As has already been mentioned, we have a wonderful crowd and we
have quite a few folks that are visiting with us for which we
are thankful. And as already been stated that,
you are honored guests, and please come back every
opportunity that you can be with us, we'd love to have you, as
always is the case, I do consider it an honor to speak
concerning the word of God. And I hope that what we have to
consider will be helpful to you edifying, to you, and also
encouraging to you. In some way, as you do, your
very best to live the Christian Life.
As you can see, on the screen, the title of our lesson is
angels, as ministering Spirits. I got to give you a little
background here about 30 years ago.
A very good friend of ours asked me to teach them the subject of
angels, And being young. I said, absolutely sure.
I'll have it done by next week and I looked over all the
information. I looked in the Bible, I started
to study it and I thought, you know what, this subject is a
little bigger than I am. In fact, I couldn't find the
information that I was wanting to find to draw conclusions.
About angels, for example, are they doing things for us in our
life? Or are they not I remember a
couple of years later, when I decided that I wanted to preach
full-time and hold gospel meetings, and I wanted to build
a library for my personal study, and I remember brother Johnny
Elmore was helping me do that, and he was recommending books
and helping me find certain books.
And I sent him an email and I said, hey Johnny, what do you
got on Angels? He responded with two words, not
much. And I thought, well, I'll just
shelf it again. But, very recently, last month,
I talked on who our enemy, isn't that Satan?
And I talked about some of the bad Angels, the wicked angels.
And I talked about Satan and his angels.
So, I thought after that, you know what, maybe we had a talk
about some good angels to, they do exist and they do something.
Well, first of all, I want to begin in my introductory
comments to Matthew chapter 22 and verse 30.
There are two passages that I've used as foundational passages
for this lesson. The first One is Matthew 22 and
verse 30 and just a little background leading up to that in
Matthew chapter 22. You remember that the Sadducees
were coming to Jesus and they were trying to stump Jesus
because they didn't believe in the resurrection.
So they come up with really a ridiculous illustration thinking
that they're going to prove Jesus wrong.
They come to Jesus and they said, you know, Moses taught,
then if a man is married to a woman and he dies before she
could have children. Bear children in his name, then
the brother would come and the brother would marry the woman
and they would have children. And they would bring children
into the world for his brother. So this is what he said.
He's this Sadducees says, well, there was a guy he had stir
Seven Brothers. All 71 is married to the woman,
he dies. No, children the second one,
marries the woman. He dies.
No. Children the third one.
Marries the woman. No dyes and no children.
Seven Brothers. Married this This one woman and
then it says at the end. Oh and then she died.
And they asked Jesus, the question, who is she going to be
married to in the resurrection? And Jesus says, you don't know
what you're talking about, you are mistaken, you don't know the
scriptures and then he said this For in the resurrection they
neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels
of God in heaven. That phrase right there that in
the resurrection. One day, when we go to heaven,
the saved somehow some way we're not going to be married.
Like we were in this life physically when I going to have
physical relationships that we had here at this life.
In fact, what we're going to be like, we're going to be like the
angels of God in heaven. So I thought if we're going to
be like the angels of God in heaven, just maybe we ought to
know a little bit more about those angels of God in heaven.
Another pass. It Hebrews chapter 11 verses 13
and 14. But to you, which are angels.
Has he ever said, Sit on my right hand until I make your
enemies your footstool, are they not all ministering Spirits sent
forth to minister for those? Who will inherit salvation more
on that passage as we move along in our lesson.
So these were the foundational passages that I decided to go
ahead and write this sermon and teach it today on Angels.
First of all, the work angel Literally means messenger and
interestingly, the word Angel is found 300 times in the Bible.
But the strange thing is perhaps 300 times.
The word is used and yet there's so little information about
them. Now why would that be?
First of all, I don't know why God did anything.
Only God Knows Why God did anything, only God knows that he
revealed in his word, what he wants us to know and for some
reason he didn't give a whole lot of information in the Bible
about angels. So I'm speculating now and by
the way this is the only comment I'm going to make in this
lesson. That is speculation.
