Apples of Gold

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

For years parents have been teaching their young children about stranger danger.  In today’s climate it is a very valuable lesson to help keep our children safe from those who might wish to harm them. There is another danger that we are all susceptible to, followers of Jesus perhaps more than others, and that is “No Stranger Danger”. 

If you can boast of having a few gray hairs, you might remember the story of David Vetter, a young boy with some very serious health concerns. His immune system was so fragile that he spent most of his life in an extremely restricted environment, in fact he spent 12 years living in a bubble in order to avoid contact with germs. I think we would all agree that although the bubble was helping him to avoid getting sick, it was also prohibiting him from experiencing so many of the special things that most of us take for granted. 

As the world gets darker and darker the church is tempted to pull up the draw bridge, fill the moat with alligators and leave the world to fend for itself! Not only is this ineffective and counterproductive to our mandate to fulfill the Great Commission, it is also a sure way to bring our maturing process to a screeching halt as we huddle together exclusively with those who are like-minded. 

Balancing “Oh be careful little eyes what you see”, and valuing souls of the lost can be a difficult task. I fear all too often our desire to avoid the mud keeps us locked up in our own little bubble, watching Christian Christmas movies, and listening to worship music on Pandora, while our neighbors, friends and co-workers head down the dark path that leads to destruction. 

While care and caution when stepping into enemy territory is well-advised, when fear causes us to isolate ourselves we surely grieve the heart of God. 

Listen to these words from Jesus:

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Matthew 9:36-38

I think at times we find ourselves afraid to interact with the lost with compassion. The concern that they will think we embrace immorality causes hesitation in our approach and frequently is visible in our expressions.

The longer you have been a believer in Jesus, especially if you are in church leadership, the less likely it is that you have regular interaction-not only with those who do not know Jesus, but alarmingly-you are usually surrounded by those who hold shockingly similar views on almost every subject. If you find yourself in this position, you my friend are living in a spiritual bubble. Life is likely quite comfortable in there. You have the respect of those around you, lots of good, solid Christian friends, and a familiar, relatively unvarying routine. A bubble might be a nice temporary retreat for a quick vacation or recharge but over the long-term a very imbalanced view is often an unintended consequence.

John 17 is one of my favorite chapters. Jesus begins by praying specifically for protection and unity for all who believe in him-even all who will ever believe-that means us! But he doesn’t stop there. 

I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. John 17:22-23

The lost are never far from the heart and mind of Jesus. They are what drew him to calvary. They are what is holding off the Rapture:

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 2 Peter 3:9

Let’s each take an honest look at our personal impact on the lost. While we cannot all head overseas to reach the never reached, there are plenty of people down the street, across the hall, in the next cubicle, or even in the line at the grocery store, who do not have a relationship with God. We can all pray, we can all give and in one way or another we can all go. 

It just may be time to burst your bubble!