Check out the book called "The Upside Down Kingdom by Donald Kraybill
https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Distinguished-Professor-Emeritus-Kraybill/dp/1513802496/ref=sr_1_2?crid=226Z0R7BQKLQ3&keywords=donald+kraybill&qid=1669518981&s=instant-video&sprefix=donald+kraybill%2Cinstant-video%2C182&sr=1-2-catcorr
-In 1968 a school teacher named Jane Elliot gained national attention when she conducted an experiment on her third grade class.
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had just been assassinated and the whole nation was embroiled in the civil rights movement.
-The experiment took place in the tiny town of Riceville, Iowa and came to be known as the “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” experiment.
-I put the link in your message notes if you want to read about it.
-The students were asking her about Dr. King and why he was assassinated and so she asked if they’d like to try an experiment.
-The teacher explained to the class that day that new scientific evidence showed people with brown eyes were smarter than people with blue or green eyes.
-Even though the kids knew it was a role-playing exercise they quickly started segregating themselves by eye color.
-The brown eyed kids began mistreating the blue/green eyed kids.
-Segregation occurred. Elitism reared up.
-Brown eyed kids suddenly gained confidence they hadn’t previously had.
-The previous class leaders with blue/green eyes, starting disengaging and withdrawing when told they were inferior.
-The brown-eyed kids with power started acting the part and the kids with blue/green eyes started acting defeated/deflated.
-That was Friday, on Monday they switched places.
-Thirteen years later after that experiment in Riceville, Iowa I was in 2nd grade when my teacher Mrs. Shipman tried the same experiment on us.
-I remember kids crying.
-I remember kids protesting.
-I remember feeling angry that someone treated my blue eyed friend like they were something less.
-And I remember the shame I felt when she switched it around and I was the second class citizen.
-It made a powerful impression on me as a second grader.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/lesson-of-a-lifetime-72754306/
-There is a narrative some people are pushing in our society that all people are either oppressed or they’re oppressors. I reject that.
-It’s too simplistic, politically charged, and it’s not true.
-But I think something we could all agree on, is that there have always been oppressors and always been the oppressed.
-It’s true today, it’s true in the past, and it’s going to keep happening in all places where human beings live.
-What might surprise you is that Jesus spoke about these things.
-But perhaps even more surprising is that he didn’t address these issues the way that people might have expected.
-I am really excited to be starting this series today.
-Cody and I have been talking about this for months and we assembled a small group to help study this topic.
-There’s a classic Christian book called the Upside Down Kingdom which is our series title.
-And the author, Donald Kraybill, took all these teachings of Jesus and observed something extremely interesting about Jesus and his Kingdom.
-That Jesus takes all the things the world values, cares about and pursues and turns them completely upside down.
-You know what I mean right?
-Jesus said things that no one else had ever said: Upside Down things
*Love your enemies.
*Pray for people who persecute you.
*Go the extra mile for people who don’t deserve it.
*Do your good deeds in private.
*Giving, not getting, is the secret to happiness.
*The greatest people are the least.
*And the least are the greatest.
*It’s not the outward that’s important but the inward.
-Jesus was always saying the opposite of what everyone says said.
-He was always doing what people didn’t expect him to.
-And he was exactly opposite of what people expected.
-And this is so critically important for us to understand.
-Today we’re going to look at a few key passages that highlight the Upside Down ministry and message of Jesus Christ.
-First, let’s look at Luke chapter 1.
-Mary was a young woman chosen by God for a special role.
-She would be the one to give birth to the King of kings and Lord of lords.
-And she also wasn’t what anyone would have expected.
-Mary, wasn’t the wife of a king. She wasn’t from a royal line.
-She wasn’t rich. Wasn’t educated. She wasn’t famous.
-In short, Mary wasn’t what anyone would have expected.
-But God has this way of doing things Upside Down and opposite from what the rest of us think and do.
-Mary was the woman chosen to give birth to the Messiah; for reasons known only to God.
-And in the moment when it really sunk in, she sang this little song of praise that some people call the “Magnificat”.