The only one hears me speculating, so it's free.
So, for whatever it's worth, could it not be?
That God, didn't give more information about angels,
because if he did, just perhaps people would be inclined to
worship Angels. Maybe that's the case.
I don't know. Angels are not objects to be
worshipped. Angels are creatures of worship
and in this lesson I'm going to do my very best.
Like I said not to speculate regarding the work of angels.
We want to do one thing. We want to stick to the
scriptures and what we know for sure.
Let's begin with talking about what we know for sure.
Number one angels are created beings in Nehemiah 9:6.
You alone are the Lord. You have made Heaven, the heaven
of Heavens with all their host, the Earth and everything on it.
The Seas and all that is in them and you preserve them all the
host of Heaven, worships you, the Apostle Paul wrote this in
Colossians chapter 1 and verse 16.
He said, for by him, all things were created that are in heaven.
And that are on On Earth, visible and invisible, whether
Thrones, or dominions, or principalities or Powers.
All things were created through him.
And for him, angels are created beings and they are part of
God's, please get this. There are part of God's
invisible creation. All right.
How many ever wondered? How many?
How many angels do you remember when Jesus made the statement?
When Jesus was going to go to the cross and they were going to
take Jesus and arrest Jesus. Jesus tries to explain to them
his disciples. He said, if my kingdom were of
this world, my servants would fight Jesus could have called
down as the Bible says, twelve Legions of angels, right?
And could have stopped the whole thing.
Makes you want to serve him even more.
What about those beautiful songs we sung today about Jesus?
That's because Jesus willingly and willfully submitted to what
God wanted him to be. And that is his lamb to be
sacrificed for the sins of the world.
Now, how many? Well, the Bible talks about
innumerable in, Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 22.
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the Living.
God, the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of
Angels, in other words, too many to be counted.
I like what John the Revelator said, when he saw this Vision in
heaven, in Revelation, chapter 5 and verse 11.
Notice, then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels
around the throne, the living creatures and the elders.
And the number of them was Ten Thousand Times.
Ten Thousand and thousands of thousands how many's that will
10,000 times 10,000 is 100 million.
So we're starting at 100 million then he says this and thousands
of thousands innumerable have no idea what that number is too
great to even count. Little point of Interest.
We might say though. Remember last time we talked
about Satan and his angels, remember that one passes?
We talked about Satan And a third of the hosts of Heaven
were cast out. Now, John saw this Vision after
they were cast out obviously. And yet he said there was ten
Thousand Times Ten Thousand and thousands of thousands still
remaining. If we go back and we figure
Satan in the third of the host of Heaven that were created in
an innumerable host, right? That's a whole lot of angels.
Satan's got an army folks. We need to know who he is the
enemy and he's got an army. He will not have any control
over you, that you will not allow, but understand, don't
don't dabble in his world. He's alive and well, don't
dabble in his world. What else do we know about
angels? We know that there are classes
or ranks or names of Angels. The highest ranking angel that
we can read about in the scriptures is the Archangel.
And obviously we already mentioned that the word, angel
means messenger. So, Archangel means Superior to
that, it means Chief messenger and Archangel is only found two.
In all the Bible, it's found in the New Testament, not found in
the Old Testament at all in 1st Thessalonians 4:16 for the Lord
himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of
an archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in
Christ will rise. First, in our conclusion, at the
end of our lesson, we're going to talk about the Angels at the
end and we'll get back to this passage.
The other place that the word Archangel is found is in the
book of Jude and is Jude verse 9 and their hits given a name yet,
Michael the Archangel in contending with the devil.
When he disputed about the body of Moses dared, not bring
against him a reviling accusation, but said, the Lord
rebuke you. That's the Archangel, there's
another order of angels 2 and that is called the seraphin.
And seraphim's our attendance around the throne they are ready
to obey. God.
In fact they are creatures that do three, these three things
They honor worship and serve God.
