"Where's Your Commitment?"

Ten Commandment Series

Sunday, June 3, 2007; Exodus 20:1-6

Introduction: The life of faith is a journey. It is a movement from point A to point B, and then from point B to point C, and so on. As we grow in our faith, we move forward in this journey. This is why the story of Israel’s wandering in the desert, moving from bondage to freedom, is so important to you and me. We see that we have something in common with the Israelites.

As we see the Israelites gain their freedom from Pharaoh and the Egyptians, you would think that they would be rejoicing since they are no longer slaves. But in some ways, to them the desert was worse. They preferred what was known, where they would sleep, their work (even though they were slaves and mistreated), as opposed to the unknown of wandering through the desert. Like the Israelites, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we move from bondage of sin, to freedom in Christ (having our sins not counted against us). And yet, in this freedom, there is a sense of wandering and unknown, and so we struggle to rejoice in our freedom as well.

It is interesting to see that most people would struggle to name the 10 commandments. So how can we expect to live them out if we don’t know them? Over the next few weeks we will look at what the 10 commandments have to say to us, and how and why they are important.

I. No Other God- (Exodus 20:1-3; Eph. 4”4-6; Matthew 22:36-37)

a. What is important?- Illus. “All Points Bulletin,” More Hot

Illustrations, p. 30. There are many cars stolen in California every year. But several years ago there was a car theft that not only made the evening news, but was the lead story. After the car was stolen, the police put out an all-points bulletin for the stolen car. Why did this car theft get so much attention? Well, it seems that in the front seat of the car, there was a box of crackers laced with a deadly poison. The owner of the car was going to use the crackers as rat bait. So the police were desperately searching for the car not only to catch the thief, but also to save his life.

As we begin our series in the 10 commandments, we see that the commandments are not just rules that tell us what to do, they are not just laws that try to keep up safe, but they are put there to save our life, and to keep us from getting into more trouble. God knew that the Israelites would be in trouble on their own if they didn’t have these rules. But even more, these commandments were designed to give them freedom by establishing boundaries. Without boundaries, there is chaos in life, and when chaos reigns, there is no joy in life.

So God sets up spiritual boundaries for us to follow and

does so with the guidelines of the 10 commandments.

It is not hard to see that Americans have an interest in spirituality. Even though there is great materialism in our society, it hasn’t overshadowed the desire of people to seek the spiritual. In fact, most Americans say that their religious faith is very important in their life. Two-thirds say that their most important purpose in life is to love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. However, a closer look at people’s lifestyles calls into question the sincerity of their commitment. People say it is important, but they don’t show it is important by how they live.

The Barna Study Group has been exploring the nation’s religious behavior since 1984 and discovered that biblical perspectives are changing? How are they changing? People’s beliefs, more and more, are shifting away from traditional biblical beliefs. Those who believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and the perfect creator has gone down from 71% of people to 66%. In regards to Jesus, only 37% believe that Jesus didn’t sin. And only 45% strongly agree that the Bible is accurate in all the principles that it teaches.

Along with these beliefs, we have behavior, which is sometimes an even stronger gauge of people’s commitment. In 2007, it was discovered that people are less likely to volunteer in church (only 22% do). Only 43% attended a church service in the last week, and only 41% read their bible outside of church. On top of this, only 19% participate in a bible study group, and even though there is a solid number of people who claim to be Christians (83%), only 49% of those people say they are absolutely committed to Christianity.

b. God’s rank- So what are we to make of all of this? I believe it

shows that people are not that committed to their faith, to God, or living out the commandments. In Exodus 20:1-3 we are told, “Then God spoke all these words: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.’”

God starts the 10 commandments by reminding the Israelites that there are many gods in this world that can be worshipped, but there is only one true God. The One true God is the one who brought them out of their slavery. For us, our slavery was our inclination to give in to our sinful desires. Through Christ God has freed us from our sin. Because God has done this for the Israelites, and for us, then we should hold fast to our faith and worship God; the One true God.

Paul affirms this for us in Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith…one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

So I ask us this question now: “What is the most important thing in your life; in my life?” Now, since we are in church it might be easy to shout out: GOD. It is like the little story of the Sunday school teacher, who was teaching a lesson on Easter Sunday, and she asks the question: What is small, furry, and has a little cotton tail? A girl raises her hand and says, ‘Well, it sounds an awful lot like a rabbit, but I know the answer is Jesus!’ When people think of what is most important, they often quickly answer their spouse, children, or God. But remember, how we live doesn’t always mesh with what we say we value.

Here’s a second question: “If you were to rate the importance of things in your life, where would God rank?” Again, we want to jump up quickly and say that God ranks first. But does this hold true in the way you live?

This first commandment says to us that in ranking, God should be first.

In his book “Now A Word From Our Creator,” Leslie Flynn says this about the 10 commandments: “The Ten Commandments may seem narrow, but so does every runway on airports around the world. Yet no passenger wants their pilot to miss the narrow runway and land a few yards off the mark in some field or waterway or row of houses. The narrow ribbon of pavement is really the broad way that leads to a safe, comfortable landing. So the seemingly rigid Decalogue guides us to happy, fulfilled living.” (Swindoll, …Tardy Oxcart, p. 47)

God should be first on our list; first above all other things. There are many things in this world that sometimes becomes first, but in our heart and mind, God is to always be first. That is why when summing up the Ten Commandments with the 2 Great commands, Jesus told us to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, strength, and soul.

Now does this mean that our spouse, children, family, etc… are not important? Of course not. But our Creator, the God of this world, the One true God, is the One, and the only One, who is worthy of being worshipped, praised, and given honor.

