Affecting the Worldly System
Published by Stanley Pouw in 2017 · 5 March 2017
When Adam sinned it was a twofold problem, Adam and the whole human race not only fell and became cursed but the earth itself is also cursed. So when you put a cursed man in a cursed system, he is going to get along in that system pretty well. Only when you apply righteousness that you will cause disturbance. And that is why the truth of God, throughout history, will always turn man's world upside down.
Now, throughout God's redemptive history, God has sent people to do that to worldly system. And they were sent to smash, head on, into man's system and show that it was wrong. From man's viewpoint, his system is right-side up, but from God's viewpoint, it is upside down. From man's viewpoint, a Christian turns the system upside down. From God's viewpoint, the Christian turns the system right-side up.
God has used men and women, individuals, small groups and larger groups. People are the vehicle that throw the worldly system into chaos. Righteous people running into an unrighteous system always create waves. Now in Acts 17 we meet a few of these people. Acts 17: 6 characterized Paul, Silas and Timothy with these words, “These that have turned the world upside down.”
These people turned the world upside down because of five things that are illustrated in the text, One is courage, second is content, third is converts, fourth is conflict, which will happen when the first three happen, and fifth is concern, and that is the motivation that makes it all happen. Let us review the first two. The biblical definition of courage is confidence in God.
If you are hesitant to witness, or to do anything - you just do not have a proper perspective of God. Let us see now how confident Paul was. He was on his second missionary journey and he was pursing the plan as God has directed him, which was to go to Thessalonica, in verse 1, "and there was the synagogue of the Jews there." Verse 2, “and Paul, as his manner was, went into them.” This first shows great courage because he was attacked in most every synagogue.
He had confidence in God, if God puts him up to it, then He will not forsake him in the middle of it. He had to go the Jewish synagogue because he had to oppose the existing religious system to bring those Jews to a knowledge of Christ. We jumped back and forth between Thessalonica and Berea, because they are parallels. And we learned that courage is based on trusting God, confessing sin and thanking Him in advance.
Now, the second thing that we see here in a man who affects the world is content. So, it wasn't just Paul's courage, it was what he said. Many Christians say that they are living witnesses at work. Nobody ever got to heaven by watching somebody. You got to say it, sooner or later. You have to open your mouth, and something has to come out that relates to truth of God that you can proclaim and defend.
As Christians we need to know the Word of God, so we can give an answer to people. Notice that Paul, in verse 2, for three Sabbath days, reasoned with the Thessalonians out of the Scriptures. Reasoning really means that he answered questions. Verse 3, "And he took the Old Testament and opened and showed from the Old Testament text, "that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead.”
Both Isaiah 53 and Psalms 22 show that. So Paul said at the end of verse 3, “Jesus, whom I preach, is that Messiah.” So, he did an Old Testament study and then said, "Christ fulfills it," and he did this on three occasions on the Sabbath day. Reasoning implies that the mind is involved. This cannot be an emotional response. The Gospel has to be absolutely factually clear to them.
He did the same thing in Berea but the Jews there reacted very different. Why? Acts 17:11 says, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” They wanted to know where you can find the content of what Paul spoke about in the Old Testament.
1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” Paul knew the Word and there is no shortcut. But no one can completely master the Bible. You can get the principles, but the study never ends. It is possible to know how to save a drowning person in the lifesaving class. But can you save a drowning person when the ship goes down, and you are in the ocean?
How can we know the Word? One, confess your sin, because if there's unconfessed sin in your life, you have a hindrance to knowing the Word, 1 Peter 2:1. Second thing, always study the Word, there's no shortcut. 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God.” Third, make the Word come alive in your own life, apply it to whatever you do. Not just in your head, but in your actions. Experience is the best teacher. And fourth, share it. The best way to learn the Word is to tell somebody else.
Now, the third thing that makes somebody who really affects the world, is having converts. When you start seeing other people come to Christ, then you know that God is using you. Why? Because you're multiplying the influence, right? Every Christian should see converts. Well, it may be that you plant, it may be you water, but it will be God who controls it all and who gives the increase.
Jesus promised that every Christian was going to be productive. Listen to John 15:16. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.” John 15:5-6, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered.” So, converts are part of the fruit.
Now, you cannot do it alone. You have to reproduce, that is what it means to have converts. Paul was so effective because he went into town and people believed him. You have influenced the world when you effect other people. Verse 4, ‘And some of them were persuaded.” Paul presented an airtight presentation of Christ which was used by the Holy Spirit to bring them to salvation. Paul persuaded them, as it were, against their will to believe.
