The Great Reset - Genesis 11 1-9

Andy, is it all recording? Are we live? Are we not live? Has everybody done their hair? Good. So, we are in Genesis, the book of the beginnings, Bereshit, the most controversial book it seems to be these days, and we're going to be reading chapter 11 from verse 1 through verse 9. Now, the whole earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly. They had bricks for stone and asphalt for mortar. And they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top is in the heavens. Let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth. But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, Indeed, the people are one. They all have one language. And this is what they begin to do. Now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let us go down and there confound or confuse their language that they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name is called Babel. For there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. This is the word of the Lord. Our Father, we trust in you this morning, Lord, and by your Spirit that you will speak to us through your word. Lord, of all distractions of this week, may they be put aside. Lord, may anxieties be put at the foot of the cross. And let every one of us this morning hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches at this time. Your word is living and powerful, Lord. We receive it and accept it. Clear any debris from our ears and even understanding of this passage that we may this day have fresh breath. And we ask this believing in Jesus' name. And all God's people said, Amen and amen. Please be seated. We've just read the well-known story of the Tower of Babel. And explorers and archaeologists alike have looked for this place where they attempt to build a tower whose top is in the heavens, exactly where that is located. Most read this story as a historical telling, how we managed to get so many languages, how many tribes and places on the earth. Others read this as a parable, which is a simple story to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. For example, what happens to man when he steps up from under the authority of God and seeks to be themselves the authority? Where man is to be under the authority of God, we read about that and heard about that a few weeks ago, a question of authority, and seeks to shun the Lord, disconnect what he sees as the shackles of the divine, and seek themselves to be, as it were, the divine. And we've seen many times in history, haven't we? Mainly in recent history, in particular in the last 120 years, how this all ends. It never ends very well, does it? When people shun God and decide to go it alone. As the late great Leonard Ravenhill said, the one thing we do learn from history is that we don't learn from history. Now, today's message is entitled The Great Reset. The Great Reset. Now, to set the scene somewhat, so we have a bit of understanding here, this event comes after the flood, where God has entered into covenant with Noah. And do you remember the sign that he gave of the covenant? What is the sign? Genesis 9:13. God sets a rainbow. A rainbow is a reminder of God's plan. God's plan of redemption. God's plan of reconciliation. And God's plan of restoration. Let me just say those again. God's plan, not man's plan, of redemption, reconciliation, and restoration. To be rest assured, wherever you see a rainbow, that should be a reminder to you of God's eternal plan. Do you hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches? Very well. Now, the location of this place is Mesopotamia. This is Baghdad, and this is in Iraq. And actually, you can go there and find, still today, the towers that they attempted to build. They're called ziggurats, and they still exist today. Those were sacred temples, and they were built in stages, like steps. And at the top, there was a shrine for worship. So check them out, the ziggurats. They're still there today. We're going to go straight into this text, and we're going to go, by God's grace, line by line and see what the Lord has for us this morning. So let's begin, verse one. Now, the whole earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Now, our traditional understanding of the story is a literal language. In that area, I'd imagine Aramaic or possibly Hebrew in later times, but Aramea was the actual language of the time spoken by Abraham. However, I believe that this text is telling us a little bit more in a literal language. Now, why do I say this? Because they had different languages before. For example, let's have a look in Genesis, chapter 10. Now, this is about the nations which descended from Noah. It says, verse one, now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah. Shem, Ham, Japheth. The sons were born to them after the flood. I often think it's funny the name Ham when I think of people in these. It doesn't seem to be particularly kosher, does it? It shouldn't be allowed. Now, let's have a look. Verse five. From those coastal people, or coastland peoples, of the Gentiles were separated into their lands. Read it. Everyone according to his language, according to their families, according to their nations. They had their own language. Verse 20. Those were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages. Verse 31, chapter 10. Those were the sons of Shem, according to their families, and according to their languages. So I think it's telling us a little bit more than that. And it's important not just to always take the traditional understanding at face value, but