You remember when I said we're going to be like the angels of
God in heaven. Sometimes people think that
heaven is going to be a place where you get to do, whatever
you want to do in this life, what have you loved and you get
to do it forever in eternity. But Heaven is a spiritual place.
It is a spiritual place. We will be Spiritual Beings like
the angels of God in heaven and whatever we're going to look
like. When everybody were going to
have its going to be like Christ.
That's what the Bible says. Spiritual place.
Let me tell you what we're going to do in heaven.
We're going to honor worship and serve God around the throne for
eternity. That's what heaven is going to
be like, oh, it's a place of rest, it's a place of reward.
Our Labor's are gone, are the memories of bad.
Things are removed forever. Every tear that is in the eye is
taken away, they'll be no night. There are wonderful things in
heaven, but let me just tell you this folks.
We're going to be there for a purpose to honor worship and
serve God forever. Like the angels of heaven.
I love this passage and Isaiah chapter 6.
Beginning in verse 1, In the year that King Uzziah died, I
saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up and his train
of his robe. Filled the temple that shows the
magnificence of God, the greatness glory and magnificence
of God above it, stood seraphim, each one had six wings to
covered his face to covered his feet and to he used to fly and
one cried to another saying. Holy holy, holy is the Lord of
hosts. The whole The whole earth is
full of his glory. Six Wing characters are the
seraphim. Two Wings covered their eyes.
That's a sign of humility to Wings covered their feet.
That's a sign of respect and to, they used to fly.
Ready to worship honor and serve God around the throne?
What else we also read about another kind of Angel and that's
called a, cherubim they are the ones that guard sacred things.
Do you remember? in Genesis chapter 3, in Genesis
chapter 3, When man had sinned and was cast out of the garden.
Remember what the head in the garden?
That had the Tree of Life? And they could have the tree of
life and live forever. And that was given to them
before sin entered the world. When man, sinned and fell, he
was cast out of the garden. And in Genesis chapter 3 and
verse 24. So he drove out the man and he
placed cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden and a flaming
sword to which every way turned, every way to guard the way of
the Tree of Life. Now, obviously, God took away
the Tree of Life as a consequence, and as a punishment
for their sin. Surely, that's the obvious
thing. But can't you see the mercy in
it, too? Think about it this way if God
would have not taken away the tree of life and placed a guard
cherubim at it to keep it from man.
If man could have got to the tree of life, after he sinned,
guess what man is and in mortal sin or with no chance, Great
Mercy. It was taken away.
So guess what man can die and have a shot to go to heaven.
Oh, the beauty of what God always does.
His Mercy was shown in that great Act.
Cherubim are those that guard sacred.
Thanks, there's another example to in Exodus chapter 25.
In the Tabernacle, in the holy of holies the instructions,
given to build the ark, the instructions, given with The
Mercy Seat in the holy of holies the picture of Heaven, the place
where God was where sacrifice was made at The Mercy Seat,
notice what happened with cherubim there, and you shall
make two cherubim of gold of hammered work.
You shall make them at two ends of The Mercy Seat.
Make one cherub at one end and the other chair, but the other
end you shall I'll make the cherubim at the two ends of it.
One piece with mercy seat and the cherubim shalt stretch
forth, their wings above covering the mercy seat with
their wings, they shall face one another, the faces of the
cherubim shall be toward The Mercy Seat guarding, sacred
things. Are the chair been in summary so
far? Archangel Chief messenger we're
going to hear from the Archangel also one day.
The seraphim attendance around the throne ready to serve and
obey God and cherubim those that guard sacred things.
Now the Bible calls Angels mighty In fact, refers to them
as God's Mighty Angels. So they are Mighty, but there
are limited, angels are superior to man, but they're inferior to
God, angels are limited. Let's talk about that.
Let me talk about what angels are not number.
One, angels are not omnipotent. Or all-powerful. they're not
only God is Only God is all powerful angels.
Aren't in fact? The Bible says, I think it's in
Revelation 12 and verse 7. It says that the wicked angels
are subject to the righteous Angels.
So if they were omnipotent or all powerful in their nature,
that wouldn't be possible. Only conclusion, we can come up
with is they're not all powerful.
