Genesis Ch11v1-9 - Gathering and Scattering

Thank you.

Thank you.

We need our text this morning, Genesis chapter 11, starting at verse 1.

Genesis 11 · chapter mention

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.

As people moved eastward, they found plains in Shinar and settled there.

They said to each other, come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly.

They used brick instead of stone and bitumen for mortar.

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 whole face of the earth.

But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that people were building.

And the Lord said, if it's one people speaking the same language, they have begun to do this,

then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.

Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.

So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth and they stopped building the city.

That is why it was called Babel.

Because there the Lord confused the whole language of the world.

From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Before we get stuck in, and I pray just a note in regards to the note sheet, if any of you are using that.

There's maybe some still on the table as you came in if you need one.

If you're confused with the title, go with the titles there.

There's not too much change, but just so you don't get confused.

Let's pray and ask for God's help.

Father, we thank you that you have spoken to us in a language that we can understand

and you have preserved your word for us, written in your word.

Indeed, the nations of the world today, so many, have your word, the Bible, in a language they can understand.

We thank you that you speak to us so clearly.

And we pray that we would be attentive to your word today.

That it would shape us and mould us.

And it would cause us to see your great big purposes for the world.

And how we should live in response.

So be our teacher through your word today, we ask.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, we come, don't we?

And we go.

We have gathered together and we are going to scatter.

We have congregated and then we're going to disperse.

That's what the church is all about, isn't it?

Remember Jesus' words to his disciples?

Jesus gathered his disciples together and then he scattered them.

They came to Jesus.

They came to Jesus and Jesus said to them, go and make disciples of all nations.

Now, of course, that's nothing new.

It was God's plan and then he was going to do.

It was God's plan and purpose right from the very beginning of the story of scripture.

Adam and Eve, remember, were in the garden with God.

They were with him together.

But Adam and Eve were to expand the borders of Eden.

They were to spread out.

As God's image bearers, they were to be the visible representation of the invisible God.

They were to reflect God's greatness and display his goodness throughout the whole earth.

And it was the same for Noah.

There was an opportunity for a fresh start.

Noah and his family, remember, were gathered together in the ark of salvation.

And then what does God say to them?

Well, have a look with me.

Go back to chapter 9 and verse 1.

Just turn a page back.

Chapter 9, verse 1.

Then God blessed Noah and his son, saying to them,

Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.

Now look at verse 7 of chapter 9.

As for you, be fruitful and increase in number.

Multiply on the earth and increase upon it.

As God began again the fresh start with Noah,

he says to Noah,

Go, scatter, disperse, fill the earth.

As God's image bearers, they were to govern the world for God's glory.

They were to honour God wherever they went.

You see, this is God's purpose for humanity.

This is why we were made.

It's why we exist.

We were created to display the glory of God.

That we would want people to see how good and how great God is.

Well, how are we getting on in that task?

How well are we at declaring God's glory and making it all about him?

Well, let's see how we are getting on.

Let's go to chapter 11.

First, building our own glory.

As Noah's family grew in number, they were united in their identity.

Look at verse 1.

The whole world had one language and a common speech.

So they were united in their identity.

And they also were united in their purpose.

Verse 2.

As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar.

That would become Babylon.

And they settled there.

You see, they were united in their purpose.

But they were united in a purpose that conflicts with God.

Do you see that at the end of verse 2?

Instead of scattering, they begin to settle.

Instead of building for God's glory, they start building their own glory.

It seems God's plans have been replaced with their own plans.

It's something that we do all the time.

We see this in two ways.

First, controlling our destiny.

Look at verse 3.

They said to each other,

Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly.

And they used brick instead of stone and bitumen for mortar.

Then they said, Come, let's build ourselves a city.

So forget your mobile homes.

Forget your tents.

We're going to build a permanent city.

A city that's going to last forever.

It's durable.

It's made of brick and strong bitumen.

It's not going to fall.

We say, Well, what's wrong with building a city?

Everybody needs a home to live in.

That's not such a bad thing, is it?

Well, this city would not just be a place of rest.

It would be a symbol of their defiance against God.

Look at the beginning of verse 4.

They said, Come, let's build ourselves a city.

Why?

Look at the end of verse 4.

Otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.

We're not going anywhere.

