Turning the World Upside Down

If you ask people, how can we turn the world upside down, how can we change the sinfulness, evil, corruption, immorality in our society, many will say we need to have mass demonstrations, block roads, burn down businesses, form a paramilitary etc.

But in the scriptures, that’s not how the early church did it.

Implication: The gospel challenges the status quo and disrupts cultural norms.

How then can we possibly turn this World Upside Down Today?

Using the Scriptures Carefully – Acts 17:2

Know it – study

There’s danger in ignorance! 2 Peter 3:16“as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”

So, we must understand the need to know God’s word.

The early Christians devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings. Acts 2:42 “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

The Christians searched the word diligently - Acts 17:11 “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”

Believe it –

1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

If the word of God has no effect on your life, it may be that you only know what it says, but you don’t believe.

2 Timothy 3:13–15 “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

Share it –

This is exactly what Paul was doing. Acts 17:2–3 “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.””

NLT - Jeremiah 20:7–9 “ O LORD, you misled me, and I allowed myself to be misled. You are stronger than I am, and you overpowered me. Now I am mocked every day; everyone laughs at me. 8 When I speak, the words burst out. “Violence and destruction!” I shout. So these messages from the LORD have made me a household joke. 9 But if I say I’ll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!

If we are going to turn the world upside down, this is our weapon, tool.

Love Radically

We must be different in how we love one another

This is a world fill with hate and bitterness

This is world divided by race, politics and materialism.

This radical kind of love begins with us and then is demonstrated outside.

John 13:34–35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””

Luke 6:27–28 ““But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”

Luke 6:32 ““But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.”

If we are going to impact this world, it will be done by loving radically!

Share the gospel fearlessly, regardless of opposition.

I don’t mean loud and aggressive.

But with courage and conviction

Matthew 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Peter and John - Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

Acts 4:18–20 “So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.””

Acts 9:27–28 “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.”

Acts 13:4 “Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.”

Brethren, if we are going to turn this world upside down, it will be done by being bold and fearless!

Prayer Fervently

The Jerusalem church of Christ prioritized prayer - Acts 6:4 “but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.””

Acts 12:5 “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”

Before Paul and Barnabas were sent on the missionary journey. Acts 13:3 “Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.”

The early church was a church that believed in prayer, why??

It is acknowledgment that we cannot do this without God leading us. Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”

We are up against a very crafty enemy, the devil – 1 Pet. 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

Colossians 4:2–3 “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,”

If we are going to turn the world upside down, it will be by being a people of prayer.

Ask God to empower us to turn our communities upside down for His glory.

Conclusion

Are we merely conforming to the world or genuinely impacting it?

Challenge: Let’s be world-changers by living out our faith boldly.

Prayer:

Remember, as followers of Christ, we are called to be disruptors of darkness, agents of transformation, and bearers of hope.

May our lives echo the early Christians’ commitment to turning the world upside down through the gospel!

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