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God’s Messengers and Ministers: A Study of Angels

Lesson 1 – The Reality of Angels

Text: Psalm 103:20–21

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As we begin this new four-week series on Wednesday nights, we turn our attention to one of the most fascinating subjects in Scripture: angels. Many people today believe in angels, some even believe in guardian angels, while others mistakenly think people become angels after death. But in this series, we want to look directly at what the Bible says.

  • What are angels’ jobs?
  • What are their strengths?
  • Where did they come from?

Let me be clear: I am not promoting a faith built on angels. Salvation is not in angels, nor do we pray to them. But what I do want us to see is this—we have an awesome God who is deeply interested in us, and He often uses His angels to help us and protect us. 

An Illustration from Corrie ten Boom

During World War II, Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie were prisoners in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. With so many women sick and malnourished, they had only one small bottle of vitamin drops. Humanly speaking, it should have been gone in just a few days.

But something extraordinary happened. No matter how many times they poured from that bottle, it never ran dry. Dozens, then hundreds of women received help from that little supply. Corrie later compared it to the widow’s oil in 1 Kings 17. She believed God had sent His angels to minister unseen, ensuring the vitamins lasted until more supplies arrived.

This story reminds us that angels are “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). Even in a dark prison camp, God used His invisible servants to meet the needs of His children. If God could use His angels in a Nazi prison camp, He can use them in our lives today.

So let’s discuss the reality of angels.

 

1. The Creation of Angels

A. Created by God
Psalm 148:2, 5 says: “Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.”

  • Angels were created by the vocal command of God, just as He created the heavens, the earth, animals, and stars.
  • Man was different—formed by God’s own hands and given His breath of life (Genesis 2:7).

B. Created Before Mankind
Job 38:4–7 describes angels—called “morning stars” and “sons of God”—singing and shouting for joy as God laid the foundations of the earth.

  • Angels were present at creation, witnesses and worshipers of God’s power.
  • Matthew Henry noted: “When the world was newly made, the angels joined in joyful song as the morning stars usher in the day.”

C. Created as Spiritual Beings
Hebrews 1:7 – “Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

  • They are spirit beings, invisible yet capable of appearing visibly when God allows.

 

2. The Nature of Angels

A. Spiritual
Hebrews 1:14 calls them “ministering spirits.” They operate in a realm we cannot see.

B. Innumerable
Hebrews 12:22 and Daniel 7:10 describe countless angels—so many they cannot be numbered.

C. Powerful

  • 2 Thessalonians 1:7 calls them “mighty angels.”
  • In 2 Kings 19:35, one angel struck down 185,000 Assyrians in a single night.

Their power is great, but it comes from God.

 

3. The Purpose of Angels

Angels were not created to lounge on clouds or play harps. They were created to actively serve God and carry out His plans.

A. To Serve God
Psalm 103:20–21 shows angels obeying His commands and doing His will.

B. To Minister to Believers
Hebrews 1:14 calls them “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.”

  • The word “ministering” (Greek: diakonos) means servant, helper, or one who executes the commands of another.
  • Angels are literally dispatched to help believers.

I heard a story once told by Dr. David McCoy. When he was a young boy, the family car broke down on the train tracks. A train was coming fast, but suddenly, a man appeared and helped push the car off the tracks. When they turned to thank him, he was gone. Dr. McCoy believed it was an angel, sent by God at just the right moment.

C. To Execute God’s Will
Matthew 13:41 – “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity.”

  • Angels execute God’s judgments and advance His plan in the world.

 

Conclusion

Angels are focused in three directions:

  1. Upward – Worshiping and glorifying God.
  2. Inward – Ministering to believers in protection, strength, and encouragement.
  3. Forward – Advancing God’s plan on earth.

The message is simple: God has a plan and the power to work it out in our lives. He also has at His command an innumerable host of angels. Instead of praying only about small needs, we can pray in faith that God may even dispatch His angels to intervene in our homes, schools, churches, and communities.

Psalm 91:12 reminds us: “They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

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