an "oh man, I'm tired, I need a break," but more like a "this is awesome. I've wanted to do this my whole life and now you mean I get to do this for eternity? Pinch me" kind of moment. Have you thought about that? That's what is awaiting your inheritance. That's your future.

Guest (Male): It is good to be with you today. Welcome again to His Perfect Love on hisperfectlove.org. Pastor Matt VanderVen has an eye on Isaiah 24 today. Throughout the Bible, we're told of a time unlike any other when God will pour out his wrath on a Christ-rejected world. Why will God do this? Well, in a word, sin. And this passage before us gives us a vivid picture of what sin leads to in the land and an individual's life. Here is Pastor Matt.

Matt VanderVen: No man knows the time or the hour, but we are getting really close. We're in the last days according to the Bible, which means we could be the very last generation. I'm not saying we are, but I believe we may be. I think we're really close. If we're the last generation, we're the last people that are going to read this before the next people that read this are in it.

We've got a lot of work to be done in this city. There's a lot of people we walk around every day in supermarkets, at our jobs, all around us, and they don't know Jesus. Is that okay with you guys? You shouldn't be okay with that either. It bothers me. It should bother all of us. People are dying and going to hell every day, and it's just too many. We need to be available to the word of God. We need to be the hands and feet. Be available to tell somebody about Jesus because these things are coming and they're coming quickly.

The earth mourns and fades away. The world languishes and fades away. The haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants. He gives us the reason why. Because they have transgressed the laws, transgressed the word of God, changed the ordinances. Please remember that word "transgress" in the Hebrew means a willful, premeditated sin. This isn't an "oops, I missed the mark." This isn't an iniquity. Sin is to miss the mark. "Iniquity" when you read it in scripture means "oops, I didn't even think about it, I didn't realize I was doing it, I've been sinning." Transgressing is a deliberate, premeditated sin that you know is wrong and you turn around and say "I'm doing it anyway."

They've changed the ordinances or the laws of God. What does that mean? That means they said that the word of God doesn't apply to them. They read a passage in scripture and they try to explain it away instead of taking responsibility or accountability for their actions. Instead of just going to the Lord and repenting, they just try to explain it away. There's a lot of churches that are enabling people to do this by not even calling sin "sin." They're calling sin "stuff."

This is a real problem. I know there's churches in our area that want to attract people, the younger generation, so they start having what they call a "beer and study." My Bible says that's not a good idea. My Bible says that I'm going to be filled with something or someone. Ephesians chapter five says that I can be filled with intoxicating drink or the Holy Spirit, but I can't be a drunkard. As a pastor, I can't, but certainly that's your liberty to have a glass of wine or a cocktail as long as you're not drunk. Please use wisdom within that.

But they're changing the ordinances and doing all these things in an attempt to water down the gospel because they're so worried about getting people in the door. You know what a bait and switch is? You see something in the newspaper or an Amazon sale, and it says they're running a special. If you come in, you can get a TV if you're one of the first 300 people for $200. So you show up at the store and you looked at this TV and it was this beautiful LED flat screen and it looks like it's 65 inches and you're like "$200, that's amazing."

Then you get there and you find out it's a CRT. It's a big cathode-ray tube TV like the old ones we grew up with, and it's black and white only. You'd say "I need to see the manager. This is not what you showed in the advertisement." That's a bait and then you did a switch. That's what we're doing in churches when we don't teach the word of God and we try to lure them in with all these other things to entice them so they have dripping ears. Then we finally get to the word of God and they say "Oh, and you can't do any of that." Why did you have a Bible study with beer and bring me in here to begin with that way? It's a bait and switch.

The church has always been meant and should be a city of refuge. It's where when people are convicted or woken up from the things that are going on or hurting and needing pain, they don't want to come into the world. They want to come into the place of stability where there is love, compassion, encouragement, and strength. Not tearing people down and beating them down, but building them back up and strengthening them for the long haul. They changed the ordinances, so how do people even know they're sinning? My pastor says you want to know what real love is? Real love is teaching the word of God and letting the Holy Spirit give the application.

Broken the everlasting covenant. What is the everlasting covenant? There's only one sin that we're told that there is no covering for or removal. We call it the unpardonable sin. What is the one thing that's the unpardonable sin in all of scripture? And some of you probably have been worried about it. "Have I done that? Did I commit the unpardonable sin?" If you're worried about it, you didn't do it. What is the unpardonable sin?

Guest (Male): Blasphemy.

Matt VanderVen: I've heard blasphemy, some people. What did some other people say?

Guest (Male): The Holy Spirit.

Matt VanderVen: The Holy Spirit, that's correct. That's exactly what it says: blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. But what does that mean? What is the role of the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit? His role has always been to point people to who? Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ says "I come to this earth to fulfill the will and the commandments of my Father." Who did Jesus point people to? God the Father. Because he says "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. The Father and I are one." He told us that.

