Sermon Series:

Welcome G ATHERING A ROUND THE W ORD

P RAYER R EQUESTS Prayers for those in our nearby community: Mary Johnson (Julia’s mom – had last chemo treatment) Prayers for our members: Kit Fordham (traveling from Jordan home tonight at midnight), and Paul Blaum (Pursuing becoming a Chaplain) Prayers for those further away: Friend that Sidra invited to church, Marsha (Steve’s friend who needs a job), Mark (Steve’s friend who has been inquiring about Jesus), Sue Marini (Camilla & Frank’s sister-in-law, shingles in her eye) General Requests: Those without Job Security, Veterans, Those God is calling us to share our faith with – and for us that we will share it, Our church.

C ALL TO W ORSHIP (from Isaiah 2:12-18 ) Please Stand and Read Responsively For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up and high; Against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan; Against all the high mountains, and against all the lofty hills;

C ALL TO W ORSHIP (from Isaiah 2:12-18 ) Please Stand and Read Responsively Against every high tower, and against every fortified wall; The haughtiness of people shall be humbled, and the pride of everyone shall be brought low; And the LORD alone will be exalted on that day. The idols shall utterly pass away. Let us worship the Almighty Lord this day with humbleness.

Praise Song Please remain Standing

T IME OF C ONFESSION Please Be Seated P RAYER OF C ONFESSION (Please Read In Unison) Gracious God who sustains our lives, you call us to places we do not know and do not understand. Even though you promise to be with us, we are often afraid and turn away from the paths you have prepared for us. We often prefer to put our trust in things we know and understand – things we can manage and control. Forgive our failure to live passionately doing things for you rather than for ourselves. Strengthen us to trust in your promise to walk with us. Time of Silent Confession

T IME OF C ONFESSION (Continued) A SSURANCE OF F ORGIVENESS (From 1 Peter 2:9-10) Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have pardoned this people, from Egypt even until now." Then the LORD said, "I do forgive, just as you have asked. Amen.

Praise Song Please remain Standing

Prayer for Illumination P ROCLAIMING T HE W ORD

The Tower of Babel Genesis 11

Genesis 11:1-9 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." 5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built.

Genesis 11:1-9 6 And the LORD said, "Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another's speech." 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad.

The Majority is Always Right! A day is coming when we will be able to engineer around all medical problems. Then why haven’t we overcome poverty, disease, violence? Why do people still die? Technology will solve everything!

Will God allow us to overcome our limitations?

God allows Humans to rebel, but in the end God wins. The Tower of Babel is a story that tells us: How God reacts to Human Rebellion How God reacts when humans choose their own way instead of God’s way

God allows humans to rebel. Do you remember what God told Noah after the flood? He would never destroy them again. He commanded humans to fill up the earth – to scatter across the earth. Problem: Common Language

Significance of All Speaking Same Language God uses speech to create world John writes that Jesus is the Word Paul ways that when we believe we have “heard” faith. When someone preaches, they are preaching the wordl Scripture is the word of God. Speech - our words – have power that we cannot comprehend from our human vantage point. So God makes it so they won’t talk to each other any more.

What is wrong with their statement? “Come help us – come let us work together. We will make bricks and use them to build ourselves a city and a tower. Let us make a name for ourselves! Otherwise we will be scattered abroad upon the earth”

Same problem with the church today… “Come help us – come let us work together. We will make bricks and use them to build ourselves a city and a tower. Let us make a name for ourselves! Otherwise we will be scattered abroad upon the earth” The church is not for us or our well being. God told Noah what His people should do: Scatter and fill up the earth. Jesus told us what a church should be: A people who scatter to the ends of the earth to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. But the people of Babel had their own plan… settle in one place with a place that would be built for their own pleasure.

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain’ (Psalm 127).

So they build away…. And God comes down for a visit: “humans are not restrained from what they might dream up now.” And God restrains them!

God allows us to rebel. He allows us to build church communities that don’t remotely resemble the body of Christ. God allows our rebellion to go on. He allows sin to happen. But only for a while…

What the people of Babel don’t care about is that their rebellion affects others Fighting breaks out! There is confusion in their community. Aggressive people=yelling & screaming – louder you yell/more understood. People who aren’t aggressive= cower and leave town. Some try to take a vote to build unity – since what majority wants is right. People who aren’t afraid of starting over leave town. People who only home they’ve known stay believing city still alive.

A church that will not scatter – that will not go into its community to witness to the gospel - will end up like the Tower of Babel: Out of Relationship with God and with each other.

BUT there is good news: God provides a new way! BabelChurch God confuses their speech God separates them from each other God brings one tongue (Pentecost) God unites us through the Holy Spirit

Summary God has commanded us that our objective is to introduce others to Christ not to huddle together. God will leave us to our own desires allowing us to rebel. But when or if our rebellion affects his plans for humanity, then he will enter into our history and thwart our efforts. We may think for a time that we are getting away with something. We may be able to turn God’s commands off in our head and ignore them, But God will win in the end – and his word will be preached.

R ESPONDING TO THE W ORD

P RAYERS OF THE P EOPLE Please remain seated. The pastor will pray first and then invite the congregation to pray the Lord’s Prayer afterwards. T HE L ORD ’ S P RAYER Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your 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 yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.