Angels Behind the Scenes - Genesis Part 64

You know where the verse by verse value. The book of Genesis and last week we followed Jacob as he fled from his brother Esau after he had stolen Esau's blessing and if you missed that message I want to urge you to get the CD or to go online and download the message and catch up with us but this week we're going to move on and there was something last week. In the story of Jacob fleeing from Esau that I wanted to have time to talk to you about, but I just didn't and so were going to go back and talk about it this week, so you're ready to do that and will talk about what difference it makes in our lives so were back in Genesis chapter 28 and will to read a couple of verses we read last week. Verse 10 then Jacob left Beersheba and set out for the city of Carano show your map and you'll see the beer she buys in the very southern part of the land of Canaan and Acheron is in the very northern part of Mesopotamia, Ron was the hometown of Rebecca, his mother, and that's where she told him to run to to see your relatives and that's the journey that he's taking verse 11 and he came to a certain place where he stopped for the night, and he took one of the stones of the place and he put it under his head and he lay down to sleep and he had a dream in which he saw a ladder resting on earth with the top reaching into heaven, and the Angels were going up and coming down on it. Now this is what we want to talk about today we want to talk about Angels.

A recent survey by the Associated Press tells us that 77% of Americans believe in angels, and they should because the Bible mentions angels 273 times and so what I want us to do is we begin is to go through some very rapidfire questions and learn a little bit about angels number one, two people become angels after they die. While the Bible says no that angels are not glorified human beings but they are a separate class of heavenly creatures altogether number two where did angels come from the Bible says they were created by God. Psalm 148 says, praise the Lord, all you his angels let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded, and they were created. Number three.

What kind of beings are angels. Well, the Bible says they are spiritual beings who never die.

Luke chapter 20 tells us that, and therefore they never reproduce Matthew 22 tells us that number four. Do angels have bodies while the Bible says Hebrews 114 that they are ministering spirits and do not have physical bodies. However, in the Bible we see that angels can take on the appearance of men and women when the occasion calls for it. I mean, you may remember in Genesis chapter 19 the story of Sodom and Gomorrah verse one says that two angels showed up in the town of Sodom and yet the people of Sodom just saw them as normal everyday men.

That's what they look like number five.

How many angels are there. Well, the Bible never tells us for sure, but there's a lot the Bible says in Hebrews 1222 you come to the heavenly Jerusalem and took 10,000s upon 10,000s of angels, as a lot of angels number six. Are there any limits to the powers that angels have. Well, the Bible says yes indeed the Bible says that angels are not omniscient. That is all knowing Jesus said, for example, regarding the second coming. Matthew 24 but of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, so they don't know everything. They are not omnipotent. Second of all, meaning all-powerful in Daniel chapter 10, an angel says to Daniel, I was sent to you, but the Prince of Persia evil angel, will talk about them in a minute prevented me from getting to you to Michael the Archangel, came to help me.

So obviously, Daniels angel was not omnipotent because he couldn't even be this a demonic angel by himself and third angels are not omnipresent. That means they're not all places at all times that angel that was coming to Daniel couldn't get to Daniel because he was held up by this demonic angel, meaning that Angel couldn't be in two places at once. So angels are not omnipresent.

They're not omniscient they're not omnipotent, but that doesn't mean that they are an extremely powerful friends.

Just remember what to do. Angels did to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah just to number seven. What do angels do what the Bible says they carry out God's orders. Psalm 103 verse 20 says bless the Lord, you his angels mighty in strength to perform his commands and obey his voice, number eight are all angels good angels what the Bible says no. The Bible says all angels started off being good angels, but some of them followed the mighty angel Lucifer, whom we know today as Satan or the devil in his foul revolt is John Milton says in paradise lost against God and God ejected them Satan and his angels from heaven. You can read all about this in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 and in Revelation chapter 12, and finally our demons and these fallen Angels the same thing.

Well, the Bible says there are two different kinds of evil spiritual beings.

At least that's our best guess because the Bible mentions them separately. We don't know where demons came from. We don't know what demons are, but they seem to be different than these fallen Angels that followed the revolt of Lucifer. Now the good news with all of this is that at the end of the age. God is going to cast all these evil creatures these beings into the lake of fire. Revelation 20 verse 10 for ever and ever are. Now that is the fastest course in angelology you will ever get in your whole life. I went to seminary an entire semester to learn that use a long, that's impressive that an entire semester you got five minutes worth of knowledge well okay what can I say folks so that's as far as were going to go in that. But let's talk now about our most important question of the morning and you know what that is.

What is it ready by civil outcome on Juan to cure civil law and I appreciate all this information is good but I don't really see what this has to do with me.

