Angelmania - Selected Scriptures

Here television screen and in the journals you'll hear all kinds of discussions about God. There is no comment on sin than the gospel.

Time magazine reports this and it's interesting when a secular Journal says this for those who choke too easily on God and his rules. Angels are the handy compromise all fluff and rain kind, nonjudgmental, like aspirin, they are available to everyone. John Webster Anderson said this search today is on for spirituality by without God says the spiritual world there are books about angels Angel clubs Angel jewelry and angels on television, but in the message you're about to hear Stephen takes a look at the biblical accounts of angels and contrasts them with our modern-day accounts. When we look carefully at Scripture, we come to a true understanding of who angels are and what they actually do. Welcome to Western for the heart. Today Stephen Devi begins an important series entitled angels, demons and other flying creatures this lesson he's calling Angel mania. We have a study guide that corresponds to this series and I'll tell you more about that at the end of Stephen's lesson. For now, here's Stephen with today's Bible teaching you ask the average churchgoer about angels and you'll probably get a little mixed bag review on what they believe. In fact, major denominational leaders are in this era debating the each analogy of the soul of the future of the spirit world and and do what will happen with the these are angelic or demonic beings. There are some who stood in pulpits today around our country who deny the literal personality of Satan and just simply view him as some sort of metaphor for all that is evil in the world. Others within the more evangelical position doctrinally have been caught out by fear in in a form of animism even on the Isle believe they consciously know that animism is simply the belief that with everything physical or every event there is the attachment of a spirit being, whether good or evil. One popular offer by the name of Neil Anderson went so far as to say that evil spirits can unknowingly be transmitted through the birth canal and so we encourage you not to adopt children unless you're there.

Presently when that baby is born to pray a prayer binding that particular demon that's really a form of animism. Believers today are focusing on binding spirits that hold territories over there are under their sway. It it isn't surprising anymore. Take to hear that classic evangelism and intentional missions are being set aside in favor of simply praying down the demons that binds some particular neighborhood or state or country you go across the Reformation lying in Roman Catholicism has had a confusing history that's even more confusing the day regarding angels and demons. Some more recent popes. The last hundred years have encouraged prayer to a guardian angels Pope John addressed one group and said we particularly ask our guardian angel to help us in our daily ministry.

Some former monks and scholars that have found reading on both sides of the Reformation line such as Francis Borgia and Bernard of Clairvaux encourage in the writings devotion to angels.

The new catechism of the Catholic Church rights quote from infancy to death. Human life is surrounded by the Angels watchful care and intercession beside each believer stands and Angel as protector and shepherd leading him the life I suppose that is true then David got a wrong should a written Psalm 23 the guardian angel is my shepherd, I shall not want. Now understand there is.

I quote a lot of different sources. My purpose is not to offend some Catholics and mainline Protestants and new agers my purposes is to offend everybody. So if we get that out of the way will be okay. Better get what I want to do in this series is troubling you to provoke all of us into a level of of critical thinking so that when you do turn on the television or you do see that article redo here some story that you immediately reference what you have learned in the Scriptures about this spirit world.

I happen to believe it's a spiritual jungle out there. We need a map. If we do listen and take our cues from all of the sources and the latest fads will get lost in the jungle. It's interesting and will start with this. There are two warnings in Scripture one is in Galatians chapter 1, you might turn there as a relates to angelic beings.

Galatians chapter 1 verse six says I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel that is for another gospel which is really not another only. There are some who are disturbing you want to distort the gospel of Christ.

But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

He seems to imply the potential or the possibility of of a message being transmuted or transmitted by some angelic being, and he says even if it comes from an angel, don't believe it.

I have often thought, if only those who began the Mormon church would have listened to this particular passage claim that an angel came with new revelation turned just a couple of pages to second Corinthians and look at chapter 11 verse 13 for such men. He warns them are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder.

Verse 14 says for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Of course he does.

He is darkness, not light, so he disguises himself with spiritual enlightenment.

He is not truth. The Bible says in John 844. He is the father of what overlies so what is he do he disguises himself with kernels of truth. Many people would be fooled are tempted in the following him if he showed up in a red suit. The pitchfork appointed tail probably not many. Yet how many have been fooled by those who claim to have seen a figure of light. Paul warns Timothy, he said this to him, but the spirit explicitly says that in latter times some will fall away from the faith, why, how will it happen paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. If there was ever a need for biblical investigation, it is today.

