Living the Upside-Down Kingdom ~ Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 7:24-27

 

We live in a world drunk on power—where the loudest voices win, the richest get all the breaks, borders define belonging, outrage is currency, and “winning” means someone always has to lose. Everyone’s climbing, canceling, curating, performing, protecting their tribe while the weak get crushed under the ladder of success.

Then Jesus walks in and flips-the-script, overturns the rules, and upside-downs the world. His kingdom runs on a completely different operating system: the last are first, the poor are the VIPs, enemies get prayers instead of punches, and the broken are the ones God brags about. Strength looks like weakness, winning looks like losing, and the guest of honor is the person the world never looked at.

This isn’t a polite adjustment to the way things are; it’s a divine insurrection against everything we’ve been trained to worship. And it’s not coming someday—it’s breaking in right now, daring us to defect from the empire of first and self and step into the Upside-Down Kingdom where Jesus, not us, sits on the throne.

Are You ready to lean in and live upside-down? Let’s look back and name eight values we’ve encountered in this Upside-Down Kingdom series.

1. Today, Not Someday — Live Heaven on Earth

The kingdom of God isn’t waiting for heaven. It starts here, now, within us and among us. When Jesus said, “Repent,” at the beginning of his ministry (Mark 1), He wasn’t saying, “Feel guilty.” He was saying, “See differently. Think differently.” Repent literally means, “go beyond the mind you have.” It’s not “feel bad” but turn toward something good. It’s not “try harder,” it’s “come closer.” It’s an invitation to joy, curiosity, and transformation. It doesn’t so much look like someone ashamed but someone like this . . . 

 

 

It’s truly seeing, not blind faith. It’s a gift, not a punishment.

And Jesus said, “Today, the kingdom of God has come near.” Not someday. Not after you fix your life. Not after death. Today. The kingdom is not just where we go when we die; it’s how we live before we die. It shapes how we treat the vulnerable, the immigrant, the poor, the stranger, and even our enemy – now, as if heaven were already here. Jesus didn’t just save souls—He restored lives. He healed bodies, affirmed dignity, and challenged harmful practices. And the kingdom is heaven coming to earth through people who live like Jesus—starting today. The sermon quotable: We are to repentantly listen to Jesus’ way, Jesus’ time, Jesus’ mission, and invert everything that is not as Jesus intends it to be. For those of you who might only wish to ask, “Are you saved?” Jesus would add, “Do kids have enough to eat today?” To those who might only worry about economic concerns, Jesus would ask, “Do you need forgiveness now?”

2. The kingdom is built for you not on you.

In Matthew 4 and Luke 4, we watched Jesus in the wilderness as He faced a battle between two types of kingdoms: God’s and Satan’s. We learned the battle was Jesus’ do-over of Adam’s and Israel’s failure to conquer sin and bless the world. His victory showed us this (sermon quotable): the Upside-Down Kingdom is not centered on me. It includes me. It invites me. But it does not revolve around me. It’s not built on my talents, opinions, or abilities—it’s built on Jesus’ faithfulness. That’s good news. Because if it rested on us, it would fall apart. But because it rests on Him, it stands forever. The kingdom has everything to do with you—but it’s not built on you. You can courageously fail, fantastically flop, and still be with this kingdom.

3. Cross Before Crown

The way of Jesus is not the path of comfort, but of sacrificial love. In the wilderness, Jesus was tempted three times and each temptation was basically an offer to get the prize without paying the price. It was an invitation to get the crown without the cost by choosing power over obedience, demanding proof instead of having trust, and grabbing for glory while dodging suffering. But Jesus chose a different way. This beloved son of God revealed that the means of the kingdom matter as much as the ends. In the same way, “child of God” isn’t just some title that you are given but an identity that we are also asked to live out. It's kind of like a marriage vow. The “I do” is declared publicly at the ceremony, in front of family and friends. And – boom – you’re married. But the vow is really proven in the tough, private moments through sickness, disagreements, and hard times. And that matters particularly to the one you made all those promises to. Jesus showed us that obedience matters, humility matters, sacrifice matters not just to God but to people in need. In this kingdom, we do not grasp for power—we take up our cross and follow Him.

