"Lucifer's Rebellion"
Ezekiel 28:12-17
Sunday, May 6, 2007

Introduction: EVIL. It exists. But why? Today’s sermon is about why evil exists in our world. It is a topic most people want to ignore, or pretend it isn’t true. They think that if they don’t believe in Satan, then Satan isn’t real. But it is important to talk about Satan, both for the fact that we need to acknowledge Satan’s presence so we can stand firm against him, and so we can learn from Satan’s mistakes; mistakes which we ourselves can easily make. As we are told in 1 Peter 5:8- “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” It is also important to understand that if we can stand firm against Satan, then we can fight against the evil that is in the world. As Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 16:13- “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage…”

I. Rebellion- (Ezekiel 28:12-17; 2 Peter 2:4)

a. Lucifer- Hear again from Ezekiel 28, ¹² "Son of man, take up a

lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. ¹³ You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you:… ¹⁴ You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you…¹⁵ You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you…” What an amazing description of Lucifer- “model of perfection;” “full of wisdom;” “perfect in beauty;” “every precious stone adorned you:” “you were anointed as a guardian cherub.”

You hear these characteristics, and find it hard to believe that this amazing angel could bring anything evil into the world. But the angels have the ability to sin, as 2 Peter 2:4 tells us, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment.” Lucifer, who we know better as Satan, sinned, and was defiant against God, and he and 1/3 of the angels rebelled against God.

This was really the greatest catastrophe in history, because through this wickedness, evil was brought into the world. Unfortunately, Satan has started a war that will rage on until the battle of Armageddon.

In Satan’s rebellion, he wanted a kingdom of his own. But because he was a created being, he could not create beings himself. So the only way he has to fill his kingdom is to corrupt the beings God has created. This corruption began in the garden of Eden, with Eve and Adam, and continues to this day. Satan wants us to rebel against God just as he did. He deceives us into his kingdom. God does not stop Satan from testing and tempting us, but promises to be there for us if we call.

b. Our rebellion- EX. Mutiny on the Bounty

The mutiny on the Bounty was a mutiny aboard a Royal Navy ship on April 28, 1789, that has been made famous by several books, films. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian, against the captain, William Bligh. Bligh was then cast adrift in a small open boat with 18 loyal men. Bligh and his crew had spent five months in Tahiti. Bligh allowed the crew to live ashore and care for the potted breadfruit plants they had brought to the island. After a while the men became socialized to the customs and culture of the Tahitians. Many of the seamen and some of the "young gentlemen" had themselves tattooed in native fashion. Fletcher Christian went so far as to marry Maimiti, a Tahitian woman. Others formed "connections" with native women.

This is an example of how we can become rebellious. One of the keys to a rebellious spirit is becoming “accustomed” to the culture. When we become accustomed to our culture, we start to forget the ways of God and the call by God to be obedient to His ways. We start to think that we have a better way than God does, and therefore we stop listening to what God calls us to do. We don’t think we need to go to church and worship God every week. We don’t think we need to live a Christian life in action and principle. We don’t think we need to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” And on and on our thinking goes, until we are in full rebellion!

The definition of rebellion is “opposition to authority or refusal to accept some authority or code or convention.” Rebellion is about creating our own kingdom apart from God. Rebellion is about wanting to be in charge, and not having to answer to God. Rebellion is about seeking freedom from any authority or rules except that which we feel like setting up and following. Rebellion is about doing things our own way.

And this is just what Satan wants; he wants to lead us into that desire to break away from God. But in breaking away, we really aren’t free. Satan becomes our lord without us even knowing it. That is the evil of Satan.

II. Pride- (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:17; Philippians 4:12)

a. The five “I wills…”- As Ezekiel told us, wickedness came into

Lucifer’s heart. And the wickedness stemmed from “pride.” Lucifer desired to be more than he was created to be. Thus pride entered his heart and led him away to seek after that which God had. We see this in Isaiah 14:12-14, “¹² How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! ¹³ You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. ¹⁴ I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Here we see what Isaiah terms as the 5 “I wills.” Let’s look at each one of these…

1. I will ascend into heaven. Lucifer desires to be the highest of heaven.

2. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. It was

believed that in heaven some stars were set higher than others to mark the position of various thrones. The throne of God was the highest of them all.

3. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation. This

was believed to be the place of the gods. To sit upon this throne was to be over all people and all gods.

4. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. The

description “above the clouds” again brings reference to being above all things, including the nature and the heavens themselves.

5. I will be like the most high. As the most high, Lucifer

would rule over all and would be worshipped by all. In this he would have the position of eminence; he would be above God Himself.

I….I…..I…. For Lucifer, it is all about him, and not about God. Lucifer could only think about and could only desire to be the most high, the most powerful, beloved by all. Lucifer, in his pride, completely lost sight that he was a created being, created to know and love and worship God. This is where we too make our mistake!

b. Overcoming the 5 “I wills”- How often do we get jealous over that

which we don’t have? We want to be better looking, richer, more talented, more intelligent, more liked… Our pride tells us that we cannot accept who we are created to be. And in not accepting our place, we do not accept God. How can we accept God, if we are not willing to become all that God created us to be? In our not accepting, we are seeking to forge our own way, just as Lucifer did. In our not accepting, we are in essence creating our own list of “I wills.”

What might be on your list:

· I will seek to become richer so that I can own more things.

· I will seek to gain position so that I will be more respected.

· I will seek to be more successful so that I can have more power.

· I will seek to be independent so that I can survive on my own, even apart from God.

· I will seek more control so that I won’t be told what to do.

The truth is, if we were to get what we sought after in this way, it would just add to our pride. As Ezekiel 28:17 reminds us of where Lucifer’s pride came from,

¹⁷ Your heart became proud on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.

The key to overcoming the “I wills” is to learn how to be content. As Paul says in Philippians 4:12- “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” By being content, we learn to accept our place in creation. We understand that God is the creator, and we are the created. We understand that God has given us all that we need to make a difference in this world and to enjoy the life God has given us. We keep ourselves from being cast off of our false throne. We allow ourselves to be in a place where we can worship God for who He is, and for who He made us to be; His beloved.

III. Anger- (Ezekiel 28:18; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 2:2)

But there is one last quality that Lucifer allowed in his heart that led to his

sin and destruction, and that was his anger. Ezekiel 28:16 tells us, ¹⁶ “Through your widespread tirade you were filled with violence, and you sinned.” In not thinking that he had all that he deserved, Lucifer became angry at God. Lucifer believed God was holding him back. I want to show you a film clip from “Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith.” In this clip, Anakin Skywalker is led to the dark side by

FILM CLIP- Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith (scene where Anakin is

tempted by Lord Sidious to turn to the dark side and achieve the power he deserves; CHAPTER 23- 1:01:58 to 1:04:58)

In this clip we see the Dark Lord Sidious trying to turn Anakin to the dark side. He uses phrases like: “Don’t let the council use you like a pawn;” “ever since I have known you, you have been searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi;” “I can feel your anger, it makes you stronger.” And it is this anger that finally leads Anakin to the dark side, and how he becomes Darth Vadar.

