Turned the World Upside Down

February 8

“These that have turned the world upside down are come here also,” Acts 17:6.

How long has it been since you’ve conveyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ with such passion and such power that those who heard you declared that you were virtually turning the world upside down?

Unfortunately, that assertion has probably never been made about you, just as it has rarely been made about any other believer in Christ. Why? Dr. D. James Kennedy penned some viable thoughts on that topic and they are worth our perusal:

“When you look at the impact of the Church in history, you can see the incredible ways Christianity has transformed the world for the better. Although these changes didn’t happen overnight, we see the gospel’s influence in abolishing slavery in the United States, bringing about university education, inspiring some of the greatest art in the world, causing hospitals to be built all over the world, and spreading a higher morality the world over.

“These changes occurred as Christians spread the gospel to the world around them. These powerful results reflect obedience to what I call “the cultural mandate” that God gave to humankind in Genesis 1—that we should subdue the earth for God’s glory.

“God has commissioned us to transform the world. Unfortunately, it’s easy to put our blinders on and ignore the impact of worldwide events. Too many professing Christians have developed a certain pietistic, self-centered view, pursuing only that which makes them feel good rather than the revolution Christ desires.

“I thank God for men and women who are genuinely concerned that the gospel of Christ has its application in every realm of the world. What role are you playing in making this dream a reality? Will you join God’s devoted servants as they endeavor to change the world to a better place for the glory of Jesus?”

Although not pointed out here by Dr. Kennedy, it is a reality that in our day, statistically, Christians are suffering more persecution than at any other point in history. Where other religions seem to enjoy the tolerance of most cultures, believers in Christ are persecuted in dramatic as well as in subtle ways by many who do not subscribe to the Gospel message.

The questions each of us who claim to know Jesus and who to have placed our lives at His feet must answer become, “How far will I go? How much of myself will I spend? How much of my life will I sacrifice?” in order to lift up the name of the One who died that I may live eternally.

Am I willing to turn my corner of the world upside down so the lost and dying may come to a knowledge of the Savior?