Open up in your Bibles this morning to the book of Hebrews, chapter 12. While you're turning there, I want to mention a few things about the passing away of Buddy Harrison. Buddy Harrison was a friend to so many ministers and really, you stop and think about it. He's one of the reasons this church is a success, because he's the one that, when I went to work for Brother Hagin, he's the one who hired me. He was, Buddy Harrison, actually his name is Doyle Harrison, but Buddy Harrison as everybody called him was Kenneth Hagin's son-in-law, and married his daughter, and when I first heard of Buddy Harrison, I was attending Trinity Bible College back in 1969 and 1970, and he tried to publish some of Charles Duncombe's books and he wanted Charles Duncombe to write down some of his experiences and that never came to pass, but that's when I first heard of him.
And then in 1973, when I went to work for Kenneth Hagin, he was the one who greeted me at the door and I had seen him before and met him before but didn't know him that well, but he hired me and I remember when I went to work for Brother Hagin, I wasn't making much money at all, and I had actually made double what I was being paid at Brother Hagin's ministry working in the world, but I knew I was in the right place, and knew it when I walked through the door, but Buddy Harrison was one of those that when he first met me, he said, "I know we're not paying you much money." He says, "I think you're over-qualified for the position that we're hiring you for," and he said, "just stick with it." And he said, "Watch, I'll take care of you." And he did.
Over the next number of months, he'd come in just every few months and say, "I've given you another raise. I've given you another raise." And again, he just took care of me. And so he did with so many of the employees that were over there. Again, he promised he would be fair and he kept his word.
I got the privilege of traveling with him to a few places. He had his own meetings and I would travel with him and since I did recordings for Brother Hagin's ministry, I would do recordings for him, and then also, I got to accompany him to many of the Christian Booksellers' Ministries, or Christian Booksellers' Association Conventions while I worked there.
I'll never forget, one thing that stands out in my mind was when I'd been there for only about a year, and he walked in one day and was talking about this pesky minister that kept calling all the time, and just put everybody into a frenzy. He was always demanding and always wanting things his way and Buddy said, "You can't reason with this guy." And then that guy showed up at camp meeting, and Buddy was really upset the guy showed up at camp meeting and was bugging everybody to give a testimony. And he said he was, he said, "This guy will not leave me alone." So finally Brother Hagin said, "Yes." Buddy was upset. This guy said, "I wanted to give a testimony, Brother Hagin." And Brother Hagin said, "Go ahead." And of course, Buddy said, "Why did he do that? Doesn't he know who this pesky guy is." Well, the pesky guy was Fred Price. And I was back there in the back recording and Buddy Harrison walked back there and said, "Don't record this guy. Don't even put him on tape." He says, "I'm upset with him." He says, "I don't even want this thing on tape."
So five minutes into his testimony, Buddy came back, the door flew open, and said, "Get this on tape. Get this on tape." And this was when Fred Price had been miraculously healed of the lump that was on his chest that had been there for so long by reading Brother Hagin's material and opening up the Word and applying it for himself, and again, this was one of the first, one of the things I remembered so much that stood out in my mind about Buddy Harrison.
He left Brother Hagin's ministry a number of years ago and began Faith Christian Fellowship, just before I became pastor here at Grace Fellowship. And his church took off. It was over on, I believe it was on Third Street. Wasn't it on Third Street, was where it was. And just had a great number of people that was attracted to the church. It became one of the most successful churches in Tulsa.
Then he moved further north on 36th Street North and opened up a large church there. His church moved and through the years he has opened up FCF churches, literally all over the world and not just in the United States, but it became a very large group of churches. His church grew rapidly and I remember for a while, we were the church in South Tulsa, he was the church in North Tulsa, but churches just began to grow rapidly from there. And really from FCF, a number of churches began in Tulsa and really that's where Willie George began as a youth director at that church, was on staff, and so again, many, many things have happened because of his ministry.
He then began Harrison House Publishing and some of my very first books were with Harrison House Publishers, and then after that he began the ICFM the International Convention of Faith Ministers. In fact, we had one of the meetings here at Grace Fellowship. That was when Jimmy Swaggart spoke one year here and also Lester Sumrall. And his publishing house grew and then he incorporated into other publishing houses and today Harrison House includes Harrison House, Albury Books, and then also Honor Books, which Honor Books is probably one of the largest in the United States.