After the fall, Lucifer’s anger with God changed, and the thrust of his anger

was then focused onto God’s people. Again, 1 Peter 5:8 “…Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” And Ephesians 2:2 which says “in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” Satan wants us to be disobedient to God. And one of the best ways to turn us is to use our anger and the thinking that we aren’t getting what we deserve and that God is holding us back.

Conclusion: I have focused my sermon on Satan, but only to make sure that we know he is real, and that he is trying to turn us from God so that he can fill his kingdom. He doesn’t come right out and ask us to join his side. He tries to deceive us into it, just as he deceived Eve into eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But God makes it know to us in Matthew 16:24-26, “²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. ²⁶What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Let us choose to follow Jesus Christ, subjecting ourselves to His will. Let us seek to avoid the pride and anger that can lead to rebellion. Let us be content with who God made us to be, and the life that God gives us to live. Amen.

"Have You Ever Seen An Angel?"
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Hebrews 1:13-14, 2:5-9

Introduction: The whole idea of the supernatural is interesting to many people. It isn’t difficult to understand why; we are curious about what we don’t understand. Because the supernatural world is beyond us, we want to know more about it so that we can understand it better. This can be healthy, in that we fear things less when we understand them more. But it can also be unhealthy, as the saying goes: “Curiosity killed the cat.” Our curiosity can sometimes lead us into things that aren’t good for us.

EX. When I was in college, I was dating a girl whose brother owned a satanic bible. I was curious to know what might be in a satanic bible, so we talked about whether or not we wanted to get it and look through it. In the end we chose not to, because we didn’t think it would help us in any way.

As we continue in our series on “Angels,” it is not unhealthy to pursue this subject so that we can understand it better. God wants us to know about angels, that is why God had the writers of the Bible talk about angels almost 300 times in the Old and New Testaments. So this morning we are going to talk about how and why angels are seen, and how they are organized.

I. The Presence of Angels- (Genesis 16:7; Numbers 22:23-35;

Luke 1:26-31, 2:8-12; Hebrew 1:14; Exodus 23:20-21; Acts 12:6-10)

Last week we talked about how the normal state of an angel is invisible, but God created them to be able to become visible as well, when necessary. God created angels so that they can take on flesh, and move from the glory of heaven, to earth, and then back again. Angels can appear, and then disappear. God has certain functions for which angels will take on flesh and become visible. So let’s talk about some of them.

a. Messages- One such reason is to bring a message from God to His

people. This is a quite common reason for angels to come to the earth. In the Old Testament, Genesis 16:7-9, we read- “7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, ‘Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?’ ‘I'm running away from my mistress Sarai,’ she answered. ⁹ Then the angel of the LORD told her, ‘Go back to your mistress and submit to her.’” We know that the angel was visible because Hagar could see the angel, and speak to the angel. And the angel had a message from God to Hagar to return to Abram and Sarai.

Another place in scripture we see this happening is the book of Numbers, chapter 22:23, 31, 35- “²³ When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road. ³¹ Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown. ³⁵ The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.” First of all the donkey sees the angel, but Balaam does not. Balaam beats the donkey to cause it to continue on the journey. Finally, God allows Balaam to see the angel, and the angel gives Balaam the message that he is to change his plan.

Let’s look at one more passage where an angel is sent to bring a message from God; this is probably one of the best known passages; Luke 1:26-31-

“²⁶In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." ²⁹Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. ³¹You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.” Here we have the angel Gabriel coming to Mary to tell her she would be giving birth to the savior of the world, and that she was to name him Jesus. I’m sure that God knew that something this big would require a visit from an angel to get Mary to believe it to be true.

b. To announce an event- Another reason angels come is to announce

an event that will occur or has already occurred. In Luke 2:8-12, we see an example of this…⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Here the angels aren’t flesh and blood, but they are visible, and they are announcing that Jesus the Christ, the savior of the world, has been born.

c. To serve people- A third reason angels come is to serve people. In

Hebrews 1:14, we are told, “¹⁴Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” In this verse it talks about angels coming to minister (which we will talk about more in a couple of weeks), but also that they come to serve God’s people. In a more specific example, we see God speaking to Moses in Exodus 23:20-21, “²⁰ ‘See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. ²¹ Pay attention to him and listen to what he says…’” The angel is serving Moses by helping to bring him to the place God has for him to go, and also serving him by giving him counsel along the way.

And we see this in Acts 12:6-10. “⁶The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. ⁷Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. ⁸Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. ⁹Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.” The angel was serving Peter to help him escape from jail, and when the need to serve Peter was over, the angel disappeared.

II. Angel Encounters- (Hebrews 2:6-7; 1 John 4:1-3, 6)

Along with angels coming to the earth in the Bible, in history, we are equally

curious about whether or not angels still come to the earth today. You might have even heard of stories of angel encounters. These stories can become another source of information. So it is important for us to be able to evaluate the experiences that people have had with angels. How can we know whether these experiences are true or made up?

a. In line with the Bible- In his book “Angels Around Us,” Douglas Connelly

gives us this criteria: The primary question needs to be, “Does this experience go along with what the Bible teaches about the nature and ministry of angels?” Last week I alluded to how Muslims believe that the archangel Michael gave the Qur’an to Muhammed. This would not be in line with biblical teaching, for a book other than the Bible to be given from God; a book which in many ways contradicts the Bible. This too is why Joseph Smith’s claim that angels led him to golden plates which contained the Book of Mormon is also a false claim. The Book of Mormon

contradicts the Bible in many places and in many ways.

Another reason to discount stories from Christians who say they have had angel encounters is that they too don’t mesh with what the Bible declares. For example, one person claimed that an angel protected him during a series of robberies in his neighborhood. He said that one night he came home from work, and there was a dog he had never seen waiting by his house. Out of kindness he let the dog into his house. Late that night the dog was aroused and started barking. The next day he learned that several houses around him had been burglarized, but his house was skipped. He never saw the dog again after that. He was convinced that this dog was an angel. But there is never a biblical reference of an angel coming in the form of an animal. Since scripture is all we have to go on, we must use it as our main guide for understanding angel visits!!

But if a story correlates with the scriptures, we must treat it seriously, and consider it to be a valid angel visit. EX. Like the story of a lady who was hospitalized in the ICU. This lady had been in a serious car accident and was not expected to live. But one day the lady told the nurse she was going to live. “How do you know,” the nurse asked? The lady answered: “There has been an angel sitting at the foot of my bed all day.”

