Rightside Up- Acts 17

Introduction

We live in a pretty upside down world don’t we? You ever watch the news, or hear about the latest scandal in our community and think, “How did we get here? This is all so backward? The world is upside down.”

Well let me let you in on a little secret… We didn’t just get here. The upside down nature of our world isn’t new. In fact, its origins are traced to Genesis 3.

In the beginning…

The Genesis account of mankind’s origins and unseperated relationship with God are a farcry from our experiences today aren’t they?

Everything, Created by a loving Creator God, was good.

And his VERY GOOD creation, made in His own Divine Image, the Imago Dei, was to have dominion over all things on earth.

Ruling the earth with God, not over Him or apart from Him, but with Him, in perfect harmony and unity.

And in this Divine Order, Creation experienced deep rest.

As we read the creation account we see that everything was rightside up. As it should be. As it was created to be.

But then Genesis 3 opens saying, “Now the serpent was more crafty, or deceitful than any other created being.”

This serpent is none other than Satan, (Satan which means adversary), adversary of God and of God’s creation.

And he is God’s adversary, because he rejected God’s created order. Which again is A Rightside Up Order.

Isaiah 14:13-14 “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”

Unsatisfied with being part of the Created Order, Satan wanted to be like the Creator.

And what was the result for Satan? Isaiah 14:19 “but you are cast out...”

Yet, although fallen from the heavens, he comes to earth. And is deadset on one singular purpose:

if he cannot be GOD, than he will spend his limited time fighting anything that resembles God.

Which makes the IMAGE of God his #1 target.

So he comes to steal, kill, and destory the image of God and the order God has established. (John 10:10)

I was talking with someone this week whose marriage is under assault by Satan. He’s trying to kill their marriage. Why!? Because marriage is intended to reflect the love of God.

He wants to destroy the Church!? Why? Because the church reflects the image of God.

he is like a roaring lion, prowling constantly looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8-9)

And Genesis 3 says he is crafty, and in his craftiness, he saw the Imago Dei out in the middle of the garden and sought to disrupt it, and began tempting Eve.

And church, temptation to sin is deceptive because as Matthew Henry states,

“it appears fair, but is actually filthy. It appears pleasant, but is actually damaging, it promises much, but performs nothing.”

And the effects of that deceit were swift and dramatic

Instead of eternal security and self-confidence in the Imago Dei, Adam and Eve were immediately aware of their insecurity and vulnerability… and sin is always thirsty. Never Satisffied. Always craving.

So to cover their sin, they sin more, they kill and make leather loincloths.

And when they heard the sound of their God, walking… what used to be a walk WITH, the deceitfulness of sin has now led them to HIDE from God.

And when God questions their actions Eve says, Genesis 3:13 “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.””

Eve was deceived and consequently began living life upside down.

Church, in Revelation 12:9 Satan is described as“the deceiver of the whole world”

It is who He is, and it is what He does.

HERE’S THE POINT: The result of centuries and centuries of all mankind living in and under the deceitfulness of satan and sin is a confused, and deceived global society because it is comprised of confused, and deceived individual people.

A world that by itself, cannot know right from wrong. Good from evil. Truth from lies. Rich from Poor. Up from down. Left from Right. Blessed from cursed. You get the picture.

Paul would later write, its a world so deceived we have suppressed the truth.

And although, what can be known about God and His Rightside Up Order is still plain to us, we are blind. We are deceived. We are futile (ineffective) in our thinking, and our foolish hearts are darkened.

We have exchanged the truth about God for a lie,

The ORDER is broken. REVERSED. BACKWARD.

The world is deceived, and consequently Upside Down, becuase the Hearts of mankind are deceived and consequently upside down.

So the craziness you perceive and experience in the world isn’t new …

We may think it is, but it isn’t, because as we will see in our text today,

This is the World the Apostle Paul was called to minister to.

The world he was comissioned to, with the task of joining God in redeeming it, restoring it, turning it rightside Up again.

And church, I hope by now you’ve seen that its the world you also are commissioned to, with the same task… to be witnesses.

Witnesses with your lips and your lives pointing others to a new order. A Rightside Up way of living.

But, In order for the World to be Turned Rightside Up we are going to need 3 things:

A Savior

A Noble Mind

A Repentant Heart

So lets look first at A Savior.

Acts 17:1–9 ESV

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 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, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Kicked out of Philippi

Trace the Route

MAP

33 Miles from from Philippi to Amphipolis (Ampheepolis)

27 Miles to Apollonia (apoll-ooneea)

and then 35 Miles to Thessalonica.

Thessalonica was the 2nd largest city in Greece (Corinth was first). And upon arriving, Paul engaged his usual pattern of ministry.

He entered the Synagogue as was his custom, and on 3 successive “Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ!” (vs. 3)

To turn Thessalonica Rightside Up Paul told the Thessalonians, “You need a Savior.”

