His Perfect Love

Speaker 1: Today, on His Perfect Love.

Speaker 2: As I mentioned, this world will only grow more wicked and evil, and as we we read during the Great Tribulation in this book of Revelation, it's going to be the anthem of that time. Complete rebellion of God and humanity not willing to choose Jesus over their sin. Dare I say it's the anthem of our day. It is the anthem of our day. God must bring rebellion to an end. He has to do it. He is a holy, righteous, and just God.

Speaker 3: This is His perfect love. The word goes out. This is what real love looks like in truth and grace. This is His perfect love.

Speaker 1: You're invited to take the next half hour to join us for a thought-provoking study in Revelation here on His Perfect Love. Pastor Matt Vanderwaal will be finishing up chapter nine. Murder, sorcery, sexual sin, and theft. It's all around us, and as we'll learn today, it will only intensify during the Great Tribulation. Even with all the death and destruction, people still choose to remain in their sins and reject Jesus. It's a sad reality, not only in the tribulation, but in our day as well. Here's Pastor Matt with more.

Speaker 2: This is His perfect love. You are opening yourself up to the demonic realm when you engage in things that are evil. Now, let's broaden this understanding here. And before we get too far in that, anybody who questions that, talk to the gentleman in Australia who's a doctor that analyzed people that play video games for long periods of times and the chemical and the physical reaction it has on the brain. It damages the brain. Takes 6 months to heal. It's called digital cocaine for a reason. They know it. It's not a question. They know it. And it literally alters the brain.

Why am I making a big deal about that? Because that's what the word pharmakeia, this word for sorcery, is actually the Greek word we get for pharmakeia. And you know, that's our English word for pharmacy. That's where we get our English word for pharmacy. It comes from that, the etymology of that word. So, what is that word pharmakeia mean? Well, in definition, it's really anything that alters the mind. Mind-altering drugs. We We often apply it to pharmaceuticals, mind-altering drugs. But is it not mind-altering? Can I not see somebody that plays with a game and interacts with certain things that are inappropriate according to God's word?

And does their mind not get altered that I can run an R MRI scan and show you the results scientifically? I absolutely can. Do you know that it does more damage when you look at the scans? We have videos. Pastor Bill has one. He went to a conference. They showed the whole thing. They've got doctors. This is not Hey, Pastor Matt, you're off on a This is not imagination. We can show you the scans. Multiple people who have been tested. People that have done drugs. We can see it in the brain. People that play and engage with activities like video games and demonic stuff like Did you know pornography?

Looking at images that are sexually illicit and not appropriate also does damage to the brain. Pornography actually does more damage than video gaming does, at least according to the scans. These are things that God told us to stay away from. They're mind-altering. And yet, we compromise because we say, I don't really do that. I don't I'm not opening my house to those things. Meanwhile, our kids in the other room with the babysitter, you know, the TV, the video games, the board games, all of these things that are absolutely bringing them to a place that are altering their minds.

And we wonder why there's so much consternation in the home. Why the family's coming under such attack. And do we actually If we relate this to somebody that's on drugs, are they able to help themselves often? No, they need help from somebody around because they don't even recognizing how it's destroying a heroin addict. Have you ever been around somebody like that? They can destroy their lives, and they're not helping themselves, but they think that they are. They think I got a handle on this. I got a hold of this. Of course, they're going to argue with you and tell you they don't have a problem.

Just like a heroin addict would. And do you really want to listen to the heroin addict when he says, no, I got this under control. Should we be really listening to people that have opened themselves up to those things as though they didn't need help as parents, as loved ones, as those that care about invest in other people? Well, let's back out even further. Again, just taking it pharmakeia, it's also speaking about mind-altering drugs. So, anything that can alter the mind, anything. You know, have we not learned again? We talked about it. Videos can video games, certain things, digital cocaine.

What about mind-altering drugs? If we go back and we look at the time John would have wrote this around 80-95, ancient societies were no strangers to mind-altering chemicals. Please don't think this is just a 21st century problem. Archaeologists, and I looked this up, note that the presence of opium, hemp, and many other substances existed, and they have been uncovering these substances chemically in Bible era cultures. These compounds were not as potent, okay, as modern options, but still capable of the powerful effects. We know that because when we go back and we look at wine, they had wine.

Their wine was 1/12 the uh intensity that our wine is today in regards to amount of alcohol per volume. What about synthetic drugs like carfentanil? Somebody know what fentanyl is? Carfentanil. It's 100,000 times more powerful as an equivalent dose of natural opium. It's something we create. It's synthetic. This is what allows a small dart to tranquilize an elephant. And that's exactly what they use to tranquilize an elephant. Opium itself is still a strong drug. Opioids and pain medication, whether addictive or not, can be a real problem if abused, right? I've heard over the years countless times of how someone gets addicted taking medicine for an injury they struggled with, and now they're struggling to get off those meds.