-And I want you to listen carefully to what was said about the arrival of our Savior Jesus Christ. Here’s what she said:
Luke 1:46-53 “Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. 47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. 50 He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52 He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. 55 For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.”
-I suspect many people have never read this, you may have read it but never really appreciated what is being said here.
-We see this language regarding God’s great care for people of low status.
-Did you catch the references? Mary said, Luke 1:46-55
*God noticed a lowly servant girl (48)
*He shows mercy to those who fear him (50)
*Scattered proud & haughty people (51)
*Brought down princes (52)
*Exalted the humble (52)
*Filled the hungry (53)
*Sent the rich away empty handed (53)
-Do you see that contrast?
-Lowly people are esteemed. Esteemed people are brought low.
-The oppressed are vindicated and oppressors are held responsible.
-But here’s what's weird when you read that.
-That’s not how things really work, here in our world.
-Lowly servants aren’t usually recognized.
-I mean convenient store clerks, waitresses and other minimum wage workers are rarely held up as successful people.
-They aren’t the one we point out to our kids and say, “be like that guy when you grow up.”
-We don’t use the word “servants in our culture” but we could say
God notices low income workers.
-God notices and values the lowly people in our world but not many people do.
-And proud and haughty people aren’t usually scattered.
-They’re often celebrated and rewarded.
-Our society celebrates proud, arrogant people.
-I’m not sure what haughty means but I’m sure it’s celebrated in America. We tend to celebrate the things that God warns us not to. AND THAT PART ABOUT:
-Princes and powerful people…they are rarely brought down.
-Once in a while a powerful person is caught up in a scandal.
-They lose their office, get blacklisted by Hollywood, maybe have to do a little time in jail or pay some fine.
-But the powerful people have a way of staying powerful.
-That’s not an American thing; it’s people thing.
-And the humble people? They aren’t usually exalted.
-So what was Mary talking about?
-When’s the last time that someone made the headlines for being extra humble?
-Humble people are usually the people we don’t admire.
-They are the people no one notices.
-You never see Instagram videos of humble people, because they aren’t doing the things that people want to watch.
-The hungry, often stay hungry.
-And the rich are rarely sent away empty handed.
-They often send other people away empty handed….
-At least that’s the way it goes inside the kingdoms of this earth.
-Everything Mary said about the way God sees things, is upside down from the way we see things. Upside down from the way things work.
-And that’s precisely what Jesus came to address.
Jesus didn’t just come to save people’s souls.
And Jesus isn’t just trying to get people into heaven.
Jesus came and introduced a new way of looking at things that are completely upside down.
-And these things aren’t for nations to adopt.
-He wasn’t introducing a new form of government.
-He wasn’t striving for political reform, or proposing civil policies.
-He was declaring the arrival of a new place, a new kingdom where everything we know turned upside down.
-So what is that place? The Kingdom of God.
Mark 1:15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”
-The arrival of Jesus marked the arrival of a new kingdom.
-And that’s what he declared when he began his ministry.
-But what exactly is the kingdom of God?
-That phrase appears 66 times in the New Testament but you rarely hear Christians or churches talk about it.
-Jesus came announcing this but most Christians don’t know what it means.
-So what is it?
*The kingdom of God isn’t a place you can travel to.
*There aren’t any government officials or politicians in his kingdom.
*His kingdom has no borders and no land to speak of.
*His kingdom isn’t something you can point to on a map.
*His kingdom has no military, not taxes, no congress, or senate.
*This kingdom doesn’t have a president, prime minister, or magistrates; it has a King named Jesus.
-So what kind of Kingdom is that?
-It’s completely upside down and opposite from every other kingdom in this world.
-In fact, the Kingdom of God exists inside all the kingdoms of this world.
-So the Kingdom of God exists in the U.S., in China, in Russia, in India and Sudan.
-It’s in North, Central, and South America.
-Revelation reminds us this kingdom is made up of people from every tongue, and tribe and nation.
-All skin colors, all languages are included.
-The poor the rich, the educated and ignorant.
-It’s a kingdom that welcome prostitutes, tax collectors and other notorious sinners.
