Building The Tower

Order of Service: Prestongrange Church

4th Sunday After The Epiphany

2 February 2025

Reading: Genesis 11 (1of4) (Next readings: Genesis 27, 33, 45)

Light Reflective Music

Bible Enters (Organ)

Welcome / Intimation (Rev. Bosch)

I greet you in the Name of God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe - in the care of Christ Jesus.

May it be that we receive mercy, peace and love.

Good morning. I am delighted to be with you today. I feel refreshed and excited to share in all the goodness that God has in store for us.

I would like to introduce… Lucien Egbert Bosch. Thank you, for all the cards and prayers. The support was fantastic.

World Day of Prayer, 7th of March, 07:30 at Cockenzie and Port Seton Parish Church

Kirk Session, Tomorrow Evening at 19:00, In Church

Presbytery will meet online on Thuesday at 19:00

Wednesday Alternitive Service, In Hall, 19th, Wednesday, at 19:00

26th, Wednesday, Prayer Workshop at 19:00 in the Hall.

Ladies Bible Study, Tuesday, 19:30

Prayer Breakfast, Saterday, 8:30

Call to Worship: Psalm 73(Rev. Bosch)

Minister: Tell of the Lord’s…

All: …glorious deeds.

Minister: Tell of the Lord’s…

All: …wonderful actions.

Let us worship God!

Hymn: CH63 All people that on Earth do dwell

Declaration:

Blessed be the name of the Lord now and evermore.From the rising of the sun to its setting, the Lord’s name be praised. Let us pray:

Prayer of Approach and Confession (Rev. Bosch)

Lord, we have come into your presence and we know that you are holy. Everything you say and do is right and we are overwhelmed by your glory, your power, and your majesty. We come painfully aware that we simply have no right to be here; nothing we can say or do, no catalogue of our acts of love and kindness, can qualify us as those who are worthy of your invitation. Lord, we come here in the name of Jesus, who alone can open the way into the presence of our King. It is only through his death and resurrection that we can be grace-cleansed and, by your Holy Spirit, empowered to worship the one who is Lord of all. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy 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 thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Hymn: Yet not I but through Christ in me

(Children enter)

Children’s Address: Build together with God.

Hymn: *SoF 736 (book 2) - Because he lives (lyrics below)

(Children exit)

Reading: Genises 11: 1-9

Sermon: (Rev. Bosch)

The tower of Babel is a storie in Genesis. The storie illustrates the clase between the inisiative of man and the reign of God. The story tells of man having the ability to work together and achive greatness. 

The greatness however does not last because God brought confusion. The actions of God interrups the progress of the people. Even though the oneness and team effort of man are powerfull, God still shows the ability to halt progress. The reading warns that any activity is futile compared to the actions or decisions of God. The issue the reading highlights is the making of a "name for themselves". Consequently, their strive to make a name for themselves is directly disregarding God. They wanted to be one and great without God. The story illustrates how God is cut off from this social endovers. The decision of the man to do this has its consequences. The phrases that we heard to explain the striving of man are the following: one language, let us, our engenouity, building our city, make a name for ourselves. These phrases emphises a powerful and effective social movement. The aim was to stay together at all cost. They did not want to be scatterd, consequently losing infrastructure and unite. All this sounds good on the ear, but the issue was that God was cut away. There was no room for God. What we have read about was of a community whose sole aim was the self and skills with no God.  There was no room for any spirituality due to the potency of this social coision. The tower was built and God was cut away. 

Who of us have and still is striving to construct our towers? 

Towers of money. / Towers of legacy. / Towers of academic prestige./ Towers of fame. / Towers of some kind of judges. 

Maybe we are busy with these towers, or maybe we are not. If we are actively envolved with our worldly construction. If we are working hard to lay each brick of our set tower. How envolved is God in those activities? 

This is the fundamental question our reading is asking us: How envolved is God in our amazing worldly activities? Could it be that we are so proud of our achievements that we disregard God?

If we continue this tijectory we then need to consider the warning embedded into this reading. 

Before we do so let us notice that God does admits the potensial of man. It is written:

"6 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."

The potensial of man is very great! 

Even though this is true, the reading does warn of actions that does not consider God. It states: God goes down to see what man were up to. It puts it the following way:

7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 

In other words, what is emphasised is that any action that does not acknowledges God is futile. When the spiritual dimention is not acknowledge the the towers will colaps. The towers that we built, what ever forms it take, will not stand the test of time without God. Another emphasis is that even thou worldly towers are impressive it can easily be halted by God. Therefore, take heed by acknowledging God in our daily actions. Very simply we can say that the story of The Tower of Babalon is a warning not to arrogantly go about live without considering some humility. It does not matter how great we are stay humble and do not forget God.

