His Perfect Love

Matt VanderVen: Do you realize you're on camera all the time? What do you mean? The God of the universe watches every single thing all of us do. And I'm not any better than you and you're not any better than me.

The only difference is I stand with Jesus Christ and I've been washed by the blood of the lamb. You're washed in your blood. My blood is kingly. I'm an heir and a co-heir. I'm a son of God and I've been cleansed from all sin and all iniquity.

What does your blood do? Has your blood saved you? Could you pour out your blood and it save another person? The power is in the blood and only the blood of God has the power to do that.

Guest (Male): It's great to have you in our listening family. This is His Perfect Love, where we open and study the word with our teacher and pastor, Matt VanderVen. Today, the plan is to finish up Revelation chapter 20 and we'll hear all about the great white throne judgment.

As we'll learn in a moment, this judgment is for the unbeliever. But there's another judgment coming for the believer in Christ that will look much different. It will have everything to do with rewards. So take some time to reflect on your life. Is your name in the Book of Life?

Matt VanderVen: At the end of the great tribulation, at the end of the millennial reign, it's not you and I that's going to be judged at that great white throne. You need to see that. That's why, because is it something I'm curious, has anybody here ever wondered, are you going to be judged at that great white throne? Has anybody here wondered? Like there's a big judgment that's happening. He's going to open the books. Does that mean like my stuff's in there?

No. No, you and I have a different judgment, right? But this is an important point. It's a status of the power and authority. The white is the purity and holiness. And again, the throne is the sovereignty. He who sat on it, we know it's Jesus. And then you read right here, he says, then the earth and heaven fled away.

Now I told you I'd come back to this. This is the Greek word phugo, right? It means suddenly, almost to vanish before one's eyes. I don't know how to describe that any better than that Greek word. You see something here, the earth, and then it's just like it's gone. You didn't even be able to process it, it happens so quick. Kind of like the rapture.

You know how he says it's in a twinkling of an eye? Twinkling of an eye happens in 200 milliseconds. Some debate between 100 and 200, but you get the point. It's like blinking. It's fast. And that's what he says here is going to happen. And if you look at 2nd Peter 3:10 and you look at other passages like this, he's telling us about the swiftness, not necessarily that it's unexpected.

As a matter of fact, let's turn there. 2nd Peter chapter 3, please. 2nd Peter chapter 3. These are good things for the believer, for all of us to be studying to see all of this. And it does, it's like an inoculation against the lie of the devil. It really is. He tries to make us feel defeated, tries to make us feel broken and everything like that.

I mean, look, it's sometimes it is difficult. We come in here, right? We're not playing church, we're not playing Christian. We had a bad week, difficult week. Maybe things are hard financially, things are hard physically, emotionally. Maybe we're struggling with our health. But we are not defeated. We may be pressed down, but we will get up in Christ Jesus. And we just need to kick that and rebuke that lie from Satan, because it's got nothing on me, it's got nothing on you. You just need to take that thought captive as he says.

2nd Peter chapter 3, verse 10. Look, it says, but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Some people read this and they actually think, well, that means it's without us knowing. That's not what he's saying here. He's using the thief in the night is like if you knew he was coming and you were awake for it, he wouldn't be stealing from you, right? The idea is suddenness.

There are times when he uses thief in a night where he's talking about like his actual physical coming of presence, but that's not how Peter's using it here. He uses the same word as in Revelation. It's the phugo Greek word, which means sudden, quickness. That's what he's telling us.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all of these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

Nevertheless, we, according to this promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. This was known even before the book of Revelation, right? 2nd Peter, you're talking the 60s, right? 30 years after Christ ascended into heaven. Revelation's not given by the Holy Spirit until about AD 90 to 95. You're talking 30 years before the book of Revelation was even given by the Holy Spirit.

The Christians were already walking in this truth. It wasn't like this is a new thing they just learned in chapter 20 of Revelation. The Christians studied the word, they knew the word, the early first-century Christians. They already knew what was going to happen. What they didn't know, they knew the word phugo, which means instantly, but that idea of heat and melting away, we get additional details here that kind of give us a little bit more understanding that yes, it's going to melt away, but it's going to do it kind of instantly.

