Judging Angels — Carter Conlon

The Corinthian Problem and the Message of Judging Angels

This morning if you'll go to Genesis 28 with me, please in the Old Testament. This is message number 11 in the series called the Corinthian problem that I've been speaking on. It's the Second last message next Sunday Lord willing.

I'll be speaking the last message. It's entitled the broken body of Christ and This morning's message is called judging angels. Now for those who've not been following this series, it's About the Apostle Paul coming to Corinth making various trips writing letters to it a very a church that was probably the most problematic in the New Testament a church that lived in a very materially affluent society very central society and the people of that Particular church didn't fully make the break from the society around them and because of that it was influencing Them and that was allowing into the door of the church various Influences that Paul knew was going to take away the testimony of Christ.

He was a passionate man for this Church, these people that had been as he said espoused as a pure bride to Christ. Let's pray together. Let's believe God That this morning as I speak this message That the work that's been done in the previous ten could be Again to be brought home in many of our hearts.

This message is entitled judging angels. Father I thank you Lord for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the strength and the power that you're always willing to give to those who are walking in humble obedience to you.

I thank you Lord that you've always taken me far beyond any natural ability. God you've given me your thoughts. You've animated this physical frail frame. I thank you today Lord that you will come with weight and great glory.

God you'll so seal this word deep into our hearts Lord. This is an hour Oh God where we should not be running from truth, but running towards that which is truth. I pray God for the grace to deliver this and I ask you Lord for the Grace for those that are gathered to be able to hear it.

I thank you Lord with all my heart Lord and animate me Holy Spirit. Give me the strength that I need and I thank you for it in Jesus mighty name. Genesis chapter 28 let's start at verse 10 and we'll read from there right down to verse 19 and Jacob went out from Beersheba and Went toward Haran and he lighted upon a certain place and tarried there all night because the Sun was set and he took the stones of that place and put them for his pillows and Laid down in that place to sleep.

Jacob's Ladder and the Promise of Blessing

And he dreamed and behold a ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it and Behold the Lord stood above it and said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac.

The land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it and to thy seed and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth. And thou shalt spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south and In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

And behold, I'm with thee and will keep thee in all places where thou goest and will bring thee again into this land for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep and said surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.

And he was afraid and said how dreadful is this place? This is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone. That he had put for his pillows and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.

And he called the name of that place Bethel. But the name of that city was called Luz at the first now. This is a message for those who are truly seeking the life and blessing of God. And if you are today if you are among those that say Lord, I I want the true blessing.

I want the blessing that's spoken about in these passages of Scripture. The blessing is not something to be consumed upon myself. Remember the word of the Lord. To Jacob is that I'll make you and I'll make your descendants a blessing in all of the earth.

Now we know that's fulfilled in Jesus Christ. And subsequently from the day of Christ and his redemption. It is continuously now being fulfilled through the body of Christ. Which we call his church on the earth and so the purpose of your life and the purpose of my life.

Is that this blessing of God that was promised to Abraham then Isaac then Jacob? Fulfilled in Christ is now yours and it's mine. My life is to be a blessing to you. Your life is to be a blessing to somebody else.

It's an extension of this grace of God that he was willing to pour out to a certain people called his church. That people throughout the whole world might be blessed many many nations and many people.

Seeking God's Blessing Through Transformation

If you're seeking this blessing of God as Jacob was he was he was he was looking for the blessing. He wanted the blessing. Of course, you know through history and the Bible that he tried to get it in a way that God says you are you can't have.

He tried to get it by deception. He tried to press his way into the blessing in a sense without a changed nature. We studied this last week. He was a man his very name means I want to be first and by virtue of that name He could not really fully know the blessing of God.

He could have a measure of it. But God says well, I'm willing to give it to you. But first I've got to take you on a journey and this journey will not necessarily lead you into an easy place. Amazing.

Here's Jacob kind of presses in ahead of his brother. His father pronounces the blessing of the firstborn son as it is, which is the blessing of Christ onto his life in the very next Season in his life.

