Linguistic diversity: Babel and Pentecost

I have spent my career reversing the tower of Babel!

6500 languages spoken worldwide

By 2030 80 per cent of the world’s population will speak Chinese

2 million speak Esperanto

Every year dozens of minority languages die out

English is the most widely used second language but is likely to be replaced by Chinese or Spanish

The Tower of Babel

Genesis 11

 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building..

 6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel—because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Acts 2 1-13

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.

 

7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

God scatters the people because man was told to fill the earth (Gen 9: 1,7) but they chose to gather and build a tower instead.

God intervenes and confuses their language. Previously they all spoke the same language

Babel represents self reliance - the attitude than man doesn’t need God but can go it alone.

Babel represents self-exaltation – the motivation to make yourself famous, instead of being motivated to glorify God.

1 BABEL DISPLAYED THE SPIRIT OF ARROGANCE AND PRIDE. PENTECOST DISPLAYED THE POWER OF LOVE. 

2 BABEL DIVIDED MEN THROUGH LANGUAGE. PENTECOST UNITED MEN THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT.

3 BABEL BROUGHT CONFUSION. PENTECOST BROUGHT PEACE.

4 BABEL SHOWS US MAN FULL OF HIMSELF. PENTECOST SHOWS US MAN FULL OF GOD.

5 BABEL BROUGHT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TOWER. PENTECOST BROUGHT THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH. 

6 BABEL SCATTERED MAN OVER THE FACE OF THE EARTH TO TELL THEIR CHILDREN OF GOD’S POWERFUL WRATH. PENTECOST SCATTERED BELIEVERS OVER THE FACE OF THE EARTH TO TELL THE WORLD OF JESUS AND HIS POWER TO SAVE. 

At Pentecost, God gathered the nations together for the purpose of announcing his gospel (the good news of Jesus Christ) to all nations. At Pentecost, many people from many languages understood the gospel through those possessed by the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, it was God displaying His mighty work.

Babel was a completely different story (Genesis 11). At Babel, God scattered the people because man was told to fill the earth (Gen 1:28, 9:1,7) and they chose to gather and build a tower instead. At Babel, God intervened and confused their language. At Babel, it was not God displaying a mighty work, but man attempting a mighty work.

A Great CommissionaryBefore pulpits and pews, pastors and preachers, before deacons and elders and Sunday School teachers, before flowery Lord’s tables and cross adorned steeples, there existed a mission for all of God’s people. Before programs and services, proper methods, proper times, before music and preaching, our sometimes silly pantomimes, before “Sunday morning church” and “Wednesday night prayer,” there existed a mentality, “Anytime, Anywhere.”

Before statements of faith and superfluous vision, before gallivanting doctrine and convenient religion, before I follow Calvin or Luther, Peter or Paul, there existed one Lord with a mandate for all.

Before baptist or catholic, various sects and denominations, before division and distinction, seemingly appropriate separations, before the ninety-five theses or even the edict of Milan, there existed one standard which the church was built upon.

Go and make disciples we still hear our Jesus say,baptizing them in haste, for tomorrow is today,in name of the Father, and the Son, and Holy Ghost, teaching them to obey for He is with us to the uttermost.

So before saying church member, church deacon, church teacher, church pastor, church apostle, church planter, church preacher, we advance the words of Christ, the only true visionary, declaring now and forever more, I AM A GREAT COMMISSIONARY!

ChoicesPentecost or Babel?

God wants us to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

1. Are you reliant on yourself (Babel) or reliant on God (Pentecost)?

2. Are you exalting yourself (Babel) or exalting God (Pentecost)?

3. Are you more concerned with your own story of achievement (Babel) or with God’s story of achievement (Pentecost), what God has done in Christ?

Don’t be Babel. Be Pentecost. Be a Commissionary.

Are you like the Babylonians, trying to do it on your own?

Are you relying on the power of your own strength or the power of other men to bring you what you need?

At Babel, People gathered together to do their own thing.

At Pentecost, the believers obeyed Jesus, gathered together, waited for his promise, were united in Christ, prayed… God gave them His Promised Holy Spirit.

Then they went out to become witnesses, to share the good news. Be filled with the Spirit. Allow Him to fill you with His love and share that love with others during the coming week. 

Hymn 489 Jesus shall reign where e’er the sun

PurposeHelping to fulfil the Great Commission in the power of the Holy Spirit by winning people to faith in Jesus Christ, building them in their faith and sending them to win and build others; and helping the Body of Christ do evangelism and discipleshipOur MissionWin, build, and send Christ-centered multiplying disciples who launch spiritual movementsOur VisionMovements everywhere so that everyone knows someone who truly follows JesusOur ValuesFaith, Growth, and Fruitfulness

Benediction 1 John 1:7

If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin

Curso Alpha resumes on Wednesday at 7.00