Like we're going to see it get red hot and gone. It's not like we're going to watch it for hours and hours as something's being burned up that way. And the whole point is, Christian, you're spared from the awesome throne judgment because our sins were already judged in Jesus on the cross. We don't escape God's judgment. Instead, it's paid by Jesus Christ.

Why do I say that? Because no one escapes God's judgment. That's the point. So if you're an unbeliever and you don't have Jesus, you're going to face judgment. Nobody escapes it, not even any human being. It's just we have appealed to Jesus Christ and we have been washed and forgiven for our sins. We're no longer dead in our trespasses, but we receive again his righteousness and it was imputed to us and found in him.

Instead, Christians are going to stand at another throne. Do you guys know the throne we're going to stand at? It's called the judgment seat of Christ. It's called the judgment seat. 2nd Corinthians chapter 5, verse 10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what we have done, whether good or bad.

This is either going to happen at two times: either if you should die and go be with the Lord, this will happen, or at the rapture of the church, this will happen. Either one of those events. Therefore, when we pass from these bodies to the world beyond, we're going to be giving an account, just like they have to give an account, the unbeliever. Everybody gives an account.

But our account's a little different. And you should know this. When you get with Jesus, I want to be like pastor and teach me this. You should know this. It's in the scripture. What is the judgment that we as Christians are going to do? What is our role in this? It's going to be what is done, whether it's good or bad, right? It's going to be the judgment of the works of the believer.

In other words, everything you've been entrusted with: your money, your time, your heart, your health. What have you done with everything you've been entrusted with on this earth? You will give an account to Jesus Christ of that. And at the judgment seat, what we have done will be judged. Now it's interesting because 2nd Corinthians 5:10 tells us that the works are judged.

If we read 1st Corinthians 3:12 through 15, which also talks about it, we get the full picture. The reason for that is because 1st Corinthians 3:12 through 15 talks about it more like an assessment. And it gives us additional detail that helps us understand that God is actually not just looking at the works, but you know what else he looks at? And this is the key: the motives. I heard somebody say it over here. That's right, the motives.

So what I think a lot of Christians are going to be surprised is they're going to say, "Man, I did all these things for the Lord. I gave, I tithed, I did this, I did that." But when we think and we stand before Jesus and he says, "Well, why did you do that?" "Because it made me feel really good." Well, that's good, but did you do it for me?

You know Jesus, I can't lie to you. There's nothing good I did of myself. You know? We're not talking about salvation, we're talking about sanctification, but this is real. And we need to consider that because had you not known about this or had you never been told this, you don't have an opportunity to change your thinking or actions or doings.

He's not condemning us. He's telling us so that when we stand before him, we know exactly what's going to happen and how it's going to work. And what he's really asking us to do is what? Just taking an appraisal of our lives. Are we living for him? Are the motives of our heart... Remember even the woman who had very little money, she had hardly anything and she took what would be equivalent to a penny today and she put it very nondescriptly in the giving basket that was back in the temple at the time of Jesus.

And Jesus loved her faith because it cost her much. Not because it was the giving, it was because the motive behind the heart and that she was trusting Jesus for everything. And that didn't just affect her finances, that affected her time, her heart, how she lived, the people she cared about, how she treated other people.

All of those things get wrapped up into who we are in Christ Jesus. And you can't separate them. It can't be, "Well, I'm a really good giver with my finances, but I'm really stingy with my time." That's not how it works. That's not a born-again believer. We're blood-bought. And so it's really interesting because he brings this out for us when he speaks of a coming assessment.

And in the passage, he makes it clear that all we've done and our motives for doing it is going to be tested by fire of God and will be burned up, everything that was not of him. Now we're not punished for poor works. It's simply burned up and as if we've never done those things. So when all that melts and we look there, there's nothing remaining as an example if we did it with the wrong motive.

We're simply going to be rewarded for what remains. And sadly, some will get to heaven thinking that they've done great things for God and they will find out that they really did nothing unto him. Well, let's close out this passage here this morning. You know, the point in sharing this also was that we still have time.

If you still have breath in your lungs, you're still running a race and the decisions and choices you make matter now. Every one of us can turn to those things of right motive in our heart because after all, are the rewards or the treasures we get in heaven really for us? Are they? What do we do with them? Actually, they get exchanged, don't they?

