His Perfect Love

Guest (Male): Here's the big lesson in front of us today on His Perfect Love.

Matt VanderVen: Christianity, our walk with Jesus, everything that epitomizes who he is and what he's called to, who does it revolve around? Jesus. Our existence, our ideas, our opinions, who should they revolve around? Jesus. What we do with our time, where we go, how we spend our resources, our finances, the things that occupy our mindset, our choices. Who do they come from and what do they revolve around? Jesus.

Guest (Male): So, what is your spiritual temperature like these days? All this week on His Perfect Love, we're considering the church of Laodicea. No praise is given by Jesus to this church, but rather they're given a total rebuke for being lukewarm in the relationship to God. Could the same be said of you and many Americans today? We'll take our spiritual temperature to see if this resembles us. We're in Revelation 3:14. And if you need to leave us early, don't forget you can access these studies in Revelation online at hisperfectlove.org. Now, Pastor Matt VanderVen.

Matt VanderVen: The city of Laodicea again was thriving, prosperous financial center, but what did Jesus chasten them for? Saying they had need of nothing when in truth, what did they lack? They lacked him. They actually lacked Jesus. He was outside the church door. Just look at verse 20 in Revelation chapter 3. Cuz it says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with me. What's that give us the illustration? We'll cover this more as we go line by line, but he was outside the church door yearning to be invited in to take his rightful place.

And you know what was sad? And this breaks my heart like I I I Okay, Lord, don't let me break down. Don't let me cry here. But what was so sad is this is his church. And basically, they put them out at Remember those archways I was showing you and the doors? They basically said, Jesus, we love you. Just come as far as the door. You're really not welcomed in here. That's what they had done in Laodicea. I can't imagine how hurtful that had to be to Jesus, and I I I Sometimes I try to put myself in I know he's God and I can't do that, but I don't know if you ever do this.

You let your mind the video play in your mind. What would it be like if you you know I I guess you know Jesus created everything. Obviously, not I guess he created everything, but then come to this idea of what he calls church, his design for church where body of believers, men and women are children to come together, be like-minded, be encouraged, be equipped, equipping saints for the work of the ministry. This is what he's designed. And then he turns around and he comes and he he's getting ready to dwell in the midst, which it says in Revelation chapter 1 is what he enjoys and what he wants to do and supposed to do.

And he comes up to the church to dwell and he's like, Hey, my people, you know? And he comes and they're like, Whoa, let me see your card. What? I thought I had full access here. After all, it's all mine. No. No. We like you by name. We like you by fire insurance. But to actually live according to your commandments, statutes, and judgments, but to actually believe all of what you've written and what you've told us, to actually allow our lives to be changed, to humble ourselves and to choose you over our current situations, predicament, circumstances, and choices, opinions, thoughts.

No, Jesus, you've gone too far. You stay out there. You just keep knocking. How hurtful would that be for you? Wouldn't it break your heart, wouldn't it? And I I really believe it breaks Jesus's heart, which is why he was so passionate in in correcting for whom the Lord loves, he corrects. Look at verse 14 with me. We'll go line by line now. And to the angel of the church of Laodicea, the Laodiceans, right? These things says the Amen, the faithful and the true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. So, again, every time he appears or writes a letter, I should say, to one of these churches, he introduces himself in a very unique way.

The message is from the Lord Jesus Christ through the angel or messenger, again, likely a reference to the pastor here, to the angel of church of Laodicea. And now what Christ does, what Jesus does is he introduces himself to this church. He says to the angel, right? Or excuse me, the Amen, I meant to say. So, he uses the definite article and the way he describes himself, the Amen, the faithful, again, definite article, and true witness. That's an interesting way that he would appear. He does When you think he would come like he came to one of the other churches with like a two-edged sword after all the stuff they've been doing to describe himself to this Laodicean church, but he doesn't.

He comes as the Amen, the faithful, and the true witness. Now, each one of the seven churches is that Jesus came uh he comes to them uniquely, right? One was a two-edged sword, another one where he holds a seven stars in his right hand and dwells in the seven you know walks in the midst of the seven lampstands. He came to one he says, I'm the first and the last. I was dead and came to life, right? He he another church he says, hey, I've eyes like fire and feet like fine brass speaking of judgment.

And here he comes and says, these things right or these things says the Amen, the faithful, the true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. It's very interesting because again if out of all the churches we covered, this there I use the word worse. I don't know. Maybe that's not accurate you know but this is definitely one of the worst churches that Jesus finds them in this current predicament because they're basically again one foot in the world, one foot in the kingdom. Are they saved? Aren't they saved? Does their life look like it's bearing fruit?