we are to read the whole counsel of God to understand it. For example, our general understanding, I'm sure you can imagine, of Genesis 19 about Sodom and Gomorrah is where you get the word Sodom from and what that was about. However, make this note. Ezekiel, chapter 16, verse 49. Ezekiel 16, 49 tells us that the actual charge of God against Sodom was pride. Pride. Now, pride is very dangerous. It's a very dangerous thing. It simply says, look at me and look what I've achieved. That's what pride is. I'll give you some examples of pride. Back in the garden, Genesis 3, verse 5. You will be like God, knowing good and evil. This is the temptation. That's what Satan is appealing to. Further still in history, back into the heavens, Lucifer himself said, I will be like the Most High. He was very prideful. He was a beautiful angel. He got to a point where he said, well, actually, I'm so beautiful, I'm so powerful, I can be like God. And in fact, even today, this is still his desire to be equal with God. And the way he seeks to achieve that simply is this, by having worship. In his mind, in his twisted, perverted mind, is if people worship in me, then I am like God. He desires worship. He will offer anything for those who will worship him. Think of the last temptation of Jesus. He offered Jesus political power if Jesus was just to bow down and worship him. Remember? All the kingdoms of the earth, they'll all be yours. All I want is worship. Yes, you can be Jesus. Yes, you can do miracles. And yes, you can be a wonderful teacher. But if you bow down and worship me, I will give you all the kingdoms of the earth. So as long as he seeks worship and receives worship and honor, he, in his own mind, sees himself as God. See the twistedness of it and the difference for Jesus. See, Jesus was equal with God. He didn't seek equality with God. He had it. Lucifer saw equality with God and fell. Jesus humbled himself before God and was elevated and ascended on high. Amen? Now, pride is dangerous. Let me read a quote here from Charles Spurgeon. Charles Spurgeon says, The demon of pride was born with us and will not die one hour before us. Every one of us has this residue of pride within us that must be killed and handed over. The scriptures say this. Proverbs 16, 18. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Spurgeon knew what he was talking about. Pride. Pride. Look at me. Look what I have achieved. I will be like the most high. I will be worshipped. I want to receive adoration. That's pride. Look at me. Now, what were these people doing in China? Let's have a look. It says, They journeyed from the east and they found a plain of land of China and they dwelt there. Now, China means the country of two rivers and it was the ancient name for Babylon or Chaldea. And they found, it says, a plain of land, a blank canvas. They went, Here we are. We have a blank canvas. Let's start from the ground up and build something for ourselves. Let's start again. A new world with new rules, with a new flag, with a new military, with a new order. Out with the old, in with the new. A new world order. That's what was in their minds. One speech, the text says, there's commonality in the speech. There's something that they were saying which they were common goals. Different tribes, says the text, different languages, one speech. They're all saying the same thing. No matter what nation they're from, no matter what language they speak, they're all saying the same thing. They have the same agenda. Does any of this sound familiar to you? The key is this. It's without God. One language, one agenda, without God. A great plain, it says. One speech, one idea, one goal, without God. A great precept. So what are they saying? Let's look. Verse three. And they said to one another, Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly. A brick for stone and an asphalt for mortar. Come, let us make. Let everyone get involved. Let's come together, people. We are all in this together. Play your part. I'm sure there were plenty of slogans going around at the time how they can build back better to motivate the people and to play your part. You don't want to be left out. You want to be for us, not against us. You want to be singing from the same hymn sheet. Worship. Hymn sheets for worship. Now how does this play out? Let's look in verse four. And they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top is in the heavens. Let us make a name for ourselves lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth. Come, let us build a city. A mighty city. A Rome. Let's build like a Rome. Let's do it like this. Or Paris. Or New York. Or London. Let us build a city. What for? Is it to honour God? No. It's to make a name for ourselves. Let us come together. How deceptive is pride. What I've done. What I've achieved. And they're building here. We can see in verse nine. It's Babylon. You know, it's with all cities. They like to show you all the good things. Here's the buildings. Here's the theatres. Here's the wonderful parks that we have and the fine goods that we sell. You see it on all the postcards in any major city that you go to. Is that right? They don't show you the rubbish bins. They don't show you what's going on. They show you what they want you to see. It's in the alleyways of the big cities that we see the idolatry, the debauchery and adultery. It's in those alleyways. You see, if a man is not building on Christ and the intention is not on Christ and the focus is not on Christ, it's on man. And when man does something like this, it's