UPSIDE DOWN (2): INVERTED REALITY

Bottom Line: Living in God’s kingdom means living in an upside down world.
Scripture References: Matthew 5:1-10

There are two kingdoms at work in our lives, God’s kingdom and our own. And for us to choose to
live and follow God’s kingdom can be incredibly challenging. It is easier for us to look at God’s
kingdom and decide that it is either too difficult to follow or that it’s not worth the effort to change.
This week we want students to see that following God’s kingdom is absolutely worth it! And that it
is going to require us giving up ground in our own kingdoms in order to be a part of God’s.
Help students find and uncover the specific areas of their lives where their kingdoms are
bumping up against God’s kingdom. Help them discover what God’s kingdom would look like in
that area. Some students may not be willing to change or to try, that’s okay. The important thing
is that they can begin to see that there is, in fact, two different kingdoms and that as difficult as it
is, the benefits of following God’s kingdom far outweighs the benefits of following their own.

1. Have you ever had an experience when you had to go through something really difficult
at first in order to get to something better later? (examples: learning to ride a bike—fall
off, skin your knees, but learn how to ride)

2. Have you ever wanted to do/try/experience something but found out that it was going to
be too hard or too difficult so you gave up trying? What was it? Is there something you
want to do/try/experience that no matter how difficult it is, you are still going to do it?

3. In your opinion, what makes something worth doing regardless of the difficulty in doing it?

4. Have your students read Matthew 5:1-10. What aspects of God’s kingdom seem the most
“upside down” to you? What seems the most difficult or uncomfortable? Why?

5. What are the benefits that Jesus gives to living this upside down way? Being honest,
does it seem “worth it” to you?

6. Last week we talked about identifying kingdoms in your life. Where do you see your
kingdom and God’s kingdom colliding? What, specifically, are those areas?

7. What part of your kingdom has the strongest resistance to God’s kingdom?

8. What do you think the kingdom of God would look like in that area of your life where your
kingdom is established? Do you think it would be difficult to change? Do you think it
would be worth it to try? Why or why not?

9. What are some of the fears or insecurities you have about changing areas of your life and
living in the kingdom of God?

10. As a group, discuss ways you can help and encourage one another to change attitudes
and behaviors and to live in the kingdom of God.

CLOSING CHALLENGE:
Encourage your students this week to spend time praying that God will help them live in His
kingdom and not their own. Challenge them to ask God to show them the areas where they need
to live in the kingdom of God. The next time they find themselves in a situation where they have
to choose between God’s kingdom and their own, encourage them to pray and ask God to help
them make the “upside down” choice to follow His kingdom—to let “His kingdom come, His will be
done.”
Talking/teaching points.

Upside Down (2): Inverted Reality

BOTTOM LINE: Living in God’s kingdom means living in an upside down world.

Last will be first. Give to receive. Lose to gain. People who mourn are blessed.
All statements Jesus made, yet they seem so opposite from how our world
functions and even how we are wired, don’t they? But the kingdom of God is
upside down compared to the kingdoms we seek to establish. And that’s why
sometimes, things can get really ugly. Our kingdoms can collide with God’s. And
the end result is that someone has to give, someone has to surrender. And when
we surrender to God’s kingdom, we begin to live this upside down life that
somehow brings more fulfillment, more peace, more satisfaction than the reality
we live in every day.

BOTTOM LINE: Living in God’s kingdom means living in an upside down world.

INTRO:
There isn’t room for a power struggle between God’s will and ours.

TENSION:
Entering into God’s kingdom can be disorienting because it goes against every
way of living that we know.

It moves us into a way of existence that feels so upside down and so different
from what we are used to experiencing.

Living for the kingdom of God is like living upside down.

TRUTH:
When he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His
disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:1-10 NIV).

To follow Jesus means that we begin to live this upside down way.

“If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last” (Mark 9:35 NIV).
I don’t have to tell you this because it's sort of obvious, but everything on this list goes against our
nature. We have a certain way of doing things in our world, and things were no different in Jesus’
time. The world has always been governed by greed. The world has always been governed by a
desire to be first. The world has always been governed by power, by strength. But Jesus was
essentially introducing us to a whole new way of looking at things. He was saying that in God’s
kingdom, generosity rules over selfishness. In God’s kingdom, mercy rules over revenge. In
God’s kingdom, peace rules over war.

If I had to guess, I would say Jesus lost a lot of friends after this little speech. People who had
maybe seen or heard the way the He had healed the sick, cured the blind and redeemed the
broken heard this message and thought, “I was with Him until He mentioned the poor part, the
mourning part, the hunger part. I think I would rather follow someone else—someone who could
put the Romans in their place, who promises more than just a kingdom of heaven.” And if we are
honest, I think we would agree with those things. This stuff is so counter intuitive, it would be
easier to ignore these verses altogether than to try to understand their meaning and actually live
them out.