We see him heading out and his pillows are stones. It's a hard place as it is. Yet the Bible tells us in verse 18 that Jacob worshiped in this place. Because he was given the knowledge of God that it's in this place that the blessing of God is found.

It says he took his pillows and he set them up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. Now in this place Jacob saw angels. Verse 12 says he dreamed and behold a ladder was set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven and the angels of God Ascending and descending on it and the Lord stood above it and said I'm the God of the Lord God of Abraham your father.

And Isaac and the land where you lie. I'll give it to you into your seed. I'll make your seed as the dust of the earth and through your seed all the families of the earth are going to be blessed. Now Jacob had this vision and in this vision that God gave him in this difficult place.

He literally saw something of how God operates. He saw God standing at the top of what he described to be a ladder some kind of a causeway as it is between earth and heaven. And he saw these angels Coming down to the earth and going back up and in other words there it's a type of these are the this is the strength of God.

Being released from heaven to the earth. God coming and touching men like you and me and giving us strength so that we can become what God has destined us to be. And Jacob is looking at this and he sees these angels and he hears these incredible promises coming with it.

I'll give you places that are not yours right now. I will multiply your seed is the dust of the earth. You will spread abroad in every direction and all the families of the earth are going to be blessed now this is these are the promises of God given to a guy who's laying there with his head on a stone and That's where you are.

I know there's people this morning. You're like that is if you only knew the tough place that I'm in right now. Well, if you only knew that it's in the tough places that you will find this revelation of God.

It's not in the easy places. It's not where the pillows are soft and the way is easy. There's there's something about this journey that you and I are wise to take into our hearts perhaps for the very first time.

He saw at least a glimpse of where the blessing of God in his life might be leading him. Look at verse 17 says he was afraid and he said how dreadful is this place? This is none other but the house of God.

This is the the gate of heaven. Now the word dreadful in the Hebrew text it means. It's a very positive feeling of awe and reverence towards God. But it also means an anticipation of personal harm or that something may go wrong.

Have you ever been there? If you have you ever been in a church where there's an altar call given or the gospel is preached and these very words give your life fully to Jesus Christ and God will use you and Great glory will be brought through your life and much good will come to people around you and in your heart.

You say this is a this is a dreadful place. On one hand. I know that the awesomeness of God is calling me to something that is far beyond myself. But on the other hand look at all the things that could go wrong.

What if I take a wrong turn? What if I end up standing before some crowd and all of a sudden halfway through what I thought was a sermon. I go Blank and dry. A lot of things can go wrong in this place.

And verse 19 Says he called the name of the place Bethel. In other words, this is the house of God. It's it's where our all is given for the cause of Christ. Remember David had this revelation when he went to the top of Mount Moriah and a young man with his children gave all he had to stop the plague of that time that was on the nation of Israel.

And David when had this revelation that this is the house of God. He also called it a dreadful place this place where ordinary people give everything they have. Not for themselves, but for the sake of others.

And in this place God dwells and God comes down. How many people in our generation want to talk about anointing and they want the fullness of God and Now in America running from pillar to post and every new foolish fad that rises up.

They're running to it taking buses chartering jets. Wanting this touch of God, but not wanting where the touch of God is to lead us. The touch of God ultimately leads us to other people. Leads us to the poor it leads us to the despairing the imprisoned those who are captivated in their mind.

Those that have no helper those that have nobody to feed them. Nobody to call father. Nobody to call husband those that are all alone and locked up and shut in and all of society has pushed them to the The sides as it is.

That's what the anointing of God will lead and so many people say look I want this life. And I want this blessing, but don't want where it's going to take them. And that's the danger that was in Corinth that we're learning about in our study the last several weeks.

Bethel, Aaron's Rod, and the Beginning of Spiritual Fruitfulness

He called this place the house of God at first, but it was called laws. Luz Z at the beginning and Really what that means is a place of of almonds it was it was the place where God was going to dwell wanted to dwell.

Jacob said this is an awesome place. It's a dreadful place because he knew it requires something that he himself didn't even fully understand what he was Going to have to give to it in the long run. But in the beginning it was called a place of almonds.