Is it not bearing fruit? What's happening in this church? I mean you got these men and women that are gathering together in the name of Christ, but is it lip service like he talked about with Israel? You know, your lips speak of me, but your heart is far from me, right? Just like he spoke in the Old Testament to his chosen people Israel. So, what is he trying to communicate to this church as he begins? First, and again, the reason it's going to take two services is we need to break this out because this is very deep and if we don't take time to slow down and go through this, we're going to miss what he's trying to say.

And dare I say without understanding history, we're doomed to repeat it. Dare I say that if we don't listen to the word Jesus Christ is telling us that we ourselves may find ourselves faulting to it, not even aware that we have taken the bait of Satan, the world, or the flesh. So, these words are incredibly important to every Christian, no matter how steadfast you are in your walk with Christ, we need to re-examine our lives in the grid of scripture. Amen. Do we all agree? We need to we need to re-examine every one of us every single day.

Well, first he called himself they the Amen, right? The definite article. Amen comes from the Hebrew root word that means the certainty of truth. So, if you're taking notes, he he he's saying, I am the certainty of truth. No relativism, no halfway. No, no, no. I am the certainty, the the perfection, the equivalency of the truth. You need to know that. You need If you know Jesus, you need to know that because there's every aspect of his word is truth. There's not some words that were I kind of agree with this, but I don't agree.

No, that's not for the Christian. I am the truth and everything he writes, does, says is truth. Often it was translated, so let it be Amen, right? Maybe when you and I use it today, we're not walking around going, so I'm the truth. No, Jesus is the truth, but when somebody says Amen, like if I say Amen and you guys say Amen, you're like so let it be or you agree or truly is another way maybe what you're saying. Isaiah, turn to Isaiah chapter 65 verse 6, please. Again, 404 verses in the book of Revelation, 278 of those verses speak of Old Testament scriptures.

In other words, they are a reference from the Old Testament. So, to understand the full revelation the apocalypse that he wants to give us, we need to go back to the Old Testament scriptures and study to understand what is he communicating. I want you to have Bibles. Please don't just listen. Look with your own eyes. See these words. Let them leap off the page into you through the eye gates into your heart. Isaiah again chapter 65 verse 16. Isaiah spoke of God. Isaiah chapter 65 verse 16. Isaiah speaks of God as the God, definite article again, of truth.

That's how the prophet speaks them. Literally, in the Old Testament again, the root Hebrew word literally the Amen, the Amen, or one who will keep and bring his covenant promises to pass. That's the context of Isaiah 65 16. He is the truth. He's going to bring his covenant to pass, his promises. It's done. The God of truth. Turn to John chapter 14 verse 6, please. John chapter 14 verse 6. He is What's the first word there besides the? Way, go ahead. Oh, truth, the truth, right? The way, the truth, and the what? Life. He's been telling us the whole time.

It's harmonious with the rest of the gospels and the passages we've seen in scripture, Old Testament, Isaiah, New Testament, John. The title confirms Christ's absolute verity, his absolute truth. He is the truth and the divine standard by which all truth is measured. Truth is not based on what you and I believe. Did you know that? Jesus isn't If we sit there and turn I know that's heavy, man, this morning, right? Some of you got what I'm going where I'm going. Some of you some of you are picking up what I'm laying down, right? So many of us today so centered on self and our own understandings, truth is what we apprehend.

And it's all based on our view of things, right? I can assure you right now, Jesus is not in heaven going, am I real? Am I the way, the truth, and the life? Because there's somebody out there that goes, if you believe in God, you're a fool. If you believe in Jesus, you're a fool. I'm pretty sure that Jesus I know that Jesus isn't sitting there going, is that guy right? Like I'm positive of it. The fact is is the verity or the truth of Jesus is a fact and it doesn't require human agreement to make it anymore true.

Are you with me? This is humbling for dare I say the American or the Western church. Have you noticed we have a lot of opinions? We think very highly of ourselves, don't we? We appreciate our intellect. We think it's our job to step in and remind everybody of truth because after all we are the possessors of it as though everyone else doesn't have a mind, doesn't have the Holy Spirit I'm talking about believers that doesn't have the Holy Spirit, like we're the only ones that have to go up and go, do you know what you're doing here?

I noticed that this line is gathering this way. Do you know what you're doing? What happened? What has happened? What has happened to our hearts to where we think if we don't point these things out that all of a sudden God is an absentee father and that he's not on Jesus is on the throne and not fully in control. What's happened? What lie has the Christian begun to believe today to think that their direct involvement makes it surety or verity? It's always been about Jesus. He's the way, the truth, and the life. I notice it doesn't say and Pastor Matt is alongside with him.