You hear this story, and wonder if it could be a valid encounter. When evaluated with scripture, the answer would be yes on several accounts. First, the angel appeared to her as a personal being, just as in the Bible. Second, the encounter was totally unexpected. There was no mind manipulation involved. Third, the angel was there to protect her and give her a message of comfort from God.

b. Understanding God’s providence- But there is a second factor to consider

in our evaluation process, and that is understanding God’s providence. What I mean by this is that God actively exercises His care over us as His children. God is personally concerned with each of us. And because of this, God at times will intervene directly in a believer’s life. There is no explanation for the event other than to say that God did it. That is a miracle. As Hebrews 2:6-7 says, “6But there is a place where someone has testified: ‘What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 7You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor.’” But God also intervenes directly with the use of angels. These angels are a supernatural source of protection, direction, or comfort. And when we hear of angel stories, this criteria is helpful in determining truth or fiction.

For example, the story of a woman named Robin who gave birth to a baby with a serious chromosomal defect. The baby was immediately sent to another hospital for treatment. Robin was very worried because she was alone in the hospital, and separated from her baby. The next morning Robin says a nurse named Jan came to her room. As Robin shared her fears and concerns, the nurse tried to encourage her by letting Robin know that she too had had a child with a similar defect. As Robin looked at Jan, she saw that Jan was able to live a normal life, and this gave comfort to Robin. In time, Robin tried to seek Jan out again, Robin discovered that there were no nurses by the name of Jan who worked there. Robin believed Jan had been an angel sent to encourage her. The truth is, Jan was a messenger of God, but not an angel. Why? Because as an angel, she would not have said that she had had a child with the same problem, since angels don’t have children.

This story fits the criteria of God’s intervention, but doesn’t mesh with scripture.

c. Emotion- And then there is a third criteria that the scriptures tell us is

involved when we encounter an angel, and that is emotion. An angel will invoke a powerful emotional response. Usually it is fear. Often in scripture we hear the angel tell people to not be afraid. These powerful angels can bring fear to those who see them. But sometimes it is not the emotion of fear, but of calm or comfort. So when people talk about seeing an angel, but the experience is not an emotional one, we need to doubt that this encounter is true. Angels are magnificent beings, and cannot touch our lives without leaving powerful emotional imprints behind.

We need to evaluate these experiences. As John says in 1 John 4:1-3, 6- “¹Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ²This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world… ⁶We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” If someone has a visit from an angel, they will speak of God, and they will give glory to God. In Jan’s visit to Robin, there was no spiritual message, and no giving glory to God!

Conclusion: A visit from an angel will always result in praise and glory to God. So as we go to the question of the sermon title, “Have you ever seen an angel?” My response is, NO. If I ever do I can know that I have… based on the many disclosures the Bible gives to help me know when this is true. But even more than seeing an angel, I am thankful that angel visits can teach you and me several things: First, that we can bring a message from God to another. This is one of the primary purposes of an angel. If we seek God in prayer, read God’s word, and try to listen to the voice of God, we too will have a message from God to speak to others. Second, that as we see angels announcing an event, we too need to speak of God’s work in this world. Maybe you know of a miracle that has happened; proclaim it to others. LAST SUNDAY I announced that Natalie accepted Jesus. This was an important announcement to make. Third, angels are created to serve others. As we see this example in angels, and in Jesus Himself, we too need to be willing to serve others. I pray that we would go from here this morning, knowing that God can and does intervene into our lives with angels. Take with you the criteria to evaluate these claims. But more importantly, take with you that attitude of service, and praise, that was in Jesus, and is in God’s angels. Amen.

"Angels for Real"
(taken from Billy Graham's ANGELS)
April 22, 2007
Deuteronomy 33:1-5

Introduction: People have a lot of different ideas about angels. For some, angels are people who have died and gone to heaven, and God made them a guardian angel. For others, angels have wings and fly around. And still for others, angels don’t exist. It is like these explanations of Angels by Children (e-mail from Jane)

Everybody's got it all wrong. Angels don't wear halos anymore. I forget

why, but scientists are working on it. - Olive, 9

It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to

heaven, and then there's still the flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes. - Matthew, 9

My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's not much good for

science. - Henry, 8

Angels don't eat, but they drink milk from Holy Cows. - Jack, 6

When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten. And

when he lets out his breath, somewhere there's a tornado. - Reagan, 10

All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn't go

for it. - Antonio, 9

What I don't get about angels is why, when someone is in love, they

shoot arrows at them. - Sarah, 7

This morning we are starting a series on angels. We will discover who and what angels are, their function, and how they are present, even today.

I. Angels are Created Beings- (Colossians 1:16; Hebrew 12:22; Psalm 68:17;

Deuteronomy 33:2; Revelation 5:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:7)

a. Believing in angels- The Bible actually tells us a lot about angels. God

gives us much revelation about creation, and this is true about angels as well. Angels belong to a uniquely different dimension of creation than we can fully comprehend. They don’t have many of the same limitations that we do on earth. God has given them higher knowledge, power, and mobility than us. Because you or I have probably not met or seen an angel, we might doubt that angels are real. However, angel visits are very rare. We will see in the coming weeks the purposes for which angels will make a visit to the earth.

The truth is, we have difficulty believing in what we don’t or can’t see. This is true of so many things in life. EX. Think for a moment if you were raised in a jungle. In this setting you are oblivious to most of what exists in the world. You feed yourself by eating what is around you. You make crude tools. You travel by walking or running. You only know what you see. Then one day you meet a stranger from the outside. He tries to tell you that there are cars, and planes, and telephones and computers. You hear the words, but it is difficult to believe. Then the stranger takes you out of the jungle, and you see for yourself all that was told to you. You watch the television and drive in the car and talk to someone far away on a telephone! At this point, you believe.

This is true of believing in something like angels. We hear people talk about it, we read about them in scripture, but do we really believe they are real? So let’s take a few minutes to see what the Bible has to say about angels.

b. Biblical texts- Even though angels are real, we have to be careful what

we believe. We also have to be careful where we get our information. The Bible states clearly that angels are created by God just like you and me, and all of creation. Which meant, in the beginning, when God existed, angels did not. Angels did not come into being until God created them. As we are told in Colossians 1:16, “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are on earth, visible and invisible.” So then, angels are among the invisible things made by God.

But unlike us, God created angels to be able to change their appearance and move from the glory of heaven to earth, and then back again. In heaven, they do not possess physical bodies as we do; they are nonmaterial. That is why they are sometimes referred to as “spirits,” because they lack the flesh and blood that we possess. And yet, they can take on physical bodies when God appoints them to special tasks. But they don’t have the ability to reproduce, and they do not marry.