What do they turn into? That's right, somebody said crowns. They turn into crowns. And what do we do with those crowns? We all put them on each other's heads and say, right? With our crown? No, we don't do that. What do we do? You know your scripture. You cast them at the feet of Jesus Christ.

Why? Because he is worthy and he's what it was always about and it's always been about. Everything we do revolves around him. And that's the point, friends. That's the point. It's beautiful. It's beautiful. Even how we treat other people is a representation of him. Yeah? Well, let's look at verse 12 and we'll close that.

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books. Hey, just like us, except we're not the dead, we're alive. Ours was in heaven with Jesus when we met him, but the unsaved and the unbelievers, they're doing their version.

Except the books are open. How many of you like privacy? I love privacy, right? These drones and all this stuff, cameras everywhere. It's something that I like to put in my unbeliever friends that are unbelievers, I like to put in their mind: do you realize you're on camera all the time? What do you mean? The God of the universe watches every single thing all of us do.

And I'm not any better than you and you're not any better than me. The only difference is I stand with Jesus Christ and I've been washed by the blood of the lamb. You're washed in your blood. My blood is kingly. I'm an heir and a co-heir. I'm a son of God and I've been cleansed from all sin and all iniquity.

What does your blood do? Has your blood saved you? Could you pour out your blood and it save another person? The power is in the blood and only the blood of God has the power to do that. Because when those books are opened, I'm not at this judgment. Why? Because I'm washed by the blood of the lamb. I'm at the rewards banquet.

But you as an unbeliever find yourself at a judgment, standing, reading, looking at the things you know you've done. Do you know that many of our names are going to actually be referenced in that book? Did you know that? You might be sitting and going, "Pastor, I don't where are you getting that idea from?" Have you not shared the gospel with people that you know are not saved?

I hope you say yes. Yes. Okay. All right. So you've done that, right? Well, did you not know that when you do that and they reject your message of hope or salvation, if you were the last person that that person had talked to before they had passed or they died, do you realize that when they sit there and say, "Jesus, I never saw you come to me. You never told me this truth. I'm not guilty for rejecting you because I couldn't have known any better"?

"Let me open the book to the day 2025. You sat in a church, there was a man named Matt there that opened up the word of God and he began to talk to you about Jesus. And when he began to talk to you about Jesus, he said there's only one way and he introduced you to me. And he said, 'Come unto me, all you who are heavy laden,' and he said that's what Jesus said, 'and I will give you rest. My yoke is easy, my burden is light. Come unto me. Today is the day of salvation.'"

And when you rejected me because of that message, you rejected my gift of atonement. So now you stand before me being judged. I'm respecting your free will. I'm actually honoring your free will. You think about that. And I think about that all the time because my name was just referenced and it was put in a book that references what that person's unwillingness to receive Jesus.

Why am I sharing that also with you this morning? Because every time I have an opportunity to share the gospel, I take it seriously. It's not for eloquence of words. I'm not looking for the best, perfect words. I don't care about any of that. Bible's written at a third-grade level. What I care about is two things: letting them know Jesus loves you and Jesus wants to forgive you of whatever sin you've ever done, ever. Gone.

He's ready. Your whole life he's been waiting for you. That's not fancy. It's not eloquent. I don't have any real fancy way of saying that. But Jesus loves you. And then sometimes if somebody's real hard-hearted, I might even say he's got a picture of you on his fridge. You'll get a little chuckle out of them.

Why? Because I want them to know God's not looking to Bible-thump you. God's not looking to beat you. God wants to bring you into his arms and hold you tight, protect you, and give you the very best. When you're rejecting him, you're pushing away the only one that's truly loved you, truly has loved you without anything about getting something for themselves.

If we're being real honest about it, humans have motives. we want to love unconditionally, but we have motives. Jesus doesn't have motives. His heart, his love is pure, unconditional. So when he tells you he loves you, he loves you like no human being can love you. You struggling with your marriage? Your love with Jesus. He loves you better than your spouse.

If your spouse doesn't treat you right, he loves you. He'll make you whole. Don't you quit. You're struggling with your kids and your relationship. Maybe some of them... you keep pushing into that love of Christ and he'll pour right through you and right into them. You may be the only living epistle that they ever read. And maybe you're divorced, maybe something bad happened. Okay.