No. And I just use myself as that example. Any of us can put our name in there. It's arrogance, cockiness, pride. Jesus is the divine standard in which all truth is measured. It's not based on our Supreme Court. It's not even based on the laws of the land because the Supreme Court can come out and say, Hey, homosexual marriage is allowed. That doesn't make it truth. The word of God who defines marriage because he created marriage gets to define the instrument in which he defines, right? No different than you and I don't go up to somebody that's got a hammer and turn around and go, that is the coolest wrench I've ever seen.

No, it's not. It's a hammer. No, no, no, no. I carved my own. I made my own and I use it as a wrench. You'd look at that person, no. No, that's a hammer. You can call it whatever you want. You can call it a pink pony. You know that's my go-to example. You can call it a pink pony. It's a hammer. Why? Because the original author or the creator of that instrument defined it. Why do we think we can come back and redefine God's word or his creation or his intention or anything that God has made?

He does everything with decency and order. I mean it's the kingdom of heaven. I think there's going to be so many of us that are going to get surprised when we get up there. Like we're going to go up to Did you ever think about or God have you thought about like do you realize that heaven has a hierarchical structure? Because the angels have a hierarchical structure. You have angels and then you have you know what do we call them? Archangels, right? And even the enemy, right? The principalities and powers, they have what? Even the evil demons, they still Why?

Because it was all copycat of what they saw in heaven. So how many people here love authority? How many people here love authority and we think it's our job to make sure that we manage up? Come on now. I think we all understand. I I know my heart first. Humility and meekness, strength under control is the greatest fruit, one of the greatest fruits that Jesus Christ demonstrated while on this earth. So often he didn't proceed in anger. I can think of one of only two times he ever did. Anger was not his go-to. He didn't bust doors down.

He didn't shake people. He said, come follow me. And when they said no, I have no doubt he prayed for them and kept praying for them, but he didn't go up and wrestle with them. He didn't go up and try to convince them why they were wrong. He didn't point out their faults. Only when they came to him did he turn around and say to them, well, then leave everything you have and give it to the poor and then come follow me. But that was because that individual that did that turned around and said, I I'm doing everything, you know, in the Ten Commandments.

I'm doing step one through four. What he had forgotten was what? Five through 10, which is all others focused. He was all about his vertical, but he had left and and negated the others. So the first thing we see here is he's the Amen. He is certainty of truth. The second thing, he is the faithful well and true witness, right? Christ was faithful during his wilderness temptation, wasn't he? Matthew chapter 4 verses 1 through 11. In witnessing truth into the people of his day and enduring suffering and death on the cross, Philippians 2:8, he demonstrated faithfulness and truth.

He was a true witness. Nobody can deny Jesus was a true witness and truly a testimony, a walking testimony. Jesus's comments to the church about their spiritual condition was not diluted. What is another word I would say and I've used it today? He didn't water the gospel down to make people feel better. That is not real truth. He's not asking you to do that with others. He's certainly not asking me to do that. He didn't make a mistake writing it the way he did. He didn't do that. And sometimes I think Christians are so afraid of what people are going to think about us and we're more respecter of people than we are of God.

Again, those are one of those things we got to pay attention. It's the second one he's telling us. He is the faithful, right? And the true witness. The third if I can break that up here, right? And forgive me. I hope that didn't come across harsh. I just mean Jesus isn't double-tongued. He's not double-tongued. He's not a hypocrite. His diagnosis was correct. He gave a diagnosis of the church of Laodicea. He gives diagnosis is to you and I. Jesus is correct. When he says these thing, we get a prick in our heart. That's from the Holy Spirit, not condemnation from the world slash or the devil, but we get those things.

We have to pay attention to that, but we also don't need other people coming around prodding us. Please don't prod people. Right? Don't Bible thump people. That's not what Jesus did. He never gave you that example. He never gave me that example. Certainly when we invest in or in the right of somebody's life, we can talk to them and say, hey, I'm worried about you. Hey, I want to do this. That's beautiful. There's nothing wrong with that. That's wonderful. It's an investment of life. It's good. But he's not walking around with a even rebuking the Laodiceans.

Could Jesus not have come around and did what he did to Sodom and Gomorrah? I mean could he just not have But that's not what he wants. He wants reconciliation, right? And third and we'll stop right at verse 14 here this morning. We We got through one verse. He's the beginning of creation, right? The creation of God, the beginning of the creation of God. Now, there this is really important. There is no hint in this statement. Some try to maintain, some try to come back and what I call eisegesis or mirror reading in the scripture that Christ was the first creature created by God the Father.

That that is not what this is saying, the beginning of the creation of God. If you read that and you know, oh, well, that's saying that God was created that he's he wasn't 100% divine, but he's the brother of Lucifer. Lucifer was a created being because he's he's you know an angel. Well, Jesus was created right next to him. What cult believes that? The Mormons believe that. They believe that Jesus is the brother or stepbrother, however you prefer, half brother of Lucifer. He's a brother of Lucifer. How do you get to understandings like that unless you take this out of context or you don't understand?

