RUNNING OUT THE SNAKES
6/14/09
TEXT: ACTS 28: 1--6
INTRODUCTION: ALL THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE I HAVE FOUND NOTHING GOOD WRITTEN ABOUT SNAKES.
1. FROM THE FALL OF MANKIND IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, TO THE VERY LAST MENTION OF SNAKES IN THE WORD OR GOD, I FIND NO FAVORABLE MENTION.
2. THEREFORE I FEEL GOOD ABOUT IDENTIFYING MY FEELINGS ABOUT SERPENTS WITH THE WORD OF GOD.
SIMPLY PUT, I DON’T LIKE THEM EITHER.
3. I HAVE MAINTAINED FOR MANY YEARS, THERE ARE ONLY FOUR (4) CATEGORIES OF SNAKES:
BIG ONES, LITTLE ONES, LIVE ONES AND DEAD ONES.
WITH THE LAST CATEGORY BEING MY FAVORITE.
NOTICE WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT ISLAND OF MELITA.
PAUL, ALONG WITH THE SHIPMEN ARE WET AND COLD, HISTORIANS VERIFY IT WAS PROBABLY IN OCTOBER AND THE COLD WET RAIN ALONG WITH THE SWIMMING ASHORE, MADE THEM WET AND VERY COLD.
THE PEOPLE OF THE ISLAND HAD KINDLED A LITTLE FIRE FOR THEM.
I. WE FIND PAUL BUILDING A BIGGER FIRE.
(A) IF YOU WANT TO REALLY RUN A SNAKE OUT IT TAKES A BIG FIRE.
1.HE GOT THE BUNDLE READY AND THE HEAT RAN THE SNAKE OUT. THE SNAKE FASTENED ITSELF ON HIS HAND.**
2. HE SHOOK THE SNAKE OFF, GOING ON ABOUT HIS BUSINESS.
3. OFTEN TIMES WE ARE HINDERED BY SATAN AND NEED TO JUST SHAKE HIM OFF AND KEEP WORKING FOR THE LORD.
(B) SATAN WANT’S TO HINDER YOU, SLOW DOWN THE PROGRESS OF THE CAUSE OF CHRIST AND DISRUPT THE WORK OF THE LORD.
( C ) SATAN WANTS TO SIFT YOU LIKE WHEAT.
Luke 22:31
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
ILLUSTRATION: MEN, YOU DRIVE UP TO A STOP SIGN, START TO PULL OUT AND FROM OUT OF NOWHERE COMES A CAR AT HIGH SPEED, ALMOST RUNNING OVER YOU. BEING THE MAN OF GOD THAT YOU ARE: YOU SAY: “PEACE BROTHER, GO RIGHT AHEAD!”
NO! I DON’T THINK SO, YOU SHAKE YOUR FIST AT HIM AND DECLARE THAT IF YOU COULD CATCH HIM, YOU WOULD RUN HIM OFF THE ROAD. BROTHER, THE DEVIL JUST SIFTED YOU.
LADIES, YOU SET AN ELEGANT TABLE WITH A BEAUTIFUL TABLECLOTH AND A SEVEN LAYER CAKE IN THE MIDDLE FOR DESERT, AND WHILE ONE OF THE FRIENDS YOU HAVE INVITED TO DINNER IS PRAYING GOD’S BLESSINGS ON THE FOOD, YOU LOOK UP AND HIS SWEET AS AN ANGEL 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IS DRAGGING A HANDFUL OF CAKE ACROSS THE TABLE
BUT YOU JUST SMILE AND SAY: “ISN’T SHE SUCH A SWEETIE,”
NO!, I DON’T THINK SO.
YOU WOULD LIKE TO YANK HER UP AND ADMINISTER A LITTLE OLD FASHIONED LAYING ON OF HANDS (PHYSICAL, NOT SPIRITUAL)
SISTER, THE DEVIL JUST SIFTED YOU.
SOUND FAMILIAR? IT SHOULD, IT HAPPENS TO ALL OF US IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER.
II. WE NEED TO “FIRE UP” THE WORD OF GOD
IN OUR CHURCHES TODAY
JEREMIAH 23: 29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD;
(A) WE NEED SOME FIERY PREACHING IN THE PULPIT
1. WATERED DOWN PREACHING HAS LET THE SNAKES INTO THE CHURCH. (OLD TIME PREACHING FULL OF FIRE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, KEPT THE DEVIL OUT OF THE CHURCH.
