Gathering Around the Word

Sermon Series:

Welcome To Oak Mountain Presbyterian church!Old Testament Favorites

1WelcomeGathering Around the Word

Prayer RequestsPrayers for those in our nearby community: Mary Johnson (Julias mom had last chemo treatment)

Prayers for our members: Kit Fordham (traveling from Jordan home tonight at midnight), and Paul Blaum (Pursuing becoming a Chaplain)

Prayers for those further away: Friend that Sidra invited to church, Marsha (Steves friend who needs a job), Mark (Steves friend who has been inquiring about Jesus), Sue Marini (Camilla & Franks sister-in-law, shingles in her eye)

General Requests: Those without Job Security, Veterans, Those God is calling us to share our faith with and for us that we will share it, Our church.

3Call to Worship (from Isaiah 2:12-18) Please Stand and Read ResponsivelyFor the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up and high;Against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan; Against all the high mountains, and against all the lofty hills; Call to Worship (from Isaiah 2:12-18) Please Stand and Read ResponsivelyAgainst every high tower, and against every fortified wall; The haughtiness of people shall be humbled, and the pride of everyone shall be brought low; And the LORD alone will be exalted on that day. The idols shall utterly pass away.Let us worship the Almighty Lord this day with humbleness.Praise SongPlease remain StandingTime of Confession Please Be SeatedPrayer of Confession (Please Read In Unison)Gracious God who sustains our lives, you call us to places we do not know and do not understand. Even though you promise to be with us, we are often afraid and turn away from the paths you have prepared for us. We often prefer to put our trust in things we know and understand things we can manage and control. Forgive our failure to live passionately doing things for you rather than for ourselves. Strengthen us to trust in your promise to walk with us. Time of Silent ConfessionTime of Confession (Continued)Assurance of Forgiveness (From 1 Peter 2:9-10)Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have pardoned this people, from Egypt even until now." Then the LORD said, "I do forgive, just as you have asked.Amen.

Praise SongPlease remain StandingPrayer for IlluminationProclaiming The Word

The Tower of BabelGenesis 11

11Genesis 11:1-9Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." 5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built.Genesis 11:1-96 And the LORD said, "Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another's speech." 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad.

In my early thirties, I was invited to come and work at an FFRDC Stands for Federally Funded Research and Development Company. Fancy name = think tanks Kennedy set up during his Presidency. Government turned to us when it had a problem & to be researched & solvedStudied from illiteracy to what SW accounting system for militaryMy job: technology expert. Worked Bush & Clinton: give advice & managed development of solutionsBeing a Technology advisor during the Clinton Administration with Al Gore so interested in Technology was an interesting thing. During that time, whenever I described what I did, I used to tell people: I am helping Al Gore invent the Internet! It was a really a dream job in many ways!One assignment: a NATO project right after the gulf war had ended. NATO = alliance between foreign governments of which the US is apart. These governments had fought together during the gulf war. BUT terrible communication problems on battlefield.Never easy when not same language or same cultural expectations. But communication barriers = Technology issues.Walkie-talkies from one country not work with the w-t from another country. Radio and satellite issues, as well.Imagine being a US soldier in the heat of the battleNeed to talk to an ally. Worked out the language you will speak. You know all the codesBUT your radios wont work together. Your satellites wont work together. A Disaster!

Well it has been several thousands of years since God confused the languages at Babel and we think we are so advanced with all of our technology! And yet there we were at a crucial moment in the gulf war and the Tower of Babel still haunts us. We cant even speak to one another!!

My job: set up check and balances to make sure this never happened again.

14

The Majority is Always Right!

A day is coming when we will be able to engineer around all medical problems.

Then why havent we overcome poverty, disease, violence? Why do people still die?Technology will solve everything!NEED FOR THIS STORY