We need to have a biblical perspective and a biblical understanding what do angels do do demons have unrestrained authority. How does the believer engage in spiritual warfare.

Do angels interact with human beings. How much power do demons. These are a few of the questions that I want to answer. What is it about angels and the spirit world that is so alluring and so fascinating to us as human beings. First of all, there is the promise that angels provide a new source of additional wisdom. Now, it isn't really new is we uncover what we hear it's repackaged in many ways and much of it is deception, whether it is that Angel a moron I appearing to Joseph Smith with new revelation or whether it was in the early centuries. The Gnostics, who believe that they had from the spirit world special knowledge special revelation. They had special keys into insight and they wrote a lot of it down and and they had rituals and magic into boo's keys to the doors of enlightenment in their books. They gave initiates the names of demons and the names of angels that could combat those demon.

I believe the apostle Paul called Gnosticism myths and the doctrines of demons.

Second reason angels are fascinating to the human mind and heart, I believe, is found in the belief that angels provide a new promise of additional assistance. Again, this is a new praying to angels for assistance was so rampant in the fourth century that the Council of Laodicea actually passed a resolution forbidding people to pray to angels for assistance become so rampant. Today angels are credited with all sorts of miraculous interventions by the way, I believe that angels can be used by God in miraculous interventions and I'll tell you a couple of stories that we have been able to verify but one author goes, of course, further than the word of God would go and gushes quote. If you are feeling joy you are feeling the Angels there are angels for every occasion for life healers worry extinguishers prosperity brokers. If you cannot find the kind of angel you want, no need to worry, there are designer angels who can help with almost any task you assign some angels specialize in education lives. They didn't have that one when I was growing up. When you suddenly have a good idea. I hope this author says you are not so vain as to suppose that you actually thought of it yourself. Oh, an angel gave it will. This is cute on the surface, but it is paganism underneath it just has a prettier face pagan religions believe that everything was related to what God that's the error that the Paul and heard there were more gods. They said in Athens than men. There were the gods of famine, the God of locked the God of war they got a disease they got a good crops, the God of protection the God of conception angel mania of today has basically replace the gods with angels and as paganism infiltrates the church and constantly besieges the church, you have the corresponding belief that if everything good has an angel attached to it. Then everything bad has a demon attached to it and we are living in an arrow that kind of paganism is infiltrating the church and uncritical thinking people are associating anything bad and everything bad with a demon and everything good with angels who we ignoring this whole process. The triune God. One author described how one Angel had 119 clients that each client lived in a different galaxy in the stubborn humans on planet Earth tended to ignore their Angel guardians he complained but this is not true for people on other planets.

In fact, on earth, the dolphins and whales stay in close contact with her angel friend.

Well, angels are there when you need assistance.

It is an attractive thought, especially in a needy world is wondering. Thirdly, there is the attraction that angels can provide us with a new style of religion. I want to listen to this very important statement by evangelical leader. But I agree with wholeheartedly.

Those who focus on the spirit world would naturally begin to associate every event with the spirit from this arises the desire to know how to invoke the proper spirit for every need and also learn the ritual. If there is one that will thwart hurtful spirits. This is not just a phenomenon of the ancient world, but it is the dark underside of centering one's life on the spirit world. I believe that this kind of religion is emerging from the present fascination with angels. What does what does the religion that is contemporary in our day.

What is that kind of theology produce. Well, let me say this, it's a theology that is about spirituality but it is not about Jesus Christ, you will hear on the television screen and in the journals you'll hear all kinds of discussions about God, but that can that can meet the spiritual belief of Hindu Mormon Christian, there is no comment on sin in the gospel. Time magazine reports this and it's interesting what a secular Journal says this for those who choke too easily on God and his rules. Angels are the handy compromise all fluff and moraine kind, nonjudgmental, like aspirin, they are available to everyone. John Webster Anderson said this, the search today is on for spirituality, but without God. So angels provide all the wisdom and all the assistance and religious connection. You will ever need. Now when we begin to study what the Bible says about angels, demons and other creatures that inhabit the spirit world. There are actually a number of benefits that come from a proper understanding of what the Bible says and then let me just give you several number one in our study over these weeks is going to increase our appreciation of a sovereign God, we will discover ladies and gentlemen that angels do his bidding and demons are puppets on his string are series of studies. Secondly, will provide then true comfort for the believer in comfort. By the way for the Christian is not found in the availability of an angel, but the power of the spirit of God, who indwells the true believer. Can you imagine today you have within you living residing the spirit of God, why would we ever say we need help, please send an angel. True comfort comes from understanding that truth of them. Third, our study will magnify the patience of God in the world.

