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For the next several weeks we will look at
some things unseen…the spirit world around us. There is much confusion on
this subject and we will lay to rest some myths, and more importantly, learn
some incredible truths that will change the way we view the world around us,
and how we live.
We should never
underestimate the ministry of angels.
They have a job to do in our lives, and in this world.
Ill.—my testimony of being saved from a
certain motorcycle wreck.
The world is not too interested in Bible
doctrine. But in the last few years there is a subject that has the world’s
attention: angels.
Hollywood / Oprah / Montel / TV and movies /
‘Angel Wars’ DVD’s /
personal accounts…
It’s hard to argue w/ a person’s experience.
If it doesn’t disagree w/ scripture, then it’s possible.
Ill.—a few years ago we lived near a lake
where a dad and his young son were fishing one night. Somehow they capsized
and weren’t known to be missing for several hours. Both were presumed to
have drowned, but as they were dragging that area of the lake they found the
boy sitting on a large stump sticking up out of the water. He told how he
saw his dad go under and how he thought he would drown, too. He couldn’t
see where their boat was, and he couldn’t tread water long. The water
patrolman who found him asked him how he found and climbed upon the stump.
He said, “a man in another boat picked me up and set me on the stump, then
left.”
The world may not want to hear much about
Jesus, but angels interest them!
It’s a sensational topic. But for
Christians, it’s much more than a novelty. It’s Bible truth that they exist
and are active!
4 reasons why the world
is enamored with angels:
·Spirit of
hopelessness—people are looking
for answers and for something to fill their empty spirit.
·Spirit of
selfishness—Christians are
called to be servants, but our society would rather be served than to
serve. Angels are ministering spirits / servants, and people want to know
what the angels can do for them.
·Spirit of
the NewAge—our society
is being conditioned for the end times. The world will accept the
supernatural during the tribulation. The antichrist gains power on a
platform of signs and wonders.
·Spirit of
curiosity—we’re all curious about the unknown.
Questions
people have about angels:
What do angels look
like? Are they female? Do we have guardian angels? How many angels are
there? What is an archangel? Is it possible to see an angel? Do I pray to
angels? What about demons, are they real? How are they different? Will I
someday be an angel?
This series will answer these questions and
many more.
The world is interested in angels for all the
wrong reasons, but we have good reason to be interested. There’s way too
much about this in scripture to ignore it.
Some may ask if I’ve ever seen an angel…well,
just one…my wife! J
Jesus believed in angels, and referred to
them many times. The apostle Paul did the same.
As far as I know for fact, I’ve never seen
one, but the Bible indicates that I probably have and don’t know it. I may
have even been “touched by an angel!”
Hebrews 13:2
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Ill.—‘vagrant’ in Savannah who came to the
house that was offices for me and the youth pastor. He asked for a “cup of
cool water”…that’s all he wanted, which was strange. Usually it’s money or
a ride, etc. He walked out and I watched out the window as he headed down
the very middle of the street. It was a big wide area. I turned to my
buddy who was the youth pastor and told him to look at the guy…he came over
and I pointed but the guy was gone. I don’t see how he could have gotten
away so quickly. My friend said, “good thing you were dressed or I’d say
you had entertained an angel in your underwear!”
[Who knows? Perhaps he was!]
Angels are mentioned over 250 times in
scripture.
1.The word “angel” literally means messenger
2.Angels are
created spirit beings. God
created them as spirits before the foundation of the world was ever laid,
and before there was time.
Psalm 148:1-5
Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord
from the heavens: praise him in the heights. [2] Praise ye him, all his
angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. [3] Praise ye him, sun and moon:
praise him, all ye stars of light. [4] Praise him, ye heavens of heavens,
and ye waters that be above the heavens. [5] Let them praise the name of the
Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.
3. Angels are not
eternal beings. They have not
always existed. They may always continue to exist, but they had a beginning
which God did not.
Job 38:1-7
Then the Lord answered Job out of the
whirlwind, and said, [2] Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without
knowledge? [3] Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee,
and answer thou me. [4] Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the
earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. [5] Who hath laid the measures
thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? [6]
Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone
thereof; [7] When the morning stars sang together, and all the
sons of God shouted for joy?
v. 7 has 2 ref. to angels.
Why were angels created?