Only God is. What else are angels, not they
are not omnipresent. God is omnipresent you what?
That means. It means to be present
everywhere at the same time, I can't even fathom that In our
minds, our human Minds. How could it being be so great?
Like, God, to be ever-present, to be present everywhere at the
same time? That's not an Angel.
That's God. Angels have to fly, or have to
travel from place to place. Daniel chapter 9 verses 21
through. 23, you know why there are not present everywhere at
the same time, what else are they not?
They're not omniscient. They are not all wise.
Like God is. God is all wives First Peter,
chapter 1 and verse 12. It says that Angels desired to
know God's plan for redeeming Fallen, man.
You know why? They weren't all wise?
I didn't know. So yes, they're Limited.
And yet they're called mighty. Mighty angels.
What else are angels that we know about?
Well, they're creatures of worship.
I mentioned this just touched on this briefly, Wade's been
teaching us from the book of Hebrews. and in Hebrews chapter
1, Jesus is described as being, exalted above the angels, And
here Jesus is better than the Angels, Hebrews 1:6 but when he
again brings the first born into the world.
He says let all the angels of God worship him.
That's Jesus. Revelation chapter 7 verses 11
and 12. All the Angels stood around the
throne, and the elders and the four living creatures and fell
on their faces before the throne and worship God saying, amen,
blessing and glory and wisdom and Thanksgiving, and honour,
and power, and might be to our god forever and ever.
Amen. They are creatures of worship.
What else? They possess emotions.
I want to say something about emotions.
Sometimes in an effort to try to steer, clear of being filled
with emotionalism or making decisions that are based upon
emotion and talking about religious decisions based on
emotion. Sometimes we can go too far in
the opposite direction and take a motion to pletely away.
Our decisions are made logically to the mind as the word of God
is preached to the mind. That's the heart of the Bible.
And when we do that, we understand what the word of God
says, we obey it, but then our emotions kick in and we serve
him with everything. We've got The angels are also.
Creatures of emotion. Luke 15 and 10, likewise I say
to you, there is joy in the presence of angels of God over
one sinner. Who repents?
We had two baptisms recently. And when that happened, when
Roman and Joseph obeyed, the gospel, the angels rejoiced in
heaven, have you ever considered when you rejoice over someone,
perhaps that's been away and they've drifted and they come
back and sometimes with tear filled eyes were so thankful for
that. And we are rejoicing.
We are ever joyed that the Angels he ever stop to consider
the angels are right there with us rejoicing in heaven.
Over the same thing. They possess emotions.
Here's another great thing to, you know, what they do.
It take to save the paradise. I'm going to tell you.
Sometimes death. Can be a scary thought.
Sometimes that is. When Paul talked about death, he
says, for me to live is Christ but to die is gain.
And what he was saying is he was saying that if I die, it's good
for me to go be with the Lord. But to live is better for Jesus
Christ, so I can keep doing the work on, keep preaching the
gospel. Sometimes death seems like a
really scary thing. I've known people that were so
scared to die. I guess that's a normal thing.
We'll look here in Luke 16 and 22 the rich man and Lazarus.
Beggar the beggar died, Lazarus and was carried by the angels to
Abraham's bosom. The guy that was lost.
He was, he died and he was buried.
But to the saved. I'm going to tell you, I don't
know what it's going to be like but when I draw my last breath,
and it's over for me, I find great comfort.
That I won't be afraid. When you cross the chilly Waters
of death, I won't be afraid. Because somebody's going to be
there. It's going to be an angel.
He's going to bring me to Abraham's bosom.
How's he going to do it? It's going to carry me.
Carried to Abraham's bosom. That's What Angels do.
Wonderful thoughts. I do know this about sometimes,
people have they call it near-death experiences and I'm
going to tell you right now. Here's a disclaimer.
I don't know about any of it. I don't know.
I've no explanation. I just don't But when people say
they died crossed over and come back.
Maybe in their mind, they hallucinated.
The mind is very powerful and strong.