We see a lot of things about our world system and it will show us how God is patient, he could judge all at once did.

He chooses to wait in the allows evil men and demons alike to spite him and to hate him and to curse him and seek to undermine him and those who belong to him.

It should magnify the less incredible patience of God with the world and with who else us forth. Our study will remind the believer of true spiritual warfare to answer the question what is spiritual warfare, especially how is the church today distorting warfare as part of the Scriptures so we need to understand true warfare number five. Finally, our study will reveal an example of genuine worship. What what incredible submission and reference. The Angels have they have for time as we know it hovered about the throne, and in their job.

Some of them is to do nothing more than, say, holy, holy, holy, to worship, what reference they have for so often we rush into his presence and were more interested in getting something from him. We are in him we would rather read some book that tells us how to get something from God, then we would read a book that tells us about who God is and at all they're doing is saying, holy, holy, holy, what are they doing the repeating an attribute of God learn worship by studying now. I want you to be prepared to have your thinking challenged.

It is already. Let me give you some things very quickly here about angels number one angels probably aren't who you think they are the biblical account of angels finds them to be fairly terrifying. In fact, when they appear, they usually say among their first words what don't be afraid. Why because that there goes the humans there.

They faded away and so they usually start buzzing out of the no don't be afraid. Furthermore, they always seem to be in a hurry that there is passion with these creatures so often in the New Testament if you just read through the conversations. Once you get past that you usually get a rise get up you could render that hurry up get up. They say it over and over again. Hurry arrives there terrifying and they seem to be impassioned about their duty. The spelling it CS Lewis writes says our concept of angels has changed over the years. He writes Angelica's angels carried in their face, the gesture and peace and authority of heaven later. Along came the chubby and infantile nudes of Rafael. Finally, the soft, slim, feminine angels of 19th century art, but in the Scriptures, the visitation of an angel was always alarming had to begin by saying, as we said fear not the current angels look as if they're about to say there. There in the Bible twice John's vision.

Remembering encountered an angel. He fell on his face. He thought the angel was God so awesome and the created brilliance in the angel of the tell John the in the get up to worship one Old Testament account has one angel alone responsible for eliminating, killing nearly 200,000 enemy soldiers single-handedly in the New Testament.

You remember the story when it came to arrest Jesus Christ. Peter got a sword and that his marksmanship Jesus Christ picked up the ear heal the servant and then he said, don't you know that if I wanted to I could call 12 legions of angels Legion was a Roman unit of 6000 soldiers, so he was saying. I wanted to I could snap my finger and 72,000 angels would appear, and if each one of those 72,000 angels in that account had the same powers that one angel in the Old Testament who eliminated all the soldiers 12 legions could eliminate 13 billion people that makes you wonder if you want to: one.

Now but when I say that because Christian scene be glad to know all were so outnumbered are going to make it snap of his finger. He could send angels to eliminate the entire population of the world at any given time leads me to say. Secondly, you probably couldn't count the Angels if he tried.

The sheer number of them speaks to God's immensity and glory. When John saw the throne of God and his vision. He says I saw the Angels 10,000�10,000, nobody just said to put it in perspective, a stadium out there some professional football team concede about 50,000 people and that you would need then to thousands stadiums of that size to hold the Angels.

He said he saw he basically said I saw around the throne of God.

100 million angels, and then he said, but that wasn't all because he added on and thousands and of thousand 100 million angels singing to the Lamb.

We have no idea what's in store for us.

What incredible worship can count them. Third, angels are intensely curious about the gospel. First Peter 112.