He has spoken here at Grace Fellowship twice, and then later on in his life he developed cancer and fought that fight for a number of years and did well. He pulled through it, then it would attack again, he would pull through it. And then it would attack again. And so he died yesterday morning. I understand that he was in bed with his wife when he died, and so he's gone on to be with the Lord, but his service will be this week sometime. I'm sure it will be this upcoming week, and so we'll keep you posted on that. But again, just keep his family up before the Lord in prayer and again, he not only holds a great place in my life, but also I believe he's great in the city of Tulsa, that many of the blessings we have here in Tulsa are a direct result of his ministry.
Well, you should have found Hebrews, chapter 12, by now. Hebrews, chapter 12. We're on our concluding sermon today, the concluding lesson on the ministry of angels.Have you been blessed by learning about angels for the past numbers of weeks? Have you become more aware of angels in your life? I trust that you have. I trust everywhere you go now that you realize there's an angel sitting beside you. You see, people used to tell me, they said, "You know, Pastor, I'd have never done that if you'd have been there." Well, Jesus is there. Now I trust you realize you weren't just you and Jesus. There's a multitude around you that are watching. They're called angels, and you know, so people have often said, you know, that if Pastor was around, they wouldn't do some of the things they've done, but hey, Chief Pastor's around. His name is Jesus, and an innumerable company of angels.
Look with me at this passage of Scripture again. Hebrews, chapter 12, beginning in verse 22. Comparing again the Old Testament with the New, the Old Covenant with the New.
"We have not come unto mount Sion" in the verses just before this, that could not be touched, that burned with fire and smoke and anger and vengeance of God was there, that not even an animal could touch it, but look with me at verse 22.
"But you are come unto mount Sion, unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
"To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
"And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel."
Aren't you glad for the blood of Jesus? You see, they lived in the Old Testament looking forward to it. We look back to it, but the blood of Jesus Christ has not only removed all sins, but removed the consciousness of sin. No longer are we held accountable for the sins before we got saved, and every time we confess a sin after we're saved, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses. We've come unto the throne room of God, and again, the Church is called "the general assembly," "the firstborn," "the Church of the firstborn," but also to an innumerable company of angels.
And over the past numbers of weeks, we have taken up many things, discussing the ministry of angels in the Church. We've talked also about ministry of angels in the Old Testament and talked about how that their ministry has increased since the day of Pentecost. This was also found in Hebrews, chapter 1. But since that day, the number of angels ministering for us has increased. God hasn' t manufactured more angels, it's just now that angels have to literally protect everyone who's born again.
Their ministry was more limited in the Old Testament, but now seems to be almost unlimited because all believers now stand in a place of protection by angels and next of all, angels not only minister to us, but now in Hebrews 1:14, they minister for us who are heirs of salvation.
And last week we, or last two weeks, we took up the ministry of angels in the Old Testament. Then last week we took up the ministry of angels around Jesus. And we went through the four Gospels and highlighted them. At the very beginning of the book of Matthew, angels appear. And by the time that the four Gospels close, angels are there also, and today I want to start from that point and discuss the ministry of angels for us in the New Testament.
Turn back with me to a verse we left off with last week, because this was a pivotal transitional verse. The book of Psalms, Psalm 68, and I want to take another look at verses 17 and 18, because this verse really tells us something we don't see in a verse we're about to go to. Acts, chapter 1, we're going to take a look at when the two angels stood by them in white apparel, but Psalms tells us something on the other side is Jesus was taken up on that day. And that is, there was thousands of angels that surrounded Him as He went to heaven, while two angels remained here on the earth and told the disciples to head toward the upper room and wait for the coming of the Spirit of God.
Psalm 68, look with me at verse 17. It says here, "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them...." Notice, Jesus Christ is among these thousands of angels. "The Lord is among them, as he was in Sinai, at the holy place.
"Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them."
Here is a verse talking about the pouring out of the Spirit at the beginning of the Church age at Pentecost, but Jesus being taken up just before that event. And this is the event when gifts were given unto men, the Spirit of God was poured out, and God came on that day with His Holy Spirit to turn rebellious people into children of God. Aren't you glad that the Holy Spirit was able to turn you, you rebellious thing, into a child of God? Aren't you glad?
But I want you to notice something is said in this verse of Scripture that invisibly something that could not be seen on that day by the disciples' eyes was that Jesus was received into heaven by thousands and thousands of angels and angels in chariots that received him that day into heaven.
