God so blest the ministry of Paul that its effects were extraordinary; so much so in fact that the envious and unbelieving Jews at Thessalonica accused him of turning the world upside down. But if the world was being thus affected, it was not God's ministers that were doing it, but God Himself. They could have had no success at all if He had not attended their efforts with the power of His Spirit. 

    The true servants of God preach the same things today that Paul preached. They open and allege "that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead," and that Jesus, whom they preach, is Christ. But God is greatly withdrawn from His church in this day when there is so much worldly-mindedness, coldness and deadness among His favored people. The preaching of even His most gifted and able ministers is not attended with the same degree of success that accompanied that of the apostles. No one today is accusing any Primitive Baptist preachers anywhere of "turning the world upside down" with their preaching. 

    Some of our ministers have thought that by adopting certain means, measures and methods their churches would automatically grow, spiritually and numerically, but they will find, if they have not already, that spiritual growth and prosperity do not come any other way than by the power of the Spirit of God. The key to enjoying God's favor as a people and as a nation lies in such things as true humility, earnest, heartfelt prayer, a sincere seeking of God and reliance upon Him, and an honest eschewing of evil (See II Chron. 7:14). If those who have been shown the truth as it is in Christ Jesus were to collectively engage in these things they would see much improvement in the state of the churches. But until that happens there is no reason to expect the kind of growth and prosperity that some believe will be the result of more frequent church services, relaxing standards for membership, national preacher's meetings, church-sponsored entertainments, etc., etc. Only God can "turn the world upside down."