His Perfect Love

Guest (Male): What is the Lord looking for in you and me? Here is Pastor Matt with the answer that may surprise you.

Matt VanderVen: All that Jesus requests of you, requested of them, requested of me is what? Faithfulness, right? You don't need great works that are newsworthy. Don't have to make the news, the Calvary Chapel magazine. No, not about that. You don't need to have superhuman strength, okay? Let that be something that encourages your heart here this morning. That's these people in this church. It's a faithful church, not full of superheroes, but full of meek women and men. A strength that the world would consider a weakness because it's not dependent on self, but it's dependent upon Jesus.

Guest (Female): This is his perfect love. The world goes on. It's what real love looks like in truth and grace. This is his perfect love.

Guest (Male): Well done, good and faithful servant. Christians long to hear those words from the Lord. And today on his perfect love, we'll hear of some believers who were commended by Jesus for their faithfulness. You'll find it in Revelation chapter 3. But these people need to be encouraged as well. And the Lord would deliver. Maybe that's just what you need today. You're in the midst of a great trial. Let's lean in and listen to what Pastor Matt Vanderven has to say on his perfect love.

Matt VanderVen: This is his perfect love. Next, what's he say? I've set before you an open door and no one can shut it. Jesus is confirming to the church of Philadelphia, I'm the one, Jesus, right? It's all dependent on me, Jesus. Now, I want you to think about a passage in 1 Samuel chapter 14 verse 6. Go ahead and turn there in your Bibles, um if you can while I'm chatting with you here for a minute. Like Jonathan, you remember King Saul? Jonathan, right, his son. Like Jonathan's approach to the overwhelming size and strength of the the Philistine king, any one of us would be overwhelmed by that, right?

In Saul's day, what does it say in 1 Samuel chapter 14 6? And this is so powerful. 1 Samuel chapter 14 6, please, this is one of those ones you write on your mirror, right? You write write in your car, you write in your notebook, wherever you your office, your Bible, your just one of those things to remember because our circumstances can seem so big, so large, so overwhelming. And in in 1 Samuel 14 6 just puts it right back in godly perspective. It may be that the Lord will work for us. Never presume upon God, first of all, for nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.

You and Jesus are a multitude. It doesn't matter how big your circumstances look, Jesus is bigger than any one of our circumstances. And that passage is screaming that out to us in the most pleasant and polite way. And that's exactly what Jesus was doing when he said, I've set before you an open door and no one can shut it. It's an encouragement. It's an encouragement. Keep on keeping on. These believers may not have taken Philadelphia by storm because they were weak, small, whatever. This wasn't a mega church, but they made inroads. And all that Jesus requests of you, requested of them, requested of me is what?

Faithfulness, right? You don't need great works that are newsworthy. Don't have to make the news, the Calvary Chapel magazine. No, not about that. You don't need to have superhuman strength, okay? Uh just think about it. Is there any coincidence just the mind, you know, everything is all about behavioral modification. You think about it today. I am sorry I'm using words you probably most of you don't talk that way, but I think that way. And so, you know, when is is there you know, think about it in the last few years. I remember growing up in the '80s, you'd have a super hero movie like Superman or you know, Spider-Man.

They didn't have Superwoman, right? It was Wonder Woman, I think. Whatever whatever it was. You don't don't go look it up. You don't need to know that junk. But whatever it is, it was something like that that oh once every so many years, you know, I want you to think about in the last few years here, especially in the last the last days we're living, how often superheroes NFL, you can't watch the the football game at the end without a guy going like he's the superhero because he just ran 100 yards. Now, granted, I know that when their guys running at you, it's not easy, okay?

I was a hockey player. I get it. I was a defenseman. My job was to make sure you didn't get across the blue line. I understand it, but I certainly didn't go like this cuz I knew at any one point, it's just when I put that pride in front of me right before the fall, right? So I I knew better. Well, I'd like to think I knew better maybe. It was always with the Lord's strength and help. The point is it's not about being newsworthy. You don't need to have superhuman strength, but there's this attraction to these superheroes, superhuman, you know, Wonder Woman, instead of just simply recognizing like the Church of Philadelphia, this church was not known for its strength.

It was known for its weakness. Have you seen a movie that they've come out come out for weak man? Anybody going to go You think it's going to be a blockbuster hit? Come on out, weak man. Every one of us is like that's the reality every day. I don't need to go and see a movie. I can look in the mirror. You know what? Let that be something that encourages your heart here this morning. That's these people in this church. It's a faithful church, not full of superheroes, but full of meek women and men. A strength that the world would consider a weakness because it's not dependent on self, but it's dependent upon Jesus.

They attribute that as weakness. Have you ever seen anyone defeat God? No. Who's back in you? Right? Who's got your back? It's Jesus. It's certainly not another superhero. The whole point is in this meekness, this strength under control. We get the real heart of what God is looking for. And that's not super ability. No, it's actually so simple. Jesus said, all I want is your faithfulness, demonstrated in a surrendered life focused on Jesus, spending time in his word, being a prayer warrior, spending time with Jesus, don't deny or reject his truth, that's obedience, surrender to him and walk in love.

I can't wait till they make that blockbuster movie. Oh yeah, they probably won't because Hollywood lies. And they make all this junk that's bringing people down instead of building people up because the minute you bring them down, it's a heck of a lot easier to control them than when you have them strengthened and walking dependent upon Jesus. It's really hard to control people that way. Maybe that's just a coincidence. Oh, that's right. I already said there's no coincidence in the Christian's vocabulary, which means it must be deliberate. And I'll let you finish the rest of that equation.

2 + 2 always equals 4. It doesn't ever change. It never changes. So that's all he asked of this church that he's commending and doesn't tell to repent. I think every one of us has the ability to acknowledge in here, I am weak and by Jesus I am made strong, not on my own dependence. Now, this church needed some encouragement, right? So Jesus brought that. Jesus also did that for the Apostle Paul, remember? In Corinth in Acts chapter 18 verses 9 and 10, he says, do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent, for I am with you and no one will attack you or hurt you.

I have many people in this city. Paul needed to hear that. Jesus isn't going to waste his time or words by going, Paul, don't be afraid if Paul wasn't what? Afraid. If the 18 apostles get afraid, how should we be embarrassed or ashamed because we get afraid? The Church of Philadelphia may have been weak in some respects. If you look at the superhero movies, which don't, they're junk, but our Lord confirms that they had remained faithful in the face of trial. That's everything, I believe. That's everything. All because of this, the Lord promises an open door blessing because they remained faithful even unto death.

You and I as Christians, it's not about the apprehension of our strength. It's our weakness and our ability to do what? I didn't hear no bell. I'm not going to quit. The world behind me, the cross before me, no looking back. Does Jesus not say that? Why would he change in the Revelation? In his unveiling, why would he give us a different message? That's what the word apocalypsis means in the Greek, the unveiling. He's actually telling us the truth. And once again, as humans, most of us got it in verse, didn't we? Right? Those who want to gain their life, they must what again?

Lose it. Isn't that the opposite of what self-dependency and self-survival tells us? And those who want to lose their life, right, they're going to do what? Gain their life. It's the inverse of the human intellect because it's the inverse of pride. And again, I don't think that's a coincidence, no such thing. Verse 9. As with the other six letters, Jesus turns the conviction and warning. Jesus's letter then condemns the enemies of the Philadelphian believers, right? Read look at it with me in verse 9. Indeed, I will make those a synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie.

Indeed, I will make them come and worship before your feet and know that what? I have loved you. This is all that you're going through, those wolves among sheep, that false doctrine, false witnesses, all these things going on. He says, the one thing that they're going to realize when they stand before me is that I didn't ban in you. You're not on your own. You're not weak the way you the way the world thinks you're weak. Actually, you were right where I wanted you, completely dependent upon me and a perfect witness and testimony. And that way when they stand in front of me, I'm going to go, oh you mean my servant such and such?

Oh, he was faithful. She was faithful. She had her hand on the plow. She didn't quit. I love her. She's in my kingdom. Boy, that's something we should take real serious because I think there's a lot of self-deception and a lot of lying going on about who's actually going to be in heaven. It's forgiven sinners, not perfect men and women. There's no room for legalism in this church as I was saying at the first service. There's so much destruction. And that's what the synagogue of Satan is. Let's Let's look at it, you know. In in Revelation 2 9 it was a similar warning that was given to Smyrna, right?

He says, again, those that claim to be Jews but are not, but are liars. We read here it's the same thing. They were claiming to be Jews but not. So were they a false witness? Was it defamation of character to somebody? Were they gossiping? Were they lying? Were they doing all these things to persecute other believers instead of building people up? They would turn around and point out everybody's sin as though they didn't have any sin. Boy, that's the biggest definition of a hypocrite I've ever read. I mean, that's exactly what Jesus is trying to protect us to.