But also, we're going to turn now to the book of Acts, chapter 1. Acts, chapter 1. I want you to begin with me in verse 9. Here is what happened on that day. This verse is also quoted in Ephesians, chapter 4, speaking about the offices given to the church the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. That verse was quoted, but here is the day that this verse is speaking of.
Acts, the 1st chapter, look with me at verse 9. It says, "And when he had spoken these things...." That is, Jesus has told them in Acts 1:8, "Go to Jerusalem. Wait for the Holy Spirit, for ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you."
It says in verse 9, "When he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." How many of you know, that cloud is the glory cloud? I happen to think the angels must have been in that glory cloud, don't you? There must have been thousands of angels that were accompanying Him and they surrounded Him like a cloud.
It says, "A cloud received him out of their sight.
"And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
"Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, so shall come again in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven."
The angels were saying here, "Yes, He's gone, but He will come back, but you have something to do in the meantime." This verse was simply saying, and I think it's important we understand this, that the ministry of the Church began with angels. The ministry of the Church leaving this earth will end with angels. We are told here in this passage of Scripture that just before the Church began, angels are seen. Just like angels began the book of Matthew and ended the ministry of Jesus, the angels also start the book of Acts and will end the ministry of the Church.
We are told here in this passage of Scripture when the angels were there that Jesus has just told them to go to the upper room for the Holy Spirit, and angels in essence are saying, "Why stand ye gazing up? He's going to come back. You have a job to do. Let's get with it." Angels were ready for this new assignment. Angels were ready to go into battle. Angels were ready for these disciples to be obedient to the Spirit of God and the angels would be there for divine protection.
Again, I tell you, angels are there waiting to minister for you, but they're also waiting on you to get going. They're not waiting on you to sit down and do nothing. There's a lot of Christians today, again I have told you, with bored angels. The angels have nothing to do because these people won't do anything for the Kingdom of God. They have a monotonous assignment, but I can tell you this. I don't want my angels to ever get bored. I want them to constantly be busy as I'm doing things for the things of God. Amen.
I want you to be the same way. I want you each day to wake up saying, "Well, what can I do for the Lord today?" and your angels stand there saying, "Good, we want something to do today." And in fact, I want my angels to realize when I wake up, "Up, here comes another day with something to do." And so I want my angels, if nothing else, to get tired and be glad when I go to be with the Lord in heaven one day."
But again, angels are there and angels also will end the Church age. We are told that when Jesus Christ comes back at the rapture of the Church, in First Thessalonians, chapter 4, "He shall descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of the archangel." I believe that also there's going to be many other angels just as Jesus was accompanied into heaven by a multitude of angels, I believe that angel that is blowing the trumpet on that day, sounding forth the voice of the archangel, will also come with a myriad of angels that will accompany us right into the throne room of God.
But you know, it's also true for every individual in the Church age. How many of you believe the moment you were born, there was an angel assigned to you at that moment? Well, you better because it's scriptural. Jesus again told us back in the book of Matthew that every little child has an angel which ever beholds the face of their Father. I believe that the moment you are born, there's an angel assigned to you, and folks, I want to tell you, the moment you leave out of this earth and go to be with the Lord, you're taken up into heaven by a number of angels.
We're told that when Lazarus died and went on to be with the Lord that angels accompanied him into Abraham's bosom and I believe that yesterday morning, that as Buddy Harrison died and went to be with the Lord, I believe he was surrounded by a number of angels that accompanied him into heaven. I also believe Jesus comes back for us personally and escorts us into heaven. I believe that those who have been in our family, I believe in-laws, those that we've been married to, others, also friends, come to greet us, too. I find this also in many people who have died and gone on to be with the Lord that husbands and wives that have died and relatives that are there, but also they describe angels that are in the room. Large angels, and in fact, it's so real to them, they don't understand why we can't see them, but they're in that transition state between this life and the next life, between earth and heaven, time and eternity, and their eyes are seeing clearly into both realms and they don't understand why we can't see them.
But I want you to know that that's something which has been given for us, a brand new ministry of angels to watch over and protect us every day.
Of course, your first thought is this: Why do I need so many angels to protect me? Because you have so many demons that are coming against you. And again, these are unseen. They're in that spirit world that attack us and again, we are told back in Psalm 91 that angels have been sent to protect us so that no evil can befall us, no plague can come nigh our dwelling, and they'll guard us so that we will not dash our foot against a stone.
