- [Narrator] Angels protect and deliver us.
God is using his angels as ministering spirits.
They are your protectors and they support
the good news on earth.
Welcome to gracedigital presentation.
The enemies of Christ who attack us regularly
would often be stopped if we could understand God's promise
that his powerful angels are always near
and are able to serve.
Regrettably, most Christians have neglected
to receive this fact.
So frequently declared in the Bible,
God is applying his angels as ministering spirits.
It is amazing to think that angels are at work for us.
The most crucial feature of angels
is not that they hold the power to exercise control
over our lives, but that they work on our behalf.
Angels are driven by an unwavering love for God
and are apprehensive to see that the will of God
in Jesus Christ made manifest in us.
David said of angels, he who dwelleth in the secret place
of the most high shall abide under the shadow
of the Almighty.
For he shall give His angels charge over thee
keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up, less thou dashed thy foot
against the stone, Psalm 91:1, 11 and 12
divine surveillance.
Every true believer in Christ should be
encouraged and empowered.
Angels are watching.
They mark our route.
They watch the events of our lives
and protect the Lord God's concerns.
Angels always strive to promote God's plans
and bring about his highest will for us.
Angels are interested observers and mark all we do.
First Corinthians four nine says,
For I think God has exhibited us apostles.
Last of all, as men condemned to death, because we have
become a spectacle to the world,
both to angels and to men.
God ordains angelic powers to watch over us.
We see an example of this with Sarah's made.
Hagar fled from the tents of Abraham.
God sent his angel to minister to Hagar.
Genesis 16 seven says,
the angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring
in the desert.
It was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.
The angel spoke as an oracle of God
turning her mind away from the injury of the past
with a promise of what she might expect
if she placed her faith in God.
The very name of her son Ishmael,
God hears, was a sustaining one.
God promised that the seed of Ishmael would multiply
and that his future would be great on the earth,
as he now undertook the restless journey
that was to define him.
The Angel of the Lord revealed himself
as the protector of Hagar and Ishmael.
Hagar in all exclaimed.
Genesis 16:13 says, Thou God seest me.
Psalm 34 seven emphasizes the teaching that angels guard
and protect us,
the angel of the Lord encampeth round
about beings who fear him and delivereth them.
A popular Charles Wesley songs go,
angels, where'er we go, attend our steps,
what'er betide, with watchful care
their charge attend, and evil turn aside.
Angels and miraculous deliveries.
As Christians, we can recall some incidents in our lives
in times of severe crisis where we were miraculously saved.
Though they may have seen no angels,
their presence could explain why tragedy was avoided.
Plenty evidence from scripture proves to us
that guiding angels have protective interest in our lives.
The Scriptures are full of dramatic evidence
of the guarding care of angels in their earthly service
to the redeemed.
Paul warned Christians to put on all the armor of God
that they may stand firm in the face of evil.
Ephesians 6:10 through 12 says,
Finally be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power,
put on the full armor of God,
so you can take your stand against the devil schemes
for our struggle is not against the flesh and blood,
but against the rulers,
against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms.
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but the spiritual forces of wickedness and heavenly spheres.
Satan, the prince of the power of the air
promotes a religion but not true faith.
So the powers of light and dark
are fastened in an intense battle.
Glory to God for the angelic forces that ward off
the acts of darkness.
Angels never administer selfishly they serve
so that all glory may be given to God
as believers are established.
In the Bible we see Peter lay bound in prison
awaiting execution.
John's brother had already been killed,
and there was little reason to suppose that Peter
would escaped the executioner's axe either.
The magistrates intended to put him to death
as a favor to those who oppose the gospel and God's works.
Indeed, the believers had prayed for James,
but God had chosen to deliver him through death.
Now the church was praying for Peter.
As Peter lay sleeping, an angel appeared
not hindered by such things as iron bars.
The angel arrived in the prison cell rocked Peter awake
and told him to prepare to escape.
As a light shone in prison,
Peters chains came off and having dressed
he followed the angel out.
Bars supernaturally opened
because Peter cannot pass through locked doors
as the angel had.
What a powerful deliverance God accomplished
through his angel.
Many experiences in both Old and New Testaments
grew out of the imprisonment of God's saints
calling either for God to deliver directly
or to intercede through angels acting in his name.
Many today, who are captive in the chains of despair
can take courage to believe in the prospect of salvation.
God says that angels will minister to all heirs of faith.
If we the sons of God would only recognize
how close his ministering angels are,
what calm confidence could we have
in facing the calamities of life?
While we do not put our faith directly in angels,
we should put it in the God who rules the angels.
Hebrews 11 includes a long list of men and women of faith.
For most of them, God performed wonders,
delivering them from sickness, calamity,
accidents, and even death.
Angels help these distinguished men and women
to overcome kingdoms, get promises,
close the jaws of lions, quench the violence of fire,
escape the tip of the sword
and when they were vulnerable, stand with the help of angels
to defeat entire armies.
