When God Gets Loose

WHEN GOD GETS LOOSE

Acts 2:14-39

• When we lived in Biloxi, we got a dog & our daughter named her "Dutchess." I’m not so sure whether “Dutchess” was the dog’s name or position!! For me, dogs belong outside, but not Dutchess. When we lived on Lakeview circle, she lived in the small "Washing room." When we moved to a house with a fence, she lived in the house. Dogs really don’t like to be kept in a pen. When she was let out, she would run like crazy.

• All animals are like this until they get ‘broke.’ They run, jump, and enjoy their freedom.

• Not long ago, I was thinking about this & wondered, “If we treat God like we treat our pet.” Do we try to keep Him from getting loose? Because if He gets loose, He may get out of control, He may have a mind of His own, & He may do things that have never been done before. In other words, if God gets loose, He may actually takes over.

• I have actually been in services where I’ve heard people & preachers say, "We saw what God can do last night." Really? Seriously? Do we think that we have ever seen in one service “ALL” that God can do? When I consider parting the water, bringing water from the rock, calming the storm, and walking on the water – to say nothing of raising the dead – I would say not. But wouldn’t you love for God to fall right now & show us EXACTLY what He can do? Why? Because wonderful things happen when God gets loose.

Let me suggest 4 OR 5 to know when God shows up, begins working, and gets loose.

1. EVERYONE KNOWS SOMETHING UNUSUAL IS HAPPENING - Rarely is a movement of God manifested. Rather that is a sound and sense that God is doing something.

• I think of the parting of Red Sea. Most people envision this as Moses throwing up his rod & like ‘magic’, the dry path through the water appeared, but the Bible says, “The wind Blew all night.” Living on the coast, we know about wind. You can tell something is happening when you hear the wind.

• I think about the story of Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones found in chapter 37. The words says, “The hand of the Lord was upon me and brought me out in the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.” The passage goes on to say these were not JUST bones, they were DRY BONES. (I wonder how many Baptist pastors feel like Ezekiel. Pastor, can these bones live? O Lord, Only YOU know. – that is spiritual talk for “I have no idea.”) As Ezekiel was obedient in preaching God’s truth, there was a sound, which developed into a rattle, followed by a shaking, and then the miraculous happened as the bones became an ARMY! What a vision!!

• Here in Acts 2:2, we read there was a ‘mighty rushing’ which means “violent Wind” & it filled the place. When God arrives, people know it! And it’s not just the believers. In fact, it was this sound that attracted the attention of the other people

• In Acts 4:31 they prayed for the Lord give them courage to continue to proclaim Jesus in the face of governmental persecution and the Lord came & shook the place. Can you imagine the noise of the house shaking? People KNOW when the Lord is present!!

• Have you ever wondered why God shook the building? One time I saw a teacher take my sister & just shake her while saying, "I want to shake some sense into you." Could that be it?

• If God would shake this place, would it make a difference in us? Would He then have our undivided attention? You see, God expects us to be the "display" of His plan, to demonstrate His love, His light, and His life to this world. So that the world will know & see Him working.

• One Sunday on their way home from church, a little girl said to her mother, “Mommy, the preacher's sermon this morning confused me." The mother said, "Oh? Why is that?" The little girl replied, "Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?" The mother replied, "Yes, that's true, honey." And he also said that God lives in us? Is that true, mommy?" Again the mother replied, "Yes." "Well," said the little girl, "If it’s true that God is bigger than us & that he lives in us, wouldn't He show through?" OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES.

• When God gets loose, people know it because something usual happens?