General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, was asked the secret of his amazing Christian life. Booth answered: “I told the Lord that He could have all that there is of William Booth.” (Illus. Unlimited, #6, p. 98)

When the Lord says ‘You shall have no other gods before me,’ the Lord is asking us for total commitment. We should not let ourselves be satisfied by just coming to church every so often. We should not let ourselves be satisfied with reading the Bible every so often. To commit ourselves to God, means to not only commit our lives, but our spouse, our marriage, our kids, our grandkids, our job, our health, our money, our talents, and everything else we possess to God. And we should say: “God, this is all yours. Give me the wisdom to know how to love and appreciate all that I have and all that I am!”

We show the Lord He is number 1 when we seek to serve in the ways God tugs on our heart and leads us. Whether it be in the church or another organization that seeks to further the Kingdom of God. We can only truly be happy when we know that we are serving God faithfully with all of our heart, mind, and strength.

Until God has first place in our lives, we will struggle with following God and being obedient to Him. We will struggle with following any of the subsequent commands until we understand and begin to apply this first command.

Bob Pierce once said: “God gently leads His children along. But me, He yanks!”

Whether God gently leads you or yanks you, to have ‘no other gods’ means to follow faithfully each day of your life.

II. No Idols- (Exodus 20:4-6)

a. Building on the foundation- Illustration: “There is a story of a lady

who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother who lived in another part of the country. As she walked up to the postal clerk, the clerk asked her if there was anything breakable in her package. She thought for a moment and then responded: “Only the Ten Commandments.”

As we have talked about the first commandment (You shall have no other gods before me), we use this as a foundation to think about the second commandment (You shall not make for yourself an idol…). And as we move into talking about this second command, keep in mind that we need to know them, but know them in a way that moves us to keep them. These commands are holy words from God to us; words that keep us on the right path of living.

Now when you hear these words about idols what do you think of? In Exodus 32:1-5 read this: “When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, ‘Come, make gods for us who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ Aaron said to them, ‘Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.’ So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought your up out of the land of Egypt!’ When Aaron say this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, ‘Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.’”

Now before we attack the Israelites, let’s remember that the people hadn’t been given the 10 commandments yet. Moses was in the process of receiving them from God. As the people waited for Moses, they wondered about their future.

b. Idols- They grew tired and weary and impatient. They wanted

something tangible. So they joined together in force around Aaron, Aaron who was in charge while Moses was gone, and they demanded for him to make them an idol. The people wanted something that was visible and present.

We see here several things: first, they were susceptible to worshipping other gods; that is why God makes the first command “You shall have no other gods before me.” Second, in their impatience and weariness, they were speaking lightly of Moses, as they said, “as for this Moses..” Moses had given himself fully over to them as their leader, and even at that moment was serving them by getting the 10 commandments. Without Moses’ courage and obedience to this call, they would still be slaves. But that wasn’t enough for them. Does this mean it is never easy to be a leader for God, to the people? Probably so.

Third, it wasn’t convenient for them to worship God, the One who had saved them, so any god would be fine with them. They had just come from Egypt, a land that worshipped many gods, and so they were giving themselves over to the influence of the culture in which they had come out of; One god wasn’t enough for them, they wanted to worship more. Maybe it was like having an insurance policy, just in case the God who saved them was done being available to them.

Now in regards to Aaron, who knows if Aaron was just going along with them out of fear, thinking that he would buy time while he waited for Moses, or if he was doing this for them, hoping after it was done they would see their foolishness and would realize that it would be better to wait for Moses to worship God and not this golden calf, or if Aaron was impatient along with them. But Aaron built this golden calf, and the people built an altar and worshipped the golden calf.

It is easy for us to think of this story about Aaron and the Israelites, and exclude ourselves from this. But God gave us this commandment about idols because He knows that we are prone to idol worship as well. We can’t exclude ourselves, because we too have this tendency. In fact, in the Presbyterian Book of Order, it says humans have a “tendency to idolatry and tyranny.”

We can worship images, people, and even objects. It could be the worship of money, the worship of a particular job or position, the worship of a particular person, or even a possession we own. We can even worship the Bible or a religious artifact such as the cross. Think about how movie stars, rock stars, and athletes are revered. People long to get close enough just to touch them or get their autograph. For some people it is a religious experience; one of the greatest moments of their lives.

Things and people can have a special meaning for us, but these things should never replace God in our lives. We should never rely on these people or objects to save us, or to be our hope. We should never worship them or make them out to be more than God is. As I said before, God alone deserves our worship and brings us hope. Let us not have any idols in our lives, and if we do, let us seek to rid our lives of them!

Conclusion: Somebody once figured out that we have 35 million laws that help us to enforce the 10 Commandments. 35 million! That is astounding. Wouldn’t we do better to know and apply diligently these 10? As we look at the 10 Commandments, we should not see them as rules or laws that limit us, but rather as a reminder of God’s constant presence and love in our lives. Even though the 10 Commandments, at times, remind us of our sinful nature, our inability to live up to the law, it even more shows us how God loves us enough to teach us how to live by setting for us appropriate boundaries.

Today we looked at commands 1 and 2: “You shall have no gods before me.” AND “You shall not make for yourself an idol…” These are 2 of the 4 commands that tell us how to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Next week we will look at the other 2. MAY we allow the commandments to lead us out of our bondage to sin, and into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God. Amen.