2. SERMONETTS HAVE PUT THE PEOPLE TO SLEEP.
(B) SATAN HAS CREPT INTO OUR CHURCHES.
3. Jude 4
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.*
* Making the grace and mercy of God a covering for crimes; intimating that men might sin safely who believe the Gospel, because in that Gospel grace abounds. f I cannot see how they could believe the Gospel in any way who denied the Lord Jesus Christ; unless, which is likely, their denial refers to this, that while they acknowledged Jesus as the promised Messiah, they denied him to be the only Lord, Sovereign, and Ruler of the church and of the world. There are many in the present day who hold the same opinion.
(from Adam Clarke’s Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
1. FALSE DOCTRINES AND UNGODLY PRACTICES.
2. NO RESPECT FOR THE HOUSE OF GOD.
3. TALK LIKE THE WORLD, LOOK LIKE THE WORLD, DRESS LIKE THE WORLD.
4. WE, AS CHRISTIANS NEED TO BE THE EXAMPLE,
THIS IS GOD’S HOUSE!!!!
5. WE ARE GOD’S PEOPLE!!!!
6. WE NEED TO REPRESENT GOD IN A “GODLY MANNER”
( C ) WE NEED TO START COVERING WHAT DOESN’T NEED TO BE SHOWN AND START UNCOVERING WHAT NEEDS TO BE PREACHED.
1. WE NEED TO RETURN TO SOME OLD FASHIONED PREACHING, OLD FASHIONED DECENCY AND OLD FASHIONED COMMON SENSE IN OUR CHURCHES TODAY.
III. WE NEED TO FIR UP THE WORD OF GOD IN OUR FAMILIES TODAY.
A YOUNG MAN IN OUR CHURCH JUST JOINED THE ARMY.
WHEN ASKED :”HOW MANY ARE GOING TO CHURCH TODAY (SUNDAY) STEP FORWARD OUT OF 165 HE WAS THE ONLY ONE.
(A) THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH OUR FAMILIES TODAY.
1. DISCIPLINE AND COMMON SENSE HAS BEEN ABANDONED
2. LIBERALISM AND WICKEDNESS HAS BEEN GLORIFIED.
3. WE HAVE ABANDONED GOD’S WORD, GOD’S WILL AND GOD’S WITNESS AND WE HAVE RAISED A GENERATION OF UNBELIEVERS.
THANK GOD THE DEVIL DOESN’T HAVE THEM ALL.
(B) MODERNISM AND LIBERALISM HAS SLOWLY CREPT INTO OUR WORSHIP SERVICES.
1. PEOPLE ARE TOO PROUD TO BEND THEIR KNEES IN PRAYER
2. PEOPLE ARE TOO PROUD TO WEEP AND PRAY OVER LOST LOVED ONES.
(C ) MADNESS OF SIN HAS ROBBED THIS GENERATION OF THE PEACE OF GOD .
1. WE LIVE IN A TIME WHERE IT IS MORE POPULAR TO BE “UNRELIGIOUS” RATHER THAN “RELIGIOUS”
2. WE LIVE IN A TIME WHERE RIGHT IS PERCEIVED AS “STRANGE” AND WRONG IS PERCEIVED AS “NORMAL”
IV. WE NEED TO FIRE UP THE WORD OF GOD IN OUR LIVES TODAY.
EPHESIANS CHAPTER 5 AND CHAPTER 6 GIVES US SOME GOOD INSTRUCTION FOR KEEPING OUR LIVES CLEAN AND HOLY BEFORE GOD.
(A) WE OFTEN BLAME THE WORLD BECAUSE OF WHAT IS GOING ON TODAY. (TRUE TO SOME EXTENT)
(B) WE OFTEN BLAME THE TIMES OF THIS LIFE FOR WHAT IS GOING ON TODAY (ALSO TRUE TO SOME EXTENT)
(C) WE NEED TO PUT THE BLAME WHERE IT BELONGS. “ON US” THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE HAS FAILED TO UPHOLD THE STANDARDS OF GOD’S WORD.
CONCLUSION: YOU WANT TO RUN THE SNAKES OUT OF THE CHURCH, OUT OF YOUR HOMES, OUT OF YOUR LIVES?
BUILD A BIGGER FIRE WITH THE WORD OF GOD!
