What Upside Down is Right Side Up

Overview

When Upside Down Is Right Side Up

When Paul and Silas arrived in Thessalonica—a major port city of some 200,000 people and the capital of Macedonia—they did what they always did: they went straight to the synagogue. There, as Acts 17:2-3 records, Paul "reasoned" with them from the Scriptures on three Sabbath days. The Greek word here (dialegomai) is closer to "dialogue" than "argued." Paul did not offer opinions; he opened the Scriptures and let them speak. In doing so, he followed the pattern of the risen Christ Himself, who in Luke 24:27 interpreted "in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself," beginning with Moses and the Prophets. Paul would have turned to passages like Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, and Psalm 16 to explain and to prove that the Messiah had to suffer, die, and rise.

Why "necessary"? Because only Jesus could satisfy the demands of God's holiness by living the perfect life we cannot live, and only His death on the cross could satisfy the demands of God's justice by paying the debt our sin had incurred. His righteousness is then credited to us—good news poured out freely, claimed in the waters of baptism, and received by faith alone. This is precisely the message that scandalized Thessalonica, where many believed they could earn God's favor through their own works. The proclamation that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our own doing (a truth Paul develops fully elsewhere), cut directly against the grain.

The mob's complaint in Acts 17:6 is one of Scripture's great unintended compliments: "These people who have turned the world upside down have come here also." But here is the truth they missed—the world was already upside down because of sin. Isaiah 5:20 describes a world that calls evil good and good evil, light darkness and darkness light. Proverbs 14:12 warns that "there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." And 1 Corinthians 3:18 reminds us that the world considers the wisdom of God to be foolishness. When the gospel comes into a world already inverted by sin, what looks like turning things upside down is actually setting them right side up.

This shapes how we live. When believers forgive instead of retaliate, serve instead of compete, and lift others up rather than ourselves—as Ephesians 4:32 calls us to "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you"—the watching world is startled. It looks backwards to them. But it is the kingdom breaking in. May it be said of us, too, that we are turning the world upside down through the proclamation of Jesus Christ—because in Him, upside down is right side up.

Transcript

It is a house that was intentionally built upside down. 0s

It's rather disorienting as you walk into it, because literally everything is upside down. 6s

All of the appliances, all of the fixtures, everything, including a glass that is half filled. 13s

The car is upside down, the entire house is upside down. 21s

Let's not write, is it? 27s

It's just not right. 30s

But we're going to study today a time when upside down is really upside down. 33s

When upside down is really upside up. 46s

Look with me, please, at verse 1 of chapter 17. 53s

The Scripture says, after Paul and Silas had passed through and fiddlest and Appalinea, 58s

they came to Thessalonica where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 66s

Thessalonica was a very, very important city in ancient day. 74s

He had about 200,000 population at this point, it was a port city. 78s

So you had a lot of commerce going in and out. 82s

It was the capital of Macedonia. 85s

This is a very, very important city. 88s

Paul and Silas come to it and where did they go first? 93s

We've seen this script before, haven't we? 96s

When they would move into a town where would they go first? 99s

They would go into the synagogue, right? 102s

They'd move into the synagogue if there was a synagogue and there they would start preaching 105s

the good news about Jesus Christ. 110s

Next verse, please, verse 2. 116s

And Paul went in as was his custom and on three Sabbath days argued with them from the scriptures. 118s

You see that word that is argued, the Greek word is dialectical mind. 129s

dialectical mind. 137s

Now do you hear what English word we could get from that dialectical mind? 139s

Dialogue, right? 144s

Dialogue. 145s

That's why I'm not really too fond of the translation here for argued. 146s

Because in other translations you see a better translation of reasoned with dialogue, 151s

with argued gives a contentious kind of nature to it. 158s

But it's not really getting at that word there. 163s

Paul entered into a dialogue with them. 167s

He was reasoning with them. 171s

And what was he using to reason with them? 173s

It's the scriptures, right? 178s

Paul didn't go in and say, I have a whole batch of opinions I'd like to share with you. 180s

