Angels & Demons (Part 1)

Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts. Morse Corner is a non-denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's word through the ministries of the local church.

If you'd like more information, visit our website morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message. Turn, if you would, to the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 1. And the title of this morning's message is Angels and Demons.

The Meaning of Angels and Demons

Angels and Demons. The Greek word translated angel is angelos, and it simply means messenger. This refers to the holy angels who are God's ministers, God's messengers. Although the term at times can refer to human beings, but this morning we're looking at the heavenly angels.

And we're going to start by looking at who they are, what they do in relation to God. Then we'll move on what they do in relation to man. But it's angels and demons, so we're also talking about the demons.

The Greek word for demon is daimonion, which refers to a spirit inferior to God but superior to men. We believe these are the fallen angels who rebelled. One third of the fallen angels who rebelled with Lucifer.

Now, if you use the King James version of the Bible, it usually it doesn't use the word demon. It translates daimonion as devil. But the way we think of it, there's really only one devil. That's Satan.

And the demons are his ministers. So the holy angels are God's ministers. The demons are the ministers of Satan. They are his servants. So let's read Hebrews chapter one. And the whole point of this chapter is to demonstrate that what Jesus Christ is superior to the angels.

So that's how we're going to start the angels, who they are, what they do in relation to the Lord. Jesus Christ is not only superior to the angels. He is far superior to the angels because really he is their creator.

You know, one of the problems with angels is people get so fascinated by angels. They at times begin to worship angels and pray to angels. The point of Hebrews one is no, don't do that. Jesus is Lord.

He is God. Look to him. So look at Hebrews one starting in verse one says God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us by who?

His son. Whom he has appointed heir of all things through whom also he made the worlds. Who being the brightness of his glory in the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sin speaking of Christ.

He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high having become so much better than the angels as he is by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. So in this section, we see a few things before the New Testament era.

God spoke to people in many different ways. So if you've read the Old Testament, you've seen this God at times. He spoke through dreams. God at times spoke through visions on one occasion. He spoke to the prophet Elijah in a still small voice, but another way in times past that God spoke to people.

How would he do it? He would do it through angels. And again, that's what the angels are. They are messengers. So that's how God did it in Old Testament times. But in the New Testament now, the point of the author of Hebrews is he's trying to let everyone know that God primarily in this age right now.

He has spoken to us by his son. So the New Testament is what? It's God's revelation in through and about Jesus Christ, the Old Testament. All of that was in preparation for this. All of that was in preparation for the New Testament, the new covenant, which is better.

And because it's better, Jesus, one reason Jesus is better than the angels. You can look at it this way. Jesus is the messenger of God. The angels were messengers. Jesus is the messenger. The blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin.

All the sacrifices and offerings in the old covenant, they couldn't do what the death of Jesus did. So Jesus is better because on the cross he obtained for mankind eternal salvation. So that's the message of the gospel.

Christ crucified and risen. And because of what Christ did, Christ is greater than the angels. Can you say amen to that?

I hope you can.

Christ is better than the angels. And another reason all of the Old Testament messages that the angels delivered. Ultimately, they all pointed ahead to Christ. So if you take notes, write this down. Angels are messengers.

Christ is the message. Christ is not only the messenger. Christ is what the message is all about. So the angels are messengers. Christ is the message. Jesus, however, is not just greater than the angels because of what he did.

Christ is greater than the angels because of who he is. Verse two tells us that God created all things through Christ. It says through whom that is through Christ. He also made the world. And Jesus is the brightness of God's glory in the express image of God's person.

So if you want to know about God, or if you want to know God, you need to look to who?

Jesus. Right.

That's the point. And when Jesus came into the world, because he carried out the father's will, it was obedient even to the death of the cross. He obtained this excellent name that Jesus is Lord. This is kind of the earliest creed of the Christian church.

Jesus is Lord. So in a sermon, I'm going through all this because, well, that's what Hebrews one says. But in a sermon about angels and demons, it must be stressed that Christ is above the angels. So Jesus is here.

He's way up here. The angels are down here. They're subservient to him. So the angels are what? They're God's messengers. Christ is God's own son. So the angels were created by God through Christ. Christ is the king of the angels.

Right.

At Christmastime, there's a hymn or two that make reference to that. He's the king of the angels. He is their creator. Look at verse five. For to which of the angels did he, that is God, for which of the angels did he ever say, you are my son.