The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus. Jesus testifies of God the Father. The triune God makes so much sense. So when you blaspheme the Holy Spirit, what are you really doing when you break the everlasting covenant? The only people that are going to be in the great tribulation are people that have broken the everlasting covenant. And what is that sin? Exactly: rejecting Jesus Christ. That's what this is saying and this is what Isaiah is prophesying.

He's saying that in this great tribulation, he doesn't use those words, but "Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty, he makes it waste." He's talking about who's here. Because these are people that have ignored or chosen to reject the word of God. These are people that when they did open the word of God, they read it, but then they changed it because they were just hearers and not doers of the word and they wanted to manipulate it for their own doing.

Then the third thing he says is "And the real reason in all of this too, because when you fail the first two, it's got to be because of the third one, because they broke the everlasting covenant." That invitation from Jesus Christ is everlasting. Even through the great tribulation, people are offered an invitation to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. There's too much of a Christian culture going on today. Too much Christianese. Too much hipness with the way pastors dress.

Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and a few men are left. In other words, what are we reading here about the great tribulation? Very few people survive. And is that not what we've been reading in Revelation chapter six all the way through 14 where we are? Through the first seal judgments, the trumpet judgments, and then we're going to see mass devastation through the bowl judgments that we're coming up to in chapter 15.

The new wine fails, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. Because the fruit punch is taken away. All the merry-hearted sigh, the mirth of the tambourine cease. The party, it becomes a point of depression and depressing. The noise of the jubilant ends. Where is mystery Babylon? They're not turning around and laughing anymore saying "I did it my way." No, when God's judgment comes, nobody's partying hearty. In hell, nobody's partying hearty.

The joy of the harp ceases. They shall not drink wine with a song. Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. A lot of people use alcohol or strong drink to try to numb. It's not going to work. It's not going to have enough of an effect to numb what's happening around you. You're not going to be able to escape it. They shall not drink wine with a song. Strong drink is bitter. The city of confusion is broken down. Every house is shut up so that none may go in. There is a cry for wine in the streets. All joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.

In the city, desolation is left, and the gate is stricken with destruction. When shall it be thus in the midst of the land among the people? It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done. They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing. Who's that? Who's going to do that? When we've been in the book of Revelation, when do we see where a song is given? We see it a couple times when the angels in heaven are worshipping. But who on the earth is a group of people from 12 tribes, 12,000 people, and those people start praising, worshipping, and singing?

It's talking about the remnant and the 144,000. That's what verse 16's talking about. They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord. They shall cry aloud from the sea. Therefore glorify the Lord in the dawning of the light, the name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea. From the ends of the earth we have heard songs: "Glory to the righteous." But I said "I am ruined, I am ruined. Woe to me."

In verse 16, we see two different people. One group of people are saying "Wow, the righteous seem pretty happy. Glory to them." But the others are saying "I'm ruined. I've lost everything. Anything that really would have meant something to me." Because their focus was on materialism and everything else, all these idols. "I'm ruined, I'm ruined. Woe to me. The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously." All are being judged because there's no repentance. Indeed, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. So from this point in verse 16, this is when we would be chronologically going into chapter 15 of Revelation and to the bowl judgments.

Fear and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall be that those who flee from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit, and he who comes up from the midst of the pit shall be caught in a snare. In other words, there's no escaping or hiding from the judgment of God. You can't go to a pit and get away from it. No bunkers. He even knew they were going to create bunkers. Who would think to go hide in a pit like that? Isn't that what a bunker really is? It's dug deep in the earth. Isaiah is describing what sounds like a bunker. You're not going to hide in a five to eight-foot pit. You'd be hiding in something very deep.

And the foundations of the earth are shaken. He tells us what's going to happen: cataclysmic, cosmic disturbances. The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard. What sounds like that? What goes back and forth? We see them on a smaller scale today, mostly out west in California. But what is it when all of a sudden rumbling starts and starts shaking like a house moves on its foundations? We call that earthquakes.

That's exactly what we read. And there will be more judgments like that in the bowl judgments. And they shall totter like a hut. He tells us it's going to be like a hut. You ever see a little hut that's built up and how easy it is to just go up to push one of those and just knock it down? He says that's what it's going to be like. That's how violent the shaking of the earthquakes is going to be. That houses like we understand them today are like little huts that are just going to be blown and knocked down.

Its transgression shall be heavy upon it. It will fall and not rise again. It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will punish on high the host of the exalted ones. Circle that in your Bible. Who is the exalted ones at that time? He says and on the earth the kings of the earth. Who is he talking about? He's clearly talking about leaders. It shall come to pass in that day the Lord will punish on high the host. That's an interesting word: principalities, power, host, beings. Who's the exalted one at that time that desecrated a temple? He's called the abomination of desolation. Who is that? Antichrist. That's exactly who this is talking about.

Not only him, but the false prophet and the ten nations, the ten kings, the leaders. Remember the horns we read about for a ten-nation? Whoever those leaders are, the exalted ones and on the earth and the kings of the earth, he makes it very clear: both human leaders and the demonic realm that led these people. They will be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit and will be shut up in the prison. After many days, they will be punished.