All my friends.

This has so much to do with you and me because remember we said a moment ago. In Revelation 20 verse 10 that at the end of the age. The devil and all of his evil cohorts will be cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20 verse 10 where they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever blots Revelation chapter 20 verse 10 hasn't happened yet friends the devil and his fallen angels and his demons are not in the lake of fire. Just the opposite. There roaming the earth and causing as much havoc as they possibly can.

The Bible says.

First Peter five verse eight that our adversary the devil walks around like a roaring up lion, seeking whom he may devour. The Bible goes on to tell a second Corinthians 44 that Satan is the god of this world. Jesus three times. John 12 John 14 and John 16 referred to Satan as the Prince of this world and in Ephesians chapter 2 verse two. The Bible calls Satan, the Prince of the kingdom of the air.

In other words, get this, what the Bible is saying is that in this present age. Not only is Satan roaming the earth.

But Almighty God has also granted him a certain level of authority here on earth now not to worry, God is still in total and complete charge of how the universe ends up. But Satan has been given authority on earth until the end of the age.

And what this means is that in this present age. There is a humongous. There is a daily there is a worldwide conflict raging all around us behind the scenes, we can see it but it's raging between the forces of Satan and the forces of the living God, you know, in one chapter in the book of Daniel, God peels back the curtain a little bit and lets us see just a glimpse of this conflict, Daniel. Chapter 10 Daniel seen a vision he couldn't understand it.

He started praying and asking God to help them understand it, and three weeks later, an angel shows up to help him understand the vision I watch what the angel says to him, Daniel.

Chapter 10 the angel says do not be afraid, Daniel four from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this vision. Your prayers were heard, and I have come in response to your words okay and say what he saying from day one. When Daniel started praying about help with this vision God dispatch this angel okay watch heating get there for three weeks why, but the Prince of Persia. He says resisted me for 21 days. The Hebrew word resisted here means literally to block the way to stand in the middle-of-the-road and not let somebody go by and Daniels angel says that Michael the Archangel came to help me and that's how I was able to get here.

He goes ahead and explains the vision to Daniel and then he says soon I shall return to the what's the next word say louder to fight against the Prince of Persia and after that, the Prince of Greece is coming on an after fight against him. He's talking of course about the empire of Alexander the great, which conquered the Persian Empire in 332 BC.

Now who is this prince of Persia. Well folks. He is a fallen angel who was influencing the Persian Empire behind the scenes as Satan directed him to and notice the angel says that every Gentile kingdom has these kinda evil beings behind the scene because Alexander's kingdom coming next is going to be the Prince of Greece and so what does the Bible say that Daniels angel is doing with the Prince of Persia and the Prince of Greece. You just said it out loud. What's he doing he's fighting yeah the Bible is telling us here that world history is not as it appears to our lives that behind-the-scenes. It's really an ongoing struggle between God's holy Angels and Satan's fallen Angels for the souls of men and women and children hate Hitler and ISIS and Al Qaeda in Boca Harlem and the events in Yemen.

These things are not accidents.

Folks, there is a satanic agenda and there is a satanic power and there are satanic beings behind all of this and how else could Hitler take an entire civilized country like Germany educated people and convince them to do what they did and to okay what he did. How could that possibly happen without some satanic influence over those people that mesmerize them to follow Hitler now let me also say that as we pray for revival here in Washington DC we need to understand that there is a prince of Washington to we need to understand that there is a fallen angel assigned to this city and he's a big one and what is his job while his job is to resist all spiritual revival. His job is to keep the people of the city of Washington DC, spiritually blind.

His job is to promote as much sin as much evil and as much impurity in Washington as he possibly can, and his job is to lure as many people away from Jesus as his in his power and when we pray for revival here in the Washington DC area. We must pray against this evil being.

We must pray for God to send Michael to push this evil being back and create an opening where formerly this evil being had a stronghold now to create instead an opening for the gospel where that stronghold used to be said a man and listen.

It's more personal than even that when we pray for people that we care about to come to Christ. We must also pray against the same evil forces listen to what second Corinthians 44 says it says the god of this age. We know this to be Satan already watch has blinded the minds of those who do not believe that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.

