Angels on Assignment (Part 2)
The Supernatural Realm • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 44:10
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· 1,375 viewsThe Bible includes hundreds of examples of how God uses angels to carry out His will. God has a whole host of angels that He can dispatch instantly to minister to us in our time of need. They are Angels on Assignment. In fact, God has angels right now that are on assignment to (1) speak to us, (2) minister to us, (3) deliver us, and (4) protect us.
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INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
On March 15, 2015, members of the Spanish Fork Police Department in Utah found an overturned, partially submerged car 14 hours after it hit the icy waters of the Spanish Fork River. One of the officers who was part of the search and recovery effort that day was Tyler Beddoes.
Beddoes said, “As we get into the river, we hear an adult female voice that crying out, ‘help me, help me.’” It wasn’t just Beddoes that heard this voice either. The other three officers at the scene with Beddoes heard it as well.
Beddoes said the voice led them directly to the car. He said the voice sounded like it was coming from inside. As they began to search the car they found a woman in the driver’s seat. Beddoes said, “She had been clearly deceased for hours.” So Beddoes said they continued to search the car for another woman that was crying out for help.
That’s when Beddoes discovered 18-month old Lily in the back seat. Lily had been hanging upside down in her car seat for hours, partially submerged under the ice cold water. 18-month old Lily and her mom were the only two people in that car. Beddoes pulled Lily from her car seat and rushed her to waiting paramedics. Miraculously, Lily survived and made a full recovery.
When Beddoes was later asked about his experience of finding the car and rescuing Lily he said, “I believe it was an angel that guided us to Lily that day. Now I see the possibilities in life and I know that God has His hand in these things and the angels are out there helping us.”
Although this type of supernatural encounter is rare, many people have reported similar experiences, which can only be explained by some sort of angelic intervention. This should really not be a surprise to us because the Bible includes hundreds of examples of how God uses angels to carry out His will. The truth is that God has a whole host of angels that He can dispatch instantly to minister to us in our time of need. They are Angels on Assignment. In fact, God has angels right now that are on assignment to (1) speak to us, (2) minister to us, (3) deliver us, and (4) protect us.
Regarding angels, Hebrews 1:14 says this:
SCRIPTURE
14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
14 Are they not all spirits engaged in special service, sent on assignment for the sake of those who are going to inherit salvation?
MESSAGE
We talked last week about how God, the King of Glory, the Lord of Hosts, used angels in the Old Testament to fight on behalf of His people. When we come to the New Testament, we find angels on assignment from the very beginning. The angel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her that she will give birth to the Son of God. Gabriel also speaks to Joseph and tells him not to put away, or divorce, Mary because the child in her is from God. An angel later warns Joseph to take Mary and the young child Jesus to Egypt to avoid Herod’s plan to murder the male children under two years old. An angel later gives Joseph the message that it is safe to return to Israel. But insead of returning to Judea, Joseph’s birthplace, he was warned by an angel to go to Galilee instead, to the City of Nazareth. All this and we have only made it to Chapter 2 in the book of Matthew! This brings us to Point No. 1:
Angels are sometimes sent to speak to God’s people.
God can speak to us in many ways.
He can speak to us through His Word.
He can speak to us through the small, still voice of the Holy Spirit.
He can speak to us through dreams and visions.
And He can also speak directly through angels.
Examples:
An angel spoke to Mary Magdalene at the tomb and told her that Jesus was not there, but was risen from the dead and gave her instructions to go share the good news with the disciples (Matthew 28:1-8).
When Jesus ascended into Heaven, two angels appeared to the disciples and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-11).
An angel appeared to Philip and told him to go down to Gaza where the met the Ethiopian eunuch and led him to salvation and to be baptized (Acts 8:26-40).
An angel appeared to a Roman centurion named Cornelius and told him to send for Peter who came and led Cornelius and his whole household to salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10).
An angel spoke to Paul on a ship sailing for Rome that was caught in a storm that no one on the ship would be lost (Acts 27:23-24).
Although God primarily speaks to us today through His Word, and through the Holy Spirit, God can still speak to us today through dreams, visions, and even through His holy angels.
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,
Angels are sometimes sent to minister to God’s people.
Angels are God’s ministering spirits.
Angels were created by God for a purpose.
One of their purposes is to minister to God’s people.
Examples:
After Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights, the Bible says that “angels came and ministered to Him” (Matthew 4:11).
When the prophet Elijah was running from the evil queen Jezebel, the Bible says that an angel of the Lord brought the prophet bread and water that sustained him for 40 days and 40 nights until he arrived at Mt. Horeb (1 Kings 19:5-8).
God can still use angels to minister to His people today.
How many times, unbeknownst to us, has God sent His angels and ministered to us in some way?
Just like He did for Jesus and Elijah, God can send His angels to strengthen us and to encourage us.