But again, these verses of Scripture are telling us as the Church began that angels were there to minister to us.
I'm going to kind of take you on a little panoramic view of the book of Acts, and then I'm going to take you to some other verses in the New Testament, because Acts really comes down to what angels do for us.
Now, in last week, we talked about what angels did for Jesus. We can apply that
because the same ministry of angels applies to us, but it seems like the book of Acts
becomes more personal, because those in the book of Acts were not super heroes. This
isn't Jesus sent from heaven, sent by virgin birth. These are people that were born under
natural circumstances, faced the same temptations we do, failed, floundered, got back up,
kept on going, but the ministry of angels to them really speaks to us, because the book of
Acts is really where our age began the Church age.
So I want you to turn with me to the first occurrence of angels after the day of Pentecost in Acts the 5th chapter. Acts, chapter 5, and look with me at verse 17. Some of the chief leaders of the Church have been persecuted and even put in prison, because in chapter 4, they were commanded never to preach again in that name. I like their attitude. They said, "Wait a minute! We've got to choose between you and God. I don't even think that's much of a choice. I think we'll choose God. We can't preach any more in that name." The Bible says as soon as they were let go, they went back to their own company. Oh, hallelujah! I know many people, the moment they're beaten, they'll never go back to church again, but that verse says, "After they were beaten, they went right back to their own company." How many of you know it's good to have your own company? It's good to have a church you can call your own, and they went back to their own church. Their own company would be their own congregation, their own friends, those that are Spirit filled, those that know Jesus, those that knows how to pray. How many of you know, when you're in trouble, you better find out somebody that knows how to pray. You don't want to just find anybody. You certainly don't want to turn like Oprah, I can tell you that. You'd better find somebody that can show you how to pray and get hold of the throne room of God.
And so the Bible says they went back to their own company. They knew there wasn't anybody else the y could trust, and the Bible said they all lifted up their voice in one accord and said, "Lord, this has happened before. David prophesied of it back in the 2nd Psalm, and Lord, we are lifting up our hands, rejoicing that we had an opportunity to suffer for Jesus," and the Bible says the moment they did that, the building was shaken where they were assembled together and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. And then it went on to say, "And they went and preached the Word with more boldness than ever before."
So because of that, they are back in jail in chapter 5. They were beaten in chapter 4, went back out and preached the gospel. Now in chapter 5, they're back in jail again, and look with me at verse 17.
It said, "Then the high priest rose up, with all they that were with him, (which was the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,
"And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison." This is just the jail where everybody else was.
It says in verse 19, "But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
"Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life."
I want you to notice what the angel didn't say. "Guys, I'm getting tired of this. Don't preach anymore." Notice what the angel said: "Go forth and speak in the temple to the people of the words of this life." He's speaking about the life of Jesus, the life of the new birth, the life of being Spirit filled. He's saying, "Spread the gospel of Jesus Christ."
So the apostles were taken from prison. So the first thing we can understand is, deliverance. Listen, if we can start with prison and be delivered from prison in the book of Acts, how many of you know, there's not much you need to be afraid of? If the Holy Spirit and angels would deliver them out of prison in chapter 5 of Acts, then why are you sweating what they think about you on the job? Why are you upset on what they think about you at school? Why are you upset with what they think about you when you walk down the street, or your neighbors next door? I know there's Christians that are afraid of what their neighbors think, so they won't come to church. They don't want their neighbors to find out they come to this church, Grace Fellowship. So they just don't go to church, or else they go to some church that, you know, is more socially acceptable. It doesn't preach salvation by faith or being filled with the Spirit or speaking with tongues or divine healing or casting out devils. They don't want churches like that, so they'll settle for these things because they're afraid people might talk about them.
I want you to see something. These disciples weren't afraid of what people thought about them. They ended up in jail and an angel delivered them and said, "Go right back to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ."
How many of you would rather do what's right for Jesus no matter what people think? Well, that's what this verse is saying, and on top of that, notice this, Angels agree. Angels ought to know where they're going. "Well, you know, I just don't know." They agree with God. So when you're in trouble, angels are there to deliver you out of that trouble, and then it says at the end of it, they'll admonish you, go right back to preaching the gospel again. Jail is not bigger than us. We can handle it. Chains aren't bigger than us. We can handle it. Later on in chapter 12 when Peter is in prison, literally chains fall off of him because of the power of angels.