The empire of angels is as vast as God’s creation. They are mentioned in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible nearly 300 times. We do not know how many angels were created, but some think that it could be in the millions, since Hebrews 12:22 speaks of “an innumerable company of angels.” And King David, in Psalm 68:17, said: “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels.”

In another passage, Deuteronomy 33:2, we are told that 10,000 angels came down on Mount Sinai to confirm the holy presence of God as He gave the Law to Moses. An earthquake shook the mountain. Moses was held speechless in wonder as he witnessed the visitation of these heavenly beings. In the New Testament, in Revelations, as he was describing what he saw in a vision from God, John tells us of having seen ten thousand times ten thousand angels ministering to the Lamb of God (who is Jesus) in the throne room of heaven (Revelation 5:11). The book of Revelation also says that armies of angels will appear with Jesus at the Battle of Armegeddon when God comes to defeat His foe. Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 1:7 says, “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.”

What an amazing thought this is, that there are multitudes of angels, unbelievably mighty, performing the commands of heaven; the commands of God. But even more than this, we are told that even one angel is mighty; especially when compared to you and me. Angels are in essence an extension of the arm of God, and angels are real. Because they are created and organized by God, they are more organized than even the greatest of armies like that or Napoleon or Alexander the Great.

From the time when the angels came to guard the entrance of the garden of Eden, to keep Adam and Eve out, angels have made their presence here on earth. But it wasn’t just the entrance to Eden they guarded, it was the Tree of Life as well. They were to guard it so that people wouldn’t eat of the fruit, and live forever in sin here on earth.

II. Other Beliefs-

a. Angels and Islam- But what about what other faiths believe? Belief in the

existence of angels is one of the fundamental articles of faith in Islam. Muslims believe that angels were created by God from light (which is different from what the Bible teaches). They also believe that angels carry out God’s commandments in nature and the universe. What we usually call the “forces of nature” become active because of the presence of angels behind them, working at the command of God (this too is different than what the Bible teaches).

There are similarities, in that Islam believes that we humans, in the physical world, cannot visualize these beings outside of our mundane reality. Muslims believe in the existence of angels because God talks about them through His revelations. Though angels are generally invisible beings, they may appear to the outward eye if required, in forms suitable for the visible world.

Muslims also believe that the Angel Gabriel was the messenger through whom God revealed the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad. He appeared to the Prophet as a person who could talk—an appearance which was in keeping with his task. It was the same Angel who acted as the Prophet’s guide on the “Night of Ascension.” Although God may send His revelation through the Angel Gabriel, it is important to point out that in Islam, angels are not considered intermediaries between God and humans.

The Qur’an also speaks of angels as playing a crucial role in processes like creation, prophecy, spiritual life, death, resurrection, and the workings of natural elements. For instance, there is an angel who brings the thunder, and he, too, serves God and obeys His command. Other angels are in charge of embryos in wombs, or responsible for protecting human beings.

Angels are different from human beings in that they do not have a will of their own. They were created for the specific purpose of serving God and carrying out His commands. Some angels are in a state of constant worship of God, prostrating to Him and never raising their heads. SO, we see that Islam has many similarities and differences from what the Bible teaches.

b. Angels and the world- We can see that those in the world, but not

Christian, believe in angels. There are many books in the bookstores about angels. And books about angels are big sellers. On the national level, Time, Newsweek, and USA Today have all devoted front-page cover stories to the interest of angels.

You can see television shows and movies about angels. For example, one popular TV show for many years was “Touched by an Angel.” This show was about angels who had come down in human form to help people facing crossroads in their lives.

A movie that was quite popular was “Michael,” starring John Travolta. This movie is about two reporters from a Chicago-based tabloid, along with an 'angel expert', who travel to rural Iowa to investigate a claim from an old woman that she shares her house with the real, live archangel named Michael. Upon arrival, they see that her claims are true - but Michael is not what they expected: he smokes, drinks beer, has a very active libido and has a rather colorful vocabulary. In fact, they would never believe he was an angel except for the two feathery wings protruding from his back. Michael agrees to travel to Chicago with the threesome, but what they don't realize is that the journey they are about to undertake will change their lives forever.

There is a book titled: “The Secret World of Angels,” In it, Daphne S. Reed says this in her introduction:

"Two-way communication with Spirit is an astonishing supernatural phenomenon. It is even more rare to find that one can not only receive and send letters, but can also receive creative art work from that Invisible Source. My book narrates how this life-altering experience began and developed. It reproduces the most important teachings and mysterious art work received from Spirit. My self-identified angelic entities spoke of the universal system of creation, life as it is lived on the Other Side, and how those in the Invisible Dimension relate to us as physical beings on earth. In these pages, you will find much previously unheard-of, startling food for thought, as well as some admittedly controversial disclosures that will shock orthodox believers. Simply put, you will read about the unseen and unknown spirit kingdom that exists beyond the physical world, as described by the invisible Beings who told me they were Angels. This information may awe you. Know that I, too, was awed and remain so to this day."

Angels are real, but we can be greatly led astray if we are not careful. I

encourage and implore you to go no farther than the Bible when seeking to understand who angels are, and why they exist.

III. Angels’ Powers- (Ezekiel 28:17; Ephesians 6:12)

a. Angels- The Bible speaks of the great supernatural power of God’s holy

angels. As people of faith, who believe and trust in God through Christ, we should believe in these beings and in their power. We should seek to understand that to the eye of those who believe, there are many evidences of this supernatural display of power and glory. We must sense the angelic glory that God has placed around us. We must know that these angelic beings surpass the power of the demons.

As we continue in our series, we will discover together that when we believe, we can expect these powerful angels to accompany us in our life experiences. There will be times in our lives when we can’t explain how something happened, other than there must have been some “other” power involved. This power could very well have come from an angel.

The Bible tells us that angels speak. They appear and reappear. They are emotional creatures. While angels may become visible, their normal state to us is invisible, just like the dimensions of a nuclear field, or the structure of atoms. Our ability to sense them is limited.

Without God’s help, we cannot see an angel. God allows a deer in the forest to have keenness of smell. Bats possess a built-in radar system. Some animals can see things in the dark that escape our attention. Swallows and geese possess sophisticated guidance systems. So if God can do this for these animals, God can, if He wills, help us to see an angel. Reports from around the world are known about stories of visiting angels appearing, ministering, fellowshipping and then disappearing. These angels share God’s love, or they meet a desperate need, and then they are gone. And the truth of angels, is that even though they are powerful, and come from the glory of heaven, they do not dispel glory to themselves, but to God.

But if God chooses to not let us see an angel, they are still real.

b. Demons- But just as there are godly angels, there are also demonic angels.

