Sunday July 9 2017

"Building the Kingdom Part 1"
       Pastor Kim Wenzel
Man has always been building, Families, Relationships, Friends. Housing, and Churches.   
The two ways of building!
Kingdom of God Thinking!
Empire Building Thinking!

Kingdom of God Thinking!
1. Vulnerability index is what matters most in God's economy.
2. Concerned with the prospects of the poor, oppressed and rejected.
3. Ruler/Leader: The God of the oppressed, reaching out when the oppressed cry aloud - even laying down life for the oppressed.

 Luke 4:18 (NASB)
¹⁸  "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
 
4. Kingdom of God Values: God's values of love, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, gentleness, meekness, service to others - found in the hearts  and minds of the Kingdom people. MO: Love 

 John 4:18 (NASB) ¹⁸  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

 5. Reach down, help others up. Jesus made himself of no reputation. How can I lay down my life for another?

 John 15:13 (NASB)
¹³  "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

6. Become a worker of the oppressed.

 Philippians 2:6-8 (NASB)
⁶  who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
⁷  but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
⁸  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

7. Set the Slaves Free.
8. Kingdom of Empathy!

Empire Building Thinking!
1. Operates on index of growth and success.
2. Concerned with the prospects of wealth and security.
3. Ruler: Boss/CEO/President/Chairman - dealing with success/power/control. Often using people at their expense to achieve his goals.

 2 Chronicles 8:3-10 (NASB)
³  Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it.
⁴  He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he had built in Hamath.
⁵  He also built upper Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates and bars;
⁶  and Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen, and all that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule.
⁷  All of the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel,
⁸  namely, from their descendants who were left after them in the land whom the sons of Israel had not destroyed, them Solomon raised as forced laborers to this day.
⁹  But Solomon did not make slaves for his work from the sons of Israel; they were men of war, his chief captains and commanders of his chariots and his horsemen.
¹⁰  These were the chief officers of King Solomon, two hundred and fifty who ruled over the people. 

4. Empire Values: Do as your superior orders, Chain of command, top down structure - corporate culture, institutionalism. Top Dog has all the power. MO: Fear
5. Climb the ladder of greater success. Grow in power and control. How can I get ahead and become a bigshot? 

 Philippians 2:3 (NASB)
³  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;


6. Become another Pharaoh.
7. Make people slaves to your own ends.
8. Empire of Indifference!


Today's Verse 
 Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and
imitate their faith.