05-15-2022 - Shake It Off Into the Fire

OPENING

Remember I told you a couple weeks ago, that spiritual warfare is not a one time event. It is a daily battle. We evicted some demons and told some devils to get out of town. But, as we said, they are eventually going to try to come back. So we’ve got to be prepared for their attacks and ready to know how to respond when they do. Today, we’re going to learn how to “Shake If Off Into the Fire.”

SCRIPTURE

Acts 28:1–9 NKJV

1 Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. 2 And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. 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. 4 So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” 5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. 7 In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. 8 And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9 So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed.

BACKGROUND

Paul Faced Persecution

To understand how Paul got to where he was in our Scripture reading today, we’ve got to look back at his ministry.

Paul (Saul) was a Pharisee and a persecutor of Christians.

Paul encountered Jesus on the Road to Damascus in Acts 9 and was converted.

It would be nearly 14 years before Paul would begin his three missionary journeys.

During this time Paul received the revelation of Christ and the Cross and God ignited an evangelistic fire in Paul to preach the Gospel.

Throughout Paul’s ministry he faced almost constant persecution.

God told Ananias, who prayed for Paul to recieved his sight after his Damascus Road conversion, that Paul would “suffer many things for My sake.”

Paul would go on to suffer tremendous persecution for the sake of the Gospel.

5 times Paul recieved 39 stripes.

3 times Paul was beaten with rods.

Paul was stoned.

Paul was shipwrecked 3 times.

Paul was thrown into prison.

Paul was in constant peril and on several occasions had to escape from people who were trying to kill him.

All this caused Paul to write these words:

2 Corinthians 4:8–12 NKJV

8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.

Paul Suffered as a Good Solider of Jesus Christ

Paul preached the Gospel all over the known world.

But the one place Paul had not preached, and the one place he longed to go, was Rome.

Rome was, of course, the capital of the Roman Empire, and the hub of Roman culture and religion.

And Paul desired to spread the Gospel there.

So when he found himself under arrest in the house of the Roman governor Felix, and then later Festus, he appealed for his trial to be presented before Caesar, since Paul was a Roman citizen.

This led to Paul being transported as a prisoner to Rome.

So Paul was put on a ship and they set sail for Italy.

But there was trouble almost as soon as they set sail.

They were trying to sail during the winter season, which was a time when dangerous storms could come up out of nowhere.

Paul tried to warn the captain, but he didn’t listen to Paul and kept sailing anyway.

And it turned out just like you think it would.

They faced a Powerful Storm

There as a powerful headwind called an Euroclydon that put the ship in peril.

They fought the storm for almost two weeks and tried everything to save the ship, but all efforts failed.

But Paul told them that God had sent an angel to encourage him that God had a plan for Paul’s life in Rome, so he was not going to die in this storm.

And God told Paul also that no one else on the ship would die either; all 276 people on board would survive.

God also spared Paul’s life from the soldiers who wanted to kill all the prisoners after the ship ran aground.

But the centurion ordered that none of the prisoners be killed.

So they all jumped overboard and swam to land.

This is where our Scripture passage picks up.

Paul and his traveling companions find themselves shipwrecked on the Island of Malta (or Melita in some versions).

Interestingly, Malta or Melita, means sweet like honey.

God shipwrecked Paul in a sweet place.

But Paul was attacked by a venomous viper in the middle of what should have been a sweet place.

MESSAGE

There are all types of vipers.

Vipers of Painful Attacks

Paul faced attack after attack.

The persecutions didn’t discourage him.

The beatings and the stonings didn’t stop him.

The shipwrecks didn’t dissuade him.

But now, even after all that, when it seems like he’s in a safe place, and a sweet place, he has to face another painful attack.

Vipers like to inflict painful attacks.

You might as well get ready, because if you are doing something good and you are on the right track, vipers are going to attack you.

Vipers can’t stand someone else’s success.