-When your Growth Group meets this week; that’s a kingdom meeting.
-When we come to church; this is a kingdom gathering.
-When you pray around the dinner table, it's like a little outpost in the kingdom of God.
-What is the kingdom? Where is the kingdom?
-The Kingdom of God exists anywhere where King Jesus rules.
-And that’s just one of the ways Jesus’ kingdom is upside down.
-His kingdom isn’t a geographical place that people live in.
-No, his kingdom is a place that lives inside of his people.
-And we joined the Kingdom when we said “yes” to Jesus.
-That’s some upside down stuff!
-A lot of Christians have trouble negotiating their faith and their nationality.
-I live in America, but my citizenship is in God’s Kingdom.
-Americans are my neighbors, but disciples are my people.
-Biden is president, but Jesus is my King.
-And if start saying things that like, people will say you’re crazy.
-Jesus got that a lot.
-We are the people of God, scattered throughout the nations.
-We are just citizens of a kingdom within a kingdom.
-A few years ago there was a popular movie released called “Ready Player One”
-It’s set in 2045 and it’s a kind of dystopian sci-fi movie.
-Everything is gray and gloomy.
-People live their lives in poverty and despair.
-They’re crammed into these tiny little houses and have very little to live for…but they’ve got one escape; virtual reality.
-They plug in as often as they can, and that virtual world promises them everything that real life can’t.
-They can be anything they want to be in that place.
-They can edit themselves, only let people see what they want them to see.
-No one can know their faults and flaws.
-No one has to know their secrets.
-They can highlight all their good traits and mask all the bads one
-And most importantly, they can avoid real life.
-But the main character Wade Watts discovers something as he’s consumed with this false reality.
-That there is a reality he’s ignoring while being plugged in.
-While being perpetually distracted, he’s missing what’s going on behind the scenes
-I think that’s how it goes with people and God’s Kingdom.
-We live on earth. We live in America. We live in Idaho.
-Some of us are caught up in the online world. Too plugged in.
-Chasing money. Buying more and having more things.
-Turning to entertainment to avoid facing problems.
-Drinking too much to drown our sorrows.
-Being sucked into to a prevailing and godless culture…while trying to dip our toes in the gospel from time to time.
-And we’re missing the thing our souls long for.
-We’re so caught up in this world, that we’re missing the things that transcend this world: the things of God’s Kingdom.
Luke 17:20-21 “One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs.
21 You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”
-My favorite days of the week are Sunday, when I gather with you people. We are God’s people.
-And these Kingdom Gatherings are the place where we can be real. We don’t have to be a carefully manicured photograph.
-We don’t have to be a highlight reel for people to look at enviously, we can come and be ourselves and be loved.
-I knew a woman who’d lived a hard life.
-She had been abused as a child.
-She grew up in a volatile and violent alcoholic home.
-She was picked on at school.
-She was used and abused by numerous men.
-She was poor, unhealthy, and needy.
-And she often did the wrong things.
-She was that person who often said the wrong things.
-She had problems too numerous to mention.
-She was a hot mess and everyone who knew her, would have said so. The world was not kind to this woman.
-But when she walked into the church, you know what she was?
-Loved. Accepted. Honored. Cared for.
-She was welcomed. Included.
-She was hugged.
-In our world she was an absolute nobody.
-But not in God’s Kingdom. In God’s Kingdom Low is high, and down is up.
-At least, that’s how it’s supposed to be in God’s Kingdom.
-In his book Donald Kraybill says, “The kingdom is full of surprises. Again and again, through parable, sermon, and act, Jesus startles us. Things in the Gospels are often upside down. Good Guys turn out to be Bad Guys. Those we expect to receive rewards get spankings. Those who think they are headed for heaven land in hell. The least are the greatest. The immoral receive forgiveness and blessing. Adults become like children. The religious miss the heavenly banquet. The pious receive curses.”
-Every story Jesus told ended in a way people didn’t expect.
-Every value he espoused was opposite of the worlds.
-And Jesus himself was not what people expected.
-That brings us to our second passage.
