Elvis Has Left The Building

The phrase, “Elvis has left the building” was two fold in nature.

One reason was for his safety. If you are old enough to remember how popular Elvis was, then you will recall the fans (girls and women) swooning at his concerts. Then you saw the film footage about how he was guarded and could barely make it to the “limo” with all his clothes on.

I think the second reason was that those “loving fans” would want him to continue to sing and perform all night. He would do “curtain call” after “curtain call”, after “curtain call”. So the promoters had to come up with something that would let those loving fans know it was time to go home.

I guess, that’s what it’s like to be a star, everyone wanting a piece of you. There is no time for you. You can’t go out into the public without being mobbed. You can’t have a peaceful dinner with friends without being mauled by someone or several someone’s, wanting your autograph. You can never be yourself; you always have to be that person everyone expects you to be. I see actors, male and female, in movies and think they are “that type of person”. Then I see them being interviewed by a reporter or a talk show host and they come across as a jerk. In many ways, I think it would be a sad life, and that is why so many stars become addicts. That is not where I’m going with this writing.

If you have received other writings from me, you know I am going somewhere with this… don’t you? Should I drag out the suspense longer or get right to my point?

OK… OK… I’ll get to my point….

Do we hold up our Pastors and our worship leaders to the realms of “Rock Stars”? Do we continue to applaud for “one more song”? Do we put our pastors on a pedestal as someone above the norm? I know they should the men of integrity and intelligence, but I mean in a rock star fashion? I think not. Do we clamor for one more point in his sermon? Do we applaud him at the end of his message? Or are we giving thanks for a message delivered by God Himself?


Now, to the point of all points for this writing.

An analogy: Elvis has left the building.
The Holy Spirit has left the building.

The question has been asked for decades, If the Holy Spirit were to leave your gathering, would you know it?

Just because we feel good after being together for a couple of hours, how is that different from going to a basketball or football game and yelling and screaming for three or four hours?

How do you know you have met with God? Do you tell yourself, “I can’t wait to get back next week to feel good again”? Do you have to come back to get another “high”, just to make it through the next week? Does feeling good mean the Holy Spirit was there?

Have you ever asked a person why they attend a certain church? Have you ever asked a person who goes to church, what the Pastor is teaching? Have you ever asked a person what type of music they have? Can “said” person tell you more about the music than the Pastor’s sermon?

How would you measure that person’s ability to sense the Holy Spirit in themselves or the local church?

The Holy Spirit is a co-equal part of the Trinity. We hear sermons on the Father in many forms and fashions. We are always being directed to Jesus via the Sermon on the Mount, or at Christmas or Easter, but what about the Holy Spirit? Has He left the building? Has He left your building, your body, your life?

In John chapters 16 and 17, Jesus tells us that He is going to send us a Comforter, One just like Him. He will lead us into truth, righteousness and judgment to come. How’s your relationship with the Holy spirit?

Grace and Peace to you in the power of the Holy Spirit,
Ron