“And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.'” – Acts 17:6
The message of Jesus literally turns the world upside down! The last become first and the first last. The humble are exalted and the exalted are humbled. Leaders serve and servants lead. Success on earth bears no relationship to eternal blessing and success. The values of God’s Kingdom are opposed to the values of earthly kingdoms.
The early Christians became known as people who “turned the world upside down”. How? By preaching the gospel of grace, peace, and reconciliation. We are saved only by God’s grace through faith in His Son Jesus and cannot save ourselves so we have nothing to brag about. Through faith in Jesus, we are at peace with, reconciled to, and adopted by God with the spiritual power needed to reconcile with others. And we do.
How about you? Are you turning the world upside down? You believe the same Gospel the early Christians did. You receive the same Holy Spirit when you trust in Jesus as Lord. You have the same truth of God written down for you in the Bible. You have EVERYTHING you need to turn the world upside down!
It doesn’t have to start with anything big and dramatic. It can begin with turning your household, your workplace, your classroom, or your neighborhood upside down. How? By loving God completely and loving your neighbors outrageously. By visibly living out Kingdom values like meekness, patience, gentleness, humility, kindness, holiness, peacemaking, and self-control. By telling people how Jesus has transformed you and actually being transformed.
If you do that, you’ll turn plenty of things upside down! If enough Christians do it with you, we’ll once again turn the world upside down and that will be a truly beautiful thing! #FollowJesus