If You Can Shake It, You Can Make It
Acts 28:1-5
Joe D Gibbs, Sr.
New Golden Heights Church of Christ
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Dr. W. F. Washington
January 18, 2004
Introduction:
Through there are 120 words in this text, I would like for you to underline 18 of these words. For they serve as the contextual skeleton on which the sinews of homiletical tissues will be developed.
The first word I encourage you to underline the word 'island", "escaped", "barbarous", "Kindness", "Fire", "rain", "cold", "sticks", "heat", "viper", "fastened", "Hand", and even though it is in italic, underline the word "venomous". Then highlight the word 'beast", "shook off", and "no harm".
The word "escaped" in the text has reference to an unforgettable, terrifying, faith testing experience Paul and 275 others had with the stormy sea, having made it to this island. In this life we all have to endure and escape our stormy sea experiences... when the winds rage, when the lightening cuts it's zigzag paths across our skies; when our ships are broken apart; when the stars are zipped up in atmospheric darkness, and we have to make it to shore on broken pieces. It is during times like these that, even though we haven't made it to our Rome, Our final destination, we just ask the lord for an island. it doesn't have to be the grandest island. It doesn't have to be the most prestigious island. All it has to be is just an island!
The word, "barbarous" does not mean that the inhabitants of this island were uncivilized. One of the reasons I know this is because when Paul and the others reached the shore, these so called barbarians did not resort to cannibalism, but rather, because of the rain and the cold, and their being soaking wet..., gathered sticks and made a fire. And I've found that it's a blessing when you don't have to start your own fire all the time! Sometimes Sunday School is dead; the opening prayer is dead; The song leading is dead; The scripture reading is dead; The communion is dead; The collection is dead and when you get up to preach, everybody expects fire from the pulpit, but it's tough when you have to build your own fire. On the other hand, when people pray like they mean it; when people read the scripture like they believe it; when people commune in thankful remembrance, and joyful anticipation of the Lord's return, and when the song leader sings like he really believes that "Jesus is Coming Soon" and that "God is real", then ........the preacher can get up and, as Paul, just put some sticks on the fire! And every member that comes through the doors of The House of God ought to bring some sticks..to put on the fire! The other reason I'm convinced that the word "barbarous" in this text does not mean that the inhabitants were uncivilized is because in the ancient world, all who did not follow Green customs and speak Greek language were thusly identified. All non-Greeks and all non-Romans were foreigners, referred to as "Barbarians". And at this juncture, with my eyes of homiletical imagination, I can see "amen" and "hallelujah" coming down the main street of this text with the intent to tap us on the shoulder and remind us that we, too, at one time were foreigners, but as a result of the blood of Jesus that was shed on Calvary's cross, Paul says, 'Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints, and of the household of God...", Eph. 2:19!
The word "kindness" in the text should serve as a friendly reminder to many who frequent the pews of the church. Some come to church Sunday after Sunday and leave just as mean as they were when we came in. In Paul's letter to the Church at Corinth, he says, "Love is kind", I Cor.13:4. These so-called Barbarians showed Paul and the others "kindness". And bear in mind the fact that these were individuals who never heard Paul say, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God..bowels of mercies, kindness..." They had never heard of the so-called Seven Christian Graces where Paul say, 'add to your faith virtue, knowledge, Temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness..."! II Pet.1:5-7, Yet, when they the Melitan (Meletan) residents watched as Paul and the others merged and staggered from the rolling waters...unclutching their grace produced life rafts,they showed them kindness! And as I look at the church and the world, they, both, could take a lesson from the inhabitants of Melita. Some members of the church will walk by you and not say a mumbling word...When I'm on A.O.L., my computer is more hospitable than some members of the church. Every time I log onto the internet, I always get a "hello", and every time I log off, I get a "goodbye"... It's a crying shame that a computer and a group of ungospeled barbarians can beat us being kind! Christians should be the kindest people in the world! Now, I know from personal experience that Christians have their days just like others, but any time...