"God's Presence Today"
Ephesians 6:10-18; Acts 2:1-4
Pentecost Sunday, May 27, 2007

Introduction: Story: There is a monastery in Greece perched high on a cliff, several hundred feet in the air. The only way to reach the monastery is to be suspended in a basket which is pulled to the top by several monks who pull and tug with all their strength. Obviously, the ride up the steep cliff in that basket is terrifying. One day, while riding in the basket, a tourist got exceedingly nervous about half-way up as he noticed that the rope by which he was suspended was old and frayed. With a
trembling voice, he asked the monk who was riding with him in the basket how often they changed the rope. The monk thought for a moment and answered serenely, "Whenever it breaks."
All too often, we forget about God’s presence in our lives until we reach a breaking point. Then we cry out to God for help. As long as we remain arrogant and determined to do things our own way, God can’t shape us and mold us. We are reminded in Psalm 34:18 that “the Lord is close to the broken hearted.”

So as we celebrate PENTECOST Sunday today, which is the reminder of God sending us His Holy Spirit, we are going to talk about God’s presence in our lives.

I. God Sends Angels- (1 Corinthians 4:9; Ephesians 6:12, 4:27

James 4:7)

a. Angles as spectators- We have been talking about God’s angels for

the last 6 weeks. We have learned much, about how they are created beings, their purpose is to serve God, and to serve us as God directs. They are protectors and messengers, communicators and ministers. Their goal is to see that God’s will is done in our lives and in the world.

And so today, I want us to understand that God sends His angels on our behalf. BUT, there is always a time and a purpose for which God sends His angels. Until this time, the angels watch us. As the apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 4:9, “For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men.” Now it might be a little disconcerting to think that the angels are watching us, but it shouldn’t be, because they are watching with anticipation, until that time God sends them to help us, or rescue us, or comfort us, or guide us!

As God’s angels have watched the drama of this age unfold, they have seen the Christian church established and grow. The angels are observing firsthand the building of the body of the church in all places; even this very hour. But what do you think they are thinking as they watch us? Are they observing us as we stand fast in our faith? Or are they disheartened by the seeming lack of commitment so many Christians have to their faith and the church?

I know our church isn’t perfect, and our faith isn’t either. But I am amazed at how I see people get frustrated about something, and then just disappear without seeking to resolve their frustration or their conflict. This is not what God wants of us. But even more, when people leave, they usually don’t leave to go to another church, they just stop going to church! What do the angels, and what does God think of this? In this sense, we have been made a spectacle.

Our certainty that angels right now witness how we are walking through life should mightily influence the decisions we make. God is watching, and His angels are interested spectators too. And when we make good and right decisions, when we seek to be unified, when we serve others in the name of God, they are there, cheering. Wouldn’t it be great to hear this cheering, just like you would in a sporting event?

We are given the charge to live righteously in our lives. This is sobering, because it is a daily struggle for us to live in right ways. As Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:21, “I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.” Paul was trying to stir Timothy up to get him to live right. The angels are watching with great hope and have great satisfaction when we live for Christ faithfully.

b. Angels as assistants- EX. In the early days of World War II,

Britain’s air force saved it from invasion and defeat. In her book “Tell No Man,” Adela Rogers St. John describes something strange that happens. At an event honoring Air Chief Marshal Lord Hugh Dowding, Dowding told about airmen who were on a mission, and were hit. Some were incapacitated and some were dead, but their planes kept flying and fighting. The air chief marshal said he believed that angels had actually flown some of the planes for the dead pilots… This would be difficult to prove, but we do know from the Bible that the angels do assist us in our lives.

God sends angels to us to help us to victory over evil. As we read 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.” Lucifer controls many principalities, powers and dominions. He is already gathering the nations of the world for the last great battle in the war against Christ, which is the battle of Armageddon.

But the battle has already been won by Christ. It is a foregone conclusion that Christ and His followers will be victorious. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:22, “who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” But Satan doesn’t want to give up, so he is giving it his all to lead people away from God, and to his side.

And yet you might want to say: “This is all well and good that the final battle is a foregone conclusion, but until that happens it doesn’t help me because I have to contend with Satan every day.” The Bible tells us how to get victory over the devil. Ephesians 4:27 says: “Do not give the devil a foothold.” In other words, don’t leave any vacant places in your heart for him. And James tells us in James 4:7, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

But giving our heart fully to God and resisting, is only part of the story. The good news is that we are not in the battle alone. God sends His angels to be a powerful part of this battle. God’s holy angels are appointed to guard us. And even more, we are to rely on the presence of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

II. God Sent the Holy Spirit- (John 15, 15-16, 16:7; Acts 2:1-4; Eph. 6:18)

a. The Promise- EX. You have probably heard the story where there

is a man sitting on the top of his roof because of flooding all around him. First, a man in a boat comes by and offers to help him. “No,” the man on the roof says, “it looks too crowded in there. Besides, I’m trusting God to help me.” Next, a power boat comes by offering to help. The man again refuses, saying that God will help him. Finally, a helicopter comes by and drops a rope offering to help. Again the man shouts out that he is okay, God will rescue him. In the meantime the water continues to rise. Ultimately the man drowns and goes to heaven. When the man comes before God, he is a little perturbed with God. “Lord,” he says, “I trusted you to help me, and yet I drowned.” And God looks at the man and says: “What do you mean, I did help you, I sent you a row boat, a power boat and a helicopter!”

God has given us a great amount of help in life, and one of the greatest provisions is the Holy Spirit. In the gospel of John, chapter 14, Jesus is telling His disciples that He is going to be leaving them soon. Jesus tells them that when He leaves, they will not be left alone, but that the Spirit of God will be with them. And then Jesus tells them that the Holy Spirit will be an Advocate for them, a helper, and He will be a counselor to them, and He will convict them of their sin, and He will lead them in the ways of God and guide them into the truth of God.

In fact, Jesus tells them that it is for their good (and for our good) that Jesus leaves the earth; John 16:7, “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” This is part of the gift of Christ to us by His death and resurrection. Because of the death of Christ on the cross, we were made righteous. Without this act, we could not have the Spirit of God dwell within us.