He's an eternal God, the eternal Lord. He wasn't created. He's the be The word was the beginning here refers to Christ being the source of all creation. Just look at Revelation. You're in the book. Just turn to Revelation chapter 21 verse 6. It gives us the same idea here right in the book of Revelation, so we can't miss it. 21 verse 6. And he said to me, it is done. I am the Alpha, the beginning and the Omega, the end, the beginning and the end. I will give It's the same way he's using the context there.

It's the same idea. He's not introducing some type of new doctrine here. And they wouldn't have taken it that way by the way either. He He doesn't accuse the Laodiceans of error in their doctrine. He just accused them being of indifferent sort of half in the world, half in the kingdom. So Christ is the creator and owner of all things, a truth that was established in Paul's letters, specifically Colossians chapter 1 verse 15 through 17. And I'll read that to you this morning. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible, invisible, whether thrones or dominions, principalities, or powers. All things were created through him and for him. Did we get that last part? Underline that. All things were created what? Through him and what? For him. We were created for God. It's not that hey God's part of our plan, we're part of his plan. Amen. And he is before all things and in him all things consist. Our very identity is in Jesus Christ. When you think about matter and substance, we exist because he says we exist.

Have you ever thought about what if in his reality there is no more humanity? Guess what? Humanity stops existing. It's his creation. It's heavy, man. A sober reminder to the church that not neglected to give God credit for what? Their prosperity, their wealth. We We don't read anywhere how the Laodiceans were the best giving church or they how they were such a free will giving church. They had all this finances, all this stuff, and they turned around and they used it all for personal gain, all for personal enjoyment. It was all about them and what they could get out of God, not who God was to them.

And everybody in the United States of America may may I say, how blessed are we? Every one of us in this room is blessed. Is there anybody here that hasn't gone without a meal for two or three weeks other than if you're fasting? Is there not a social network in place that a social net that can help those that maybe out of work or in need of help financially for food and different things? This church didn't give God credit for the prosperity, not this one, the Laodiceans. Instead, they were very accustomed and very good at boasting about their wealth.

It was all about the Laodiceans. So what is one of the first things that we're going to learn here just this Sunday in this church of Laodicea? Christianity, our walk with Jesus, everything that epitomizes who he is and what he's called to, who does it revolve around? Jesus. Our existence, our ideas, our opinions, who should they revolve around? Jesus. What we do with our time, where we go, how we spend our resources, our finances, the things that occupy our mindset, our choices. Who do they come from and what do they revolve around? Jesus. There it is.

There it is. When we make Christianity about us, it becomes religion. It gets tainted and it gets wrecked. We start becoming legalists. We start thinking we know more than we do. We get pretty confident in our ability. And then we get very critical of other people that don't measure up to that standard. That's not where Jesus came in at the one of the worst churches you see here. He didn't come to Laodicea and say, you're not judging each other rightly. No. He said, what you're doing is your life revolves around comfort, it revolves around what you can get out of me, God.

And in no way is your life centered on who I am in a beautiful relationship with me, which is all I've ever asked you for. You literally kicked me out and keep me at the door. How about you let me in your heart?

Guest (Male): That is Pastor Matt VanderVen on His Perfect Love. We're going through Revelation at the present time. And I'll remind you that you can hear the program again when you visit hisperfectlove.org. That's hisperfectlove.org. We're also at oneplace.com and look for us wherever you get your podcasts. We also offer a mobile app. This is a great way to take Pastor Matt's teachings with you on the go. You can learn more about the mobile app and start your download when you visit our website hisperfectlove.org. We can't thank you enough for your prayers for this ministry. Please pray that as God's word goes forth, that lives will be greatly impacted for the glory of God and people would grow by his grace and love or even enter into a relationship with him.

And if you have a prayer request, please send that our way. You can email that to us through our website at hisperfectlove.org. If you live in the Mechanicsburg, PA area, we hope you'll stop by for a visit just like you hear on the radio. Pastor Matt teaches verse by verse through the Bible here at Calvary Chapel Harrisburg, West Shore. Sunday morning services begin at 8:30 and 10:30. We have a midweek gathering on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. We're located at 28 North Locust Point Road in Mechanicsburg, PA. Go to ccherisburg.org for more information. And then join us next time when Pastor Matt will pick up where we left off in Revelation here on His Perfect Love.

Matt VanderVen: His Perfect Love is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Harrisburg, West Shore.

Guest (Female): Let the word go out. The perfect love of Christ to shine. Our lives will shout. I am my beloved's and he is my. Every heart is in his hands. We'll never stop reaching out. This is His Perfect Love. The world knows our This is what real love looks like. This is His Perfect Love.