At Odds With God

Steven Prinz

Foundations in Genesis • Sermon • Submitted 9 months ago • Presented 9 months ago

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Transcript

Introduction

Well, good morning!

Listen, there’s nothing like coming together on Sunday mornings with your church family. I don’t know about you, but I’m so grateful in what God’s done in bringing us together, giving us a family of people that truly understand us. People that are united and mended to the same vine, that have the same mission and goal in glorifying the risen Christ. And listen, I’m so grateful for you guys, I’m grateful that I get to teach you week in and week out. I might be a little bias here but I feel like I have the best job in the world. And so listen, I just wanna say thank you for making it such a joy for me to pastor each of you.

Alright, before we get started, lets recite our mission verse together. Matthew chapter 28, verses 19 and 20. I’ll get us started, you finish us up.

Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

[Prayer]

Alright, if you have your Bibles, turn with me to Genesis chapter 11…Genesis chapter 11. We have this week and next week left in the first part of our Genesis series. And then after that, we’ll be taking a break…looking at the New Testament for a little while before we come back to the second part of Genesis in 2024, looking at the life of Abraham and Issac. But for the rest of the year, we’ll be in 1st and 2nd Thessalonians which’ll get us all the way to our Christmas sermon series…That’s just a little sneak peak at where we’re going.

But for this morning, we’re gonna be looking at a pretty popular story…we talked a little about it last week as we walked through the table of nations in chapter 10…but its the Tower of Babel.

Listen, centuries after the flood, after God judged the world for their sin and their wickedness…we see mankind exactly where they were prior to Noah and the ark. And guys, I know there’s not a ton of narrative here between when Noah gets off the ark and the Tower of Babel, meaning we don’t have a ton of knowledge of what actually took place, but there’s no way that the flood and God’s judgement weren’t apparent to the people at this time. As I mentioned last week, there would’ve been evidence all around of what God did to His creation…there would’ve been stories passed down from generation to generation. And yet, in our text today, we see a people unified around their own self-glorification…mankind was unified around their own praise and their own glory…and like so many before them, they wanted to make a name for themselves and they wanted to be like God…they wanted to be the god of their own lives.

And that’s exactly what we see here in our story this morning. And it wasn’t that these people didn’t have knowledge of God…or that they didn’t believe in God. No…most likely, these people didn’t even really know they were at odds with God…most likely, they didn’t even sense the separation that exists between them and God…I mean that’s what sin does, right? It divides, it separates, it distorts our very way of thinking…making us feel that everything’s okay…it causes us to justify our actions…that what we’re doing is right. And as I read through this story myself, I just tried to place myself in these peoples’ shoes, did they realize just how far gone they were?

I don’t believe so…because if they did, I don’t think they would’ve built this tower that we’re gonna talk about. I think they were so far in their sin that it was too late before they even realized what was going on. These people were at odds with God because ultimately they didn’t fully understand the nature of God and for that reason they didn’t truly care about the God of the Bible.

And listen, for us, many times its the same. Many of us, we’re at odds with God today because we don’t fully understand God and for that reason we don’t really care much for the God of the Bible or what He calls us to do…instead, we spend our time building up our own names and our own empires…and the scary thing about it is that many us don’t even realize we’re at odds with God…and if we’re not careful, it’s that’s you, it might be too late before you do.

And so, if you’re there with me this morning…let’s stand together as we read, starting in verse 1. It says this:

Genesis 11:1–9 (ESV)

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen (bitchuh-men) for mortar. 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, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Thank you, you can be seated.

Listen, as we dive into our text this morning there’s three questions I want you to think about…number 1, where do you find joy…number 2, are you divided from God’s people…and then finally…number 3, do you trust in God’s sovereignty? And listen, I know these are a random group of questions here…but I promise they’re relevant to our text this morning…and they’re crucial in helping us determine where we stand with God.

And so, with that, let’s look at this first question.

I. Where Do You Find Joy? (vv. 1-4)

Number 1…where do you find joy?

Look back at verses 1 through 4 with me again. It says:

Genesis 11:1–4 (ESV)

And so, if you remember last week…we talked about this guy named Nimrod. And of course, Nimrod was a mighty hunter…a hunter of men, his very name meant “let us rebel.” And according to Genesis chapter 10, he’s the founder of Babel, and other large cities in Shinar (Shee-nar). He’s also the founder of Assyria and the city of Nineveh. Listen, Nimrod, he seems to be the one responsible for uniting the people here in Genesis chapter 11.

