ANGELS AND SHEPHERDS #1/4

#1 · December 1, 2008, 9:19 am

Quote from Forum Archives on December 1, 2008, 9:19 am
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
ANGELS AND SHEPHERDS #1/4

WHEN ANGELS SPEAK

November 30, 2008

TEXT: Luke 1:5-23

In a devotional from RBC Ministries, Bill Crowder reflects, Childhood impressions are hard to shake. My dad loved huge Christmas trees, and he made quite a production of trimming those trees First we would string all the lights on the tree, then cover it with ornaments and tinsel. Then I would watch as Dad placed the angel on the top branch the final act of the tree-trimming ritual. Only moments before, the tree had somehow appeared incomplete, as if something important was missing. But with the placing of the angel, the house was finally ready for Christmas. Of course, as I remember it, the angel was blonde, feminine, winged, and robed in a white gown that sparkled. For years afterward, whenever I thought of angels, my mind envisioned that figure on the top of our Christmas tree. What a shock it was, years later, when I learned that whenever angels are named in the Bible they have masculine names, and that it is highly unlikely they were blondes in sparkling gowns! (Bill Crowder, The Angels: Their Response of Exaltation, Angels and Shepherds, RBC Ministries: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2008, p. 4)

Bills reflection on childhood memories about angels reveals a rather common truth. Most of us, even Christians, have many misconceptions about angels. For some people, angels are a baseball team, or a motorcycle gang, or an imaginary character in a story, television show, or movie, or a Christmas decoration. Certainly, it is difficult to imagine someone suddenly standing next to you and speaking to you when there was no one there a moment before. It is difficult to imagine what such a being would look like or act like. It is difficult to figure out exactly what an angel is and what an angel does.

Obviously, our best source for information about angels is the Bible. Angels appear numerous times for a variety of purposes throughout the Scriptures both Old and New. The word angel is derived from the Greek angelos, meaning a messenger, envoy, one who is sent; a messenger from God. As I read again this week the meaning of angel, I was struck with the Biblical prevalence and importance of the messenger. Think about it. Angels are not the only messengers. Anyone and everyone who has had an experience with God are supposed to be a messenger an envoy an ambassador. In fact, there is another group of quite ordinary even below average humans who become messengers during the story of Christs birth. They are the shepherds, and we will deal more with them in later messages this Advent.

For this morning, our focus is on angels. It is evident that they have a role in the account of the birth of Jesus. Their specific role is to bring greetings from God and to announce Gods plan, which is to fulfill the prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah. The first announcement is made by the angel Gabriel, an archangel. We may not understand the angelic realm very well, but there appears to be a hierarchy among angels. An archangel is the highest ranking among the angelic hierarchy. Therefore, the message that God sent to these selected children was extremely important.

As we have read, the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah. He also appeared about six months later to the young woman named Mary. And about nine months later, an angel appeared to shepherds tending their flocks. Each of these encounters and announcements reveal some common elements. First, when angels speak, the human recipient is frightened. It doesnt matter what their position in life is. The shepherds were among the lowest class of citizens. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and they were terrified. (Luke 2:9) Likewise, Mary was a common Hebrew girl. The angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:28-29) And before either of those angelic visitations, Zechariah received his message from Gabriel. In spite of being an experienced priest in the house of the Lord, he was no less startled and frightened: When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear. (Luke 1:12) It is not unusual, then, that anxiety, concern, and fear are the typical human response when angels speak. After all, such a visit is not a part of our normal daily experience. It is startling and frightening to have a heavenly stranger break into our normal every day world.

Second, when angels speak, they bring comfort and reassurance. In response to fear, the messenger said in all three of these instances, Do not be afraid. The intent, therefore, is not to strike terror into the hearts and lives of humans. Even though their sudden appearance is startling, the angels were not bringing fear. They were bringing peace along with the message that they announced.

Third, when angels speak, they speak the message from God. They are speaking for God. Angels do not just show up to interfere in human affairs because they think its a good idea or something fun to do, unless they are satan or demons. When that is the case, then they are not messengers from God, of course. Thats a different subject. So, angels do not interfere in human affairs apart from the will of God.

That means that when angels speak, their message is to be received as the Word and the will of God. It is as if God is speaking. Indeed, in some accounts of angelic visits, the encounter is written as if God is speaking rather than an angel. If the message is a warning, then an unheeded response will result in disaster while a heeded response results in God turning from wrath. If the message is a prophecy, then the spoken word will be fulfilled. When angels speak, it is Gods message we hear.

