Open your Bible this morning and turn with me to the book of Acts chapter 17. Acts chapter 17. I'm very excited to share what the Lord has given me this morning from His Word. And I hope that it is something that will help each one of us here today. I know there are a lot of different age groups represented, but I think that What we have, what we find here in Acts chapter 17 is something that will help each one of us. And so let's begin reading in Acts chapter 17, verse one. The Bible says, now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica. where was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead, and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas, and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. But the Jews, which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also. These that have turned the world upside down have come hither also." There have been many movers and shakers in the world to this point in all of history. Many people have turned the world upside down, so to speak. If you go all the way back to the beginning of human history, you have the example of Nimrod, whose rebellious leadership turned the world upside down, and that as a result of him and those people and what they were doing, There are many languages today. People live all across the world because of the dispersion that happened there. Noah and his noble actions, his righteous actions, resulted in the world being turned upside down in that, because of his obedience, the human race has been preserved. God used him to continue mankind. You have strong-armed rulers who turn the world upside down, like generals like Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Stalin, Hitler. All of these people have made powerful impacts on the world, the result of which, in many cases, we still feel today. Other people have made more peaceful impacts. I think of people like Wilbert and Orville Wright and their studies in the field of aeronautics and the hundreds of planes that go in and out of Charlotte every single day. in part are because of the studies that these men put into that field. People like Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton and their studies in physics and astronomy. Mary Curie and her groundbreaking studies in radioactivity and she's part of the reason that we have the x-ray machine today. These people made a lasting impact on the world. They turned upside down a lot of the ideas that existed, a lot of the norms that existed in that culture, in that time. Even in some cases though they were, you know, diabolical changes in the case of Nimrod or some of these generals. They made a lasting impact that turned the world upside down. And we feel the reverberations of those impacts today in some cases. In this chapter here, however, in this case, we have these men, Paul and Silas, and they also have been accused of turning the world upside down. But this is a very different accusation. This is a very different case. And, you know, for each one of us here today, the truth is that God desires for us to make the same impact on the world around us that Paul and Silas made here in Thessalonica. And it wasn't just Thessalonica. If you go back chapters in Acts, I mean, as they preached, everywhere they went, they were, in a sense, turning the world upside down. Opposition came to them over and over and over again. Acts 13, 14, 16. Leading up to this, they are facing persecution. You know, as one who's about to graduate from Ambassador and go out from this place, as many of you here are, and even for those of you who aren't, who are going out to summer ministries or going home to your family to work a job, for those of you here today who are already in ministry, God desires for each one of us to turn our world upside down for Christ. And for the accusation to be made of us that This guy has turned the world upside down for Christ. These people have turned the world upside down for Christ. And that's the title of my message this morning, These That Have Turned the World Upside Down for Christ. I believe that by God's power and by the preaching of His word, you can and you must turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ. So the question is, how can you make this impact? How can you make an impact that literally turns the world upside down for Christ? And I believe, first of all, we see that happens through the preaching of the truth, through the message of God's word. Paul enters, and it says, as his manner was, okay, and as his manner was, if you look back over the chapters, you see his manner was, over and over again, to go into the synagogue, and he reasoned with them three Sabbath days out of the scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead, and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ, or is the Messiah." So they've gone out and they're preaching this message that Jesus Christ that lived, okay, this happens, I mean, he's writing this not long after Christ has died, buried, and been resurrected and ascended back into heaven. So they know who this Jesus that he's talking about, this Christ, is. And he's saying, this Jesus that you know about that rose from the dead, He is the Messiah, the Messiah that you were looking for that would deliver you from Rome, from those rulers. He's come to deliver you from your sins. And that message of the truth of the gospel is what was turning the world upside down. And that's the message that each one of us have to take with us. It's not, you know, if