And so as we go through life, we can know that God has not left us alone, but lives within us by His Spirit. His Spirit is there to give us wisdom, courage, and understanding. As Jesus tells us in John 14:15-16, ¹⁵"If you love me, you will obey what I command. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” How could Jesus ask us to obey the commands? It is because the Holy Spirit is there to counsel and guide us.

The Holy Spirit is also there for us to call upon. In Ephesians 6:18 we read, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying…”

b. The Reality- EX: Loneliness is a growing problem in our society. A

study by the American Council of Life Insurance reported that the most lonely group in America are college students. That's surprising! But next on the list are divorced people, welfare recipients, single mothers, rural students, housewives, and the elderly. I can imagine that the disciples were feeling some twinges of loneliness as Jesus was telling them He was going to be going away. In fact, I think Jesus sensed this, that is why in John 14:1 He says- “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God.”

And so, the deposit that is given to us by God so that we will trust, is the Holy Spirit. God sent His Spirit to us so that we might not have any reason to be lonely. In the Holy Spirit we have One who will be a comforter to us in troubled times. And yet, until we experience the presence of the Holy Spirit, there is always some doubt.

This is why the Day of Pentecost is so important. This Day is the mani-festation of Jesus’ promise. It is the proof that God is here with us. Now while the Holy Spirit is invisible, there was visible proof that the Holy Spirit had come. Hear again from Acts 2:2-4, “²Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”/ If you didn’t catch it at the first reading, let me highlight it for you.

First, there was a sound. The sound I’m sure woke them up to the possibility that something was happening. The sound was like a violent wind. If this is true, then there must have been some things being blown around them. Then they saw what “appeared” to be tongues of fire, and it rested on each of them. Maybe this was a warmth that enveloped them, and it would have been noticeable. Then they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Could that have been felt? I’m not sure. Maybe it was some kind of tingling. I know that there are times when I am praying, and a tingling comes over my whole body. I feel like it is God’s Spirit moving over me. And finally, they speak. They don’t speak in their native language, they speak in another tongue. I myself speak in tongues, and when I do, you know it is not a language I have learned. These followers of Christ experienced something profound, noticeable, and visible. After this happened, they remembered Jesus’ words, and experienced that fulfilling of Jesus’ promise, that the Holy Sprit, the Spirit of God would come!!

God promised that the Holy Spirit would be sent. And the Day of Pentecost is the proof that the Holy Spirit was sent, to the disciples, and to all those after who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

III. God Sends us- (Ephesians 6:10-17)

a. Sent out- Illus. Tyler got a game last Christmas called STRATEGO.

What was fun about this, is it was a game I loved to play as a junior higher. The way you play the game is you have different pieces with various numbers, ranging from 2 to 10. The 10 can take any other piece except another 10. So the higher pieces take the lower pieces. The object is to move to get the other person’s flag. You also have pieces that are called “scouts.” The scouts are a 2, and cannot take anyone. But they are the only piece that can move more than 1 square. So they do have an important position in the game. Let’s say that your opponent is moving a piece toward your 9. What piece is it? If it is a 10, you will lose your 9. So you can jump a scout ahead to check out what the piece is. In this way, you can plan what to do next.

God sends us out, just like the Holy Spirit was sent out, and just like the angels are sent out. We are sent out with a purpose. Sometimes we might feel like a scout. We might feel like we don’t have much power, and thus we don’t feel like we have much purpose. We are not an angel. We are not the Holy Spirit. We are just like a lowly scout. But God has given us a purpose. And to carry out this purpose, we have been filled with God’s Spirit, and are watched over by God’s angels.

b. Our purpose- So let’s go back to Ephesians 6:10-17 and look at

what this passage says to us about our purpose.

1. First, we are told to be strong in the Lord. We can be

strong in the Lord because we have the Spirit of God within us. So we have the power of God available to us. And we have been given armor as protection, and to help us to stand strong.

2. Second, we are told to stand against evil. There is much

evil around us. But all too often we ignore the evil, or fail to speak out against the evil. This is one reason why evil prevails. Everything we say and do these days is supposed to be “politically correct.” If you do or say anything that is against what is politically correct, then you are ridiculed or labeled as being afraid of whatever it is you are speaking against. But no matter whether it is politically correct or not, if it falls under the category of “evil,” then we must stand against it. We can stand against it by what we say, by how we vote, and by what we allow to be part of our lives.

3. Third, we have the belt of truth so that we can speak the

truth, and live the truth. By this, we are giving an example of what God would have us to believe and do, and hopefully this gives an alternate example against the evil that is being practiced.

4. Fourth, is proclaiming the gospel. Jesus has given us the

purpose of telling others about God’s word, God’s ways, and God’s love. We must let God give us the courage to speak this to others. It is not uncommon for us to find ourselves in a conversation where we can talk about what the Bible says. We must take advantage of these opportunities.

5. Fifth is peace. There is too much fighting and conflict in

our world. Unfortunately, it is in the church as well. We must find a way to be reconciled, and we must find a way to live in peace with each other. How can we talk about God’s love and peace if we cannot live it out ourselves in the church?

6. Last is salvation. I say it all the time, but that is because it

is so important. We who know what it is to be saved, to believe in Jesus Christ, need to let those who aren’t saved know how they can be saved. It is a simple but powerful message: We have done wrong. This wrong keeps us out of heaven. Jesus died on the cross to take away this wrong and to bring us back to God. By saying we are sorry for our wrong, and saying we believe it is Jesus who takes our wrongs away, we are saved. We all can know this message well enough to tell others!