So, in seeking to bring our friends and our loved ones to Christ friends is not just good enough to tell them the gospel we must also pray for them. We must also beseech God for them that he would overcome this atomic influence on in their life that he would remove the spiritual blindness from their life so that they can see the light of the gospel and that so that they can understand the glory of Christ friends. We do not talk people into the kingdom of God. We pray people into the kingdom of God a man now you say well on just what was your unit educated man right you went to college right I did with graduate school. I did this in 21st century right yeah yeah will really believe this stuff. I mean, this is like stuff of the Middle Ages, you know, to scare people. This is like stuff or movies you know where little head spin around this. This is like stuff by the way, I never saw the exorcist. I just heard about us for this… This is stuff like that like Halloween stuff. This is like bogeyman stuff euro really believe some devils out there wearing a red suit with horns and a pitchfork and got all the LA you believe that while I don't think he's got a red suit and a pitchfork on what he looks like, but I believe every word of what I just said he let me tell you why this is one simple reason. The Bible says it, and that's why I believe there are several look, I believe there demons in the world. I believe there fallen Angels and behind empires in the world I believe is a real being called the devil, Satan, Lucifer absolutely Jesus tells us the truth and this is what he said and friend listen to me if you don't believe this and you don't protect your self against this being and his henchmen. He will eat you alive. You better believe he's out there and you better take advantage of the protections the Lords given us or this guy what it first Peter five say he will devour you so you trying to scare me long know because I'm a tell you the minute the gray protections Lords given us against him so that we can use him but I'm just saying you need to use him let me say first. So if you're here and you've not you never given your life to Jesus, you're not a follower of Christ friend you say what's my protection against the devil you don't have one, pure and simple. You have one you completely completely vulnerable to him. The only protection there is against the devil and his henchmen is in Christ under the blood of Christ as a child of God in Christ, if you're not one of them.

You have no protection. My friend and if I were you, right after the service is over. I would get myself right appear to the front and talk to my friends down here in the front and I give my life to Christ because I would be scared if I didn't know Christ of this be. Now for those of us who know the Lord God provided three beautiful protections for us from the enemy. And here they are number one on the full armor of God, God tells us about this in Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10 to 20 he says in verse 11 put on the full armor of God, there is that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of who you have the devil right now.

Some of the full armor of God is defensive, meaning there is the helmet of Jesus is salvation. There is the breastplate of Jesus's righteousness, there is the shield of our faith in Christ. These are defensive weapons.

There are two offense of weapons that were given. If one of them is the word of God and the other one is prayer folks. This is why here at this church. We teach you the word of God.

This is why here at the this church. We urge you to memorize the word of God and we do it together. This is why at this church. We try to motivate you to get deep into the word of God and studying hard for yourself why because it is one of your all offensive weapons against the enemy. Matthew chapter 4, fighting the devil. Personally, Jesus fought them off three times in the temptation of the wilderness by saying it is written, it is written, it is written, and what was he talking about written where in the Bible. Yeah.

And when the sit when Satan comes against you or one of his henchmen.

We don't want you at that moment going wait a minute is a verse in here somewhere ago I got a concord zone off you have that kind of time.

Are you serious that we want you to know it right on the top of your head because we memorize the together so you can say no Satan. I won't watch that no Satan. I won't go there. No, I won't do this because it is written, a man that he can't he can't fight that and this is why we pray that's the other all offensive weapon we had a little over 100 people in the prayer meetings today in all of our prayer meetings that we had just under hundred one of them. But you know what, folks. This is why we get you together. This why we get on our knees, is why we pray together because he is powerless against prayer and this is why he doesn't want you to pray. This is why you find it so hard to pray.

This is why you find it so easy to skip prayer because he's doing everything in his power to get you to skip it. That's where the power comes on your knee and he hates what happens in that prayer room right over there before every service and he hates it. Each of our campuses. He hates it with and on the holy hatred that he hates his church with an on holy hatred. There wasn't for the mercy of God he would've destroyed this church. Decades ago he hates churches like ours. Praise Lord is Lord, our good friend Maurice Rosen once said it's okay to be hated. If you're hated for the right reason to.

If Satan hates me. I'm thrilled entity.net hate you.

You are a wonder why I have not love me, and hated by the devil, because it means I'm doing something for Christ. A man arrived. Hey, I go through every piece of spiritual armor in my prayer time in the morning and I put it on one piece at a time. Lord, please put on me today the helmet of your salvation.

Please put on me today the breastplate of your righteousness. Please give me the word of God quick on my lips today Lord and here I am on my knees in prayer today God honor that friends visit spiritual armor of God is like American Express don't leave home without it. Don't you go out there and the battle with no armor on, what's wrong with you. Second of all, what is God-given to protect us against the forces of evil.

