Shake It Off In The Fire
PPT 1 Message Title
In today's message we are going to deal with spiritually unhealthy things/people and ideas that will try to attach themselves to us, poison our spirit and hinder our service to God. We are going to see the way to deal with them, and that is to shake them off in the fire.
Turn to your neighbor and say, "neighbor, shake it off in the fire."
PPT 2-4 text
Acts 28:1 And when they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.
Acts 28:2 And 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.
Acts 28:3 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 on his hand.
Acts 28:4 And 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."
Acts 28:5 However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.
PPT 5 Sermon main points
Here are the top three lessons I want to talk about from this text
A. What motivates snakes to attack.
B. Two Types of Snake attacks
C. The special area of snake attack & how Paul dealt with it.
It is a story that lends itself to taking spiritual lessons, because of the snake - a euphemism throughout scripture for the devil, another is fire. Fire is symbolic of many things but for today's message we will use it as an emblem of the Holy Spirit.
First up what motivates snakes to attack.
PPT 6 text
Acts 28:3 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 on his hand.
What caused the snake to appear and attack? The heat. That is the literal.
This is from an article that was in Nature Magazine online:
Vipers, pythons and boas have holes on their faces called pit organs, which contain a membrane that can detect infrared radiation from warm bodies up to one meter away. At night, the pit organs allow snakes to 'see' an image of their predator or prey — as an infrared camera does — giving them a unique extra sense. In other words they have heat sensing capabilities. These types of snakes only go after prey that are generating heat. What is true in the natural is true in the spiritual.
Here is the spiritual - if you get on fire for God, if you are generating spiritual heat, it will cause spiritual snakes to come after you.
If you are not dealing with snakes it may be because there is no fire in your life.
Paul said, all that live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Get on fire for God, and snakes will come looking for you.
Before you go getting all nervous, just think about what happened to the snake in this story. He got burnt up, Watch this, the same fire that brought the snake out, also burned it up. The grace that attracted the snake, is also the grace that will give you the strength to destroy it.
So instead of being afraid of an attack by a snake, we should be praying that we so live they are attracted and destroyed by the fire of God in our life.
If the devil comes after you, in the name of the Lord, I declare, you will shake him off in the fire.
Next thing I want to talk about is two types of snakes that attack:
PPT 7 2 types of snakes that attack
A. Opportunistic snakes,
B. Snakes with a specific assignment.
Opportunistic snakes are those that look for a good opportunity to attack. satan in general is an opportunistic snake. He goes about like roaring lion seeking opportunity.
PPT 8 text
Luke 4:13 And when the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. (NASB)
Notice it says satan was looking for an opportune time, he never found one for Jesus. But for us there are times and places where we are more open to attack. I liken the opportunistic snake to the python. Python is a snake that kills its victims by squeezing the life out of them. They don't move very fast. So they look for opportunities for slow moving prey. When a person, man or woman, looks at things on the internet, or tv they shouldn't be looking at, they become a "captive audience," they are a slow moving prey that the python would like to squeeze the life out of.
Spiritual snakes are looking for an opportunity to attach themselves to you. They will use an image, a thought, a word, a person, any means available they will take advantage of it means they can get to you and start spreading their poison. Flee places of evil opportunity. Shake them off in the fire.
The second kind of snake that attacks is a snake with an assignment to do so.
It has been given a specific target to attack. It is planning a specific attack at a specific time.
A dossier has been prepared, with your weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Look at this portion of scripture and you will see what I am talking about.
PPT 9-11
Acts 23:17 And Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, "Lead this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him."
Acts 23:18 So he took him and led him to the commander and *said, "Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you."
Acts 23:19 And the commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, "What is it that you have to report to me?"
Acts 23:20 And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Council, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him.
Acts 23:21 "So do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him; and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you."
These enemies of Paul weren’t looking for an opportunity, they were planning an attack. They weren’t randomly looking for someone but they had painted a target on Paul’s back and were going after him.
This type of snake is not simply one looking for an opportunity, this is a snake that is intentionally working to make an opportunity happen. It is coming after you.
A devil with an assignment. We get assignments from God, they get them from hell. Always remember you have a target on your back. Be sober, be vigilant.
There will be times and seasons in your life where a demonic hit squad will come after you.
Unusual season of temptation.
Unusual season of discouragement.
Unusual season of pressure.
Unusual season of financial hardship.
Unusual season of physical attack.
Unusual season of relationship problems.
Be aware these things may be evidence of spiritual snake attack. Deal with the snake and the attack will subside. Shake it off in the fire of spiritual warfare - effectual fervent prayer! Don't be the person whose prayers are so lethargic they put the devil to sleep. Pray with passion, pay with vehemence.
