The Incredible Race (and the Towers We Build)

INTRO/ILLUST: Funny Consequences?

4th generation after Noah - people there knew of the Flood, and God’s judgment

Told to scatter

Decided not to, make name for self, not scatter

Consequences

Language confusion, forced to scatter, people groups are result

STILL ONE RACE

Revelation 7:9 NASB95

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;

OUR INCREDIBLE RACE

Start

- Start of THE race

- Sin enters, affecting the race

(For our purposes today, think about when you entered THE race, that is, being born) - June 7, 1967

When is your birthday? That is an important day to lots of people

Finish

- appointed for all to die, then judged - WHEN?

- all nations to be judged

(after the parables, work while waiting for master to return - “well done”)

Christ WILL return

Revelation 7:9 NASB95

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;

- finish the race

VBS Week - All nations

All came from 2, Adam and Eve

Genetically supported

Population after the Flood, supported

- every knee

- every knee

So…Somewhere in Between

Choice to make - direction you turn

Tower of Babel info: Real, 100 years after Flood (also real)

4th generation after Noah - people there knew of the Flood, and God’s judgment

Told to scatter

Decided not to, stayed in Shinar, make name for self, not scatter

Pride and Consequences

Language confusion, forced to scatter, people groups are result

STILL ONE RACE

Black paper, white paper - we are brown

All those we hate are still bearing the image of God, though many suppress that truth in unrighteousness ()

They stumbled over their pride

Just a few generations from Flood

Like great grandpa, you knew

Their tower, designed to make them look great, actually blocked their view of God

? (Our tower here, symbolically blocks the cross)

OUR COMMAND

Mark 1:15 NASB95

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Repent and obey!

(aside, we tell parents, about kids obeying - if they won’t obey you, they likely will not want to obey God, either)

But we: Our “tower-building” response

Do religion “our” way

Pride

Good works

Baptism (I know I harp on this, and for good reason)

Kids had great questions this week

“Baptism takes away sin” - taught at local churches and popular local church camp (IT’S IN WRITING)

There is wrong teaching, perhaps some from good intention

- people don’t like to hurt feelings, so it’s easier to tell someone something that is easier to take, easier to understand, instead of the TRUTH!

Babel: people knew who God was, and mistakenly thought this would be worship, even though they pointed to themselves for the glory

Churches and camps: many disobey the plain truth and commands, and we need to correct

Somewhere in between

Encounter Christ - everyone will or has

Stumble, take a look, make a choice

May 5, 2002 - I chose to trust Christ, His offer of salvation was clear

Personally - we must recognize that choice

You know: Date of birth - Accepting Christ (Date of death - TBD)

Date of death - TBD

Q: DO you know that you have stopped, repented, trusted Christ?

John: “Born again?” (some young, some old, some other)

Speaking of “stumble” - God doesn’t give up on us when we do

Church

In our society

People reject the cornerstone

:4-7

Want name for themselves -

We build our own way - pride is at the top of our values

(REM - disciple is humble, selfless, polar opposite)

We make our foundation OURSELF - NOT CHRIST

Our pride blocks the view of Christ for others

We MUST make sure people see THE CORNERSTONE

(17 x 6 x 3, weighing a ton or more)

UNMISTAKABLE - not stepped over, but stumbled on

Someone meeting you should meet Christ, CAN’T MISS CHRIST!

The Race - Will End

Where will you finish? Hebrew 9:27,

One His right? On His left?

If someone meets you, or comes to visit here:

Will you help them run the race that Christ desires?

Will you point them to Christ?

TRUTH: When the truth runs counter to popular thought, we are ridiculed.

This is all true

41% of people believe people and dinos lived together, at same time

(41% of the people are RIGHT!)

Most believe languages evolved, that people groups (RACES) evolved, and perhaps are still evolving - (VERY RACIST)

Most people believe in a “heaven” while very few believe in “hell”

Can’t truly believe in one without the other

TRUTH can be hard to accept, but it’s still true

(CLOSE WITH ILLUSTRATION USING THE START AND FINISH)