Bubble Busters
Pt. 1 - Plastic Bubbles
I. Introduction
It grabbed my attention. I was riveted to the screen. I don't remember many dramatic tv shows from my youth but this one I remember vividly. I saw this in 1976 when I was 8 and I can't forget it. The plot was a young man, played by John Travolta, who had been born with no immune system. Any exposure to the outside world would result in his death due to exposure to germs and diseases. The solution was dramatic and drastic. This young man lived in a plastic bubble. The movie chronicled his desperation to exit the bubble and experience life outside this pocket of safety. His desperation caused him to become increasingly dissatisfied with life confined by this secure and sterile environment.
I would submit that the movie is a depiction of the church and most of us as Christians . . . only in reverse. The boy was trying desperately to escape from the bubble while it seems to me the church is trying desperately to escape to the bubble. Our plastic bubble is complete with Christian friends, Christian culture, Christian clothes, our own language called Christianease and we, in our desperation to escape forget, that we have not only been called and commissioned but equipped to live outside the confines and restrictions of safe, secure and sterile bubbles! We are, in fact, supposed to become bubble busters!
Christians in bubbles can be verified. Did you know that . . .
75% of regular church attenders do not believe that sharing their faith is important.
Once the average person becomes a believer in Christ, he or she loses contact with all unbelieving friends within two years.
When we ask you, at Easter and Christmas, to fill out a prayer and invite card with 5 names of people you know who aren't saved and that you will invite we typically get less than 50% participation. I am convinced that is because most of us have retreated inside our Christian bubble and either we no longer know anyone who doesn't know Jesus or at least know anyone who doesn't know Jesus that we have any significant influence with or entrance into their life.
We learned the practice of bubbling from the best!
Text: Acts 10:9-35, 44-48 (TPT)
The next day around noon, as Cornelius’ men were approaching Joppa, Peter went up to the flat roof of the house to pray. He was hungry and wanted to eat, but while lunch was being prepared he fell into a trance and entered into another realm. As the heavenly realm opened up, he saw something resembling a large linen tablecloth that descended from above, being let down to the earth by its four corners. As it floated down he saw that it held many kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and wild birds. A voice said to him, “Peter, go and prepare them to be eaten.” Peter replied, “There’s no way I could do that, Lord, for I’ve never eaten anything forbidden or impure according to our Jewish laws.” The voice spoke again. “Nothing is unclean if God declares it to be clean.” The vision was repeated three times. Then suddenly the linen sheet was snatched back up into heaven. Peter was so stunned by the vision that he couldn’t stop wondering about what all it meant. Meanwhile, Cornelius’ men had learned where Peter was staying and at that same moment were standing outside the gate. They called out to those in the house, “Is this where Simon, the Rock, is staying?” As Peter was in deep thought, trying to interpret the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Go downstairs now, for three men are looking for you. Don’t hesitate to go with them, because I have sent them.” Peter went downstairs to the men and said, “I believe I’m the one you’re looking for. What brings you here?” They answered, “We serve Cornelius, a Roman military captain, who sent us to find you. He is a devout man of the highest integrity who worships God and is respected throughout the Jewish community. He was divinely instructed through the appearance of an angel to summon you to his home and to listen to the message that you would bring him.” Peter invited them to stay for the night as his guests. The next morning they departed, accompanied by some of the believers from Joppa. The next day they arrived in Caesarea, where Cornelius was waiting anxiously for them and had gathered together all of his relatives and close friends. The moment Peter walked in the door, Cornelius fell at his feet to worship him. But Peter pulled him to his feet and said, “Stand up, for I’m only a man and no different from you.” They talked together and then went inside, where Peter found a large gathering waiting to hear his words. Peter said to them, “You all know that it is against the Jewish laws for me to associate with or even visit the home of one who is not a Jew. Yet God has shown me that I should never view anyone as inferior or ritually unclean. So when you sent for me, I came without objection. Now, may I ask why you sent for me?” Cornelius replied, “Four days ago I was fasting and praying here in my home at this very hour, three o’clock in the afternoon, when a man in glistening clothing suddenly appeared in front of my eyes. He said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayers. Your generosity to the poor has been recorded and remembered in God’s presence. However, you must send for a man named Simon, the Rock, who is staying in Joppa as a guest of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ So I immediately sent my men to bring you here—and you were kind enough to come. And now, here we are, all of us in God’s presence, anxious to hear the message that God has put into your heart to share with us.” Peter said, “Now I know for certain that God doesn’t show favoritism with people but treats everyone on the same basis. It makes no difference what race of people one belongs to. If they show deep reverence for God, and are committed to doing what’s right, they are acceptable before him.
While Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit cascaded over all those listening to his message. The Jewish brothers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on people who weren’t Jews, for they heard them speaking in supernaturally given languages and passionately praising God. Peter said, “How could anyone object to these people being baptized? For they have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he instructed them to be baptized in the power of the name of Jesus, the Anointed One.
Here we read that, thankfully, God intervenes and causes Peter to break out of that bubble and bring the Good News to gentiles. Notice a couple of things here . . .
Bubbles are busted by recognition!
Equally important to notice is that Peter was actively practicing his faith in Jesus. He was praying. He was seeing visions. He was pursuing God. He was going deeper spiritually. He was laser focused on Jesus. However, he was also bubbled! He was on a spiritual island. Only interacting with same group, same race, same belief system.
