Real Life Community Church Richmond, KY
Real Life Community Church, is a church located in Richmond, Kentucky. Our fellowship is comprised of authentic followers of Jesus Christ who aim to glorify God in all that we do. We have a desire to reach our community, meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of those who are hurting.What to Expect in a Service Our Sunday Morning services include a time of dynamic, blended worship. We have a full praise band, consisting of real Christ-followers who are committed to worshiping God, not just through song, but in every area of their lives. Each service will include a relevant, Bible-based message, that will inspire and challenge those who hear it. Come casually or formally dressed… however you are most comfortable. We hope to see you soon!
Real Life Community Church Richmond, KY
Acts | Part 31 | Turning the World Right-Side Up
How do we turn a broken world right side up? Against a backdrop of school shootings, political division, and cultural darkness, this question burns in the hearts of believers everywhere. The answer isn't found in political revolution but in spiritual revival.
Looking at Acts 17, we discover four ordinary men—Paul, Luke, Timothy, and Silas—who were accused of "turning the world upside down" as they traveled through Macedonia. Despite facing a corrupt religious system and the oppressive Roman Empire, they transformed communities through the message of Jesus Christ. Their example offers us a powerful three-part framework for meaningful change.
First, transformation must begin personally. Before his Damascus Road encounter, Paul tried changing the world through religious tradition and moralism. But outward conformity to rules never addresses the heart. Only when Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit did he become an agent of true change.
Second, personal transformation must lead to Gospel proclamation. Paul didn't shake his fist at Roman authorities or start a political movement. Instead, he preached Christ as King from city to city, facing rejection but persevering because some would always receive the message. America isn't broken because of any political party but because too many Christians have outsourced kingdom work to politicians while neglecting the Gospel.
Finally, turning the world right side up requires discipleship. Jesus didn't call us to make converts but disciples. Throughout Acts, Paul strategically left trusted people behind to nurture new believers, teaching them to continue Christ's work.
Rather than passively "waiting on the world to change," as the John Mayer song laments, let's become agents of revival. When we focus on transformation, proclamation, and education, we participate in the only change that truly matters—the change that turns our world right side up.
If you have your Bible, go with me to the book of Acts, chapter 17. You can remain seated. I'm going to do what I did last week and just kind of preach the text throughout the message Acts, chapter 17. We're going to begin in verse 1.
Speaker 1:In a world where people cannot agree on religion or politics or culture, there is one thing that every heart whispers the same this world is deeply broken and is in desperate need of fixing. Consider just a few of the tragedies that we've heard of this week Another school shooting that happened just outside of Denver. We read of the elderly couple in their 70s murdered in Queens. The stabbing of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, erna Zerushka. And then again the assassination of Charlie Kirk, devout Christian, loving husband, father of two. These are only a few reflections of the state of our world. We live in the midst of a sea of violence and economic uncertainty and government corruption, dishonest media outlets, malevolence upon malevolence, darkness upon darkness, wickedness upon wickedness. That's our world and everyone knows that. Across the world, across cultures, we know the world is broken. What people don't agree on is what the problem really is. Some many think it's political. Some many think it's political. Others think it's moral, others economic. Some think the problem is more cultural or social. Now, while all of these elements can contribute to the brokenness of the world, the world is ultimately broken because man is broken and the only remedy is the Lord, jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:I was in my office praying just a while ago and this came to me we don't need a revolution, we need revival. Can I repeat that we do not need a revolution, oh, christian, we need a revival. You look at the state of our nation, christian, and you think, as a believer, what good could I possibly do? Like? I know Jesus is the answer for the world today, as the song goes, but the country's so far gone. What difference could I possibly make? Well, the great news is we're not the first generation to grapple with this question. The world didn't just turn dark all of a sudden. It happens on page three of your Bible and never stops being a dark and wicked place.
