Sunday, July 28, 2019

190728 God’s Messengers (2)


Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Angels are the only moral, highly intelligent creatures, aside from man, that God created. Since the angels were not made in God’s image they are, in the order of things, lower than mankind. Several times the Bible tells us that we were made in God’s image. Nowhere is the same thing said about angels.
All of the angels must have been created by the end of the sixth day. I believe that is indicated in Genesis 2:1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” It is further strengthened by the words in the fourth commandment (the Sabbath commandment) found in Exodus 20:11 “in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them.” However, we only have hints in the Scripture. We must trust God to give us the information we need. One thing we know, angels apparently have great power. The psalmist described them as “mighty ones who do his word” (Psalm 103:20). Let’s look into some of that might and how it relates to us.
It seems fair to conclude that we are more like God than the angels, or any other created being. Out of all of God’s creation only…
The man was made in God’s image. Let’s look at Genesis 1:26. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
In the image of God includes a likeness to God. “Likeness” refers to something that is similar but not identical. We are not gods but we are made to be like him. That sense of likeness qualifies mankind to rule over the creation. When Christ returns and order is reestablished men will be given the authority to rule.
We should not think that our physical bodies imply that God has a body. In the words of Jesus, to the Samaritan woman, God is Spirit.
Our bodies allow abilities that reflect our God-likeness. We have eyes giving us the ability to see. Seeing is a godlike quality. He sees far more than we ever will but he does not do it with physical eyes as we do. We have ears to hear with and God hears. We have the ability to speak and we serve a God who speaks. Now, all of our abilities that reflect God-likeness are shared by the angels. Angels see, hear and speak. They travel from place to place just as we do. Even though we are higher than the angels in the cosmic pecking order…
We are temporarily lower than the angels. As is stated in Hebrews 2:7. You made him (mankind) for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor,
God put mankind on earth to subdue it and rule over it. Not as owners but as servants of the true owner who is God himself. Mankind was designed to share in Christ’s authority over the universe. In the eyes of God, we are already seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). But, while we are on this earth we are lower than the angels in ability and power.
God created the universe to show his glory. He did not have to create, he did not need more glory. God desired to create the universe to demonstrate his excellence. When he created man in his own image he declared that the entire creation was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). God’s creative activity is reflected in the delight people have in their creative abilities. Our creative ability comes from God. People take delight in many activities that reflect God’s character. All kinds of activity: cooking a nice meal, decorating our house or space, working with wood or other materials reflect, in a small way, God’s delight in creation.
We are not at our top form because sin broke our fellowship with God. The angels that serve God have an unbroken relationship. There are angels who sinned in rebellion against God but right now we are only considering those who remained obedient to him.
We are ultimately to rule the universe alongside our God and do not now fully reflect the image of God. And, for the time being, we are a little lower than the angels as our Lord Jesus Christ was while he was on earth. In the coming age…
We will judge the angels. Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 6:3a. Do you not know that we are to judge angels?
Scripture does not tell us all we want to know. It could well be that judging the angels includes some kind of authority over the angelic world. In this passage, Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to judge issues between themselves rather than going to the world’s court system. He is not just talking about our ruling angels he also has said: “the saints will judge the world”.
This could mean that we will observe the judgment by Christ. This kind of judgment involves the ability to evaluate and discern issues. In Revelation 20:4 there is a reference to “thrones and seated on them are those to whom judgment was committed”. We don’t know all that this includes but we can be comfortable with the idea that we are somehow involved in the final ruling of the universe. Part of that authority coming down from Christ to us is the ability to judge the angels.
It has occurred to me that the angels are committed to training us for a good reason. Since we are going to judge them the…
Angels serve us now. Let’s look at Hebrews 1:14. Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
When our salvation is complete we will be exalted above the angels. I’m sure this is something they are well aware of. If you were a servant I am sure you would want the opportunity to guide and train your future master. We see in this the fact that God has a plan that integrates the spiritual world with the physical world. Angels — coming and going from the physical world — will be permanently visible in the world to come. When John saw the vision that we call “Revelation” he saw the throne in heaven and heard the voice of many angels. Those good angels number “myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands” (Revelation 5:11). At the same time, the number of redeemed mankind will also be innumerable.
All of my life I have heard preachers and teachers talking about how few there will be who are saved. They do this by referring to the narrow gate that leads to heaven. It’s true, Jesus spoke of such a narrow path and also the very wide path that leads to hell. Jesus gave John a different story! He saw “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9). We must remember that the book of Revelation is properly entitled “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1).
The writer of Hebrews heard a trumpet and the words you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering” (Hebrews 12:22). Again we see the number of angels described as innumerable — without number! And these are only the angels that did not rebel against God. Before we judge the rebels too severely we need to remember that all of mankind rebelled and all of mankind inherited the sin of rebellion. There is a major difference between what happened to mankind and what happened to the angels who sinned. When Adam sinned God the Father Himself provided a sacrifice that was a symbol of the sacrifice of God’s only Son on the cross. Some of the angels sinned and were cast out of heaven along with Satan their leader. God decided to redeem none of them.
In Adam, all mankind sinned. God could have let all of us go on our self-centered path to destruction. And God chose to let mankind follow the path of the sending angels he would’ve been perfectly just. If on the other hand, God had chosen to redeem five people out of all who lived he would have been perfectly just. If God decided to save 100 he would have been perfectly just. Instead, God has decided to redeem out of sinful mankind a great multitude. This is grace, mercy, and love beyond our understanding. We often see people dealing with very difficult circumstances and hear them say, “I don’t deserve this!”. No, we do not disserve to be redeemed. What we deserve is to die and go to hell. But somehow rather than leaving us in the same predicament as the fallen angels God has chosen to save many — beyond number!
 The offspring of Adam and Eve may be saved by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The truth is…
When Satan rebelled against God taking a large number of angels with him condemned them to hell. There is no indication anywhere in Scripture that any of the angels who sinned could be born again. They have no hope. They were created as servants of God. They rebelled along with Satan. They sinned. They cannot be redeemed.
Praise God, humans, people like you and I can have our sin debt paid. While the angels are being kept in pits of darkness mankind can be released from sin. We were created to glorify God.
It is possible for angels to involve themselves in human activity. The godly angels will do everything they possibly can to help us live a godly life. The evil angels will do everything they possibly can to hinder our spiritual growth and prevent us from bringing glory to God.
Sometime after the sixth day of creation, a part of the angels sinned and rebelled against God. After that Satan, who is their leader tempted Eve and then Adam into rebellion. Angels can influence our lives but only Jesus can provide salvation. Have you trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If not, I encourage you to do so today!

