ENTERTAINING ANGELS
Heb. 13:2
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: AN EMAIL FROM GOD
1. One day God was looking down at Earth and saw all of the evil that was going on. He decided to send an angel down to Earth to check it out. So he called one of His best angels and sent the angel to Earth for a time.
2. When she returned she told God, yes it is bad on Earth, “95% is bad and 5% is good.”
3. Well, he thought for a moment and said, maybe I had better send down a second angel to get another point of view.
So God called another angel and sent her to Earth for a time too.
4. When the angel returned she went to God and told him yes, the Earth was in decline, 95% was bad and 5% was good.
God said this was not good.
5. So He decided to E-mail the 5% that were good and He wanted to encourage them, give them a little something to help them keep going.
6. Do you know what that E-mail said???? You didn't get one either, huh?
B. HUMOR: KID’S IDEAS ABOUT ANGELS
1. “Angels work for God and watch over kids when God has to go do something else.” Mitchell, 7.
2. “Some of the angels are in charge of helping heal sick animals and pets. And if they don't make the animals get better, they help the kid get over it.” Vicki, 8.
3. “My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's not much good for science.” Henry, 8.
4. “Angels live in cloud houses made by God and his son, who's a very good carpenter.” Jared , 8.
5. “All angels are girls because they've got to wear dresses and boys don't go for it.” Antonia, 9.
6. “Everybody's got it all wrong. Angels don't wear halos anymore. I forget why but scientists are working on it. Olive, 9.
7. “It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to heaven then there's still the flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes.” Matthew, 9.
C. TEXT
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” Heb. 13:2.
D. THESIS
1 We’re going to look at Angels in the Bible and see how there’s even one thing better than entertaining Angels.
2. The title of this message is “Entertaining Angels.”
I. PEOPLE WHO ENTERTAINED ANGELS
This verse particularly refers to Abraham and Lot, Genesis 18:1-8 & Gen. 19:1-4.
A. POSITIONED AT THE PLACE TO RECEIVE STRANGERS
1. Abraham in the heat of the day, “sat in the door of his tent,” Genesis 18:1. In Gen. 19:1, Lot, at evening, “sat in the gate of Sodom,” where strangers were to enter.
2. They both positioned themselves, so that, if they saw any strangers, they might invite and receive them; and did so on the first occasion that offered itself.
3. Abraham prepared a dinner for the 3 Strangers to eat, and Lot prevailed on the 2 angels who visited Sodom to come spend the night at his house. In both instances it’s recorded that the angels ate food with them. Very interesting!
4. But the main point was, that both Abram and Lot intentionally were looking for someone to entertain/ bless.
5. If we’re not actively looking for people to witness to or people to show God’s love to, we’re not serious about obeying God in those areas!
6. So we have a DUTY, not only to be philanthropic, but WE MUST POSITION OURSELVES TO BLESS OTHERS!
B. REWARDS OF ENTERTAINING ANGELS
1. Both Abram & Lot were REWARDED for their kindness. Abram received the promise of a son within one year by Sarah. This was what Abram had been waiting for, for 25 years! It finally came when Abram was thinking of others & not himself.
2. Lot and his family were saved from the judgment and destruction of Sodom, being led out by the hand by the angels.
3. You can’t outgive God! If you sow kindness to others, a harvest of blessing will come back to you! “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days (after many days you may receive a return, NIV)” NKJV. Eccles. 11:1.
4. Isa. 58:6-7, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen…? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
II. IMPLICATION: ANGELS ARE AROUND US
A. ANGELS REALLY EXIST
1. The first implication is that Angels really exist. They are not mythical beings, but are as real as mountains and trees.
2. The spiritual world is just as real as the physical world. The spiritual realm completely penetrates and surrounds our physical world.
3. We tend to think that the spiritual world is up in the air somewhere and is the place of spiritual warfare. This is true. 4. But this verse implies that the angels are down here among us doing God’s work!
B. WHAT ANGELS ARE DOING
1. They physically assist God’s people:
a. Showed Hagar a fountain in the desert (Gen. 21:17);
b. Pulled Lot & his family out of Sodom (Gen. 19:15);
c. Helped Abraham’s servant find a wife for Isaac (Gen. 24:7,40);
d. Cooked for Elijah cakes of bread (1 Kgs 19:5);
e. Troubled the waters at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:4).
2. The Law was given through Angels (Acts 7:53; Gal. 3:19; Heb. 2:2). Direction given to Paul on ship in storm! Acts 27:23.
3. They deliver God’s people (Ps. 34:7; Dan. 6:22, Lions; Acts 5:19, apostles from Jail; Acts 12:7, Peter from Solitary confinement & death. The angel escorted Peter almost home!).
