Genesis 11:1–8 NKJV

1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” 5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.

Designed for Connection

There is power in Unity

Matthew 12:25 NKJV

25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

Unity is the antitype of division

Division brings

++Desolation

++Lack of Stability

Unity Brings

++The capacity for Expansion

++Structure and stability

Unity is important in life

1 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV

10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Paul encourages us to

++Speak the same thing

++Guard against division

++Have the same understanding

++Have a united opinion

It is thought that the greatest of human achievements is unity.

Rob Ketterling’s book the Speed of Unity speaks of

Three gears in fellowship

These gears are

++Lowest gear Agreement

++Middle gear Vision

++Highest gear Unity

Agreement helps us walk together

Vision helps us to run together

Unity releases expanded power

Where there is unity there is strength

Psalm 133:1 NKJV

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!

Psalm 133:3 NKJV

3 It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.

Genesis 11:1 NKJV

1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.

God even recognized unity

Genesis 11:6–7 NKJV

6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

Why did God confuse their language?

They were one

++In their speech

++In their plans

What happens when human unity is in conflict with God?

Isaiah 55:9 NKJV

9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Proverbs 14:12 NKJV

12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

From the beginning

++God made Man

++God gave Man purpose

++God Blessed mankind

Sin changed everything

Romans 5:12 NKJV

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Romans 5:14 NKJV

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Death is Separation

Sin separated Mankind

++From God

++From themselves

++From the world around them

God never design us to be without Him even if united with each other

True unity starts with our relationship with God

1 John 1:6–7 NKJV

6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Our fellowship with him

++Is the bond that holds us together

++Is what makes our fellowship possible

++Reminds us of the price He paid for us

Romans 5:1–2 NKJV

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

John 15:1–4 NKJV

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

Genesis 11:1 NKJV

1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.

They were

++Together

++Of one language

++Not satisfied

Being together was not enough

Genesis 11:3–5 NKJV

3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” 5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

Being together

++Got God’s attention

++Made God see them

They had an Identity issue

Let Us

++Build us a tower

++Make us a name

++Stay here

They were serving themselves

God had other plans

Genesis 9:7 NKJV

7 And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth And multiply in it.”

Genesis 11:8 NKJV

8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.

There unity was temporary

Without God we are but

++One decision away

++One action away

++One disagreement away

++One misunderstanding

Unity Failure

Ephesians 4:11–13 NKJV

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

Galatians 3:28 NKJV

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.