A Savior

His audience here in Thessalonica were Jews, and God-Fearers (Gentiles, who believed in the God of the Torah).

This means they were familiar with the Scriptures.

They knew that they should expect a Christ. Or Messiah. That word is not Jesus’ last name but a Title meaning “Annointed Savior.”

A Savior who would rightside up the world.

And here comes Paul for 3 successive weeks reasoning with them, explaining and proving that the Messiah has come, just in a way they didn’t expect.

They expected a Lion, he came as a lamb. They expected a crown of gold. He came with a crown of thorns. They expected all sufficient, he came Suffering.

Using the Scriptures, he probably pointed them to the

Sacrificial System itself.

A system that required a substitute for sins, that must be killed for the consequence of sins.

He may have even quoted, Genesis 3:15 “he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.””

Maybe he reminded them of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, his only begotten son as a foreshadowing of God’s sacrifice of his only begotton Son.

The Passover Lamb whose blood permitted death to pass them over, foreshadowing the Blood of the LAMB whose death permitts life to pass over us.

Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

And on and on and on.

And for 3 weeks, Paul is unpacking all of this for those gathered in Thessalonica.

Proving that Jesus is the Savior.

And oh how we need a Savior to turn the world rightside Up.

The world is enslaved. Chained to an upside down way of living. But

“But if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36.

And in response to Paul’s Reasoning

Some of the Jews were persuaded, and a whole lot of the Greeks, including some very influential women.

But the majority of the Jews were jealous, and stirred the mob to attack them.

You know… The World is kind of content being Upside Down isn’t it?

And to tell an upside down world, that they are deceived and need a SAVIOR will oftentimes solicit an uproar.

And in an uproar the Upside Down city of Thessalonica try to find Paul, but only found Jason (his host) and drag Jason before the city authorities and declare, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and they are defying Cesar, saying there is another King, Jesus.”

The Jealous World was in essence screaming,“We are rightside Up!” and you’re just a disturber of the peace, trying to turn everything upside down. Telling us we need a new King.”

And boy they weren’t wrong there!

To be in a Rightside Up Kingdom, you need a new King.

The Gospel Message, of Christ as Savior threatens the Kings and Kingdoms of this Upside Down World.

We are reminded here that at its very core, the message of Christianity is a message that attacks the very underpinings that the Upside Down World believes.

But our Saviors’ Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).

In the Rightside Up Kingdom...

Blessed are the poor, not the rich.

Blessed are the meek, not the proud.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, not those who hunger and thirst for their own passions.

Blessed are the merciful, not the ruthless.

Blessed are the pure in heart, not the sinful.

Blessed are the peacemakers, not the domineering.

Blessed are the persecuted and weak, not the strong.

This is the Rightside Up Kingdom. The Kingdom that reflects the Created Order and Desire of God.

But these jealous jews were so upside down… so deceived, that this Kingdom with this new King is too radical and must be resisted.

So poor Jason, posts bond and the city dropped the issue with Paul and Silas, as long as they left the Thessalonians alone to enjoy their upside down world.

So to be a Rightside Up World, we need a Savior, but unfortunately deception runs so deep many rejected Him.

So lets pick back up in our text.

Acts 17:10–15 ESV

The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

A Noble Mind

Berea

Map

50 Miles from Thessalonica.

And in Berea they continued with their pattern.

Went into the Synaguge reasoning with them, and explaining and proving that they needed A Savior to turn the world back rightside up.

But these Jews, vs. 11, “were more noble than those in Thessalonica; and received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

Acts 17:12 “Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.”

Point #2: For the world to be turned Rightside Up, we need a Noble Mind

They were more Noble than the Upside Down Thessalonians becuase

they did not allow emotion or tradition to block the truth of their need for a Savior, and consequently they were willing to opened their minds and examine the Scriptures daily to see if this was true.

They had Noble Minds.

They were receptive to the possibility that their world was actually upside down,

and receptive to the fact that they needed a Savior to turn it rightside up.

But the Jealous Jews from Thessalonica were intent on protecting their upside down world, and came to Berea to stir up the crowds against Paul.

An Upside Down world isn’t content to be left alone in their upside down lives. Their misery seeks company, and the deception is so deep that they MUST force everyone else to live upside down too.

Right!? Don’t you see this.?

The Gender and Sexual Revolution that is unfolding in our time is a good example:

What began as a cry for equality and acceptance has quickly moved to a DEMAND for affirmation.

It’s not enough to accept an upside down world, you have to live upside down too!

That’s what those form Thessalonica were after, and came all the way to Berea to secure it.

But fortunately those in Berea were noble minded, and were at least open to a Savior who will Rightside up the world.

But Paul has to escape Berea and here’s where we pick up in our text.

