I am a big fan of the cartoon script Charlie Brown. I have been since my teenage years. I always seemed to associate myself to poor old Charlie Brown who was forever asking the question “Why me?”
In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy demands that Linus change TV channels and then threatens him with her fist if he doesn’t.
"What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus.
"These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they are nothing, but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold."
"What channel do you want?" asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can’t you guys get organized like that?"
Today we are going to study two groups of people who became organized to accomplish a great feat, God’s involvement with both groups, and why He did so.
Turn to Genesis 11:1-8 “At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there.
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.) 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.’
But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. ‘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! Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.’
In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city.”
First, the people were unified.
They spoke the same language. They used the same words. They were unified in destinations. They were unified in deciding on a place to settled down. They were unified in building a great city with a tower reaching into the sky. They were unified with staying as one in one place.
There is nothing wrong with unity. The Bible tells us to “be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” (1 Corinthians 1:10) We are commanded to “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.”(Ephesians 4:3) God encouraged unity.
Secondly, the people were settled.
They found a place in the plain and settled there. It’s nice to get away from the struggles of the mountains and settle in the plains. Since the day of Noah they have been nomads, wandering from mountain range to mountain range. As a group they may have been traveling for 350 years and have gone no farther than 300 miles from where the ark has landed.
They finally cane out of the mountains and found a beautiful place. It was a flat land with two flowing rivers on each side. It was fertile ground for planting crops. There were materials available to make bricks and build homes. No more wandering around in tents that had to be packed away each time they moved. It was finally a time to rest.
There is nothing wrong with being settled and comfortable. God promised Abraham, Moses, and Joshua a land filled with milk and honey in which they would find comfort. We are commanded to take time of rest.
Thirdly, the people were satisfied.
Everything was great. The fellowship was great. The location was great. Their needs were being met. They had found a place to call home. They were happy.
There is nothing wrong with being satisfied and happy. The word says “So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!” (Ecclesiastes 9:7) God’s desire is for us to be content.
However, God looked upon them and said “ They are united due to having the same language. They are settled in the land and content to stay there. Let’s confuse their language and scatter them through out the world.” And that’s what He did. But why, if there is nothing wrong with being united, settles, and satisfied?
Because they were disobedient. Turn to Genesis 9:1. “Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth.’” These people were descendants of Noah and his sons. They were to populate the entire world, not the plain below the mountain. God needed to nudge them to be obedient to his word.
Now let’s study the second group.
Acts 2:42-47 “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”
And Acts 4:32-35 “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.”
Firstly, the people were united.
They were united through the apostles’ teachings, through fellowship, through the sharing of meals, and through prayer. They were united through sharing with each other. They met at the temple everyday. They spoke the same spiritual language, one of joy and generosity. They shared the same vision. What a great church.
We are like that church. We also are united in the teachings here. We enjoy fellowship and sharing meals. We pray for one another. We meet needs within our body when we are made aware of them. We meet regularly on Sunday. We speak the same language, literally. We share the same vision. We are a great church.
Secondly, the people were settled.
They were settled into their own routine. They met together in one place. They shared everything they had. They worshiped together.
They had meals together. They invited others to join them.
We are like that. We meet together here. We share with each other. We worship together. We have meals together and invite others to join us. We are a great church.
Thirdly, the people were satisfied.
Look again at Acts 4:34-35. “There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.”
That’s God’s economy, not socialism. Those who had an excess of property and finances would give that to the apostles to get others out of debt. Imagine how that would work if all of us decided to get one family debt free and then that family join in to get another family debt free until everyone was debt free. “There were no needy people among them” is there any wonder people were joining this group each day?
I’m not going to say we are like that because we are not. But I do know, as I have already said, we meet needs to the best of our ability when they are made known. The church in Acts was a wonderful church and so are we.
However, God looked upon them and said “They are united due to having the same devotion to each other. They are settled in Jerusalem and content to stay there. Let’s bring persecution and scatter them through out the world.” And that is what He did. Acts 8:1-4 “Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.
But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.”
But why, if there is nothing wrong with being united, settled, and satisfied? Because as marvelous as they were, they were disobedient.
Mark 16:15 “And then he told them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.’”
The church is not meant to be contained within four walls. In fact, the word never referred to a building. It meant an assembly, a group of people meeting together. When Jesus referred to his church He was referring to a group of people meeting in his name. For years the church has been trying to get people within a building when that was never intended by Jesus to be his plan. He wants people out of the building and into the world. For too long we have been in unity with each other while being divisive with the world. For too long we have been settled within our walls while being aloof with the world. For too long we have been satisfied with out fulfillment while discarding the needs of those outside of our walls. It’s time we truly “Go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone.