I mean, we've had guys that uh we radio talk show hosts, things like that, people you know, even in conservative circles that have come out because of back pain legitimate, and they got on the medicines to help them, and then they literally went through incredible withdrawal to try to get off those medicines. Sometimes lies, deceit, even causing damage to those around them. You know, the latest craze in pharmakeia is what they call non-narcotic pain relievers. See, the big thing was, well, I'm not on a narcotic or I take narcotics. So, then what they started synthesizing was drugs that are mind-altering, but they're not narcotics.

And so, then they thought, oh, that's a way we'll do it because then it's not a narcotic, right? It's It's not mind-altering anymore, right? Except for the fact that we're still detaining the what? The central nervous system. We're just doing it a different way. We And we're still We may not entirely cross the the brain-blood barrier. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. But it's still altering mental capacity via chemical channels in the individual. And again, certainly if approved for a doctor for the short term for an injury, we're thankful for those meds, right? We're thankful for things like that can help us when we're in desperate need.

But many times they still carry negative side effects. Did you know that mood-altering substances were also used in connection with ancient religious practices? Temples such in Greece sometimes use mind-altering drugs in fortune telling and with oracles. We have data to support that. They may have included natural vapors and deliberately concocted mixtures. Paul When Paul wrote the book of Galatians, John recorded Revelation, as I just mentioned, these practices would been a part of pagan idolatry when he was writing this. Now, again, I want to be really careful here because I I don't You know, under doctor orders and things like that, I know there's substances that can alter people's perception and can be used for legitimate medicines.

1 Timothy 4:4 says, for every creature of God is good and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving describing something that is good, that is helpful. I think, you know, of meds prescribed for schizophrenia or mental illness, you know, there are many people that need these medications to function daily due to anatomical or physiological reasons. Certainly no one would ever tell you to get off of those medicines. You need to be on those medicines. You have a mental There's something we can give to bring help to you, right? That's good. But then there are others that maybe physically there could be some things like physical therapy or other things we can do instead of being on other meds.

Sometimes there's not. Sometimes we we need whatever things that can help, but we want to understand it's not God's desire. But sometimes we need to take You know, I know Motrin's not a I know Motrin's not a great example because it's not mind-altering necessarily. But there are ones that are, and we just need to be really careful. You know, can we find alternative ways to bring healing and pain or do we just go to the quick fix sometimes? And look, I know there's times where you're you and I we get in a lot of pain and we need something like that.

That is a muscle relaxer that can help our muscles just to calm down and reduce the spasms. That's not sin. But staying on that for longer than we need to help us cope and desensitize us from the things going on around us. You know who you are if you're hearing this. You know who you are if that's you and you're taking those things that way. That's what we're talking about here. That's what he means also when he says, hey, pharmakeia. And dare I say even worse today, they can be used in a predatory manner influencing others and taking advantage of their skewed awareness.

We've heard how many times recently murders that have happened because whether a wife is drugged, a husband in drugged, different things. You know, a sorcerer, as the term is used here in the Bible, could be thought as the equivalent of a modern-day drug dealer or as a type of person who slips chemicals into a woman's drink to take advantage of them. That's what we're talking about here. We should just be blunt about it. I think we also understand there's a lot of money in drugs. You know, I think uh many might not realize how much.

Did you know just looking up the latest numbers, the United States spends over $378 billion and that's on prescription drugs. Estimates suggest that Americans This is just Americans spend nearly a trillion dollars on illicit drugs each year. A trillion dollars. It's right that we have an epidemic. We have a real problem. It's only going to intensify in the Great Tribulation. You know, the sad reality is again, many will choose their drugs over Jesus. That's what we're really talking about here, a choice of drugs over Jesus. The demons behind the sorceries can destroy your life, your soul, and your spirit.

Next on the list, we can't ignore this, sexual sin in all forms. This is porneia or pornor, the the umbrella term, fornication. What does that mean? Sex outside of marriage, okay, regardless of the reason. Doesn't matter if you're living with somebody 7 years and we call it common law marriage, I'm sorry, that's not the same thing. God's standard is a covenant relationship of marriage, one man, one woman. Adultery. Okay, we understand what that means. That means uh sexual intercourse outside of your wife or your husband in a marriage. Homosexuality is included in that. And that means both male and female and the ideas of the attraction of those things.

Even the lust of the heart of that is sin and under this umbrella. Well, I've never done anything. That's not how God defined it. I'll add also gender dysphoria, all these terms. Gender dysphoria, the idea that I think I was born uh even though I was born anatomically a male, I think I'm supposed to be a female, right? All of this falls under that umbrella. Um taking and changing God's design through surgeries all to elicit sexual sin, convincing themselves that God is indifferent to their desires and will. He is not. Unrepented sin separates us from God and opens the door to demonic oppression best case, and for the unbeliever even worse.