You remember when? Moses and Aaron were traveling through the wilderness and There was a contest as as it is as to who who really God was using who's really anointed and The Lord said I want every tribe to take a man from you from your house a chief man.

I want you to put a shepherd's staff in that Person's hand and take them and lay them all before the sanctuary, and he said I'll show you who I've chosen and the next morning by the supernatural power of God Aaron's staff.

Now these are all every staff is just a dead piece of wood. That's all it is. It's a shepherd's staff, but Aaron's staff had budded it had blossoms on it, and it had almonds on it and folks. That's where we start the journey to the fullness of this blessing starts with just a little bit of life.

That you and others around you know about that could not be happening apart from the supernatural power of Christ's life within you. That's where it starts, but don't let it stop there. There's so many people here today.

You could say look at I I'm not a blessing in the earth. But if you're truly a Christian if you truly have the life of God within you there is there has to have been some kind Of a budding come into your dry life.

There's just a little flower. There's just a little bit of fruit. You might not be able to feed thousands. But somebody could come and find something in your life and those that are closest you have to see a change.

There's a difference between those that are growing in the grace and knowledge of God and are being led to a place where they become A blessing to their world and those who are not. Those who use religion to their own advantage are a dry stick when they start and they're a dry stick when they finish.

But those who let Christ begin to flow through them the staff is a type of the cross of Jesus Christ. There's a budding comes into your life folks. I didn't start out preaching to Audiences like this.

I started out sitting on the edge of my bed in 1978 the very first morning after receiving Christ with just a glimmer of hope that something had changed in my heart. I didn't feel the same there was a difference and Over time people around you begin to say hey, how come you're not talking the way you used to talk?

Why are you not doing the things you used to do? It starts with just a little bit of life in this dry tree. And then if we if we will let our lives be led by the Holy Ghost. Then we find ourselves in some hard places.

I've come to know a measure as it is of the anointing of God, but this anointing has not come through the easy places. It's come through walking through hard places. I've walked through places. I don't understand.

I've walked through places I'd rather not be. I've dealt with people I'd rather not deal with in everything in the natural has got to be put away and I have to know in my heart that I'm being led to something that is going to be a blessing to the heart of God first and Secondarily to men and women created in his image throughout the world.

False Visions of Open Heaven Versus Christ's Fulfillment

We have so many today that are making claims just like Jacob to have an open heaven and visions of God. Oh, we have a plethora now. What I would have to call false prophets are saying. Oh, yes. I was in my room last night.

Haven't open. I had this vision everybody now is having visions of God. But you see the their visions are from a wrong perspective. They see this connection to heaven is something where the angels are coming down just to provide them with everything they want for themselves.

They see as they feel an open heaven and and maybe in measure there is some truth to it. But they fail to understand it. They see God they see the angels as it is. They see this provision and but their whole view is skewed.

It's that God has opened heaven to send this provision for me. That I might be more powerful that I might be stronger that I might be first as it is. That I might have a reputation that I might have resources that I might be known.

John 151. Jesus places himself in the very place that Jacob was. It's not arguable that Christ is the fulfillment or let me call him the defining expression Of the mysteries or the unanswered questions of Scripture such as in Genesis chapter 28.

We look at this where Jacob is laying on a stone and he sees this open heaven. He sees God standing at the top of heaven. He sees angels ascending descending on this ladder bringing down provision to those that are walking with God.

And Jesus says to Nathaniel. He said hereafter you shall see the heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Ultimately, it's all about Christ. It's all leading to Christ.

The whole story is leading to Christ. Everything that happened to Abraham Isaac and Jacob is leading to Jesus Christ. It's all about God having a son. For ordaining him before the foundation of the world to come down from heaven to supply the need that we had for redemption to have in the earth a body.

Where he couldn't dwell a people where he could actually live and move and live and walk with this people. Showing the world his willingness to forgive the ignorance of man and the folly of men's sin.

