↓ Our Savior Lutheran Church, Grants Pass, OR
↓ Faith Lutheran Church, Medford OR
1-SERMON THE CREATION OF ANGELS, AND VARIOUS TITLES OR RANKS
INTRODUCTION September 29 is St. Michael and All Angels’ Day. This Sunday we devote to learning what the Bible says about the holy angels.
The first question is: How did the angels come into being? God created them. They’re part of His creation. God created all things “visible and invisible.” The angels are in the “invisible” part of God’s creation. We can’t see them. So, the only things we can know about them are revealed to us in the Bible. That includes their beginning.
God made the angels during the 6 days of creation. The Old Testament says the angels “shouted for joy” when God “laid the earth’s cornerstone.” The New Testament says Christ created “all things visible and invisible,” then it names the angels as part of the invisible creation. Everything God made was “very good.” But in Revelation 12 it says certain angels, led by Satan, rebelled against God. That’s when these angels became “evil angels.” Then God cast them out of Heaven, and He made hell for them. Now those evil angels will always be evil angels, belonging to hell and their prince, the chief devil Satan. Likewise, the holy angels will always be holy: the Heavenly host.
The Bible gives the holy angels titles, and divides them into ranks. It says Christ is seated “far above all principality and power and might and dominion” – titles for various ranks of angels. Another verse mentions “thrones, dominions, principalities, powers.” These names refer to the great strength of the angels.
The Bible mentions some angels by name. For instance, the “archangel” Michael leads the Heavenly host against Satan and the evil angels. The angel Gabriel did important things like explaining visions to Daniel, announcing the birth of John the Baptist, and announcing to the virgin Mary that she was giving birth to the Savior.
Also, we’re able to know a little more about certain ranks of angels. There are “cherubim.” They guarded the way to the Garden of Eden, which shows their great power. Also there are “seraphim,” angels with six wings whom we read about in Isaiah 6, where they were singing “Holy, holy, holy” around the LORD’s throne. In the following hymn, we recognize that these ranks of angels praise God in Heaven, and also that the virgin Mary and all Christians in Heaven are just as glorious as the angels.
1 HYMN ELH 540 Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones vv.1-2 TUNE ELH 16
1. Ye watchers and ye holy ones, Bright seraphs, cherubim, and thrones, Raise the glad strain, Alleluia!
Cry out, dominions, princedoms, powers, Virtues, archangels, angels’ choirs, / Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Allelu—ia!
2. O higher than the cherubim, More glorious than the seraphim, Lead their praises, Alleluia!
Thou bearer of th’Eternal Word, Most gracious, magnify the LORD, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Allelu—ia!
2-SERMON The Angels’ ADORATION OF GOD
The first reason for the angels’ existence is to glorify and worship
God. This reminds us of the first reason for our existence too.
Isaiah 6:1-3 shows that the main feature of the angels’ worship of God is humility; in this they are examples for us: “I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”
Another important passage is in Revelation 4. It shows “four living creatures” who are six-winged angels – seraphim. Their worship around the throne is never-ending. This is how we will worship Him in Heaven, adoring Him all the time. It says: “Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. … The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!’ [Revelation 4:6,8]
2 HYMN ELH 15 Holy, Holy, Holy! Sing verse 2 2.
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns Around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and Seraphim falling down before Thee
Merciful and mighty! Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.
3-SERMON ANGELS IN THE STORY OF SALVATION
Christ is “the LORD of hosts” and “the King of angels,” but He isn’t one of them; He is their King, their God. He’s above them. A favorite hymn says: “Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer, than all the angels in the sky.” Hebrews 1 says He is, “much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did [God] ever say: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You’? … To which of the angels has He ever said: ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’?”
But the holy angels do not resent Christ’s exalted position like the evil angels did. Because they live to glorify God, they glorify Christ and His work as the Savior. The angels rejoice the most about the salvation of each sinner.
In Luke 15, Jesus says: “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Also, in 1 Peter it says the preaching of the Gospel contains “things which angels desire to look into.” This is why we sing:
Crown Him the LORD of love.
Behold His Hands and Side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
in beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his wond’ring eye
At mysteries so bright.
The following verse from 2 Peter says the evil behavior of false teachers is much different than how the angels love Christians: “Angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the LORD.”
Think of what the holy angels love in us! They love our faith and our salvation. They show us what we should love most in each other.