4. Embrace Before Fixing

Jesus didn’t wait for people to change before He loved them. He loved them, and that became the space where change was possible. In Mark 1, when a leper said, “Are you willing to make me whole?” Jesus didn’t just heal him—He said, “I am willing.” And he touched him - first. Before anything changed, Jesus became “unclean” himself so the man could belong again. It's this idea called “the will to embrace” that Jesus and his kingdom movement affirm a person's worth, their dignity, their basic humanity as being worthy of love without conditions. That’s the heart of God. Love over laws. Embrace before evaluation. We don’t first see a problem—we need to see a person. Jesus’ way reminds us that people don’t become worthy of love—they discover their worth in love. People aren’t invited to believe so that they may belong. They are invited to belong so that they may believe. And what are we asked to believe: that God’s love is so extravagant that he would leave ninety-nine of those who are safe for one that is lost and look until he finds them (Luke 15). The sermon quotable: The response to people struggling with sin, isolated by sin, harmed by sin, isn’t to hate sin but to listen to people, to forgive people, to embrace people. It isn’t to separate from sin but to lean into people with touchable compassion.

5. Mercy Over Merit

We noticed in Matthew 20 that the kingdom isn't earned—it’s received. Jesus told a story of workers in a vineyard—some worked all day, some only one hour—but all received the same reward. And it bothered people, just like it bothers us. Because we love fairness. But the kingdom isn’t built on fairness—it’s built on mercy. God doesn’t give us what we deserve; He gives us what we need. Grace levels the ground because we know that we have all been that last worker to show up. Sermon quotable: “Because in the end, the kingdom of God isn’t about who worked the hardest — it’s about who’s willing to rejoice that everyone got paid.”

6. Shared Work, Shared Welcome

In this Upside-Down Kingdom, everyone serves and everyone belongs. In Luke 10, Jesus shattered categories of who gets to do what. In Mary and Martha’s home, we saw Mary sit at Jesus’ feet—a place reserved only for male disciples. But Jesus didn’t send her back to the kitchen. He protected her right to learn, to grow, to lead. In Jesus’ kingdom, there are no “men’s roles” or “women’s roles”—there are only kingdom roles. Everyone gets to serve, learn, lead, and love. The question isn’t, “Am I Mary or Martha?” The better question is, “Whose burden can I lift so they too can sit at Jesus’ feet?” Show the sermon quotable.

7. Bless the Broken

In Luke 6, Jesus changed the meaning of “blessed.” In His culture, like ours, “blessed” meant wealthy, successful, powerful, favored by God. But Jesus looked at the poor, the grieving, the weary, the lonely, and said, “You are blessed.” Why? Because blessing is not about having it together—it’s about being noticed and held by God. Blessing isn’t a reward—it’s a relationship. The Upside-Down Kingdom starts not with strength, but with weakness, not with our faithfulness but with God’s faithfulness. God doesn’t wait for the polished and impressive—He starts with the broken and honest. Because in this kingdom, blessing is not found in being important—but in helping others know they are important. The sermon quotable: God's kingdom, true blessedness, is not found when you've got it all together. It's found in the exact opposite place, in the places of our need. The kingdom of God is built specifically for the frail and the fragile. It's a space where it's genuinely 100% okay to not be okay.

8. Love Your Enemy, Not Just Your Friends

Kingdom love isn’t wimpy—it’s courage. It crosses lines. It breaks cycles. It speaks to love and truth to the powerful. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” This isn’t weakness—it’s freedom. He seeks to free us from the tyranny of others by not allowing them to determine our response or dictate our actions. He teaches us that people are never the enemy – injustice is. He encourages us not to spread hatred but to live imaginatively into way of being that seeks to remake the world through mercy, generosity, and blessing. You can’t shame someone into transformation. You can’t bully someone into blessing. Kingdom love transforms bitterness into forgiveness, anger into compassion, enemies into neighbors, by receiving grace ourselves and using it as our secret weapon  - killing them with kindness. The sermon quotable comes from one of the mad-libs created by a parishioner where you were asked to finish the statement from Isaiah2:4: They will beat their swords into cookies. That’s the imagination that will enable us to live upside down.