Look with me at chapter 8 of Acts. Here's the second time we find a ministry of an angel. Acts, chapter 8. Acts, chapter 8, look with me at verse 26. Acts, chapter 8, and verse 26. Philip has just preached the gospel in the city of Samaria, and it says in verse 26, "The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
"And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of Ethiopia, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship."
Again, angels know how to lead us and guide us. In this particular case, we have guidance coming from angels. Yes, guidance comes from the Holy Spirit, but notice this. An angel delivered it. Angels don't have the power to guide us. That comes from the Holy Spirit, but they can bring the message to us. The angel brought the message from the Holy Spirit and told him what to do. So your guidance can actually come, administered to you by angels, and notice in this verse of Scripture. The angel spoke to him.
Listen, this is the book of Acts. We're no longer talking Old Testament. We're not just talking about what God did for Jesus. This is what God did for a servant of the Lord. This servant of the Lord named Philip started out in the previous chapters back in chapter 6 as simply a deacon in the church, an usher in the church, someone who helped serve in the church. I'm simply saying, this guy wasn't somebody that was born into royalty. This guy wasn't somebody who was the pastor of the church. This guy was not one of the leaders of the church of Jerusalem. He was not one of the twelve disciples. This guy named Philip just had a normal start like every one of us. Probably got saved back in chapter 2 of Acts, or got saved later on with the 5,000 that were added to the church. He's just one of that group of people. He was in the church. Was faithful, decided to take on some responsibility, became someone that just helped people in the church, and I want you to see this. An angel appeared to him and talked to him. How many of you would like an angel to come and talk to you and give you direction?
Listen, when you read verses like this, don't just say, "Well, that was the book of Acts and this is today. " Folks, that was the book of Acts and this is today and the same angels minister to us. I'm here to tell you, expect anything when God wants to guide you and lead you. An angel can come and speak to you and give you guidance and direction from the presence of God, from the Holy Spirit.
I just simply want you to write these other verses down, because there's so many of them in the book of Acts appearances of angels that again, I tell you, when the Church appeared, angels had to go into high gear because of all the things that God wanted them to do.
In Acts, chapter 10, verses 3-6, we have instruction given by angels as to what to do, not only guidance, but instruction what to do when you get there. We are told in chapter 10, verses 3-6, that Cornelius, a man who was seeking after God, a Gentile who really wanted to know about God, in a vision an angel came to him and gave him instruction, told him what to do, even admonished him as to how his prayers had come up into heaven, and his prayers had been heard in heaven and that God had looked around for someone to deliver this instruction to and he picked this angel, and the angel came giving instruction from God, and told him, "A man named Peter was in Joppa, and would be coming to him."
Notice again, we had back in chapter 8, Philip was told to go to Gaza, and he did, and he met a man that was there. But see, this angel didn't tell him what all was going to happen. But this angel actually told Cornelius all that was going to happen. This is more than guidance. It's also instruction that the angel gave to him as to what he would be facing whenever Peter came, and of course, we know the story, how that Peter came and preached the gospel. His whole household was saved. We find out there they were filled with the Holy Spirit and again, we have tremendous things happening in the house of Cornelius.
Then in chapter 12, chapter 12, we have Peter who was in prison and the first half of that chapter deals with the fact that when Peter was in prison, the church was praying. This tells us who the great stewards over prayer are, and that is angels. In fact, over intercessory prayer.
We took it up a number of weeks ago and traced intercessory prayer throughout the Word of God, and whether it was Abraham praying for Lot, or whether it was Daniel interceding for the future of his nation in the book of Daniel, or whether here, it's in Acts, chapter 12, we find so many instances in the Word of God that when a group of people were praying, or an individual was praying, that angels were sent to minister the answer to that prayer.
Here we have again that while Peter was in prison, the Church was on their knees. The Church was praying in the house of Mary, and while they were praying, an angel came and delivered Peter. Peter was asleep. The angel woke him up. Peter was bound in chains. The angel broke the chains off. Peter put his shoes on, put his coat on, and suddenly the angel caused the door in front of him that was chained and locked to open up. The next set of doors opened up and the next thing Peter did was found himself out on the street and the moment he did, the angel disappeared.
How many of you know that in your life, whether you have seen it or not, angels are there to supernaturally deliver you? We find in the beginning of the book that they were delivered from prison. Now we find Peter delivered from prison here, but again we find that there's not bars that can hold us when God's delivering power comes and His delivering power can come through angels.
