Sermon Central
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The Angel Ministry Series
Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Apr 20, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: Whether we realize it or not, we believers are teaching angels of things they are not privileged to experience themselves. Link included to formatted text, handout, and PowerPoint Presentation.
The Angel Ministry
I Cor. 4:9
The Bible teaches that we, as members of the body of Christ, minister to angels. Did you know that?
Some are in the bus ministry…they minister to bus kids and their families.
Some are in the s.s. ministry…and they teach and minister to their class.
Some are in our meal ministry or another ministry…
…but everyone here who has been saved is ALSO in the angel ministry. We minister to angels everyday, whether we realize it or not. Angels are learning things about God by watching us!
Put your thinking cap on and pay close attention, because this is more teachy than preachy, and more educational than entertaining.
I. Angels are watching us.
How would you live your life if you knew you were being watched at all times?
Ill.—The Truman Show—his life changed the day he realized he was being watched.
We wouldn’t want to be watched in that context, but angels ARE watching us!
A. We cannot see them in this age…they exist in another dimension.
B. They can see us.
1 Tim. 5:21
I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
Paul tells Timothy, “There’s 3 reasons to do what I’ve told you: God is watching, Jesus is watching, and the angels are watching.”
Ill—Pastor of a very small church would only have 15 or 20 on a good day, yet he studied for hours on end for every message. His wife asked him why he would work so hard for so few. He said, “you’re forgetting what a large audience I actually have.” And then he quoted her this verse:
1 Cor. 4:9
For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
“Spectacle” = For public show
In the Greek it’s theotron = theatre.
And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.
Back to the previous verse, ‘we are made a theatre to the angels’.
Ill.—at a professional baseball game there are a handful of men on the field w/ 40,000 + people in the grandstands watching. The players are making a spectacle of themselves…and each of them are hoping to do something “spectacular”!
C. Angels are curious creatures. They are carefully scrutinizing our lives. They are paying close attention.
Ill.—cats have a curious nature. Matter of fact, it was curiosity that did what to the cat? [killed!]
Angels have a different nature than we have, and they are curious to learn more. There are ‘angels among us’, and they are, no doubt, in this very room, watching and learning.
II. Angels are learning about God’s wisdom by observing us.
A. They are not omniscient. They are limited in their knowledge. They have the capacity to learn. There are things they have not experienced and do not fully understand.
Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: [11] Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. [12] Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
The prophets didn’t understand…it seemed like they were writing about 2 different Messiahs, 1 that suffers and 1 that would be glorious. But they were writing for future generations to understand…that’s us! Today we know, there is only 1 Messiah, and He both suffered and is glorious!
But here’s our point for tonite: even the angels didn’t understand, and so they look into it! God doesn’t share all the details of His plan with His heavenly servants, the angels. They are simply to do their job.
B. They are curious of what they don’t understand. But we can understand it today by the Holy Spirit of God…truly we are a privileged people to live in the day in which we do.
1 Cor. 2:7-8
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: [8] Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