But listen, as we walk through this text, look specifically at verse 4. There’s four key statements there that I think are super important for us today. First, it says that they aim to build a city, right? And notice, it says, “let us build OURSELVES a city.” Second, it says they aim to build a tower in that city. And listen, not just any tower…but a tower that’s able to reach the heavens. And here’s some evidence that they didn’t truly understand the God of the Bible or what He created. No matter how high we build, we can’t reach the heavens…there’s the spiritual realm and then there’s the physical realm.

The third thing we see here, its that they aim to make a name for themselves. They wanna be considered mighty and they wanna be feared. It’s all about pride here, which takes us all the way back to Genesis 6…And then fourth, these people aim not to be dispersed over the whole earth. That’s an interesting statement there. It’s almost as if Satan’s at work again just like he was in the garden, right? Planting false thoughts in the minds of men. And so, maybe it was thought that if they didn’t become gods themselves, God was gonna disperse them no matter what they did. We don’t really know what’s going on here but its interesting.

Regardless, here’s what we see. The first two…the city and the tower, they correspond to the second two…making a name for themselves and not being dispersed. Building a city for them…it was one way to prevent being dispersed over the whole earth. They thought that this fortified city would guarantee them security. They’d be less vulnerable with this type of protection. If they settled into this impenetrable city, they wouldn’t be scattered…which for the record…this action alone its a jab in the face of God after He commanded them to multiply and fill the earth, right?

But listen, building a tower that could reach the heavens, that was also a way for them to make a name for themselves. It was a feat that only a god could do and so naturally they would become the gods of their own lives. It’s the same idea when the Titanic was built in 1912. It’s builders, they said there was nothing that could sink this impenetrable ship. One man was even quoted as saying, “Not even God himself could sink the Titanic.” Of course, you know the story, all it took was an intimate meeting with an iceberg to sink the Titanic…if you haven’t seen the movie yet, I’m sorry I just spoiled it for you. But listen, man has always had this desire to make a name for themselves…to define their own limits, right? They’ve always struggled with pride.

And so listen, the city and the tower here in our text this morning, that was just the outward expression of their inward sins. You understand? The two sins we see here, its the love of praise (where they wanna make a name for themselves) and its the love of security (where they say, “so we’ll build a city and we won’t take any kind of risks in filling the earth”). Ultimately, the reasons why they struggled with these two sins is because they found their joy in being praised.

Pastor John Piper states, “God’s will for human beings is not that we find our joy in being praised, but that we find our joy in knowing and praising him. His will is not that we find our security in cities but in God whom we gladly obey.”

And so what we see here is that even after such a great warning like the flood, it turns out that the human condition is exactly the same as Adam and Eve’s…they wanted to decide for themselves what’s best. And they thought they could rise up and claim the place of God all over again.

And listen, that’s the same story of mankind we see today. Man thinks we know best…we think we can be the god of our own lives…we think we can determine truth for ourselves. We think we know what’s best and so we leave things in the power of own hands…and we don’t follow the will of God or the directions He’s laid out in His Word. And listen, this is true even in the church. I mean how we treat things like the church. The importance we put into the gathering of God’s people and into serving and giving and being apart of the church. We treat the church as secondary to things like jobs, and sports, and family, or whatever…and listen, its the same thing. We might not be building a tower to the heavens, but we’re certainly telling God with our actions that we know what’s best for our own lives, and the church ain’t it. “Thank you, but no thank you!” Instead, we’re gonna make a name for ourselves…we’re gonna pour ourselves into our jobs…or we’re gonna teach our kids that it’s sports where they should find their identity. Or it’s money, or success, or relationships…right? And essentially, even as believers today, we’re doing the same thing as the people at Babel. God already outlined what’s best for us in His Word…and the reality is, even the best and most spiritually healthy churches today, they don’t come close to the community that churches in the New Testament had with one another. And the reason for that, it’s because we’re all finding our joy in other things…things outside of the body of Christ.

And so, that’s the first question…where is it that you find joy? Because if it’s in anything other than the body of Christ, you’re missing it…and you might just be at odds with God. Church and your personal life, it was never meant to be two separate things. God gave you new life, and He called you to live this new life in community with other believers so that you could experience his everlasting joy right now.

