Introduction

Good morning, dear friends. It's wonderful to see you all here today, gathered in unity and love, ready to receive the Word of God. Today, we are going to be turning our hearts and minds towards a story that is as old as time itself, yet still holds profound relevance and wisdom for us today. It's a story that speaks to the very core of our human nature, our aspirations, our mistakes, and our need for God's grace and guidance. It's the story of Babel.

Our Scripture for today comes from Genesis 11:1-9:

"Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

They said to each other, 'Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.' They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we may be scattered over the face of the whole earth.'

But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, 'If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.'

So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel — because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth."

Building Bridges Not Barriers

As we consider the narrative of Babel, we are confronted with the stark image of a people united in purpose and language, yet divided from God. They sought to construct a tower, a monument to their own achievements and ambitions. This tower was not just a physical structure, but a symbol of their self-reliance and self-glorification.

In contrast, we are called to build bridges. Bridges that connect us to God and to each other. These bridges are not made of bricks and mortar, but of love, humility, and understanding. They are built when we put aside our own desires and ambitions and seek to serve God and others. They are built when we recognize our dependence on God and our interconnectedness with each other.

The first aspect of bridge-building that we can glean from this passage is the importance of humility. The people of Babel were filled with pride. They believed they could reach the heavens on their own, that they could make a name for themselves without God. But their pride led to their downfall. They were scattered, their language confused, their plans thwarted. Humility, on the other hand, recognizes our need for God. It acknowledges that we are not self-sufficient, that we cannot reach the heavens on our own. It leads us to rely on God, to seek His guidance and strength.

The second aspect of bridge-building is the value of community. The people of Babel were united in their purpose, but their purpose was self-centered. They were building a city for themselves, a tower for their own glory. But God calls us to a different kind of unity, a unity that is centered on Him and on serving others. This kind of unity builds bridges, not barriers. It fosters a sense of belonging and acceptance, a community where everyone is valued and loved.

The third aspect of bridge-building is the necessity of love. Love is the mortar that holds the bricks of the bridge together. Without love, our efforts to build bridges will be in vain. Love is patient and kind, it does not envy or boast, it is not proud or rude. It does not seek its own way, but the good of others. Love is the language that transcends all barriers, the language that God speaks and that He calls us to speak as well.

The fourth and final aspect of bridge-building is the pursuit of God's glory. The people of Babel sought their own glory. They wanted to make a name for themselves, to be remembered and revered. But their pursuit of self-glory led to their downfall. In contrast, when we seek God's glory, we are lifted up. When we build bridges for His sake, not our own, we find fulfillment and joy. We discover that the greatest glory is not in being served, but in serving, not in building towers, but in building bridges.

Babel's Blunder and its Lessons

In the narrative of Babel, we encounter a community that, in their unity and shared language, found the audacity to reach for the heavens ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO