3rd May 26 am - Fixing the World's Problems

The congregation hears about an upcoming sabbatical that will include study and a short holiday, and plans for ministerial training in Washington DC. An internship initiative called Anchored will onboard two young men for two years of practical ministry training alongside study at the Ministry Training Academy in Aberdeen, supported by a committed financial pledge from the church. The program will combine classroom formation, hands-on involvement in services and pastoral visits, and a short mission trip to Romania, with an appeal for regular prayer and financial support to free interns for ministry. A reminder follows that regular giving and gift aid enable sustained ministry and create space for apprenticeships that form future leaders.

Attention then turns to Genesis 11 and the Tower of Babel. The text portrays human unity after the flood as technically impressive but spiritually corrupted. Advanced building techniques and a desire to make a name for themselves reveal self-centeredness and resistance to God’s command to fill the earth. God’s intervention by confusing languages breaks the delusion of human self-sufficiency and redirects people back to the mission he gave. The action displays divine grace rather than arbitrary punishment; scattering restores the order God intended and removes the pathway to further self-glorification.

The narrative moves to Acts 2 as a counterpoint. Pentecost brings the Holy Spirit, enabling disciples to speak so that visitors hear in their native tongues. Where Babel produced fractured communication born of pride, Pentecost creates true unity rooted in the proclamation of Christ. The Holy Spirit diagnoses human self-centeredness and empowers change that mere willpower cannot achieve.

The practical call is twofold: cease resisting God and stop centering life on self, and instead allow the Spirit to place God at the center. The text urges repentance, regular dependence on scripture and prayer, and acts of obedience undertaken for God’s glory rather than human praise. The Lord’s Prayer functions as a model for daily dependence and reorientation. The hope remains that God will ultimately put all things right, and in the present he invites people to trust his wisdom, embrace his fellowship, and live as those restored to their intended habitat.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Invest in formative ministry training [07:15] Long-term, structured apprenticeships cultivate spiritual depth and practical skill in ways short-term exposure cannot. When learning combines theological study, pastoral practice, and real congregational responsibility, students grow into ministers who understand both doctrine and people. Supporting such training preserves future gospel ministry and prevents burnout from premature placement.
  - Generosity sustains church mission
  Financial giving functions as a concrete expression of worship that undergirds ministry priorities and communal formation. Regular, sacrificial contributions enable the church to free people for full-time discipleship and to underwrite training, missions, and pastoral care. Gift aid amplifies that commitment by stewarding public resources for kingdom work.
  - Sin makes unity a false good
  External harmony and technical achievement can mask inward rebellion when motives center on self-promotion or resistance to God. True flourishing requires alignment with God’s command, not merely communal success for its own sake. Recognizing this prevents the idolizing of progress and redirects ambition toward God-glorifying ends.
  - Holy Spirit reverses Babel’s curse
  Pentecost shows that only God’s Spirit can overcome the fragmentation sin produces and create repentance-filled unity around Christ. The Spirit exposes self-centeredness, equips proclamation in diverse tongues, and enables obedience that human effort cannot sustain. Relying on the Spirit leads to communal life ordered to God’s glory rather than human acclaim. [07:15]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [06:09] - Sabbatical and Training Plans
• [07:15] - Introducing the Anchored Internship
• [08:16] - Funding the Internship Commitment
• [12:55] - Giving, Gift Aid, and Worship
• [24:02] - Transition to Scripture: Genesis 1-11
• [26:36] - How Can We Fix the World?
• [29:03] - Babel’s Technology and Ambition
• [31:14] - Self-Glorification and Dispersion
• [37:22] - God’s Response at Babel
• [49:10] - Acts 2 and Pentecost Reading
• [52:31] - Spirit-Driven Unity and Application
• [55:24] - Closing Prayer and Lord’s Prayer

Bible Reading
Genesis 11:1-9 (ESV)
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 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. 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, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Acts 2:1-11 (ESV)
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

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Observation Questions

1. In Genesis 11:4, what two goals did the people of Babel have for building the city and tower? How did these goals conflict with God’s command in Genesis 9:1?
2. How did God’s response to Babel (confusing languages and scattering people) actually reflect grace rather than mere punishment? [37:22]
3. In Acts 2:6-11, what specific detail about the disciples’ speech amazed the crowd, and how does this contrast with the confusion at Babel?
4. According to the sermon, what two recurring human tendencies does sin produce? [36:39]

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why might unity and technological progress (like Babel’s tower) become harmful when disconnected from God’s purposes? How does this apply to modern achievements?
2. The sermon describes Pentecost as a reversal of Babel’s curse. How does the Holy Spirit’s work in Acts 2 address the root issues of self-centeredness and resistance to God? [52:31]
3. The Lord’s Prayer was highlighted as a model for dependence on God. How do phrases like “Your kingdom come” and “Give us this day our daily bread” reorient our priorities away from self-sufficiency? [57:03]

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Application Questions

1. The church committed to funding internships to train future leaders. What practical step could you take to support initiatives that invest in long-term spiritual growth for others (e.g., prayer, giving, mentorship)? [12:55]
2. Reflect on a time when you prioritized personal achievement or recognition over obedience to God. What would it look like to surrender that area to Him this week?
3. The sermon warned against “idolizing progress” for its own sake. Where do you see this tendency in your work, relationships, or hobbies? How could you intentionally redirect those efforts toward God’s glory? [26:36]
4. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to overcome self-centeredness. What specific habit (e.g., daily prayer, Scripture meditation, serving others) could help you rely more on the Spirit’s strength than your own willpower? [52:53]
5. The Lord’s Prayer includes “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Is there someone you need to forgive or seek forgiveness from? What step will you take to address this?
6. How might you use your skills or resources to foster unity in your community that reflects Pentecost (centered on Christ) rather than Babel (centered on self)?