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Introduction:
Has anyone here ever been snake bit?
Back in 2018, Alyssa and I entered a mountain village with House of Samuel to hand out clothing and goods and preach the gospel.
As we entered the village, we looked over and saw a man with one normal leg and the other, around 4x bigger.
He’d been snake bit.
For the people in that village, snake bite is a common, often fatal part of daily life.
In today’s text, we see a poisonous snake bite and how it’s likely outcome of pain and death is overcome by the power of Jesus who brings grace and life.
Read Acts 28:1-10
Pray
The Snake
v.3
Bible: Snakes represent sin, deception and wickedness
Deceiver, Satan (Gen 3)
Tool of judgement (Num 21:6-9)
Wicked men
Sin’s is often like this snake lying hidden, out of view, leaving us unaware of how close to danger we really are.
Gen 4:7.
Hidden.
Ready to strike.
No doubt sin can be out in the open.
No doubt we have all pursued it openly.
But how often do we happen upon it unexpectedly only to be taken off guard by it’s violent attack?
Ex.
You do a good deed, then find yourself pridefully bragging to a friend.
You tell a story and change it from the truth, without even really thinking about it.
You get angry and lash out over the smallest thing, to the people you love the most.
You come to church, and find yourself pre-occupied with selfish things instead of giving yourself over to the worship of God.
Paul was just helping out, gathering wood and suddenly, before he knew it, there was a viper hanging from his hand.
We must learn to watch for sin and it’s attacks.
Those who are in environments where snakes live learn to be aware of the
conditions they are likely to be found.
What conditions and environments are sin’s poison often found in your life?
Idly browsing the web?
When you’re tired or you’ve had a bad day at work?
When you neglect the higher things of devotion to God in His Word and prayer?
Be aware of sins hiding places!
The snake showed itself quickly and viciously as it sank it’s fangs into Paul.
These natives could only assume the worst.
The Assumption
v.4
Take care in your judgement of others
People aren’t that simple (Not just ____).
Ex.
Paul :
Paul was guilty - a murderer.
But not just a murderer.
He was a prisoner, a Pharisee, a Christian, a Jew, a Roman citizen, a servant, a Missionary, Church planter, and Gospel Preacher.
In his mind, he was the greatest sinner and in reality - Paul was forgiven, saved and set free unto eternal life with God.
Stop assuming the one worst thing about people.
They aren’t just what you think, and their potential in the Lord is far greater than you can imagine.
I know they were just calling it like they saw it, but the Gospel creates opportunity and potentials far beyond out limited natural vision and assumptions.
Circumstances aren’t that simple
Bad things happen - Luke 13:1-5, what matters is what we learn for ourselves!
Isaiah 55:8-9 - God’s ways are nobler, higher, and we cannot know the reason for every circumstance.
Let’s not be like Job’s friends, quick to apply truth in all the wrong ways
Stop assuming you know what God is doing.
Instead, watch and learn!
Stop assuming we know motives and reasons (God and others’).
Instead, evaluate and improve your own!
We of all people should not be writing people off without humility or compassion.
(I know we get hurt, weary and embittered.
But we know mercy, grace!).
We offer to others what they don’t deserve, because that’s what God did for us.
That’s what Christ’s warning to “Judge not” was about (Matt 7:1).
See also Romans 14:10-13
These natives assumed they knew what would happen and why.
They were wrong.
The Truth
v.6
Paul was a murderer, deserving death
He had been a ruiner of lives, taking part in the killing and imprisonment of as many Christians as he possibly could before he met Jesus.
Sin had left it’s mark on Paul He’d been bitten.
We all have!
All sinners - Romans 3:9,19, 23
The danger is not so much to assume the sinfulness of men, but to underestimate our own fallenness.
Beware the Krait!
(Silently sneaks in and bites when sleeping.
Small fangs leave little to no trace and often no pain whatsoever.
Within hours, paralysis and death)
So many are lying asleep in their own self-righteousness, not realizing they’ve already been bitten and are in desperate need of help!
Wake up! Get help - before it is too late!
These bites do maim and kill
They knew this snake.
They knew it’s affects.
Like those in India, they lived with the consequences of it’s presence and venomous bites.
It may not be immediately fatal, but each drop of sin’s poison will lead to physical death and spiritual hell.
Let us not forget the devastation and destructive power of sin (any disobedience to God).
They were right to assume death, but were unaware of the True God of Justice.
There is one God of Justice, who is also the God of Mercy, Love and Grace.
In the US, there is an estimated 7-8000 venomous snake bites per year, around 5% which die.
That’s an estimated 300-400 deaths a year by venomous snakes.
Compare that to the reality in India, where an estimated 58,000 people die from venomous snake bites every year.
What’s the difference?
Three things: population, amount of poisonous snakes, and most importantly, access to antivenom.
These natives thought the Greek goddess (Dike) of Justice had balanced the scales.
They didn’t know that Jesus Himself was the balance.
The serpent’s poison does not have to kill us.
There is an antivenom - Jesus.
Numbers 21:8-9, John 3:14-16
Jesus took our poison.
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