Banner Of Praise Ministries
Reverend Dr. Levi Howard Wright, Pastor & Founder
Shake The Devil Off
Acts 28:1-5
The Powerful Work Of Paul
1 After we were safe on the island, we knew that it was Malta. 2 The people on the island were very kind to us. It was raining and cold. They made a fire so we could get warm. 3 Paul had gathered some wood. As he laid it on the fire, a snake came out because of the heat. It held fast to Paul’s hand. 4 When the people of the island saw the snake holding to his hand, they said to each other, "This man is a killer. He was saved from the sea and yet it is not right for him to live." 5 Paul shook off the snake into the fire. He was not hurt in any way. 6 The people waited. They thought his hand would get large and he would fall over dead. After watching for a long time, they saw nothing happen to him. Then they changed their minds and said that Paul was a god.
INTRODUCTION
The Apostle Paul was in the center of God’s perfect will. He had been threatened with death in the city of Jerusalem …. but he was in God’s perfect will. He had been arrested by the Romans…. but he was in God’s perfect will. He had been locked away in a dark damp cell and mistreated,…. but he was in God’s perfect will.
He was bound and escorted under guard to a ship that would take him to his final destination, a place from which there would be no coming back,…. but he was in God’s perfect will.
He was restricted from moving about freely, held prisoner among heathen sailors that cared little for God,…. but he was in God’s perfect will.
He was on a ship bound for Rome…. a ship that would face one of the fiercest storms in the Biblical times… a ship that would be shipwrecked on a strange island called Melita, a ship that would be broken into many small pieces,… but he was still in God’s perfect will.
The point that I need to make today is…. just because we are go through adversities, storms of life and the attacks of the principalities’ and evil deeds…. this do not mean that we are not in God’s perfect will.
In fact, many times, it’s exactly the opposite. All along this road of life that we all must travel there will be pitfalls...., troubles...., trials tribulations..... or tests that we cannot avoid.
Often times …. We are caught up in the middle of a great struggle over what we have little or no control over and we have no other choice but to weather the storm and wait for the water to calm.
The Apostle Paul was headed for Rome, to face charges before Caesar, and to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ..... But the storm had blown him off course.
Sometime storms will blow us off course.
Yes.... Unexpected tragedies will slow our progress down, alter our plans, and give us great frustration.
Our best plans often are shattered by the circumstances of life and we find ourselves shipwrecked for no fault of our own.
Paul could have said, “Well, I guess it just isn’t God’s will for me to reach Rome after all.”
But his present circumstances didn’t stop him. This was just another inconvenience and another bump in the road. He knew his destination and he knew that the Holy Spirit was with him,... guiding him,... leading him ... and watching over him, every step of the way.
The Holy Ghost simply said, “Stay on the course and don’t stop now. It’s not over ‘til it’s over!
Acts 28:2 says ..... “The people on the island were very kind to Paul. It was raining and cold. The barbarian people made a fire so they could get warm."
You see.... Paul wasn’t shipwrecked next door to one of the churches that he had founded. There weren’t any Christians around to meet his desperate needs of food, warm clothing or shelter. He was alone in a world filled with sin and sinful people.
I need you to know that often times…. It is the “barbarians”; the stranger; the worldly people, THE UNCHURCHED, who show more concern for your trials than people in the church.
I pray that no one at the Banner of Praise ….. ever finds more help, more compassion, more love and more friendship in the world than they do in this church.
Most of the civilized world looked down upon the barbarians, people as being backward, uneducated, uncouth and without the finer things of life, but these were the people who came to The Apostle Paul’s rescue.
I have come to discover that people who have to scratch for a living, facing the hunger and depraved from the many luxuries in life..... are the ones who are first to help their fellow man
who are in need.
It’s hard to get a rich man, or someone of high society, to get his hands dirty. They might be willing to pay for someone else to work, but they will not pick up a hammer and a nail.
These barbarians were probably accustomed to seeing shipwrecks on their island. They probably made their living by fishing and facing the dangers of the storms. They knew the pain, the suffering, the hardships of this kind of life and they knew what to do to help those in distress.
These barbarians “kindled a fire” for warmth and to help the survivors of the wreck to dry out and probably even brought some food to warm over the fire.
My Brothers and Sisters…. When you are shipwrecked on life’s troubled seas, and you feel like you have been cast upon a deserted island, remember what these barbarians did.
