23 Apr Building Kingdom #3
Building Gods Kingdom Overview
In Building Kingdom #3, Pastor Irv explores the different divine administrations throughout history, from Adam’s innocence to the ultimate expression of God’s love through Jesus Christ. This Easter sermon reveals how God consistently worked to demonstrate His love for humanity through every dispensation – innocence, human government, promise, law, and finally grace. The message emphasizes that our entire Bible centers on a king, a kingdom, and a royal family, with Jesus as both the sacrificial lamb and the good shepherd who gave His life for the sheep. Pastor Irv explains how God’s love is so extraordinary that it’s often easier for people to accept religious works than to simply receive His unconditional love. The sermon powerfully illustrates that God never inspected the person bringing the sacrifice, only the lamb itself – and Jesus is our perfect lamb. Under the administration of grace, we’re invited to open our hearts and receive everything that pertains to life and godliness, as God’s love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Building Gods Kingdom Outline
- 0:00 – Easter Celebration and Series Introduction: Opening thoughts on celebrating Christ’s resurrection and continuing the Building Kingdom series
- 3:00 – The Bible’s Central Theme: Explaining that Scripture focuses on a king, a kingdom, and a royal family
- 5:30 – Divine Administrations Through History: Walking through different dispensations from Adam to Moses
- 12:00 – Abraham’s Promise and Sacrifice: The administration by promise and Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac
- 18:00 – From Law to Grace: How Moses brought law but Jesus brought grace and truth
- 25:00 – God’s Persistent Love: Examples of God’s love working through every administration, including Sodom and Gomorrah
- 32:00 – The Kingdom of Heaven Established: How Christ’s resurrection established a new kingdom administration
- 38:00 – The Perfect Lamb and Good Shepherd: Jesus as both the sacrificial lamb and the shepherd who gave His life
Scripture References
Luke 16:16, John 10:11, Romans 5:5, 1 John 4:19, John 1:17, Romans 8:32, Revelation 13:8, John 4:24
Key Takeaways
- The entire Bible centers on a king (Jesus), a kingdom (God’s rule), and a royal family (believers).
- God has worked through different administrations throughout history to consistently demonstrate His love for humanity.
- Under grace, we don’t have to qualify ourselves – we simply receive God’s unconditional love and forgiveness.
- God never inspects the person bringing the sacrifice, only the lamb – and Jesus is our perfect sacrifice.
- The kingdom of heaven operates on grace, where everything that pertains to life and godliness is freely given.
- God’s love is so extraordinary that it often seems easier to accept religious works than to receive His free gift.
- Jesus is uniquely both the sacrificial lamb and the good shepherd who gave His life for the sheep.
Building Gods Kingdom Notes
Pastor Irv begins this powerful Easter message by establishing that the entire Bible revolves around three central themes: a king, a kingdom, and a royal family. This foundational understanding helps believers navigate Scripture without getting lost in peripheral details, focusing instead on God’s overarching redemptive plan.The sermon takes us on a journey through various divine administrations or dispensations throughout history. Starting with Adam’s original state of innocence, where God gave him everything freely, we see how sin introduced condemnation and changed the administration to one based on physical senses. The pastor explains how each subsequent administration – human government after the flood, promise through Abraham, and law through Moses – represented God’s persistent effort to reveal His love despite humanity’s hardening hearts.The Abraham narrative provides a powerful illustration of faith and foreshadowing. When God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the patriarch’s response revealed complete trust in God’s provision. Abraham’s declaration that ‘God will provide himself as a sacrifice’ proved prophetic, pointing to Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. This story demonstrates how God works within each administration to show His love and provide redemption.The transition from law to grace marks the climactic shift in God’s kingdom administration. While Moses brought the law, revealing humanity’s inability to live righteously through self-effort, Jesus brought grace and truth. The pastor emphasizes that Israel failed the law on the very first day, illustrating our desperate need for grace rather than works-based righteousness.One of the most compelling illustrations involves the priestly inspection of sacrificial lambs. The pastor points out that priests examined the lamb for purity but never inspected the person bringing it. This profound truth reveals that our acceptance before God depends entirely on the perfection of our sacrifice – Jesus Christ – rather than our own worthiness. This reality challenges religious thinking that focuses on human qualification rather than divine provision.The message powerfully addresses God’s persistent love throughout history, using the Sodom and Gomorrah account to show how God actively sought reasons to show mercy. Abraham’s intercession reveals God’s heart for redemption, and even when judgment became necessary, God personally rescued Lot’s family. This demonstrates that divine judgment is always God’s last resort, preceded by extensive opportunities for repentance.Under the current administration of grace, the kingdom of heaven operates on entirely different principles. Instead of earning God’s favor through performance, believers are invited to simply receive His love. The pastor explains that this concept is so extraordinary that many find it easier to accept religious works than to embrace unconditional divine love. Yet this is precisely what the gospel offers – complete forgiveness and access to everything that pertains to life and godliness.The sermon concludes with the beautiful paradox of Jesus being both the sacrificial lamb and the good shepherd. Unlike earthly shepherds who might sacrifice sheep for their own welfare, our divine shepherd gave His life for the sheep. This ultimate expression of love becomes the foundation for our relationship with God and our participation in His kingdom.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the different dispensations or administrations mentioned in the sermon?
The sermon outlines several divine administrations: innocence (Adam’s original state), administration by physical senses (after the fall), human government (after the flood), promise (through Abraham), law (through Moses), and grace (through Jesus Christ). Each represents how God has worked with humanity throughout different periods of history.
Why does Pastor Irv say the priest never inspected the person bringing the sacrifice?
This illustrates that our acceptance before God depends on the perfection of our sacrifice (Jesus Christ) rather than our own worthiness. The priest only examined the lamb for purity, not the person’s qualifications, showing that God’s acceptance of us is based on Christ’s righteousness, not our own performance.
What does it mean that Jesus is both the lamb and the shepherd?
This is a beautiful paradox showing that unlike earthly shepherds who might sacrifice sheep for their own benefit, Jesus as our divine shepherd gave His own life for us, His sheep. He is both the perfect sacrifice (lamb) and the loving leader (shepherd) who laid down His life for our redemption.
How is the kingdom of heaven different from previous administrations?
Under grace, the kingdom of heaven operates on receiving God’s love rather than earning His favor through works. Everything that pertains to life and godliness is freely given, and believers are accepted based on Christ’s perfection rather than their own performance or qualification.
Why does the pastor say religion is easier to accept than God’s love?
Because religion appeals to human effort and the idea that we can somehow earn God’s approval through our works. God’s unconditional love is so extraordinary and unimaginable that it’s often easier for people to believe they need to do something to deserve it rather than simply receive it as a free gift.
What role does Abraham’s story play in understanding God’s kingdom?
Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac demonstrates faith in God’s provision and foreshadows Christ’s sacrifice. His declaration that ‘God will provide himself as a sacrifice’ proved prophetic, showing how God works within each administration to reveal His love and provide redemption for humanity.
How does God’s love work through every dispensation according to the sermon?
The pastor shows that regardless of the administration – whether innocence, law, or grace – God consistently worked to reveal His love to humanity. Even in judgment situations like Sodom and Gomorrah, God sought reasons to show mercy and actively rescued those who would receive His love.
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