As I spoke about on Easter Sunday, long ago there was a revolt. One third of the angels decided to go with Satan, and warfare between God and Satan, the angels and the demons, ensued. Because pride entered Lucifer’s heart, he began to believe he had been cheated somehow. He didn’t want to be just a small part of the Story; he wanted the Story to be about him. He coveted the throne; he wanted to be the star. He wanted worship and adoration for himself.

As Ezekiel 28:17 says- “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty; and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.” And so Satan disturbs the peace of heaven by his and the other demons rebellion, and a battle in the heavenly realms is established. Satan and the demons are thrown out of heaven, and because of their anger, they seek to get revenge on God by seeking revenge on God’s people. Paul says it to us like this in Ephesians 6:12-“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Unfortunately, demonic activity and Satan worship are on the rise in all parts of the world. The devil is alive and active. The Bible tells us that since he knows that the time is short, his activity will increase. By his demonic influences, he does get people to turn away from the true faith.

But the good news is that even the smallest and weakest of angels can outdo Satan and the demons. I want to read to you a portion of the book This Present Darkness, to illustrate this point. (In this passage, Triskal is an angel, Rafar is a powerful demon, and Mary is the human who is involved in this spiritual struggle)...

“Rafar watched Triskal, amused, “Oh, I see you are here to protect her. From what? Did you expect to swat mere flies?” Triskal had no answer. Rafar’s tone became cruel and cutting. “No, you are mistaken little angel. It is a much greater power with whom you have to do.”….Triskal immediately felt the iron hands of two demons clamping his arms from behind. He looked toward Mary. She was looking for the key to the car door…Another demon stretched out his sword and pierced the hood of the car. Mary tried to start the engine. Nothing happened.

Rafar looked toward the nearby Laundromat that faced the parking lot. A young, greasy-looking character stood in front of it, leaning against a post. Triskal could tell the man was possessed by one of Rafar’s henchmen…At Rafar’s nod, the demons went into action and the man started walking toward Mary’s car. …Mary checked her lights….What on earth was the matter? She saw the young character coming her way from the direction of the Laundromat.. As Triskal watched helplessly, the demons guided the man up to the car window.

‘Hey, cutie,’ he said, “having some trouble here?’ She called through the window, ‘Uh…no thanks. I’m all right.’ He only smirked, eyeing her up and down as he said, ‘Why don’t you open up and let me see what I can do?’

The man leaned against the window and his breath fogged the glass.

Rafar breathed sulfur right into Triskal’s face as he said, ‘And now little angel, ….Where is your captain?’ Triskal did not answer.

The man tried the latch on Mary’s door. She was terrified….He tried every door, a leering smile on his face. Mary tried the horn again. A demon had already taken care of that—it didn’t work.

Triskal finally spoke, “The brake…” Rafar leaned closer, “I didn’t hear you.”

Triskal repeated it. Mary had a flash. The car was parked on an incline. It would get the car moving. She released the parking brake and the car started to roll. The creep hadn’t expected this and was thrown aside. He tried to move in front of the car, but at this, a husky contractor noticed what was happening and hollered at the man.

Rafar finally gave in as he ordered the demons to stop. Triskal saw that Mary would make it down the hill. So did Rafar. As he took his knife blade away from Triskal’s throat he said: “Well done, little angel. You have spared your charge…”

Conclusion: Angels are real, and they are nearer than we might think. The angels are vigorous in their efforts to deliver up God’s people to salvation, and to help them from evil. As Psalm 91:11-12 says, “(God has given) his angels charge of you, to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Let us take courage and know that God has created angels to not only serve Him, but to do His work, and to help His Kingdom come. When we believe and trust, we can find strength in this knowledge. Amen.

“The Story of Freedom”

from John Eldredge’s “Epic”

Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007

Genesis 3:8-15; John 20:1-10, 18

Introduction: Life, you’ll notice, is a story. Life doesn’t come to us like a math problem, it comes to us the way a story does; scene-by-scene. You wake up and wonder. What will happen next? You don’t get to know—you have to enter in, take the journey as it comes.

Life unfolds like a drama. Doesn’t it? Each day has a beginning, and an end. There are all sorts of characters and settings in each day. A year goes by like a chapter from a novel. Sometimes it reads like a tragedy; other times it reads like a comedy. But whatever happens, it’s a story through and through.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but when 2 people come together, they bring their stories. That is the way we get to know each other. We tell our stories to each other. And these stories actually nourish us. They provide a kind of food that the soul craves. Stories shed light on our lives. This is why you want to get to know someone; you need to know THEIR story.

I. THE Story- (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1)

In the movie The Matrix Reloaded, the main character Neo says: “I just wish I knew what I am supposed to do.” This is a question that is asked so often, and by so many. If life is a story, what is the plot? What is your role to play and my role to play? It would be good to know this, wouldn’t it?

The problem is that we think that our story begins with us; but it doesn’t. There is a story that gives meaning to all of life; a story which makes all other stories make sense. Today is Easter Sunday, and we remember Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. We like to start our story with the end of Jesus’ earthly story. But starting the story here is like coming into a movie 45 minutes late. You see some-thing going on that is exciting and has meaning, but it doesn’t have meaning to you because you have missed the beginning of the story.

The story begins in Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1. Genesis tells us: “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth.” And John says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In the beginning was GOD… God as Trinity (three in one); God as fellowship. God as love. God showing intimacy to His creation.

I want to show you a scene from the movie “The Last of the Mohicans.” 1757. The American Colonies. It is the third year of the war between England and France for the possession of the continent. THREE MEN. The last of a vanishing people are on a frontier west of the Hudson river. We behold a vast, untamed wilderness. Mountain and forest, as far as the eye can see. Beauty. Mystery. Down into these woods we are taken, and we discover 3 men running at full speed through this forest. No words are spoken in this scene; no words need to be spoken. It is the image of intimacy and fellowship and adventure. A picture of the Trinity.

Let’s run the clip.,,

Movie Illustration: Opening scene of “The Last of the Mohicans.”(run clip from 1 minute, 30 seconds, to 3:30)

In this scene, we saw the three characters working together in harmony to accomplish their task of tracking down the buck. I think this is visually helpful to think about what God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were doing in the task of creation. They worked together. Creation was done by all three, in fellowship and love. And by creating all things, including you and me, God invites us into the story; a story that is already happening.

The great promise of Act One is that something preceded us. Something good. In the beginning lets us know that something immortal and eternal is happening, and our lives are just a part of this grander story. It is a story of a God who is personal. We don’t belong to a lonely universe, but one born out of Love.

