Anglican Devotional 3 February 2023 – Turning The World Upside Down

TOPIC: Turning The World Upside Down

READ: Acts 17:1-16 (AMP)

1. Now After [Paul and Silas] had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
2. And Paul entered, as he usually did, and for three Sabbaths he reasoned and argued with them from the Scriptures,
3. Explaining [them] and [quoting passages] setting forth and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, This Jesus, Whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ (the Messiah).
4. And some of them [accordingly] were induced to believe and associated themselves with Paul and Silas, as did a great number of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
5. But the unbelieving Jews were aroused to jealousy, and, getting hold of some wicked men (ruffians and rascals) and loungers in the marketplace, they gathered together a mob, set the town in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring [Paul and Silas] out to the people.
6. But when they failed to find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,
7. And Jason has received them to his house and privately protected them! And they are all ignoring and acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, [actually] asserting that there is another king, one Jesus!
8. And both the crowd and the city authorities, on hearing this, were irritated (stirred up and troubled).
9. And when they had taken security [bail] from Jason and the others, they let them go.
10. Now the brethren at once sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea; and when they arrived, they entered the synagogue of the Jews.
11. Now these [Jews] were better disposed and more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they were entirely ready and accepted and welcomed the message [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] with inclination of mind and eagerness, searching and examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
12. Many of them therefore became believers, together with not a few prominent Greeks, women as well as men.
13. But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the Word of God [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] was also preached by Paul at Beroea, they came there too, disturbing and inciting the masses.
14. At once the brethren sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained behind.
15. Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible, they departed.
16. Now while Paul was awaiting them at Athens, his spirit was grieved and roused to anger as he saw that the city was full of idols.

THE MESSAGE:

In our Bible reading today, we see Paul, Silas and Timothy in Thessalonica and Berea. In fact, the effect of the work was felt everywhere. Once Paul and his team entered a city, those that accepted him would start to rejoice while those that opposed him would begin to wail and scheme against him. In verse 6, the opposing Jews attacked Jason and cried out, “..These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” Paul and his team left for Berea where they preached the Gospel and later left for Athens.

Do we have men like Paul that when they enter a city everywhere will quake because they brought the Good News? Why has the Gospel not reached the whole world to usher in the Lord (Matthew 24:14) despite the years of preaching it? If we all like the brethren in Berea hunger for the word, preach it sincerely and live it, people will declare -“these people who turned the world upside down have come here too.” Let us all wake up and preach the undiluted word to a hungry and dying world. Preach to someone today!

PRAYER: Dear Father, give us the burden to take the Gospel to the unreached of the world to quicken Your return. Amen.

• https://247devotionals.com/devotional-by-ray-stedman-for-november-22-accept-one-another/