The angels show this in how obediently they participated in the history of our salvation, in the life of Christ. First, they often protected the people of Israel from whose line the Savior was born, especially on the night of the Passover: the angel of death “passed over” the Israelites’ houses but killed the Egyptians’ first-born. Also, the angel Gabriel announced the incarnation of Christ. During His life, angels appeared with Him: to strengthen Jesus after He was tempted in the wilderness, and to comfort Him when He suffered in Gethsemane. Jesus said that “more than 12 legions of angels” stood ready to keep Him from death, but Jesus’ Will held them back.
But most important, they were “herald angels,” messengers. The word, “Angel” means “messenger.” Angels were the messengers of the Gospel at three great events in the history of our salvation: Jesus’ Birth, Resurrection, and His Ascension.
READING Luke 2:8-15 1. Jesus’ BIRTH…
3a HYMN ELH 113 A Great and Mighty Wonder Do Not sing vv.2-3
2. The Word becomes Incarnate And yet remains on high, And cherubim sing anthems … 3. While thus they sing your Monarch, Those bright angelic bands, Rejoice, ye vales and …
READING Matthew 28:1-7 2. Jesus’ RESURRECTION… 3b HYMN ELH 366 Ye Sons and Daughters … Do Not sing vv.1 &3
1. Ye sons and daughters of the King,
Whom Heav’nly hosts in glory sing, …
3.An angel bade their sorrow flee,
For thus he spake unto the three:
READING Acts 1:9-11 1. Jesus’ ASCENSION.
3c HYMN ELH 389 A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing Sing verses 2-3
2. The holy apostolic band Upon the Mount of Olives stand; Alleluia! Alleluia! / And with His followers they see Jesus’ resplendent majesty. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Allelu—ia!
3. To whom the angels, drawing nigh, “Why stand and gaze upon the sky? Alleluia! Alleluia! / This is the Savior!” thus they say; “This is His noble triumph-day.” Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Allelu—ia!
4-SERMON THE ANGELS’ SERVICE IN HEAVEN
The holy angels continually see God “face to face.” In Matthew 18 (the Gospel reading for this day), Jesus says: “I say to you that in Heaven the little ones’ angels always see the face of My Father who is in Heaven.”
The holy angels always stand in the presence of God and see Him face to face, as each Christian will in Heaven. In a dream God showed Jacob that angels were “ascending and descending” on a ladder that “reached to Heaven.” The angel Gabriel said to Zechariah: “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God.”
While they are seeing God, the angels worship Him. In the book of Revelation, St. John wants to worship a mighty angel, but the angel says: “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant. Worship God!” In the Communion service we believe that we share this worship of Christ “with angels and archangels and all the company of Heaven.”
Philip Melanchthon, the chief co-worker with Martin Luther during the Reformation, wrote this hymn about the angels. The first 3 verses teach about the angels’ service of worship to God in Heaven.
4 HYMN ELH 545 LORD God, We All to Thee Give Praise verses 1-3
LORD God, we all to Thee give praise, Thank off’rings meet to Thee we raise
That Thou didst angel hosts create Around Thy glorious throne to wait.
2. They glow with light and Heav’nly grace, And constantly behold Thy Face;
Obedience to Thy voice they yield, And are with godly wisdom filled.
3. They never rest, nor sleep, as we; Their whole delight is but to be
Forever near Thee, gracious LORD, Thy little flock to watch and guard.
5-SERMON THE NEED FOR ANGELS’ SERVICE ON EARTH
The world is a dangerous place, not first because evil people are here, but because the devil is here. He “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” He can’t defeat Christ: who “lives, yea, He lives, and will nevermore die.” So he tries to take us away from Christ and into His own kingdom. In Revelation 12 [the Epistle for this day] a voice from Heaven says: “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth … for the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
The history of the Christian Church shows the attacks on Christians – on Lot, Daniel, and Peter, for instance. But the Bible says that angels “brought Lot out” of Sodom and Gomorrah to safety, and “God sent His angel and shut the lion’s mouths” so Daniel was not hurt, and “the LORD sent His angel” to rescue Peter from imprisonment.
Especially in these last days, every Christian needs the protection of the holy angels. This is what 3 more verses from Melanchthon’s hymn teach us.
5 HYMN ELH 545 LORD God, We All to Thee Give Praise vv. 4,7,8
4. The foul old dragon and dread foe With envy, hate, and wrath doth glow;
It always is his aim and pride Thy Christian people to divide.
7. But watchful is the angel band that follows Christ on ev’ry hand To guard His people where they go And break the counsel of the foe.
8. From Daniel this may well be seen When he sat in the lion’s den, And likewise angels rescued Lot, That the ungodly harmed him not.