Conclusion: Today is about the coming of the Holy Spirit to those who believe in Jesus Christ. Have you experienced God’s Spirit living within you? Have you experienced the power of God flowing through you? If not, I encourage you to come to the Alpha retreat, which will be held here in our Fellowship Hall on Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16 (see your insert flyer for more details). Even more, you can experience God’s presence and power by giving yourself over to God. Praise God for Jesus’ death and resurrection, not only bringing us salvation, but bringing us the presence of His Spirit to reside and work within us. Amen.

"How Do Angels Compare To Us?"
from Billy Graham's "Angels"
Hebrews 1:5-14
Sunday, May 20, 2007

Introduction: Our world is built on hierarchy. In our government you have the President, then the vice-president, and so on. In companies you have the same kind of structure. But not only do you have the President and vice-president of the company, but you also have supervisors who oversee the employees on a day-to-day basis. In sports you have the owner, and the general manager, and the manager, and then the coaches who assist the manager. We are accustomed in our world to think in hierarchical structures.

So, when we come to the structure of creation, we think in these terms as well. And we wonder about the question: “How do angels compare to us?” Where do we fit in the hierarchical structure of God’s creation? We know that we are higher than the animals, because we have been given charge over all things. But what about the angels? This morning, I want to talk about this structure, and the relationship between us and God’s angels. I want us to see how in some ways we appear to be lower than the angels, but in other ways we are higher.

I. Heirs of God- (Romans 8:17;; Luke 20:36, 15:10; John 1:12;

Hebrews 1:13-14, 2:5-9; 1 Corinthians 12:3)

a. God as Father- The Bible tells us that God has made man “a little

lower than the angels.” Yet, it also says angels are ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to us. This kind of sounds like a contradiction. On the one hand, they are a little higher in the order, but, they serve us. How can this be explained?

As I said before, we are head over all the creatures of our earthly world; but we are lower than angels with respect to our bodies and to our place here on earth. In his book “Institutes,” John Calvin said: “The angels are the dispensers and administrators of the Divine beneficence toward us; they regard our safety, undertake our defense, direct our ways, and exercise a constant (watch) that no evil befall us.”

God commands His angels to help men and women, since they will be made higher than the angels at the resurrection. As Luke 20:36 tells us, “and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.” Here we have the distinction of learning that we are God’s children, and angels do not have this place.

And so God is not called “Father” to the angels. This is because the angels who are in heaven have not sinned, and therefore do not need to be redeemed. The angels who have sinned and are not in heaven, cannot call God Father because they cannot be redeemed. This is an interesting part of the creation. We, who sin, can be redeemed, but the angels who have sinned cannot. God has not made a provision for the angels to be saved. This could perhaps be answered by the fact that they chose to sin when there was no sin, and so their sinful state cannot be altered. But even if they could, they would not want to call God Father because Lucifer is their Father. They are in revolt against God and will not accept His sovereign lordship.

Yet even the holy angels, who might like to call God, Father, could do so only in loose terms. As creator, God is the father of all created beings. But this term “Father” in the Bible is usually reserved for those who are lost and need to be redeemed. So in reality of the term, those who are not saved cannot call God “Father.” It is similar to how God tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ “and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” God is only the “Father,” to those who have accepted Jesus as Lord, and in this God becomes our Father. That is why Jn. 1:12 tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” So we hold this special place in God’s kingdom.

b. God’s Grace- The Bible tells us that when we accept Jesus Christ

as our Savior and Lord, we become “joint heirs” (Romans 8:17) through this redemption. Angels are not able to be joint heirs. And so when we get to heaven, and the believers are introduced to their boundless, eternal riches, the angels will stand off to the side.

Now we shouldn’t feel sad for the angels, because we have to remember that the angels in heaven have never lost their original glory or their spiritual relationship with God. The angels won’t have feelings of jealousy. They have an exalted place in heaven, and are a part of the royal order of God’s creation.

While we aren’t able to be in God’s presence here on earth, as the angels are, when we meet with other believers at church, it represents the highest order of the love of God. Being a believer in Christ, is an important endeavor, that is why Luke 15:10 tells us that when someone accepts Christ, there is rejoicing by the angels in heaven. And when we gather together in church, it is God’s family of believers coming together to experience God’s love, and to share God’s love.

And this experience of being saved is something the angels can’t understand fully, because they themselves will not ever experience it; they cannot testify to that which they haven’t personally experienced. They can point to those who have been saved; they can rejoice when others are saved; but they don’t know what it is like to be saved. Because we have experienced this salvation, we can testify to others around us of what this experience is like. That is why every month I try to have a testimony, so that we can be blessed by what God has done in our lives, and we can share in the rejoicing that the angels and heaven does. So angels, as great as they are, cannot testify to salvation the same way as those of us who have experienced it.

II. Power- (2 Samuel 14:20; Mark 13:32; 2 Thessalonians 1:7;

2 Peter 2:11; Psalm 103:20)

Objects of power: There are many things that represent power. Extension chord; glasses; credit card; car key. Also, gavel for a

judge, or the “veto” of the President.

a. Knowledge- You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Knowledge is

power.” And if this is true, then angels have more power than us, because they have greater knowledge than us. When King David was being urged to bring Absalom to Jerusalem, Joab asked a woman of Teloah to talk to the king. She said: “My Lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.” (2 Samuel 14:20) And angels possess knowledge that men do not have.

And yet, with all of their knowledge, we know that they are no “all knowing” like God. They do not know everything. Jesus bore testimony of this in reference to His second coming in Mark 13:32, when He said: “But of that day and that hour knows no man, no not the angels which are in heaven.” Angels know things about ourselves that we probably don’t know, because they are “ministering spirits” and receive knowledge from God. They are also trusted with more knowledge, because they can be trusted with the knowledge they have, since their purpose is to see God’s will carried out in our lives.

b. Strength- But when we think of power, we also think of strength.