4. They give directions to be followed (Mt. 1:20,24, Joseph; Acts 8:26, Philip; Acts 10:3, Cornelius).
5. So they fight for us, guard us, do reconnaissance for us, act as messengers for God, prophesy, execute judgment, camp around our dwellings, encourage us (1 Kgs. 19:5), accompany us on trips, give us direction (Mt. 1:20-21), rejoice when we’re saved(Lk. 15:10), conduct our souls to heaven when we die (Lk. 16:22) and will accompany us following Christ back to Earth at the 2nd Coming (2 Thess. 1:7).
C. IMPLICATIONS
1. So, it’s implied that people we casually meet outside a store or in a gas station, or walking down the road – looking as if they need assistance – could actually be angels.
2. It’s also implied we’re supposed to be helping needy people, and some of them could be Undercover Angels! QUESTION: WHY WOULD GOD SEND OUT ANGELS DISGUISED AS NEEDY PEOPLE?
3. No angels could really benefit from our help. They have unlimited resources. They instead, would serve to test our compassion, sincerity, selflessness, greed, time-priority and other areas related to our obedience to God’s commands.
D. ILLUSTRATION
1. In April 1998, a series of tornadoes ripped through the southern part of the United States. They hit a church called the Church of the Open Door in Birmingham, Alabama.
2. Children were there for choir rehearsal at the time the storm struck. When the pastor saw the storm coming, he quickly gathered all the children in the churches main hallway.
3. There they huddled together as the winds ripped the church apart. In an effort to calm the children’s fears, the pastor had led them in singing, “Jesus loves the little children.”
4. One girl testified, “While we were singing, I saw angels holding up the hallway. But the winds were so strong that the angels shouted, “We need help!” and some more angels came to help.”
5. There were some minor injuries, but miraculously, no one was killed! God sent His angels to protect them!
III. OTHERS AS GOOD AS ANGELS
A. CHRISTIAN LEADERS TREATED LIKE ANGELS
1. Even if we never serve an angel, the Scripture indicates that Christian ministers have been treated with the same honor as we would angels.
2. Paul said that the Galatians received him as if he were an angel; “Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself” Gal. 4:14.
3. Cornelius entertained Peter with the same attitude, and “fell at his feet in reverence.” Peter made him get up, “I am only a man myself,” Acts 10:25-26.
4. Every child of God has an angel watching over them; and by entertaining God’s children, you will entertain their angels also (who are their guardians).
B. BETTER THAN ANGELS, WE MAY ENTERTAIN JESUS UNAWARES
1. But there’s even a better reason for caring for the poor and needy. What could be better than meeting an angel? Meeting the Lord Jesus!
2. Jesus said, “34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Mt. 25:34-40.
3. When the “least of these” fall into terrible troubles, hardships and deprivations, Jesus said He experiences their suffering with them!
4. He weeps with them, agonizes with them, walks through the valley of the shadow of death with them. He’s touched with the feelings of their infirmities.
5. SO EVERY TIME WE HELP A POOR, HURTING PERSON – JESUS, WHO LOVES THEM AND DIED FOR THEM AND WHO ACCOMPANIES THEM IN THEIR SORROWS – FEELS THEIR COMFORT WHEN WE HELP THEM!
6. Would you like to feed Jesus? To clothe Jesus? To give Him a place to spend the night? Then help the poor!
7. “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done” Prov. 19:17.
C. HOSPITALITY EARNS ITS OWN REWARD
1. The Lord said that if we give a cup of cold water in the name of Christ, we’ll not lose our reward (Matthew 10:42).
2. As we let Jesus live His life through us, have compassion on the multitudes as He did, give to the poor and the needy – we’ll become more like Jesus and more pleasing to our Father which art in Heaven!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. In Bardstown, Kentucky, a Catholic priest granted hospitality to a stranger who stayed for several months. The stranger made no effort to contribute anything to that wilderness parish; and when he left, he gave only his thanks.
2. Some years afterward, a great shipment of some of the world's most beautiful paintings arrived at the little church, where they were lovingly received and exhibited.
3. Thousands of people touring the United States still pause and enter the church to view them every year.
4. That stranger was a prince of France in exile; and when he returned to that land (after Napoleon was defeated) , one of his first acts was to send a royal gift to the parish priest of Bardstown.
5. Paintings donated by King Louis-Philippe of France include a number of fine paintings by famous artists such as Rubens, Van Dyke, Murillo and Van Bree. [Coffman’s Commentary on Heb. 13:2].
B. THE CALL
1. GOD HAS BEEN GENEROUS TO US, WE SHOULD BE GENEROUS
2. God has shown His loving-kindness, Titus 3:4, Greek -- φιλανθρωπία, “philanthropy” to us! Now He wants us to demonstrate φιλαδελφια (Heb. 13:1), brotherly-love!
3. We are debtors to God and He wants us to pay off our debt to Him by extending the same generosity to others – blessing them in their time of need!
4. Let’s pray and ask God to give us generous hearts and to be sensitive to others’ needs & to reach out to them.