Now, in Berea, the attitude of the Jews was totally different, they were waiting to believe. All they wanted to do was to consult their Old Testament and see if it was true. Verse 11, “they searched the Scriptures daily" and so in verse 12, “therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.” Bereans believed right away but the Thessalonians had to be persuaded.
So, they had a harvest down there and the church in Berea was born. What is interesting is that you do not hear another word about Berea in the bible, but you hear a lot about Thessalonica. And Thessalonica became the most beloved church for Paul. And of all the churches that are written to in the New Testament, they seem to be the most like Christ wanted the church to be.
This happened to prove that salvation is the equalizer. It doesn't matter what you were before you were saved. At the moment of salvation, the issue is what you do with the spiritual resources that become yours. People say, “Well, so and so, before he was saved, he was into dope and Satan, so we can't expect much from him.” However the truth is that you can expect just as much as you can expect out of the finest guy that ever was, when he gets saved. Because the resources from God are the same, right?
The most common reason that people will not believe is that they do not investigate the Scripture. The bible covers hundreds of years of history. It covers all of the revelation of God, who made the universe. It covers spiritual reality. How did you ever come to such a conclusion? Well, you know, I read it a couple times. I was in a class somewhere in college and this guy said it was a lot of baloney. They did not really read it.
People who make the world different are the people who multiply the holiness in the world by leading somebody to Jesus Christ. How? Here is a pattern. One, recognize your obligation. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Acts 1:8, “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me.” In John 15:26-27, Jesus said that the Father wants to give testimony by the Spirit through you, to the world.
To have the truth and not to share it feels like a crime against humanity, and against God. So, recognize your obligations. Secondly, accept the results. They are not always positive. Do not say, “I witnessed and nothing happened. I'm not doing that anymore.” And the more you do it, the harder Satan is going to resist it. And the closer we get to the coming of Christ, the harder men's hearts are going to get.
Thirdly, know your power source, and whatever the negative reactions are, your power will overcome them. The Holy Spirit will do the convicting, the Holy Spirit will do the empowering, and you don't need to worry about the negative. Recognize your obligation, recognize that the results are not always positive and know that you are given power and fourthly, remember His promise. John 15:16 says, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.”
So courage, content, and converts are affecting the world. And out of those three, will come number four: conflict. If you have courageous effort combined with the right message and people get saved because of your faithfulness, there is going to be conflict. Why? Because you are creating holiness in an unholy environment. And as such you are causing trouble, but that is what God wants you to do.
In fact, Paul knew it was coming because he was already gone by the time they came to get him. Verse 5, “But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.” The thing that they envied was the Gentiles, who had been offered the Messiah on an equal basis with the Jews.
They knew Paul and the others were staying with Jason, so here come these people to Jason's house, “And they sought to bring them out to the people." But God is way ahead of them. Paul, Silas and Timothy are gone. Just Jason is there. Verse 6, “But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”
The first charge is a general revolution. The second thing they charged them with is "treason against Rome." Verse 7, “Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus.” They crucified Jesus for claiming to be a king. Remember Pilate questioned Him, "Are you a king?" And the chief priests answered in John 19:15, "No, We have no king but Caesar.”
Men do not like to hear that Jesus is King. Verse 8-9, “And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. 9 So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.” These rulers really acted wisely. It could've really exploded, if they didn't get rid of Paul. But they were afraid that if they punished him, that he had won enough converts who would start a riot.
So they made Jason post a bond, to guarantee that Paul and Silas and Timothy wouldn't trouble them anymore. So, they had a guarantee for the good behavior and quick exit of Paul, Silas and Timothy. Verse 10, “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.”
Paul described this in 1 Thessalonians 2:17, “We brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavor to more abundantly to see your face with great desire." But Paul says in verse 18, "Satan hindered us." This whole setup, with the security bond guaranteed by Jason - meant that there was no way he could get back in there, as long as those magistrates were there.
So, conflict came and it was a good thing. The church in Thessalonica became the best church. But Paul couldn't even get back to see them. They went to Berea and what happened there? Verse 13, “But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds.”
So, Paul had to leave them again. Verse 14, “Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there.” Why? Paul's great concern for new believers is discipleship. Verse 15, “So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.”
These guys that changed the world had a concern. This was not concern for the lost, although everyone should have that. But they had another concern. Look at verse 16, “Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.” Paul was concerned with all the idolatry.
Paul saw that God was not being glorified. The greatest motive that any Christian should always have is to glorify God. Psalm 23:3, “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Paul didn't see the worldly glory of Athens, what he saw was that God was not being honored. What about you? How do you react to secularism, which does not believe in God’s authority, everywhere? Let us pray.