His Perfect Love

Matt VanderVen: Why did Jesus withdraw? Because he needed to be with the Father. He needed to be praying. Friends, brothers, and sisters here, do you withdraw? Do you have that time where you get away and it is just you and God, and you are pressing into him, you are hearing from him, and it is beautiful? You find a hill somewhere, a mountain, whatever. We are in a valley here; they are all around you if you drive 15 or 20 minutes in any direction.

Do you take that time? Jesus did. He makes intercessions for you and I. How can we possibly know the will of the Father, as it is in Romans 12, if we don't spend time with Jesus the Son? He conquered the grave.

Guest (Male): Hello and welcome to His Perfect Love with Pastor Matt VanderVen. It’s great to have you along today as we again turn to the book of Romans. You know, this world is full of bad news. Turn on the nightly news and you’ll be reminded of that. Could you use some good news today? Me too. And the book of Romans contains just that. Turn with us to chapter 1 and hear all about the truth of the gospel that impacts and changes lives. Life-changing good news is right around the corner. Here is Pastor Matt.

Matt VanderVen: Verse 4. And declared to be the Son of God. Are we seeing this over and over again? Paul keeps bringing this out. It is all going back to Jesus Christ. It is all going back to the gospel of Christ, and this is what he is sharing with the Romans here. The Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.

Now, this word declared in your Bibles, if you're taking notes, you can circle it. It is horizo. The word horizo in the Greek comes from this idea to be bound, to define, or to determine, even to limit. Think of a horizon. How you begin to see a horizon? It defines, it creates a border between the atmosphere and what have you. It determines the farthest part visible on earth in reference to the heavens, the firmaments as it's described.

He says he declared. And what did he declare? That Jesus is the Son of God. That Jesus is the Son of God. And he is also telling us not only is this declared, but he's saying it's declared throughout all of the world, all of his word here, all of the gospel. The Old Testament and the New Testament are fully declared.

There are 11 verses I'd like to share with you this morning. I don't expect you to turn through all of them because we're going to go through them pretty quick, but I'd ask that you write them down and devotionally you'd go back and visit them and study them in devotional time. We're to be without excuse. God has shown us.

First Corinthians chapter 15, verse 28. That says, when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him so that God may be all in all. He is the Son of God by declared by the Father and the gospel. Psalm chapter 2, verse 7 tells us, I will surely tell you the decree of the Lord. He said to me, You are my Son, today I have begotten you.

Hebrews chapter 1, verse 5. For to which of the angels did he ever say, You are my Son, today I have begotten you? And again, I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me. Why am I going through these? And there's several more, seven or eight of them. Because today the person and the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ is being attacked.

There is someone that recently had brought it into an elders' meeting or a prayer time where someone said that they had visited another church, or they had heard, maybe it was a call from someone actually that had been concerned about a brother or sister in Christ in the fellowship. They had visited another church and as they were reading the scriptures, the church began to say, well, Jesus really never declared himself to be the Son of God.

Nor did God the Father ever declare that. And I couldn't help but thinking, what Bible are you reading? Or should I say, what are you reading that's not the Bible that declares that? Because this is the authority. God the Father himself said, this is God-breathed, this is the authority.

But that's what's happening today. Because if you can take Jesus Christ out, if you can make him or relegate him to something less than God himself, the divinity, the word became flesh and he dwelt among us, flesh, humanity, both. If you can declare that, if you can take the divinity and the humanity of Christ away, you can then turn around and do what? You can remove what he did on the cross.

You can negate it. You can turn around and say it didn't matter and it doesn't exist. And let me tell you something, without the resurrection of Jesus Christ we would be dead in our sins, our trespasses and sins. That's why there's the attack. Ken Ham, Creation Museum in Kentucky, maybe some of you have visited, you might know.

I remember he came to Calvary Chapel and he had a caricature from an apologetic perspective. He drew one that was interesting. He had two hot air balloons. Both were floating up in the air, one on each side. And he had all the different things that are going on. He had one that represented the enemy, the evil one, the principalities and powers of darkness. And then he had one which of the Christians that were standing there and defending the faith.