Friends, the Upside-Down Kingdom is not just an idea—it’s how we fight. It’s not safe – it’s infuriating to some and dangerous for others. It will take you into lonely places, just like Jesus. It may get you misunderstood, rejected, or labeled. But don’t be afraid. Because this way of Jesus—ultimately is the work of Jesus and he has already won. When we live this way, we don’t so much build the kingdom—we reveal it. When we live this way, we don’t so much secure our place in heaven – we help heaven be a place on earth. Amen.

Finding your Gethsemane in the Upside-Down Kingdom ~ Matthew 6:25-34 [discussion questions for an Awe Walk]

 

Good morning, friends. Before we sing, before we pray, I want to invite you to pause for a moment — take a breath, notice where you are. Feel the ground under your feet, the air in your lungs, maybe even the light in this space. We often rush into church, but sometimes the first act of worship is simply slowing down and paying attention.

Today, as part of our Upside-Down Kingdom series, we’re exploring how Jesus teaches us that the way to God isn’t always the way we’d expect — that strength can come through surrender, that peace can be found in places of struggle, that the holy can show up in very ordinary wildflowers and with very common birds.

And that brings us to a garden.

The garden of Gethsemane looms large in the story of Jesus. We remember it for the drama of that night before the cross — the anguished prayer, the sleeping disciples, the march of footsteps in the dark. But there’s something else tucked quietly inside that story. John’s Gospel tells us that Judas knew where to find Jesus because he often met there with his disciples (John 18:1-2).

This wasn’t a random spot on the map — it was a sacred space in Jesus’ life. Gethsemane was the place he went to pray, to hang out with friends, to realign his heart with the Father. It was where he met God most naturally.

So here’s a question for you this morning: What’s your Gethsemane?

Where do you find yourself most aware of God’s presence? Maybe it’s outside — under open skies, where the wind feels like prayer and tall trees become a cathedral. Or maybe it’s through beauty — through music, art, movement, and the senses that stir your soul awake. By the way, you can go on our website to read more about the many Sacred Pathways, how they each pertain to ways of worshipping, and even take a simple test to determine which of the 9 pathways you resonate with most.

But today, our worship is going to focus on two ways people often encounter God — two spiritual pathways that both lead to the same divine heart.

First, the naturalists — Naturalists are those who enjoy meeting God in the outdoors. For them, creation is their first church, the most ancient worship space. When they walk through a forest or stand at the edge of the sea, their soul begins to sing.

And then there are the sensates — Sensates are those who meet God through the five senses. They worship through sound and beauty, through fragrance and light. Their hearts open when worship is embodied — when it can be felt and seen, tasted and touched.

Now, in the upside-down way of Jesus, both of these paths remind us that spirituality isn’t just something that happens in our heads. It also happens in our bodies and in all of creation. It’s not only about what we think or believe, but how we inhabit the world God made and how we lean into who God uniquely made us to be.

Later in the service, we’ll talk about a simple spiritual discipline that touches both of these pathways — something as ordinary and profound as taking a walk- a sacred walk. Because in the Kingdom of God, walking can be praying, paying attention can be worship, and the ground beneath our feet can become holy.

So as we worship today — through sound, through silence, through light, through breath — I invite you to explore these two pathways. And if these aren’t the typical way you experience God, that’s okay. In fact, it’s those pathways that we are less inclined toward that become great places for growth. Let this time, and this place, become a space where you can meet God in the way you were created to.

Let’s begin together by celebrating that we worship together. Please notice and gently greet each other in love.

Awe Walk: “Learning to See as Jesus Sees”

As we begin our next movement in worship, I want to invite you to consider a simple, spiritual practice — something Jesus himself modeled and that science is only just catching up to —what we’ll call an awe walk.

The Jerusalem Talmud has this curious line: “Everyone will be called to account for all the legitimate pleasures which he or she has failed to enjoy.” It’s another way of saying what Jesus is hoping to convey in Matthew 6— observing and enjoying creation are not optional for a disciple of Jesus (Matt. 6:25-34). To delight in what God has made is a form of worship and an act of discipleship. To walk through this world and never notice its beauty — that’s a kind of anti-worship.

In the Upside-Down Kingdom, Jesus wants to turn our anxious striving into childlike wonder. In Matthew 6, he says, “Do not worry about your life… look at the birds of the air… consider the lilies of the field.” He’s not being poetic for the sake of it. He’s teaching about our freedom and belovedness and that worry loosens its grip when we start paying attention to how loved creation already is. The birds aren’t wringing their wings. The flowers aren’t competing for color. And every morning, the world is clothed in beauty by God.