-It’s Luke 3:4-6 but it’s a quote from Isaiah 40:3-5
Luke 3:4-6 “Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!
5 The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth.
6 And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.’”
-Isn’t that awesome!!! What vivid imagery. But what’s it mean???
-In the ancient world, kings and important officials would visit regions of their kingdom.
-And if they knew they were coming, they’d repair roads, and fix bridges, and fill in potholes and all kinds of things to get ready.
-They’d “prepare” the way for their king.
-John the Baptists said the same thing about the coming of Jesus.
-Prepare the way, clear the road for him.
-And you’ll notice, again how upside down everything is.
-John/Isaiah says:
*Valleys will be filled
*Mountains made level
*Curves straightened
*Rough places made smooth
-Obviously, John wasn’t saying that Jesus was coming to change the geography.
-But he changed the spiritual landscape.
-The people in Jesus day were oppressed people.
-For centuries they’d been fighting and conquered and occupied by foreigners.
-They were politically powerless people.
-Their religion had become corrupt.
-The Pharisees burdened people with religious rules and regulations.
-The Sadducees turned temple worship into a for-profit business.
-The religious leaders were power brokers who had the ability to blacklist you from family, synagogue and Jewish community.
-Everywhere these people went, in all aspects of life, they were powerless, oppressed, nobodies.
-Marginalized, mistreated, abused, neglected and disposable.
-And then Jesus came.
-And he didn’t overthrow a government…everybody thought he was going to, but he didn’t.
-He didn’t get politically active…in fact, the only thing Jesus ever said that was remotely political is to pay your taxes. (Darn)
-Everyone thought the Messiah would wipe out all the bad guys, but instead he said to love them.
-Everyone thought he set up a throne and rule the world, but instead he described himself as a servant.
-And Isaiah predicted, when Jesus came, all the barriers to people finding God would finally be removed.
-There are no power brokers in the Kingdom. No gatekeepers.
-No ruthless dictators. No religious elite.
-No socioeconomic classes.
-Jesus removed all the barriers to people knowing God.
-All people are invited, all people are welcome, all people are on equal ground.
-One more passage, this is the one we’ll study in our groups this week.
Luke 14:15-24 “Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”
-They were sitting in the home of some rich people.
-The Pharisees were there, the teachers of the law were there.
-These men were powerful, respected, feared, revered.
-But they were also self-righteous hypocrites.
-This man is at a banquet table with Jesus, and starts thinking about what heaven’s banquet table will be like.
-And once again Jesus turns everything upside down.
16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’
-The owner set out a spread. This was a feast!
-I’m envisioning a meal like thanksgiving; all the good stuff.
-He invited all his friends…
18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’
-It’s like when you say to someone, “We should grab dinner sometime.
-And they say, “I’m busy that day” I didn’t say a day…
-These friends started giving reasons why they couldn’t come.
19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
-That guy literally said I’m taking my oxen for a test drive.
-Seriously?
21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
-While he’s sitting at a banquet table with rich, religious people.
-He tells a story of a banquet table with all the socially undesirable people.
-You have to imagine their interest was piqued by that.
22 After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.
24 For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”
-Our God has exalted the humble and filled the hungry.
-He’s removed all the barriers to people finding him.
-Valleys filled in, mountain flattened, paths made straight.
-And he’s invited everyone, all the people, to be part of his kingdom.
-Not who we expected.
-Not what we expected.
-Not how we expected.
-That’s Jesus.
-He turned the religious institutions on its head.
-He upset the balance of power between oppressed & oppressors.
-He picked rowdy young guys to be his spiritual leaders.
-and eventually, the nation that killed him, became the launch pad for the Kingdom of God to go global. Take that you Romans.
-He loved sinners, touched lepers, gave sight to the blind, and made a way for all people everywhere to come be part of a movement that changed the world.
-And it’s still changing the world. It’s the upside down kingdom of God.
-Upside Down. In fact, the most upside down thing that Jesus ever did…was to save us by dying.
-Nobody saw that one coming. Next week we’ll be looking at Matthew 5 in a passage called the Beattitudes and looking at how Jesus looks at our hearts.
