Angels Among Us Series

Giant Mysteries Series

“Angels Among Us”

(Inspired by Ron Philip’s book Unexplained Mysteries of Heaven & Earth)

May 11, 2014 Chester FBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A Each of us could tell our own incredible story of something that happened to us that in the final act would should have died (car wreck, hunting accident, boating mishap, accident at home)

1 I remember taking my 2 year old son, Lake, out to Piney Creek Nature Walk and getting way to close to the edge of a slimey cliff that ended with a 75 foot drop into a shallow pool.

a I slipped near the edge, holding Lake . . . there is no reason we shouldn’t have just fallen over the edge to our deaths.

b I’ve always thought that there were angels watching over us, keeping us safe, out of harms way.

aa Then I thought, “Why would God care about Lake and me?”

bb I’m thankful that the King & Creature of the Universe cares about two red necks from Southern Illinois enough to keep watch care over us.

2 I remember David’s words in Ps. 8.

a In my mind’s eye I can see him seating under a Judean sky into the stars, thinking how big & vast the universe the heavens are and how infinite God is when he realized just how small he was.

aa Psalm 8:3-4 (NASB) 3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?

bb Our God takes notice of us, cares for us, & crowns us as royalty on earth.

b Earth is not the only place that is teaming with life or where life exists.

aa Today, we’ll see how that life exists in other dimensions beyond the earth.

bb Truth be told, supernatural beings exist beyond our earthly realm.

c Psalm 8:5 (NKJV) 5 For You have made him [humankind] a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

aa David looked to heavenward and saw the majesty of God in the vastness of the created order.

bb Then he looked at his little sheep and himself and saw man as the centerpiece and crowning glory of all God has created.

B Although man is God’s best work (After all, He didn’t send His Son to die for angels!), man is not God’s only work.

1 Angels are beings from another dimension that are moving by the multitudes across the vast expanse of our known world.

a These interdimensional beings are not subject to the limitations that we are in this world.

aa They exist in a dimension that we cannot see, out of our normal range of understanding . . . but is it more real/lasting than anything we can imagine.

bb The realm is called “the heavenlies,” where marvelous creatures (both magnificiant & malevolent) exist.

b Both, angels & demons, were created by God, and they have a history all their own.

2 To understand angels (their origin, history, place in God’s purpose) we have to look at various texts in Scriptures.

a Nehemiah 9:6 (NASB) 6 "You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You.

aa Nehemiah establishes the truth that God is the only God.

bb AND that God made the heavens and “The heaven of heavens.” (Why does Nehemiah make the distinction between the two places if they were the same place?)

b The Bible teaches that there are three realms that are referred to as “heaven.”

aa The first realm of “heaven” is the earths own atmosphere.

bb The second realm is above our atmosphere (moons, stars, planets).

cc The third realm is the “heaven of heavens” (cf. Gen. 28, Deut. 10, 1 Kings 8) & it’s a spiritual realm.

c Paul mentions this third realm in 2 Cor.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (NASB) 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.

aa In the original language, it’s not “caught up” but actually “caught away.”