Is that a comfy bubble you're in?

Most everyone has a best friend. Who is yours? Do you have lots of friends? Do you have life-long friends? Do you have only a few friends, but like it that way?

You know how on those dating profiles how people put that they like to take long walks and enjoy meeting new people? But then, have you noticed that after you have been with a person for a while, somehow they can get really comfortable in their environment and stop opening doors to the outside world?

Do you enjoy, really enjoy, meeting new people? Really? You probably used to. Now you have your close friends and family and it just seems like such work to actually meet new people. And even worse, to give out your number. I mean, what if they are weird? What if they text you a lot?

And do you still like going on long walks? Not so much now that it gets like a million degrees outside or it’s supposed to rain or you have dishes to do or it’s just more comfortable on the couch.

You get into the routine and forget to leave your bubble. So, is it really that comfy in that bubble? Doesn’t it get a little cramped in there? Is there actually enough room for visitors in there?

Since you’re so comfy in there, you forget that there are opportunities beyond the bubble; Doors waiting to be opened; People waiting for your arms to reach out to them.

This is the same for the church [church (n) - the whole body of Christ followers]. What happens if a church gets to a comfortable size and stops reaching out to community?

This is an excerpt of an article I found today, by Chris Sonksen at www.chrissonksen.wordpress.com:

“Jesus’ Great Commission to the disciples (and, by extension, his entire church) is a three-step process:


1. Evangelism – Teaching all “nations” (or people groups, nationalities, races, etc.) about the “Gospel” (or “good news”) of Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection.
 

2. Baptism – The first step of obedience for those who have received Christ, and the act that publicly confirms them as members of a Christian congregation.
 

3. Discipleship – The process of teaching Jesus’ new followers doctrine and Christ-like living (Acts 2:42; Ephesians 2:19-20).
 
Though the “church” of Jesus is universal in scope, it is locally organized, and each congregation is to commit itself to this three-fold task...”


The church is not led to be created and then made stagnant. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, then go forth through the earth and spread disease. That doesn’t seem like a very good outreach plan for the body of Christ.




 
“…The scope and strategy of Jesus’ Great Commission is captured in the first chapter of the book of Acts, when he tells his disciples to begin in Jerusalem, expand outward to all of Judea, then to Samaria, and the “uttermost parts of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Evangelism is to be comprehensive, all-fronts push outward. The kingdom of God is to be advanced city by city, nation by nation, throughout the entire world.”-Chris Sonsksen

 
So, if we, the church, sit in our comfy little bubble with the nice Christians that fit in it, will we ever reach anyone else… ever? Not unless they trip and fall in.

We have to break out of the little round barrier that is our bubble and reach out to those in need. We need to show God’s love and compassion for all of His people. If we don’t, we will end up breeding mosquitoes… the big kind that suck your blood and leave large welts and make you itch all over… and even spread the disease.

I challenge you to meet someone new and actually give them working contact information (not the rejection hotline); and even more, actually go outside and take a walk and look beyond the sidewalk and the buildings and enjoy God’s original creations.