6-SERMON THE ANGELS’ GUARDIANSHIP OF CHRISTIANS
The holy angels serve God on earth by protecting Christians.
Jesus said: “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in Heaven their angels always see the face of My Father Who is in Heaven.” The angels belong to Jesus’ “little ones;” they are “their angels.” If you belong to Jesus, if you’re baptized and believe in Him, then He gives angels to protect you.
This Bible verse from Hebrews 1 is very important: it reveals that the holy angels don’t protect just anybody, but they protect you, a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ. God does not give angels to guard unbelievers – although they benefit from what the angels do for Christians. He gives them to Christians! It’s another of Christ’s benefits!
Hebrews 1:14: Are [the angels] not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
The next Bible verse is very comforting because it teaches that the holy angels are stronger than the devil and all his evil angels. It says they never fail to guard and deliver you from evil. What a great promise! These are verses we should learn by heart!
7-SERMON ANGELS GUARD CHILDREN, AND GUARD US WHEN WE SLEEP.
All Christians are God’s “little ones.” But Jesus actually set a child among the disciples when He said angels belong to His “little ones,” that they are “their angels.”
When infants are baptized and receive faith in Jesus, they receive angels to protect them too. A baby who receives saving faith in baptism in that moment receives the devil and all the hordes of hell as his/her enemies. How frightening! But in that moment, God sends guardian angels to be that child’s great, powerful friends. How comforting! It’s another reason to bring them to baptism right away.
Every Christian boy and girl should know angels are protecting them, just as baby Moses was kept from harm when his mother had to set him adrift in a little basket. All Christian parents who worry about their children’s welfare should know that angels are protecting them. Martin Luther said: “If it were not for the protection of the dear angels, no child would grow to full age, even if the parents took all possible care.”
The holy angels also protect us when we sleep. Psalm 121 says: “He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”
How does God do this? One way is through our guardian angels. Parents watch the night-time breathing of their babies, wanting them to be safe while they sleep. Adults pray for a quiet sleep, and to make it safely through the night. But our angels will protect us best. Both in the morning and at night-time, we Lutherans have learned to pray: “Let Your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me.”
7 HYMN ELH 570 Now the Light Has Gone Away Sing verses 1&3
1. Now the light has gone away;
Father, listen while I pray,
Asking Thee to watch and keep
And to send me quiet sleep.
3. Let my near and dear ones be Always near and dear to Thee. Oh, bring me and all I love To Thy happy home above.
8-SERMON ANGELS ACCOMPANY AND WELCOME SOULS TO HEAVEN
The holy angels are always the Christian’s companions. This is true even at the moment of death. A Christian never dies alone. We know this from Luke 16, in Jesus’ words about the death of a poor man named Lazarus. “The beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom,” Jesus said. We sing about this in a hymn: “LORD, let at last Your angels come, To Abram’s bosom bear me home, That I may die unfearing.”
This is what the old spiritual, “Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore,” describes. It pictures the archangel Michael leading each Christian soul to the harbor of Heaven. The holy angels are present to see the Christian’s soul safely to Heaven. A Christian’s departure is even more glorious than Elijah’s journey to Heaven in a chariot! The holy angels bear the soul up to Heaven, where it is welcomed by all the Heavenly host, all saints and all angels. Think of the glorious welcome each Christian soul receives from all the holy angels! This is what we sing about next.
8 HYMN ELH 177 I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb
3. Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
9-SERMON ANGEL HOST WILL ACCOMPANY CHRIST ON THE LAST DAY
The holy angels serve us one last time, when Jesus returns in glory. The Bible says: “The voice of the archangel” will announce His coming. Jesus said “all the holy angels” will be with Him. On the Last Day, it says, “All the nations will be gathered before Him.” Who does this? The angels. Jesus raises the dead, and the angels bring them before Him.
The holy angels will be a terrifying sight to the unbelievers. Jesus said that He “will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness … The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
But the holy angels will be a comforting sight to every Christian. After all, they are our angels, whom God gives to His little ones, His Christians. Jesus said that He “will send His angels, and gather together
His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of Heaven.” The believers will hear Jesus say to them: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
What a happy day for all the saints and all the angels. The angels no longer will be required to protect us, for we no longer will need their protection. We will join their everlasting worship of Christ in His Kingdom that has no end.
9 HYMN ELH 461 Come, Ye Thankful People, Come verses 3&4 Hymn 461 verses 3&4 will be sung at the close of service.