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton, Ill, Standard Bible Society.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

190721 God’s Messengers


Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Angels have not always existed. Apparently, they were created by God sometime after he created the universe and before Adam and Eve sinned. Angels, again I say apparently, have the ability to make moral decisions. The Bible tells us many things about angels but, for my curiosity, the Bible does not tell us enough. We can rest on the idea that God shared with us all we need to know about angels. Over the next couple sermons — maybe more — we will examine these wonderful creatures.
Paul tells us that God created all things through Christ and for him. He then specifically adds the angelic world. I will explain more in just a moment. We do not know how many angels there are since we are told that the angels who did not rebel against God still represent a worshiping heavenly congregation, “numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands.” (Revelation 5:11) This appears to be an uncountable number. These many billions of creatures have many names. Let’s look at some of those beginning with Psalm 89:5 & 7; Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! … And our God is7 a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him?
Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Daniel 4:13 I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven., And 17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men. & Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
In Psalm 89 we have “the assembly of the holy ones” and “the Council of the holy ones”.
Hebrews speaks of “the ministering spirits” that are sent to serve those who are to inherit salvation!
Daniel saw a vision in which a “watcher” who is holy came down. The watchers are sent to establish the fact that God moves over the kingdom of men.
Then, in Colossians, the heavenly beings are “thrones,” “dominions,” “principalities,” and “authorities”.
Among these various creatures, there is the appearance of rank and order! Let’s look at an example. After the death of Moses Joshua has taken command of the hosts of Israel. He is preparing to conquer the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The term “angel” is not used in this passage but this “man” is clearly a ruling angel. No doubt he had…
Rank. Let’s look at Joshua 5:13-15 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
When Joshua sees this mighty warrior he wants to immediately know whose side he will be on in the coming battles.
I am reminded of a story told about President Abraham Lincoln. The president was asked if God was on the side of the Union army. His response is a classic: “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”
The angel responded to Joshua, “No; but I am the commander of the Army of the Lord. Indicating that the angel was there to carry out the Lord’s commands not the plans of man. I believe this angel “the commander the Lord’s army” was Michael the Archangel. There is an indication that Gabriel was also an archangel. Let’s read on and see.
In Revelation 12:7-8 we have the commander of the Lord’s army identified.
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. Clearly, Michael is the commander of the Lord’s army. He led the angelic host that remained loyal to God and defeated the rebels in heaven. No, I don’t fully understand all of these things! But I do believe them. Anything found in God’s word is true. It may be hard to understand but when we need it, if we believe it, we will understand it!
Let’s move on to a New Testament example. Zachariah, an elderly priest was ministering in the temple. He was confronted by an angel of the Lord standing by the altar of incense. This would’ve been very disturbing because no one except the priest that was serving that day was allowed into the holy place of the temple. Zachariah was disturbed and afraid. The angel told him that his wife, Elizabeth, would bear a son. Zack’s first response was “How shall I know this?  I am an old man, my wife is advanced in years.” Notice, he does not call her an old woman! You men out there take warning. Find the answer in… Luke 1:19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.” Here, and in Daniel, we find this name “Gabriel” identified as one who delivers a message from God. It is often assumed that this angel will be the one who blows the trumpet to announce the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. We know for sure that Gabriel came twice in connection to the first coming of Christ. First, he told about the coming of John the Baptist. Second, he came to tell Mary about Jesus’ conception and birth. That announcement is found in Luke 1:26-27 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