A “power hitter” in baseball is someone who is big and strong and can hit the ball far for a home run. A “power struggle” is when two opponents or parties challenge for control. The winner is the one who is stronger and gains control of the power.

Angels enjoy far greater power than people. But just as they weren’t all knowing like God, so they are not “all powerful” like God either. In 2 Thessalonians 1:7, Paul refers to the “mighty angels of God.” From the word translated “mighty” we get the English word dynamite. In material power, angels are God’s dynamite! In 2 Peter 2:11, we read, “angels who are greater in might and power [than men] do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.” It is also important to note that it took only 1 angel to slay the firstborn of all of Egypt in Moses’ day, and only one angel to shut the lions’ mouths for Daniel.

In Psalm 103:20 King David speaks about God’s “angels that excel in strength.” Nowhere in Scripture is that strength manifested more dramatically than in the climax of this age, which is seen in the Battle of Armageddon. Following this battle, there is a picture of what will happen to Satan: He is to be bound and cast into a bottomless pit. But what power, apart from God Himself can do this to Satan; whose power we know about and whose evil we have experienced? The Bible says that one angel will come from heaven. He will have a great chain in his hand. He will lay hold of Satan and bind him with that chain. And then he will cast him into the pit. HOW GREAT IS THE POWER OF ONE OF GOD’S MIGHTY ANGELS!

III. Worship- (Revelation 5:11-13)

a. Singing- It is interesting how when people talk about worship, one

of the first things that come to mind is singing. For many people, singing and worship are almost synonymous terms. Now I know that there are many people who don’t like to sing. And so if worship and singing are synonymous, then worship will lose much of its enjoyment for them. Maybe they don’t like to sing because music isn’t that special to them. But usually, it is because they struggle to sing well.

However, most people, even if they don’t have a good voice, like to sing. And so we wonder if this is an earthly desire, or do angels sing as well? Down the course of time, it has been believed that angels can and do sing. In the play Hamlet, William Shakespeare seemed to underscore this possibility when he stated: “Now cracks a noble heart, Good night, sweet prince;/ and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

However, there are some Bible scholar who insist that angels do not sing. This seems preposterous since angels offer glorious praise to God. I mean, music is the universal language. We are told in Revelations 5:11-12, “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹²In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” It is possible that there is a form of heavenly music unlike our music here on earth. Whether you understand music or not, you can appreciate good music when you hear it. In fact, you know when you are hearing good music or not. Whether it is rock music, or jazz music, or opera, or classical, you can tell if music is good or not.

And so if there are different kinds of music on earth, then why wouldn’t there be a different kind of music in heaven. And before we can understand the music of heaven, we have to be willing to go beyond our earthly concept of music. I am sure that the music of heaven will be far more glorious than we have ever known on earth, and that if you couldn’t sing here on earth, you will be able to in heaven.

And we can see that singing is important to angels as well, as it is a primary way that they express their praise to God. Revelation 5:13 tells us: “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

b. Worship- So angels sing like us. They also worship like us. The

Bible is very clear that angels ascribe honor and glory to the Lamb of God; who is Jesus. But angels do not spend all their time in heaven. They are not “all present” like God is. They can only be in one place at any given time. They are busy carrying out God’s orders and God’s will. So they are not always before the throne of God giving God praise and honor. But when they are before the throne of God, they worship their creator.

And yet, as I talk about worship, it is important to understand a bit more about worship. As I said before, many people liken worship to singing. Or if it isn’t just singing, worship is coming to church. But worship is so much more than this. And so many people fall short of understanding worship.

The great preacher A. W. Tozer once said about worship: “Worship is the missing jewel of the evangelical church.” And it is true. Worship is missing in the lives of so many Christians and so many churches. Until we understand worship, we will struggle to worship. And people misunderstand worship, because they think worship is something that comes to you. You go to church, you hear the choir, the hymns, the Scripture, the sermon. And if these are done well, then maybe you are moved a bit, and you feel good about your worship experience. How often have you heard someone say: “Well, I just didn’t get anything out of worship.”?

Worship is something we give ourselves to, and it is our connecting ourselves with God. If you don’t get much out of worship, it is because you haven’t given yourself over to worship. Worship is about encountering the “PRESENCE” of the living God, and understanding who God is and how we are to relate to Him.

And so we are to take music, which moves the soul, and the Bible, which speaks to the depths of the soul, and prayer, which draws our spirit to God’s Spirit, and we weave them together. But if you don’t work at bringing yourself to God, and if you don’t open yourself to connect with God, then you will miss out on the wonder of the worship experience.

Angels worship, because they understand who God is, what God has done, what God is doing, and how it all connects together. Angels come before the throne of God and give praise and honor to God because He deserves it. The worship of angels is about praising God for what they have seen God do, and what God calls them to do on His behalf. As you live your life for God, you will be able to worship when you open your eyes to see all that God has done, is doing, and will do. It is this seeing, this understanding, that allows you and me to stand before God’s throne, as the angels do, and WORSHIP.

Conclusion: So this morning, we have seen that the angels are like us in that they are part of the created order, and like us in how they sing and worship and serve God. They are also like us in that they are working to bring about the Kingdom of God. But they are unlike us, in that they cannot fully understand the grace of God, since they cannot be saved. They are not like us, in that they are not “children of God.” And so, even though angels are stronger, more powerful, more knowledgeable, and can come into the presence of God, they lack some of the intimacy that we can and will have with God. My purpose here this morning is not to try and determine who is better, us or angels, but rather to show that as God’s created beings, we each play a special part in God’s Kingdom, and work together to serve God and worship God, the One who is above all things. So let us leave here this morning with the confidence of knowing that we are special to God. Let us leave here seeking to know God more fully, and worship God more completely, as we understand all the more about God’s created order. Amen.