No, he said, thus, say, the word of the Lord. 186s

Here's the point of our discussion. 189s

Here's the point of our reasoning together, thus, say, the Lord. 192s

And from there, he proclaimed. 197s

He did two things in the dialogue. 202s

Next verse, verse 3. 206s

Explaining, there's one, and proving, there's two, that it was necessary for the Messiah 209s

to suffer and to rise from the dead and saying, this is the Messiah. 219s

Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you. 227s

Two things in. 233s

He explains and he proves that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. 235s

Think now to Luke 24th chapter. 248s

Luke the 24th chapter is after the resurrection. 252s

The two are walking along the road to a man's. 256s

They're down. 261s

They're rejected. 261s

They're glong because they say they had such high hopes for Jesus. 263s

And the resurrected Christ comes alongside of them. 268s

And what does Jesus do to prove that indeed he's the Messiah? 273s

He turns them where? 278s

Description. 281s

Luke 24th says, then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them 283s

the things about himself in all the scriptures. 291s

So as Paul here and Silas are proving that Jesus is who he says he is, they go to the 298s

scriptures. 305s

They're just doing exactly what the Lord did. 305s

Where the Lord turned to the scriptures to prove exactly who he was. 308s

Certainly, Paul would have gone to Psalm 22. 315s

He would have gone to Isaiah 53. 321s

That speaks of the Messiah who would be crucified. 325s

Certainly, he would have gone to Psalm 16 which speaks of the resurrection of the Messiah 329s

to come certainly. 336s

Paul would have turned to those and other passages and proclaimed the gospel. 339s

So he's explaining. 348s

And he's proving, go a little bit deeper, back to verse 3 again, explaining and proving 352s

that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead. 360s

So it's necessary. 369s

So if someone asks you, was it necessary for Jesus to die on the cross and to rise from 373s

the tomb? 381s

What's the answer? 381s

Yes, yes. 383s

It was absolutely necessary. 386s

Why is that? 388s

Scripture tells us that in Jesus, Jesus satisfies the demands of God's holiness. 389s

In other words, Jesus lives the perfect, sinless life. 399s

He does what we can't. 406s

He satisfied the demands for God's holiness. 409s

Secondly, he satisfied the demands for God's justice. 413s

Rejustice. 420s

As Jesus Christ on the cross, took all of our sin upon Him. 421s

He paid the debt, the just God demands for the transgression of sin. 427s

He paid the debt for us. 434s

And so he satisfied the demands of God's holiness. 439s

He satisfied the demands of God's justice. 443s

And he gives to us his holy life. 448s

That gets credited to us. 452s

So was it necessary for Jesus to die and to rise absolutely? 456s

He accomplished. 467s

Paul then explains to them. 470s

He proves to them that it's necessary that Jesus did what he did. 473s

This glorious good news of forgiveness through Christ. 482s

This glorious good news that the tomb is empty and death has been overcome. 487s

The glorious news that the tomb is empty and the sacrifice for sin has been accomplished. 491s

The glorious news that we are claimed in the waters of baptism. 498s

And we are given the righteousness of Christ in this concrete way as we're washed in his promises. 503s

That glorious good news to the people of old and to us. 510s

And their response. 517s

Look at verse 4. 523s

Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 528s

But the Jews became jealous and with the help of some roughions in the marketplaces, 541s

they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. 551s

As Paul seen that before, you bet. 560s

Number X 13. 565s

In Cyprus, he's dealing with a false prophet. 567s

The Jews get all bent out of shape. 571s

There's persecution there. 574s

Remember, he's driven from the district. 576s

He goes to Iconium. 579s

He's driven there from Iconium. 581s

He goes to Lystra and they try and kill him there. 583s

And go on in the second part of verse 5, their response. 589s

While they were searching for Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly, they attacked Jason's house. 595s

When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some believers before the city authorities shouting. 604s

These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also. 610s

And Jason has entertained them as guests. 622s

They all acted contrary to the degrees of the Emperor saying that there is another king named Jesus. 626s