Speaker 1:We're going through the book of Acts and we've been for the last several weeks, following Paul and his missionary team that consists of Luke and Timothy and Silas missionary team that consists of Luke and Timothy and Silas and they are making their way now into across Europe in this region called Macedonia. They started in Philippi. Today they land in Thessalonica, and I want you to understand the world in which they are traveling. Paul is preaching and trying to move the message of Christ forward in the midst of a very corrupt religious system. Even the priests are corrupt in Paul's day. And then not only that, he's in the midst of a region that is within the domain of the godless, pagan, powerful Roman Empire.
Speaker 1:Do you think, as these four men made their way across the sea into Europe, could have asked what good could they have possibly done? Well, actually, they did a lot of good, and we read this shocking accusation that comes against them. Meant to be a put-down, but it's actually really good news, and it's found in verse 6 of Acts, chapter 17. Here's the accusations the authorities bring against Paul. These men who have turned the world upside down have come here to Thessalonica also. That must not excite you like it excites me.
Speaker 1:Today. I'm talking about four ordinary men who have just newly made their way into europe, into macedonia, what's now? Northern greece, with all odds against them, against a corrupt religious system and a wicked empire. They are turning the world upside down. Nay, they are turning the world right side up, and I would just suggest to you today if four ordinary men can do this, they can turn against all odds. They can turn the ancient world right side up.
Speaker 1:Oh, church, if a hundred of us this morning would begin following Jesus, like Paul and his team, follow Jesus, what could we do? And you say, well, paul was an apostle. Well, they weren't all apostles. It's not the apostleship that made Paul and his ministry most effective? What was it? We read about it throughout Acts. It's the presence and the power and the filling of the Holy Spirit. And if you and I, oh, if we would be more about revival than revolution and we would depend not on our own intellect or political party, if we would instead say God, we can't do it, all odds against us. But if you will just baptize me afresh in your spirit, if you will help me, we can turn the world. Listen, I want to tell you today no joke, you and I can together turn Richmond and this nation right side up. It is not too far gone. There's three requirements for that to happen that I want to point out in the text today. Number one it takes transformation. Two, it takes proclamation. And three it takes education Transformation, proclamation, education. Number one turning the world right side up begins with personal transformation.
Speaker 1:Think about who is spearheading this movement that we read about. It's the Apostle Paul, and we remember Paul for all the books of the New Testament that he wrote. We remember Paul for his martyr death and his courage in continuing to preach the gospel even in the face of all that he went through. But you know, paul wasn't always like that. Remember, paul was one of the ones who tried to just completely obliterate the church in Christ's message. He had Christians killed. But do you know this? I was thinking about this.
Speaker 1:I think Paul, even before coming to Christ, wanted to turn the world right side up. He was a Jew, he always wanted to change the world and he tried. But here's the difference Before coming to Christ, he tried to change the world through his own morality and traditions. Let me just read you his words from Philippians, chapter three. Beginning in verse three, he says for we are the circumcision who worship by the spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, though, listen to what he says. I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more. Circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. You know what he's saying. Listen before. If I could change the world, I thought I had the right family, I had the right position, the right pedigree.
Speaker 1:He says, as to the law, a Pharisee. He was a teacher of the law, a religious man. As to zeal, a persecutor of the church. As to righteousness under the law, blameless church. As to righteousness under the law, blameless. So Paul was a devoted Jew who tried to tediously follow the rules and get others to do the same. And he thought you know what, if the world's going to change, we just need to make it a little bit more religious, a little bit more well-behaved.
Speaker 1:Two problems with that line of thinking. Number one Paul himself says that no one can perfectly keep God's law Romans 3.20,. For by the works of the law no human will be justified in God's sight, since through the law here's what happens. By God's law comes the knowledge of sin. You know, when you read through the Ten Commandments or the 600, what would it be? And two other commandments that the Jews were given in the Old Testament. God has given you a measuring stick to see how good you actually are. The law cannot save you because you are deeply flawed and you could never keep the law of God personally, neither could Paul. That's a problem. So the world might you know through this, keeping the law might get a little better. But it's not going to be fixed because no one can keep the law perfectly. But the other problem is this Even if you could keep the law outwardly outward conformity to God's rules, let's say does not change the heart. It doesn't address the root issue.
