The Angels ‘To-Do’ List, pt. 2
II Samuel 24
They don’t hang out in libraries, atop skyscrapers, or at the beach…they have a job to do!
What’s an angel’s job?
1. To offer praise and worship to God
Psalm 148:2
Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
Hebrews 1:6
And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
Last time we said that Heaven will be a noisy place…we might as well get used to praising God aloud right now!
Praise and worship are very misunderstood subjects in Christianity today. Did you know that you and I were created for the same reason as the angels? Yes! To praise and worship and glorify God!
New info:
They are messengers in scores of verses, but what messages are they to deliver and what tasks are on their to do list?
2. To bring judgment upon the enemies of God.
We usually think of them as agents of grace and mercy…coming in peace…and that’s all true, but it’s only part of the story. Oftentimes in scripture they are agents of judgment.
Hebrews 1:7
And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
Fire = judgment So, they’re not just soft beings floating on a cloud.
Gen. 19—Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked before God, and God sent angels to warn them of coming judgment. Then angels were sent to deliver just Lot out of the city before judgment fell.
II Kings 19 / II Chron. 32—The judgment of Sennacherib. In 1 nite 1 angel killed 185k Assyrian soldiers, and was home in time for breakfast.
II Sam 24
David had sinned against God in numbering the people. He had to be punished. God gave him his choice of punishment.
In v. 10-13 the choices are listed. In v. 14, he asks God to choose.
v. 15-16 70k Israelis were killed by an angel acting as an agent of judgment.
NT example:
Acts 12:21-23
And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. [22] And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. [23] And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
Herod sits on his throne, decked in royal array. He was an eloquent speaker, and the people listened and began to worship him. He could have put a stop to that kind of following, but instead he enjoyed it.
[Joshua in the OT and Peter in the NT both rejected worship, but Herod did not, and so an angel was sent to smite him.]
Moral: give God the glory or get worms!
When someone praises you after singing a special or making a meal or whatever…give God the glory! Praise is like perfume…you can sniff a little, but don’t inhale, and definitely don’t swallow it whole!
Maybe God has blessed you financially, or w/ a nice home, or nice things…give God the glory!
Acts 12:24
But the word of God grew and multiplied.
I guess so!
So, angels brought OT judgment / NT judgment / and also future judgment! Angels will bring future judgment:
To the earth…
Rev. 7:1-2
And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. [2] And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea…
Rev. 8:5-7
And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. [6] And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
[7] The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
…and 6 more!
To unbelievers…
Matthew 13:41
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Rev. 9:15
And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
After the rapture of the church, 1/3rd of the population of this planet will be wiped out…by angels! That’s over 2 billion people!!
Rev. 15:1
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
The 7 bowls of wrath: this is the worst judgment ever poured out on the earth.
To Satan…
Rev. 20:1-2
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. [2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
And it’s an angel of God that binds him. Remember that Satan himself is a fallen angel. Don’t make the mistake of thinking Satan is equal w/ God like demons are equal to angels…he’s just another fallen angel. He’s not omnipotent, omniscient, or omnipresent. He’s powerful, but not all powerful…incredibly intelligent, but not all wise…fast, but can be present in only 1 place at a time!
Angels are agents of judgment, and yet we, the body of Christ, will one day judge angels.
1 Cor. 6:1-3
Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? [2] Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? [3] Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
This calls for some further explanation…but that’s reserved for a later message in this series!
3. To minister to Christ during His earthly ministry.
Study the life of Christ and you’ll see angels from beginning to end. They followed Jesus from beginning to end.
• They announced His coming to Mary in Luke 1.
• And to Joseph separately, after Mary told him she was pregnant.
• Angels told them when to flee into Egypt.
• And to the shepherds.
• After His temptation in Mt. 4:11.
• In the Garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:43 He was in agony, hemorrhaging in anticipation of the cross while the disciples slept. That’s when God sent an angel to strengthen Him! I love that, because sometimes I feel like I can’t go on, tho’ I know what’s right, and I pray, and God gives supernatural strength for the task!
• On the cross. 12 legions of angels were waiting in the wings for Him to say the word if He wanted to rescued. Now, it was love that held Him to that cross, not nails or soldiers…but you get the point!
• At the tomb. It was an angel that rolled the stone in defiance of the entire Roman Empire! The soldiers fell down as dead, and the angel then SAT on the stone, probably dusted off his hands. Then in Luke 24:6 it was an angel who proclaimed that awesome message that ‘He is not here, for He is risen!’
• At His ascension in Acts 1. “Why stand ye gazing up?”
• They have a final duty to Jesus when He returns again for us!
Matthew 25:31
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.
Angels were always there for Jesus. [go thru list]. And they kept their eyes on Him no matter what others did. No matter who betrayed / denied / falsely accused Him, they kept their eyes on Him.
Oh that we would do the same! I have to believe that most of today’s Christians, if they lived in Jesus’ day--when they learned that Judas betrayed Jesus they would then say, that does it, I quit…who can you trust?! I’m too discouraged, I can’t go on!
Or when as it says in
John 6:66
From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
…I can just hear today’s Christians saying, the crowd is leaving, so will I!
Or when Paul and John Mark parted company, they’d say, if he has to go, then maybe I do too!
Friends, you know we’ve had some very good people go at times, not because they’re in the wrong or bad, but because they have their eyes on Jesus, and He’s led them to another fold! Sure it’s disappointing, but friends are friends forever! And we must respect when someone believes God is moving them on. And we’d all do well to keep our eyes on Jesus, too, and not on man. I hope you would continue to follow the Lord even if I did not!
The angels kept their eyes on Jesus, and so should we. And one of their jobs is to watch over us, too!
Psalm 91:11-12
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. [12] They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
-----
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/ToDoListPart1.html