I don't want you to come to the conclusion as long as you are here on Sundays, listening to worship in your car, reading your Word faithfully, meeting regularly with a likeminded small group, or filled with extreme spiritual hunger for more that you are exactly where you need to be. You can have all of that going on and still be inside a bubble and not living up to Jesus' desire for us. You will not bust bubbles until you recognize that you are in one. I woke up to this fact about a year and half ago. I realized that I had very little meaningful contact with anyone who didn't believe what I believe. I was in love with Jesus. I was pursuing Him. I was trying to grow spiritually. But I was bubbled. I will tell you next week one of the steps that I took that you must also take, or we will stay bubbled. But let me first get you to take stock and recognize that you may also be living in a bubble. No inroads into unbeliever's lives. No interaction. No conversations. No influence. No sharing your faith. No Jesus rubbing off on them or showing up in your life enough for them to ask questions or want what you have! We must recognize our own bubble. Maybe we need to have a vision today. Maybe God needs to show us that us that we are living in a safe, sterile and undesirable plastic bubble.
Bubbles are busted by obedience!
Acts says that when Peter was approached by these men from Corneilus' house that he went without objection. Don't get it twisted he could have objected. Why? Because this instruction from God isn't allowed. Christianity was birthed against a Jewish backdrop which engrained in its population that they were to be bubbled. No contact with anyone who wasn't from the Jewish lineage. So, this command from Peter and invitation he receives is against religious law. This stands in direct contradiction of thousands of years of religious upbringing, standards and traditions. This isn't right. Peter could have rightly concluded that these people are my enemies. I don't like them. They don't like me. They won't listen. They won't want to know. They are from a different neighborhood. They weren't raised like I was raised. They look different.
This instruction was dangerous. Cornelius was a Roman military captain. So, not only were there racial and cultural barriers crossed by Peter, he also literally goes into enemy territory. He enters the home of the very group of people that were occupying, oppressing and dominating his homeland.
However, all of these very real and, yes even, legitimate excuses were cast aside in obedience.
You will never bust any bubbles if you don't come to the place where your response to the command of Christ is always Yes! We call Him "Master" and yet we tend to disobey. If we disobey, then He isn't Master we are. He may be savior, but without absolute obedience He isn’t Master! We all have legitimate reasons why we can't obey. Disobedience will keep us bubbled.
Bubbles will be busted by fighting!
You fight your way into a bubble. You will have to fight your way out of the bubble.
Let's stop for a second and review Peter's recent history. He was with Jesus in the garden while Jesus prayed. Remember that scene? Remember that it was Roman soldiers that came to arrest Jesus. Do you remember Peter's response? He is a fighter by nature! "Lend me an ear" had entirely different meaning to Peter. This was the guy that cut the ear off of a Roman soldier who tries to arrest Jesus. That isn't the response of someone who trusts Romans! I have this feeling that Peter was probably a little more than afraid as they walk the neighborhood to approach this Roman's house. I think he had suspicions that he was being set up for revenge. And yet, Peter is invited to a Roman home, in a Roman community, by a Roman military Captain and the passage says he went to them. He goes to their territory on their terms. He fights his way out of the bubble of fear! He fights through his suspicion. He fights through his prejudice. He fights through his hate. He fights through his anger - don't forget these are the folks who just killed his Master and his dreams. But Peter fights out of his bubble.
You, like Peter, will have to Fight your way out of the bubble of fear!
You will have to be willing to go to people you are afraid to approach, been taught not to approach and you will have to meet them in their territory (house). May I remind you that our Master has commanded us to go! He commanded us to gather yes. However, we aren't supposed to stay gathered until we never fulfill His command to go. Gather is only half of the equation. Gather. Gain strength. Gather get blessed. Gather get healed. Gather get prayed for. Gather get loved on. Gather get your needs met. We gather so that we can go! The second half of the equation is go. Go in the strength and the power of His might. Go in the power of the blessing that you have received while gathered. Go and spread the healing you experienced while gathered. Go! Go into places that are scary, different, where you are an outsider. To do this we must listen to God more than fear. Fear will keep us bubbled.
I want you to understand that Peter was literally the answer to Cornelius' prayer.
Whose prayer is supposed to be answered by your testimony? Who could be reached if you would bust your fear bubble?
Why do think God gave you entrance into their lives in the first place? He gave you entrance so that you can bring the good news! What is the worst that could happen? They could discover that you are saved? They could discover that you have hope. They could discover that you may have the answer to finding real peace. They could say they are not interested? They could laugh? Are any of those possibilities too high of a price to pay to gain the possibility of them being saved? If you want to be afraid, then be afraid that they might die and bust hell wide open while you had the solution to keep them safe!
Paul says this . . . Romans 10:14 - How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
However, we have let the last word keep us bubbled. That is the preacher’s job not mine. Perhaps hearing it like this would help.
But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it?
The word preacher literally means "herald or messenger". Someone who can proclaim with authority. That's you! You may not carry the title of preacher, but you carry the title of herald of messenger. You have a message to tell. You have authority on the subject of what Jesus has done in your life!
God uses an unlikely man to bust through the bubble of obedience and fear and the product is revival. You may be unlikely. You may be unexpected. However, you are a messenger a herald on assignment as a bubble buster. Will you recognize your bubble? Will you obey when instructed to get out of your bubble? Are you willing to fight your way out?
