Turn The World Upside Down

Mar 18, 2018

THOUGHTS FOR YOUR JOURNEY . . .

 

On this journey, there will be moments of contention. 

• Don’t let moments of contention hijack the mission.
  • Relational challenges are never a valid reason for missional drift.

 

On this journey, there will be moments when God redirects you.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”  Proverbs 16:9

 

• God is strategic in all He does.
  • The unexpected is often God working undercover.
    • The better question to ask is not “Why?” but “What?” God show me what you are up to? 
    • The temptation is often to complain about what we don’t get to do, rather than allowing the Spirit to stir within us a spiritual curiosity as to what God is inviting us to.

 

On this journey, there will be opportunities to have gospel conversations.

• Some will receive

“One who heard us was a woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God.  The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.”  Acts 16:14

 

“Then he (the jailer) brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’”  Acts 16:30

 

“And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.”  Acts 17:4

 

“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.’”  Acts 17:19-20

 

• Some will reject

“Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked.  But others said, ‘We will hear you again about this.’”  Acts 17:32

 

• Some will be hostile to it.

“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, seeing to bring them out to the crowd.”  Acts 17:5 

 

On this journey, there will be moments you will want to give in to fear and give up. 

“And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.’  And he stayed there a year and six months teaching the word of God among them.”  Acts 18:9-11  

 

YOUR LIFE MISSIONARY JOURNEY MATTERS . . .

 

1. Because people
2. Because gospel conversations bring clarity to confusion.
3. Because a wrong side up world needs to be turned upside down.

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also . . . and they are acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”  Acts 17:6b-7