The Upside Down Kingdom

Bottom Line :Jesus turned the idea of power upside down

Blue-Slides

Red-Scripture

Scripture:Genesis 1:26 NIV,Matthew 28:18a NIV

Intro:

• Tell a personal story about a time (preferably in high school) when you did something that made you feel powerful. (Football story)

• Power looks different for everyone.

Tension

Think about it for a second:

• Maybe you dreamt of being captain of your sports team. • Maybe you wanted to be first chair in the band.

• Maybe you’ve thought about running for president of student council.

• Maybe you are a freshman or a sophomore and you imagine the kind of power that comes from being an upperclassman.

• Maybe you took the risk and applied to be manager of your shift at McDonald’s. The idea of being in a place of power or authority (which is just someone who has more power than you do) can be exciting—it can make us feel important, respected, or even intimidating to others. Having power gives us a sense of having a little bit of control, and who doesn’t want that? If we’re honest with ourselves, we’d all like to feel powerful because it puts us in control or above someone else. But if you have ever been in a place of power, you know it doesn’t always go the way you imagine, right? Like,

• Even if you have it, there’s always someone else who has more. • You aren’t always sure what to do with it!

• And it isn’t always as great as you think it is going to be. And that leaves us with some complicated feelings about power and the people who have it and those who don’t, and about why we want it and what to do with it when we have it. And maybe we feel like it just never quite turns out the way we think it should. In other words, competing for and then gaining power is complicated. So, what do we do about it?

Truth

Power, and authority have been around from the beginning. And it wasn’t designed to be as complicated as it sometimes feels. The opening part of the Bible is called Genesis—or “origin.” This book of origins, who people believe was written by Moses, is about the creation of all things, including human beings. In it is written something incredibly important when it comes to our idea of authority or power. Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (Genesis 1:26 NIV). That line, “So that they may rule . . .” was written about human beings from the very beginning. According to the writer, humans were literally put on this planet and given power or authority over the rest of creation. Humans— you and me—were designed by God to have traits of God. That’s what it means to have God’s image in us. And it’s with God’s image and likeness in us that we are to demonstrate and practice authority. Sounds great, right? Fast forward to today and it’s easy to see how humans have used power and authority for good. But, it’s also easy to see the way humans have also turned things upside down from how they were originally intended to be.

• Power has been used to liberate or help, and oppress or harm, entire groups of people.

• Power has been used to bring peace and start wars that have wiped out millions.

• Power has been used to create resources that meet people’s needs, and it’s been used irresponsibly in lots of cases. So, even though power was a part of the deal at creation, humans haven’t always used it well. But that wasn’t the case with Jesus. Jesus turned the idea of power upside down. Jesus flipped the idea of power upside down in a way people didn’t expect or know what to do with. He did things WAY differently than the religious leaders of his time. Where other leaders fought to be seen as increasingly powerful by putting others down, Jesus chose to do the opposite. Not only that, He did something none of them could pull off. He was killed by those leaders because they didn’t like the way He did things, BUT then, in the biggest power flex possible, He came back to life. In fact, just so that there were no questions, Jesus actually made it really clear what kind of power He had when he said: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Matthew 28:18a NIV). I mean, there’s really no room for questions when it comes to Jesus’ authority. He’s like “Hey, just in case you were wondering, after the whole coming-back-to-life thing I pulled off, I have been given ALL authority over everything!” This is good news because it means that He is the perfect example of what being powerful looks like. Jesus could have used His power to put down or oppress other people, but He used it to do things people didn’t expect. He set out to create an upside down kingdom, where power was used in the way God had always planned for it. In a culture that was used to things being a certain way, it was upside down that He used His power . . .

• to show that He honored and valued women.

• to prove that He wasn’t okay with corrupt and evil systems.

• to heal people who were sick.

• to hang out with the outcasts of society.

• to forgive people who had wronged Him.

