Building Kingdom, Not Empire: Shifting from Separation to Connection

A church message focused on Jesus as King and a challenge sparked by a previous talk about the church “building too much with empire and not enough with Kingdom.” John Hulse contrasts two mindsets—separation (scarcity, certainty, perfection/measurement, self-centeredness) and connection (enough, mystery, fallibility)—and says believers often read Scripture through a separation lens. Using Matthew 6:32–33 and Mark 1:14–15, he reframes righteousness and repentance as God’s “way of doing and being right” and repentance as changing one’s inner self and old way of thinking, not merely moral performance. John discusses identity and purpose, includes Horatio Nelson’s Trafalgar prayer as an example of knowing one’s “just cause,” and argues fear and perfectionism can keep people from living Kingdom. The message calls the church to recognize a kairos “now” season, examine where they are building empire versus kingdom, and become doers of the word by renewing their minds, trusting God’s provision, and seeking first His Kingdom.00:00 Lifting Up Jesus & Why We’re Talking Kingdom Today00:55 Empire vs. Kingdom: The Challenge That Both Excites and Scares05:44 Two Mindsets: Separation vs. Connection (Seeing Through the Lens)08:16 Spotting Separation: Scarcity, Certainty, Perfection & Self-Centered Living13:23 Seek First the Kingdom: Righteousness, Scripture, and the Mindset Shift17:55 Does Sin Separate Us? Rethinking Righteousness (Edgy but Necessary)23:10 Nelson’s Prayer, Mark 1, and What Repentance Really Means31:13 Identity, Purpose & Your ‘Just Cause’—Living Kingdom Without Perfectionism36:03 Kairos ‘Now’ Season: Practical Questions to Build Kingdom, Not Empire40:21 Final Prayer: Changing Our Minds to Live in Kingdom Connection Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.