II. The Revolt- (Ephesians 6:12; Ezekiel 28:12-17)

But then we turn to Act Two of the story. And what does every good story have? It has a villain. It is hard to think of a tale that doesn’t have a villain. The Big Bad Wolf, the Troll under the bridge, Darth Vadar in Star Wars, the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz. And in the great story of J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, we come to dread the Dark Lord Sauron.

And just as every story has a villain, so does your story and my story. Though we don’t want to admit it, we don’t like it, it is a reality. There is evil cast around us. With war, famine, betrayal, and murder all around us, we surely know there is an evil force. Where did it come from? What is its motive? How are we to find refuge from it? We ask these questions.

The good news is that we are not alone in this battle. The battle is being fought for us in another realm. As the apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” God has created angels. Angels are powerful. That is why every time an angel shows up in the Bible, they have to say “Fear not…” They strike fear into humans by their presence.

But in the past, long before you and I entered this story, there was a revolt. One third of the angels decided to go with Satan, and warfare between God and Satan, the angels and the demons, ensued. It didn’t start this way. Listen to what the Bible says about Satan in Ezekiel 28:12-15, ¹² "…. 'You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. ¹³ You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. ¹⁴ You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. ¹⁵ You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till wickedness was found in you.”

Standing at the head of the vast legions of angelic hosts was a captain. The most beautiful, the most powerful of them all. The commander of the armies of God. The guardian of the glory of God. His name was Lucifer, “Son of the morning.” Glorious as the sun. But Pride entered Lucifer’s heart. He began to believe he had been cheated somehow. He didn’t want to be just a small part of the noble Story; he wanted the Story to be about him. He coveted the throne; he wanted to be the star. He wanted worship and adoration for himself.

Ezekiel 28:17- “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty; and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.” How many stories turn on betrayal? How many kingdoms fall because of a bloody revolt? In The Last of the Mohicans, the Indian Magua posed as a Mohican, a friend and guide, but in the end betrayed the king’s armies and led them into an ambush. The greatest Jedi of them all, Anakin Skywalker turned to the dark side and became Darth Vadar. And on and on it goes, story after story after story, where someone lusted for power, gave in to their pride, and revolted.

Satan makes his way through the fury of the warring armies to face the great archangel Michael, who takes Lucifer’s place at the head of the faithful angels. There on the field of battle the mighty captains meet. Michael turns and confronts the traitor: “Author of evil, unknown till thy revolt….how hast thou disturbed Heaven’s blessed peace, and unto Nature brought Misery, uncreated till the crime of thy rebellion? How hast thou instilled thy malice into thousands, once upright and faithful, now proved false? Heaven casts thee out.”

So evil enters the Story.

It is interesting to see how naïve so many people are about evil. Most people don’t take it seriously. They don’t live as if there is a villain in their story. They don’t believe that Satan is real. The truth is, life is very confusing if you don’t take into account that there is a villain. As C. S. Lewis says in Mere Christianity,

“One of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament

seriousl,y was that it talked so much about a Dark Power in the universe—a

mighty, evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death, disease, and

sin…Christianity thinks this Dark Power was created by God, and was

good when he was created, and went wrong. Christianity agrees…this is

a universe at war.”

At the end of Act Two, Evil has entered the story, and Satan stays in the story as the villain.

III. The Hero Comes to the Rescue- (Genesis 3:1-19, 6:5-6; John 15:9)

Creation has unfolded like a great work of art; a masterpiece in the making.

It is a story of romance. God in love with His creation, and His creation in love with Him. God enables us to love and experience love. He gives us the greatest treasure in all of creation; a heart. For God intends for us to be intimate allies with Him.

And yet with this heart comes something that is staggering, and that is the freedom to reject Him. He gives each of us a will of our own. He knows what can come of this, as He has already seen the rebellion of Lucifer and the angels. But God knows that real love only comes when one freely chooses to love. So to write this Story where love is the meaning, where love is the highest and best of all, then you have to let each person choose to love. You have to allow for there to be freedom.

AND THIS IS WHERE THE STORY TAKES A TRAGIC TURN!

Satan is unhappy about being thrown out of heaven, and decides to seek revenge on God by destroying God’s beloved people. Satan is lurking in the Garden of Eden. This is where we see Satan come to Eve in the garden and deceive her into eating the fruit. Satan hates God, and therefore hates God’s people.

Satan’s whispers are that Eve and Adam can take matters under their control. They don’t have to rely only on God. Satan sews seeds of mistrust into our hearts and tempts us to seize control. And we see this happen today as well; people thinking that trusting God is way too risky. We can rewrite the story. We can give ourselves a better part; WE THINK.

THE EVIL ONE LIES TO US ABOUT WHERE TRUE LIFE IS FOUND.

And this grieves God. As we read in Genesis 6:5-6, “The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.”

Something has gone wrong, and we know it to be true. And this is why our life doesn’t come close most of the time to the desires that are written in our hearts.

BUT ALL IS NOT LOST, BECAUSE LIKE IN EVERY GOOD STORY, THERE IS A HERO IN OUR STORY WHO COMES TO RESCUE US!

We have been born in love, by love, and for love, and to love we must return. As John 15:9 has Jesus saying, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” God created us in freedom to be his intimate allies, and he will not give up on us. So he designed a way to ransom us.

The coming of Jesus of Nazareth was a dangerous mission into enemy territory, to save the free world. He gave his life willingly to ransom us from the Evil One, to pay the price for our betrayal, and to prove all time and beyond any shadow of a doubt that the heart of God is good; LOVE itself.

At this point in the story, it is as if there is a hush. It is like the stunned silence of the crowd in the Colosseum at the end of the movie Gladiator. Maximus, their hero, has just dealt a mortal blow to the Prince; Commodus. Commodus has been cast down in battle. But it is a blow that will cost Maximus his life.

Let’s see the clip….. The Gladiator (2:23:38 to 2:27:50)

Christ has given his life to set us free. We have been restored in our relationship to God!

Conclusion: But that isn’t the end of the story. Like all good stories there is a “happily ever after.” We will see Christ again in heaven. Easter is about Jesus making all things new. No longer is Satan in charge. No longer does sin and death reign over us. Because Christ has died and been risen from the dead, the Evil One is cast down. Like Dorothy arriving home safely in The Wizard of Oz, like Middle Earth being restored in The Lord of the Rings, like Narnia receiving life again in The Chronicles of Narnia, so the world in all its beauty is ours again in Christ.

The resurrection of Jesus gives us life and hope and love restored. The resurrection of Jesus gives us a promise that we can have in our lives the dreams God has placed there when we were born. The resurrection of Jesus allows us to live out the Story that God had in mind here on earth, but promises us life in paradise with Him for all eternity. Praise be to Jesus, who has been raised from death to life! Amen.

