SHAKE IT OFF
ACTS 28: 3,5
I. INTRODUCTION
IF THERE IS ONE THING IN THE WORLD THAT FRIGHTENS A GREAT DEAL OF PEOPLE, IT’S A SNAKE. YES, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, SNAKES, WITH THEIR SCALY SCALES, FANGS, AND SLITHERING TONGUE. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL THE SNAKE MAY BE, WHEN WE SEE THEM, A CHILL COMES OVER US, AND SOME OF US BECOME FRANTIC, AND PANIC STRICKEN, SO MUCH SO THAT WE MAKE A MAD DASH, BREAKING ALL KINDS OF SPRINT RECORDS IN AND ATTEMPT TO GET AWAY FROM THE SNAKE. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 2,500-3,000 SPECIES OF VENOMOUS SNAKES IN THE WORLD. SOME 8,000 PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES ARE BITTEN YEARLY. SNAKES ARE COLD BLOODED ANIMALS THAT SEEK WARMTH. THE VENOM OF POISONOUS SNAKES ARE EITHER HEMATOXIC, MEANING THAT IT AFFECTS PRIMARILY THE BLOOD. OR, THEY ARE NEUROTOXIC, MEANING THEIR VENOM AFFECTS THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, SHUTTING DOWN THE BRAIN, RESPIRATORY SYSTEM, AND INTERFERES WITH THE FUNCTIONS OF THE HEART.
I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO HAVE A VENOMOUS DISPOSITION. SOME ARE IN THE CHURCH AND SOME ARE NOT IN THE CHURCH. THEY ARE COLD BLOODED INDIVIDUALS WHOSE BITE CAN CAUSE MUCH HARM AND DEVASTATION. BUT MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE MUST NOT BECOME PANIC STRICKEN WHEN THEY ATTEMPT TO ATTACK US, NO, ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS JUST SHAKE IT OFF.
II. THE TEXT
PAUL WAS ON HIS WAY TO ROME TO STAND TRIAL BEFORE CAESAR. PAUL, ALONG WITH THE OTHERS ARE ON THE ISLAND OF MELITA AS THE RESULT OF A SHIPWRECK IN CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN. THEY ARE WET, COLD, AND TO COMPLICATE MATTERS, IT IS RAINING. PAUL GATHERED STICKS TO PLACE ON THE FIRE, BUT UNBEKNOWNST TO HIM THAT A SNAKE WAS HIDING IN THE PILE. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ONE THING THAT I HAVE DISCOVERED ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE A SNAKE MENTALITY IS THAT THEY OFTEN HIDE BEHIND THINGS, AND WILL SHOW UP WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT THEM. YES, THEY CAMOUFLAGE THEMSELVES BEHIND LOVE, AND THEN THEY STRIKE. THEY CAMOUFLAGE THEMSELVES BEHIND THE PULPIT, BEHIND CHOIR ROBES, ON DEACON BOARDS, IN THE PEWS, AND THEY STRIKE.
NOTICE IF YOU WILL, THAT PAUL DID NOT GIVE INTO THE SNAKE, NOR DID HE TRY TO GET BACK AT THE SNAKE FOR BITING HIM, HE JUST SHOOK IT OFF. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WHEN PEOPLE MAKE IT A POINT TO ATTACK US, WE DON’T HAVE TO TRY TO GET BACK AT THEM, JUST SHAKE IT OFF. ROMANS 12:17 TEACHES, “RECOMPENSE TO NO MAIL EVIL FOR EVIL.”
IT IS EVIDENT BY WHAT IS STATED IN VERSE SIX THAT PAUL SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN SICK OR DIED, BUT MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WHEN GOD IS YOUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, WHEN GOD IS YOUR PROTECTION, THAT WHICH SHOULD HAVE HURT YOU, WON’T DO YOU NO HARM. PAUL JUST SHOOK IT OFF AND KEPT GOING ABOUT HIS BUSINESS.
III. VENOMOUS PEOPLE
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED BY THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT US, AND EVEN MISTREAT US FROM TIME TO TIME, BECAUSE IT IS IN THEIR NATURE, AND IF IT’S ON THE INSIDE OF THEM, IT’S BOUND TO COME OUT OF THEM; LUKE 6:45 STATES, “FOR OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART HIS MOUTH SPEAKETH.” I HAVE SAID ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT IF PEOPLE CAN’T FIND SOMETHING ON YOU, THEY WILL MAKE SOMETHING UP. I JUST WANT TO DROP THIS ON YOU; WE DON’T HAVE TO BE WHAT FOLK SAY THAT WE ARE! HOW MANY FOLK HAVE FALLEN OUT WITH CHURCH, BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT SOMEBODY SAID? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE GOTTEN ANGRY AND REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING, DUE TO THE FACT THAT SOMEBODY HAS SAID SOMETHING THAT WE DID NOT LIKE? MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IF JESUS WOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT APPROACH, HE NEVER WOULD HAVE ACCOMPLISHED MUCH, BECAUSE SOMEBODY WAS ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT HIM. THEY CALLED HIM A BLASPHEMER, LIAR, GLUTTON, AND WINE BIBBER, JUST TO NAME A FEW. JESUS WAS NOT OVER SENSITIVE TO WHAT FOLK SAID ABOUT HIM. MANY CHURCH FOLK ARE TOO SENSITIVE. JUST THIS PAST WEDNESDAY IN BIBLE STUDY, I TOLD THE CLASS THAT WE HAVE TO LEARN WHEN TO SPEAK AND WHEN TO BE SILENT, UN BEKNOWN TO ME WAS THAT, THAT VERY NEXT DAY, SOMEONE WAS GOING TO SAY SOMETHING TO ME THAT WOULD PUT MY FAITH ON TRIAL. I DID NOT RETALIATE, I JUST SHOOK IT OFF.
