Today is our second sermon on building projects in the Bible. Last week we looked at the greatest project of all time, when God spoke everything into existence. How thankful we should be today because of this wonderful display of grace. Today we turn our attention just a few chapters down the road and look into what reasons we should do build. I believe this is deeper than a building. Churches, other ministries and nothing should be built in the name of the Lord if it is for the wrong reason.
Building with the wrong motives!
Genesis 11:1-9
1 At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. 2 As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia[a] and settled there. 3 They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) 4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” 5 But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. 6 “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! 7 Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.” 8 In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why the city was called Babel,[b] because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world.
Problems with the building
- Settled in a corrupt place V2
- Started by speaking to each other before they spoke to God. V3
- Stated the wrong reason for the building. V 4
- For Ourselves
- Make us famous
Results
- God saw the power of the people this could be good or evil. V6
- God confused the people
- God scattered them over the world
Conclusion
I don’t believe building is wrong, I believe the motives of the people were wrong and it is for this reason that God judged these people.