How do I know that? How do I know?
I'm just not making stuff up. Because the Bible says, it is
appointed unto man. How many times once to die?
And then the judgment. Once.
I don't doubt that people have experiences.
I'm just saying you die once. The soul leaves the body and the
saved are carried. Abraham's bosom.
All right, I'm going to give you now to less and I'm not gonna
spend much time under it all because I want to get to what we
all really want to know. Okay, I want to get to what we
all want to know what are they doing for us now?
Okay. Works of Angels in the Old
Testament. I'm just going to read this list
of, we're going to move on to our second part and then we're
going to get to what we really want to know.
In the Old Testament. They informed Abraham and Sarah
of the birth of Isaac Genesis 18.
They destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and Genesis 19, they
delivered lot and his daughters Genesis 19, they were seen in
Jacobs dream Genesis 28, they gave Moses the law or get, they
gave Moses the law on Mount Sinai and Paul describes that
event in Galatians chapter 3. And verse 19, they LED Israel to
the land of promise, Exodus 23, They delivered, Shadrach Meshach
and Abednego from the fiery furnace Daniel 3.
And they shut the mouths of lions and save.
Daniel, Daniel 6, here are just some examples of some works of
Angels in the Old Testament. What about Jesus and the service
of angels An angel notified Zacharias of the birth of John.
The Baptist. Luke chapter 1. one told Mary
she would bear Jesus, Luke chapter, 11 appeared to Joseph
concerning Jesus, Matthew chapter 1, Angels preached to
the shepherd's concerning the birth of Jesus.
Luke chapter two angels, strengthened Jesus.
When he was tempted, Matthew 4, Angels guarded, the Tomb of
Jesus and proclaimed, his resurrection Matthew 28, and
finally Angels proclaimed Jesus coming again, in Acts chapter 1,
all of these things are things that we know about that, we've
read about, but really, what we want to know is Are they doing
anything for us today? And if so, what is that?
Well, first of all, I don't want to use descriptive phrases.
You cannot read in the Bible, I'm just going to say that in
advance, okay? So I'm not going to use a term
that everybody has heard because it's not in the Bible and what
the term is. Guardian Angels, can't read
that. So I'm not going to use the
words, guardian angels in this lesson.
Guardian Angels is the concept that one Angel is permanently
assigned. To every person you've probably
seen the bumper sticker. Remember the bumper sticker,
don't drive faster than your angel can fly.
And the concept is this the concept or the idea is everybody
gets a guardian angel assigned to them.
And he's going to protect you, he's going to care for you and
protect you. My question is the what happens
sometimes, when somebody's not protected?
What happens when they get in a car accident and they lose their
life and they were protected. What about that?
Did the angel take a day off? Was he not paying attention?
Guardian angels that phrase is not found in the scriptures.
Now what we can read about is the term we're going to use and
that is the term, ministering spirits.
I'm going to notice two examples of what angels have done as
ministering spirits in the Bible, once found in the Old
Testament and it's the Prophet Elijah First Kings chapter 19,
you remember, the story Ahab, told Jezebel all that Elijah had
done. And then with a sword, he killed
all the prophets. And Jezebel is furious.
And Jezebel sends a messenger to Elijah.
And the message is this may the gods, the idolatrous gods, small
G May the gods do to me and even more.
So to me If I don't have what happened to these prophets
happened to you, Elijah. In other words, you're going to
die. The Bible says that Elijah fled
and he ran for his life. He dropped off a servant over
there in Beersheba. And he went a little farther.
In fact, the Bible calls it a Day's Journey.
And the new King James says he sits down under a broom tree and
he prays to God, that he would die.
I'm going to tell you something, folks, I have been discouraged
in my life. I would imagine.
I'm talking to people that have been discouraged before.
According to the Bible passage here, even a fiery man of God
named. Elijah got discouraged.
But I cannot remember one time. When I was so discouraged, I
wanted to die. Elijah needed some help.
Elijah wanted to die. Elijah was discouraged.
First Kings chapter, 19. Notice what happens.
Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree suddenly an angel
touched him. A ministering spirit and Angel
touched him and said to him, arise innate, then he looked and
thereby his head was a cake baked on coals and a jar of
water. So we ate and drank and lay down
again and the angel of the Lord came back the second time and
touched him and said, arise and eat because the journey is too
great for you. So he arose and ate and drank
and he went in the strength of that full food 40 days and 40
nights as As Horeb, the Mountain of God.
He was discouraged, and ministering Spirit came to him.
Another example of the greatest one that ever lived is Jesus
Remember when Jesus was being tempted of the devil, he had
already been baptized by John. The Baptist in Matthew chapter
4, is being tempted in the wilderness by the devil, member
all that. Jesus says this.
Finally, he says away with you Satan, for it is written, you
shall Worship the Lord, your God and him.
Only You Shall Serve You know, what happened next to Matthew 4
and verse 11. Then the devil left him and
behold Angels, Came and ministered to him.
What else? There was another time to
remember that in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus goes to the
Garden of Gethsemane, and he says, in Matthew chapter 26, and
38, he said, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto
death, stay here and watch with me. interesting at the darkest
time of his life and what he was about to go through Disciples
slept. They slept.
Jesus says, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.
The Bible also says this that his sweat was as it were like
great drops of blood that fell to the ground in agony.
He prays to his father, he said, let this cup pass from me.
Let this cup. He said, father, if it is, your
will take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not my will but
yours be done. Now, remember this, I preached
this a couple years ago in the last week in the life of Jesus
Jesus you might remember this but when Jesus says, let this
cup pass from me, it has to be more than just a cup of
suffering physically. There were many that were
martyred for their faith. Peter by tradition is told that
he was crucified upside down because he refused to be
crucified like Jesus. So he said, crucify me upside
down. Crucifixion was terrible and
awful and painful and I can't even believe I can't even think
about how bad it would have been.
But there's got to be something else.
The cup has to also include God's Divine wrath for sin.
Jesus, despised The Shame of the Cross to.
And When sin was placed on Jesus, he had to Bear the sins
of the world, he was perfect and sinless in, every way, pure in
every way. And now the darkness of sin was
placed on him even so God turned his face and he was alone.
It has to be that too, has to be included in that.
Finally Jesus says, if there's no other way except I drink it,
then your will be done in Luke 23 and 43.
Look at, look what happens. Then an angel appeared to him
from Heaven. Strengthening him.
What does it mean to be strengthened or strengthening
him? It means made him strong within.
That's what that actually means. That phrase means made him
strong Within All right, you might wonder.
I know. I used to think this I used to
wonder this. What could an angel do for
Jesus? That Jesus being deity, couldn't
do for himself. Well, I'm going to tell you
remember this from a DD standpoint.
Nothing Jesus was the son of God on this Earth as our Messiah was
fully Divine, but he was also the son of man, meaning our
Messiah was fully human from a human standpoint in all of the
agony that he's about to undergo, an angel count, came
and made him strong within to endure.
What he was about to endure. So this ministering Spirit gave
Jesus assistance to Bear the awful hours ahead of him.
He made Jesus strong Within These are just two examples of
ministering. Spirits in the Bible, what they
did, So what about today we go back to Hebrews chapter 1.
But to, which of the angels has he ever said, sit on my right
hand until I make your enemies your footstool, are they not all
ministering Spirits sent forth to minister for those who have
salvation. Okay, the words ministering
Spirit indicates the idea that there are angels, please stay
with me, there are angels in the world whose purpose is to carry
out God's Providence in the lives of those, that inherit
salvation action. Those that inherit salvation.
Now who's that? Who are they That's a faithful
Christian. Whatever they're doing.
They're carrying out God's. Providential care.
Aren't what's Providence? What is it?
Providence is the foreseeing care and guidance of God?
Now, I'm going to tell you right now, if you ask me, how God
takes care of his Providence, I'm going to tell you, I don't
know. If you're going to ask me a
question. Was that coincidence or
Providence? I'm going to say, I don't know.
