Recap of the incredible 1st Annual Campus Retreat Phoenix, Arizona
When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too…”Acts 17:6 (ASV)
Jesus came into a world that was void of dreams with the Jews fresh off the heels of the Babylon Exile. Although it had been hundreds of years, the Jews had been scattered and a ‘nice’ formal religion had started that would take place at the local synagogue. A typical synagogue meeting would consist of a reading of scripture, an interpretation, and then the expounding or preaching. Ten elders and teachers of the law would sit behind the speaker and listen to the comfortable message that was delivered that day. It was in this setting of comfortable religion and hypocrisy that Jesus would come and begin His Upside Down Revolution! (Luke 4:14-30). In fact, it was so radically different that the people tried to throw him off a cliff. From day one Jesus had a revolutionary vision for all nations that shook up the religious world.
The word “revolution” comes from the Latin word which means to revolve or a complete turnaround. A revolutionary is a person who brings about sudden or radical change. It is one whose doctrines are a complete turnaround from the cultural, political, religious, and social norms of the day. This was Jesus Christ, and one revolutionary called twelve other revolutionaries until Acts 2, we find 120 revolutionaries praying for the church to begin! The rapid growth the first century church experienced is un-paralleled in our day. Some scholars believe that the Jerusalem church may have reached 50,000 and a couple even think up to 100,000 disciples! Church historians believe the smaller churches in the suburban type small towns such as Lystra and Derbe may have grown to about 500 or 1000 disciples. The revolution would continue to fill the cities until finally we read in Acts 17:6 (ASV) that the disciples had turned the world upside down. In other words, they had an upside down revolution! It is my conviction that if the church is following Jesus, our day should be no exception. Churches that claim the name Jesus are called to evangelize their cities and then the world in their lifetime. Jesus used the passage of Isaiah 61 to begin his Upside Down Revolution. My sermon this past Campus Day Sunday, focused on the three points Jesus based his revolution on. 1) The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, 2) Proclaim freedom to the prisoners, and 3) The Year of the Lord’s favor.
Jesus had the conviction that the Spirit of God had anointed him to preach the gospel. The Spirit is the one who leads the revolution in its momentous growth. It was exciting for me to have disciples from Los Angeles CA, Chicago IL, Las Vegas NV, Eugene, Portland OR, and even Kansas with us here in Phoenix and to hear how the Spirit is moving all over the campus ministry nation-wide. Inspiring to me though was to see campus ministers come to Phoenix in the”power of the Spirit” and preach God’s word.
Saturday night, we held a good old fashion Tent Revival as God ignited a fire through His word. Victor Jr. Gonzales from the City of Angels Church did a sermon entitled “God’s Revolutionary War”. In war we understand that one’s life is on the line. The American Revolution was successful because the men involved were willing to die for what they believed. As disciples of Jesus, are we really willing to die for the cause? Excitingly, the LA church being planted a year ago has seen its campus ministry grow from fifteen to forty plus sold-out disciples! Anthony Franklin then challenged us to restore New Testament Christianity by getting “back to the book” in his sermon entitled “Reformation vs. Restoration”. As disciples if we ever crystallize our beliefs and settle for what we have learned and accomplished, we simply become another denomination. The Chicago International Christian Church has seen its campus ministry grow from seven to twenty seven sold-out disciples! God has begun a revolution here in Arizona as God has multiplied our ministry from five disciples last summer to now seventeen.
As exciting as the growth that God has blessed us with is, we have not even begun to see the biblical proportionate numbers God has in store for those who join His revolution! Biblical results require biblical effort. Our message must be one of freedom from darkness and a spirit of despair. At one time, college students wanted to make a difference in the world. Today, college students go to school to make money and only few men truly want to stand behind a cause. Sin is now openly done in public and with no shame. The Bible is being undermined as a “good philosophical book” and it’s authority and inspiration questioned. It is in this kind of world, that Jesus would offer freedom from the chains of sin. With deep conviction, I believe that our message must show how the Bible has answers for why the world is the way it is and can help anyone remove the chains of addiction or sin. Jesus comforted the disturbed and disturbed the comfortable. It is with a heart to release the captives that Jesus had a revolution.
The year of the Lord’s favor was the year Jesus would start his Upside Down revolution. That God’s people would “rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated.” Isaiah 61:4 Churches have been devastated by lukewarmness and our cities as well as campuses are filled with sin. Will this be the year of the Lord’s favor for your city? Is it going to be the year of restoration and revolution at your campus? “And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God.”Isaiah 61:6 Every disciple is called to be a minister and a priest who reconciles people to God out of darkness. Today, we call every man and woman to give everything up for Jesus, and to be totally committed to filling this world with the gospel. Will you come join His upside down revolution?
Mike Patterson
Posted on Apr 05, 2008 under This Weeks Article | 