C. Our culture today is bent on showing how strong we are and how much we can accomplish. It
seems like we use aggression as the answer to a lot of our problems. Our hunger for stuff,
possessions and status easily overrides our hunger for righteousness. It is easier and more
socially acceptable to put on a fake smile and a happy face than to take the time to actually
mourn. So when we read these words of Jesus, we quickly discover that the way of life He invites
His followers into is nothing like the life we currently lead. His kingdom is going to totally alter us.
We aren’t talking about changing a few behaviors and attitudes. We are talking about spiritual
transformation. We are talking about living upside down lives.

Essentially, these words invite us to live a life that is completely the reverse of everything that
comes naturally to us. I doubt anyone heard Jesus’ message that day and yelled out, “Sign me
up! I want THAT life!” In fact, had I been there, I may have been one who tried to discreetly step
over people and quietly sneak away as I started to realize how difficult Jesus’ words really were.
Who wants to mourn? Who wants to be meek? Who finds it easy to show mercy? And why, WHY
would Jesus invite us into this?

D. Part of the reason why Jesus continues to attract all of the attention He does both then and
now is because He never does what anyone expects. It’s like Jesus missed the memo that said,
“If You want people to believe You are the Savior of the world, You shouldn’t go around telling
everyone that if they follow You they should expect to be insulted, persecuted and spoken badly
about.” But Jesus did say all of that! That is one of the many reasons I think the Bible is true.
Because who could make this stuff up? It sounds completely crazy! Everything about Jesus’
message makes us feel upside down, like flying in a fighter jet might make us feel. And if you
could take all of these crazy, mind-bending words of Jesus, and if you could boil them down, this
is what you would get: Jesus is inviting His followers to be weak. He is essentially saying that
everything our culture tells us is strong is actually weak. It’s backwards. It’s upside down.

E. The other day while I was at a fast-food restaurant, I listened to a woman yell at a poor,
unsuspecting teenager working the cash register. It was really uncomfortable. And as I watched
the showdown, I couldn’t help thinking that the woman felt like she was strong by yelling at this
guy. I am sure as she totally got in this teenager’s face, she started to feel like she was the one
with the power.

The other night I was watching a story on the news about the rise of bullying in middle school and
high school. It talked about how bullies could make time at school, time on the bus, time in the
locker room, even time online a living hell. But you know what? I bet those kids picking on the
other kids view their victims as weak, and the bullies think that their joking around and their
persistent teasing makes them strong—like they are the ones who have the power. And the
people being picked on feel powerless and weak while they perceive the bullies as stronger.

Maybe you have never been in a situation like the ones I just described, but the feelings those
situations evoke are universal and familiar. When we argue, manipulate and try to take control,
don’t we do it all in the name of making ourselves feel strong? Isn’t the reason we fight so hard to
get our way, to prove our point, to make sure we are being heard is because we want to look like
we have it together? Don't we want to prove that we won’t be taken advantage of, that we really
are strong? But are we really strong? In reality, we yell because we are weak. We don’t have
control, and we are angry because of it.

That woman at the fast-food joint was yelling because she wasn’t in control of what was
happening around her and she wanted someone to blame. She wasn’t strong at all. In fact, she
looked really foolish.

Those students who bully other students do so because they want to make sure someone else
looks weak. But do they really seem stronger? Do people really look at them and respect who
they are? Or do other people just see them as jerks?

So if what we normally think of as strong is actually weak, wouldn’t the reverse also be true?
According to Jesus, what appears strong is actually weak. And what appears weak is not weak at
all. It is strong, and it is the way of His kingdom.

F. In reality, when someone remains pure instead of giving into lust, that is strength. When
someone is merciful instead of vengeful, that requires far more discipline and real strength. When
someone cares more about the condition of the heart than the labels on their clothes or their
numbers on Facebook, that is strength. Jesus is essentially challenging and then changing all of
our labels. He is saying that the things we do to appear strong and in control are actually weak
and show that we don’t have control at all. They show the exact opposite. At the same time,
things we do that others may say are weak, Jesus defines as displays of strength. It is all upside
down. Jesus is all about revealing the weakness of the apparently powerful and the power of the
apparently weak.

G. To follow Jesus means that we begin to live this upside down way. This is essentially what the
kingdom is all about. Near the end of His life, Jesus told His followers, “If anyone wants to be
first, he must be the very last” (Mark 9:35 NIV). Nothing could sum up the message of Jesus and
the kingdom better. Jesus came and changed all the ways we label things. He told His followers
that they shouldn’t be focused on doing something people notice as important; they should focus
on doing something that actually is important. You can’t be about the kingdom of the world. That
isn’t going to get you anywhere. You need to look at things upside down; then you will see what
really matters. You need a new perspective. You need a new kingdom.