Walking through the earth doing good to men, even though the majority of society may oppose their own salvation. Jesus said you'll see this Nathaniel because you have a good heart. You're going to now understand.

That's what he meant. He didn't mean Nathaniel. You're gonna now have the same vision of Jacob. You know, he said you're gonna see what the vision Jacob had is all about. You're gonna see that all of God's provision has come down and is being made available now to you.

It's being made available to those who will walk with God and truly seek the blessing of God. Now what did the scriptures and Jesus himself tell us about what angels could do? What could they do? Now we look at this ladder and we say this is this is the type of God dwelling with men on the earth.

What Angels Can Do and What They Did for Christ

We begin to think okay. If we're having an open vision if we're seeing this provision of God in the earth, what can angels do? Matthew chapter 4 in verse 6 Tells us that even Satan himself knew what angels could do.

He knew the scriptures as distorted as his mind may be. In Matthew chapter 4 and Verse 6 he said if you be the Son of God Cast yourself down for it is written He shall give his angels charge concerning thee and in their hands.

They shall bear thee up lest at any time thou should dash thy foot against a stone. Now even Satan knew That they could prevent Jesus from suffering any personal pain. Now angels could do that. God could do that.

God could have a church in the world and he does of course with you and I and he could stop all Suffering from coming our way. We could be prevented from from going through any personal pain. He could create a division between a very clear division between the saved and the lost as the lost are Losing their jobs.

The saved don't lose their jobs. Now you and I know that's not the case. We've got to walk through the same world as everyone else. He could have sent the angels down. He could have and Satan knew that they had the power to stop the Son of God from suffering any personal pain.

Matthew 24 and verse 31 if you'll turn there with me they could come at the command of God. Verse 31 says he shall send his angels and with a great sound of a trumpet. They will gather together his elect from the four winds from the one end of heaven to the other.

God could command his angels. They could gather the whole church. They could do it right now as I'm speaking and they could keep us all safe from all the difficult days Which are to come such as the days that Jesus spoke about in this chapter.

Matthew chapter 24 difficult days Jesus spoke about now. We know that God could gather us. We could leave this world right now. We could go home to be with heaven. He could command the angels and they would come down with authority and power to take us all to a place of safety.

In Matthew chapter 25 and verse 31 Jesus said when the Son of Man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him. Then he shall sit upon the throne of his glory. They could Be agents of God in establishing Christ in his church at a place of reigning and authority right now.

They could do this. Angels could come down. They could push aside every argument. They could settle the issue. They could establish you and I in a place of reigning and Ruling and authority as is promised to those who belong to Christ in the scripture.

Remember Paul said to Corinth you're reigning just a little too soon. You're all you've opened your door to theology. You're now sitting on the throne. You're all kings and you're all reigning and Paul says I wish to God you were because if you were we'd reign with you.

We've suffering we're rejected. We're going through hardship and difficulty says, but you're all kings now. We're weak and you're strong. We're foolish and you're wise. Paul says you've kind of skipped a great measure of the journey and you're now sitting and you're all kings and you're all reigning.

Matthew 26 again in verses at 53 and 54 He said you not think I can now pray to my father and you'll presently give me more than 12 legions of angels. But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?

Angels could immediately and at God's command judge and destroy every power that sets itself against truth. Now these are the things that angels could do. You see I'm speaking in the context of Jacob and Jacob's vision and how people see the power of God.

Many many people today they see the power of God as as keeping us from all suffering and personal discomfort and pain. Keeping us from difficult days that have to come to everybody who walks on planet earth.

Bringing us to a place of ruling and reigning as it is before the time. Judging and destroying everything around us that we disagree with. Everything around us and and bringing us now immediately to this this place of ruling and reigning forever.

So angels could do this. Jesus made it very very clear. They could do this. What Jacob saw could actually lead to this and will one day but why then. Why did they not come this way during the ministry of Christ on the earth when Jesus walked on the earth.

When did they come if they didn't come for those reasons? Matthew chapter 4 in verse 11 tells us that angels came to strengthen Jesus when Satan fought against him. Attempting to undermine his confidence in God his father and Turn him from the course of giving his life for a purpose greater than the natural.