And stealing. So many of us skip this one, stealing. Nobody does that, right? I mean, that's the last thing on the list. It can't be as important. I mean, right? Can't be as perverse as idolatry, the first few things in this list. What is the definition of stealing? It's taking what's not yours. It's a sin. Again, it opens a door. I've always likened it to like sort of a drug, a gateway. And if you talk to people who struggle with the addiction of stealing, they will tell them that gives them a euphoric response. They actually have a brain-altering chemical response because they get a high out of it.

Now, I understand some people say, well, I've never had that problem. Haven't you? You may not have had that euphoric response. Again, it's like a gateway drug like marijuana or anything else. There are people that get high out of stealing convincing themselves that taking something that's not theirs is okay. I think many of us would say, well, absolutely that's wrong and a sin and I I don't struggle with that because I didn't steal a car, I didn't steal any type of big ticket item. But notice with me that the Bible doesn't anywhere qualify here the price of the item.

Doesn't say it's about the price tag. I want to be specific here since so many have excused the sin of stealing. Have we ever stolen time from our employer? Every one of us. Every single one of us. What do I mean? 2 minutes late. Tuning out for a moment. You know, doing other things when we should be focused on what we are doing. That's stealing. That's theft. You are be There's a transaction that is occurring there. You are selling your time for money. There is a transaction that's occurring there. Just like if somebody came to you and said, if you work, I'm going to give you this piece of food, and then if they only came and gave you half of what they promised to give you, you would say you're what?

Stealing from me. You owe me the other half of that portion of food. None of us would argue that. But we somehow come to this idea when it comes to our employers, right? And I'm just trying to use something. I mean, we could all figure different things out in our lives, but I from our wives, from our husbands, from our kids, from different people, our kids from you know, all the above. But what about objects, taking pens? I think in things that I've done I just went really easy and figured things I've done over the years yet not thinking.

I grab a pen, I'm walking out. I kept the employer's pen. Oh, there's a really nice pen. It doesn't say do not return. Paper clips, supplies. They don't mind. You know, I'm just going to go ahead and use the printer and but I'm going to print off stuff for my taxes, do different things at the work. I'm not You know, I'll I'll put a dollar in the in the supply cabinet. Did you get express permission to do that? Again, that's stealing by definition. We want to make a big deal about all the other sins that we see in this list, and we should.

But do we bring the same level of uh detail as God does to this sin as well? Or are we one of those that say, well, yeah, but that's not really a big deal. I mean, it's just a paper clip. That's what people that struggle with coming to Christ say, well, I'm a good person. I 've done good things. And then guys like Ray Comfort come along and say, really? Have you kept the Ten Commandments? Well, sure. I mean, I've never You've never lied. Well, I maybe a white lie. Why are we trying to split hairs here?

A lie is a lie. A half truth is still a full-on lie. It's the same idea here, you know. Have you ever reported to work late and didn't report or make up the hours? Or have you ever gone to work because you were tired the day before for whatever reason and sort of run at a different pace than what you know the employer expects you to run at and you have the physical capability to run at? Ooh. Right? Ever work on personal items while at work? Watch a video on one of the social media channels while at work on company hours?

Tune out for a minute? Maybe de-stress and just kind of You know, whatever. How about without making up time? In the moment it seems innocent and significant by definition, it's still stealing and taking something without express permission, without something that wrongs to us. None of this draws us closer to God. That's the whole point in this whole list. Actually, it often makes us choose between the pleasure of this life and the obedience to God. And I think that's always been the battle, the temptation, the rub. You know, I think we can all examine our hearts here this morning.

Repent is needed. Um taking personal responsibility for our sin. That's what Jesus wants us to do. We could watch our news and read the media streams, and I think we'll realize that the list that we just read about today is already problem. And for so many of us when we look back, it's only getting worse for maybe when we were younger. There is a spirit of idolatry behind all of this today. It's only growing stronger and the stench rising to heaven. Anyone committing these sins habitually what we're really communicating with our audio and video is we want any one of these things more than we want God.

Just think we need to just pause there for a second and take that in. I need to take that in. We need to take that in. Again, this read almost This list read is almost like the Ten Commandments. Notice verse 20 is vertical focused. Just like the Ten Commandments, verse 22 is horizontal focused. Just like the Ten second half of the Ten Commandments. There's so many people that would rather not give up these things for the Lord, instead fulfill all their earthly lusts. Make no mistake about that, please. You're hearing it here. You're seeing it in the word.

God is dead serious about this. A child of God will not be content living a life that violates God's commandments, statutes, and judgments. You will not have condemnation if you are a child of God doing these things. You will be writing the emotional roller coaster. You will be broken, and you are supposed to be to drive you to repentance. You should not ignore it, right? God's standard is holiness. And if you're hearing this this morning and you're feeling conviction in your heart uh and it maybe it's setting in, don't ignore it. Instead run to it, run to God and repent.