Where do you find joy? Because if it’s in worldly things, one day you’ll be left disappointed because God’ll take that away from you. Where do you find joy?

II. Are You Divided from God’s People (vv. 5-8)

Question number 2…are you divided from God’s people?

Look at verses 5 through 8 with me again. It says:

Genesis 11:5–8 (ESV)

And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.

Listen, there’s two things here that signal’s that man’s about to be put in their place. First, God, He comes down and He sees what they’ve done and it says He calls them “children of man,” right? Or if you were to translate it another way…they were “sons of Adam.” In the same ways that they build this city and this tower…it’s the same as when Adam ate of the tree. The sinful nature of Adam, it goes on in his descendants.

But secondly, notice that it says that “the Lord came down to see the city and the tower.” Listen, it’s easy to miss this but Moses, as he’s writing Genesis, he’s mocking this tower that mankind built. He’s saying that this mighty tower…the achievement of mankind…God had to come down to actually see it, right? He couldn’t see it from heaven. Now, of course God can see everything, everywhere…but Moses, he’s showing us just how insignificant this tower really was.

Listen, after God’s seen the tower and what man’s done…what’s His response? When man refused to fill the earth with God’s glory…and when man tried to secure their lives in this city…and when they tried to exalt themselves in place of God…God scattered the people.

Look at verse 6 again…pay attention what God says here. He says, “Behold, they are one people and they have one language.” He’s signaling how He’s gonna judge these people…showing the reader that it’s their source of unity that brought them fulfillment…listen, you remember what happened when Adam and Eve sinned, right? The consequences, it impacted where they found joy and where they found fulfillment. For Eve it was in child labor and for the man, it was from the ground. Well, apparently for these people, their fulfillment was found in relationship with one another and it was found in their unity…and the consequences of their sin, it caused division in this area.

And so, He says in verse 7, “Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” And then He scattered ‘em, right?

And so, God’s response to man’s rebellion and arrogance, it was to make it harder for man to communicate and to make it harder for them to unite in this God-belittling global planning against Him. Listen, the purpose for man, it was always built around relationships…relationships with God…relationships with one another…and because we’re made in the image of God, real fulfillment…real joy…real satisfaction…and thus real power…it comes from our unity with one another. That’s why He says, “this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.” Now listen, I’m not suggesting that mankind somehow has the ability to do God-like things…I’m just saying that our fulfillment it was meant to be experienced together…just like it is with the Father- and the Son-and the Holy Spirit. That’s what it means to be made in the image of God. And so, because man distorted this image of the Trinity…God’s now dispersing them. He’s scattering them so that they don’t continue to over-step their limits.

But here’s what it shows us today…a righteous life…one that’s in relation with God and living within His will…it was meant to be lived together with God’s people…because it’s with God’s people that we’re able to glorify God. Listen, giving us His Son Jesus…it didn’t just provide us salvation…it didn’t just unite us to Him…guys, it united us with each other…we were given a new life, meant to be lived out in a new family. Too many times, we walk through life separating these two areas of our lives…and prioritizing the wrong ones. Church and your personal family, they’re not separate things…This is your new family…this is where you were meant to live out your life in community…this is where you’re meant to experience fulfillment and joy and satisfaction…this is where your meant to grow. We have to stop separating the two…Guys, my family life and my church life…they’re one in the same. My goal is to bring those I love into my church family, not the other way around…and the only way to truly do that, its to recognize that we’re each other’s priority. I have to teach my kids that you’re our priority…the church is our home…its our family…and it’s through this unity that we’re able to fully experience the glory of Christ.

And so again, the question this morning…are you divided from God’s people? Are you living two lives? One where you prioritize the wrong things? This is exactly what Jesus meant in Luke 14, when He said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

Guys, it’s not that we hate these people…we should love them…but it’s that our love for them doesn’t compare to the love we have for Jesus…and that love for Jesus, it’s demonstrated in the body of Christ…the church.

Guys, if you truly love your family, then you’ll point them to Jesus…your life, it would be a testimony of the grace He’s given you. And guys, you’d show them that the church, it’s in this place, in this family, that they’re most fulfilled…it’s with the people of God, people that are working together to push each other closer and closer to Jesus. Do you prioritize the people of FBC? And if not, then the reality is, you’re divided from the people of God…and you’re missing it. And again…it might just be a sign that you’re building your own city and your own tower for your own glory.