simply a manifestation of the heart of man which is deceitful and wicked above all things. So quite naturally, if you're building something which is not on Christ, it's going to be of your own imagination. And for those who are of the spirit, it's quite obvious. But let me ask you this. How about you? Are there no go zones in your heart for God? Are there alleyways in your heart, in your life that God is not allowed? Is there a sign where God is not allowed down that way? That's your avenue or my avenue. But he's not allowed to travel down there. Those dark alleys. Let me encourage you with this. Open up those alleyways and invite the Holy Spirit in to clean up the neighbourhood. They're not yours. You were bought at a price. Hand them over to God. For he knows best. And he will clean up the dirty alleyways in every one of us. Now verse 5 says, But the Lord come down. Thank God. And he comes to see the city and the tower which the sons of men built. Oh Lord, that you will rent the heavens and that you would come down. That the mountains might shake at your presence. He is going to come down by the way. And every eye will see him. He is coming. What do you see being built around you? A safer, happier, healthier place. A more equal society where some are more equal than others. Do you see it? A place where everyone is tolerated and everything, apart from those who disagree, that will not be tolerated. You see, it's pretty evident that it's a utopia being built. The life where it's safer, happier, healthier, where you own nothing. And do you sound familiar? I love it when I hear people use that term, utopia. It's the utopia. It's Thomas More that coined the phrase in 1516. To play on Greek words, it means no such place. It doesn't exist. It's a con. It's simply this. Humanism. Write down the word humanism. Read about humanism. It's simply this. We know best. It comes from the old Greek philosophy. Man is the measure of all things. It's not God. It's not man. Let me read you an actual definition of humanism. Because to some it may sound like humanitarianism. It's not humanism. This is the definition. It's the denial of any power or moral value superior to that of humanity. The rejection of religion in favour of a belief in the advancement of humanity by its own effort. That's humanism. Just read that again. The denial of any power or moral value superior to that of humanity. Nothing above them. And it is the rejection of religion in favour of a belief in the advancements of humanity by its own effort. Interestingly, it's the rejection. Not the lack of belief. The deliberate rejection of it. Now the West has had revealed truth. It's rejected it. Now it's in the process of replacing it. The revealed truth is the faith of Christianity. That sounds arrogant to the world. Tough. Because Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. It's inclusive. Whatever nation or tongue you happen to speak or come from. But it's exclusive in its claims. Christianity is an exclusive religion. No one comes besides Jesus. There's no equality with Jesus. He is above all things. He's the head of all principalities and powers. It's Jesus. No one else. Now the West has denied the faith. It's denied God's anointed and is in the process right now of replacing it. The spirit of the age is anti-Christ. Now in a sense, Christianity has to have been preaching a place for the spirit of anti-Christ to be at work. Because you can't be against something you haven't heard. Now interestingly, when Jesus said, get hence behind me to Satan, the actual translation from the Greek is, follow behind me. Follow behind me. Could it be that Jesus is allowing a sifting to take place wherever the spirit of Christ is preached? Wherever the gospel is preached, he's saying, you can come right behind me. Is it a sharpening? Is it to get rid of the chaff, the wheat and the pears? There's a division. But Jesus says, follow behind me, Satan. Now this phrase anti-Christ, the preposition anti means to be against it and then to replace it. It has two functions. And it might be healthier for us to start thinking anti-Messiah. Christ means Messiah, it means God's anointed. It's actually what the word Messiah in Hebrew means, anointed one. Because Christ has been used so much as a swear word, I feel somewhat resilient against using it, I guess, because it's been used so badly, hasn't it? So when we think anti-Messiah, God's anointed, it may help us to look at the text afresh, with fresh vision. So where Christ has been preached, God is allowing Satan to go through that area. And if you look at the Western world, that's what's happening. There is a rejection of revealed truth and an attempt to replace it with something else. And what I'm showing from the text here, this is as old as sin itself. This is nothing new. But I want to look today at God's response to the plans of man. Tell me, please, to Psalm 2. Because the danger is we can become so obsessed with looking at what the world is doing and has to say, we forget to look at what God has to say about the matter. Let me just say this, God's got something to say about everything. Let me just say He's already said it. So this is God's word. Psalm 2, verse 1. Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together. What? Against. Against the Lord and against his anointed. Anti the Lord and anti the Messiah. You see that? Against the Lord and against his anointed one, the Mashiach. The actual Hebrew word is Mashiach, Messiah. This is what the world is saying. Verse 3. Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away the cords from us. The restriction which religion has put on us. The restrictions that God has put on us. The restrictions which says you can't do what you like and get away with it. Let us throw off those cords and let us go it alone and let us be gods ourselves. There's no higher authority above us. If we just deny God, then He isn't there. Elders Huxley, you heard of him? Philosopher. He simply said this. He chose to believe that God didn't exist. He never said God didn't exist. He said he chose to believe it and therefore he said, I can now do what I like. This was a highly intelligent man. How deceived is that? Absolute self-deception. This is what man attempts to do, to throw off the shackles as he sees it. I see that as safety. You know when you're a child and you go out with your parents and you're going across the road and your mum says, hold my hand? Oh, what? You're trying to stick me. There's cars going past at 50 miles an hour, you know? It's safe to be under the covering of God. There are restrictions for a reason. The Jewish people themselves, before the coming of Messiah, seemed like they were restricted. They were penned in like sheep. This was a safeguard. The scriptures talk about the law being a schoolmaster until Messiah came. Keep separate, keep clean, keep your eyes on the Lord and what he has to say. Don't let the Gentiles interfere with what's going on. Don't mix things. Oil and water don't mix. There's a reason why they have different mixes for their clothes and why they didn't blend it. It's a spiritual lesson that the world and God's people don't mix. It's in it but not of it. Classic. But that's what it's saying. But let's have a look at what God says about the plans of man. It says this, verse four. He who sits in the heavens laughs. He laughs at their plans. The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then he, God, shall speak to them in his wrath and distress, them in deepest pleasure. So the Lord laughs at the plans of man and throwing off the shackles, as they say, of restriction. This is what the psalmist is writing by the Holy Spirit. So therefore, brothers and sisters, I'm saying this. Do not fear what man can do to you. I know it's easier said than done. I'm not trying to be romantic. But God is in control and God is and remains sovereign. He's allowing what is ever happening around you to happen. Get behind me, Satan. Follow behind me. He's allowing it to happen. Maybe to bust at me. Maybe to bust at you for his plan. That's God's response. So look at our response. Psalm 3. This is King David. Because people, you often hear it, don't you, when you look down, people say, oh, chin up, old boy. Lift your chin up. Come on, it isn't that bad. That's not scripture, and I'm going to show you why. Verse 3 says, But you, O Lord, are a shield for me, the glory and the one who lifts up my head. Praise God. It's God who lifts up our head. He's the one. He doesn't say, chin up, old boy. He lifts up your chin. What's it say? Look at me. I'm in control. I sit in the heavens. I laugh. Keep your eyes on me. Does that delight you this morning? It does me when I read that. What's he say? Verse 6. I will not be afraid of 10,000 of peoples whom have set themselves against me. All around me, King David says, oh, I'm not going to fear them. 10,000 of them. I'm bothered. I'm not worried about them because you're my covering. You're my shield. You're my good shepherd. You're the one that leads me in the ways of salvation and everlasting righteousness. It's you, O God. Therefore, my eyes are going to stay on you. Do not fear. King David didn't fear. Mary, Queen of Scots, feared Dom Nobis. That rhymes, doesn't it? Why? Because like King David, when Dom Nobis prayed, this is why we need to learn how to pray again. Starting with me. King David prayed, things happened. Therefore, he says this. I will not be afraid of 10,000 of people because David could pray. Mary, Queen of Scots, said she would rather hear of 10,000 men marching on Scotland than John Knox on his knees praying because John praying was more effective and more dangerous than 10,000 man army marching on Scotland. And that's why, brothers and sisters, we have to learn how to pray again and not talk about it. Are you with me? It starts with me. I'm not saying I've got it all together. I haven't. But I'm willing to bow the knee in prayer all night for my Saviour. And I know many of you will join me. God's conclusion is this. Verse 6. Let's carry on. Indeed, the people are one and they have one language. Notice. And this is what they begin to do. This is just the beginning. Now, nothing that they purpose or propose to do will be withheld from them. This is just the beginning. Back to the garden. Genesis 3:22. Behold, the man has become like us to know good and evil. This is what they begin to do. Actually, you can translate it another way. Whatever comes to their imagination, whatever not they begin, but whatever they dream to do, they will now do. Once they've got power. This is what they begin to do. Now, nothing of their imagination will be withheld from them. Now, God is not against progress. God is not against technology. Technology in the hands of unregenerated man is dangerous. J.R. Oppenheimer, inventor of the atom bomb. When he witnessed the dropping of the atom bomb, he quotes from the Hindu text, the Bhagavad Gita, which says, Now I am become death, the destroyer of the world. Then he adds, I suppose we all thought that one way or another. They thought they were like God. They