The people in the city officials were disturbed when they heard this. 635s

And after they had taken bail from Jason and the others, they'd let them go. 640s

Their response. 648s

They're turning the world upside down. 652s

So I doubt. 656s

Because what did the proclamation of Jesus Christ do? 660s

He proclaimed the exact opposite of what they believed. 664s

They believed that they could redeem themselves. 668s

They believed that by their good works God would be impressed. 671s

They believed in works righteousness. 676s

And along then comes the proclamation that were saved by grace through faith. 679s

And this is not our own doing. 683s

It is the gift of God. 684s

Along comes the proclamation of God's unmarried love to us. 686s

That He pours out to us. 692s

His love that's not earned, His love that is freely given. 695s

The proclamation you see is the opposite of what they believed and taught. 700s

And so they say, they're turning the world upside down. 710s

What crazy ideas are these? 715s

They're turning the world upside down. 719s

But you see? 731s

The world is already upside down because of sin. 735s

I think of Isaiah, the fifth chapter. 750s

There the scripture says, you who call evil good and good evil, 757s

who put darkness for light and light for darkness. 768s

Who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter? 773s

The world's already upside down because of sin. 783s

I think of Proverbs, the fourth chapter. 791s

There the scripture says, there is a way that seems right to a person, 795s

but it's end is the way to death. 800s

There's a way that seems right, but it's the way to death. 805s

See that speaks of a world that's upside down because of sin. 809s

I think of first Corinthians, the third chapter. 817s

The scripture says, do not deceive yourselves. 821s

If you think that your wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may be 823s

calm wise. 830s

See the world's upside down. 833s

The world thinks that wisdom is foolish, that Christ is nothing but foolishness. 836s

The world is upside down because of sin. 843s

Back now, to verse 6, halfway through. 850s

These people who've been turning the world upside down have come here also. 857s

Think this through with me. 874s

If the world is upside down because of sin. 877s

Then when the Proclamation about Jesus came and they said, 889s

they're turning the world upside down, well then. 896s

Up upside down is right side up. 905s

The world's already upside down because of sin. 917s

The Proclamation of Jesus comes. 922s

You're turning the world upside down. 924s

And upside down is right side up. 929s

Think of two men, one by the name of Evan and one by the name of Adam. 941s

They were taking part in a 5K run in the state of Iowa. 948s

So we're running along Evan noticed that Adam was starting to struggle a little bit. 953s

So he held back and he encouraged his friend. 960s

You can do that. 964s

Adam had been diagnosed as being autistic and also with epilepsy at the age of three. 967s

So as they were running along as he was being encouraged, 976s

as he started to come to the finish line, Evan started to go even slower. 982s

So that Adam would go in front of him and cross the finish line before Evan. 990s

Reporters who were there covering the race, they noticed that. 999s

And they went right over to Evan. 1003s

And they said, why did you do that? 1006s

Why did you do that? 1009s

Why did you let him finish before you? 1011s

And Evan's response was, it just seemed that Adam needed to be first more than me. 1017s

The writer of the article said, you know, we are taught to compete to win. 1032s

And here was somebody who was competing to help. 1043s

And the world was turned upside down. 1052s

And upside down. 1063s

It was right side up, wasn't it? 1067s

Paul writes in Ephesians 4, he says, be kind to one another. 1074s

Be kind, tender-hearted, forgiving when another as God in Christ has forgiven you. 1084s

Be kind, tender-hearted. 1097s

Forgive. 1103s

For you see, when that is manifest, the world is turned upside down. 1108s

And upside down is right side up. 1121s

They said, they are turning the world upside down with this proclamation about Jesus Christ. 1131s

They're just turning the world upside down. 1143s

Turning the world upside down. 1149s

And upside down was right side up. 1159s

May people say of this church more and more and more. 1171s

You people are turning the world upside down. 1184s

You just turning the world upside down. 1190s

Right. 1195s

Right through the proclamation of Jesus. 1198s

Right side up. 1205s