“They Kindle a fire....... We must learn to Kindle a Fire in your heart.”
The storms of life have a way of sapping your strength, draining your energy, weakening your hope and crushing your joy, but don’t give up.
Keep The Fire Kindled...... And Stay on your knees in prayer, because it’s hard for the Snakes to keep biting when you are Praying.
Keep The Fire Kindled..... And Shake the Devil off and allow the Holy Spirit to renew and refresh you.
Keep The Fire Kindled..... And Let the fire of the Holy Ghost burning brightly in you so that the dampness of your spirit can be made dry and you can feel the warmth of God’s presence in your life.
The barbarians received Paul and his traveling companions.
Isn’t it good to feel “received” by others ...... after the storm has blown your life apart!
We must learn to receive others who are in trouble with open arms.
We must learn to receive others who are in distress.
We must learn to receive others and to help them to get back on their feet.
We must learn to receive both sinner and saint alike, who come into our church seeking refuge from the storms.
Paul said in Galatians 6:2, "Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."
It was raining while they built the fire, and it was a cold rain, the kind that would soak through everything and chill you to the bone.
We.... All face some rain in our lives – and for all of us there are times when the rain becomes a “Euroclydon” Storm – a hurricane that whips us around in circles, blows away hope, brings fear and despair, and shakes the very foundation of our faith and trust in God.
Sometimes the rain and winds of adversity are so strong that they seem to make us cold in spirit; .... cold in body; .... cold in emotions; .... and cold in our ability to feel anything.
We are all humans and there are times when we are so numbed by the cold-blooded, attacks of the devil that we are almost too numb to think, to move or to even pray.
We need to build a new fire! A Fire Like The One Jeremiah Had Shut-up In His Bones!
Acts 28:3 says,..... "And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand."
Paul was cold; he was wet and tired; yet his duty as a minister compelled him to minister in any way he could. He left the comfort of the fire to gather more fuel to make it warmer.
After the fire is started, we have to learn to fan the flames.
Don’t let the coals die and burn out – fan the flame by and put on more wood by taking up the cross and following the Lord.
Up until this point we can say that Paul was the victim of circumstances and weather.
Life is filled with trials and tributations. God allows them to test us.... strengthen us.... and bring us.... to our knees in a closer relationship with Him.
There will be times when Satan, that old serpent, he will strikes at you to sink his fangs deep into your hand and heart.
No one was more passionate... and effective, at spreading the Gospel than Paul.
But look at what happen to Paul? He was attacked from the pit of the fire. The serpent or the viper laps from the fiery pit to attack Paul.
Paul’s ministry stirred up the viper. But that was nothing new to Paul. Every where he went he was stirring up the viper …. The devil.
There are two things that happened here that made the serpent mad.
Firstly...The weather was cold and the serpent is a cold-blooded animal so it was still nearly frozen, hiding from view.
But somebody started a fire and it started to warm it up.
Satan won’t bother us if we are cold in the Lord.
He don’t care what we do as long.... as we don’t.... do nothing for the Lord.
But if we stir up the fire and let the Holy Ghost move..... look out.... THE SNAKES WILL START TO HISS!
Satan won’t let us go on without a fight. He will be ready to defend his territory.
Secondly, after the fire has been started, it needed more fuel to keep it burning so it can get hotter.
Let me tell you that the more you pray.... the hotter the Spiritual flame will burn....
The more you give the Lord the Praise and sing Zion songs.... the more you can expect Satan to move against you.
He will hiss and strikes at you..... when you are least expected and from where you wouldn’t expect him to be.
Sometimes the Vipers and Serpents will strikes right from within the fire!
The Serpent... might just be someone from within the inside of the church.... yes... someone who help you build the fire.
The Serpent... might be a friend... family member.... or spouse.
Notice how the attack came. It didn’t just ..... but it struck and held on.
Do you sometimes feel like the attack of the devil in your life .... is never going to end?
It seem as though Satan has attached himself to you.... and won’t turn loose.
It feels like he is there to stay for a while.... and we wonder, “Lord, how long will this Spiritual Assault last?”
When the devil is on your back and trying to pierce your heart... just remember what Paul did.
Remember that Satan’s power is limited by the Almighty God and the Lord will deliver you from the Viper’s deadly fangs.
Remember to shake him off into the fire. Burn him up with the power of the Holy Ghost and watch him squirm, wiggle, turn loose and run.
Paul was supposed to die. This was a poisonous viper.