And he had all these things that were being attacked, like abortion and all the different situations that clearly God has a very specific matter-of-fact commandment on. It's murder. It's not something to be gray. It's very clear. He's given us clarity. Well, what had happened is he says, you see the Christians and the Christians are turning around and they're shooting down all these issues.

And it's important to focus on these issues. I'm certainly not saying it's not and certainly Ken Ham wasn't saying it's not important. But what ended up happening is as he's attacking these things and meanwhile the enemy has a sign that says Jesus Christ the Son of God. And that's the thing that basically he's going after.

But all these other things have our attention and our focus, but we're not keeping our focus on who Christ is. And so while our attack is going on and we're taking out all these other things, we're missing the big attack that's going on by the enemy because ultimately he does not want any of us to bring glory and honor to Jesus Christ to God.

That's what it's really all about, friends. That's why sometimes when you say, boy, I'm just having a bad day and I don't understand, I've done everything right, I'm not living in sin, things seem to be but why do I feel overwhelmed? Why are these things happening? And ultimately it's spiritual warfare. Ephesians chapter 6 verses 11 through 17. It tells us we have an enemy.

Now, we're not to be consumed by this, we're not to be afraid of that enemy. We're to keep our eyes on Christ. But we're not to be ignorant, friends, brethren, sisters. We're not to be ignorant of the fiery darts. This is one of the largest attacks that we're going to see come in our time. It's going to be on the personage of Jesus Christ. And oh by the way there's nothing new under the sun because it's the exact same thing the Gnostics did within the first century of Christianity.

Peter wrote about it in his second letter about destructive doctrines. So pay attention because it's only going to heat up. Especially as we're in the last days here, there's going to be many destructive doctrines that are going to try to pull people away from truth. There are colleges now that are no longer turning around and teaching biblical truth, Christian colleges.

They're wavering. They're beginning to say, well, did God really mean this? I don't know about you, my God's not grammatically challenged. My God meant what he said and said what he meant. He doesn't struggle with the grammar. I can go to the Hebrew, I can exegete it, I can go to the Greek and exegete it. I'm certainly not a Hebrew or Greek scholar by any means, but I can go and read it in the original language and it says the same thing that you and I read here today.

Sin is sin and denying Jesus Christ is blasphemy. Blasphemy. Well, let's continue on. Matthew chapter 3 verse 17 says and behold a voice out of heaven said, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. First John chapter 4 verse 10. In this love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.

John chapter 14:13, whatever you ask in my name, that will I do so that my father may be glorified in the Son. The Son of God over and over again. John chapter 5 verse 19. Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself unless it is something he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in a like manner. That's why we can trust to follow the Son because the Son is following the Father and His will.

Mark chapter 14 verse 61. Но he kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning him and saying to him, are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One? Why would the high priest have asked that question if Jesus Christ himself wasn't proclaiming to be the very Son of God? Of course he was.

Mark chapter 5 verse 7. And shouting with a loud voice he said, what business do you have with each other, Jesus, Son of the most high God? I implore you by God do not torment. He was speaking that to a demon. Even the demons know Jesus Christ is the Son of God. It's sad when humanity has to catch up.

First John chapter 5 verses 9 and 10, and this is our last one. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. Just think about that for a minute. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, he says. For the testimony of God is this, that he testified concerning his Son.

The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given him concerning the Son. He who has the Son has life. First John chapter 5 verse 11 and 12. He who does not have the Son does not have life. It's very cut and clear. There is no multiple ways. Jesus Christ is the only way and he is the Son of God.

Well, as we look back to verse 4 here, it says the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness. So we learn that with power it's through the spirit of holiness that he has this power. We see this here and then it says by what? It was by the resurrection from the dead. This empty tomb is significant.

This is what Paul's pointing out here. This empty tomb is significant. All false gods are still in their tombs. Mohammed, he's in his tomb. You can find him there, his dead bones, his rot—it's all there. Buddha, fill in the blank. Jesus Christ is the only one that's ever been able to resurrect himself. Not resuscitate, clear difference, but resurrection. Resurrection.

Nobody else could do that. His tomb is empty. And because of that, we know that one day when our eyes close, whether it's tomorrow or 50 years for some of us, we know that we will be absent with the body and present with the Lord. And we can have no doubt about that, no fear in that either. What a beautiful gift Jesus has given us this side of eternity.