We're staying here.

God may have plans to expand and to spread out.

Well, sorry.

We're in control of our destiny now.

We're in charge.

We're not going.

Seems humanity has problems accepting directions from the top.

Just as Adam and Eve took things into their own hands, so we today take things into our own hands.

And central to this building plan was, look at verse 4 again, was the building of a tower that would reach to the heavens.

Now, these towers were very common.

Archaeologists have dug them up all over the place.

They're kind of pyramid in shape.

So maybe you're thinking of something like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, that kind of tower.

No, it was kind of more pyramid in their shape.

More of a temple type structure.

Because at the very top of these towers would be the home for their deity, for their gods.

In other words, they're saying, we're going to make our own gods and we're going to put them away up there in the heavens, out the way.

Gods who don't interfere with us.

Building this tower was a statement of independence.

We're in charge now.

We're going to make our own rules.

And we're going to live our own way.

Let's come together.

Don't go.

But they're not just content in controlling their own destiny.

They're wanting to establish a name for themselves.

Again, let's read verse 4.

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.

Rather than proclaim the name of God.

Rather than proclaim the name of God.

Rather than make the name of God famous.

We want to make our own name famous.

And again, through our studies in Genesis, this is nothing new either, is it?

Have a look back to chapter 4 with me.

Go back to chapter 4.

This is the account of Cain.

These are the first sons of Adam and Eve.

The account of Cain who murdered his brother Abel.

So chapter 4 verse 12.

God's response to that murder was very clear.

Verse 12.

God speaks to Cain and he says,

When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you.

You're going to have a hard, difficult life.

You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.

You see, even though he had done something as awful as murder,

God's plan was still that they would wander.

That they would scatter, not settle.

Verse 17.

Cain was in no mood for taking orders.

Cain made love to his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth to their son Enoch.

Cain was then building a city.

And he named it after his son Enoch.

You see, he begins to settle down and build a city for himself.

Instead of it about reflecting God's glory,

it's now going to reflect his own glory.

He names the city after his own son Enoch.

Instead of look at what God has done,

look what I have done.

Instead of look how great God is,

look at how great I am.

Let's go back to chapter 11.

You see, what happened for Cain,

individually,

has happened to humanity corporately.

Isn't that what we say?

Come on, let's make a name for ourselves.

Let's build our own legacy.

Let's build our own reputation.

Let's display my greatness and reflect my brilliance to the world.

Aren't I wonderful?

Doesn't the world deserve me?

Let's come together and make ourselves great.

Now, a lot of time has passed since this account.

And the world's population has only increased in number.

And as time has gone on,

we've got better at building towers and buildings and structures.

But even with all the changes,

not a lot has really changed.

We're still building for our own glory.

In defiance of our creator God,

we've set about controlling our own destiny

and making a name for ourselves.

We've pushed God out

and we've made ourselves the centre of the universe.

We are the masters of our fate.

We decide how we live.

And don't we see that reflected in the cities of the world today?

Cities are places where people now gather.

The vast majority,

nearly 60% of the world's population,

now live in the cities.

And it's only going to increase.

They all gather together

and the cities in some way

are there to keep God out.

Because the cities are where we do as we please.

And great towers are built, aren't they?

The towers where we go and serve the God of money.

Where we go and serve our own purpose

and pursue my career,

what I want to do.

Striving to make a name for ourselves.

And who knows?

It mightn't be just Donald Trump who has a tower.

Maybe I could have my name in dazzling lights.

Because I'm great.

But it's not just the cities of the world, is it?

We see it in our places that we call home.

Instead of thinking beyond our four walls,

we build up our four walls.

We prioritize my comfort over God's glory.

We replace God's honour with my security.

This is my home.

My career.

My desire.

My life.

Nobody's going to tell me what to do.

Nobody's going to tell me how to live.

Rather than expand the kingdom of God,

we've built our own little mini kingdoms.

Where we live as if we're king and queen of the universe.

We build for our own glory.

Isn't that what we see happening?

It's what happened then,

and it's what's happening now.

Second,

they were confronted with God's glory.

Humanity, the story there in chapter 11,

may be all about keeping God out

and living a life of independence from him.

But, verse 5,

the Lord came down to see the city

with the tower the people were building.

