The Power Of A Tower

Title: The Power Of A Tower

Text: Gen 11:1-9

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Introduction:

Anyone who travels to Edinburgh, Scotland will find Edinburgh castle a tower of seemingly insurmountable strength. But the truth is that the castle was once actually captured. The fortress had an obvious weak spot which defenders guarded—but because another spot was apparently protected by its steepness and impregnability, no sentries were posted there. At an opportune time, an attacking army sent a small band up that unguarded slope and surprised the garrison into surrender. Where the castle was strong, there it was weak.

- As this castle was a monument to it’s strength and impenetrability, so was the Tower of Babel a monument to the people themselves and not to God. And it proved to be there downfall later on.

- This morning we are going to use this sermon as an introduction to tonight’s message entitled The Anti Christ and the Coming Tribulation.

- We are going to see this morning how the Anti Christ will build a tower like dynasty, but in the end it will lead to his downfall.

- Also we as people, if we are set on building our own dynasty, it too will lead to our downfall.

- So let’s look at our text this morning and see what life lessons we can learn.

- The tower boasted of great human achievement, and was considered one of the wonders of the world.

- Now the tower of Babel was not wrong in itself, but the moment it became wrong was when it took God’s place in there lives.

- We too erect our towers, for example: expensive clothes, big house, fancy car, important job.

- All these are not wrong, but when they take God’s place in our lives, it becomes idolatry.

- We are free to develop in many areas, but we are not free to think we have replaced God.

- It was the desire of the people in our text, to dominate the world and their own destiny apart from God.

- That is why the Tower Of Babel became a sore spot with God.

Ex 20:5-6 says, “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

- To the Christian, God says I will be first or we will suffer. It’s the same thought we have with our children, don’t touch the stove or you are going to get burned.

- Don’t erect an idol, or you are going to get burned.

- What can we learn so that we will not fall into the same situation.

- What life lessons can we learn that will improve our marriages, churches and lives?

- The Word shows us 3 powerful life lessons found in our text, that when applied will accomplish great blessing in our lives.

Point 1: The Power Of Pride

Verses 4 says, “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 and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

- We need to avoid pride like the plague.

- There purpose for building a great tower, was based on pride and rebellion against God.

- It was an independence from God.

- The Anti Christ will be full of pride and arrogance.

- He will be independent and disobedient, the very characteristics of pride.

- The people in our text came together to strengthen themselves and in pride to make a reputation for themselves lest they be scattered over the planet.

- This attitude appears to be in direct disobedience to go out and fill up the whole earth.

Gen 9:1 says, “Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.”

- The Bible declares that pride will destroy the person who lives by it’s principals.

- Listen to this true story:

A U.S. Air Force transport plane with its captain and 5 crew members was flying over Alaska in the mid-50s when they entered an unusually fierce snowstorm. The navigator contacted an air base only to be told that he had veered several hundred miles off course. Correct coordinates were given to the navigator, who continued to insist that his own calculations could not be that far off. Soon the plane ran low on fuel. The six men decided to abandon the plane and parachute to safety, but because of the -70 degree Fahrenheit temperature and winds that gusted to 50 mph, they were all frozen within minutes of hitting the ground. A friend of mine was part of the rescue team that discovered and retrieved the bodies 3 days later. As a result of the navigator’s pride, 5 other people went to their deaths. Proverbs 12:15 tells us that “the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.” The results may not always be so dramatic, but we must all be careful to seek the counsel of God and wise individuals before making decisions of lasting significance.