Therefore, when angels speak, human recipients are to believe. In spite of the remarkable nature and character of the message, Gods truth is always real. Gods truth is life itself. Look at the progression of belief throughout the angelic encounters surrounding the birth of Jesus. As already noted, Zechariah was an experienced priest. He obeyed God. Although no man is completely righteous and holy, Zechariah had some characteristics that pleased God for he and Elizabeth were chosen for this part in the events to come. So one would think that this priest would be the most receptive to Gods revealed Word. However, when told that he and his wife would have a son, Zechariah responded in disbelief, How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years. (Luke 1:18) Knowing his heart and mind, The angel answered, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time. (Luke 1:19-20) This experienced priest, a man who sought to serve the Lord, displayed the most disbelief.

During the encounter with Mary, a simple Hebrew girl having no special position, she was likewise startled. She had questions of her own; however, her heart and mind revealed an attitude of humble obedience even in the presence of quite unusual circumstances. I am the Lords servant, Mary answered. May it be to me as you have said. (Luke 1:38)

Shepherds were the recipients of the third encounter. In their culture, they were generally regarded as uneducated and probably not too interested in spiritual matters. Yet, of the three, they accepted the message of the angel with the least resistance. After the announcement and then the appearance of the heavenly host, the shepherds said to one another, Lets go to Bethlehem and see this thing that happened, which the Lord has told us about. (Luke 2:15) In each of the three encounters, the proper response by those receiving the message was belief. Whether quickly or not, each did believe. When angels speak, human recipients are to believe.

Throughout this Advent and Christmas season, we will once again rejoice in the many traditions and celebrations that we have grown to know and love. Many will celebrate well-founded traditions, and some will establish new traditions. Like Bill Crowder, some of our traditions will create images that are more or less distortions of the reality. That does not mean that we cannot enjoy the traditions, but we should certainly be aware of the truth. We should certainly strive to comprehend the message as it is given in the Word of God.

I cannot say for sure that no one will be actually visited by an angel, but even when we are not, we are not left without Gods Words of promised salvation. The Biblical testimony of the angels visits is as real today as they were in that earlier century. The angels are still speaking, and when we hear them, even if we are frightened, they bring greetings of reassurance and peace. When angels speak, they bring the message of God. When angels speak, we are to believe that all that God has foretold and promised is true and will be fulfilled. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. (Luke 1:11-13)

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

www.bhfirstbaptist.com
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

WHEN ANGELS SPEAK

November 30, 2008

TEXT: Luke 1:5-23

In a devotional from RBC Ministries, Bill Crowder reflects, Childhood impressions are hard to shake. My dad loved huge Christmas trees, and he made quite a production of trimming those trees First we would string all the lights on the tree, then cover it with ornaments and tinsel. Then I would watch as Dad placed the angel on the top branch the final act of the tree-trimming ritual. Only moments before, the tree had somehow appeared incomplete, as if something important was missing. But with the placing of the angel, the house was finally ready for Christmas. Of course, as I remember it, the angel was blonde, feminine, winged, and robed in a white gown that sparkled. For years afterward, whenever I thought of angels, my mind envisioned that figure on the top of our Christmas tree. What a shock it was, years later, when I learned that whenever angels are named in the Bible they have masculine names, and that it is highly unlikely they were blondes in sparkling gowns! (Bill Crowder, The Angels: Their Response of Exaltation, Angels and Shepherds, RBC Ministries: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2008, p. 4)

Bills reflection on childhood memories about angels reveals a rather common truth. Most of us, even Christians, have many misconceptions about angels. For some people, angels are a baseball team, or a motorcycle gang, or an imaginary character in a story, television show, or movie, or a Christmas decoration. Certainly, it is difficult to imagine someone suddenly standing next to you and speaking to you when there was no one there a moment before. It is difficult to imagine what such a being would look like or act like. It is difficult to figure out exactly what an angel is and what an angel does.

Obviously, our best source for information about angels is the Bible. Angels appear numerous times for a variety of purposes throughout the Scriptures both Old and New. The word angel is derived from the Greek angelos, meaning a messenger, envoy, one who is sent; a messenger from God. As I read again this week the meaning of angel, I was struck with the Biblical prevalence and importance of the messenger. Think about it. Angels are not the only messengers. Anyone and everyone who has had an experience with God are supposed to be a messenger an envoy an ambassador. In fact, there is another group of quite ordinary even below average humans who become messengers during the story of Christs birth. They are the shepherds, and we will deal more with them in later messages this Advent.