Speaker 1:Paul is saying in Philippians 3, in the beginning. He's saying we who are truly the people of God, we are the ones who don't just have outward conformity, we are the ones who have been born again, born of the Spirit, who worship God by Spirit and glory within in Christ. You know what's interesting? Before Paul's life-changing encounter with God, he thought he was doing God's bidding. When he was just trying to be a good person and make the world more Jewish, he actually contributed to the world's brokenness. He didn't help it. So you can do all the right things and yet have an evil and wicked and depraved heart, and that's not going to help anybody. Everything changed for Paul on the road to Damascus Everything.
Speaker 1:It's then when Paul met the living Christ and was subsequently baptized, filled with the Holy Spirit, that he immediately began turning the world right side up. So I'll say this you and I cannot change the world by our own moral behavior. Behavior is important I'm going to come back to that. But if you think the way the world's going to change is just to get people to be a little bit better and for me to be a little bit better, it's not going to change the world. It takes changing the world. Turning the world right side up takes regeneration. It takes being made new, born of the spirit. It takes what only God can do in your heart Salvation. So so, if the world is going to be turned right side up, listen, we've got to be personally transformed by Jesus Christ. But even that is not enough. Personal transformation If we're going to turn the world right side up please don't miss this it's got to lead to gospel proclamation. Personal transformation must move us on to gospel proclamation if the world is going to be turned right side up.
Speaker 1:Look, go to our text and look at verses one through four. Now, when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews, and Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying this Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ. And 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. Many American Christians, probably many of you in this room, you think the way to change our nation is through law, having Christian laws. Now, I am an advocate, to be sure, for laws that are rooted in biblical truth, but I want you to know that that alone will not change a nation. Let me quote CS Lewis from his famous book Mere Christianity. He says this you cannot make good men by law, and without good men you cannot have a good society. So you think. Many of you think well, if we could just get the right people in office and pass the right laws, everything will go back to how it should be. No, it will not, because we need revival, not a revolution Because laws do not deal with the heart and the world is broken, not because of politics ultimately, not because of laws, but because man is broken, and the only way to fix man is to give them the gospel of Jesus Christ. The reason Paul's team is turning the world upside down is because of their gospel proclamation. They're not going around shaking their fist at the Romans, going, listen, change the laws. You know we need new laws. They're not trying to start a revolution. They're bringing revival from city to city.
Speaker 1:Do you know America? Can I preach for a moment? America is not in the current state because of Democrats, nor because of Republicans. America is in its current state because of you and me. You know why? Because we're so concerned with politics and we should be. I mean, they matter, but we have left it up to our governing officials, our civic leaders. Hey, you fix it. And the church has stopped sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. So don't blame a Biden or a Trump or a Kamala. Look in the mirror and say what have I done to turn the world right side up? Who have I shared the gospel with this week? Because God didn't call politicians to bring the kingdom of God to earth. He called you, every Christian, christian politicians. But it's each of our jobs. It's our job to bring the gospel to the world, the only way it will be turned right side up.
Speaker 1:When Jesus came, what did he do? Was he about a political movement? Oh, the gospel is political. It's the announcement that Jesus is king. But he wasn't concerned with the inner and outer workings of the Roman Empire. What he was concerned with, he came, he said, to give his life as a ransom for many, to bring the good news of the kingdom, to inaugurate God's kingdom upon the earth.
Speaker 1:And the numbers are staggering. See, jesus left us with a mission to take the gospel, not just preachers, but every Christian. It is incumbent upon us to take the gospel until the whole world hears, to every nation, tribe and tongue. But the numbers are staggering of how few American Christians have never shared the gospel with anybody. So you can sit back and complain about the state of the nation and blame everybody else, but let me just ask you each of you don't raise your hand who have you shared Jesus with this week, this month, this year? It's not a politician's fault. The world's going to change. If our nation's going to be set right side up. It takes the gospel and we take the gospel out. It takes one. It takes patience and persistence.