saw the atom split. They actually didn't even know if it would blow up the whole world. Do you know that? They didn't know. Weren't sure that one atom might split another. Not sure how many, but they gave it a go. Is that right, Jim? That's how dangerous man is. Oh, if everyone blows up and dies, we get away, but you still won't get away with it. And Oppenheimer is saying this, I suppose we all thought that one way or another. They all want to be God. They all want to play God. Now the imagination and power is dangerous. Chairman Mao decided that over a hundred year plan, he was going to change China from an agricultural country to a communist country. It was called the Great Leap Forward. And between 1958 and 1962, 45 million people died of a great imagination, of great power. And God is saying this is what they begin to do. This is what they purpose in the heart. Now nothing of their imagination will cease. 45 million people died four years. Before that we had Adolf Hitler. He wanted to have the Third Reich reigning for a thousand years. And left 75 million people dead. At least you know not often your theory. This is what man begins to do. Can it happen again? Here's the beautiful thing. Verse 7. It says, come, let us, that's the Godhead, us, go down and confuse their language that they may not understand one another speak. I think this is partly where we're at now. People are very confused about language. Is that true? People are confused. They don't even know if they're to call someone sir or madam. That's how confused we are. So the Lord scattered them, verse 8, abroad from over the face of all the earth and they ceased the building project. A united plan can soon end in a divided mess. You see, man thinks he's in control. God is always in control. I'm thankful for that this morning. God is in control of your life. When we submit to him and not try and play God with him, he's got everything in order. His house is in order. Do you know what? He's getting us a little house in order as well. Apparently, according to the text, it's not that small. Because he's a good father. If we submit to him. Now the world right now is planning a great reset. God's allowing this. That's the thing. Don't be focused on the man. Chin up, old boy. Who's in control of the plan? Ever consider the fact that Satan in all of his delusion thought he was taking Jesus to the cross? He thought it was his idea. It was God's plan all along. Genesis 3:15. God is in control. Trust God. Keep the faith. He's steadfast in Christ. Immovable. Now the name of this place, Burstein said, is called Babel or Babel. But the Lord confused the language of the earth. And from there, the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the earth. And this is where we get the word babbling. Babbling on. Now Babel comes to symbolise a godless society. Pretentious. Persecutions and pleasures, which is sin. You want to know what happened to Babel? Read Revelation chapter 17 and 18 tonight. You'll see how it's all going to end for them. I can tell you, just like it was with the Great Leap Forward, it doesn't end well. But right now the world is deliberately trying to create a Tower of Babel. A happy world without God. It will fail. Whatever is not built on Christ, Messiah, will fall. My question this morning, are you building your life on Christ? On the promises of God? On the directions of God? Are you obedient to God? Or are you fooling around with Sunday religion? Remember, God is not mocked. Maybe you, maybe I, need a great reset ourselves. Seek the Lord and ask him, Lord, am I in the faith? And what this simply means is this. Am I living by faith? Am I in the faith? Well, I'm a Christian. But are you living like one? Are you thinking like one? Or are you carnally minded? At the conference Andy and I went to yesterday, one of the first messages that we heard was about fresh manna, fresh bread. And I thought, that's me, I'm a bit stale. Actually, I need my daily bread. Daily, at the altar of Christ. I thought, yeah, I was very convicted by that. And this morning, came to the chapel, get the communion table ready. Got the grape juice ready. And I tried to find the crackers. Couldn't find the crackers. I thought Eliana had eaten them all. So I said, Jordan, let's go. We went to the shop. What did I buy? Didn't even think. Was thinking too much about Sunday church. When we began to worship, the Lord said, James, look at the communion table. Fresh bread. Fresh manna. That's how we speak to His people. Let's open our eyes to God and our ears to God. Great reset, whatever. He who sits in the heavens, laughs. Chin up, old boy. God is for you. If God is for you, who can be against you? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you, Lord, first of all, that we know there's someone who sits in the heavens. And Lord, that we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ. Lord, I pray that the words spoken this morning will pierce the hearts of your people, build them up, and keep their chin up, keeping their eyes on Christ, who's the author and finisher of our faith. What was that question, Lord? Am I living by faith? Am I holding on to the promises of Jesus? Am I daily coming to your altar? Lord, give us fresh bread every day. Give us that fresh manna, Lord. Help us, Abba Father, by your Spirit, to commit to you daily, to hear what you have to say for your word is living and powerful. Lord, may you be honoured always in this place and in our hearts. And we ask this in Jesus' name. And all God's people shared. Amen. And amen.