It's rather an amusing scene, isn't it?

Here's man, just imagine there,

building his cities,

towering over the landscape,

heaping praise on themselves.

How great we are.

Look how wonderful we are.

Well, God in the universe

looks on

and has to come down

to see and inspect.

I mean that tiny, puny,

those little ants

crawling around building things.

What are they doing?

It's like a child with his Lego bricks,

proudly and defiantly informing his father

that I'm building a house to live in.

It's ridiculous.

It's laughable.

Well, God comes, verse 6, and says,

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.

In other words,

the purpose,

the collective purpose of humanity

was to fill the world

with their own glory.

This is what man is about,

to establish how great I am.

And if mankind can do that together,

just think if they're all together,

it would defy God's purposes.

And God isn't going to stand for that.

God is the creator of all

and the Lord of all.

He will not let his glory be replaced

or be pushed out

by his creation.

A later prophet reminds us of this.

You can follow on screen.

This is what God, the Lord, says,

the creator of the heavens,

who stretches them out,

who spreads out the earth

with all that springs from it,

who gives breath to his people

and life to all those who walk on it.

I am the Lord.

That is my name.

I will not yield my glory to another

or my praise to idols.

I'm not going to give my glory up

to someone else

because I am God

and I'm Lord.

So God confronts humanity

with his own glory

and he does it in two ways.

First,

there's a judgment

by confusion.

Verse 7.

So God comes to the people

and he says,

come,

let us go down

and confuse their language.

Remember,

it was one common speech,

one language.

Come,

let us go down

and confuse their language

so that they will not

understand each other.

You see,

by confusing their language,

they're no longer

a united force.

He's breaking that up.

What happens

if you put an Irishman,

a Chinese man

and an Indian man

and an Iranian man

in a room together?

It's not a joke,

by the way.

What happens

when you put people

of other languages together?

Nothing happens

except confusion

and frustration

because nobody understands.

And God will not allow humanity

to build for their own glory.

So God comes in judgment

and disrupts their plans

and derails their purposes.

But he comes

not just in judgment.

God also comes

in mercy.

A mercy

by scattering.

Verse 8.

So the Lord

scattered them

from there

over all the earth

and they stopped

building the city.

You see,

humanity,

they weren't

going to listen

and obey God's word.

God said,

I want you to scatter,

to fill the whole earth.

No,

we're staying here.

We're doing our own thing.

They wouldn't follow

God's vision,

his plan for the world.

So God,

in turn,

has to scatter them himself.

God disperses them

and forces them

to fill the whole earth.

You see,

it's not just a judgment,

it's a mercy.

God scatters humanity

to stop them

from uniting

around self.

Because when we build

things around ourselves

and when it's all about me

and it's all about you,

we destroy ourselves.

So God,

in his mercy,

puts a halt

to the self-serving,

self-promoting,

building projects

of self-glory.

That's what we see

going on in chapter 10.

Just flick back

to the beginning

of chapter 10.

Chapter 10 tells us

how the world is.

It describes the world

with all its different

languages and nations

and how it came about.

So chapter 10 tells us,

following on from Noah,

verse 1,

this is the account

of Shem,

Ham and Japheth.

They were the three sons,

Noah's sons,

who themselves

had sons

after the flood.

And of course,

they increase in number.

Verse 5,

we have the sons

of Japheth.

They were maritime peoples.

They were sailors.

And they spread out

into their territories

by their clans

within their nations,

each with its own language.

Then in verse 20,

we have the sons of Ham

and by their clans

and languages

in their territories

and nations.

And then we go down

to verse 31.

These are the sons

of Shem

by their clans

and languages

in their territories

and nations.

So do you see

from Noah,

the sons,

they're all spreading out.

These,

verse 32,

are the clans

of Noah's sons

according to their lines

of descent

within their nations.

From these,

the nations spread out

over the earth

after the flood.

Then we come

to chapter 11.

But it's not chronological.

Chapter 11

is telling us

how all these languages

and nations

came to be.

So in chapter 11,

verse 9,

we read there

that this is why

it was called

Babel.

It would become

called Babylon

because there

the Lord

confused the language

of the whole world

and from there

the Lord

scattered them

over the face

of the whole earth.

So chapter 10

tells us

look,

look at the world,

look at all the languages

and all the different nations.