Jesus says, “If your Father takes such care of sparrows and wildflowers, how much more will he care for you?” He’s inviting us to step out of our heads and observe the natural world around us— to learn the language of God’s second book: creation itself. In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us that experiencing heaven on earth sometimes requires nothing more than taking a walk and prayerfully opening one’s eyes.

And here’s the amazing part: modern research is rediscovering what Jesus already knew about worry, walks, and wonder. Scientists at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center asked participants to take a fifteen-minute walk each week, not thinking through their to-do lists, but turning their attention outward — to sights, sounds, textures, and smells. After eight weeks, researchers found lower stress, improved mood, even gentler political attitudes.

But the most fascinating finding came from the selfies participants were asked to take during each walk. Week by week, researchers noticed that people’s selfies got smaller — they made more room in the frame for the landscape around them. At the same time, their smiles grew bigger. As they looked outward, their worries shrank. They rediscovered humility and wonder — the posture of worship.

It turns out that what heals us — body, mind, and soul — is not another round of frantic problem-solving, but the simple act of noticing. Walking. Breathing. Intentionally paying attention. Letting creation preach to us about the One who made it.

So this morning, we’re going to approximate that experience — right here in our sanctuary. It might feel a little different, maybe even a little awkward. That’s okay. The Kingdom of God often begins with what feels upside-down and strange.

In a moment, we’ll offer a brief confession, receive an invitation, and then you’ll be invited to take a slow, sacred walk to different stations. Move carefully. Feel the ground beneath your feet. Listen for sound. Notice light, color and movement. Smell, touch, and taste! As we come to the table, invite the Holy Spirit to reveal something of God through your senses – linger when you feel yourself being drawn to something.

As you walk, let Jesus’ words echo in your heart: “Look at the birds. Consider the flowers. Don’t worry.” And remember the same God who clothes creation in beauty is clothing you in love even as you walk.

When you’ve completed your walk, you’ll find reflection questions waiting for you in the little booklet that you received when you came in. Don’t rush. Take time thinking through your experience and let this be not just a one-time event but a preview of a spiritual rhythm — something you can practice any day, anywhere: walking slowly, noticing deeply, worshiping fully. Because in the Upside-Down Kingdom, every step on this good earth can become a prayer, everywhere you walk can be heaven on earth. As Elizabeth Barrett Browing reminds us: Earth is crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God; but only he who sees, takes off his shoes . . .

Let’s begin our sacred walk together by offering this confession.

God, forgive me for all your created pleasures which I have failed to enjoy. Forgive me for not looking at the birds and remembering your abundant provision of food. Forgive me for not considering the flowers and remembering how beautifully you cover us with all good things. Open my eyes and ears, heal my worry, calm my grasping, and open my mouth, so that I might taste and see that you are good.

🌿 Reflection Guide: Encountering God Through the Senses

Take a few quiet moments to reflect on what you experienced during your sacred walk and at the sensory stations. Let these questions guide you into deeper awareness — of God, creation, and your own heart.
You may wish to write slowly, letting the experience of what you encountered rise to the surface.

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1. Encountering God Through the Senses

As you moved through the stations, was there a particular sight, sound, texture, scent, or taste that helped you sense God’s presence in a fresh way?
What might that experience reveal about who God is or how God chooses to meet you?

Write your reflections below:

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2. Seeing as Jesus Sees

During your walk, what did you notice that you might normally overlook?
How might learning to notice — really see — the ordinary beauty around you change how you understand your life with God?

Write your reflections below:

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3. Becoming Aware of Yourself and Creation

The teaching reminded us that “walking can be praying” and that “the ground beneath our feet can become holy ground.”
When did you feel most grounded or most alive during your experience today?
What might that moment be telling you about who you are and how you were created to worship?

Write your reflections below:

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Invitation to Continue the Practice
As you go about your week, try taking a short awe walk — outside, in your neighborhood, or even through familiar spaces.
Breathe slowly. Pay attention.
Let the world around you remind you that every place can be holy ground and every moment an invitation to see as Jesus sees.