The Anti –Venom for the Serpent’s bite
Numbers 21:4-9
John 3:15-16
Intro: My first experience deer hunting in the woods of Florida I had just walked down a path in the woods when no sooner than I heard a shotgun blast behind. I ran back down the path about 25 yards to where I was just walking and there was a hunter looking a at a 5 foot rattlesnake still moving on the ground! Made me nervous to think that thing was lying under a palmetto bush that I just had walked inches away from. I don’t like snakes in my mind anyone normal doesn’t like them either!
Everyone had to carry snakebite kit with them. Inside along with a razor and a tourniquet was anti venom. If bitten you had to quickly suck the poison out and pour in the anti-venom. Anyone here ever been bitten by poisonous snake? The bite won’t kill you but poison will.
Here written just before the most famous verse in the world is a scripture about a snake. Jesus is trying to use metaphors (pictures) to help a religious leader understand his need to have a born again experience by the Spirit of God. He relates by telling him of the time Israel was living in the wilderness. Let me take you there as well.
Numbers 21:4-9. Here we begin to see the mysteries of the kingdom.
I. THE PEOPLE IN THE WILDERNESS ARE LIKE US.
These are people who have experienced some great miracles from God. They have had some awesome life experiences. Yet, here they are living in the wilderness.
A. The wilderness represents living life separated from God.
1. Dryness is in the wilderness of the desert. Spiritually too, they were very dry. Been a while since experienced closeness to God.
2. Discouragement happens a lot in the wilderness.
3. Discontent happens in the wilderness- griping over manna God had provided.
B. God sent serpents- not to hurt but to get them to move from where they were back to trusting in Him. God may have to hurt you in order to help you!
1. Surrounded by serpents- no escape. Ill. When you become parent do you remember the awesome feeling of how you must protect this precious child from all the dangers and wickedness in the world? You want to protect your child from the serpents, but you are surrounded!
2. Their bite was like fire in your blood – painful.
3. Once bitten you became thirsty – but nothing can quench the thirst. Isn’t that a picture of sin?
4. You start dying the moment you are bitten. You don’t know how long it will be, hours or years. But the serpent’s poison is in your veins.
C. Only two alternatives:
1. Either lie down and die like most – ignore the condition, don’t believe it will happen to you. This is the condition of the masses today. The serpent has bitten them!
2. Recognize the condition and reach for the cure. There is only one anti-venom.
II. THE ONLY REMEDY – ANTI-VENOM see Numbers 21:8-9
A. Look upon the serpent in faith and live.
On brass pole was “likeness” of a serpent. What was the original problem became the cure!
Romans 8:3 “…God sending His own Son in the LIKENESS of sinful flesh, …”
2 Cor. 5:21 “For He MADE Him to be sin for us…”
Phil. 2:7-8 Jesus was made into the “LIKENESS of men: and being found in the fashion of as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Gal. 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being MADE a curse for us…”
Many laughed when heard Moses say the cure was to look at this serpent on a pole! Ridiculous! “Why all the physicians with all their skills could not find a cure, what would a serpent on a pole do? Serpents are the problem, how can they be the cure?”
In the same way Man brought sin into the world through one man, Adam. So how can God us man to be the cure? Read Romans 5:18-19 Living Bible or CEV.
It seems foolish. “But the preaching of the cross is foolishness unto to them that perish, but unto us who are saved it is our life!”
We who are saved by trusting in Jesus death on the cross have tried the world’s physicians to try and cure the serpent’s poison. WE tried self help books, we tried making money, we tried sex, drugs, alcohol, we tried positive thinking, we tried counseling and shedding tears and NOTHING could take away the pain of the poison in our veins! The hymn writer tried it all too when he wrote;
Could my zeal no respite know
Could my tears forever flow?
All for sin could not atone
Thou must save and thou alone…
III. WHAT AM I TO DO WITH THE BRONZE SERPENT? Read John 3:14
My business is to lift Him up for you to see. Suppose Moses said, “People will not understand. I should explain it first before I lift it up. Or maybe the crowd will not appreciate this so I will dress it up some. Put some tapestry on it maybe some garland, more gold so it won’t look so plain.
So we ministers try to dress up the cross- the message so people will receive the cure. But we must remember it’s not in the delivery, it’s not in the messenger, it’s the plain simple message of the gospel. So simple anyone can receive the cure.
- Thief on cross just had to believe that Jesus was who He said He was. No 4 spiritual laws, EE, or Faith program. Don’t mistake for easy beleivism. Devils believe and tremble. Not just intellectual assent. It is a simple belief of trust. Forsaking All I Trust Him. He is the ONLY cure. John 14:6
Even Hindus will pray with you to receive Jesus. Because they believe in many gods, what’s one more just to be sure? But to be salvation you must understand you renounce all others, there is only one cure, one salvation.
IV. WHAT ARE PEOPLE TO DO?
First you must recognize the serpent has bitten you. His poison is running through your veins.
You can imagine Moses running through camp with bronze serpent on pole saying, “Look and live!” You would think all would look and live. Some stubbornly refused.
Some said, ‘It’s too late for me the venom has already taken affect.”
Some said, “It’s not that bad, I think I can take care of this later.”
Some said, “ I’ll wait and see how this affects others, then I’ll decide.”
Delays are deadly when you have the serpent’s venom in you. You just don’t know when your last breath will come.
Read John 3:15 “not perish”
Was it a one-time moment for them to be saved? Did they die quickly? Did some say no then change their minds and come back and get healed?
CONCL: You are already dying. You have been bitten. In your veins is the venom of the serpent.
You can sit back smug and say look of faith to Jesus won’t work, and you can die and end up in hell forever.
There are people sitting all around you who have been desperate enough to look and trust upon the Savior on the cross as their cure and now live .
Acts 4:12 “Neither is their salvation in any other name under heaven given among men where by we must be saved.”
If you could have just enough faith to pray the poor publicans prayer, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.”
I know how shyness works on you. I have felt it myself. During the invitation slip out your pew and come quietly down to this altar and slip your life into the hands of the Savior.
Today the door is open. He tells me to tell you to come in. He tells me to tell this congregation – compel them to come into God’s house so it may be full. There will people around you hearing the voice of Christ calling them but they are frozen in fear. You compel them to come with you to Jesus.
INVITATION: Jesus always brings us to a fork in the road. Today if you are uncomfortable during this invitation it may be that God has brought you to a fork in your road.
He expects you to make a decision. Take the next step.
The anointing of God is active in the air right now compelling you strongly to come. 30 more seconds left and this opportunity in the atmosphere of God’s anointing in your life will be over. 20-15- 10 seconds left for you to respond.
Only 2 destinies await us all: Either heaven or hell. It’s your time to move.