It's the greatest gift of all, that he himself will resurrect us just as he resurrected himself. Because if he didn't have the power to do that, how could we have trusted and believed he could do it with us? That's why there's that attack on who he is. It's the new covenant shed by his blood. He wasn't bound by death.

It was a miraculous power that demonstrated that Jesus Christ was not bound by death. We don't understand that entirely because we can't resurrect ourselves, but God can and he did. Just take that in. I mean if some of you are 50 years old, 40—maybe older, you've heard this over and over. Okay, pastor, we get it, Jesus Christ the resurrection, the way, the truth, the life, there's no one that come to the Father but through the Son. I've heard it, yeah. But have you let it transform you?

Has it changed your heart? That's what he's saying here. He says he lives and he's seated at the right hand of the Father. What's he doing there? He's interceding for you and I. What did he do when he was on earth? When the disciples were brought into a trial or temptation, when they were on the sea in John chapter 6? Did he walk and go, hey, good luck, man, this is going to be a good everyone—multitude 5,000, you guys want an after-dinner show? Watch this. Watch these boys, they're going to get scared.

No, he doesn't do that. What's he do? He himself withdraws. It's a good lesson for undershepherds. Pastors, pay attention to this. He withdraws. Why does he withdraw? Because he needs to be with the Father. He needs to be praying. Friends, brothers and sisters, do you withdraw? Do you have that time where you get away and it's just you and God and you're pressing into him and you're hearing from him and it's beautiful?

You find a hill somewhere, a mountain, whatever. We're in a valley here, they're all around you if you drive 15, 20 minutes in any direction. Do you take that time? Jesus did. He makes intercessions for you and I. How can we possibly know the will of the Father as it's in Romans 12 if we don't spend time with Jesus the Son? He conquered the grave.

Hosea chapter 13 verse 14 tells us, oh death where is your sting? Oh Hades where is your victory? First Corinthians chapter 15 verse 56 through 57 says, the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Friends, that's the greatest news you're going to hear all day. It only gets better from here. It only gets better, no matter what you're going through, it only gets better.

Verse 5. Through him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name, among whom you also are called of Jesus Christ. There's a lot going on there. It's through him we receive grace and apostleship for the obedience of the faith. The gospel, what does it do? It impacts individual lives. Amen? Your life, my life, you that are here that are born-again believers, has it not impacted and changed your life?

Are you the same as you were when you got saved? No, what do we call that? Sanctification, the process that only God the Father and Jesus works through us. But God impacts our individual lives through the gospel. It's not a theory. It's not an interesting idea or philosophy. It's life-changing good news. It's wonderful that way.

You see, the gospel gave Paul and the church grace. Do you see that? And what? Apostleship. To be sent ones, to be sent ones that way. And one reason these two gifts were given was to produce obedience in faith. You see, without grace, favor, and without help of God, he couldn't have been an apostle Paul. It was direct revelation through Jesus Christ to the apostle Paul that way.

And while we are not apostles today per se because it was the beginning of the ministry and it was laying the foundation and that's what apostles did, while there are no modern-day apostles in some ways, aren't we all modern-day apostles when you want to think of the idea of what it means to be missionaries or sent ones? In that regard, if we use the term not as an office but as a sent one, we all are called. Matthew 28:19 gave us a great commission and a great commandment.

Obedience to the faith in the New Testament was belief. That's how you accomplished obedience in faith, it was belief. That's how you did that. It was nothing else. It was simple, beautiful, innocent, childlike faith and belief. That's what Jesus Christ taught.

In John chapter 6 verse 28, the disciples asked what we must do to perform the works of God. Do you remember Jesus' answer? Turn in your Bibles there. John chapter 6 verse 28. It's an important question. Are we not disciples of the living God? Are we not all to be asking that same question? Certainly. Jesus said this is the work of God that you believe in him whom he sent.

That's what it looks like. It's not Jesus plus something. I encourage you all to get that burned in your mind and in your heart through the Holy Spirit because in the days that we are living, we are going to have that attacked more and more. This is the work of God that you believe in him whom he sent.