He's given us our own guardian angel Hebrews chapter 1 verse 14 says, are not all the angels ministering spirits watch sent to render service to those of us who will inherit salvation look as a follower of Christ. Everywhere you go you have your guardian angel who is assigned just to you now some of us who are more self-destructive may have to angels or three angels, but you got at least one, and he rides next to you in the automobile. And when you're about to get hit, you know you what we've all had it happened we should've been hit until he just pushes that car way for us and he sits next he would work and keeps the boss away from you and I just passed Merrill about Eddie stays up all night and stand by your bed when I'm up at night having trouble sleeping. I say to myself, my guardian angels up all night. There's no sense to love is being up all night. I'm going to sleep. Praise Lord he's staying up and what's he doing these yeah that's right, you may not be able to see him but friends. The Bible says he's there guarding you against the enemy. Praise God for that and against all kinds of things. Number three. And finally, the third protection of the Lord's given us is he's given us the name and the blood of Jesus to resist the enemy with hay in Revelation chapter 12 the Bible says they overcame him. Satan by the Watts the blood of the Lamb and in acts chapter 16 verse 18. The apostle Paul turned to the little girl young girl who had the evil spirit in her and he said I command you in the Watts in the name of Jesus to come out of her, and immediately the spirit left her look. James chapter 4 verse seven says, resist the devil and he will not will. That's a promise he will flee from you and how do we resist the devil, we resist him by confronting him with the name of Jesus and the blood of Jesus we pray against him by the name of Jesus and the blood of Jesus and we've got to do it out loud. You gotta do it out loud because you can say in your mind will will do the balloon visions you resist. You he can't read your mind.

He's an angel.

Remember we said he's not omniscient. He doesn't know anything you wanted to confront him with the blood of Jesus, you got a tally you want to confronting with the name of Jesus, you got a tally hat right here every Sunday morning and Saturday night and down Arlington on Monday night. Pray in the whole way down out loud, among other things against the enemy and I say to him Satan by the blood of Jesus.

I resist you tonight and by the blood of Jesus by resist you for the Arlington campus tonight by the blood of Jesus. I resist you. Satan for the Sunday morning campuses and by the name of Jesus.

Satan I resist you and you must flee because the Bible says you must flee, and because you have no power against the name of Jesus and because you have no power against the blood of Jesus. So goodbye by folks.

Not that I could do that in myself. Are you serious, but I'm using the weapons God gave me the name and the blood of Jesus. Listen. Satan has never been a name like the name of Jesus and he's never grappled with a force like the blood of Jesus. You use that and I guarantee you he will flee. Gotta say it out loud to and why will he always flee because greater is he who is in us, and he is in world. Praise God a man now, let's summarize this concluded by had to give you one sentence summary of what I'm saying to you today would be this as followers of Christ in the spiritual battle that's going on all around us.

We need not fear, why because God has given us number one the supernatural armor of God to resist the enemy number two our personal guardian angel to fight the enemy and number three. Jesus's mighty name and blood to repel the enemy and with those weapons. There is nothing for us to fear. I love her second Corinthians 10 four says it says the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but they are divinely powerful. These weapons are for pulling down.

Satan is a stronghold in friends when we use these weapons and I encourage you to use them in a pray for your children pray him away from your children by the name in the blood of Jesus praying away from your grandchildren by the name of the blood of Jesus pray him away from your family. Pray him away from your ministry. Pray him away from your business.

Pray him away from every stronghold. He's got your work. This is what we want to be as a church friends. My goal for us as a church is to be a mighty army who pushes him back in the city. There is a prince of Washington and our job is to push him back with the help of the angels that we have with us and Michael know that Mike Ward Autocare group are jobs pushing back and using the weapons we God. That's what were out to do make a mighty army of prayer make a mighty army in the word of God make a mighty army in the gospel make a mighty army knows how to use the blood of Jesus and use the name of Jesus and use the spiritual armor that God's given us so that's our goal was take the city's portion. I want him to quake in his red boots when he sees us coming. A man is right (Lord Jesus, we thank you for the protection that you give us in Christ. But Lord, it's not just protection against the enemy.

It's also weapons against the that you want us to use proactively that you want us to use all offensively. So Lord make us a church mighty in prayer, who praise the name of Jesus praise the blood of Jesus over the city Lord, make us a church mighty in putting on our armor every day. Make us a church mighty in gathering all our guardian angels, together with the gospel and pushing into places in the city, Lord Jesus, were Satan has his stronghold.

Lord remind us we have nothing to fear for greater is he who is in us that he was in the world and that you will honor the weapons you've given us. They are divinely powerful for tearing down his strongholds. Lord make a set, bold church for Christ. Here in Washington and Lord, I need to pray that when he sees his company, Lord, that he would shake his boots because of the power of Christ that we bring with us. Thanks for teaching us from your word today. Lord may help how we approach our friends that need Christ. Help that we pray for ourselves and our family protect us from the evil one, and we pray this in Jesus name God's people said Amen