“Why won’t you die” Acts. 28:1-6
1 When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.
2 The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all.
3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.
4 When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, "Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live."
5 However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.
6 But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.
This morning Devil is asking some of you, this very question, and this morning Devil is thinking this in himself. The very same weapon I used on the last generation, the very same tactics I used on that country the very same tactics I did with other family worked. They are no more, there hope is no more, there health is no more, there generations are not more, there finance is no more,
He is asking to you to day, why won’t you die? Why wont you give up?
Why wont you quit?
.Acts. 28 Speaks about a great man named Paul
1. Last night and angel of the Lord appeared to me
A. Whom I am.
I belong to God. I have an owner. I am not an orphan. I belong to some one. If I am late some one will looks for me. If I don not show up some one will check me. If I disappear there is some one who realy care for me. I am not my own. I belong to some one. He is a rich King. He is my savior.
B. Whom I serve. I have a master. I have some accountability. I have to report to him on time. I have accountability with him. He is not bully boss. He cares for me .I am a bond slave (Dulos). I have no right. All my will belong to him.
C. He told me there would be a shipwreck. I believe that there was a shipwreck.
Then He told me that hang on to the piece of boat. (stay where you are) you will be rescued with the piece of ship.(stay in the boat, stay in the church, do no give up in Jesus, do not give up on church)
D. Hold on to the pieces, if that is all you have
Acts 27:44 – they got there on pieces (planks) of the boat.
The ship was broken into pieces but only pieces but they hold on to the pieces of ship and reached the shore.
2. Life of Paul.
His conversion.
His life in prison
Traveling with out any tiredness.
Almost dead numerous times
Persecution from different places and people.
Determination to fulfill the perfect will of Go. (Beat him, almost dead but when the life came back, he said let’ go back to the next village and preach)
Faith – prayed with handkerchief. No one ever done it before this way – so I am afraid to do this – he did not say that, he followed the voice of God.
3. Islanders showed mercy.
God will use the pagan people to show mercy.
People of island were Egyptians. They gave gold and silver to them.
4.Paul realized that there is no fire.
A. He put logs in the fire
When he saw that there is fire. He did not say let the pastors worry about it, let the secretary and board worry bout it. He noticed there is no fire and he decided to do some thing about it. If there is no move of God in the church, in the choir, in the preaching do something about it, pray about it fast about it , kneel down about it. The reason you are noticing it because God wanted you to be a part of it. God wanted to use you to bring the revival in the church.
B. He did not pray about it.
A natural remedy for a natural problem.
You do not need to pray to find that you need t pay tithe. You do not need to pray and find out that you need to be faithful. Any natural problem can be solved with a natural remedy. Do not waste to pray when you can just use a natural remedy. If you don’t ware warm cloth you will get sick. You do not need to pray about. Get a warm cloth and ware it. If you improperly lift weight your back will break. You don’t’ need to pray about it. Just do not lift improperly.
Put a fire in to the family relationship. A vacation might be needed to solve your family problems.
If there is no fire in you family life put the fire back in to it.
C. When you do that the Satan will oppose you. When you decided to become the blessing to being the warmness to many, Devil opposes you. There might be devil hiding in many churches, there might be devil hiding in many families, when you try to bring deliverance to there life the snake will come out of the fire.
When snake come out put it back to the fire again.
5.A snake bit Paul.
People looked and predicted the future. People said you would die. When people write your future – live for Jesus. They are not the one decide your future.
Same thing happened to the other people. And they all are dead. This is the norm for these problems. This symptom is this, this sign is this, the very same thing happened to my mommy she is dead, the very same thing happened to my uncle and he is gone, this was the same symptom.(one person called me long time ago and said – pastor please pray because the same symptom which was on my father in this age is coming to me now. He died very young, now the same thing happening to me, please I need your help) devil is a liar. He do not control your future. This is sign of a cancer; this is the sign of a stroke. Use common sense, listen this is easily happened to the family. REMEMBER- devil is saying the same. The very same weapon I used on the next family they gave up, they died, the go a divorced, their children drop out, their husband is gone, there child is gone, their family life is gone
WHAT you do when people predict your future – BE STILL AND LIVE.
Devil use the weapon of FEAR to destroy you.
They time your death. People say you definitely have to die, when people write you’re future – Live for Jesus.
The very same thing happened to the neighbor. He died, the very same symptom happen to my grandfather he died, the very snake bites the man from that house, and he died in ten minutes. The Devil is looking to you and saying WHY WON’TYOU DIE, looking the stop watch, the timer, the alarm clock, to see how are you doing. They already predicted your end. The devil is a liar, he is not the one decide your future.
6.There are many reasons why I don’t die like the others.
Satan was asking the very same question to many in the bible.
Job – why won’t you die – perseverance is my answer.
Elijah – I heard the voice of God
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – faith in God
Daniel (lion’s den) –prayer
David (sin) – confession
Korah’s sons – stand with God
Peter- serves him faithfully – he will never forsake me.
But the story is not of them today, the story is of Paul’s
7. Paul let me ask you “why won’t you die”
Paul will say
A. I am already dead.
Kick a dead man, he will no respond, stand by a casket in a funeral home and lie about the man in the casket, he will not respond. Now you know why I don’t not respond back to the things I hear. I am already dead –devil. This is not I, Christ lives in me.
B. If I die today it is a gain for me. I want to die, I want to see Jesus, this earth is not mine, I am just a stranger in this land, I am a pilgrim in this world. Satan, please kill me – I will be with Jesus. The moment I leave this earth I will be walking on the street of gold. I will ask the angel in heaven give me a tam brine let me sing a song of redemption. It will take a million years to sing the song of Zion in the land of my King. I will be singing praises for the thing and troubles which never happened to my life. So Devil you are helping me if you kill me to day.
C. I will not die until my work is completed.
There is a plan and purpose with me life.
Until I fulfill the plan of God, devil you cannot touch me. I heard a voice that I will stand in front of the king in Rome. So I cannot die in Malta, no matter what comes on my way, there has to be a way when there is no way.
8. He healed all the sick in the island.
This is the reason why Satan opposes him in the first place.
This was the purpose of the journey
We did not planned it but Devil you broke my ship, you broke my finance, you broke my life, for every brokenness there will be a ministry arise,
I will heal the sick,
I will get my boat back
I will prosperous
I will continue my journey
Satan, it is too late, you should kill me when you had me.
My God is with me.
You might not be physically dead. But spiritually, emotionally, lost the charisma, but you cannot quit keep on going like the energizer bunny, still going still going.