This passage explains the fall of many of God's servants especially pastors. They didn't heed the warnings and got in a trap. They failed to realize the devil was working hard to set them up for a fall, and they let their guard down.
C. The special area of snake attack & how Paul dealt with it.
PPT 12 text
Acts 28:3 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 on his hand.
Notice where the snake attacked Paul - it attached itself to his hand.
The hand represents several things in scripture:
A. Service, work. Especially kingdom service.
B. Your assets to perform kingdom service.
C. Your standing with God.
A. The Hand represents service, especially service that relates to the kingdom of God.
PPT 13 text
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.
Clearly in this text the hand represents work. Paul was an apostle, and in the text before us he was working. More specifically he was working on building a fire. satan has a profound dislike for fire builders, above all others they threaten his kingdom on earth.
snakes have a habit of showing up when kingdom work is being performed. Their goal is always the same - shut it down. Have people, and circumstances shut down your service to the kingdom? Did you let hardship, or fatigue, or discouragement stop things you were doing for the kingdom?
B. The hand also represents your assets to perform kingdom service.
PPT 14 text
Exodus 4:1 Then Moses answered and said, "What if they will not believe me, or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘the LORD has not appeared to you.’
Exodus 4:2 And the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff."
God was asking Moses what he had that could be used. satan was attacking Paul's asset (his hand) which he had to serve God.
Whatever asset you have for serving God, be aware that it will come under attack, with the goal of getting you to stop using it.
Can you play an instrument?
Can you help with children?
Can you pray in the Spirit?
Did God deposit a spiritual gift in your life?
The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable, since the devil can't take them away, his goal is to discourage their use, or to have them fall into a state of inactivity.
C. Next, the hand represents your standing with God.
PPT 15
Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
God's right hand is the place of His favor and blessing. This is well understood in Judaism. James and John asked to sit to Jesus right hand left knowing that it symbolized divine favor.
So, when the devil attacks, his attack will always come around to lying about your standing before God.
PPT 16-17 text
Here is a passage showing Jesus in the highest position of honor:
Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 1:19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
Ephesians 1:20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Ephesians 1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come.
God exalted Jesus and seated Him in the highest place of honor possible, right next to Himself.
PPT 18-19 text
Now watch where God has placed us:
Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
Ephesians 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
Ephesians 2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,
Ephesians 2:7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus
We have been seated together with Christ! We have been placed in the highest place of honor because of the blood of Jesus. The devil will always try to attack your standing before God, because he knows that if you ever figure out who you are in Christ, you will be the kind of person who can shake his kingdom.
Do not judge the word by your circumstances, but judge your circumstances by the word. I have been seated in the highest place of honor in the kingdom. I am loved, I am favored, in the ages to come God is going to show the surpassing riches of His grace towards me, I am at His right hand where His pleasures will be forever more.
One more interesting thing about this area of attack, and the special way it attempts to attack your standing with God:
By Use of Wagging tongues of discouragement.
PPT 20 text
Acts 28:4 And 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."
I don't have time to flesh this out, but when the devil attacks he does so on many fronts. Just like Russia is getting ready to do in Ukraine. So you have an attack on your service and assets, while at the same time whispers of condemnation and discouragement from hell are ringing in your ear.
God is not for you, if He was for you, this wouldn't be happening.
Too many people have given up service to the kingdom because of the nay saying of others.
Too many people have given up service to the kingdom because of discouraging words whispered within earshot.
When you face some things as Paul did... Some may judge and criticize you! Recognize this as a second front of attack being opened up against you by hell.
Lastly - How did Paul deal with the snake attack?
He shook it off quickly. Paul didn’t give the viper opportunity to wrap itself around his arm. Some have let things be attached to themselves for far to long, the Lord is here today to say shake it off, shake off depression, shake of unforgiveness, shake off the poison of being offended. Shake off the snake of criticism. Shake off the snake of condemnation.
He shook it off in the fire. He killed it. He didn't give it a chance to come back a second time.
He shook it off in the fire.
Shake it off in the fire of fervent prayer.
Shake it off in the fire of claiming the word.
Shake it off in the fire of the presence of God
Shake it off in the fire of grace.
Shake it off in the fire of a counter attack: Devil I don't agree with you. I am seated together with Christ at the right hand of God.
I shake off the beast into the fire; no power of hell has a place around me, in Jesus’ name!
Close: Build a fire and shake it off. Get near the fire and shake it off.
What has been hanging on to you for too long?
unholy attachments I shake them off of me in the name of Jesus.
Offense we shake it off
Fear we shake it off
poison of bitterness we shake it off
Today do you need the freedom the fire brings. Today do you need your fire rekindled.
Lord build a fire in me
Come up to the altar today and let's shake it off in the fire of God's altar.
