I seriously doubt that there are too many people in our country who haven’t at one time or another seen one of the most famous tag lines in modern tourism marketing, “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas”. Believe me, I’m not sharing this tagline to promote Las Vegas or the “what happens in Las Vegas” mentality. I mention it only because, unbeknownst to many in the church, they have adopted this same mentality. To many, what happens in church stays in church. Consequently, the world isn’t being impacted by their lives.
Jesus was definitely not a “what happens in the synagogue stays in the synagogue” Savior. After being baptized in the Spirit (Luke 3:22; 4:1) and launching His ministry, Jesus spent most of His ministry outside the synagogue (church). In the Gospels, only three of Jesus’ 37 recorded miracles were performed in the synagogue. (Luke 4:33-36; Luke 6:6-8; Luke 13:10-13). And, consider this. We never read of Jesus seeing a need and telling the individual to meet Him in the synagogue on the next Sabbath. The Holy Spirit living inside Jesus was always ready, at any time and in any place, to meet any and every need.
As we move from the Gospels to the Book of Acts, we read that the Holy Spirit was sent to combat and destroy this mentality. We see that upon the Holy Spirit’s arrival in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit radically impacted the believers and then immediately launched them out into the mission field. The 120 believers left the upper room, taking what had happened in their service with them, and saw some 3,000 people come into the Kingdom
I’ve written about the 120 in the upper room and also Jesus’ ministry. Now, let me write directly about you. Ready? This may seem overly strong, but it is true. If you have the “what happens in church stays in church” mentality, I can guarantee that you have a frustrated Holy Spirit living inside you. When the last shout is done and the last amen said, the Holy Spirit is ready to walk out of the church with you to impact your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. (Acts 1:8) The liberated what-happens-in-church-stays-in-church believer will have Him on display at Walmart as they’re shopping and dodging falling prices, at Burger King as they’re standing in line waiting for their Whopper, at the post office as they’re learning a whole new meaning for the term “snail mail” as they wait and wait and wait in line inching towards the counter, at the … (are more examples needed?). The Holy Spirit living inside of you is always ready at any time and any place to meet any and every need.
Let’s give the “Alwayser” that opportunity this week!