The remaining words that we highlighted become textually significant as we visualize Two Hundred and Seventy Six wet, cold, tired, shivering men, through the fuzziness of the rain drops..., see these island natives laboring to build a fire for people they did not know. And as Paul humbly brought the sticks he had gathered to keep the fire burning, a "venomous" "viper", "beast" if you will slithered out of the "heat" and sank his fangs into the hand of Paul. This shows us that when Paul went up into the wooded area to gather his offering for the fire, when he came down, he had more than an armful of "furzeroots". Evidently, he or someone else, along with the sticks, had picked up this hibernated beast and as the heat warmed his venomous body, he was awakened and "fastened" himself to the hand of the great apostle. I suggest to you this occasion< that as you gather your sticks in life and ministry, do so carefully, because it is a distinct possibility that you may pick up a viper in your gathering. Even in your attempt to do good,you have to keep a close eye on your sticks, there might be a viper in the bundle.
Now, as this venomous viper hanged from Paul's hand, he could have said, "Have I not been through enough"? I just survived a ferocious storm for fourteen days, And now I have this snake hanging from my hand! If that had been Paul's thinking, all he had to do was remember that while he was on that stormy sea, the angel of God told him, "fear not, Paul.. You must be brought before Caesar...", Acts 27:23. And just as Paul, even though we have our Euroclydonic and snakebite experiences, God has promised, 'I'll never leave you, nor forsake you"
As Paul stands in the midst of the island natives and his fellow survivors, the fire had become secondary, and the storm had become old news. And Paul, in the midst of Heathenism and superstition, shook the venomous beast from his hand into the fire and felt no harm!
I stepped behind the mic to you:
If You Can Shake It, You can Make It
But venomous viper in our text only serves as a representation of the things that threaten our lives and endanger our souls. Our world, indeed, has been bitten by various vipers. Some have been bitten by the viper of jealously, wrath, strife, gossip, indolence, drug abuse, alcoholism, greed, materialsm, worldliness, inordinate affection, misplace affection, selfishness, hate, self pity, depression, pride, arrogance.
When we consider the danger of these venomous vipers, we find that:
Jealousy landed Joseph into a pit and David, a cave. Jealousy is a venomous beast. it will make people hate you, criticize you despise you, and pray against you! Like we do with a football team we don't like. We pull against them; Hope they lose: Glad when they fumble; glad when they throw an interception; glad when you get hurt; Glad when they throw an incomplete pass! That's the way people act when they're jealous of you. They'll pull against you... just because you have something they don't want you to have! I remember standing in a donut shop one morning. And as I was placing my order for a glazed donut, a thought came to me. And the thought was that every donut is not glazed. Some are plain, but others have been glazed. And some will become jealous of you because God has glazed your donut. A donut doesn't glaze itself, The Baker glazes it. So, don't become angry with me because my donut has been glazed. God glazed my donut! A new house-glaze! A big church-glaze! A new car-glaze! A net suit-glaze! A nice physique-glaze! Good health-glaze! But some hang their fangs into you when God glazes you.
Jealousy landed Joseph into a pit and David, a cave. We find that:
Wrath - ushered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the Fiery Furnace!
Strife - caused division in the church at Corinth, broke the bond between Abram and Lot, and suspended the ministerial cooperation between Barnabas and Paul!
Materialism - Caused The Rich young Ruler To turn from Jesus!
Worldiness - Led The Prodigal Son To hog pin!
Pride - Caused Herod to be eatenof worms
Depression - Caused Elijah to loose interest in living, but I think I owe it to you to remind you that we all have a viper hanging from our hand, and it's no need in walking around like you are viper proof. Paus said, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God", Rom.3:23. John said, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, I John 1:8.
But I've got good news!
If You Can Shake It, You Can Make It
This Inspiring hypothesis is built upon three homiletical pillars.