That’s the second thing.

III. Do You Trust in God’s Sovereignty? (v. 9)

The last question…do you trust in God’s sovereignty?

Look at this last verse with me…it says, “9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.”

And so, because of their rebellion…their sin, it divides ‘em…it scatters them…that’s the consequences of their actions. And of course, Genesis 10, what we covered last week…it outlines for us where these people go and all of that. And listen, this wasn’t a good thing…again, man was meant to be unified…to live in perfect relation with one another as they all walked with God…and so the fact that they’re divided here, it doesn’t bring glory to God.

But listen, here’s the point of everything…even through that, God’s still sovereign. In fact, He’d use this scattering…and these divided nations…and He’d use this situation to bring Himself glory. Remember, Genesis chapter 3, verse 15…it was always His plan to send a Redeemer…it was always His plan to send His Son, Jesus to mankind. The apostle Paul says in Ephesians 1, it was God’s plan even before the foundation of the world, right? And Paul says in Philippians 2, that all tribes and all nations and all languages and all people, they would exalt Jesus. They would be unified around Him and together they would bring Him glory. God’s sovereign plan always pointed to Jesus’s glory. You understand? Nothing happens outside of the knowledge or will of God. And even this situation where the people were divided and scattered, it pointed to what Jesus would do in uniting such a people…and even this story and this terrible situation, it was meant to bring glory to Christ. And as we get into the next several verses of chapter 11 next week, you’ll see this sovereign plan begin to take effect…because it would be through Abram that the entire world would be blessed.

And so what’s this mean for us? Listen, God can take anything and He make it good. I mean that’s what Romans 8:28 says. God can take our broken situations…He can take our sinful decisions and the consequences from those decisions…He can take our broken relationships and all of our mistakes…and He can make them good…He can use them for good…He can use them to bring glory to Christ.

Do you trust in the sovereignty of God?

Closing

Listen, as you reflect on this passage this morning…would you bow your head and close your eyes with me?

Guys, I wanna bring it back to the main idea as we close…those that are at odds with God, it’s because they don’t fully understand the God of the Bible…and for that reason, it’s difficult to love God.

Many of us…if we search our own lives, we’ve been building these towers that are meant to glorify ourselves and setup our own securities. We’ve become our own gods. And for that reason, many of us, we might come to church…we might gather with God’s people…but we’re still divided from them. We don’t actually find joy in the church or the people of God…we don’t have any desires to get involved or to serve. We elevate everything else over the church…and for that reason when difficult seasons come, we struggle to fully trust in the sovereignty of God…to trust that He’s actually got this… because we’ve become our own gods.

And friend, if that’s you…then I urge you to place God in the proper prospective…dig into your Bibles so that you can begin to understand this God…get involved in the church…get connected to God’s people. Learn how to love the church He’s called you to.

And for others, push those around you to do this. Hold them accountable and build them up. We all have a responsibility to each other, so that we don’t become divided. If you see someone that’s not connected…who’s building up their own name, disciple them. We’ve been called together, for each other’s benefit and to bring glorify to Jesus as one body.

But here’s the beauty of this story this morning…no matter where you’re at…no matter who you are…God’s grace is even greater…but you have to turn to Him…you have to put Him in His proper place…you have to repent and seek Him. Don’t allow sin to keep dominating your life…because if you continue, it’ll destroy you.

The Bible says we’re all sinful and that the penalty of sin is death. But through Jesus…who came and who lived a perfect life…who died on a cross to take on our punishment from sin…through Jesus, we can experience this astounding grace…through Jesus and His Spirit, we have the ability to turn and to repent…we have the ability to be freed from the power of sin. And guys this is true for everyone. We have to constantly find our freedom in Christ and Christ alone.

And so, listen…I want you to take the next several minutes and just evaluate where you’re at with God…and guys, I want you to turn to Him…to deal with your sin. Maybe that means you need to get up and come to the altar and just lay it all at the feet of Jesus this morning…or maybe you just need to finally give your life to Him today…listen, I’m here if you need me. You wanna be saved…you want me to pray with you…whatever it is, I’m here.

And so, you respond…and you allow God’s Spirit to work. I’ll close us in just a few minutes.