LET YOUR HOLY ANGEL BE WITH ME!
Rev. Mark F. Bartels
Epistle Lesson; Hebrews 12:26-29
Gospel Lesson; Mark 13:1-13
Sermon Text; Daniel 12:1-3
When I was just a little boy I was afraid of the dark. At nighttime, when I would go to bed, I was always worried that when I closed my eyes and I fell asleep, something might come out of the closet, or crawl out from underneath the bed and get me. To help me with my fears, my mom and dad taught me a little prayer that went like this:
Dear Father in Heaven,
Look down from above. Bless Daddy and Mommy and all whom I love. May angels guard over my slumbers. And when the morning is breaking, awake me.
Amen.
That prayer brought a lot of comfort to me, as a little child. It was so comforting to know that I could close my eyes in the dark and know that God’s holy angels were guarding over me.
When I got a little older, my mom and dad taught me to start the day and end the day with Martin Luther’s morning and evening prayers. Both of those prayers end with the same phrase.
May your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me.
Amen
It was always so comforting to know that I could go through the day, and no matter what would come, God’s holy angels would be with me, and the wicked foe would have no power over me. It was so comforting at the end of my day, to close the day, and fall asleep knowing that God’s holy angels would be with me during the night, watching over me me, so that the wicked foe would have no power over me.
The Bible is filled with thrilling accounts of the angels, the holy, powerful angels of God, protecting God’s people. You are all familiar with the account of Elisha, who was protected by an army of fiery horses, and chariots. The enemy could not harm him, because the holy angels of God were with him, protecting him.
You are all familiar with the account of Daniel. How in the lion’s den, the mighty, powerful angels of God shut the mouths of the lions, so they could not harm God’s child, Daniel.
You are all familiar with the account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were three steadfast young men, who would not bow down to a false idle. They were thrown into a fiery furnace. There, in that fiery furnace, appeared a powerful angel of God to protect them from the flames.
You are all familiar with the account of Peter, who when he was in prison, a powerful angel appeared and broke his chains and enabled Peter to pass the prison guards through the locked prison doors, to safety.
These are wonderful, thrilling accounts in scripture, of God sending His holy angels to protect His people. We can’t see them. They are invisible. But certainly, they are here amongst us, and amidst us.
The holy angels of God go with us,
throughout the day!
Well, who are these holy angels? The Bible tells us in scripture that the angels are creatures of God. God created the holy angels. The Bible also tells us this about the angels. The Bible tells us that the angels are superior to human beings, in their strength and their wisdom. The Bible tells us that when Jesus became a human being, God made Him a little lower than the angels. This implies that human beings are a little lower in power, might, and wisdom than the angels.
Angels are powerful creatures of God!
We don’t know how many angels there are, but the Bible tells us that there are a vast number of them. When Daniel and John saw a vision of Heaven, they both said that they saw ten thousand, times ten thousand, angels standing before the throne of God.
There is a vast army of angels!
Isaiah tells that when he saw the angels standing before the throne of God they were singing "Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory." Isaiah tells us that the roar of their voices was so powerful that it shook the very doorposts of the temple! What a picture of the power and might of the holy angels of God!
We know that there are different ranks of angels. The Bible talks about angels that are called cherubim. They are not like the pictures of little baby angels, with tiny wings that we call cherubs. In the book of Ezekiel, where it describes the cherubs it says, "There were four living creatures. They had the form, the shape of a human body. They each had four wings. They had four faces. One facing each direction. One was the face of a man. Another the face of lion. Another a face of an ox. Another the face of an eagle. With two of their wings, they spread them over their heads and touched the wings of the other angels. With two of their other wings they covered their bodies. It says that they glowed like burning embers. They moved like flashes of lightening. The Cherubim, who are the honor guard, stand before the throne of God."
The Bible also describes a rank of angels called the seraphs, or the seraphim. Isaiah says that he looked and there above the throne were the seraphim. It says that they had six wings. With two they covered their faces in humility, before the majesty of God. With two they covered their feet and with two they flew.
Then there is the archangel, Michael, who we meet in today’s scripture reading. Michael is the leader, and the commander of the holy army, the angels of God.
We know that the angels are concerned about us spiritually. The Bible tells us that there is rejoicing in Heaven among the angels, when one sinner repents. You can imagine the great shout of joy and victory, as they shout to the Lamb of God, who sits on the throne and who has purchased and redeemed His people with His blood! The shout of joy and victory shakes the doorposts of the temple, when the angels hear that one sinner has turned to Jesus, the Savior.
They are concerned about us spiritually!
In the book of I Peter, it tells us that the scriptures were written so that we would know who Jesus is. Then it concludes with this interesting little comment,
"Even the angels long to look into these things."
The angels long to fathom the love that God has for you and for me, human beings that we are. The angels long to fathom the fact of God’s profound love for us. He did not become an angel, but He became a little lower than the angels.
God
loved us
so dearly
He was willing
to become one of us!
The angels long to fathom that love of God.
God loved us so dearly that He was willing to take
our shame,
our guilt,
our sin!
And, God loved us so dearly that He was willing to
suffer and
give up His life, for human beings!
