THE POWER OF ANGELS

(Part II)

I.                   THE SPIRIT WORLD

God Created the Visible and the Invisible

Nehemiah 9:6

⁶ You alone are the Lord; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host…the host of heaven worships You.

Colossian 1:16

¹⁶ For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

II.                 THE ORIGIN OF ANGELS

The Word “angel’” and “angels” appear in the Old Testament 108 times and 165 times in the New Testament.

 The work of angels is referred to almost 250 times.

Thirty-four of the Bible’s sixty-six books talk about angels in detail.

There are 104 recorded appearances of angels to men—and even one to a donkey (Numbers 22:23).

A.    God created them by the breath of His mouth

Psalm 33:6

⁶ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

B.     God created them at His Command

Psalm 148:2,5

² Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! ⁵ Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.

C.     God created them before the earth was created

Job 38:4-7

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. ⁵ Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? ⁶ To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, ⁷When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

III.              WHAT ARE ANGELS?

A.    Created eternal spirit beings who are not flesh and blood

        Psalm 103:21

²¹ Bless the Lord, all His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure.

B.     Messengers

Hebrew, mal’ak means to send with a message, messenger; also denotes “someone sent over a great distance in order to communicate a message;” a diplomat.

Greek, angelos, messenger angel, a supernatural messenger of the Lord sent with a particular message.

C.     A Company, not a race

Hebrew 12:22

²² But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels.

D.    Praisers

 Psalm 148:1-2

 ¹ Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights!  ² Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts!

E.     Ministering spirits

 Hebrews 1:7,14

 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers   a flame of fire. ¹⁴ Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for   those who will inherit salvation?”

F.     They are emotional

  Luke 15:10

  ^10 “Likewise, I say to you, ‘there is joy in the presence of the angels of God   over one sinner who repents.’”

G.    Intelligent but not Omniscient

·         Have own language (I Corinthians 13:1)

o   They grow in knowledge—not all knowledge (Mark 13:32, Ephesians 3:10)

·         Desire to look into the salvation of humans ( I Peter 1:12)

 ¹² To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were  ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who  have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things  which angels desire to look into.

      •    Have wills

H.    Powerful and glorious Beings but not Omnipotent

 Isaiah 37:36

 ³⁶ Then the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the  Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when they arose early in  the morning, there were the corpses—all dead.

I.       Innumerable

 Job 25:3

³Is there any number to His armies? Upon whom does His light not rise?

IV.             WHAT DO ANGELS DO

A.    Enjoy Praising God

B.     Stand at God’s side ready to obey Him

1 Kings 22:19

¹⁹ Then he said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left.”

C.     Assist God in announcing good news

Luke 1:13

¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.”

D.    Meet a variety of human needs…encourage, warn, direct, protect and deliver at God’s direction (Genesis 18:16-19, 29, 21:17-19; Exodus 14:19-20, Daniel 3:28, Matthew 2:13, 26:53, Mark 1:13, Luke 22:43, Acts 5:19)

E.     Assist in Judgment at times

Genesis 19:13

^13 “For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it”

2 Samuel 24:16

¹⁶ And when the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

F.     Eat food

Genesis 19:3

³ But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

Psalm 78:25

²⁵ Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full.

G.    Can even cook (1 Kings 19:5-8)

H.    Never draw attention to themselves but ascribe glory to God

I.       Do not Rest

Revelation 4:8

⁸ The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”

J.   Travel at Inconceivable speed

Ezekiel 1:14

¹⁴ And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.

K.  Will be judged by the saints

1 Corinthians. 6:3

³ Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?

L.   Can assume human form of any nationality

Hebrews 13:2

² Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

V.                WHAT ANGELS CANNOT DO

A.    Call God Father only “Creator” (Matthew 6:9, Revelation 4:8)

B.     Be redeemed, but are interested in the salvation of human beings (Ephesians 3:1-10, Hebrews 1:13-14, 2:2-3, I Peter 1:12, Luke 15:10, I Corinthians 4:9)

C.     Receive worship (Romans 1:25, Colossians 2:18, Revelation 19:10, 22:8, 9)

D.    Act on their own power

Psalms 103:20-21

²⁰ Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word. ²¹ Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure.