And their attacks are intended to cause you pain.

Vipers of Judgmental Criticism

As soon as Paul was attacked, the natives started criticizing him.

“He’s under attack so he must be guilty or he must be doing something wrong.”

“He survived the shipwreck, but he’s obviously guilty because now he’s been bitten by a deadly viper.”

Vipers like to attack with judgmental criticism.

If you are serving God with all your heart, understand you have a target on you.

The venom of criticism is coming your way.

Criticism can be constructive, but it is too often destructive.

Destructive criticism most often comes when we are trying our best and we are still falsely accused, misunderstood, or misrepresented.

A man once said to John Wesley (the father of the Methodist movement), “Mr. Wesley, I pride myself in speaking my mind; that is my talent.” “Well,” said John Wesley, “the Lord wouldn’t mind if you buried that!” (You should weigh your words carefully before you place the burden of them on others!)

Vipers of Negative Attitudes

After Paul shook the viper off into the fire, everyone expected Paul to die.

The natives knew that the viper that bit Paul was deadly.

The Bible says they sat for a long time waiting for him to swell up and die.

Do you find it troubling that apparently no one offered to help him?

Vipers like to attack with Negative Attitudes.

Have you ever been the victim of negative attitudes? (give examples)

Vipers will use their negative attitudes to spread a bunch of lies and garbage against God’s people.

Negative attitudes are contagious and will multiply quickly.

You need to know something about vipers.

Vipers don‘t like the fire.

Notice that the viper didn’t come out until it felt the heat.

The viper was in the bundle of sticks.

It was cold and raining so the viper was slow and lethargic.

But as soon as it touched the fire and felt the heat, it started moving and launched an attack.

When we turn up the heat of the Holy Ghost in our lives, it is going to invite all kinds of creatures.

Where there is a true move of the Holy Ghost taking place, vipers are going to come out of the woodwork.

Somebody might say, “I don’t know what you’re talking about because I haven’t seen any vipers like you’re talking about.”

Well, that might be because you don’t have any fire.

Get a white hot blazing fire of the Holy Ghost in your life or in your ministry and it is going to stir up some vipers.

Vipers are going to come at you when you’re trying to do something good.

Paul was attacked when he was trying to do something good.

Paul was gathering sticks to help keep the fire going.

He appreciated those who created the fire, but he was doing something good by helping to tend the fire.

Paul was about ministering to others, not about having others minister to him.

Vipers will attack when you are doing something for the Lord.

Go ahead and try to advance the Kingdom of God.

Go ahead and try to lay down some habits.

Go ahead and start seeking for a move of God in your life.

Vipers of jealousy will come after you with venomous hatred.

Vipers attack what God is getting ready to use.

Notice that the viper attacked Paul where God was about to use him.

The viper didn’t bite Paul on his foot, his ankle, or his arm.

The viper bit Paul on the hand.

God was about to use Paul’s hand.

Publius’ dad was deathly sick.

And Paul was about to lay his hand on Publius’ dad and pray for him and God was about to manifest the spiritual gift of healing through the laying on of Paul’s hand.

Vipers are going to attack what God is getting ready to use.

If you want to know where God is about to bless you, increase you, and expand your territory, look at where the vipers are attacking you right now.

Vipers like to attack the place of increase and blessing because they are trying to discourage you from pursuing God’s plan for your life.

You might need to take spiritual authority over some vipers in your life.

Shake it off into the fire.

Paul shook the viper off into the fire.

The fire that caused the viper to attack, was the same fire Paul used to destroy it.

And the Bible says, that Paul suffered no harm.

God confirmed the promise of Mark 16:18 in Paul’s life.

Mark 16:18 (NKJV)

18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

God confirmed all three of these in Paul’s life on the Island of Malta.

You can shake it off into the fire today.

You might have taken authority over some demons two weeks ago and served it a spiritual eviction notice.

