I hope that the title grabbed your attention and stirred your curiosity.

What do I mean by Mall Cop Jesus?

When I was young, I used to join some friends out west in our town at a popular arcade. There were electronic games and pool tables, and we would go there to hang out and enjoy ourselves.

Because of how many young people would show up, they hired a security guy in uniform.  I was a rebel at that time and full of myself.  I remember one evening driving into the parking lot and making my usual round in front of the place when the security cop stopped me.  He put his head inside the window of my car to tell me to stop showing out by dropping my clutch and squealing my tires.  I looked at him in my rebellious attitude and said something I really shouldn’t have. I dropped my clutch with his head still inside my window, knocking off his hat, and it dropped into my lap.  I then took his hat, threw it out of my window, and screamed you don’t have any authority over me, you pretend cop.

I am not proud of that moment from my former days before Jesus.  I simply use this story to make a point.

Many quote what Jesus said, but they act more like Jesus is a Mall Cop than who He truly is.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Luke 10:18   And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

It’s one thing to talk about having authority in His name, and it is yet another to actually exercise that authority by faith in who He is and the authority that is His and is now given to the church on this earth.

Mark 16:5 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

These statements were not just good ideas and platitudes of speech to merely excite our emotions.  They are real and alive words of authority given to the church.  Jesus was not a Mall Cop, and neither was nor is His church!  The authority He has given to us, His church, is real authority even greater than any authority on this earth.  However, this authority is only reflected through those who truly believe it has been given to them and who have received it by faith in Jesus.  It involves the power and agency of the Holy Spirit working through the believer.  The world needs to see the church exercising this authority on this earth.  This authority accompanies the right gospel when it is preached, and it manifests the reality of Jesus to as many as would receive it.  Mall Cop Jesus?  I think not!