God is faithful and just to forgive you. He said that in 1 John chapter 1 verse 9. The rest afterwards is condemnation for God because once you've done that, then you have been reconciled to God perfectly. And if you're hearing this and you're beginning to feel afraid, maybe there's somebody that's afraid here because you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Maybe somebody's hearing this online or in their car. And you're weighing life against God's holy standards, then please let me encourage you not to ignore this spirit-filled invitation. Today is the day of salvation.

We shouldn't ignore fear. Fear is a needed emotion. It serves to protect us. It would often be unwise to run into the middle of an ocean with very high waves if you don't know how to swim, right? Fear is normal in that context. Running into the ocean like that and the waves are over your head crashing upon you knowing very clearly you probably will die. Fear stops you from running into that ocean, right? And thank God for that emotion. Like guys in context, we know that we need salvation in this life, and we should have a fear apart from Jesus Christ and being saved.

If you haven't already done so, ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior. What are you waiting for, right? And then live a life that's pleasing to him. We We know all of us as Christians, we're not going to live the Christian life perfectly. But that's no excuse. And that doesn't change anything about the biblical standard. All God is asking us to do is put the hand on the plow and do all that we can, and he will strengthen us. And sometimes it's okay to not be okay. You need to hear that. I'm desperately um afraid of when somebody tells me legalistically that it's okay not to be okay.

And yet, my Bible tells me that it 's okay not to be okay. The apostles were not okay, and yet it was okay. The Old Testament prophets were not okay, and yet God spoke to them. Ezekiel, God spoke to Elijah. God went through and spoke to David, who was not a prophet, who was wrecked because of his sin and said, it's not okay. But I will strengthen you, David. I will bring you through this when you turn your heart to me. It's not always going to be easy. But it will be worth it, and it will be worth it forever.

As I mentioned, this world will only grow more wicked and evil, and as we we read during the Great Tribulation in this book of Revelation, it's going to be the anthem of that time. Complete rebellion of God and humanity not willing to choose Jesus over their sin. Dare I say it's the anthem of our day. It is the anthem of our day. God must bring rebellion to an end. He has to do it. He is a holy, righteous, and just God. We have to acknowledge he cannot coexist with evil. And so while I love grace and I appreciate grace and for the last month I've tried very diff You know, diligently to bring the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

Today the Lord pressed on my heart, I can have grace, but not as Romans chapter 6 would say, not at the cost of acknowledging that God has commandments, statutes, and judgments, and they don't change because our emotions do or our circumstances do. God's word is true regardless of the circumstances and the reasons behind us or the things we're doing behind us. That also needs to be preached and taught is true, and there is no compromise for that. And I don't want anybody walking out of here with a false sense of security. If that's where any one of us is, and I said us because I would never try to put myself on a pedestal when I am, as Paul would say, the chief of sinners.

But I will acknowledge this that we need forgiveness and right relationship with Jesus Christ, and we need to begin to live according to this commandments, statutes, and judgments found before us in the word of God. And that means we must choose Jesus over self, the world, the flesh, the devil, and all the things that make us feel good as we would want to describe them. Yes, we'll fail. But that is no excuse for not setting the aim and the objective clear. No one runs a race. No one begins to build a house without taking stock to know they have through Christ Jesus what is needed to complete that good work.

We all understand that. So, let's stop flirting with our sin. And I pray Jesus begins in my heart first, begins in the heart of all yours, and that he will ripple this through this community because there's a lot of evil and wickedness going on in this area. I've traveled around. I've seen a lot of different communities. There is such a spirit of oppression and affliction happening here. Not just coming to this church because of the word of God being taught, but coming to a lot of churches in this area, coming to a lot of people in this area.

This is a time to be right with Jesus Christ. This is a time to lay down our opinions, our ideologies, our religions, our rituals, our experiences, our backgrounds, are all these culturals and look and say, if I'm struggling in any one of these areas or any areas that God calls out, run to Jesus and say, God, set me free because I'm done flirting with my sin and I'm done being unevenly yoked with you. Amen. What can't God do with a repentant heart? And for those that are hearing this that don't know Jesus, it's time. You have been invited.

Receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today and be changed forever. Amen.

Speaker 1: You're listening to Pastor Matt Vanderwaal on His Perfect Love. You can hear the study from Revelation again when you visit hisperfectlove.org. That's hisperfectlove.org. We've expanded our podcast, too. Look for us on oneplace.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 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 p.m.

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.

Speaker 3: This is His perfect love.

Speaker 1: His Perfect Love is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore.

Speaker 3: Let the word go out. The perfect love of Christ to shine. Our lives will shout. 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 grace. This is His perfect love.