Slides: What Amazes Angels

What Amazes Angels
by David Feddes

Angels are not easily amazed.
Glamour and fame don’t impress them.

Angels are more dazzling than we are.
Athletics and armies don’t impress them.

Angels are stronger than we are.
Insights and inventions don’t impress them.

Angels are smarter than we are.
Angels are too impressive to be easily impressed.

Amazing things angels already experienced

•     God’s glory (Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 1)

•     God creation of world, plants, animals, people: “All the angels shouted for joy” (Job 38:7).

•     God’s governance of nature and history: directing galaxies and empires

•     War in heaven: God crushed rebels

What supreme marvel did God at last display to amaze angels?

The church! His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. (Eph 2:10)

Two ways to look at the church.

•     What we see on the surface.

•     What the angels see.

Amazing the Angels

Paul was called "to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms [that is, the angels], according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus." (Eph 3:8-11)

NT pictures of church

• Pillar and buttress of the Truth (1 Tim 3:15)

• Body headed by Christ (1 Cor. 12)

• Bride married to Christ (Isaiah 62, Eph 5:21-33)

• Household of God (Gal 6:10, Eph 2:19, 1 Tim 3:15, 1 Peter 4:17)

• Display of wisdom, love, power (Eph. 3)

Church’s Amazing Head

• Christ cast out rebel angels, but not all humans.

• A Savior must be perfectly divine yet human. How? Angels marveled at the God-man’s birth.

• How could God be just and justify sinners? Only divine wisdom could solve such a problem by the great exchange, giving Christ what we deserve and us what Christ deserves. “Even angels long to look into these things” (1 Peter 1:12).

• Jesus beat Satan using his own weapons.

The Amazing Church

• God’s Holy Spirit is the church’s life and power.

• Simple methods bring eternal results: the Word read and preached, baptism, Supper, fellowship.

• Even evils and blunders can turn out for good: Greatest creeds emerge from heresy and conflict.

• Variety of paths to faith in Christ. God has a special plan and a special place for each.

• Variety of nationalities, personalities, talents.

Benefits for angels—and humans

• Angels feed on God’s glory, so they relish displays of God’s wisdom, love, and power in the church.

• Angels value their own bliss even more when they see the price of our bliss.

• Christ came closer to angels by becoming human: “to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Eph 1:10).

• Angels delight in the church and in each glorious member. It’s a privilege for angels to know you. They will count it a privilege to serve under you.

Ordinary and Extraordinary

• Ordinary humans: housewives, teens, slaves, business people, farmers, craftsmen.

• Ordinary sinners: need warnings about temper, stealing, fistfights, getting drunk, sexual immorality, greed, dirty talk, disobedient kids, exasperating parents

• Extraordinary saints: together with all the saints, we are indwelt by Christ, know love that surpasses knowledge, and are filled with God’s fullness. God’s unimaginable power and glory is already at work in us, His church!

If angels marvel, shouldn’t we?

“There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over every sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).

I charge you in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions” (1 Tim. 5:21).

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus. (Eph 3:10-11)

It's clear from the Bible that angels enjoy great blessings from what Christ has done for his church, even though they benefit only indirectly. How much greater, then, are the blessings for those who benefit directly? If angels rejoice that Christ became human, shouldn't we rejoice that Christ is one of us? If angels marvel that Christ would die for others, shouldn't Christians marvel that Christ died for us? If angels are amazed at what God does for his church, shouldn't every person in the church be amazed? If angels marvel, shouldn’t we?