Shake It Off

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.