ANGELS on SermonAudio

Stephen was not a superhero. He was a man who gave himself to the Holy Spirit. And it showed, even on his face.

1Co 13:1-13 ESV - If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Satan uses deception to create confusion in believers. He twists Scripture, promotes making idols out of things we love in the world and preys on us through fleshly temptation. Therefore, we must know God by His Scripture using it as armor against the schemes of the devil.

Jesus reminds the church that He is the open door, He is the way. There are obstacles to the open door but can be overcome by a faithful, willing servant being obedient to the word of God.

The Activities Of God's Angels In Today's World Encourage The Saints Greatly 1. What Do These Angles See 2. How Do These Angles Respond 3. Why Are We Told

The sermon centers on the historical and theological reality of Jesus Christ's resurrection, using the account in Matthew 28 to illustrate His victory over death. The preacher highlights the reactions of the Roman soldiers and the women at the tomb to emphasize the divine power behind the empty grave. Key appearances of the risen Lord to Mary Magdalene, the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and Thomas are examined to confirm His physical presence and identity. The message challenges listeners to trust in Christ as Savior rather than facing judgment, underscoring the certainty of eternal life for believers. Ultimately, the sermon calls for faith in the living Savior who remains faithful and present with His church.

It's a testament to the folly of our culture that the part of this story that tends to grip us the most is the fate of the porkers. Oh, the poor pigs! What does that tell us? Simply that we are so naive. We have no idea how good we have it. We have no idea what demon possession is really like. We watch it in horror movies for entertainment, if we even engage with it at all. Brothers and sisters, to the degree that you minimize the power of the demonic, to the same degree you minimize the power of Jesus, who commands the unclean spirits with a word, and they come out. If there is one thing I want you to take away this morning, it is simply this: this stuff is real! Legions of demons are real. The utter degradation and destruction of the human person is their specialty, for, of course, they are already working the utter degradation and destruction of their angelic personhood. Their malice seeks fresh victims, and finds them in the sons of men for whom God cares. Oh, yes, this stuff is real. Please don't be naive. Instead, marvel at the power and glory of Christ, who risks His life traveling across the sea to save a single demon-possessed man from a legion so horrifying that our minds will hardly even engage with their reality.

The sermon establishes that despite various historical constructions, there is only one temple located on Mount Moriah. It traces three specific appearances of Christ at this site: first as the pre-incarnate Angel of the Lord with Abraham and Isaac, second with David to stop the plague, and third as the incarnate Messiah who fulfills the prophecy of bringing glory to the rebuilt temple. The preacher argues that the latter glory of the temple is greater than Solomon's because Christ himself indwells it, rather than a physical cloud. This fulfillment brings true peace through the cross, shifting focus from the building to the person of Jesus. The message concludes with an invitation for listeners to receive this peace through faith in Christ.