At Odds With God (Honduras)

Introduction

Well, good morning!

Listen, I’m honored to be here this morning…I’m honored that Pastor Gomez trusts me enough to fill his pulpit last night and again this morning…I’m grateful for the hospitality we’ve received…and I’m just grateful for another opportunity to share the truth of Scripture and the gospel of Jesus Christ. So thank you!

Alrighty…if you have your Bibles, and I hope you do, open ‘em up with me to Genesis chapter 11. I know you guys have been talking about the family and specifically Jesus being the center of the family…and just like last night I wanna keep that theme for you guys but I also wanna give you a challenge this morning to view that theme with a little bit of a different perspective. Again, I talked a little bit about this passage last night but I wanted us to really dig into it deep this morning.

The Tower of Babel, it’s a pretty popular story. 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 while there would’ve been evidence all around of what God did to His creation…and while there would’ve been stories passed down from generation to generation…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 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. Again, I don’t think these people knew they were at odds with God…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 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 it all does come back to the family and Jesus being the center.

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, specifically 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 then 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. And then fourth thing, these people aim not to be dispersed over the whole earth…which is 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, 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, its a jab in the face of God…because if you know Genesis, then you know His command to man. He commanded them to multiply and fill the earth, right? And if they hunkered down in this city, they were defying God’s command to be fruitful and fill the earth.

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 that 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 a meeting with an iceberg to sink the Titanic. Listen, man has always had this desire to make a name for themselves…to define their own limits. 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”).

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.

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 they 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 that 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, or hobbies, or family, or whatever, you name it…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 education 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…its His Son, Jesus…and its with the people of God. And as I mentioned last night, that’s where joy’s found for us as Christians. That’s what God’s told us to do and that’s what He’s said is best for us. But like Babel, we try and redefine God and His commands.

And so, that’s the first question…where is it that you find joy? Because if it’s in anything other than what He says is best, the body of Christ, then you’re missing it…and you might just be at odds with God. As we’re gonna talk about in a second, the 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.…so that you wouldn’t have to build your own temporary joy. He’s given it to you right now, through His Son, and among the people of God.

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.

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.

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 we know theologically, 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, when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, do you what their consequences were? 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, here in Genesis chapter 11, 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 that He’s gonna confuse their language and it says 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 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, Moses isn’t suggesting that mankind somehow has the ability to do God-like things…He’s just showing us 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 the most. 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’re no longer scattered…again, 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 we prioritize the wrong ones. Church and your personal family, they’re not two 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 my church family is 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. If I want my kids to know Christ, teach them to love the church.

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…And guys, you’d do that by showing 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. It’s being apart of this unity. Do you prioritize the people in your church? Because if you don’t, 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 the last verse with me again.

Because of their rebellion…their sin, it divides ‘em…it scatters them…that’s the consequences of their actions. And of course, Genesis chapter 10…it outlines for us where these people go and how they’re scattered. And listen, this isn’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, its bad thing.

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. If you know 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 chapter 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 in end. 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 still 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 you continue on into the next several verses of chapter 11, you see this sovereign plan begin to take effect immediately…because it would be through Abram that the entire world would be blessed…a world that was scattered and divided, it 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. I mean, look around…isn’t that what He’s done in us as a church? He’s taken what was bad and He’s united us. God can take our broken situations…He can take our sinful decisions, 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

And so guys, I wanna bring it back to the main idea as we close this morning…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 His proper place…dig into your Bibles so that you can begin to understand this God…get involved in the church He’s called you too…get connected to God’s people because this is your family. This is where you find fulfillment and joy. Learn how to love the church He’s called you to. We can’t lead our families to Christ if we’re not prioritizing His body and if we’re not elevating it above everything else in our lives.

And for others, if you already prioritize your church family, push those around you to do the same. Hold them accountable…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…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.

Maybe you’re here and you’ve never come to truly know Jesus. 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…It’s through Christ and Christ alone.

And so, listen…here’s what I want you do. 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…I want you to seek Him…to deal with your sin. Maybe that means you need to just get up and come to the altar and just lay it all at the feet of Jesus this morning. I don’t know if that something you guys do…or maybe you just need to finally give your life to Him today…listen, I’m here…Pastor Gomez is here, if you need us. You want salvation?…you need prayer?…you realize you need to learn how to love your church family, you wanna get more involved in the church…whatever it is, we’re here.

And so, you respond…allow God’s Spirit to work in you. And Pastor Gomez’ll close us in just a moment, when you’ve had time.

[Prayer]