Folks, I like to think of that as this, too. We just think of bondage in this particular case as a prison cell. We think about these chains as physical chains. But there are times when we are under chains of bondage, chains of oppression, chains that have been coming against us with lusts and all the sins of this world, and I'm here to tell you, that oftentimes we pray for deliverance, I'm sure that in the spirit world, it's an angel that is sent that breaks those chains. Amen.
There's oftentimes we sing about the fact that it gives strength to me as I worship thee and my mouth is filled with praise. It will break the bands as I lift my hands and sing glorious liberty. I'm sure that it's praise and worship that sends angels too, that angels, our angels could be on assignment, but the moment we begin to lift up our hands to worship the Lord, angels are there to break those chains that are off of us. I think through praise and worship our angels go to battle with the demons around us and settle that thing once and for all. Amen.
I'm sure our deliverance has come through the years by the power of angels. Later on in that particular chapter, we have the angel again. Acts, chapter 12, verses 21-23. Herod came in that day, presented himself as god, came in with all his pomp and circumstance and stood up in front of everybody and declared himself to be a god, and the moment he did that, an angel struck him dead. The Bible says he was smitten with worms and died, but again, it came because an angel struck him and brought judgment to him.
In Acts 27, we have another mention of angels, and there in chapter 27, Paul was on board of a ship, and in verses 21-24, as he was on board the ship, an angel appeared to him and told him and gave him a word of knowledge.
Here's something interesting. We have deliverance brought by angels. We have instruction brought by angels. But now we had a word of knowledge brought by an angel. This tells us sometimes the gifts of the Spirit are brought to us by angels, that whenever we are searching and worshipping God and asking for an answer and oftentimes we get a word of knowledge in the midst of a circumstance, a word of wisdom in the midst of a circumstance, the gift of healing can be working, working of miracles can be working. I believe that oftentimes that is brought to us by an angel.
You know, the Bible tells us that angels have the ministry of bringing God's healing power into this earth. Remember those that were laying around the pool of Bethesda. They were waiting for an angel to stir up the water. Notice that angels are attached to the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Oftentimes again, we believe it's just the presence of the Spirit of God moving in, but I believe sometimes that actual tangible presence of the Holy Spirit in a church service is really the tangible presence of angels in a church service. Amen. Some of you are looking at me like I'm really weird. All I'm telling you is, if I'm weird, leave me alone. If you're normal, I'll stay weird. No, just get weird with me.
Again, the Word of God tells us that on that particular occasion, a word of knowledge was brought to Paul by an angel. He was on the ship and then he gave the word of knowledge to all that were there and he said, "An angel stood by me this night and told me what's going to happen. The ship will be destroyed. All the cargo will be gone, but not one person will lose their life tonight."
We're told later on in the book of Jude, chapter 1, and verse 9. There we have something interesting about the ministry of angels that Michael the archangel, when bringing an accusation against Satan, didn't bring a railing accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you."
I think it's interesting in that case that we rely, when that verse is talking, that it's not really us rebuking Satan, it's us in the name of Jesus that's coming against Satan.
There's something important. We don't come against him in our strength. We don't come against Satan in our, with our words, for even an angel, a superior creature to us, would not come against Satan except in the name of Jesus, and said, "The Lord rebuke you."
Can you begin to understand how important it is that the name of Jesus backs everything that you do? That's why the Bible says, "Let everything that you do in word or deed, be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by him."
But I think there's something interesting too. We're talking about all these glorious deliverances that angels can bring, but the book of Revelation is also filled with the power of angels to bring destruction against the camp of the enemy, to bring destruction against those in this world who reject the Lord, and I want to just simply bring you a few of them.
In Revelation 1:1, the angel brought the message to John of the book of Revelation. We actually have an entire book delivered to John by an angel. An angel accompanied him into heaven, brought these revelations to him, showed him these end- time events, and so literally what's happening in the book of Revelation is an angel.
In chapter 7 and verse 2, in chapter 8, in chapter 16, angels delivered the wrath of God to the earth. It's brought out in more cases than that, but a lot of the other verses are repetitions of these verses, so Revelation, chapter 7, the opening of that chapter; Revelation, chapter 8, the bulk of it; and chapter 16, the wrath of God is brought into this earth by angelic visitors, bring a visitation of God's wrath on this earth. Again, angels.
