Men Who Turned the World Upside Down
Well, I was reading the book of Acts chapter 21 over a cup of Starbucks Kenya coffee in the C-Room of Glow In The Dark Studios, close to mid-town Atlanta, on a Sunday night after Passion City Church, a bowl of Ramen, and a peanut butter sandwich. We find the apostle Paul just before he makes his way to Jerusalem, where, the Holy Spirit has been confirming to him he will probably be killed.
For a few chapters now all the brothers and sisters Paul has been visiting with in various places, from various churches have all been urging him not to go to Jerusalem because, as I’ve said, everyone seems to be pretty sure that he won’t make it out alive. In light of this, each time he leaves a town, he says his last goodbyes to the brothers and sisters there. This chapter is no different.
While they were staying with a man named Philip and his family in Caesarea, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea with a word from the Holy Spirit for Paul: “And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”” Thanks, Agabus. Thagabus. As usual, the pleading for Paul not to go to Jerusalem ensues. However, this time, Paul retorts with a seemingly stern, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking me heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” They all stopped crying and accompanied him to Jerusalem a few days later.
As I read the first half of the chapter, I couldn’t help but compare myself to this inspiring man of God. I thought about Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus and how he didn’t just have an encounter with Jesus and then “go about his way.” He didn’t attempt to carry Christ into his workplace, his family, or his relationships. No, Christ became his work, the followers of Christ became his family, and every other relationship became about the only relationship that really matters at all. Every day, from Paul’s conversion on, the rest of his life was spent, at great cost to him, making sure the gospel was known in as many places as he could possibly go. I know we serve Jesus in a completely different culture, but I still feel like, personally, I need to have more of this abandon Paul (and others) had that I seem to be missing.
And another thing, Paul here clearly wasn’t pursuing Christ and the preaching of the gospel in any sort of moderation. They couldn’t have been simply honoring Christ privately or quietly. Otherwise, the Jews would have had no reason to want to kill them so badly! No, Paul (and other disciples) must have been startlingly outspoken, shaking up the social scene, and rubbing against the grain of the culture. They must have stuck out like sore thumbs! After all, these are the guys the jealous Jews referred to as “[the] men who have turned the world upside down…” before the authorities in chapter 17. You don’t get that title just by being your “friendly neighborhood Christian.” These men were earth-shattering for the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s follow their lead.
Father, you are sovereign and good. We pray that You would turn our worlds and our hearts upside down with the gospel and for Your people. Make us earth-shatterers for Your purposes, Your kingdom, and Your name. We don’t want to go down in history, Lord. We just want to be obedient. Help us, make us to be men and women who turn others’ worlds upside down with and for the gospel by the power of Your Holy Spirit, according to Your will. Not so we can gain a title, achieve more, or look better before You. Lord, we know we have no other success or goodness apart from Christ, and He has made us blameless before you by His death and resurrection. We are not, we must not strive to be good or to be better, but to know Christ and to make Him known. May the whole of our lives be spent, even at cost to us, for the gospel, for nothing else is worthwhile and we consider it a joy to suffer for Your namesake. We trust you, God. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