we are going to turn the world upside down for Christ, and let me just say, the world already is upside down. The world is upside down. So if my phone is upside down, can you see my timer? I'm watching the time. So if my phone is upside down, like this world, if we go and we turn the world upside down, now it's right side up. And so as Christians, our goal is to go out into this upside down world and to turn it back upside down for Jesus Christ. And the message of the gospel is what will do that. It's not, It's not anything that we can do. I'm saying that we, as ambassadors for Christ, need to go and turn the world upside down. But don't misunderstand what I'm saying. It is God who does the work. God who turns people's lives upside down. You know, I think sometimes I think about the great need in the world and the billions of people that live and I think about our small community here at Ambassador and the 120, 30 students that are here. And what a daunting task for us to turn the world upside down for Christ. But the truth is that when one soul is saved, their world is turned upside down for Christ. And so for us to go out from this place and to minister to people, to invest in people, to share God's truth with them, we are giving them the opportunity to see their lives turned upside down. And so that is how the world is turned upside down, it's one soul at a time. But is the word of God that does the work in hearts? Hebrews 4.12 says, for the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of a sunderer of soul and spirit of the bone and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. It's the word of God that turns the world upside down. And if you're saved here today, God has turned your world upside down. And now he's telling you, he's asking you, go and turn other people's worlds upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ. What I'm saying is God wants to use you, each one of you, to make a radical impact on this world for Jesus Christ. And you must do that by sharing the truth of his word, by preaching the gospel of Christ. And so, what is this gospel? Paul clearly lays out the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15, 3 and 4 where he says that the gospel is how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. That he was buried and that he rose again according to the scriptures. If you look back here in Acts chapter 17, verse 3, that's what he's preaching to these people. He's preaching Christ crucified and risen from the dead. And you have to understand today The world is opposed to this. I hope I'm not making it sound overly simple, this idea of turning the world upside down. They're very content with the way that they're living. Lost people are very content with the sin that they're living in. and they are opposed to the message of the gospel. They are opposed to the idea that you would say to them that they are a sinner. They may admit that they have sinned in their life, that they may have sinned here or there, but the idea that they're a sinner and that they deserve hell for their sin, the world is opposed to that message. And so, as I've looked through Acts here, in the passages leading up to this here, as Paul and Silas, and before those two, Paul and Barnabas, preach over and over and over again, they meet opposition. Opposition, opposition. You know, he preaches at Lystra, and he meets opposition there, and he goes to Derbe, and the people from Lystra come and stone him at Derbe for what he preached in Lystra. And so on and on and on, and if you look in 2 Corinthians, Paul gives a list of the ways that he was persecuted, for preaching the gospel over the course of his ministry. And there will be opposition to the gospel. 1 Corinthians 1.18 says that the preaching of the cross is to those that are perishing, to those that are lost, the preaching of the cross is foolishness. It's foolishness to them. But unto us which are saved, those of us here in this building here today who know Christ, to us which are saved, it is the power of God. And so it is our responsibility to take that, that truth, that life-changing truth, the power of God, to other people so that their lives can be changed, so that their world can be turned upside down. It's the Word of God that is like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces. The hearts of the lost in the world around us are hardened to the gospel, but it is God's Word that is able to make that change. It is God's Word that can make the change in their life. What I'm trying to help you see today is not that you can change people's lives, not that you can turn the world upside down, but that it's your responsibility to fulfill what God has given you, the command God has given you, to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. And as you take that message forward, as you take the message of truth forward into this world, God will turn the world upside down for Christ. And so the message is important. If you're going to turn the world upside down for Christ, you must preach the truth. You must share the truth. And don't get too caught up in the word preach, okay? I want everyone to understand that preaching the truth, sharing the truth, is a responsibility for everyone, not just for people that are preaching, okay? All people need truth, and whether you're a man or a woman, share truth with people around you. But, as important as the message is, so is our lifestyle. This is not explicit in the text, but I think is implicit that Paul's