Lindsey Blair and Bobby Gilles recap and discuss Pastor Sam Huff's sermon from Genesis 11:1-9.
Lindsey Blair and Bobby Gilles recap and discuss Pastor Sam Huff's sermon from Genesis 11:1-9.
Lindsey: Welcome to the Midweek Checkup. My name is Lindsey Blair and I’m joined by Bobby Gilles. This past Pastor Sam preached from Genesis Eleven, One through Nine. He said that sin has separated us from God and one another. But through God’s grace, we are given the power of God to experience true unity and fill the earth with God’s truth, beauty, and goodness.
I think many of us felt the weight of sin as we thought about the consequences of Babel. We know the brokenness, separation, and confusion that we experience in our own lives and relationships. It feels so heavy at times, but we aren’t without hope. Pastor Sam reminded us of who God is, what he has done, and what he will continue to do. He said that “God’s particular power has filled you so that, through you, the consequences of Babel can be undone.”
Bobby, what did you think?
Bobby: Sam reminded us that the Bible has been translated into thousands of languages and dialects. Every Sunday countless churches around the globe are singing to the same God who saved them, praising Jesus, and participating in the same meal announcing the Lord’s death until he returns to make us one people with him.
Now, for anyone who missed the sermon or needs help remembering, let’s do a quick recap.
Lindsey: Pastor Sam began by reminding us of God’s purpose for humanity: to fill the earth with truth, beauty and goodness as his image bearers. But we had other ideas. The story of the tower of Babel is a power move against God. This story is a power struggle. First, we see humanity’s power move, which Pastor Sam called Power with a Perverted Purpose. The problem wasn’t our power — God gave us power. The problem was our purpose. Humanity decided that they were not about God’s image, but their own. They also decided to settle where they were and build an impressive city so they would not be dispersed throughout the land. This is in direct opposition to filling the earth.
Bobby: They built a tower with its top in the heavens. The word “top” here is the Hebrew word for head. The head of this giant tower is going to pierce through the heavens. The tower wasn’t people trying to reach God, it was people attacking God and his heavenly hosts. It was an invasion. It was a declaration to God that they didn’t need him. So God confused their language and their ability to understand each other. God’s separating us into nations is not just a separation from one another, but also separated from God himself.
Lindsey: But in the next chapter he will call one family, making a covenant with them to be their God. He has given the other nations over to rebellious spirits - false gods - but he will fulfill his plan through the descendants of Abraham and Sarah. And through them, eventually, all the nations will be blessed and brought back into God’s kingdom. God chooses Israel, and throughout the Old Testament, through all of Israel’s drama, unbelief, rebellion, and terrible decisions, God again, comes down to us like he did at Babel.
But he comes to us in Jesus Christ.
Bobby: But Christ doesn’t just save us to go to heaven when we die. In Acts One the first Christians wanted knowledge, but he gave them power. And in Acts Three they started speaking in a language that people from all nations could understand. When the power of God’s presence works through his people, the consequences of Babel are undone. He saves you because he wants to give you the power of the Holy Spirit. He wants you to take that power and, once again, fill the earth with the truth, beauty, and goodness of God. That is power with a particular purpose.
Lindsey: This coming Sunday we’ll learn from another famous story — Israel’s idolatry with the Golden Calf. And in Bible Fellowship we’ll study Psalm Ninety-one together, on this first Sunday of Lent.
Join us, and bring a friend.