I can see nor do our hearts fully understand Jesus is at the place in Matthew chapter 4 where He's been tempted to the devil and the whole temptation has been to turn him away turn him away from the will of God.

Doubt the faithfulness of God. Don't suffer hardship. There's an easier way to do this and Jesus refused he said no. I'm going to obey the will of my father knowing that the will of his father was going to send him to a cross.

The Cross, Suffering, and the Strength of Angels

And folks, where are we in this walk with God? How do we see? The provision of God in the power of God. What has happened to the thinking of this generation? That if we can look back in in church history and see all the subsequent Generations that have come before us and all the difficulty that so many had to go through but all of a sudden We've arrived at a place where suffering is no longer part of the theology of the present-day Church.

We're not a people called to suffer. Everybody's supposed to be rich and happy. Everybody's supposed to be trouble-free until the day that Christ comes and takes us home. But angels don't come to this.

There's no power in this. In other words the provision of God doesn't come for this kind of theological thinking. The provision of God Symbolized by angels came to Jesus when Satan fought against him, but he would not be turned from the will of his father.

You know Satan will fight against you. He'll fight against what you're hearing right now. He'll fight against the life that is willing to be sacrificed for the cause of others and for that which is in the heart of God.

Oh Satan doesn't care if you're a selfish Christian. If you're a selfish Christian, you're no threat to his kingdom whatsoever. You have the same spirit as the world around you. You will go in God's name that you will have the same pursuits.

You'll have no influence. You'll have no effect. You will not bring the savor of the real Christ anywhere you go and the devil knows it. He won't oppose you as a matter of fact, you get behind you and encourage you as you go down Madison Avenue in your Christianity.

But I'm telling you the heart that says no, I'm not content to see men and women go to hell. I'm not content to live a life of ease while this generation is dying. The heart that is preparing its own journey.

Charting its own course preparing its own comfortable way living in measure by what the the scriptural knowledge it has. But also living in great measure by what's coming out of the desire of his own heart or her heart for their own.

Comfort the moment we get beyond these things then you will find Satan opposing you with everything He's got but then you will find angels coming down and strengthening you. You'll find the Word of God starting to come alive.

You'll find the strength of the Holy Ghost starting to become your best friend in this whole world. You'll find resources that don't come to natural man. They only come to those that are willing to walk in the supernatural.

Giftings of the Spirit began to manifest through your life. You'll find compassion that natural men don't have. You'll find wisdom. That's not given to a natural mind. You'll find delight in things that don't delight the hearts of carnal men.

You'll be heading out and doing the will of God. You'll you'll have to walk through sometimes this Gauntlet of even Christian opposition. Those who have stopped along the way who don't want to walk with God who don't want to go to.

The place of even laying one's life down for the cause of Christ and for the good of others. They don't want to do this. You'll find opposition, but angels will come and strengthen you praise be to God.

You will have the strength of God. Luke 22 tells us that Jesus went into the garden and in the garden and angry and agony came upon him. That you and I probably will never be able to fully understand the depth of that agony until we get to heaven.

But he was about to be momentarily separated from his father. He'd never been separated from all of eternity past. He'd never been separated. God is one now. He was God the Father was going to turn his back on him and put the full weight of your sin and my sin upon him.

And Jesus was about to do that for you and for me. Praise be to God. I'm so thankful this morning He didn't turn around and change his mind. I'm so thankful that he didn't call for the legions of angels and said while I gave it my best shot.

But I'm just simply not willing to do this. Father send legions of angels and I believe they would have come because Jesus said they would but they he didn't call for them. He went all the way to Calvary.

Oh God, thank you. I pray your heart be stirred because if he hadn't gone to Calvary we wouldn't be clapping our hands. We would have no songs to sing. We'd have no joy this morning. There'd be no freedom.

There'd be no testimony. There'd be no tomorrow. There'd be no heaven. It would all be just in the religious illusion. There'd be no power in it whatsoever if he had turned around and called for the help that could have been given him.