life was being watched as he preached. As he went about all these different places, preaching the gospel, teaching the synagogue, you know, ministering to people, over time, some of these cities he was in a lot less than others, but over time, you know, he went to Derby and Lystra, and then he returned back through there, And people saw his life. And it wasn't just when he was up behind the pulpit preaching. They knew who he was. And it is important for us, as we live the Christian life, as we try to share truth with others and make an impact on them, that we are not living inconsistently. That we're not saying over here on this hand, You know, this is what God's word says, this is what you need to do. And then on the other hand, there's this area of our life where we are living sinfully, okay? People are watching our lives. And it is imperative that as we share the truth with others of God's word, as we share the gospel, people see the gospel living in us. They see Christ living through us. And I wanna share some verses this morning that kind of show that not only Paul was concerned about that, but that we need to be concerned about that. In 2 Timothy 3.10, Paul's writing to Timothy, he says, And so Paul acknowledges there, Timothy, you know, you fully know my manner of life. Now, admittedly, Timothy was around Paul more than the average person since he was mentoring him. But Paul understood people were watching his life. And the way that he lived needed to be consistent with what he was teaching and preaching. Philippians 1.27 says, In James 3.13 we see that Christians should show out of a good conversation, a good lifestyle, his works with meekness of wisdom. 1 Peter 1.15 says, of conversation or lifestyle. Okay, I'm talking this morning about how the message is important, but your lifestyle must match up with the message that you're preaching. 1 Peter 2.12 says, having your conversation, that is your lifestyle, honest among the Gentiles. that whereas they speak evil against you, they speak against you as evildoers, which is exactly what was happening to Paul and Silas here in Acts chapter 17. They were speaking against them as evildoers, okay? This is an accusation, these that have turned the world upside down, that I would gladly take. If someone said, that Christian over there is turning the world upside down, I'd gladly take that. But Paul and Silas, We're not like purposefully trying to mess things up in that town, okay? This was kind of a false accusation again that they were turning the world upside down. But whereas they speak evil against you, they may buy your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Second Peter 311 says, seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all conversation and godliness? God has placed each one of us in a world, okay? We each have our own little world that we live in, okay? whether it, all the people we touch in our lives, okay, that's the world that God has placed us in. The people that we interact with, that is our world. That is your world, okay? God has called you not to turn all eight billion people upside down for Jesus Christ. He's called you to turn upside down those people and to minister to those people that he has placed in your sphere. So the people that he brings you into contact with, That is who you are responsible to share the truth of God's word with. That is who you are responsible to live a godly lifestyle before. You're not responsible to draw to Christ the people that you don't know. You're responsible to draw to Christ the people that you do know. And someday, God may expand your sphere. He may give you new people to minister to that you didn't know before. He undoubtedly will. But when you are living, Where you are, that is the sphere that God has given you to minister to. That is the world that God desires for you to turn upside down. And, you know, 2 Corinthians 5, 17 says, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away, behold, all things are become new. And if you're a Christian here today, God has given you a new life. He's given you a new creature. He's made you a new creature. And he desires for you to live that lifestyle that matches up with Jesus Christ. A lifestyle that's consistent with what you're preaching and teaching. These that have turned the world upside down have come here also. That was the accusation made of these men. God has placed each Christian in here today in a specific area of service, a specific sphere where they are to minister. He's bringing you into contact with people that he's not bringing anyone else into contact with. That is your world. As you go out from this place into that world, whether it be your workplace or your church or your area of ministry this summer, your family at home, will those who are in that world that you are in be able to say of you that you are one that has turned the world upside down? That you are one that is turning the world upside down? We are ambassadors for Christ, are we not? Let's go and turn the world upside down for His name. And if you're here today and you don't know Christ as your Savior, if God has never saved you, if your world has never been turned upside down, God wants to save you today. He wants to give you new life. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. God wants to give you new life today. Trust him as your savior today if you don't know him. And for those of you, you're ambassadors for Christ, if you're saved, go out and turn this world upside down for him.