• to include people who most powerful people ignored. He never used His power to make others feel small, hurt, or oppressed. His is an example of power being turned upside down. But also? It’s the picture of power used perfectly. No matter what your experience has been with people in authority or whether you have or haven’t handled power so well yourself, Jesus’ example shows us how power is supposed to be used and what it’s supposed to look like. He has all authority and He is an authority we can follow and model when we are given a little bit of power ourselves. He shows us what power and authority in an upside-down kingdom can and should look like.

Application

So, what does this mean for you and me as we go through life trying to get this power thing right? Well, really the place we can all start is by choosing to . . . RETHINK THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT POWER AND AUTHORITY. Why? Because whether we’re people who push back against the authority in our lives or people who are looking for opportunities to gain more power than we currently have, chances are we have seen or used power in a way that doesn’t reflect the way God intended for it be used. So, by rethinking it, we can choose to look to Jesus’ example of authority and the way God has always intended for power and authority to be used. If you’re ready to take a new approach to the way you think about authority, here are a couple ways to start: Think about Jesus.

Before going after power or going against the people who have authority over us, we should think about the things we just talked about that Jesus said and did. We should ask ourselves, “What made Jesus a good authority figure?” and “How did He use His power?” Then, we’ll be better able to know what to do when we are given power of any kind. We’ll also know the kinds of authority figures worth following.

Then, once you’ve thought about Jesus’ example you can . . .

Rethink how you use the power you have.

Chances are you have at least some power and influence. Think about ways you can leverage your power for good. Maybe you can be the one to invite the loner kid at school into the conversation. Maybe you can use your influence to stop the joke when someone else is hurt by it. Maybe you can be the person who puts an end to gossip and shuts down rumors. Don't just talk about it in small group, be about it in real life.

Rethink about the authority figures in your life.

Take some time to think about the coaches, teachers, parents, small group leaders, bosses, and whoever else seems to have some kind of power in your life. Maybe you love the way they use their power or maybe you don’t. Either way, learn to look for the good. Look for the positive things in who they are and the way they use the authority they have. Maybe they believe deeply in your potential, maybe they defend you when you need it most, maybe they’ve taught you valuable life lessons. The truth is that authority can be annoying, but when you think about the example that Jesus gave us and you line it up with the ways the people around you use their power, are there things that match up? By rethinking about the authorities in your life, you can change the way you see them or even change the way you treat those with power moving forward. Now, just to be clear, this does NOT mean you should ignore the reality of harmful authority or the harmful ways people use their power. There is a difference between authority that’s annoying and authority that’s harmful. You might be annoyed your mom is using her power to ask you to take out the trash, but she’s not bad for doing this. In fact, she’s using her power to teach you responsibility, as lame as that might feel.

BUT anyone who uses their power in ways that are harmful to you, someone else, or themselves is NOT using authority in ways that align with Jesus’ example.

In fact, Jesus spoke out against this kind of authority time and time again. Remember, Jesus turned the idea of power upside down and used His authority and his power for the good of other people, to help free the oppressed, and to benefit those He had power over. So, if you’re experiencing the use of power in harmful ways, the best thing to do is to speak up.

Landing

So yes, we might get annoyed with those in authority or even find ourselves wanting power in ways that might not be beneficial. But, we can be confident that in Jesus we have a perfect example of the way power and authority were intended to be used. He used power in an upside-down way. As we go about our day-to-day lives and as we get older and find ourselves in positions of authority more often, we can choose to RETHINK THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT POWER AND AUTHORITY. And when we do, we may see our perspectives on people like our parents, guardians, bosses, teachers, and coaches begin to change. When we look for the good in our teachers, we may find our class gets better. When we see our coaches in a positive light, we may find ourselves running harder and less tempted to talk back to them. When we see the ways our parent sacrificed for us, taking out the trash won’t feel so annoying. The way we think about authority can actually change how we experience authority and how people in authority interact with us. Plus, we’ll have a better picture of what good authority is supposed to be like when we’re in positions of authority and power someday. Why not start to rethink the way you think about authority and power today. As you head to small group today, think about your answer to this question: When you think about power, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?