E.     Do not die

Luke 20:36

^36 Nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

F.     Rule the future world (Hebrews 2:5-8)

G.    Separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38)

Answer Key: Mouth, Command, Messengers, Omniscient, Judgement, human, Die

THE POWER OF ANGELS

Momma has some help!

INTRO:  Today is about Thanksgiving…

Thank you to moms

Thank you to God for help

I. THE JOB OF A MOTHER

My sister's little boy came in the kitchen one evening
while she was fixing supper,
and he handed her a piece paper he had been writing on.
and after wiping her hands on an apron,
she took it in her hands and read it
and this is what it said:
For mowing the yard $5,
and for making up my own bed this week $1,
for going to the store $.50,
and playing with little brother while you went shopping for $.25,
taking out the trash $1,
and for getting a good report card $5,
and for raking the yard $2 -
total owed $14.75.
Well, she looked at him standing there and expecting,
and a thousand memories flashed through her mind,
so she picked up pen and turned the paper over and this is what she wrote:

For the nine months, I carried you, holding you inside me - no charge,
for the nights I sat up and doctored you and prayed for you - no charge,
for the time and tears and the costs through the years -
there is no charge.
when you add it all up, the full cost of my love is no charge.
For the nights filled with grey
and the worries ahead,
for the advice and the knowledge
and the costs of your college -
no charge.
for the toys, school, and clothes
and for wiping your nose -
there's no charge, son.
when you add it all, the full cost of my love is no charge.

Well, you know when I think about that,
I think about the day that Jesus went out to Calvary and gave His life as a ransom for me.
when I think on the words, "if any man be in Christ, he’s a new creature,"
I like to think about the very minute that He shed His blood
my debt was paid in full,
and I want you to know today
when you add it all u,p
the full cost of real love is no charge!

II.  GOD ANSWERED MOMMA’S PRAYERS

Luke 18:1-8

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, ² sayings: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. ³ Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ ⁴ And he would not for a while; but afterward, he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, ⁵ yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” ⁶ Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. ⁷ And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? ⁸ I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

  III.  ANGELS AND CHILDREN

The word “angel” and “angels” appear in the Old Testament 108 times and 165 times in the New Testament.

 The work of angels is referred to almost 250 times.

                  Thirty-four of the Bible’s sixty-six books talk about angels in detail.

     There are 104 recorded appearances of angels to men—and even one to a donkey (Numbers 22:23).

Matthew 18:10

¹⁰ “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.”

Acts 12:13-15

¹³ And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. ¹⁴ When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. ¹⁵ But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”

Psalm 91:11-12

¹¹ For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. ¹² In their hands, they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

  IV.  ANGELS HELPING MOTHERS

A.   Hagar

Genesis 21:14-19

¹⁴ So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. ¹⁵ And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. ¹⁶ Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept. ¹⁷ And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. ¹⁸ Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.” ¹⁹ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.

B.   Samson’s Mother

Judges 13:2-5

² Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. ³ And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. ⁴ Now, therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. ⁵ For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child, shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

C.Mary

Luke 1:26-38

²⁶ Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” ²⁹ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. ³⁰ Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. ³² He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³ And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” ³⁴ Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” ³⁵ And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷ For with God nothing will be impossible.” ³⁸ Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

D.  Zachariah and Elizabeth

Luke 1:11-13

¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. ¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer, is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.”

    IV.    ANGELS HELPING DADS

A.      Abraham

Genesis 22:11

¹¹ But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” ¹² And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

B.      Wife for Isaac

Genesis 24:40

⁴⁰ But he said to me, “The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house.”

C.      Joseph

Matthew 1:20

²⁰ But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Spirit.”

Matthew 2:13

¹³ Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

Matthew 2:19

¹⁹ Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰ saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”