I. Serious Consideration of The Consequences of Not Making it
II. You Have To Want To Shake It
III. God Has To Help You Shake It
I. Serious Consideration of The Consequences of Not Making It. If Paul had not made it, he would have died, the results of Paul's autopsy would have been left in the hands of the whisperers. For the text teaches that when the viper fastened itself to the hand of Paul the Melitans said (4), "They said among themselves, no doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live." You will always have the shisperers! Whispering this and whispering that, but the way I see it..., if you have to whisper it a sign that you respect me enough to not say to my face. But if Paul had notmade it (survived this snake bite), human wiscom, superstition and heathenism, theoretically and historically, would have stood toe to toe with Divine power, and a great apostle's rehabilitated reputation would have been tarnished. But none of this was to be so because Paul was able to shake it! The bible says that he "shook off the beast into the fire"!
If You Can Shake It, You Can Make It!
But the lesson for us is... if we don't make it, theunfortunate suggestion would be that we tried but failed, or didn't try at all! We fought the fight but we lost, or didn't fight, at all! You started up the mountain but didn't reach the top, or you didn't climb at all! This is the consequence of not making it. The witness of history would have to take the stand and say you couldn't make it, because you couldn't shake it! But I challenge you toshake like a reed in the wind! Shake like leaf on a tree! Shake like rotten old bridge! Shake like a city under eqrthquake! Shake, and shake, and shake, and shake...until you shake your viper loose, because the consequences being unable to shake loose your viper could have damnable consequences!
If You Can Shake It, You Can Make It
II. You have to be awesomely grand if everybody had thedesire to shake loose the venomous beast that hangs from our hand but, unfortunately, there are those who need to shake it but they don't want to shake it. If you have been bitten by the viper of sickness and you don't want to go to the doctor, you don't want to shake it! If you've been bitten by the viper of ignorance and you don't go to school, you don't want to shake it. If you've been bitten by the viper of drug abuse, and you don't want to go to rehab, you don't want to shake it! You have to want to shake it! And if a person has been bitten by the viper of liberalism and you won't accept the truth, you don't want to shake it!
Paul gives us an example of this in the text. For we don't see him allowing the viper to stay on his hand as long as the viper want to, but, rather, Paul shook him off! You have tow ant to shake it! If Paul had not wanted him loose, he would not have shaken him loose!
But allow me, if you will, to make a point about Liberalism. Liberalish is a relative term. What's liberal to one, might not be liberal to another! I understand that, but when preachers (So called Gospel preachers) start overlooking and misinterpreting "and" in Mark 16:16, where Jesus said, "he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved", someboy has been bitten, and needs to shake it loose! Some go to some of these Theological Seminaries (cemeteries) and when they graduate, they "and" in this passage any more, but they understand 'and" everywhere else!
TV Watchers understand:
Sanford and Son
Batman and Robin
Tom and Jerry
Music lovers understand:
Gladys Knight and the Pips
Diana Ross and the Supremes
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Story Lovers understand:
Goldielocks and the Three Bears
Food Lovers understand:
Ham and Eggs
Marcaroni and cheese
Peanut Butter and Jelly
But when it comes to 'He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved", they act like they can't understand that! And I submit to you on this occasion that anybody who really loves and respects the word of God can shake the viper of liberalism from off his hand!
If You Can Shake It, You Can Make It!
III. God has to Help You Make it
In conclusion, Paul was able to shake it, but only by the help of the God of the God of Heaven! Without God Paul would have swollen up and died. His body would have been encased within the confines of a post martum knapsack and sent home, but because God helped him he was able to shake it!And from the Island of Melita rings the question...How did God help him? He helped him by enrolling him in the Divine Apostolic Benefit Plan outlined in Mark 16:15-18, where Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature...And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; (18), They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover"! That's the reason Paul was able to shake it. As a member of that exclusive Apostolic fellowship, he was aided by verom benefit provision..... Shook off the viper and went about his way!
And I say to those of you who yet have a viper hanging from your hand...God will help you shake it! He helped Paul, and he'll help you!
I know he will...He helped Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Jonah, Jeremiah, Shad, Mesh, and Abed! He helped Daniel in the Lion's Den. As the witnesses continue to take the stand, You need to know that God will help you!
Psalms 40:1-3 I waited Patiently on the Lord"
Psalms 121: 1-2
Psalms 23
Isa. 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord"
