You can't get too far into the New Testament without realizing that the life and teachings of Jesus were not status quo. Everything about His life seemed "Upside Down." From His birth to His death and resurrection... everything seemed to turn the world's ideas, philosophies, and structure upside down!
And His teachings... if followed the way Jesus taught them to be followed would not only change culture, it would create a new culture. His apostles proved that. In the book of Acts, which is the history of the early church, Paul and Silas, 2 of Jesus' "Upside Down" followers came into the city of Thessalonica. For 3 weeks Paul spoke about Jesus' suffering and resurrection. He and Silas lived among the people sharing their "Upside Down" lifestyle.
Some of the citizens were really upset about this... so upset that they mobbed the house that Paul and Silas were staying at. (I'm not making this up... it's in Acts 17) They didn't find Paul or Silas so they literally dragged Jason (the owner of the house) and others before their city council. (wonder if this has ever happened in Madison?) Here's what they said...
"Paul and Silas have turned the rest of the world upside down, and now they are here disturbing our city..." Acts 17:6
That makes me wonder... have we tried to "right-side up" the "upside down" way of Jesus so we won't be disturbing? Mmmmm...
By the way... for the next 2 weeks, NMCC is going to be looking at this closer...
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