Somebody said, one time it's probably Providence when you
can't determine whether it was a coincidence or Providence.
I like what Joe hisle says, though, coincidence is
Providence incognito. Nothing happens by happenstance
or chance. I just know that God is in
control and I know that he is. Providential care is always
there in, according to his will, I just know that how does he get
it done? Well, according to this, Angels
are doing something to help him do that.
Those that are Heirs of Salvation.
Iums are said, this angels are among the instruments or
agencies, which God uses in his treatment of and care for his
own then thersites this passage. And when Peter had come to
himself, he said, now I know for certain that the Lord has sent
his Angel and has delivered me from the hand of Herod.
And from all the expectation of Of the Jewish people, all right.
God uses them how he does that? I don't know.
I just know that he does, because that's what it said, but
there are two points of clarification of two phrases.
We got to talk about, okay? And that is number one, the
phrase we shall judge. Angels, what does that mean?
I read so much from different commentators on that and it's
interesting. All the varying interpretations
of that. One commentator said, well, what
is talking about is talking about judging Fallen Angels, the
bad, Wicked ones, and gave a whole lot of reasons for that.
Another said, no, it's judging the righteous angels and gave a
whole lot of reasons for that. Well, how's that for a definite,
maybe? What's he actually talking
about? When it says, judge Angels.
Well, let's notice in 1st Corinthians chapter 6 and verse
3. Paul says, do you not know that
we know who's we Christians? We shall judge Angels.
How much more things that pertain to this life, okay?
Here it says that we are going to judge Angels.
If we go back to verse 2, okay? Remember there's a context and
there's a reason Paul wrote what he wrote was talking about going
to the law against of brother. Don't do that first Corinthians
6. Okay, let's go back to verse 2
in verse 2. It says that Saints or
Christians will judge the world. I thought Jesus was going to be
the judge. He is incidentally, Jesus is
your savior now. But when time shall be no more,
he won't be the Savior. He'll be the judge.
Jesus is the judge so you and I that are Christians.
We won't have any part of judging the world in that day.
The Lord will do that. So what's it mean to judge?
The world. It means this.
It means that we judge the world in the sense of warning the
world about coming judgment. This comes from teaching God's
word and also by our righteous example, the life of a
Christian, the word judge in verse two, very important.
It actually means to pronounce an opinion concerning, right and
wrong. That's the judging we're talking
about people. People said don't judge, don't
judge the Bible never said though, judge says judge with
righteous judgment. You know, a Paul saying is Paul
says you that are Christians can judge the World by what by
pronouncing, or by coming up with an opinion of what's right
or wrong. How am I going to know that?
My opinion, no, by the word of God, I can know what's right and
wrong and by my Godly life, my example.
That's how you judge the world. Not that we're going to sit in
Judgment at the end. So that's judging in verse 2.
But to know about judging, in verse 3, about judging angels,
we have to go to another passage.
We have to go to Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 5.
For he has not put the world to come of which we speak in.
Subjection to Angels. Remember when I said that the
Bible describes the angels, as God's Mighty angels, and I said
that they were limited but they're greater than man.
I said there are superior to man, but inferior to God, right?
Okay, what's beautiful, is what the Hebrew writer is saying?
He has not put the world to come?
That's after this life. After the resurrection, that's
in heaven. He has not put the world to come
in, subjection to angels. That means I will not be in
subjection to Angels. and neither will you, if you're
saved and you go to heaven, The judging Angels means this.
Angels will be in subjection to us as we are connected to Jesus
Christ. Remember when we said about, The
innumerable multitude in heaven Before the Throne, and the lamb
and God's going to be there. All that memorable life.
Beautiful point though. Who's going to know the song?
The song of the redeemed, the song of the Lamb.
It's those that are in the body, those that are in Jesus Christ,
those that are in the church, So angels will be in subjection to
us then as we are connected to Jesus Christ.
What else? Okay, here's another one.
What does this mean? Entertaining, Angels on.
Oh, where's All right. I've heard people say my whole
life will you know after all After all, we just don't know.