"Messengers and Protectors"
May 13, 2007
2 Kings 6:13-17; Hebrews 1:14
(from Billy Graham's "Angels")

Introduction: When my kids were younger I used to play the game CandyLand with them. It was a fun game, but also educational. To play the game you draw a card with a color on it, and then move your piece to that color. So by playing the game the kids learned their colors. Also in the stack of cards, were special picture cards with pictures of the CandyLand characters on them (like Plumpy, Queen Frostine, Jolly, and Gramma Nutt). When you drew a picture card, you would move to where that picture was located on the board. The problem was, that sometimes you could be close to the finish, and then draw say a Plumpy card, which would cause you to have to move all the way back to the beginning. So if the kids were struggling, (without their seeing me) I would sometimes put cards in the right order so that they would stay out of trouble, and end up winning the game! This was a simple way for me to watch over them, and yet they never knew I was doing it.

This morning, as we continue in our series on Angels, we see how angels were created by God to minister to us, and protect us. And more often than not, they do this in a way that we are not even aware of their presence, or their help. Since angels are invisible, they can do this without us noticing.

I. Angels as Ministering Spirits- (Hebrews 1:14; Genesis 32:2, 24-30;

Hosea 12:3-4; Exodus 3:2-3, 16-17; Numbers 20:16)

a. Watched over- A truth that we need to understand about our

world is that supernatural forces are at work. It is believed by most Christian leaders, based on the scriptures, that there are unseen demonic forces at work in our world, and these forces are increasing. That is why it feels sometimes that the world is out of control. But we must realize that in the end, righteousness will prevail.

We see this truth in the book of Revelations. We are going through a study on this book at our 9 a.m. Bible study class on Sundays in the Parlor. And I can’t tell you how many times people have said things to me like, “The book of Revelations is scary,” or “The book of revelations is all about Satan and evil.” But the truth is, the book of Revelations is about the battle between God’s angels and the demons. And even more, it is about Jesus Christ as our victor, and about how God will resolve all the conflict. In the end, all who believe will be in heaven with God!!

But until this end, we do have a struggle in this world with evil forces. So God gives us words of comfort in the Bible to let us know that He is watching out for us. As we just read in Hebrews 1:14, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” This is a wonderful verse that lets us know that God watches out for us with His created angels. In fact, God loves us so much, that when He created us, He had already created the angels with a purpose for caring for and ministering to us.

So instead of being afraid of the evil that is around us, we should take comfort in the fact that God is watching over us. This is important, because it does no good to live life in fear. It is important to be safe, but not to live in fear. Live your life with the assurance that you have protection around you. This doesn’t mean that nothing bad will ever happen, but it does mean that we are not alone.

b. Biblical Examples- Let’s take some time to look at biblical

examples of how God ministered to His people using angels.

Example 1: Jacob- The experience of Jacob with angels is a wonderful example of their ministry for God to men. Jacob was the one who was in line to receive the promise of God which was given to Abraham, and then passed on to his son Isaac, who then passed it on to Jacob. From Jacob the 12 tribes of Israel would come. One day, while Jacob was journeying to Canaan, “the angels of God met him; and when Jacob saw them he said, ‘This is God’s army!’” (Genesis 32:2) But the story does not end here. Jacob knew that he had stolen the birthright from Esau, and he knew that he would be seeing Esau soon in his journey. So there was fear from Jacob. The night before Jacob was to meet Esau, he sent his family and servants ahead of him. Then the scriptures say that “a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man…But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go until you bless me….’” Then the man changed his name to Israel and blessed him there. (Genesis 32:24-30)

Through these two experiences God revealed His will for Jacob’s life more fully. Through these two experiences Jacob was comforted in knowing that God was there to protect him. Centuries later, the prophet Hosea gives us more insight into this wrestling experience for Jacob when he says in Hosea 12:3-4, “In the womb he grasped his brother's heel; as a man he struggled with God. ⁴ He struggled with the angel and overcame him…”

Example 2: Moses- For 40 years Moses grew up living in the palace as the adopted son of the Pharaoh. He lived a life of luxury and was given an important position in the kingdom. But after Moses saw an Egyptian guard beating a Hebrew, and knowing that he was a Hebrew, Moses in his anger killed the guard. This caused Moses to have to flee to the desert for safety. While in the desert he became a sheepherder. He did this for the next 40 years. Then one day while he was tending sheep, Moses saw a bush that was on fire, but wasn’t burning up.

Exodus 3:2-3 tells us, “There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.’” And through this experience Moses finds out it is God Himself, and God tells Moses, “¹⁶ Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. ¹⁷ And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites…”

This again shows us that God used angels (or in this case He Himself appeared as an angel) to watch over and care for his people. The presence of angels became known as the “Exodus experience.” As Numbers 20:16 says- “When we cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice and sent an angel, and has brought us forth out of Egypt.” Time and time again in the Bible we see God’s angels ministering to people.

II. Angels as Protectors- (2 Kings 6:14-17; Acts 27:23-25;

Matthew 18:10; Psalm 91:11-12)

But along with ministering, angels help to protect God’s people.

a. Divine protectors- God’s angels often protect His servants from

potential enemies. Consider this from our reading this morning 2 Kings 6:14-17,

^“14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. ¹⁵ When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. ¹⁶ "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." ¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” When Elisha said “those who are with us are more than those who are with them,” he was not talking about people, he was talking about angels! This was an example of God protecting His people in times of hardship and danger.