Gabriel came to Nazareth to inform Mary that she would bear a child conceived by the Holy Spirit. He did not simply tell her she would have a son and depart the scene. This angel informed her of all that was about to happen. Many things were not clear to her, however, her final response was, “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
Gabriel had traveled to Jerusalem to speak to Zachariah several months later the same angel came to Nazareth to speak to Mary. We recognize that angels are not gods who can be everywhere present. They are limited in space and time.
Daniel gives us a similar picture with more detail. Daniel had been in prayer. He had fasted and spent his time seeking to know what the visions meant that he had been seeing. He spent 21 days in this prayer vigil. God dispatched an angel on the very first day to give him a report. When the angel appeared to Daniel and some other men only to frighten them away and cause him to fall on his face in deep sleep. The angel touched him and set him on his hands and knees. Then he said these words teaching us that…
Angels are limited in space and time. Let’s look at Daniel 10:12-14. Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.
When Gabriel was given a message for Zachariah and Elizabeth he had to travel to Jerusalem. When he had to deliver a message to Mary he had to travel to Nazareth. In Daniel’s account, the travel appears to have been in a spiritual dimension. An angel was sent to report to Daniel what the vision meant. When he started out a being who is identified as, “the prince of the kingdom of Persia” opposed him for three weeks.
In order to defeat this prince, Michael the commander of the Lord’s army was dispatched to clear the way for the message to come to Daniel. Even though the angels are spiritual beings they are limited time and space. No man can know how many angels were created in the beginning. We only know that the biblical account tells us…
They are beyond number. Let’s look at Hebrews 12:22-24. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
We have seen the term “myriads and myriads” is used to describe the host of the angels. Here, in Hebrews, we are told that we have come to the city of the living God and to innumerable angels! It should be very encouraging to us that they are beyond number because…
They protect people. Let’s look at a few passages that will help us. First, we see the words quoted by Satan in the temptations of Jesus originally written in Psalm 91:11-12. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. Clearly, Satan understood this to refer to the Messiah. So, if he is right, we might need other references. So let’s turn to Matt 18:10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. Here Jesus tells us that children have angels that see the face of the Father. Now we don’t know if these angels are individually assigned in a man on man defense or if they are simply part of a large number playing zone.
In Acts 27:23-26 we find Paul in a ship in a storm. He is on his way to Rome with this passage being paid for by the Roman government. He must’ve been discouraged because God saw it necessary to send him words of encouragement. Paul spoke to all those who were with him to give them encouragement. He said, For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.
Praise God! The evidence tells us that these spirit beings called angels are our protectors. I get the idea that the angels do not clearly understand us. We will explore more about the biblical teaching concerning angels next week.
All of the Angels must have been created by the end of the sixth day. I believe that is indicated in Genesis 2:1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” It is further strengthened by the words in the fourth commandment (the Sabbath commandment) found in Exodus 20:11 “in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them.” However, we only have hints in the Scripture. We must trust God to give us the information we need. Sometime after the sixth day of creation, a part of the Angels sinned and rebelled against God. After that Satan, who is their leader tempted Eve and then Adam into rebellion. Angels can influence our lives but only Jesus and provide salvation. Have you trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If not, I encourage you to do so today!
All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton, Ill, Standard Bible Society.