Speaker 1:Look at verse two. It says that Paul reasoned in the synagogue for three Sabbath days. Paul didn't just go on, you know, into the you know synagogue and say, hey guys, listen to me, I'm going to spout some stuff off for a little bit, and then go on into the synagogue and say, hey guys, listen to me, I'm going to spout some stuff off for a little bit and then go on his way. Listen, he cared about these people and he stayed with them, ben, for three weeks he was with them and this word dialogue or reason here is very, very interesting. He reasoned with them, very, very interesting. He reasoned with them. The Greek word translated reason. There is the word dialogamo. Does that sound familiar? It's where we get the word dialogue. It means, in the Greek conversing, dialoguing. You know that's what I loved about Charlie Kirk dialoguing. You know that's what I loved about Charlie Kirk.
Speaker 1:He didn't just stand up in anger and preach, repent or die, turn or burn. He listened to people. And you know one of the things I loved? I've been watching clips this week because that's about all that's on social media. But it's interesting when these young people come up to the microphone with the intent to blaspheme God, to dispute Him. You know, charlie, to tear down the message of Christ. To tear down the message of Christ.
Speaker 1:And you could see in Charlie's eyes and by his response that he saw their brokenness. I just say to you don't be mad at those people because they are broken. You know, the Bible says that the devil is blinding the eyes or the minds of those who are lost, perishing, that they may not see the beauty of the glory of Christ. If a blind person came in today and they were to trip over a chair, you wouldn't shout out watch where you're going. Why would you get mad of somebody who is spiritually blind? These kids who were so antagonistic towards us, do you realize? They were just broken, lost, hurting, confused people. See, we don't need a revolution, we need a revival, because what they need to see in us is not us shaking our fists. They need to see the love of Jesus Christ, the one they need to hear about, the one who hung on a tree and said Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. That's what they need.
Speaker 1:Proclaiming the gospel takes patience and persistence. It takes compassion. It also takes courage. You know Paul's message. I want you to notice in the first four verses. You know paul's message I want you to notice in the first four verses. It's not. You know, god loves you and has a purpose for your life.
Speaker 1:That is not the gospel. That doesn't mess with people. Generally speaking. Okay, great, I can keep living how I'm living. God loves me, has a purpose for my life. Good news. Notice what else he doesn't say.
Speaker 1:This is what you'll hear the evangelist say Listen, here's the gospel. You need Jesus. You know there's a way to get to heaven. You need to pray a prayer and then you're good, right, pray this prayer, repeat these words after me. You know what Paul preached. He preached Christ and him crucified, and he preached him as the Messiah. He is the Christ Translation he is your king. It's time to repent. Bow down on his feet. That's how the world will be changed, turned right side up. But I'm telling you that's when people get a little upset, they're okay with. God loves me and has a purpose for my life. But when you say, hey, here's what you need to do. You need to repent, you need to get off the throne of your own life and bow at the throne of the Lord Jesus Christ. People start to get a little upset with you, many times violently. Look at verses 5 through 9.
Speaker 1:So a few in Thessalonica, a few of the Jews believed, but now the majority of them, it says, the Jews were jealous and these are particularly the ones who are in higher positions and taking some wicked men of the rabble. They formed a mob, set the city in an uproar Does this sound familiar to anybody? And attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting these men have turned the world upside down, have come here also. Listen to what they say. Jason has received them and they are all acting against decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king. That's the message. There's a new king in town and it's not Caesar. And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. When they had taken money, a security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
Speaker 1:You know some people are going to hate you when you preach the gospel, some violently, as we saw this week In our story. The city authorities, some of the religious people. They go to this house, owned by a Christian by the name of Jason, thinking Paul and his team would be there, but they're not there, and so they drag out Jason. Then they bring all these accusations against him and then they make him put up a bond before he can be released. This is a common story for Paul. It happens from city to city to city. All he's doing is telling people how to be saved. City to city. All he's doing is telling people how to be saved, and they hate him for it. But yet he keeps preaching and preaching, and preaching. Why? Well, look at the next verses 9 through 12.