"Angels For Real"
(taken from Billy Graham's ANGELS)
Deuteronomy 33:1-5

Introduction: People have a lot of different ideas about angels. For some, angels are people who have died and gone to heaven, and God made them a guardian angel. For others, angels have wings and fly around. And still for others, angels don’t exist. It is like these explanations of Angels by Children (e-mail from Jane)

Everybody's got it all wrong. Angels don't wear halos anymore. I forget

why, but scientists are working on it. - Olive, 9

It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to

heaven, and then there's still the flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes. - Matthew, 9

My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's not much good for

science. - Henry, 8

Angels don't eat, but they drink milk from Holy Cows. - Jack, 6

When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten. And

when he lets out his breath, somewhere there's a tornado. - Reagan, 10

All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn't go

for it. - Antonio, 9

What I don't get about angels is why, when someone is in love, they

shoot arrows at them. - Sarah, 7

This morning we are starting a series on angels. We will discover who and what angels are, their function, and how they are present, even today.

I. Angels are Created Beings- (Colossians 1:16; Hebrew 12:22; Psalm 68:17;

Deuteronomy 33:2; Revelation 5:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:7)

a. Believing in angels- The Bible actually tells us a lot about angels. God

gives us much revelation about creation, and this is true about angels as well. Angels belong to a uniquely different dimension of creation than we can fully comprehend. They don’t have many of the same limitations that we do on earth. God has given them higher knowledge, power, and mobility than us. Because you or I have probably not met or seen an angel, we might doubt that angels are real. However, angel visits are very rare. We will see in the coming weeks the purposes for which angels will make a visit to the earth.

The truth is, we have difficulty believing in what we don’t or can’t see. This is true of so many things in life. EX. Think for a moment if you were raised in a jungle. In this setting you are oblivious to most of what exists in the world. You feed yourself by eating what is around you. You make crude tools. You travel by walking or running. You only know what you see. Then one day you meet a stranger from the outside. He tries to tell you that there are cars, and planes, and telephones and computers. You hear the words, but it is difficult to believe. Then the stranger takes you out of the jungle, and you see for yourself all that was told to you. You watch the television and drive in the car and talk to someone far away on a telephone! At this point, you believe.

This is true of believing in something like angels. We hear people talk about it, we read about them in scripture, but do we really believe they are real? So let’s take a few minutes to see what the Bible has to say about angels.

b. Biblical texts- Even though angels are real, we have to be careful what

we believe. We also have to be careful where we get our information. The Bible states clearly that angels are created by God just like you and me, and all of creation. Which meant, in the beginning, when God existed, angels did not. Angels did not come into being until God created them. As we are told in Colossians 1:16, “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are on earth, visible and invisible.” So then, angels are among the invisible things made by God.

But unlike us, God created angels to be able to change their appearance and move from the glory of heaven to earth, and then back again. In heaven, they do not possess physical bodies as we do; they are nonmaterial. That is why they are sometimes referred to as “spirits,” because they lack the flesh and blood that we possess. And yet, they can take on physical bodies when God appoints them to special tasks. But they don’t have the ability to reproduce, and they do not marry.

The empire of angels is as vast as God’s creation. They are mentioned in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible nearly 300 times. We do not know how many angels were created, but some think that it could be in the millions, since Hebrews 12:22 speaks of “an innumerable company of angels.” And King David, in Psalm 68:17, said: “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels.”

In another passage, Deuteronomy 33:2, we are told that 10,000 angels came down on Mount Sinai to confirm the holy presence of God as He gave the Law to Moses. An earthquake shook the mountain. Moses was held speechless in wonder as he witnessed the visitation of these heavenly beings. In the New Testament, in Revelations, as he was describing what he saw in a vision from God, John tells us of having seen ten thousand times ten thousand angels ministering to the Lamb of God (who is Jesus) in the throne room of heaven (Revelation 5:11). The book of Revelation also says that armies of angels will appear with Jesus at the Battle of Armegeddon when God comes to defeat His foe. Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 1:7 says, “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.”

What an amazing thought this is, that there are multitudes of angels, unbelievably mighty, performing the commands of heaven; the commands of God. But even more than this, we are told that even one angel is mighty; especially when compared to you and me. Angels are in essence an extension of the arm of God, and angels are real. Because they are created and organized by God, they are more organized than even the greatest of armies like that or Napoleon or Alexander the Great.

From the time when the angels came to guard the entrance of the garden of Eden, to keep Adam and Eve out, angels have made their presence here on earth. But it wasn’t just the entrance to Eden they guarded, it was the Tree of Life as well. They were to guard it so that people wouldn’t eat of the fruit, and live forever in sin here on earth.

II. Other Beliefs-

a. Angels and Islam- But what about what other faiths believe? Belief in the

existence of angels is one of the fundamental articles of faith in Islam. Muslims believe that angels were created by God from light (which is different from what the Bible teaches). They also believe that angels carry out God’s commandments in nature and the universe. What we usually call the “forces of nature” become active because of the presence of angels behind them, working at the command of God (this too is different than what the Bible teaches).

There are similarities, in that Islam believes that we humans, in the physical world, cannot visualize these beings outside of our mundane reality. Muslims believe in the existence of angels because God talks about them through His revelations. Though angels are generally invisible beings, they may appear to the outward eye if required, in forms suitable for the visible world.

Muslims also believe that the Angel Gabriel was the messenger through whom God revealed the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad. He appeared to the Prophet as a person who could talk—an appearance which was in keeping with his task. It was the same Angel who acted as the Prophet’s guide on the “Night of Ascension.” Although God may send His revelation through the Angel Gabriel, it is important to point out that in Islam, angels are not considered intermediaries between God and humans.

The Qur’an also speaks of angels as playing a crucial role in processes like creation, prophecy, spiritual life, death, resurrection, and the workings of natural elements. For instance, there is an angel who brings the thunder, and he, too, serves God and obeys His command. Other angels are in charge of embryos in wombs, or responsible for protecting human beings.

Angels are different from human beings in that they do not have a will of their own. They were created for the specific purpose of serving God and carrying out His commands. Some angels are in a state of constant worship of God, prostrating to Him and never raising their heads. SO, we see that Islam has many similarities and differences from what the Bible teaches.

b. Angels and the world- We can see that those in the world, but not

Christian, believe in angels. There are many books in the bookstores about angels. And books about angels are big sellers. On the national level, Time, Newsweek, and USA Today have all devoted front-page cover stories to the interest of angels.

You can see television shows and movies about angels. For example, one popular TV show for many years was “Touched by an Angel.” This show was about angels who had come down in human form to help people facing crossroads in their lives.