The angels long to fathom the love that God has for human beings.
God loves us so dearly that He has redeemed us and purchased us sinners that we are! And by grace, He has saved us and has a home waiting for us in Heaven, where we will live with Him for all eternity, because of what He has done for us. And, the angels long to fathom the love that Jesus Christ, our Savior, the Lamb who sits on the throne, who the angels worship, has for us.
The angels are certainly interested
in our spiritual welfare!
Our Savior, Jesus loves us so dearly that He has done what the angels could never do. The angels could never purchase us from our sin. They could never wash away our sin. They could never purchase a home for us in Heaven. Jesus did that for us!
And, now Jesus loves His people so dearly that He has given His holy angels a job. The scriptures tell us that the job of the holy angels is to serve God’s redeemed people. The Bible says, "Are they not all ministering spirits (talking about the angels) are they not all ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit eternal life?" Jesus commands His holy angels to go and serve those who will receive eternal life. In the Psalm that we read for today it explains. It says,
"For He will command His angels
(The angels obey the command of God),
He will command His angels
concerning you,
to guard you in all your ways;
They will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."
We know that God loves His people so dearly that He sends those holy angels to guard over us physically. In this life we may never know the many, many times the holy angels have protected us from physical harm.
They also watch over us spiritually. In this life we may never know the many different ways, in which the angels have steered events in our life, to keep us clinging to the Word of God and clinging to Jesus, as our Savior.
Which gets us to today’s scripture reading. The angels are there to protect us in times of danger. Our scripture reading tells us that there are some profound times of danger, yet to come. It is talking about the Last Days. It says in our scripture reading,
"There will be a time of distress
such as has not happened
from the beginning of nations
until then."
Any distress that we have ever seen will not compare to what is coming when the world is drawing to a close. The Bubonic Plague in Europe, which killed millions of people and brought great distress, will not compare to the End Times. World War II, which many of you lived through and you know the distress that brought upon this world, the destruction, the trouble, and the death, will not compare to the End Times. There is a time coming, when Jesus says; "There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of the nations until then."
Jesus goes on and He says, "In fact if those days had not been cut short, no one would survive." That is how much distress there will be. It will be a time when God brings this world to its knees, in one last chance to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus as their Savior.
As we think about those End Times, (and although we don’t know when the End Times will come, we may live through them), we look at our weak faith and ask ourselves, "Will I be able to stand firm in the faith, during those end times?" Look at what scripture promises here.
"At that time Michael,
(talking about the archangel, Michael)
Michael,
the great prince who protects your people,
will arise…
At that time,
your people
-everyone whose name is found written in the book-
will be delivered."
There is God’s promise, which should bring great comfort to His people, as we approach the End Times. God will command His mighty angels. Michael, who is the commander of the army of the angels, will arise. And, He will go and protect God’s people, everyone whose name is written in the book of life! And God promises not one of His people will be harmed. They will be delivered!
We can trust God’s promise. We can trust that no matter what the distress may be in the End Times, the holy angels of God will be with His people. They will protect us. They will protect us from physical harm. And, if physical harm does befall us, we know that they will use that to steer us, by God’s almighty power, to the Word of God. It will strengthen our faith, and cause us to cling to Jesus. All who trust in God, all God’s people, will be delivered.
That is such comfort to know that the holy angels are with us, and the wicked foe has no power over us! In fact, we know that Jesus loves us so dearly, that those angels will not stop protecting us, until we are safely delivered, soul and body, to Heaven! Jesus tells us that when we close our eyes for the last time, who is that will carry our souls safely to Heaven? He says,
"The angels will bear us in their arms."
What a thrill that will be, to have the holy angels of God carry our soul to the safety of Heaven!
And on the Last Day, the angels also play a very important role. Our scripture reading here talks about the Last Day when it says, "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to ever lasting to life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens."
The angels will play a role on the Last Day. The Bible tells us that the LORD himself will come back with the voice of the archangel. The voice of Michael, the archangel, will shout and shake the foundations of the earth. And then will commence the end of the world.
The world will begin to melt, with fervent heat.
The mountains will begin to collapse.
The skies to roll up like a scroll.
And the dead will be raised!
You can imagine the pandemonium, as people run to and fro. The Bible says that some of them will cry to the mountains to fall on them and cover them.
But what will we be doing, as God’s redeemed people? The Bible says,
"Then lift up your heads,
because your salvation draws near."
We don’t have to worry, because the Bible says that Jesus will send His holy angels to the four corners of the earth to gather up His elect, His redeemed people! The holy angels of God, on Judgment Day, will come and will pick us up! They will pick up our bodies and bear us, carry us, safely to the Throne of Jesus Christ, our Savior, who has redeemed us! The angels will not stop serving God’s people, until we are safely delivered, soul and body, to Heaven itself!
We don’t worship the angels. We worship Jesus, our Savior. We worship Him, because He has redeemed us. We thank Him that He sends His holy angels to serve us, protect us, and watch over us. So we pray with Martin Luther,
Let your holy angel be with me.
That the wicked foe
may have no power over me.
Amen.
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