This truth speaks directly to us in Prestongrange. That is consider the hand of God with all the activities we are involved in.

I was preaching for a will in a beautiful small church in the town called Botriphney. It is a gorgeous place, that I really enjoyed preaching at. Like all old church buildings it had a cemetery attached to the building. One Sunday, I noticed a new grave stone which was decorated with the name of the deceased and his qualifications. It was very impressive indeed the titles and degrees. It was obvious that he was a man of influence. The wording on the gravestone made it clear. Then I looked up and noticed the older gravestones. Most of the gravestones the writting was barely noticable, and even some of the stones where layed flat on the ground. It then dawned on me that this impressive writting and refrences on his stone will also erode away. It could even be that his stone will also be laying flat on its face. Even though the deceased was impressive with all his achievements, He also met his maker. He also had to face God. The towers that we built can not compete with God and His reign.

The Tower of Babel puts it the following way:

“So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stoped building the city.” 

God has the ability to stop us in our tracks. This theology makes us stop and think how we proceed when building our towers. How do we involve God in the many projects that we undertake?

Paul in Corinthians states it as follow:

18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

May we in Presongrange undertake all our projects whilst considering God. Let’s pray that God will always be considered when actively prusuing the responsibilities he has given us.

The things that we are busy with are important, but they are fleating, therefore, become consiouns of the eternal and the unseen. We are aiming towards the eternal with God in heaven.

Even though the oneness and team effort of man were powerfull and able to construct a wonderful city, God had the ability to halt progress. Any activity is futile compared to the actions and decisions of God. Amen.

Hymn: CH549 How deep the Father’s love for us

Prayer for Others

Let us hold up before God the leaders of nations; those whose foolish greed, self-interest, and love of power are robbing their people of the hope and joy that should be theirs; and those who are taking seriously the responsibilities laid upon them. silence Let us hold up before God all judges, magistrates, and probation officers; those whose task is to apply the law to those who have acted foolishly, as they seek to balance justice and truth with mercy and hope, and those who find themselves seeking wisdom in the hardest places of all. silence Let us hold up before God the young people of our world; those who are just setting out on the journey of life and those who are uncertain which pathway they should take; those being drawn by peer pressure and the lure of a good time to foolishly sacrifice their health and their future. silence Let us hold up before God those in life’s later years; those who look back to opportunities foolishly missed and those are who still looking forward to new avenues to explore; those for whom their age is a barrier and their health a burden and those who see each day as the chance to walk wisely with God. silence Let us hold up before God homes and families near and far; those relationships that by jealousy, selfishness, and angry words are daily being undermined and the fragility of trust is put to the test; those whose only concern is to find food to fill empty stomachs and those where unconditional love wisely binds family together. silence Let us hold before God those for whom we are concerned; those facing times of stress, illness, or bereavement; those struggling to cope with loss of employment; those whose love of their Lord has grown cold and those whose experience of grace is daily renewed. silence Let us hold up before God ourselves and our lives of each day; the foolish mistakes we still grieve over instead of wisely accepting forgiveness; the things that hold us back from deeper commitment to one another and to God; the dreams we still have and the hopes we still hold that by the grace of God may yet come to fruition and bring him the glory and thanks he deserves. silence We have held up our prayers to the God who listens and answers and will now trust him and praise him in the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

Offering (The person at door duty brings the plate to the table.)

Prayer of Thanks

Hymn: Ch 498 Angel voices, ever singing

Rethink and Blessing (Rev. Bosch)

Go and undertake all projects whilst considering God. Considered God in all activities whilst uptaking all our responsibilities.

The things that we are busy with are important, but they are fleating, therefore, become consiouns of the eternal and the unseen. Aim towards heaven where Christ our Lord reigns forever. Amen

Sing/Play Amen (Organ)

Bible Exits (Organ)

*Because He lives

Verse 1 God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus; He came to love, heal and forgive; He lived and died, to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Saviour lives!

Chorus Because He lives, I can face tomorrow! Because He lives, All fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!

Verse 2 How sweet to hold a newborn baby, And feel the pride and joy they bring; But greater still the calm assurance: This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

Chorus Because He lives, I can face tomorrow! Because He lives, All fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!

Verse 3 And then one day, I’ll cross the river, I’ll fight life’s final war with pain; And then, as death gives way to victory, I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives!

Chorus Because He lives, I can face tomorrow! Because He lives, All fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!