WE MUST NOT FOOL OURSELVES, BEING MISTREATED AND BEING TALKED ABOUT CAN BE PAINFUL. 140 PSALM VERSE 3 TEACHES, “THEY HAVE SHARPENED THEIR TONGUES LIKE A SERPENT; ADDERS' POISON IS UNDER THEIR LIPS.” I KNOW THAT WE LIKE TO SAY, “STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES, BUT NAMES WILL NEVER HURT ME,” BUT THEY CAN. HOW MANY CHILDREN HAVE BECOME JUVENILE DELINQUENTS BECAUSE THEY BOUGHT INTO THE CONCEPT OF ALWAYS BEING TOLD THAT THEY NEVER WOULD AMOUNT TO ANYTHING? HOW MANY FOLK NOW RELY ON PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS AS THE RESULT OF MANIACAL, MALICIOUS, AND MALIGNANT MENTAL ABUSE AT THE HANDS OF SOMEBODY ELSE. YES, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, BE PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THE VIPERS.
SOMEBODY HERE TODAY, HAS BEEN VICTIMIZED BY THE VICIOUS BITE OF SOMEONE IN THEIR FAMILY, ON THEIR JOB, AND EVEN IN THE CHURCH. MAYBE THE BITE WAS JEALOUSY, ENVY, STRIFE, ANGER, OR A MISUNDERSTANDING. BUT YOU HAVE TRIED TO WHAT YOU KNOW IS RIGHT. YOU TRY READING YOUR BIBLE, AND PRAYING, BUT STILL THE VIPERS KEEP ON COMING. I KNOW THAT IN MY 27 YEARS IN THE PREACHING MINISTRY, AND 13 IN THE PASTORATE, I HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT, LIED ON, AND MISTREATED. HOWEVER, I MUST ALSO ADMIT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES IN MY LIFE THAT I HAVE HURLED VERBAL STONES. DON’T LOOK AT ME FUNNY; ALL OF US AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER HAVE HURT SOMEONE WITH OUR WORDS. ECCLESIASTES 7:21-22 STATES, “ALSO TAKE NO HEED UNTO ALL WORDS THAT ARE SPOKEN; LEST THOU HEAR THY SERVANT CURSE THEE: FOR OFTENTIMES ALSO THINE OWN HEART KNOWETH THAT THOU THYSELF LIKEWISE HAST CURSED OTHERS.”
LET ME GIVE YOU THREE PALATABLE PRINCIPLES FOR SHAKING OFF THE ADVERSARIAL ASSAULTS OF VENOMOUS VIPERS. ONE, IN ORDER TO EFFECTIVELY SHAKE OFF THE VIPERS, YOU MUST BE A PERSON OF PRAYER, MATT. 5:44 TEACHES, “BUT I SAY UNTO YOU, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, BLESS THEM THAT CURSE YOU, DO GOOD TO THEM THAT HATE YOU, AND PRAY FOR THEM WHICH DESPITE-FULLY USE YOU, AND PERSECUTE YOU.” TWO, WE CAN SHAKE OFF THE VIPERS BECAUSE OF INTERNAL INDWELLING. 1 JOHN 4:4 STATES, “YE ARE OF GOD, LITTLE CHILDREN, AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM: BECAUSE GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU, THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD.” THREE, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT GOD IS ON OUR SIDE, ROMANS 8:31 SAYS WITH CONFIDENCE, “IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?” THE BATTLE IS NOT OURS BUT THE LORDS!
SO WHEN THEY SCANDALIZE YOUR NAME, SHAKE IT OFF, WHEN THEY MISTREAT YOU, SHAKE IF OFF, WHEN THEY LIE ON YOU, SHAKE IT OFF, WHEN THEY CRITICIZE YOU, SHAKE IT OFF, IF THEY LAUGH AT YOU SHAKE IT OFF, IF THEY OSTRACIZE YOU, SHAKE IT OFF. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ME JUST AS MUCH AS YOU PLEASE, BUT THE MORE YOU TALK; I’M GOING TO STAY ON MY KNEES. (JESUS).