God help us in this generation to be the church again. God help us to look the cross square in the eye and say God if that's what you have for my life. Then that's where I'm going. If that's my future.

I trust you for the strength. I trust you for the power. I trust you God when you set your eye to living for God when you set your eye to going to the four corners of The earth if necessary, then you begin to see heaven open then you begin to see the angels of God.

Then the power of God begins to be revealed. Praise be to God. Praise be to God. Then the Word of God comes alive then your songs begin to have something behind them, but just natural rhythm. Something comes into your spirit.

Praise be to God. Jesus knelt and the scripture says he sweated drops of sweat that were just as deep as if blood was pouring from his veins on the ground and from his forehead and The scripture says there appeared an angel to him from heaven.

Strengthening him praise be to God. God says you you walk with me off. I'll come to you. I'll speak to you.

I'll speak it to your ear. I.

A Pastor Strengthened in a Hard Place

Remember one time I was a young pastor in Canada I was new to the ministry and the ministry Is very exacting those who don't are not in the ministry in the pastoral capacity. You have to just take my word for this.

It can be very hard and I Was at the stage of my life where I? In measure was trying to please God. I didn't understand that. I fully pleased him and Was fully accepted because of Calvary. I knew it theologically but experientially I was still a little short in it.

I Ran a lot of roads Trying to do something to please God and in the course of it, I lost a lot of physical strength at about the age of 37. And I remember one Sunday. I was in the church and even though everything is alive seemingly around me.

The worship is explosive. There's just so much that's good to this going on, but I got so tired and I Had walked this place of deep fatigue for months. I was sitting in the front row and then for the first time From the day, I said I would follow Christ.

I Said God I can't I can't do this anymore. I Can't preach today. I can't I can't do it. I could barely raise my hands. That was so tired I felt like just falling down sleeping on the floor in the front of the church and at that moment Somebody came up to my ear an Audible voice not an impression somebody's it's actually I jumped it startled me.

And somebody walked up right beside my ear and said I've come to help you. Now as God lives I turned there's nobody there, but I heard a voice I didn't imagine it somebody spoke into my ear I've come to help you and From that moment onward. I felt a strength coming into my body.

I got up into the pulpit and preached like I hadn't in a long long long long time folks the strength of God Comes in hard places. The strength of God comes when you and I make choices. To say Lord, I I'm going to walk with you.

I'm going to go all the way with you and I realize that sometimes I'm gonna have a stone for a pillow. But I I'll take all of these stones in these hard places and I'm doing the same thing that Jacob did even this morning I'm remembering these hard places.

Jacob took them all and he says he made an altar out of them really and poured oil on it and worship and say God. I Don't understand it, but you've kept me in every one of these hard places and in these places.

There's been a promise that's being fulfilled that you alone can do through my life. And I'm beginning to understand that it's in these difficult times. In these places where it is not humanly possible to go forward that I begin to know the supernatural strength of God.

He begins to make my thoughts deeper than my own are he begins to take me farther than I can naturally go. And I've watched this over the years every time I come into a hard place I know something of heaven is very shortly on the other side.

I know he's doing something deeper. I know he's producing in my heart and trust such as I've not had before. I know that I'm going to have this vision of heaven in my Circumstance and folks if you are willing to go forward if you're just always looking for a way out.

You're going to be looking just around you and what the world can provide. But if you'll stop and look up and say God, I'm not looking to run from this. I'm looking for you to make my life a blessing of the earth and Lord.

You've got to speak to me now. You've got to give me this vision. I've got to see heaven open. I've got to understand What it is that you are willing to do in my life and through my life as I and simple faith.

Just simply begin to follow you. The point is simply this. Heaven opened and angels came to a man who was given to be poured out in obedience to the will of God and for the good of others in contrast to this Paul says in 1st Corinthians and chapter 6.

Judging Angels and the Call to Forgive

Let me just read it to you for time's sake. He says dare any of you having a matter against another go to law before the unjust and not before the Saints. Do you not know the Saints shall judge the world and if the world shall be judged by you?