Humanity, w/ our sophistication - has still not overcome language barriers! And has been > 4000 yrs since the Tower of Babel.We think we are smart. We believe we can overcome any issue before us. We see Science and Technology as the answer to most of our problems! Sonja Gupta the CNN Medical correspondentEngineer around all health issues Manage our healthcare based on when we are ready to die. He has a lot more faith in the progress of medicine than I do! His comments show: we desperately want to believe we are in control. But we arent!Attitude not limited to science and the medical profession: Government In this great democracy we live in we operate on majority rules principal. The majority is always right. Take vote - believe man will do what is right. We believe we have the wisdom to decide for ourselves right and wrong.Its best system around. And yet, think about: We are arrogant creatures! We believe if we work hard pool resources - be able to build a community a country - that is solid and strong.But then things happen / we wonder what has gone wrong.We notice community has people in need We reach out to them And yet, in our giving and in all our wisdom and technology, they dont always get better when they are sick, they dont always overcome drug addiction, or social issues. We hand out money to a beggar and the next day they are once again standing on the off ramp of 75 on Windy Hill Road begging again.If we are so smart, why cant Johnny read? Why cant we over come poverty? Why cant we find cures for all the diseases? Why cant we make peace in the Middle East? Why cant we cure death?

15Will God allow us to overcome our limitations?

Perhaps the story of the Tower of Babel answers these questions. It shows us something of the character of God who allows humans to go their own way, make their own plans. But we also see a God who will do what it takes and thwart all of our best-made plans in order to achieve his goals for us. Goals=love.16God allows Humans to rebel, but in the end God wins.The Tower of Babel is a story that tells us: How God reacts to Human Rebellion How God reacts when humans choose their own way instead of Gods waySo by looking at this ancient story, we can ask how does God react to Human Rebellion? Have you sometimes wondered about this in your own life as you ponder your options? I know what I am about to do I know it is not right How will God react? Will God punish me or let me get away with it?

17God allows humans to rebel.

Do you remember what God told Noah after the flood? He would never destroy them again. He commanded humans to fill up the earth to scatter across the earth. Problem: Common Language

18Significance of All Speaking Same LanguageGod uses speech to create worldJohn writes that Jesus is the WordPaul ways that when we believe we have heard faith.When someone preaches, they are preaching the wordlScripture is the word of God.Speech - our words have power that we cannot comprehend from our human vantage point. So God makes it so they wont talk to each other any more.Well, time has passed since Noah walked the earth... Mankind has thrived and grown strong. Significant thing: They all speak the same language. Speech communication is important to God. Pointed out before awe to me.God used speech to create the world he spoke creation into being.John: Jesus = the word of God. Tool God used to communicate to us and reveal himself to us with. Gods word came to us in human form & offered self sacrifice for us.Paul says that when we believe it means that we have heard faith.Even when someone preaches today said to preaching the word of God.Speech especially Divine Speech Divine communication - has powers that we cannot comprehend from our human vantage point.19What is wrong with their statement?Come help us come let us work together. We will make bricks and use them to build ourselves a city and a tower. Let us make a name for ourselves! Otherwise we will be scattered abroad upon the earth

Well, people of B all speak in common language. So they said to neighbors Come help us come let us work together. We will make bricks and use them to build ourselves a city and a tower. Let us make a name for ourselves! Otherwise we will be scattered abroad upon the earthWow statement is packed w/ info about those living in Babel! Primitive people but beyond the Stone Age (bricks mortar engineering skills)They work together on this project no mention of anyone who disagrees They all rally behind the whole idea.BUT whom do they want to build this city and tower for?Themselves! Humanity. No thought for God or what God wants them to do. It is all about them!20Same problem with the church todayCome help us come let us work together. We will make bricks and use them to build ourselves a city and a tower. Let us make a name for ourselves! Otherwise we will be scattered abroad upon the earth

The church is not for us or our well being. God told Noah what His people should do: Scatter and fill up the earth. Jesus told us what a church should be: A people who scatter to the ends of the earth to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. But the people of Babel had their own plan settle in one place with a place that would be built for their own pleasure.Believe it or not this is often an attitude of people who build a church. They often think that the church is about them and their own well-being. Often want church for exact reasons PoB wanted their city: for themselves. But the church exists for the world not for the people who have built it. The purpose of the church is to help those in spiritual and physical need. But how often do we build churches and run them to benefit ourselves?We know what God has told us that a church should be: a people who scatter to the end of the earth to witness to the gospel of JC.BUT so often church is more about having a nice place to settle down. A place for fellowship dinners and Bible studies. We never ask our friends or family or people we meet to join us. We know God has told us to do this but we dont.Often the church is about having a nice place for us to settle, to feel at home.The great commission doesnt mention settling down scatter into the world and preach the gospel!And this was the case for the people of Babel.God had told humankind standing by the ark to spread out and fill the earth.The people of Babel knew this. But it wasnt fun it wasnt comfortable it wasnt their idea of community. Just like us. Gods command wasnt what they wanted.So the people in Babel came up with their own plan: build a city and a tall tower so they could settle in one place and have fun lives and be content.They knew they were disobeying God, but they really didnt care. Their desire for comfort and rest and a city of their own was more important than what God wanted them to do.These people do not understand the creature/creator relationship! They thought being a creature meant that if they banded together, they could take a vote and as long as they had a majority they could do as they pleased.They thought as long as the session was in agreement as long as majority ruled then they were able to do whatever they desired without considering the command that God had already given them.

21Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain (Psalm 127).

What they did not know was what would be written in Psalms 127 one day: Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain (Psalm 127).All their striving and hard work to build something that they wanted something that pleased them - was a waste of time, because God was not with them in this endeavor.We often are just like the people of Babel Going our own way making our churches fit our definition not Gods. For our purposes and not Gods purposes.

All their striving and hard work to build something that they wanted something that pleased them - was a waste of time, because God was not with them in this endeavor.We often are just like the people of Babel Going our own way making our churches fit our definition not Gods. For our purposes and not Gods purposes. This city and this tower is a rebellion against Gods command to scatter upon the earth. And it shows human arrogance at its very best: If we band together we will all vote and agree to do this - we can get away with doing what we want! We dont have to pray over it. We dont have to focus on God and see what God is calling us to do. We know whats best.The people of Babel think they are getting away with something. They wont have to scatter. They can build their city and sit in their tower and ignore God.

22So they build away.And God comes down for a visit: humans are not restrained from what they might dream up now.And God restrains them!

So they build away and when they are almost doneGod, who has been sitting back totally aware of what these humans are up to decides to Come down from heaven to see the city and tower that the mortals built. As tall as that tower was God had to lower himself to look it over. Even with mankind working their hardest and giving it their best effort, it doesnt come close to reaching up to God. God has to venture down to their level to see it.And of course, God does not like what he sees! He sees up close and person the rebellion that was going on. Now the translation here is very difficult. The NRS has God saying: nothing that humans propose to do will now be impossible for them. This translation makes it sounds as though if man works together has the likely potential to achieve anything God can achieve. The King James and other translations are better here. My interpretation: humans are not restrained from what they might dream up now. God sees we will continue to dream up things that are a waste of our time! We will spin our wheels trying to be little gods. Instead of obeying God.Almighty and all-powerful God comes down from heaven to see mans rebellion. He knows all of mans rebellious work is a waste of time. God is not going to allow mans rebellion to succeed. He promised Noah that he would not destroy them, so he is not going to destroy mankind for their latest rebellion, but he is not going to let them succeed either.TransitionGod allows us to rebel. He allows us to build church communities that dont remotely resemble the body of Christ. God allows our rebellion to go on. He allows sin to happen. But not when it means his overall plan for humanity is compromised. At this point in history, he doesnt want humanity out there dreaming up ridiculous things. He wants them to scatter. And God always wins.So he confuses their language he disrupts their ability to work together.

23God allows us to rebel. He allows us to build church communities that dont remotely resemble the body of Christ. God allows our rebellion to go on. He allows sin to happen. But only for a whileWhat the people of Babel dont care about is that their rebellion affects others Fighting breaks out! There is confusion in their community. Aggressive people=yelling & screaming louder you yell/more understood. People who arent aggressive= cower and leave town. Some try to take a vote to build unity since what majority wants is right. People who arent afraid of starting over leave town. People who only home theyve known stay believing city still alive.