Speaker 1:The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea so they're changing cities again. And when they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now, these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica. They received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few. Greek women are high standing as well as men. Paul leaves Thessalonica because he's been in the synagogues and they're jealous and they want him dead. Now he goes to Berea to escape, and what's he do? He goes right back to the synagogue, does the same thing he's been persecuted for in place after place after place. Why? Why? If so many people will reject him and hate him, why keep preaching? Because, though some will reject you when you preach the gospel, others will receive you and their lives will be changed and the world will be a little more turned right side up.
Speaker 1:I used to be in sales and man when I first started particularly man, I could not stand. I took it personally if somebody said no to me. Anybody in sales in here of me, anybody in sales in here, nobody. Okay, so you get this right. It's like man, we don't like to be told no. But somebody helped me one time when they told me about this rule in sales, this law I can't remember the exact name, but it's basically the law of statistics meaning that this for every product or service that you sell, there is a formula that says that and it changes depending on what that product or service is, but it says for X amount of no's, generally speaking, you're going to get a yes, Somebody's going to buy, and so when you think of that, when you're in sales, you go all right, I've gotten three no's today, tomorrow, somebody's buying right, and you just look at it that way.
Speaker 1:So it is with the gospel, you can go and you can take the gospel to somebody and they can laugh at you and they can spit in your face, they can ridicule you, they can slam you on social media. But don't give up, just keep preaching. You don't have to cast the pearl before swine, you just move on. You go on to Berea and say, hey, I'm going to preach because I've been rejected on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday, but I just know on Friday somebody's coming to Jesus. So I'm willing. I'm willing to hear no after no, after no, because those no's are just purchasing my next yes, somebody's life's going to be changed.
Speaker 1:So Paul kept going from place to place because people needed the gospel and eventually somebody would listen. How are we going to turn the world right side up? It takes personal transformation. That leads us to gospel proclamation. But even that is not enough. There's one more thing the world needs, and that is Christian education, what we call discipleship. Turning the world right side up involves Christian education. So this is really interesting.
Speaker 1:Remember that when Paul and his team there were four of them Paul, luke, silas and Timothy. They arrived together in Europe and they started in Philippi. Remember, they ministered by the water to this lady, god-fearing lady, named Lydia, and she became the first European convert. You know, we're here today as a result of Lydia receiving the Lord. Isn't that wild to think about? So then Paul and Silas are thrown into prison. Remember, last week we saw that the philippian jailer and his whole household are saved, and so there's a new church planted, we believe, met in lydia's home.
Speaker 1:Well, here's what's interesting. In the last chapter, in verse 16, or in chapter 16, luke begins talking about we. He uses the word we meaning that he is with now Paul, silas and Timothy. But now in verse 1, he talks about Paul and the team as they. Again, what happened? Well, you got all these new believers in Philippi. And what happens? Paul realizes these are baby Christians, they're saved. And as glorious as that is that.
Speaker 1:Jesus did not call us to make converts, he called us to make disciples. And so he says Luke, you stay behind, we're going to go on into Thessalonica, disciples. And so he says Luke, you stay behind, we're going to go on into Thessalonica. And Luke stays and he's disciples these believers. The same thing happens in Berea. We'll come back to Thessalonica, but in Berea, look at verses 13 through 15.
Speaker 1:But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Listen, people that are against us. They will not mind their own business, they don't even care if your conversation may have nothing to do with them. They will find you because they hate you so much. That's what's happening here. Then the brothers immediately sent Paul on his way to see but watch this. Silas and Timothy remained there. Paul leaves Silas and Timothy behind in Berea because these new believers needed to be discipled.