A movie that was quite popular was “Michael,” starring John Travolta. This movie is about two reporters from a Chicago-based tabloid, along with an 'angel expert', who travel to rural Iowa to investigate a claim from an old woman that she shares her house with the real, live archangel named Michael. Upon arrival, they see that her claims are true - but Michael is not what they expected: he smokes, drinks beer, has a very active libido and has a rather colorful vocabulary. In fact, they would never believe he was an angel except for the two feathery wings protruding from his back. Michael agrees to travel to Chicago with the threesome, but what they don't realize is that the journey they are about to undertake will change their lives forever.

There is a book titled: “The Secret World of Angels,” In it, Daphne S. Reed says this in her introduction:

"Two-way communication with Spirit is an astonishing supernatural phenomenon. It is even more rare to find that one can not only receive and send letters, but can also receive creative art work from that Invisible Source. My book narrates how this life-altering experience began and developed. It reproduces the most important teachings and mysterious art work received from Spirit. My self-identified angelic entities spoke of the universal system of creation, life as it is lived on the Other Side, and how those in the Invisible Dimension relate to us as physical beings on earth. In these pages, you will find much previously unheard-of, startling food for thought, as well as some admittedly controversial disclosures that will shock orthodox believers. Simply put, you will read about the unseen and unknown spirit kingdom that exists beyond the physical world, as described by the invisible Beings who told me they were Angels. This information may awe you. Know that I, too, was awed and remain so to this day."

Angels are real, but we can be greatly led astray if we are not careful. I

encourage and implore you to go no farther than the Bible when seeking to understand who angels are, and why they exist.

III. Angels’ Powers- (Ezekiel 28:17; Ephesians 6:12)

a. Angels- The Bible speaks of the great supernatural power of God’s holy

angels. As people of faith, who believe and trust in God through Christ, we should believe in these beings and in their power. We should seek to understand that to the eye of those who believe, there are many evidences of this supernatural display of power and glory. We must sense the angelic glory that God has placed around us. We must know that these angelic beings surpass the power of the demons.

As we continue in our series, we will discover together that when we believe, we can expect these powerful angels to accompany us in our life experiences. There will be times in our lives when we can’t explain how something happened, other than there must have been some “other” power involved. This power could very well have come from an angel.

The Bible tells us that angels speak. They appear and reappear. They are emotional creatures. While angels may become visible, their normal state to us is invisible, just like the dimensions of a nuclear field, or the structure of atoms. Our ability to sense them is limited.

Without God’s help, we cannot see an angel. God allows a deer in the forest to have keenness of smell. Bats possess a built-in radar system. Some animals can see things in the dark that escape our attention. Swallows and geese possess sophisticated guidance systems. So if God can do this for these animals, God can, if He wills, help us to see an angel. Reports from around the world are known about stories of visiting angels appearing, ministering, fellowshipping and then disappearing. These angels share God’s love, or they meet a desperate need, and then they are gone. And the truth of angels, is that even though they are powerful, and come from the glory of heaven, they do not dispel glory to themselves, but to God.

But if God chooses to not let us see an angel, they are still real.

b. Demons- But just as there are godly angels, there are also demonic angels.

As I spoke about on Easter Sunday, long ago there was a revolt. One third of the angels decided to go with Satan, and warfare between God and Satan, the angels and the demons, ensued. Because pride entered Lucifer’s heart, he began to believe he had been cheated somehow. He didn’t want to be just a small part of the Story; he wanted the Story to be about him. He coveted the throne; he wanted to be the star. He wanted worship and adoration for himself.

As Ezekiel 28:17 says- “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty; and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.” And so Satan disturbs the peace of heaven by his and the other demons rebellion, and a battle in the heavenly realms is established. Satan and the demons are thrown out of heaven, and because of their anger, they seek to get revenge on God by seeking revenge on God’s people. Paul says it to us like this in Ephesians 6:12-“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Unfortunately, demonic activity and Satan worship are on the rise in all parts of the world. The devil is alive and active. The Bible tells us that since he knows that the time is short, his activity will increase. By his demonic influences, he does get people to turn away from the true faith.

But the good news is that even the smallest and weakest of angels can outdo Satan and the demons. I want to read to you a portion of the book This Present Darkness, to illustrate this point. (In this passage, Triskal is an angel, Rafar is a powerful demon, and Mary is the human who is involved in this spiritual struggle)...

“Rafar watched Triskal, amused, “Oh, I see you are here to protect her. From what? Did you expect to swat mere flies?” Triskal had no answer. Rafar’s tone became cruel and cutting. “No, you are mistaken little angel. It is a much greater power with whom you have to do.”….Triskal immediately felt the iron hands of two demons clamping his arms from behind. He looked toward Mary. She was looking for the key to the car door…Another demon stretched out his sword and pierced the hood of the car. Mary tried to start the engine. Nothing happened.

Rafar looked toward the nearby Laundromat that faced the parking lot. A young, greasy-looking character stood in front of it, leaning against a post. Triskal could tell the man was possessed by one of Rafar’s henchmen…At Rafar’s nod, the demons went into action and the man started walking toward Mary’s car. …Mary checked her lights….What on earth was the matter? She saw the young character coming her way from the direction of the Laundromat.. As Triskal watched helplessly, the demons guided the man up to the car window.

‘Hey, cutie,’ he said, “having some trouble here?’ She called through the window, ‘Uh…no thanks. I’m all right.’ He only smirked, eyeing her up and down as he said, ‘Why don’t you open up and let me see what I can do?’

The man leaned against the window and his breath fogged the glass.

Rafar breathed sulfur right into Triskal’s face as he said, ‘And now little angel, ….Where is your captain?’ Triskal did not answer.

The man tried the latch on Mary’s door. She was terrified….He tried every door, a leering smile on his face. Mary tried the horn again. A demon had already taken care of that—it didn’t work.

Triskal finally spoke, “The brake…” Rafar leaned closer, “I didn’t hear you.”

Triskal repeated it. Mary had a flash. The car was parked on an incline. It would get the car moving. She released the parking brake and the car started to roll. The creep hadn’t expected this and was thrown aside. He tried to move in front of the car, but at this, a husky contractor noticed what was happening and hollered at the man.

Rafar finally gave in as he ordered the demons to stop. Triskal saw that Mary would make it down the hill. So did Rafar. As he took his knife blade away from Triskal’s throat he said: “Well done, little angel. You have spared your charge…”

Conclusion: Angels are real, and they are nearer than we might think. The angels are vigorous in their efforts to deliver up God’s people to salvation, and to help them from evil. As Psalm 91:11-12 says, “(God has given) his angels charge of you, to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Let us take courage and know that God has created angels to not only serve Him, but to do His work, and to help His Kingdom come. When we believe and trust, we can find strength in this knowledge. Amen.