We may be entertaining an angel unawares.
So I got to do good to everybody, or for everybody, I
got to do that because who knows?
It may be an angel. Is that the point.
Let's notice the passage in Hebrews chapter 13, and verse to
do not forget to entertain strangers.
That's the point for in doing. So notice some is the new King
James have unwittingly entertained, angels, Now, notice
does it say that you may entertain Angels know.
It says some have in the past unwittingly entertained angels.
let me tell you about the some Two examples.
I just gave it to about Abraham. In Genesis Chapter 18 verses 1
through 3. Entertaining Angels unawares.
How about lot in Genesis 19? Verses 1 and 2?
Entertaining Angels unawares. What's the whole point, folks?
The point is not this. It is not.
So that we are extending Hospitality to somebody because
the greatest thing we could possibly do is entertain an
Angel. That's not what that means.
I think it means this, you never know the far reaches of
goodness, that can come from helping somebody else.
You just don't know the example, the act of kindness The work of
a Christian you have no idea. You never know.
Jesus wasn't concerned with hey by the way get ready to
entertain Angel. This is what Jesus said.
Matthew 25 and 40 and the King will answer and say to them
assuredly I say to you in. As much as you did it to one of
the least of these my brethren, you did it unto me.
So we're not to be looking for those that are angels because
all we got to do is talk about what he said.
We have to do it to the least of these, my brethren What else?
The flip side of that verse 45, then he will answer them saying,
assuredly, I say to you in, as much as you did it, not to one
of the least of these, you did it not unto me.
So, We're not going to entertain.
I don't believe. I don't believe that we're going
to entertain a person that's actually an angel.
I don't think that's what he means.
I don't think that's what he said.
What I think it means is this as some unknowingly entertained,
angels. You have no idea that you might
entertain somebody and some great good can come.
And you have no idea how good that might be.
I think that's the context. I think that's the point.
And again, I want to stick to what we can do and not
speculate. All right, in conclusion.
What about the work of Angels in the future?
Well, the Bible says that they're going to return with
Jesus in flaming fire. In 1st Thessalonians 4:16.
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven.
With a shout with a voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet
of God and the dead in Christ will rise.
First at the resurrection somebody's going to shout,
that's the Lord and then it says with the voice of the Archangel
with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
So they're going to be part of the future.
Second Thessalonians, chapter 1, verses 7 and 8 and to give you
who are troubled rest with it with it with us.
When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels, in flaming fire taking Vengeance on those who do not
know God. And on those who do not obey the
gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ, they're going to assist
the Lord in that. And finally, one more passage,
one more passage in Matthew chapter 13.
Beginning at verse 43. The son of man will send out his
angels. And they will gather out of his
kingdom, all things that offend those that practice lawlessness
and will cast them into the furnace of fire, there will be
wailing and gnashing of teeth who's going to do that.
The Lord will send his angels to do that.
But then I love this, then the righteous will shine forth as
the sun in the Kingdom of their father.
He who has ears to hear, Let Him hear.
I love that phrase and the righteous will shine forth.
Folks, I'll tell you, there's a lot of stuff about angels that I
just don't know. But I do think they're
ministering spirits to help carry out the Providence of God.
How God does that? I don't know.
But maybe it's okay not to know. Maybe looking through the eye of
faith is even better when you can't explain it.
But, you know what happens in that better.
Without faith. It's impossible to please God,
just because I may not have all the answers to line it out and
you may not either, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
Doesn't mean that God's not in control and that doesn't mean
that he's using his mighty angels to carry out, his
providential care. Even today, I'm finished.
Thank you so much for your kind listening, been a wonderful
audience and I appreciate that greatly We never close a time
that we teach them God's word without extending an invitation
to somebody that might be subject to the gospel call.
Are you here today? You're not a Christian If you're
not a Christian, you can become one today.
Come believing in Jesus. Repent of your sins confess, his
name as the Son of God, say, I believe that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God and be baptized in water for the remission of sins.
Maybe you've taken those steps, maybe you've drifted away, what?
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