He writes in these things which now been announced to you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven things into which angels long to look doctrinal issues the gospel. The Greek words can be rendered. The Angels stretch out their next state. They bend over longingly, they they really want to see what's going on as we study and as we worship as we prayed as we learn. They long for that. Why because is a vast difference between them and us, and that's in this fourth point that I want to make. They are incredibly excited about redemption. Luke 1510 says, I tell you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents incredible celebration. Those 100 million break out into song every time one unbeliever comes to faith in Christ. Why, perhaps because they understand by sight.

The glory of God. Perhaps they they know the implications of eternity. They know now that one sinner has been redeemed from eternal banishment from this incredible throne of God and now they will enjoy heaven forever. And day by the millions celebrate it did when you came to faith, in spite of that joy over the redeemed.

Remember number five.

The Angels will never have a personal testimony of redemption. Christ did not die for the Angels will talk a little bit about the fall and those angels that rebelled against God, following Satan, who became confirmed in unholiness we call them demons, God gave them a choice, but they do not know redemption. They will not be joint heirs with Christ there so excited for us. Number six finally, angels should never replace our dependence on God. Has the Lord send angels as ministering servants in the lives of believers yes were no exploring future sessions. How were never told in Scriptures to pray Lord send an angel. But Lord, reveal your power. May I submit to the sovereign control of your spirit resides within me. Sometimes the Lord does send his angels and those stories should not become our theology, but those stories can be encouraging her one particular story of the patents you probably heard of this, they were missionaries on an island inhabited by cannibals.

The hundred years ago and they went by faith, believing the Lord wanted them to go in John Patton and his wife.

I believe they had one child, they reach the island were dropped off by that sailing vessel and they I believe with another couple set up camp on the beach. The cannibals who had Artie been known to have killed other visitors. They were fearful but yet they prayed and that night they set up camp in their little tent and they went to sleep.

Nothing happened.

It would be sometime later when they would win the Chiefs to faith in Christ and some of them and they would hear a story.

The chief told them that when they did camp that first night that they came from the forest to kill them, but as they approach suddenly appearing around her tent work. These bright, brilliant creatures, each holding a sword on fire and they retreated to the woods. God used ministering angels in another story, where he allowed the missionaries to die. Jim Elliott and his his other young men who a number of years ago went to reach the Indians they made contact.

They had to. They were there on a riverbank and shallow river.

It made contact with these Indians, and were so hopeful. In fact, they radioed back to their wives. We made contact in and were excited about the potential here in and then the next transmission was crying out for help and then and then everything went silent in their bodies were found later by the government speared those five were killed.

It was within the last few years that the details were provided by these alkyd Indians, who by the way, were led to faith in Christ by some of these wives went back one of them had a son named Steve. Steve St., the son of Nate St. who went back to reach the off Indians and grew up among them, then it was only within the last five years. I read the account where Steve said they were sitting at a campfire with these Indians who are very reserved and very quite and no one all of these years.

Now, some 40 years 50 years had never talked about and suddenly they began to talk about that day and they told Steve how they had planned this how it all happened.

How how the missionaries fired their guns in the air. The missionaries we knew had had committed to one another. They would never fire on the Indians. So there they were trying to frighten them away, but they voluntarily allowed these natives to spare them back. One said that he couldn't understand why they didn't run but they just stood there saying why are you killing us. We come to help you. The remarkable thing is when they were dead. One of the one of the natives said, and then they all course together that they had heard and seen light and and these unbelieving natives said that they saw above the trees cow loading was the same word they use for the missionary they saw cow loading and they heard singing and they didn't know what the music was like until years later when they listen to the gospel recordings of the wire by the missionaries is that's the same music we heard by the cow loading above the trees down in my mind that the Angels welcomed home. These martyred men to their future eternal home. The Bible is clear that angels are real since that's true, and since we read about them time and time again in Scripture. It helps us to understand all we can about these beans. That's the basis of this current series angels, demons and other flying creatures here on wisdom for the heart. Our teacher Stephen Devi entitled today's message angel mania.

We have a study guide that corresponds with this series and would be happy to send it to you.

It's available this month as our featured resource and we can give you more information about how you can get a copy. If you call us today at 86 648 Bible. I also want you to know that we have this lesson or this entire series available as a set of CDs. Perhaps you have a friend or loved one who is confused about angels that could benefit by hearing what God's word actually says if that's the case, we want to help you and we can give you information when you call us will continue through this series tomorrow. So join us here on wisdom for the hearts