But the pace changes in verse 35, with the opening words,
and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance.
Those now mentioned were of equal faith and courage.
They suffered chains in bondage.
They were stoned.
They were slain by the sword.
They walked about and goat skins being destitute,
afflicted and tormented.
Time after time, they must have called on God
to send his mighty angels to help.
No delivering angel came.
They suffered and endured almost as though
there were no God.
Why?
We find a clue when our Lord faced Calvary as he prayed.
If it be possible, let this cup pass from me, Matthew 26:39.
But then he added, nevertheless, not my will
but thine be done, Luke 22:42.
In the sufferings and death of these great saints
not physically delivered,
God had a mysterious plan and was performing his will,
knowing this they suffered and died by faith.
This latter part of Hebrews 11 indicates
that those who received no visible help in answer to prayer
will have a far greater heavenly reward
because they endured by faith alone.
But having died, they did enjoy the Ministry of angels
who then escorted their immortal souls to the throne of God.
If the first part of Hebrews 11 is called Gods Hall of Fame,
this second should be called Gods winners
of the Medal of Honor.
We might call two excellent instances case studies
of how angels see to it that unbelievers hear the gospel
respond to it and become saved.
It shows again the concern of angels for the gospel
and the steps they take to implement it.
The first case is that of an Ethiopian noble,
a man of great power,
while reading the Old Testament Scriptures,
he came to Isaiah and unable to understand
what the prophet intended needed someone to interpret
the scripture to him.
An angel knew of this situation,
but the angel did not and could not do
what the Ethiopian required.
The man couldn't teach the faith,
but he could assist the Ethiopian eunuch
by assigning someone to him who could.
So the Scripture tells us that the angel spoke to Philip
and directed him to go.
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip,
go south to the road, the desert road,
that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, Acts 8:26.
Philip responded to the angel and approach the chariot.
Then he explained the writing for the Ethiopian.
Later the angel led him up and took him away.
The Ethiopian went on his way celebrating.
If the angel had been indifferent about the gospel,
he would not have sent Philip to preach
the gospel to this interested inquire.
The second instance has to do with Peter
and the conversion of Cornelius.
In this case, the situation is reversed.
The angel had told Philip what to do
so the Ethiopian man could be saved.
Here, he did not tell Philip what to do,
but first commanded Cornelius to send for Peter,
who would then tell him the story of the gospel
so he could be saved.
Would it not have been much more comfortable
for the angel to have preached the gospel
to Cornelius than to have him send for Peter?
After all, Peter was not a willing witness.
He had the notion that it was wrong to preach the gospel
for the salvation of Gentiles.
Cornelius nevertheless followed the word of the angel
and requested for Peter.
Then God had to appear in a dream and convince Peter
that it was okay for him to evangelize to a Gentile.
Thank god Peter finally went,
and Cornelius was wonderfully saved.
But it was performed through the auspices
of the angel who was deeply concerned with the gospel
and for the salvation of this Roman soldier.
A different story, The Apostles Axe
is somewhat different,
though no less deserving of attention.
This story has to do with Paul on his way to Rome.
He was shipwrecked in route.
But while it seemed that the ship would sink
with all hands lost,
an angel of the Lord looked to Paul at night,
the angel told those aboard the boat
that they would all be saved.
Then he said something that clarifies the angels concern
for the salvation of men and the witness of Christians
to the unsaved.
Fear not Paul thou must be brought
before Caesar, Acts 27:24.
Here we see the same principle.
The angel could not witness to Caesar but Paul could,
and God in His providence was sending him to Rome
for precisely this purpose.
If Paul had not thoroughly known the will of God before
it was clear at this time,
God intended that Caesar should hear the gospel.
And this angel by bringing the message
revealed his own interest in the Gospel.
Dr. Miller points out that the contemporary expression,
hurry up, would fit most angel commands.
The words get up, were sometimes literally used.
The angel said the Peter rise quickly,
the angel said to Gideon, arise and go in this thy might.
The angel said the Joseph, go quickly.
And to Phillip, arise and go.
In the same way any evangelistic service sounds the note
of urgency concerning the gospel.
We have no time to misuse because we can
never reclaim this time.
We may never more have another chance to witness
if we neglect the first.
Let us pray, Heavenly Father,
we have come to you today with our hearts bowed,
we asked for protection from the evil one.
Lord, we are plagued moment by moment
with images on stations, the internet,
books and newspapers that leave us exposed
to the sin of every kind,
envelop us with your divine hedge of security
surrounded round about with your power and your might
let all who take refuge in you be glad.
Let them ever sing for joy.
And may you shelter us that those who love your name
may exalt in you,
for it is you who blesses the righteous man.
Oh Lord, you surround him favor as with a shield.
We hope this series blessed you.
For prayer breakthrough, the angels are available
on the line engage them.
I hope you were blessed by this video.
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