Col. 1:16-18
For by him were all things created, that
are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created
by him, and for him: [17] And he is before all things, and by him all things
consist. [18] And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the
preeminence.
They were created for the same reason we were
created…to bring glory to God!
4. Angels are NOT
glorified humanbeings.
When someone dies there’s usually somebody who says, “God needed another
angel in that heavenly choir!” I don’t want to burst your bubble, but
that’s simply not true. Humans don’t become angels when they die…even if
their name is “Clarence” [It’s a Wonderful Life—he’s still trying to earn
his wings after 200 years]
Inspirations southern gospel song:
“A golden street to walk upon, a bell I’m
gonna ring,
A brand new angel in the choir, I’m gonna
hear her sing”
It’s a sweet thought, and a cute song, but
it’s not scriptural.
Psalm 8:4-5
What is man, that thou art mindful of
him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? [5] For thou hast made him
a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
The Bible also says that Christ, when He came
to earth, was made lower than the angels. He did this in order to redeem
mankind and elevate him to a higher level than angels. The Bible says that
someday believers will judge angels! [Likely fallen angels].
Hebrews 2:9
But we see Jesus, who was made a little
lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and
honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Hebrews 2:16
For verily he took not on him the nature
of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
There are times in the OT when Jesus took on
the form of “the angel of the Lord”, and here God clarifies that Jesus came
differently in the NT.
One last verse, and this is a key verse for
this series:
Ephes. 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
These are fallen angels. But this verse
shows they are not flesh and blood.
5. Angels are
invisible spirit beings
Hebrews 1:14
Are they not all ministering spirits,
sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
They are spirits. They occasionally reveal
themselves in a human-like form for a specific purpose, but this is not
typical…and they certainly don’t need a body or host in order to exist.
A picture is worth 1,000 words, so here’s an
OT picture for you:
2 Kings 6:8-12
Then the king of Syria warred against
Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place
shall be my camp. [9] And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel,
saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are
come down. [10] And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of
God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
[11] Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this
thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me
which of us is for the king of Israel? [12] And one of his servants said,
None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth
the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
Did you get that? They believe God is
somehow letting Elisha know their battle plans.
2 Kings 6:13-16
And he said, Go and spy where he is, that
I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in
Dothan. [14] Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great
host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. [15] And when
the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an
host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said
unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? [16] And he answered, Fear not:
for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
They figure out that Elisha is in the city of
Dothan [not Alabama!].
Elisha’s servant wakes up one morning, yawns and scratches, and heads to the
front porch to get the paper. He looks up and “aaaaaahh!” There in front
of him is the Syrian army! He runs to Elisha: “boss, we’re in
trouble!”
Joke: Lone Ranger said to Tonto, “the
Indians are coming, they’re getting closer, they’re gonna kill us…WE’RE in
trouble.” Tonto replies, “WE, white man?”
And Elisha looks out and says, no problem,
there’s more of us than of them! The servant has got to be wondering, “is
this that ‘new math’…let’s see, 1, 2 of us, and look at them!
2 Kings 6:17
And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray
thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the
young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and
chariots of fire round about Elisha.
2 Kings 6:18
And when they came down to him, Elisha
prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with
blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
These were angels…the army of God!
Though we cannot see them,
angels are hereamong us.
There may not be as many empty seats in here as you think.
Don’t miss the rest of this series…the best
is yet to come!
A Biblical Description
of Angels
We should never underestimate the
m______________ of angels
4 reasons why the world is enamored with
angels:
·Spirit of
h______________________
·Spirit of
s____________________
·Spirit of the N____A____
·Spirit of
c________________
Questions about angels:
What do angels look like? Do we have
guardian angels? How many angels are there? What is an archangel?
Is it possible to see an angel? Do I pray to angels? What about demons,
are they real? How are they different? Will I someday be an angel?
1.The word “angel” literally means m________________
2.Angels are created s__________ beingsPsalm 148:1-5
3.Angels are not e____________ beingsJob 38:1-7, Col.
1:16-18
4. Angels are NOT glorified h________b__________Psalm 8:4-5,
Heb. 2:9; 2:16, Ephes.
6:12
5. Angels are i________________
spirit beingsHebrews 1:14,
2 Kings 6:8-12; 6:13-16; 6:17;
6:18
Angels are h______
a________ us
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