Further down in that same passage, look at verse 40. What does Jesus say? And this is the will of him who sent me. Who's he talking about? God the Father, right? That everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have everlasting life. Thank you, Jesus. And he gives us a promise here. He says, in the last days, I will raise him up. Right? He says in the last day I'm going to raise him up. That's a promise, that's prophecy, that's prophetic. That's going to happen for you and I.

Don't you love the promises of Christ? Over 1,300 of them as we study them through scripture. These promises because he doesn't want us to have failing hearts. He says in the days that we're living and we're already seeing it, anxiety, up to 60 or 70 percent of every single human being alive today is facing some form of anxiety and/or depression today.

What is he telling us? He's saying in the last days that our hearts would begin to fail because we're going to be looking at what's happening around us. And with the natural eye, with the human eye, what else would you become? It would be a natural response. Even us as believers in Christ, we too go through that sometimes, don't we? We have moments of anxiety, we have moments of depression. That doesn't make you not normal.

I have people that come in and see me sometimes and they say, Pastor, I'm having these thoughts, these things are happening, am I not a true believer? Is there something wrong with my walk? Well, I can't answer all of that for you, but do you love Jesus Christ with your heart, mind, soul and all of your strength? You do? Are you in sin? No, you've repented, you're not living in a sinful way, you're not shacking up, you're not turning around and engaging in fornication, you're not engaged in sexual immorality and behavior that way. No, okay.

Well, how about this? How about we look at what Jesus said? And he said that in not only Matthew chapter 6, that if it's some of the things we're holding on to, the cares of this world—that word by the way translated in the Greek is anxieties. That's actually what it means, anxieties, those cares. He used that term, that care means anxiety. He's saying if you're doing this.

Now somebody I just met this morning said they worked in the circus or they were in the carnival. So they turned around and they said that's what they did. And immediately I think of carnival, the good times, they're fun, but I think of juggling sometimes, but that's not what God wanted us to do. He didn't want us to turn around and take the balls of life and the cares and just start trying to because guess what happens?

You ever seen somebody juggle? They're good at it, right? They keep going. Two hours later, how you doing? What am I doing there? My arms they grow weak, I grow tired, my strength begins to fail. What did Jesus say would happen? It's when our strength begins to fail that we experience some of that anxiety. But he told us he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. And when your eyes are on me and you get your heart and your mind renewed, he says I give you enough strength for the day. My mercies are made new every morning. I love that. Thank you, Jesus.

Guest (Male): We’re making our way through Romans one verse at a time here on His Perfect Love with Pastor Matt VanderVen. You can hear this study again at hisperfectlove.org. That’s hisperfectlove.org. We’re also at oneplace.com and look for us wherever you get your podcasts. We also have a mobile app. You know, this is a great way to take Pastor Matt’s teachings with you at the gym, at the coffee, on your way to work, or as you’re getting ready in the morning. You can learn more about the mobile app and start your download when you visit our website hisperfectlove.org.

And thank you for your prayers and financial support. You can make a donation to this ministry and send us your prayer requests through the website, again at hisperfectlove.org. Those of you that are in the Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania area or will be visiting the area, we want to invite you to join us for a worship service here at Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore. Sunday morning services begin at 8:30 and 10:30. We have a midweek service on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM. We’re located at 28 North Locust Point Road in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Go to ccharrisburg.org for more information.

Are you looking for a Christian school that offers a quality education and a nurturing environment for your children? If so, you might be interested in Calvary Chapel Christian Academy, a ministry of Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore. Calvary Chapel Christian Academy is a non-denominational Christian school that serves students from kindergarten to 12th grade.

The academy’s mission is to provide a Christ-centered education that equips students to love God, love others, and serve the world. The academy offers a rigorous academic curriculum, a variety of extracurricular activities, and a caring and supportive staff. The academy is located at 28 North Locust Point Road in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit our website at ccharrisburg.org/academy. That’s ccharrisburg.org/academy.

There is much more to come in Romans. Don’t miss a moment of the journey with Pastor Matt here on His Perfect Love. His Perfect Love is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore. 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. This is what real love looks like in true faith. This is his perfect love.