And then chapter 11

tells us

this is why

there are so many

different languages

and nations.

And as we look out

in the world today,

don't we see

many nations

and many languages?

Just as it was then,

there's confusion

and there's division

amongst the nations.

Turn on the news,

listen to what's going on

in our world.

Nations are putting up

barriers and borders.

People groups

are fighting

with each other.

They fear each other.

Countries are now

threatening war

or they're either

at war.

The evidence

is there for us

all over the world.

Why is it like this?

Because God

in his judgment

brought confusion

and diversity.

unity.

But at the same time,

God is acting

in mercy

within the nations.

Because amidst

all the diversity,

isn't there a desire

and a longing

for unity?

Despite all the confusion,

there's a hunger

for reconciliation.

the world longs

for everybody

to be united

under a common purpose

that we could all

be one again

and living rightly

as we should.

The world is crying out

for a saviour.

Someone who will come

and rescue us

from all the division

and all the brokenness

and put things right.

You see,

God in his mercy

confused

and dispersed

the people of the world

so that they would

actually turn to him.

God brought,

if you like,

a wedge of division.

The different languages,

the different nations,

so that people

would come to him

and be united

around him.

That's what we're told

in the book of Acts.

Follow with me.

It's almost like

a commentary

on these very verses.

From one man

he made all the nations

that they should

inhabit the whole earth.

And he marked out

their appointed times

in history

and the boundaries

of their lands.

And God did this

so that they would

seek him

and perhaps

reach out for him

and find him

though he is not far

from any one of us.

Can you see

God's purpose?

His purpose

remains the same

from the very beginning

of time

that the nations

of this world,

the languages,

the people groups

from all over

our planet

would seek him,

would come to him

and would live

for his glory,

not their own.

So,

we build

for our own glory,

we're confronted

with God's glory

and we are to live

for God's glory.

You see,

despite God

confronting the peoples

of the earth,

we still remain

the stubborn

bunch of people.

We don't easily

come to God,

do we?

We persist

in controlling

our own destiny

and making

our name

for ourselves.

What will it take

to cause

the nations

of this world

to live

for his glory?

What's it going

to take?

Well,

it would take

nothing less

than God

coming to us

in person.

Have a look

at verse 5.

There we read

that the Lord

came down

to see the city.

He intervened.

It's telling us

that God

took action,

that he intervened

in what was going on

because it was

God's desire

that people

would come to him

and centuries

later,

God would come

again,

but this time

he would act

in person.

He would come

to us

by his Son,

the Lord

Jesus Christ,

and through

his Spirit.

And he would

come to restore

and to put

things right.

Turn with me,

please,

to Acts

in the New Testament.

Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

So Matthew,

Mark,

Luke,

John,

and then Acts.

Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

And in this,

we're going to read

through different parts

of it from chapter 2.

God reverses

what happened

at the building

of the city,

the building

of Babel.

Here God reverses,

he undoes

what happened.

Let's take a look.

Verse 4,

chapter 2,

verse 4.

All of them,

he's here talking

about his disciples,

followers of the

Lord Jesus Christ,

people who've

trusted in him.

It says,

all of them

were filled

with the Holy Spirit

and began to speak

in other tongues.

Or if you look

down at the bottom

of your Bible,

there's maybe a little

letter beside tongues

and if you trace

that down to the

very bottom,

it says languages.

All of them

were filled

with the Holy Spirit

and began to speak

in other languages

as the Spirit

enabled them.

Now,

they were staying

in Jerusalem,

God-fearing Jews

from every nation

under heaven.

And when they heard

this sound,

a crowd came together

in bewilderment

because each one

heard their own

language being spoken.

amazing diversity.

People from all kinds

of different nations

gathered together

but now there's

no confusion

because they all

hear the same thing

and they all

understand.

But what is it

they hear?

What was the message?

Well,

look at verse 7.

Utterly amazed,

they asked,

aren't all these

who are speaking

Galileans,

aren't they all

from the same place

and speak

just one language?

Verse 8,

then how is it

that each of us

hears them

in our native language?

End of verse 11.

We hear them

declaring the wonders

of God

in our own tongues

or languages.

They're hearing

from the disciples

the wonders

of God.