You know, my pastor's dad used to say, you will never apprehend grace until you see your own sin in a mirror. Then you apprehend grace pretty quickly because it's easy to look at everybody else and go, man, this guy's blown it. This girl's blown it. They're just wow. Look at how worse they are, you know, And then you look in the mirror and you look at wow. Cuz Jesus doesn't waste sin one sin worse than another. Sin is sin. It's missing the mark. He doesn't want any of us to miss the mark. Please don't understand me.

But when we do miss the mark, we're not there turning around beating the bride because we're pointing out all their failures. Instead, we have an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, to turn around and share with that person, hey, I know you're man, you're having a hard go of this. Let's get away from the sin. Let's get away from that thing that's causing you the struggle. He didn't say continue in the sin. No, turn from it. in the Greek term. Repent means to fully turn away. Don't stay in that sin. But at the end of the day, we don't turn around and beat the bride.

Jesus didn't beat the woman caught in adultery. He didn't kill her. He had every right under the law and should have under the law unless we understand love as a conjunction with the law. She should have been stoned to death. And so should have been the man that was involved in that sin with her. But Jesus didn't because all he wanted was reconciliation. That's his whole heart on the matter. Wherever you are here this morning, whatever has been going on in your life, whatever you're wrestling with, whatever that sin is, and we all know we have them, it's time to lay that at the feet of Christ.

It's trying to look and that that doesn't make you weak. It makes you real. And you turn around and you say, Jesus, I need help. And as brothers and sisters in Christ, don't you dare turn around and try to be that person's Holy Spirit. You turn around, you come alongside and you put your arm around them and you say, it's time to get up. We got work to do in this city. And it's not because we're perfect, it's because we're forgiven. It's because we've been washed by the blood of the Lamb. Amen? This is what we're talking about.

This is what it is to be a Christian. It's no longer in fighting. It's no longer belonging to a synagogue of Satan, which he hates like Nicolaitans. No, he's going to bring judgment and persecution to those that are the synagogue of Satan. And again, there are two different groups that sort of he throughout history we know sort of identify with the synagogue of Satan. One is a group of Gentiles that called themselves Jews because they thought they were the chosen people of God. Only the Jews are the chosen people of God. And instead of following Judaism, however they they were self-proclaimed people of God, worshiped the Roman emperor, spoke out against Christians in Philadelphia.

That's possible. The second view is the synagogue of Satan was both a physical uh Jew who in reality just didn't know God. Why? Because they were too busy caught up in the traditions, ritual ceremonial practices and mosaic law. They call them Judaizers today. We call them legalists or we may call them practicers of religion. Right? They're placing themselves back into a religion works mentality. It's all about what they can do or didn't do that somehow equates to how they measure up before Christ instead of the blood. He said, I give you my new covenant in my blood, not in your blood, in Jesus's blood.

We are washed by the blood of the Lamb in his blood. The covenant is sealed in Christ Jesus. Now, I'm not saying there's not lordship issues going on when we're not obedient. We need to be obedient. This doesn't excuse that. But please don't confuse the two of a works-based mentality of salvation as compared to being saved by faith. And then please don't misunderstand that once we're saved by faith, we ought to work our salvation out with fear and trembling. The idea of sanctification is a lifetime, salvation is in a moment. And that's what we're learning here.

And the Philadelphians understood that. And there were all these hypocrites that were either in the church or surrounding them, that were coming back and saying, you're not saved or you 're not a good Christian or you 're not this or that. And one day they're going to realize that the very people that they were pointing at that said they blew it or that they were good for nothing or whatever they whatever they were doing to persecute or condemn those within the church, when Jesus stands before them again, Jesus is going to look at them and they're probably going to be in line and go, oh yeah, I remember Susie or Billy and yeah, I don't want to stand next to them and you were going to get up there and they were going to be watching.

All of a sudden Jesus is going to go, oh well done, good and faithful servant, enter into thy reward. And you know what's going to happen to little Billy Sue, you know, the person that was up there going, while you're here, Jesus, yeah, I didn't know you. But you boy didn't know you you knew yourself. Boy, did you ever know yourself? The way you made yourself a savior? Where did I fit in the equation? It was all about you. Just think about the things Jesus told us in harmony. He's not grammatically challenged. These things are meant to be warnings.