Acts 17:16–34 ESV

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Athens

Map

141 Miles from Berea to Athens

The Athens of Paul’s day (51A.D.) was probably just a shadow of its former glory.

What was once the political, cultural and economic center of Ancient Greece had been replaced by Corinth (which we will see next week),

but Athens still commanded the reputation of Greek Culture.

And while getting a lay of the land, Paul’s spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.

The Art that would line the city streets portrayed the magnificent exploits of the Greek gods and goddesses.

It’s Architecture boasted multiple Temples and pantheons that housed the idols of these various dieties.

And Paul was infuriated by what he saw.

Church, this type of Holy Provocation is something that should be shared by all who claim the name of Christ.

Because it is the same Holy Provocation that God Himself feels when His glory is distorted and shared with myths, or created beings, or temporal desires.

God is a jealous God, and He will ultimately share His Glory with no other.

And if we are zealous for the Glory of God, we too will be provoked when we behold and see the idolatrous love of the upside down world we reside in.

So instead of waiting for Silas and Timothy he jumps on in…

Reasons in the Synagoguges, and out on the streets.

And I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again.

Paul’s Holy Provocation didn’t lead him to condemn or cancel the upside down world around him. It led him to preach. To proclaim. To point to a Savior that will turn the world rightside up!

And in the Marketplace he comes across some Philosophers of 2 different camps!

And these Philosophizers bring him up to the Areopagus, or a court situated on Mars Hill and ask for a deeper hearing of Paul’s Preaching.

Aeropagus

And as much as I want to talk about these two various philosophies, what I really want us to see today is the punchline.

Paul says, “I see you guys are religious.” The Greek here means, “Passionately devoted.”

Walking the streets, just observing the people, Paul could perceive that these guys were passionately devoted to their upside down world.

But it was misdirected. It was a deceived devotion, it was a devotion to ignorance. To something that is unknown, but Paul wants them to know the proper placement of religious devotion.

God the Creator.

A God who is good, even VERY GOOD, who has given us everything.

Even allotting periods and boundaries of dominion, where we the Imago Dei can rule with God and continually seek him.

A God who has created us for his created order, a rightside up world.

In Him we live (philospher)

But here’s the Punchline!

Acts 17:29 “Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.”

What Paul is saying in this verse is this

If you being God’s children, created to live in HIM but Instead you live your lives finding life in anything and everything but HIM!

Let me say that again…

If you being God’s children, created to live in HIM but Instead you live your lives finding life in anything and everything but HIM!

And here in Paul’s argument we find the ROOT of all sin.

All sin can is rooted in our desire to find life apart from God. To have our needs met in anything but God.

And the Bible calls this IDOLATRY.

IDOLATRY

We confused idolatry. We think it’s only worshipping a physical statue or image, but it’s much deeper than that.

Listen to Tim Keller define Idolatry

An Idol is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give. …

Idolatry is finding life in anything and everything but God, and this is contrary to His Rightside Up Order

He created us To live with Him and find our life in Him.

But Satan the deceiver comes along and whispers, “Real Life and Happiness and Satisfaction is found not in Him, but Being Him.”

That was his deceit to Eve, and Eve Ate.

But the truth is we have all ate. We have all fallen short. Let me give you some examples of how we are idolaters too.

The Sin of pornography, sexual promiscuity, any sexual sin is a temptation to find something— maybe happiness, or satisfaction, or comfort in somebody else or simply pleasure. And this is Idolatry.

You think its just a sinful act. It’s not, it’s meeting a need or desire apart from God.

The sin of drunkenness is a temptation to ease or heal pain, or stress, with alcohol. And this is idolatry.

You think its just a sinful act of drinking too much. It’s not, it’s finding in alcohol what you were created to find in God.

The sin of gossip or slander or judgement is a temptation to make youself feel better by putting others down. And this is idolatry.

You think its just a sinful act of slander. It’s not, it’s finding your security in the approval of man instead of the approval of God.

AND you can APPLY THIS TO EVERY SIN. If you pull the thread of any sin, you’ll find its origin or root in the sin of Idolatry.

This is why its COMMANDMENT #1: You shall have no other gods before me.”

He will take no smaller portion than the whole when it comes to attention and worship.

And Paul is saying… “You’re upside down because your Idolaters.”

Acts 17:30 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,”

To be rightside up you need a Repentant Heart.

To stop finding in an upside down world, what you were created to find in God.

And be warned… there is urgency (vs31), because he has fixed a day where judgement is coming. But those who

Have a Savior

Are Noble Minded

And have Repentant Hearts

Don’t need to fear… they can actually be assured.

Conclusion

Church, we live in an upside down world.

But we have a Savior that has and will make it rightside up.

Are you noble minded? Are you humble enough to inquire if what Paul and I say is true?

Are you repentant of heart?

He will take no smaller portion than the whole, because he needs the whole to whollly rightside up this world.

Let’s Pray.