How God

had a plan

from the very

beginning.

His purpose

and plan

was that all

people would be

united together

in Jesus

and that they

would declare

his glory

and live for him.

The wonders

of how God

came to us

in the person

of Jesus

to die for us

in our place

for building

our own names

and setting

ourselves in

defiance

against God.

He came

to die

for us

and his

son was

raised to

life for us

so that we

would no longer

live in opposition

to God

but that we

would now

live for him

and with him.

They heard

the wonders

of God.

Verse 37,

chapter 2,

verse 37,

when the

people heard

this,

they were

cut to the

heart,

they were

deeply challenged

and convicted

and they said

to Peter

and the other

apostles,

brothers,

what should we

do?

What's our

response?

We want to

change,

we want to

live differently

and Peter

replied,

repent and

be baptized

every one of

you in the

name of

Jesus Christ

for the

forgiveness

of your

sins

and you

will receive

the gift

of the

Holy Spirit.

Verse 41,

those who

accepted his

message were

baptized and

about 3,000

were added to

their number

that day.

Can you see

what's going

on here?

God is

gathering the

nations of

the world

around his

son,

the Lord

Jesus Christ

so that

they become

a new

people,

the church,

the people

of God

from every

tribe,

language,

tongue and

nation all

coming together

around the

son and

as we begin

to read

through the

rest of

Acts we

see them

being scattered,

being sent

out to

the nations

as they

are filled

with the

spirit of

God.

This is

God's plan

and purpose

in action.

this is

what the

church is

all about.

This is

what we

are doing

here right

now.

Two things

as we

finish.

First,

we are

gathered

around

Christ

to see

his glory.

That's

why we're

in this

building

gathered here

this morning

to hear

about Christ,

to see

his greatness

and his

goodness,

to see

all that

the son

has done

for us.

And in

repentance,

as we

hear about

what he's

done,

we align

ourselves

to his

desires,

not our

own desires.

Instead of

trying to

control our

own destiny,

we come

and we

submit to

his commands.

Rather than

make a name

for Johnny

Grant,

we come

to live

our life

for his

glory and

to build

his kingdom.

kingdom.

We have

gathered here

today around

Christ to

see his

glory and

his greatness.

But not

only are we

gathered around

Christ, we

are now

scattered by

Christ to

declare his

glory.

We go

into all

the world

starting here

in Carigaline

and into our

families so

that others

may hear

this wonderful

news of

who Jesus

is.

To hear

about the

goodness of

God and

his saviour

Jesus Christ.

And in

faith we

obey and

are filled

with the

power of

the spirit

and we

begin to

move out.

We

prioritise

God's

glory over

our comfort.

Rather than

striving to

build our

own glory,

glory, we

go to

the nations

and declare

his glory.

We go.

So let me

ask us all,

what will it

take for us

to live for

God's glory

this week?

What will it

take for you

and for me

to live for

God's glory

this week?

What do I

need to turn

from?

What do I

need to

change in

my life,

in my

family,

so that I

am prioritising

his glory,

that I am

about making

his name

great and

not my

name?

We come

and we

go.

We congregate

and we

disperse.

We gather

and we

scatter.

The church

is God's

plan and

purpose to

unite people

around his

son and

to live

for his

glory.

Let's

pray.

Father,

we confess

that we

have so

many plans

of our

own,

things we

want to

do,

people we

want to

be,

and yet

when we

reflect on

it,

so much

of it,

has nothing

to do

with your

glory and

your honour.

So would

you help

us to

live our

life for

the glory

of God?

Help us

to use

everything we

do as we

disperse into

our families,

as we go to

our workplaces,

as we

meet up

with friends,

wherever we

are,

whatever we

do,

that in

all that

we do,

we would

go passing

on declaring

the good

news about

the Son,

the Lord

Jesus Christ,

so that

others may

know the

joy,

peace,

and love

of God

for themselves,

because this

is our

only purpose,

and the

only plan

that is

going to

last.

So fill us

with your

spirit,

help us

to go,

help us

to disperse,

help us

to scatter,

and to

live for

you,

and not

for our

own.

We pray

this in

Jesus'

name.

Amen.

Well,

to help

us and

encourage us

to do

that,

we're

going

to

sing,

and

this

song

is

all

about

going