What does that mean? Isaiah didn't have the full prophecy like you and I do now in the book of Revelation, the Apocalypse. What's he saying here? Remember when it says that they're going to be cast into the pit, the Antichrist, and then ultimately from the pit, I think it's Revelation chapter 20, then they're taken from the pit and where are they put ultimately? In the lake of fire forever and ever. And that's exactly what he says: "They will be gathered together as prisoners gathered in the pit and they will be shut up in the prison and after many days they will be punished."

Then the moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed. Why? Because in the new heavens and new earth, there is no sun or moon the way that we're used to on our earth. Jesus Christ reflects the light from his holy temple. He is the light of all heaven. He brings everything. I can't wait until we get to these chapters later on in Revelation. It is amazing. The beauty from Jesus Christ and the way he reflects light. The city and the way that the walls of the city are set up, they're almost like crystal.

So when you have a light, it's going to create almost like a prism effect. This beautiful, just the colors. And they're going to be so much richer than what I can take in. The richness of what we're going to see: the smells, the experience, the warmth of Christ, the sun, the heat from God that he gives off. True love, right? True beautiful love. Do you remember when Peter was up and he witnessed the mount of transfiguration and he saw Jesus Christ transfigured in front of him?

He couldn't even say very much other than "It's good we're here." That says a whole lot from a guy that's usually really verbose. "It's good we're here. Do you want me to go make some tents, some houses? Because I don't ever want to go from here." I'll set up some booths right now because this is the most amazing thing I have ever seen to stand in front of a glorified God. And that was on earth. That wasn't even in the heavenly throne room. Peter's like "I don't want this to end. I don't want it to end." And that was with human eyes, not the glorified eyes.

He says the moon and the sun will be disgraced and ashamed, for the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. And before his elders gloriously. What's going to happen? Jesus Christ is going to come back. We come back with him in Revelation chapter 19 and 20, and the millennial reign is set up for a thousand years where we minister to God and his people. When we go to heaven, we will be engaged in service to the Lord.

And if you ever wondered how's that going to be, in the Old Testament, the only ones that were to be engaged in the service of the Lord specifically that went into the temple and that were given specific roles like sacrifices or trimming the candlestick or the different things were who? They were called the priests. And in the New Testament, you have all been called what? A royal priesthood. And you're not from the Aaronic tribe or the tribe of Aaron. Did you ever catch that? You're a royal priesthood, a precious people. You are co-heirs with Christ.

You're going to be his ministers in heaven, and when you come to earth, like one that would be what we would understand what a priest does: dedicated unto God and ministering to God. We're going to have so much to do. It's going to be awesome. Not like an "oh man, I'm tired, I need a break," but more like a "this is awesome. I've wanted to do this my whole life and now you mean I get to do this for eternity? Pinch me" kind of moment. Have you thought about that? That's what is awaiting your inheritance. That's your future.

It's your future. It's coming really soon. Just put your eyes and your heart and your mind on those things, and the cares of this world begin to fade away. The anxieties of this world begin to fade away and all that remains right before you is your beautiful Jesus and a life with your beautiful Jesus forever and ever. Peace out.

Guest (Male): Thanks for joining us today for His Perfect Love. You can hear this study from Pastor Matt VanderVen again when you visit hisperfectlove.org. Catch up on what you may have missed in Isaiah at hisperfectlove.org. Look for us on oneplace.com and most podcast platforms. The Calvary Chapel Harrisburg mobile app is another great way to listen to Pastor Matt's messages shortly after they're delivered. We can help you get started when you visit hisperfectlove.org.

His Perfect Love is listener supported. It's listeners just like you that help us bring the truths of God's word to the radio every day. Together we can reach people with the love and truth of God. You can make a donation at hisperfectlove.org. Pastor Matt would love to hear from you. Tell us the station you listen to and how you're helped by this ministry. Email us there at the website hisperfectlove.org.

Are you looking for a Christian school that offers a quality education and a nurturing environment for your children? If so, you might be interested in Calvary Chapel Christian Academy, a ministry of Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore. Calvary Chapel Christian Academy is a non-denominational Christian school that serves students from kindergarten to 12th grade. The academy's mission is to provide a Christ-centered education that equips students to love God, love others, and serve the world.

The academy offers a rigorous academic curriculum, a variety of extracurricular activities, and a caring and supportive staff. The academy is located at 28 North Locust Point Road in Mechanicsburg, PA. For more information, please visit our website at ccharrisburg.org/academy. We're going to jump ahead in Isaiah to chapter 52 next time so we can bring you a special Easter message from Pastor Matt VanderVen. That's coming up the rest of this week on His Perfect Love.

Matt VanderVen: Every heart is in his hands. We'll never stop reaching out. This is His Perfect Love. The word goes out. The perfect love of Christ to shine. Our lives will show. I am my beloved's and he is mine. Every heart is in his hands. We'll never stop reaching out. This is His Perfect Love. The word goes out. This is what real love looks like in truth and love. This is His Perfect Love.