Servants of the Living God

April 7, 2013 Evening:

Title: Ministering Spirits and the Heirs of Salvation

Old Testament Passage: Isaiah 52:13-53:12 – The Suffering Servant and victorious King

Gospel Reading: John 2:5 – Do whatever he tells you.

Sermon Text: Hebrews 1:14 – Angels are sent out to us and all those who are to inherit salvation. Who sends them? What is His purpose? Who is the ultimate Heir?

Sermon Point: We have been saved into a kingdom of servants by a King who serves and sends forth heavenly beings to serve Him by serving us.

[14] Are they not all ministering spirits

One day, all of the Lord's people will live in the company of myriads of holy angels. Those who have already gone to heavenly realms are experiencing that life already.

Jesus Christ, who came from heaven, knew this well. He understood angels better than anyone else. He knew them to be ministering (serving) spirits. We were not created to serve angels. Angels were created to serve us.

sent out to serve

Angels have been sent out to serve. Jesus was also sent as a Servant. He was the long expected Servant of the Lord who was sent to give His life as a ransom for many. As the Father sent Him out from heaven, before He returned to heaven, He sent out His apostolic church.

for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

We have been sent out to serve, yet we have angels who serve us. Who is to serve and who is to be served is not a matter of relative status. Jesus, the King of the kingdom, has displayed that truth conclusively by serving sinners. It is the prerogative of Almighty God to call us to humbly accept the service of Jesus for us and to humbly serve others. All of us are to do whatever He tells us to do.

This great God above all gods has determined that angels will serve us. Imagine that? We are the heirs of salvation. Salvation is not only a status. It is an eternal community of the greatest divine benediction. Jesus is salvation. Heaven is salvation.

We are those who are called to inherit salvation. This inheritance comes through a death. Christ has died, but He lives, and He is over all. He is the heir of salvation according to the justice of God. We have become joint heirs with Christ by the mercy of God.

Angels do the bidding of those who are joint heirs with Christ. How much of that happens here below is difficult for us to see at the present. That is one of our current limitations. But where others, including Christ, have gone before us, the eternal kingdom is very visible. The inhabitants of heaven must be more aware of angels serving them than we are. And those citizens of heaven must be very passionate about God's purposes.

Angels are powerful. Having them serve the wrong people, or even the right people but for the wrong purposes, would be dangerous. We need the fullness of inner salvation in order for us to safely have angels at our command. We need to live in a place where all sin is gone. Until then, we ask the Man who knew no sin, but became sin for our sake, to direct angels according to His holy will. Not my will Lord, but Yours be done.

And we commit ourselves to serve according to His Word. We know that the ages have turned in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We surrender all. We serve the Lord.