But just like I warned you, it will try to slither its way back into your life.

When it comes back to attack, you can do what Paul did, and shake it off into the fire.

And the Bible says it cannot harm you.

But you’ve got to have a fire to shake it into.

That’s why you need the fire of the Holy Ghost in your life.

I don’t understand why people get nervous when you start talking about the Holy Ghost.

We need the fire of Pentecost in our lives.

I don’t know how some people make it without the constant burning of the Holy Ghost and fire.

If you don’t have it this morning you need to ignite a fire down in your soul.

You can shake the viper off on the ground and it will slither away and come back later.

Temporary solutions are just that…temporary.

You can try to shew the viper away, but he’s coming back.

But if you will just go ahead and shake it off into the fire.

Vipers are attracted to the heat, but they can’t stand being in the fire.

I know this is going to make some people real nervous in here, but I say, “God, crank up the thermostat on the fire of the Holy Ghost in this place.”

We’re done with cold, dead church.

We’re done with lukewarm, lethargic church.

The vipers are too comfortable in that kind of church.

Fire of God, ignite a fire in this place that will chase every viper out of hiding.

And God when it gets mad and attacks, help us to shake it off into the fire.

You don’t create the fire, but you must tend the fire.

Paul didn’t make the fire, he tended the fire.

The natives made the fire.

But Paul gathered wood to keep the fire burning.

God is the source of this fire we’re talking about this morning.

You can’t create this fire and you can’t fake this fire.

God sent the fire from Heaven and ignited the first burnt offering on the altar in the Tabernacle.

And God commanded the Israelites:

Leviticus 6:13 (NKJV)

13 A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.

That’s because God was the source of the fire and you and I can’t reproduce that kind of fire in our flesh.

So You can’t let the fire go out in your life.

You didn’t create the find, but you’ve got to tend the fire.

Don’t let the venomous attacks from the enemy distract you from tending the fire.

When the viper attacks, if you don’t have a fire to shake it off into, you might be in trouble.

That venom may inject itself into your soul and poison your spiritual life.

But if you will tend the fire, and keep the fire burning, you’ll have somewhere to shake that viper into when he tries to attack.

Tend the fire in your life.

Every time you read your Bible, you’re throwing wood on the fire.

Every time you study the Word of God, you’re throwing wood on the fire.

Every time you sing a song of praise unto the Lord, you’re throwing wood on the fire.

Every time you get in your prayer closet and call out to God, you’re throwing wood on the fire.

Every time you come to church and let the presence of God invade your life, you’re throwing wood on the fire.

You may not like me for this one, but every time you put your tithes and offerings in the collection plate, you’re throwing wood on the fire.

Every time you share your testimony with someone who is lost, you’re throwing wood on the fire.

Every time you get in the altar and seek the power of God, you’re throwing wood on the fire.

Keep the fire burning.

If you’ve got the fire this morning, whatever you do, don’t let the fire go out.

CLOSING

There are some of you here today who already have the fire burning.

And the vipers of the enemy have been coming out of the woodwork and attacking you from every angle.

Remember, the viper attacks the areas of your life that God is getting ready bless.

So go ahead and shake it off into the fire.

Their venom cannot harm you.

So just shake it off.

And keep throwing wood on the fire and keep it burning.

There are some of you here today and you don’t have any fire.

This isn’t kindergarten church today; this is grown-up church.

I’m not here to tickle your ears or your fancy.

Some of you here today need to know that you are missing out on one of the greatest spiritual blessings in your life.

The power of Pentecost is not a poltergeist to be petrified of; its the Holy Ghost and He is our Comforter.

You need to seek for the fire of God in your life.

It is the fire of the anointing that will break the yoke of sin.

Are you still struggling with addictions and sins in your life?

Let me ask you a question, is there a fire burning in your soul?

Have you been baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire?

If not, you need to seek God for the fire of Pentecost in your life.

ALTAR CALL