Introduction: American society is full of misconceptions about angels, and the word is mis-used constantly. Sometimes a pretty girl is called an angel. Back in the 1950's, one of the biggest hit songs, about a fellow singing to his sweetheart, was called "Earth Angel." In the sixties, we had "Charlie's Angels" on TV. I don't know how this got started, but there is no biblical reason to call pretty girls angels. "Touched by An Angel" was a popular TV show in the 1990's. There were many heart-warming stories, but the portrayal of angels as pleading motherly ladies is not something found in the Bible. There is a famous story and song called "The Littlest Angel," which assumes that there are baby angels. Sometimes people think that their own infants were once angels in Heaven, and were sent by God to be babies. Sometimes people think that babies who die become angels. There's a famous movie usually shown at Christmas time called "It's a Wonderful Life," in which a silly bumbling angel named Clarence Oddbody is an "angel second class," and on a mission from God to earn his wings, by helping Jimmy Stewart. These are all wrong ideas about angels, and have nothing much to do with what the Bible says on the subject. It's odd that we should have so many misconceptions, because the Bible is full of information about angels. We can learn quite a lot from the Christmas story.

WHAT ARE ANGELS, AND WHAT DO THEY DO?

I. Angels are God's messengers. (The Greek "agelos" means messenger.)

A. Luke 1:11-13 An angel announced the coming birth of John the Baptist.
B. Luke 1:26-30 An angel announced Jesus' conception to Mary.
C. Luke 2:8-10 An angel announced Jesus' birth to the shepherds.

II. Angels are God's musicians.

A. Job 38:4-7 The angels sang as God created the heavens and the earth.

Job 38:4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand.
Job 38:5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?
Job 38:6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone--
Job 38:7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

B. The book of Revelation is full of the songs of praise of angels, and mentions the seven angels with seven trumpets.
C. Luke 2:13-14 pictures a host of angels singing at Jesus' birth.

III. Angels are God's militia.

A. Joshua 5:13-15 Joshua met the Captain of the heavenly armies.

Josh 5:13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?"
Josh 5:14 "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"
Josh 5:15 The commander of the Lord's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.

B. Revelation 12:7-10 The good angels fight and defeat the evil angels.
C. Matt. 13:41 They separate the evil from good at the end of the age.

Mat 13:41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.
Mat 13:42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

IV. Angels are God's ministers.

A. Hebrews 1:13-14 God sends them to help His children in need.

Heb 1:13 To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?
Heb 1:14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

B. Psalm 91:9-11 Fulfilled in Jesus, but applicable to all God's children.
C. Matt. 18:10 God's children have guardian angels.

Mat 18:10 "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

Conclusion: In a sense, angels are our example. We are called to do what they do: We are messengers for God. We may not be angelic musicians, but we are called to sing His praises, too. We are enlisted in God's militia. And we are God's ministers. We are the arms and legs of Jesus in this world.