You know what? He'll still work through you because he has a captive audience. If you have children, he's got to come pick up the kids or she's got to come pick up the kids. Guess what? You have the ability to be the hands and feet of Jesus in that moment and show them what real love looks like no matter how you were treated. Because it's not about us, it's about him.

And so these books are opened and all the works that have been done, they're written in the books. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.

That's where they go. And this is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Now if you're wondering if your name's written in that Book of Life, just hold your finger here because I don't want to let you go without giving you hope right now. That was heavy, man. First time I came here today, what just happened? I was feeling real good, brunch was looking like... and now I'm like, man, I don't know, Lord, should I walk out of this?

Revelation chapter 3, verse 5. Thank you, precious Jesus. He's so good to us. Thank you, Jesus. Because it's times like this when we have doubts or anybody that does, we come to these passage and it wipes all those doubts out and it just fills our heart and enlarges our hearts. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life.

What does that mean? Well, to have your name blotted out means you got to be what in it to begin with. Don't let anybody ever fool you to think that God doesn't want to save all of humanity. Because Revelation 13:8—and we don't have time—says that God, that book is before the very foundations of the world. Before you were even born, before your mother or your father even named you.

Before your great-great-great-great-grandmother and great-great-so many of you historians could have even named you, Jesus already knew you and knew he would give you life. There is no accident. If you're here today and you've ever wondered in your life, are you an accident? You are never an accident. God does not make mistakes.

You just maybe haven't figured out your calling yet. But God has a calling and a purpose on your life. And as we closed here, all sin, all death, Hades, all of that is brought up because this is the eternal reality that awaits anyone. First of all, the born-again believer, it's smack dab for you. You just saw it this morning. You're going to be with Jesus and you're going to see rewards and you're going to cast them at the feet of Christ. Beautiful.

But if there is somebody that's going to hear this, either here or they hear it on the radio or on the web or one of the apps, you need to know that the eternal reality we just talked about here, Jesus is 100 for 100. Everything he said that would happen has happened. I can show it to you in the book. I mean, I can show it to you even extra-biblically.

But those who choose to deny Jesus Christ and his gift of spiritual life, as I said earlier, it's not about religion, it's about a relationship. You have a choice to make and it's an eternal choice with consequences. You should make that decision now. Why not acknowledge that you need Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Why not acknowledge that you've sinned and need forgiveness?

And again, if you asked Jesus Christ right now, will he not forgive anyone and everyone? Does anybody think that their sin is greater than God's love? It's impossible. His love is unconditional. I am happy to declare that if you are born again spiritually, you're never going to taste the second death that we just read about.

And I hope that each and every one of us this week as God brings us on our journey, we're pilgrims. We're pilgrims. Your job, you're an undercover mission, undercover missionary. Where you go to work, it's not really about that. That just puts food on your table. That's not really why you're here. It's just something you do. It's like Paul and his tentmaking. That's your tentmaking.

Why you're really here is to bring glory and honor to God. Whether you do that in your home with your family, your kids, your loved ones, whether you do that in your neighborhood, wherever you go. And my prayer for every one of us here this week is we will have the beauty of being able to look at somebody and say, "Welcome to the body of Christ," because we took the love that was poured in here this morning and we have faithfully poured it out. Yeah?

We're going to spend eternity together, friends. Might as well get used to being together. Amen.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Pastor Matt VanderVen on His Perfect Love. You can hear this study from Revelation again when you visit hisperfectlove.org. That's hisperfectlove.org. We've expanded our podcast, too. Look for us on onepost.com and most of the major 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. We're thankful for the listeners that come along alongside of us with their prayers and financial support.

If you're interested in supporting this radio ministry, there's a place to do that at hisperfectlove.org. Together, we can reach people with the love and truth of God in these last days. Pastor Matt loves to hear from his listeners. Even just a quick hello telling him where you hear the program and how you're blessed by it means a lot.

Email us there at the website, hisperfectlove.org. And whether you live in or around Mechanicsburg, PA, or will be visiting the area soon, we'd love to have you join us for a service at Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore. Sunday morning services begin at 8:30 and 10:30.

We have a midweek service too, Wednesdays at 7:00 PM. You'll find us at 28 North Locust Point Road in Mechanicsburg, PA. Go to ccharrisburg.org for more information. Well, that'll do it for today, but come back next time when Pastor Matt will again study the Book of Revelation with us here on His Perfect Love.