In chapter 8, verses 3 and 4, angels also in the midst of all this, deliver the prayers of the saints into heaven. That's wonderful. While the wrath of God is bring poured out and angels are bringing wrath to this earth, they also deliver the prayers of the saints into heaven.
How many of you know, when you pray or have a revelation at least today when you pray, angels can deliver that right up to the presence of God. That angel told about Cornelius, said, "Cornelius, your prayers and your alms have come up before God." Therefore, understand, it was angelic beings, angels that were delivering his prayers and his offerings up before God, and angels were bringing back a message to him.
In Revelation, chapter 14, the Bible also tells us that angels will preach the gospel during the tribulation. This is something interesting, something that's never happened before, but again in Revelation 14:6, angels will preach the gospel during the tribulation and I like this. The last thing ever told, that an angel, this is an angel, not a multitude of angels, but an angel will place Satan into the bottomless pit.
You realize how powerful an angel is? Whew! If an angel is going to throw Satan into the bottomless pit, then think about it. You and I are surrounded by an innumerable company of angels. If that's the power of one angel, then what in the world can our angels do? And we often run around, I have actually heard Christians give more credence to what Satan is doing in their life than what God's doing in their life.
Realize this morning, one angel that's around you is more powerful than Satan. But here's something else. Stop and think about this. You, as a believer, are more powerful than Satan. The Bible says, "I'll build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." You are more powerful through the name of Jesus. You are more powerful through the blood and the new birth that has made you a believer. You are more powerful because of angels that surround you and that verse says, "When it's all said and done, one angel is going to throw Satan in the bottomless pit for a thousand years," and finally he'll be thrown into the lake of fire forever and forever.
So again, we have the power of angels that work for us. I want you to become more aware through your daily life that angels surround you. Angels have been there since you were born. Angels have surrounded you since you've been born again. Angels continue to surround you throughout your life, and angels will accompany you into heaven at the time that you die or will accompany you into heaven at the rapture of the Church. I believe the rapture of the Church is coming very, very soon, and I'm sure that angels must know something's happening. They're getting ready for that great blessed event. The Bible doesn't tell us that they know. In fact, the Bible says they don't know the day or the hour, neither does Jesus Himself, neither do we. But I believe just as you and I are anticipating the coming of Jesus Christ, so are angels, and when God gives that decree on that day, you're not only going to hear a shout from heaven and Jesus Christ comes back and the voice of the archangel, you're going to hear a shout from the eternities from one end to the other as angels in heaven and angels on earth rejoice at the coming of Jesus Christ for His Church. Oh, hallelujah! You and I will be here one split second, and the next split second we will be gone. One moment on this earth, and the next moment we'll be in eternity with Jesus Christ forever and forever.
Folks, I'm simply saying, you can't lose. You can't lose. You say, "But I flubbed up." Listen, this is the only game you can get into and fall down and still win. This is the only thing you can get into and really mess up and still win. Listen, as long as you're a Christian, you're going to win. If you're a winning Christian, you're going to win. If you're a losing Christian, you're still going to win one day. It just depends on how big do you want to win? Amen. I want to win big, don't you? Amen.
Angels that surround me again, I thank God they're there. Angels, thank you for protecting me. Angels, thank you for protecting me. Angels, thank you for protecting me, being around me all my life, and on top of that, going to be with me tomorrow, I don't care what happens. A lot of gloom and doom being preached right now that's going to come across the Body of Christ in the years and days to come. All I can say is, if God be for me, who can be against me? Why do I need to fear what men do when I am surrounded by the Spirit of God and an innumerable company of angels? Amen.
Let's give the Lord a shout offering! Father, we praise You this morning, glorify Your name. Hallelujah!
Father, I thank You this morning for Your Holy Spirit, and thank You for the words that we have learned. Thank You for those angels that surround us. Father, so powerful are these beings, that one of them could deliver Jesus from the cross, yet He was surrounded by armies of them. One angel can deliver us, yet we're surrounded by armies. One angel can destroy Satan and cast him into the bottomless pit, yet we're surrounded by an innumerable company of them.
Father, thank You for Your protection. You always do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think. But Father, I pray right now, because there may be somebody here that doesn't know Jesus, has never accepted Him as Lord and Savior. I pray right now that the Spirit of God that's in this room is convicting them, showing them their need of Jesus Christ. Father, I thank You that by the Holy Spirit, You're speaking to them, You're showing them their need of Jesus Christ, because Father, without Him, there is no eternal life.
Bob Yandian
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