Because of their rebellion, they can no longer speak to one another. Those of you who have been through church splits will recognize what we can imagine together happens nextFighting breaks out! There is confusion in their community. Aggressive people=yelling & screaming louder you yell/more understood. People who arent aggressive= cower and leave town. Some try to take a vote to build unity since what majority wants is right.People who arent afraid of starting over leave town. People who only home theyve known stay believing city still alive.Illustration*A church that will not scatter that will not go into its community to preach the gospel will be destroyed the city of B is destroyed too.ArgumentGod had let them flounder wasting away in what they thought was their hey day. God let them build that city. God let them build that tower. They had a city to call their own. A city that made them proud. But it was not Gods city. God let them rebel until it affected his overall plan for humanity and then he fixed their rebellion by causing confusion and making them scatter.ApplicationWhen we rebel, God lets us go our own way until it affects his overall plan for humanity. We might think we are getting away with something, but we are not. And so often we hurt those around us in our rebellion. The people of Babel have hurt each other. They are never able to talk friend to friend again. The advances their society had made are over. The nice buildings are empty. The tower is uncompleted. A church that rebels hurts those around them too and each other.Relationships are broken. It is as if their friends have died. The PoB finally scatter When they see one another againit is as enemies fight over the land. it is as those who distrust each other. They blame one another for the failure. Never looking inside themselves never understanding that they rebelled against God.TransitionWhen we rebel against God, we hurt those around us. We tear down the ability to even communicate with one another. Scripture teaches that it is only through God that we can be reconciled one to another. We need to be right with God reconciled to God in order to be right to be reconciled with each other.

25A church that will not scatter that will not go into its community to witness to the gospel - will end up like the Tower of Babel:

Out of Relationship with God and with each other.

ArgumentGod had let them flounder wasting away in what they thought was their hey day. God let them build that city. God let them build that tower. They had a city to call their own. A city that made them proud. But it was not Gods city. God let them rebel until it affected his overall plan for humanity and then he fixed their rebellion by causing confusion and making them scatter.ApplicationWhen we rebel, God lets us go our own way until it affects his overall plan for humanity. We might think we are getting away with something, but we are not. And so often we hurt those around us in our rebellion. The people of Babel have hurt each other. They are never able to talk friend to friend again. The advances their society had made are over. The nice buildings are empty. The tower is uncompleted. A church that rebels hurts those around them too and each other.Relationships are broken. It is as if their friends have died. The PoB finally scatter When they see one another againit is as enemies fight over the land. it is as those who distrust each other. They blame one another for the failure. Never looking inside themselves never understanding that they rebelled against God.TransitionWhen we rebel against God, we hurt those around us. We tear down the ability to even communicate with one another. Scripture teaches that it is only through God that we can be reconciled one to another. We need to be right with God reconciled to God in order to be right to be reconciled with each other.26BUT there is good news: God provides a new way!BabelChurchGod confuses their speech

God separates them from each otherGod brings one tongue (Pentecost) God unites us through the Holy SpiritExplanationWhat has happened in Babel is that because of humanitys rebellion, God has taken away humanitys ability to communicate with one another. The power of having one unified language is gone. Can you think of a time when the exact opposite happens in the Bible? Where instead of God disrupting the power of communication He enables it in a supernatural way?What happened at Pentecost? Remember Christ has risen and all the apostles are waiting in Jerusalem for the arrival of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descends upon all those who claim Jesus as their savior and the believers speak in tongues! The believers are able to speak to those who dont speak their own languages and everyone understands one another!This God to whom the power of speech is important who is able to speak worlds into being whose words come to us in human form who has given humans and humans alone the power to speak. Takes away tongues at the tower of Babel and returns them when the Holy Spirit descends upon the believers.This is no coincidence.We are individually reconciled to God when we profess our faith in Christ. We are then filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can be reconciled to God. Upon our filling with the Holy Spirit, we then have the power to be reconciled to others. Not only speaking the same languages, but with God as our interface, we are able to be in true, authentic relationships with another.The world can try all day to bring lasting peace to this planet. It will never happen until Christ is Lord of All. It cant. Our speech has been confused. Because of this, we are no longer able to have whole, healthy relationships with others. Not unless HS is there in the hearts of both individuals.IN other words, Pentecost celebrates the power by which the rebellion at Babel is forgiven by God. As we put our faith in Jesus, we turn back to God in obedience and live in the power of the Holy Spirit who can unite us to our brothers and sisters.

27SummaryGod has commanded us that our objective is to introduce others to Christ not to huddle together.God will leave us to our own desires allowing us to rebel. But when or if our rebellion affects his plans for humanity, then he will enter into our history and thwart our efforts. We may think for a time that we are getting away with something. We may be able to turn Gods commands off in our head and ignore them, But God will win in the end and his word will be preached.Responding to the Word

Prayers of the People Please remain seated. The pastor will pray first and then invite the congregation to pray the Lords Prayer afterwards.The Lords PrayerOur Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.