Power Of Unpredictability

Key Scripture:  “These are some of the signs that will accompany believers.  They will throw out demons in my name, they will speak with new tongues, they will take snakes in their hands, they will drink poison and not be hurt, they will lay hands on the sick and make them well.  …And the disciples went everywhere preaching, the Master working right with them, validating the Message with indisputable evidence.”  Mark 16:17-20, The Message

Power Point:

     The thing about God is that He is predictably unpredictable. We keep trying to fit Him into this nice little box of “predictable behavior” and we only expect what we know. The Truth is that there are a lot of things about God that are predictable with great certainty; His faithfulness to you, His great love for you, His abandoned grace, and His steady mercy. He is totally unpredictable in how He chooses to demonstrate it.

     The church, as we know it, has been determined to make God behave in a modest, quiet, and gentle way. Have you ever thought what it must have been like in the Upper Room when a mighty, rushing wind invaded that space? What was it like on when flames of fire appeared on the heads of those inside? I don’t think there was one quiet thing about it. It certainly wasn’t predictable, at least then. From that moment on, the disciples fell so in love with God and learned that “God” as they knew Him was a thing of the past.  They began to expect Him to go ‘outside the box” of the Pharisees’ teaching. When the ruling authority told them to shut up, they kept talking.  When people were sick, they stretched out their hands to heal them. When Paul was beaten or stoned within an inch of his life, he marched right back into the fray.

Quiet is not God’s M.O.  (Although, of course, it can be, if He so chooses.) And frankly, I don’t want a quiet, predictable God. Do you?

     So where are the outrageous miracles? Where are the outrageous disciples who will say or do anything because they know God will show up?

I’m reading a book called, “Dangerous Wonder” by Michael Yaconelli.

This thought struck me, hard. 

The critical issue today (facing Christians), is dullness.  We have lost our astonishment. The Good News is no longer good news, it is okay news.  Christianity is no longer life changing, it is life enhancing. Jesus doesn’t change people into wild-eyed radicals anymore, He changes them into nice people.”

     Beloved, have we bought into the lie that He is not an outrageous God who continually loves to challenge the status quo. If we have than we have bought into the lie that God will never do anything beyond the realm of our imagination. If you look back at the Upper Room, it was life- changing. It was astonishing! Those men and women were never the same again. We shouldn’t be either should we?

So what’s your excuse for not living an outrageous life for Jesus?

Too old? Talk to Moses. He was 80 when he began his grand adventure?

Too poor? Lucky you. It’s those who have the most need who see the most miracles.

Too sick? Jesus heals.

Too shy? Get over it.

Too scared? Build up your faith.

Too busy?  Why?

A new year, a new adventure into the realm of impossible possibilities; a new mindset for the outrageousness of God in your life. Are you ready?

Of course you are. Let’s go!

Power Thought:

Are you willing to begin an adventure into letting the God that you know become a thing of the past and begin charging forward into a glorious adventure into the person that He really is and that He really wants to be for you?

Begin, Beloved.