For this morning, our focus is on angels. It is evident that they have a role in the account of the birth of Jesus. Their specific role is to bring greetings from God and to announce Gods plan, which is to fulfill the prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah. The first announcement is made by the angel Gabriel, an archangel. We may not understand the angelic realm very well, but there appears to be a hierarchy among angels. An archangel is the highest ranking among the angelic hierarchy. Therefore, the message that God sent to these selected children was extremely important.

As we have read, the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah. He also appeared about six months later to the young woman named Mary. And about nine months later, an angel appeared to shepherds tending their flocks. Each of these encounters and announcements reveal some common elements. First, when angels speak, the human recipient is frightened. It doesnt matter what their position in life is. The shepherds were among the lowest class of citizens. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and they were terrified. (Luke 2:9) Likewise, Mary was a common Hebrew girl. The angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:28-29) And before either of those angelic visitations, Zechariah received his message from Gabriel. In spite of being an experienced priest in the house of the Lord, he was no less startled and frightened: When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear. (Luke 1:12) It is not unusual, then, that anxiety, concern, and fear are the typical human response when angels speak. After all, such a visit is not a part of our normal daily experience. It is startling and frightening to have a heavenly stranger break into our normal every day world.

Second, when angels speak, they bring comfort and reassurance. In response to fear, the messenger said in all three of these instances, Do not be afraid. The intent, therefore, is not to strike terror into the hearts and lives of humans. Even though their sudden appearance is startling, the angels were not bringing fear. They were bringing peace along with the message that they announced.

Third, when angels speak, they speak the message from God. They are speaking for God. Angels do not just show up to interfere in human affairs because they think its a good idea or something fun to do, unless they are satan or demons. When that is the case, then they are not messengers from God, of course. Thats a different subject. So, angels do not interfere in human affairs apart from the will of God.

That means that when angels speak, their message is to be received as the Word and the will of God. It is as if God is speaking. Indeed, in some accounts of angelic visits, the encounter is written as if God is speaking rather than an angel. If the message is a warning, then an unheeded response will result in disaster while a heeded response results in God turning from wrath. If the message is a prophecy, then the spoken word will be fulfilled. When angels speak, it is Gods message we hear.

Therefore, when angels speak, human recipients are to believe. In spite of the remarkable nature and character of the message, Gods truth is always real. Gods truth is life itself. Look at the progression of belief throughout the angelic encounters surrounding the birth of Jesus. As already noted, Zechariah was an experienced priest. He obeyed God. Although no man is completely righteous and holy, Zechariah had some characteristics that pleased God for he and Elizabeth were chosen for this part in the events to come. So one would think that this priest would be the most receptive to Gods revealed Word. However, when told that he and his wife would have a son, Zechariah responded in disbelief, How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years. (Luke 1:18) Knowing his heart and mind, The angel answered, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time. (Luke 1:19-20) This experienced priest, a man who sought to serve the Lord, displayed the most disbelief.

During the encounter with Mary, a simple Hebrew girl having no special position, she was likewise startled. She had questions of her own; however, her heart and mind revealed an attitude of humble obedience even in the presence of quite unusual circumstances. I am the Lords servant, Mary answered. May it be to me as you have said. (Luke 1:38)

Shepherds were the recipients of the third encounter. In their culture, they were generally regarded as uneducated and probably not too interested in spiritual matters. Yet, of the three, they accepted the message of the angel with the least resistance. After the announcement and then the appearance of the heavenly host, the shepherds said to one another, Lets go to Bethlehem and see this thing that happened, which the Lord has told us about. (Luke 2:15) In each of the three encounters, the proper response by those receiving the message was belief. Whether quickly or not, each did believe. When angels speak, human recipients are to believe.

Throughout this Advent and Christmas season, we will once again rejoice in the many traditions and celebrations that we have grown to know and love. Many will celebrate well-founded traditions, and some will establish new traditions. Like Bill Crowder, some of our traditions will create images that are more or less distortions of the reality. That does not mean that we cannot enjoy the traditions, but we should certainly be aware of the truth. We should certainly strive to comprehend the message as it is given in the Word of God.

I cannot say for sure that no one will be actually visited by an angel, but even when we are not, we are not left without Gods Words of promised salvation. The Biblical testimony of the angels visits is as real today as they were in that earlier century. The angels are still speaking, and when we hear them, even if we are frightened, they bring greetings of reassurance and peace. When angels speak, they bring the message of God. When angels speak, we are to believe that all that God has foretold and promised is true and will be fulfilled. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. (Luke 1:11-13)

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org