2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Angels are sometimes sent to deliver God’s people.
God is our deliverer.
He can deliver us from any situation we find ourselves in.
And sometimes God uses angels as His agents of deliverance.
Examples:
After the high priest had the disciples thrown into prison for preaching the Gospel, an angel of the Lord came during the night and opened the prison doors and told them to go the Temple and continue to preach (Acts 5:17-20).
After Herod threw Peter in prison, he was chained between two guards. But an angel of the Lord came to Peter that night and tapped Peter on the side and said, “Get up, get dressed, and follow me.” The Bible says the chains fell off Peter and he followed the angel past the first watch, then the second watch, and then the gate of the prison opened by itself and Peter walked out of the prison (Acts 12:5-11). Then the Bible says:
11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”
God can still use angels to deliver His people today.
I think a key for us to remember is that God often responds to prayer and worship.
In Acts 5, the church was in constant prayer while Peter was imprisoned Acts 12:5:
5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16).
Perhaps God will respond to our prayers by sending an angel down our way!
7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
Angels are sometimes sent to protect Gods’ people.
God is our protector.
The Bible describes God as our refuge, our shield, our buckler, a strong tower that we can run to and be safe.
As we talked about last week, He is the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, and the Lord of Angel Armies who will protect us!
Examples:
God spoke to the children of Israel in the wilderness and promised them that He was sending His angel before them to bring them to the Promised Land (Exodus 23:20).
God protected Daniel in the lion’s den by sending an angel to shut the mouths of the lions (Daniel 6:22).
Jesus warned his disciples that those who cause others to sin are in danger of punishment because “their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).
God can still use angels to protect His people today.
How many testimonies have we heard of those who were miraculously and supernaturally protected?
The hand of God that kept a car wreck from happening or kept it from being worse.
The hand of God protecting a child in the middle of a tornado and they’re later found safe without a scratch on them.
William Thatcher of Illinois gives his testimony of a time he believes God sent and angel to protect him one day on the river. William was fishing in his 14-ft aluminum boat. There had been some heavy rains recently and the river was up and there was a lot of floating debris in the water. He kept having to maneuver around the debris to keep from hitting it. With no other boaters in sight, William heard someone call his name. He looked all around but didn’t see anyone. Then he heard someone call his name again, with more urgency. William said it was a warning call. When he turned around in the direction of the voice, he saw a log headed straight for his boat. William said it was at least 20-ft long and a couple feet wide. He said he turned the motor and had just enough time to get out of the way. When he got home that night, he and his wife gave God the glory for protecting him that day. William said, “an angel called my name and saved my life.”
God can protect us from all kinds of evil.
9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.
Angels are always sent to bring glory to God alone.
Angels are in subjection to God’s will.
Angels worship God and lead others to worship God.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Angels are not to be worshipped.
9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
We are also not to pray to angels.
Too much emphasis on angels is dangerous.
We are told that Satan and demon spirits can disguise themselves as angels of light.
14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
Paul said that even if an angel comes to you and preaches another Gospel other than Jesus Christ, don’t believe it.
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
Our focus should always be on God, not angels.
When God sends Angels on Assignment to speak, minister, deliver, or protect we should give all the glory and all the praise to God alone!
CONCLUSION
God can use angels:
To speak to us,
To minister to us,
To deliver us, and
To protect us.
Who knows how many times we have entertained angels unawares!
Angels are God’s ministering spirits sent to minister to us who are inheriting salvation!
God deserves the glory for every time He has sent Angels on Assignment to minister to us!
Remember Officer Beddoes from our opening story? The officer who miraculously rescued Lily? Well another miracle happened that day. As a result of his experience, and being convinced that the voice of a angel of the Lord led them to save Lily’s life, Tyler Beddoes put his faith in Christ and was born again!
Sometimes God allows the supernatural realm to intersect with our lives in order to draw us closer to Him!
We know that another thing that angels do is to rejoice when someone is saved.
10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Bible tells us that angels long to look into salvation and to understand God’s grace toward sinful humanity (1 Peter 1:12).
What a privilege we have today to have God’s grace extended to us through His Son Jesus Christ!
Do you need something from God today?
Do you need to hear Him speak to you?
Do you need to hear His small still voice speak to you and give you direction?
Are you lost and, like the angels, do you long to look into salvation and receive God’s amazing grace? If you’re lost, He’s calling your name today and He’s inviting you to come and receive His grace.
Do you need the Lord to minister to you?
Do you need strength?
Do you need encouragement?
Do you need the Lord to deliver you?
Does it feel like the enemy has you bound?
Are there areas of your life that you need to bring and lay down at the feet of Jesus and receive forgiveness?
Do you need the Lord to protect you?
Are you facing something and know that you need God’s protection over your family, your heart, or your mind?
Are you living in a state of fear and need the Holy Spirit to give you the assurance that everything in your life is in God’s control?