These are sobering because he never wanted us to worry about eternal security. Who do we place our faith and trust in? Who's our strength? Are we the master of our lives or is Jesus the master? Is our strength in us or are we like these Philadelphians where we're faithful because we placed our trusts in the God man, Jesus. We're ready to close with this verse 10 and 11. Jesus encouraged the Philadelphian believers regarding his future coming. What's he say? Because you've kept my command to preserve, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth.

Boy, that sounds like great tribulation language to me if I've ever heard it. Behold, I am coming quickly. Hold fast what you have that no one may take your crown. You see, this church is faithful and Dervens would serve as a blessing. Jesus would take them with him before the coming tribulation. If you ever read 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, if you haven't, please, the teachings up online, it's on our website, it's on the church app for the church here. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 13 and 18. He talks about our that word is the Greek word for what we know in the English translation as a catching up.

He's exhorting them to remain faithful because this would lead to the reward in heaven, right? This passage is important for several reasons here by the way. I don't want to skip over this. I know we're at our time. But based on this and other passages in Scripture, we can form an understanding of the Rapture. This should be part of your Rapture library, this passage here in Revelation, not just for Thessalonians chapter 4 and 5, but this passage in Revelation 3. From this passage, right? Cuz it forms our understanding. From this passage, Jesus promises to those who in the Church of Philadelphia and the church corporately that preserves till the Rapture that they will be kept from what?

From the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world. Again, we call that a great tribulation, not just a tribulation locally, but the great tribulation, the whole world. That language is used only as Jacob's trouble. We know that clearly this is language that speaks to that. So we learn here first of all and very important that the Rapture is going to happen cuz Jesus said, I'm going to take you out. Church of Philadelphia, you're not going to go through that. I'm not going to beat my bride. I'm not going to beat my bride, first thing.

Second thing we learn here is that this event is distinct from the second coming. That's why I said it's got to be a part of your library of Rapture passages. There's several of them throughout the Scripture. And the reason it's got to be part of your library is because there's people that have tried to pull the two together to say, oh you know what? Fine, I'll believe in that, but I'm a post-tribulationist. I believe God will come and take us up, but it'll be at the end of the great tribulation. And then when he comes down at the second coming, then he 'll bring us up.

Well, clearly in this passage, Jesus makes it very clear it's two events, two separate events. You cannot put them together because he says, you will not be going through what? This trial, this judgment that's going to come upon the whole world. We know that is a great tribulation. You're not So how are you going to be here and not go through it? Cuz you're not going to be here. That's the whole point. Then he says, when I come again. So he's talking about another time when he comes again, two separate events. Right? What's going to happen at the end of the great tribulation is the second coming.

The fact that the Philadelphians are promised to be preserved for the time of tribulation corresponds with again a pre-tribulation view here of the Rapture. In verse 12, Jesus provided his final promise to the believers in Philadelphia, and I believe to us here of those that are faithful, the remnant. He overcomes, and that's the word he uses for them because this church had a rep and their reputation was their survivors. But now they're overcomers because they're not surviving in their strength, they're overcoming in Jesus's. Amen? They're not surviving in their strength, they're overcoming in Jesus's. And that's why they're called the overcomers.

So this final promise he provides to them, and he says, he who overcomes, I will make a pillar or I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Oh boy, do you think that caused a chicken skin moment or goosebump moment if you lived at that time where you know they were all known for their pillars with the names. Remember I showed you that in the pictures in the beginning? He's speaking their language right now. Hey, I will make him a pillar of the temple of my God and he shall go out no more.

I will write on him a new the name of my God and the name of the city, my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down from heaven from my God, and I will write on him my new name. They're like, what? Jesus knows. That's what we do here. Except he's giving me a promise that's way better, not something that's temporal, that's going to be in ruins 100 years, thousands of years later. No, he's given us an eternal. He says where we're going to be with him, there's going to be pillars. And God is promising here that that he's not just going to honor these overcomers, but he's going to erect pillars in their name in heaven as was the custom in Philadelphia.

He's going to make them pillars in the spiritual temple of God, the new Jerusalem.

Guest (Male): That wraps up Pastor Matt Vanderven's study of the Lord's letter to the church in Philadelphia. We thank you for joining us today for his perfect love. We hear a lot about what's wrong in the church, but today we saw a church that did what was right. And they stand out in Scripture as a body of believers that were faithful. You can hear the study from Revelation again when you visit hisperfectlove.org. That's hisperfectlove.org. We're thankful for the listeners that come 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.

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