Speaker 1:Let's just go back to Matthew 28, 18 and 19,. The great commission. Jesus said to his disciples all authority in heaven and earth have been given to me. Therefore, go and make what your Bible doesn't say converts. Make disciples of all nations. Don't just get them to raise their hand at the altar and say, hey, man, we celebrate that. Go on and never think about the gift. No, make disciples of all nations, followers of Jesus, as we like to say, real followers of Jesus. Baptizing them. It's the first thing Jesus asked us to do to people baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and you and I, listen. This is where behavior comes in.
Speaker 1:When our hearts are changed for the Lord, jesus Christ, we then need to be discipled and we need to disciple others to teach them how to do the work of the kingdom. In John 14 through 16, jesus is speaking to his disciples. He says when I leave, you're going to do works even greater than I am. And these are not greater in quality, obviously, but they're greater in quantity because there's more of us. And Jesus said I want you to continue the work that I'm doing. I want you praying for the sick that they might recover. I want you feeding the poor. I want you to clothe the naked Everything you saw me do. I want you to continue Because Jesus, when he was on the earth, he went from city to city to city, turning those places, at least in small pockets.
Speaker 1:Right side up, and listen, some of you, you're sitting back going oh man, I'm just going to sit back. I want to escape this world. Now we ought to be longing for Jesus' return, when he will come and consummate the kingdom of God. When he will come and consummate the kingdom of God. But listen. We're to pray every day. God, your kingdom, come here to earth as it is in heaven. How does that happen?
Speaker 1:As God works through us to do his work on the earth, when Jesus prayed for his disciples and for us in John 17, we call it his priestly prayer he said Lord, don't take them out of the world, leave them here. Just keep them separate from the world. Friends, we have work to do and it's only when we learn to follow Jesus, to obey Jesus, to forgive our enemies, to love those who hate us, to bless those who hate us, when we learn right doctrine and right behavior and we learn how to make disciples ourselves. That's how the world gets turned right side up. It takes discipleship. How's the world going to be turned right side up? Transformation. I hope you're changed this morning. If not, I pray that you would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Don't just try to be a better person. Don't try to follow the commands of Jesus without having the heart of Jesus. Today, have you submitted to his lordship? If not, this is the day. There's no greater life. He will turn your life right side up and will use you to help others do the same. It takes transformation that leads to proclamation. Share the gospel this week with those in your family who don't know the Lord. Have you heard me say this before? With those at work who don't know Jesus. Proclaim the gospel this week With those in your family who don't know the Lord. Have you heard me say this before? With those at work who don't know Jesus, proclaim the gospel and make sure that you are discipled and that you are discipling somebody else.
Speaker 1:In 2006, john Mayer released a hit titled Waiting on the World to Change. You remember that song Waiting on the world to change. His lamenting lyrics reflect the cry of a nation. Let me just read you some of these lyrics. Me and my friends were all misunderstood. They say we stand for nothing and there's no way we ever could. Now we see everything that's gone wrong with the world and those who lead it. We just feel like we don't have the means to rise above and beat it. And then the refrain so we just keep waiting, waiting on the world to change. Mayer shares in the frustration and hopelessness of a nation gone awry. The world's solution is what Mayer sings about Sit back and wait for the world to change, maybe when that next person gets into office. Just wait.
Speaker 1:Many Christians are sitting back waiting for the world to change. You want America to change. Be filled with the Spirit and, by God's grace, you change the world. We don't build the kingdom of God. God builds His kingdom, but we work for the kingdom. We work for the kingdom, and when we do, this, world will be turned right side up. So I'll close by saying this one more time the Lord just gave me before I preached. How do you respond to Charlie Kirk and all this? We don't need a revolution. Some of you need to hear this. Look at me. You don't need to be a revolutionary, you need to be a proclaimer of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We don't need a revolution, we need revival. May it start here in our hearts today.