But Jesus gave his disciples a promise back in Mark 16:17-18, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Paul was a believer and not only was he able to shake of the serpent, but he also laid hands on the sick and they too were healed.
Acts 28:7-9, "In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously. And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:"
When Satan attacks us we musy..... shake him off.
Shake the serpent off into the fires of judgment. Call upon the name of the Lord.
Yield your life to the Lord Jesus Christ and keep on serving the Lord. When the fire of the Holy Ghost gets hot enough in your life, the devil will have to flee.
James said.... Resist the Devil and he will flee .... as if someone has thrown hot water on him.
God promises us in His Word.... in Isaiah 54:17, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD."
If you are on the Lord side.... Your heritage is one of victory and power.
If you are on the Lord side.... Your heritage is one of eternal life.
If you are on the Lord side.... Your heritage is one that gives you the right to shake the Devil off and walk on in the Lord to accomplish what God wants you to do in your life.
God wants you to stay on the course and to finish the race that is set before you. The attacks will come but the victory is yours already.
In closing let me give you this little illustration. Maybe you can remember to finish the race by remembering this story.
During the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City the crowd started to leave the Olympic Stadium. The last of the runners of the marathon race were being carried off the field. Then the crowd stopped as a flurry of activity began down on the field. When they looked to see what was happening, they saw that there was one lone runner on the home stretch. He would be the very last one to cross the finish line.
It was a runner from the little country of Tanzania, Africa. But he wasn’t running to finish line in a blaze of glory, sprinting to show his skill, stamina and determination. Instead, he came limping into the stadium far behind the rest of the competitors. He had fallen on the course and injured his leg. He hobbled along, barley able to stand up, struggling with each step and leaving a trail of blood as he moved slowly along. The medical personnel on the field started to go to his aid, but he waved them back. He wanted no help. He was going to make it to the end at all costs.
After what seemed to be an eternity, and with an almost super-human effort, he finally crossed the finish line and collapsed just a foot past the mark, lying there too weak to get up on his own.
When the aides reached him to help him they asked, “Why did you finish the race when you were so badly injured? His answer is one that we should all remember in this race of life.
He said, “My country didn’t send me 7,000 miles to start the race. They sent me 7,000 miles to finish the race!
Shake The Devil Off.... Finish your race! .... Never give up!
Just as surely as Paul was destined to reach Rome to fulfill the will of God in his life, we too must be willing to cross the finish line and win.....the race... because God has promised us the victory.
It’s part of our heritage and your inheritance.
The Apostle Paul said..... “I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT.... I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE... I HAVE. KEPT THE FAITH.
Illustration: Goat that fell into the well and the farmer tried to bury it alive.
A farmer’s prize goat fell into a well one day. And he knew that he would not be able to pull it out so he decided to bury the goat alive in the well. He took his shovel and begin to throw dirt into the well. When dirt fell on the goat’s back he would shake it off and pack it under its feet. This went on continiously until the goat had pack enough dirt underneath his feet enabling him to stept of the well.
When the Devil.... LIES ON YOU.... SHAKE THE LIES OFF.... AND PACK HIM UNDER YOUR FEET AND DECLARE THAT THE LORD IS THE WAY.... THE TRUTH... AND THE LIFE.
When the Devil.... TRY TO STEAL YOUR JOY.... SHAKE HIM OFF.... AND PACK HIM UNDER YOUR FEET AND REJOICE IN THE LORD.
When the Devil .... TRY TO KILL YOUR FAITH.... SHAKE HIM OFF.... AND PACK THEM UNDER YOUR FEET AND WALK IN THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION.
When the Devil..... TRY TO STEAL.... KILL... and DESTROY YOU....... Remember the Lord promises us in His Word.... in Isaiah 54:17, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.
When the Devil TRY TO STEAL.... KILL... and DESTROY YOU....... Remember the Lord promises us in His Word.... in Mark 16:17-18, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Keep The Fire Kindled...... And Stay on your knees in prayer, because it’s hard for the Vipers and Snakes to keep biting when you are Praying.
Keep The Fire Kindled..... And Shake the Devil off and Let the fire of the Holy Ghost burning brightly inside of you so that the dampness of your spirit can be made DRY and you can feel the WARMTH of God’s presence in your life.
Keep The Fire Kindled..... And allow the Holy Spirit to renew and refresh you. May the Lord Bless you. Amen.... Amen..... Amen