H. This is the goal of Jesus’ kingdom here, on this planet and in our lives: to change the way we
perceive everything. Not just the things we are kind of, sort of already on board with. He wants to
get to our heart, to our very core, and do a complete renovation. It is disorienting, but it is crucial.
Why? Because Christianity is not just a belief system to get us somewhere when we die. That
would make things pretty pointless for our time here. And Christianity is not just a set of daily
rituals that we are to perform. That would make us a lot like other religions with rules and
regulations at their center. No, Christianity isn’t any of that. It is about a kingdom. It is a way of life
that is accessible for anyone who wants not only to see things the way Jesus sees them, but to
act on what they see. When we fail to perceive the kingdom of God—more than that, when we fail
to take part in it, caring only about what’s in it for us—we are completely missing the point. And
more importantly, we are completely missing Christ. When we encounter the kingdom, it
transforms us. It forces us to ask ourselves, “What kind of life should I live?”

APPLICATION
A. This past week, some of you started looking at your lives and saw some of the kingdoms
you’ve established. You’ve seen some areas where your faith in God has little to no affect on how
you live, or areas where you either consciously or unconsciously say, “Hands off” to God. You’ve
identified kingdoms in your life that look nothing like the upside down life that characterized God’s
kingdom. Now the dirty work starts. We need to begin to figure out what part of our kingdom is
going to be hardest to get rid of. Where does God’s kingdom bump up against yours—and what
are you going to do about it? We need to learn how to live upside down.

B. Let me tell you where this is hard for me. The area where I really want to hold on to my
kingdom is when it comes to being recognized. I want people to notice me, to tell me I am
important, talented and the next big thing. I crave that kind of attention—which is probably why I
became a preacher! I act all humble and gracious when I get compliments, but on the inside, I
just eat that kind of thing up. That doesn’t sound a whole lot like Jesus’ definition for meekness.
My need to be noticed is about me appearing strong and about my kingdom appearing great.

But If I take Jesus seriously, I have to begin to focus on what is actually important, recognition
aside. That means being about God’s kingdom. That means making some conscious choices in
my life to back up where I want my heart to go. That might mean I give money to something and
no one ever knows about it. Perhaps I do things that are out of the limelight more than in it.
Maybe I lose an argument even when I feel that I am right. Even though none of those things will
earn me favor or a place that appears important, it is important. And even though it appears
weak, it is actually strong. See, I’ve noticed that when I do something everyone notices, or I give
money and everyone sees what my money did, it is more about me having the recognition than it
is about actually doing something noble or good. It is more about my kingdom than God’s. And
because of that, I need to make some changes. It is time for my kingdom to leave.

C. What about you? What part of the verses we read today do you have the hardest time with?
What part of your kingdom has the strongest resistance to God’s kingdom? What part of those
verses seem like the most crazy, the most ridiculous, the most upside down way to live? What
part makes you a little sick to your stomach because of how much it is asking of you?

D. Is it the part about being meek or humble? Maybe you are an incredible athlete, and you don’t
feel like you are bragging because you really are crucial to your team. Does it seem crazy to
embrace humility, to elevate others above you, to give credit to the team you play with?

E. Or are the verses about pursuing peace the ones that make you feel queasy? Maybe the idea
of pursuing peace with everyone, even the kid who tripped you in the hall last week and you still
secretly crave revenge on, seems absolutely crazy because revenge seems way more
reasonable and satisfying than peace.

F. What about showing mercy—is that difficult for you? Or what about when it comes to purity—is
that where your kingdom bumps into God’s? Do you find yourself always trying to appear strong
when it comes to the world’s definition of strength? By keeping up with the stuff everyone else
has, by always getting the last word in an argument, by taking revenge into your own hands and
refusing forgiveness, you are slowly and deliberately building your kingdom at the expense of
God’s. Do you find yourself unable to be weak?

G. This has to be more than just saying, “Jesus, I’m going to live like you want me to.” This is
identifying the kingdoms that you and I are so quick to build, and saying to Jesus, “Do whatever it
takes to tear these down. I want Your kingdom, not mine.” It takes that kind of heart commitment.
You may have to make some changes in how you live, or who you interact with, or how you
interact with them, but until you get to that point of surrender, you’ll ease back into your own
kingdoms.

H. But if you choose to invite God’s kingdom to reign, all of the sudden, things are going to
change. Things are going to start to look differently. You may be a little disoriented at first, maybe
even a little confused. But you’ll get it. It won’t take long, and you’ll start to see it—God’s kingdom
on the move. So go ahead. Lose the argument. Resist the urge. Forgive your offender. Then wait
and see what happens—to you.

LANDING
A. At one point I really did want to fly in that fighter plane on the Air Force Base. But when I heard
my friend talk about what it would feel like for me, I decided it wouldn’t be worth it. It would take
too much work in order to reap the benefits later on.

The temptation for you and the temptation for me when leaving here today is going to be to think
the same thing about the kingdom of heaven: “Too much work—not worth it.” You will probably be
hesitant to enter into God’s order and way of doing things because it just seems so hard.

B. But here is what I know to be true. What Jesus said sounds crazy. What Jesus did looks crazy.
But for some reason, He is asking the same of us, He is inviting us to be His kingdom and He's
telling us that if we do, we are initiating a way of life different from anything the world has ever
seen before. Are you up for it? Are you willing to lay down your kingdom for the sake of His?

TRANSITION INTO SMALL GROUPS