Another place we see this is in Acts 27:23-25 when Paul is on his way to Rome. Paul and those he is with get in a shipwreck. The people on board become very afraid. So Paul offers words of encouragement to all those on board, when he says, “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'” Paul assured them that they would be kept safe by the protection of one of God’s angels.

There are many who believe that God gives us a guardian angel. It is believed that this happens at our birth. This thinking comes from Matthew 18:10, where Jesus says, “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” So this verse tells us that we each have an angel in heaven who has personal access to the Father in heaven on our behalf. So consequently, we have personal access to God.

b. At work for us- However, the most important characteristic of

angels is not that they have power to exercise control over our lives, or that they are beautiful creatures, but that they work on our behalf. They are motivated by an inexhaustible love for God and are jealous to see that the will of God in Jesus Christ is fulfilled in us. As Psalm 91:11-12 tells us, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

And so as believers in Christ, we should be encouraged and strengthened in knowing that angels are watching our lives, and marking our paths. They are watching to protect the interest of the Lord, always working to promote God’s plans and to bring about God’s highest will for us. GOD ASSIGNS ANGELIC POWERS TO WATCH OVER US!

And so we are left to think about whether or not we have had an angel protect us. Many Christians can recall some incident in which their lives, in times of danger, have been miraculously preserved. EX. I remember once when I was on the volunteer staff of a Junior High ministry at the Crystal Cathedral, and we took a leadership retreat up to the mountains one weekend. It was in the winter, so there was snow on the sides of the road, and it was at night, so the roads were slick. At one point we were trying to go up a hill, but the tires lost traction, and we started to slip backwards. The driver did a quick move backward and then turned the car the opposite direction and went forward. We hit a pile of snow, which slowed the car enough so that the tires got traction, and we went forward. As we stopped and got out, we could see that this pile of snow was the only pile on the whole street, and if we had missed that pile, we would have plunged down about 20 feet! Was this an angel of God protecting us? I can’t say for sure, but I would have the inclination to say yes.

And yet, if this is true, then why do bad things happen? How come God doesn’t use His angels to protect us from all trouble? To answer this, we need to go back to the fact that God’s angels are here to insure that God’s perfect will is accomplished. We see that when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed, “If it is possible, let this cup pass from me.” Jesus was saying, if it is possible, make it so that I don’t have to get whipped, and beaten and crucified. But then Jesus added the important words, “yet not my will, but Yours be done.” There are times when God’s overall mysterious plan is not understood by us. Sometimes suffering is part of the plan. Like Jesus, we might want it to change, but hopefully also like Jesus we should want to be in God’s will most of all, and trust God to work good.

III. A Mothers Role-

Many people feel that their mothers are angels sent from God. And in

many ways mothers are like angels in how they minister to and protect their children. Mothers play an important role in seeing God’s will lived out in their children, and guiding their children to the right paths.

Read Story called “Motherhood.”

"Two friends are sitting down at lunch, talking, when one of them says to the other: 'My husband and I are thinking of starting a family, what do you think?' Her friend, who is a mother responds: 'It will change your life.' The first woman responds back: 'I know, no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations...' But that is not what she meant. So she begins to think about what she wants to tell her friend about motherhood that she will never learn in child-birth classes. She thinks to herself: 'I want to tell her that the physical wounds of childbearing wil heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.' She looks at her friend's manicured nails and stylish suit and thinks that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive lever of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of 'Mom!' will cause her to drop a souffle or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation. She wants to warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally dreailed by motherhood. She might arrange childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of her discipline to keep from running home just to make sure her baby is alright. She wants her friend to know that everyday decisions will no longer be routine. However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother. Looking at her attractive friend, she wants to assure her that evertually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so importnat, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years--not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish his or hers. She wants her friend to know that a Caesarean scar of shiny stretch mark will become badges of honor. That her relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way that she thinks. That she can love a man so much more who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. That she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic. She wants her friend to understand why she will be able to think rationally about most issues, but will become temporarily insane when she discusses issues that will effect her child'e futrue. She wants her friend to know the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike; the joy of your child's belly laugh when touching the soft fur of a dog or a cat for the first time; the joy that is all too real. She then notices her friend staring at her, and realizes that tears have formed in her eyes. So she simply respons by saying: 'You'll never regret having a child.' Then she reaches across, squeezes her friend's hand in hers, offers a silent prayer for her and for all mothers who have joined together in this most wonderful of callings. The blessed gift of God and that of being a mother!

It is interesting to see how we don’t think twice about an event that could be an angel helping us, protecting us, or ministering to us. We don’t think about needing to say “thank you” for those events that seem out of our control, but seem to work themselves out. And similarly, mothers often give of themselves to their children, regardless of whether their efforts are noticed or they get a “thank you.” The important part is that their children are cared for, loved, and taught the important things of God and life.

Conclusion: I want to challenge you to think through your life, and see if you can’t remember stories where an angel might have intervened for you. Stories like the one I told you about my mountain retreat escape. And also, start being more aware of situations in your life now where God might be watching over you and protecting you from hardship or harm. And I want to ask that you might take some time to pray to God and thank God for this special protection and care. I hope you can give God thanks for how He created angels to watch over your life.

But I also want to challenge you to think about the many ways your mother gave herself to you and for you. I would bet that all mothers, in some way, have given themselves in sacrifice to protect and care for their children. And if your mother is still alive, call her or visit her and say “thank you.” And if your mother isn’t alive, say a prayer to God and give God thanks for her. And so may we leave today with the assurance that God has shown us how much He loves us, by giving us our mothers, and giving us angels who minister to us and protect us. Amen.