We live in an age
where demons intrigue us
and angels are dismissed as nonsense.
Yet Psalm 91 whispers—
they watch over you.
Hebrews 1 declares—
they are sent to serve.
Natasha bought a baguette at Heathrow,
a sesame seed hidden in the crust,
an EpiPen, CPR,
and her father’s arms could not hold her soul.
He saw them—
five figures, thin, winged,
moving around her,
and cried, Not yet, this is not her time.
But they vanished,
and she died.
He had no desire to know God for years,
but angels opened a door,
and grief led him home to God.#
Angels—
messengers of fire,
bushes that burn and do not burn out,
men who eat at Abraham’s tent
and vanish into mystery.
Since Christ came in flesh,
we do not need such signs,
but still they move,
ministering spirits,
God’s secret agents—
quick as a flash,
incognito as the stranger beside you.
They direct:
Moses—leave the sheep,
Abraham—trust the promise,
Joseph—do not walk away,
Cornelius—send for Peter.
Who could have imagined?
They protect:
a single angel, dynamite of heaven,
striking armies in the night;
a host of fiery chariots
surrounding Elisha.
Sometimes they change our plans,
sometimes they rescue us unseen
from the car crash,
the temptation,
the despair we nearly fell into.
They comfort:
at the tomb—
“He is not here, he is risen.”
History changed
by a single announcement,
death undone.
And one day,
when the world recedes,
when breath falters,
they will carry us home—
not survivors,
but victors.
Tim Keller said
true freedom is self-forgetfulness:
not thinking less of yourself,
but thinking of yourself less.
Angels embody this freedom—
turning from their own glory,
they delight in the Son,
and in serving his people.
Perhaps that is why
they work so quietly,
behind the scenes,
not drawing attention to themselves,
but intent that God’s purposes
be fulfilled in us.
Angels—
not out of work,
not ornamental.
They are attending the holy,
guarding the broken,
delighting in the Son.
Their wings brush eternity,
their voices echo the gospel,
and in the final moment,
we shall see them—
and beyond them,
Jesus’ outstretched arm.
We are home.
Original message by Sean Tan, The Bridge Church Macquarie Park NSW
31 August 2025
The Afterword 
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