Did God Work At Cheers?

Is it possible that God worked at the place where everybody knows your name? People used to think of church as that place everybody knew your name, they had your back in time of need, they corrected you gently when you were wrong, they celebrated your successes. Now the church seems to be that place people know all your business and have no problem telling you all the things you are doing that are wrong, you are told to go fend for yourself. If you are successful they are watching for you to fail, they are looking for that thing you do wrong to say well he is not successful in his Christian walk he is too worldly. I feel many Christians should go back and watch cheers and listen to the lyrics of the them

Sometimes you wanna go

Where everybody knows your name

And they're always glad you came

You wanna be where you can see (ah-ah)

Our troubles are all the same (ah-ah)

You wanna be where everybody knows your name

If church were more like that we would have a stronger community of Christians ready to let their light shine to others. More people would know the gospel. So as you head to church Sunday morning ponder is are you being built up more at your church or would you be better built up at Cheers. If the answer is Cheers then "Houston, we have a problem".

I remembered back to the time Norm became a Christian finding that bible in the hotel nightstand but as I was feeling restless in my spirit I saw Cheers sitting there on Paramount+ and thought about how fun it was to watch, how it always cheered me up. I turned it on and from the start I saw experience after experience of God working in that small bar. As I am watching I will be making notes of some of them and documenting them here:

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Sam gave up alcohol years ago but owns the bar. At the end of the episode a guy is leaving and he thanks Sam for bending his ear. Then Diane says "I wonder why people tell bartenders their problems. These poor wretches with no one left to turn to but some stranger that mixes drinks". She tells her story then as she is leaving she remembers she forgot to change the reservations and Sam tells her to use the phone. "What a shame such an astute observer of human nature is stuck behind a bar". The scene ends with her guiding her on her future. She laughs but then knows the drink orders and gets a job and a fresh start. If you think of what people think when pastor comes to mind. Someone who will listen to and guide their flock. Comfort them in their troubles, hunger and thirst and make sure they get home safely. The final scene ends with strangers entering the bar asking for help. Remind you of Matthew 25: 31-46? It should.

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Guy comes in looking for Gus the previous owner. Gus has all the answers. Later in the episode Gus has died and Coach tries to help him. Coach doesn't do very well with it but says what came to mind. He tells him if he is uncomfortable with it throw his son out and say he doesn't want to see him again. Bad advice but the Holy Spirit is active and the guy pulls the right advice. If he can't accept him then he will lose him. The relationship between father and son is healed. However the best is when Diane asks, "But once you have consumed as much sex for as long as you wanted what would you do then?" Norm then responds, "I'd help the poor". Remind you of Matthew 25: 31-46. Again, it should.

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Carla is having issues with anger and just like most churches they have this aversion to therapy but then Carla goes to therapy she gets help and is able to manage anger that most people would lash out and even some in the bar do and have to be held back. She is not fully healed of it but she withstands all that temptation by really trying. Sam and the bar stand with her and support her. They are not judging and kicking her out, they really help. Even when Peter denied Jesus 3 times, even though Jesus knew Judas would betray him he kept supporting them, working with them, building them up in love. This is something churches should aspire to. Yes there is crudeness and other sins happening at the bar but take a look around your church and you will find similar is happening but everyone keeps it hush hush. Now the ending is where the Holy Spirit is moving. The obnoxious guy criticizes the Boston Bruins and on the way out after dropping the lawsuit, a bruin is sitting at the table and is going to walk him to his car. We know what's coming. Carla was patient and the guy ended up getting his punishments. I guess that was 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 in action.

Season 1 - Episode 4 - In this episode we realize that sometimes we need to look at what is right in front of us. The episode ends with two good friends with nothing in common talking about baseball. Sam's reporter friend abandoned him for a better interview but Diane was a friend there when Sam needed her most. As Christians, we focus on our own lives and careers but how often are we like Sam's reporter friend instead of Diane. Proverbs 18:24. 24 "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Coach's daughter had given in and Coach told her she looked exactly like her mother and she said "I know I look exactly like her and mom was not … comfortable about her beauty." Coach says something magical, "But that's what made her more beautiful." That moment led to her confidence building and she "Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." 1 Corinthians 5:13 in action again.

Season 1 - Episode 10 - In this episode, Diane tries to be encouraging to Sam and his new friend Rick Walker who was in a slump. Sometimes we feel things bring us luck or fortune. In this episode we see meditation not working for Diane's tick, we find out the bottle cap didn't help Rick Walker after all as he lost it, we see Sam and his lucky bottlecap that helped him have the willpower to stop drinking but it turns out it was Diane's encouragement, her being there for a friend that actually kept him from drinking. Rick Walker got out of his slump because Sam was a good friend and gave him the encouragement he needed. "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." —1 Thessalonians 5:11

Season 1 - Episode 11 - A guy comes in because he is thinking about a vow of celibacy and silence. Later in the episode he puts a quarter in the player piano and Sam says that hasn't worked in 20 years and all the sudden it plays. Coach sees it as incredible. After the guy leaves the miracle isn't that it works but after 20 years out of the blue Coach decides to fix it. God working through people to create the perfect timing for moments like what happened. It changed that man's life.

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Diane has a member of her family die, her cat. Diane sees the light in Carla and admires it. Carla believes to always look on the bright side. No matter how lousy a situation is she can always something in it to make her happy.

As I document more moments you will see more how God actually worked at Cheers.