Today I have begotten you. And again, I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son. And by the way, these are all quotations. When you see the quotation marks, this is the author of Hebrews quoting the Old Testament.

Verse six. But when he, capital H, when God brings the firstborn into the world, he says, let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels, he says, who makes his angels' spirits and his ministers a flame of fire.

Some translations could render that he makes his angels' winds. So how are the angels' winds or spirits and flames of fire? Well, this is a quote, kind of a confusing statement. It's hard to be exactly sure what is meant.

But this is a quote from Psalm 104, verse four, which really explains the purpose and nature of the angels. So look at it this way. Just as God, and you can think of stories in the Bible where God did this.

Just as God used the winds to accomplish his purpose. Remember when the Red Sea was parted, the Lord used the winds to drive back the water. So just as God uses wind and fire, God uses the angels to accomplish his purposes.

Just as angels were present in the giving of the Mosaic law. I find this, this is really cool. Just as the angels were present when God gave the law to Moses. Do you remember that fire came down upon Mount Sinai?

So the law was given through the administration of angels. So it says that when Jesus descends at the second advent, 2 Thessalonians 1, it says Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in what?

Flaming fire. So when God came down on Mount Sinai, he came down with the angels with fire. When Jesus comes back at the second advent, he comes back, again, with his mighty angels in flaming fire. So verse 7, and of the angels, he says, who makes his angels' spirits and his ministers a flame of fire.

So the angels are in existence to do the will of God. So the angels obey the Lord. They obey Christ because Christ is the second person of the Godhead, God in human flesh. And, you know, there might be somebody who says, well, I understand that God, God is God.

You know, the father is God. But there are certain groups that don't believe that Jesus is God. Well, if anyone needs convincing, look at verse 8. But to the son, he said. So, again, there's the capital H.

Who is this? Who's saying this? God. Jehovah God is saying to the son, your throne, oh, God, is forever and ever. So you have God the father calling the son God. Your throne, oh, God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom.

For you have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companion. So the son is God. Jesus is God. And who is his God?

God the father is his God. And another thing we say about the holy angels, because they carry out God's purposes, they light Christ. The angels love righteousness, and they hate lawlessness. But there is this group of angels, about one-third of the angels.

There are angels who do love lawlessness. And who are these? These are what we call the demons, or as the King James puts it, the devils. These are also referred to in the Bible as unclean spirits. Another way of defining that is a malignant spirit.

Remember from a couple weeks ago, evil means malignant. And when evil is present, it just spreads. So there are these evil spirits. Now, I do want to clear up one thing. There's a common misconception out there that Satan and his demons, remember one-third of the holy angels fell and followed Lucifer.

So there's this idea that Satan is in charge of the demons. Well, that's true. But there's a belief that Satan and his demons are in charge of hell. You know, they're in hell, and they're the rulers of hell.

That's not biblical at all. Satan has never been to hell. The demons, there are some chained angels, we believe. That's another sermon for another day. But Satan and his demons do not want to go to hell.

They don't want to go there.

That is not the devil's domain, as some people say. You know where Satan is? You know where the demons are right now? Yeah, well, they're in the heavenly realm. And we don't really understand a lot of this.

But one thing we do know, Satan is said to be here on earth. Therefore, his demons are here on earth. The scripture says that Satan, and I think you can say the demons, they go about. I think Peter said, they go about like a roaring lion, seeking whom they may devour.

So the demons are present here on earth. Jesus said in Matthew 25 that hell was created specifically for the devil and his angels. So that's not their kingdom. They are not there. They don't want to go there.

They one day will, though. So Satan and the demons, the point is, they are alive and well here on earth right now. Or as one theologian said, well, they're alive, but they're not well. They're unwell.

But they are here. They are alive.

The whole world, the scripture says, is under the sway of the wicked one. So this whole world is under the control of Satan and the demons. Some of you need convincing. Most of you probably don't need convincing about that.

If you have discernment, I think you can see that all around us. But through Christ and through the ministry of his church, you know, all of that is slowly changing. As the gospel goes out to all the world.

Thanks for listening. I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Morris Cornick Church. If you'd like to listen to the complete message, or if you'd like more information about the ministry, visit our website, MorrisCornickChurch .com.

And we'd love to have you join us some Sunday morning here in Leverett. Until next time, may the grace of God be with you.