Build Carefully

Build carefully Genesis 10

• The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai 
  • 2717 ft tall -It stands just over half a mile above the ground
  • 163 floors above ground 
  • Great engineering went into this: 
    • Y-shaped floor plan with three wings – Extremely efficient against wind and gravity loads
    • The building weighs 500,000 tons – Foundation -they have 192 reinforced concrete piles (about 5ft in diameter, 164 ft deep 
    • To fight “confuse the wind ‘the building steps and tapers 
    • They used special concrete that resists heat, reduces shrinkage and resists fire at a high temperature
    • The building moves as well – sways about 5ft during high winds 
• In contrast we have – I asked Chatgpt to and I quote “Give me the worst example of an iconic building that fell because of poor engineering.” 
• The worst and most iconic example of a famous structure that failed because of poor engineering is the ‘Tacoma Narrows Bridge — nicknamed “Galloping Gertie.”
  • The bridge was too narrow, too flexible and solid plates that resisted the wind instead of allowing the wind to pass through. 
  • Unlike Burj Khalifa, shaped to confuse the wind, Tacoma bridge fought the wind 
  • In 1940 –in just 4 months of operation -Poor engineering caused the bridge to actually twist and break in pieces 
• In today’s text we see 3 brothers who are going to shape the future of man kind as we know it (Build the future)
• They have been given tools by their father Noah to build their future 
• Deacon Jonathan spoke a great message about the blessing and curses the son’s received 
• Ham is cursed through his son – Cursed be Canaan – he is cursed to be a servant to his brothers 
• Shem is blessed 
• Japheth is blessed that he may share in the blessing of Shem 

• Genesis 10:1-2(Nkjv) – Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood. 2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

• • Goes on to describe the rest of their children, children’s children

• Genesis 10:6 (Nkjv) The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

• • Goes on to explain the generation even further 

• Genesis 10:21(Nkjv) And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, [d]the brother of Japheth the elder. 22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. 

• The Bible is clear that the lineage of Shem was blessed- it was a line of promise

• Genesis 9:26 (NLT) – Then Noah said, “May the Lord, the God of Shem, be blessed,

• • God identifies Himself with Shem – a covenant 

• • And we see this in – Exodus 3:6 (NLT)- I am the God of your father the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob

• • Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all came from Shem lineage
• I liken Shem generation as one who is brought up in a Christian home – You get the blessing of your parents’ obedience 

• • Deuteronomy 7:9 (NKJ) – “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments

• The Bible is also very clear about Hams lineage – It was plagued by power, pride, idolatry and opposition to the things of God 
  • Nimrod – we will hear more about this guy in a bit 
  • Canaan -cursed – Canaanite culture was overrun by Sexual immorality and idolatry

• • Genesis 10:19 (NKJV). and the territory of Canaan extended from Sidon in the north to Gerar and Gaza in the south, and east as far as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, near Lasha

• • The Israelites were warned to have nothing with them – Leviticus 18:24–25 (NLT)- Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways. 25 Because the entire land has become defiled, I am punishing the people who live there. I will cause the land to vomit them out.

• • Cush – Judgment was called against –– Ezekiel 30:4-5 – sword will come against Egypt, and those who are slaughtered will cover the ground. Its wealth will be carried away and its foundations destroyed. The land of Ethiopia[a] will be ravished. Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all Arabia,[b] and all their other allies will be destroyed in that war.

• I liken Ham as a household of chaos – Gift are given but there is a spirit of antichrist that oppresses the generation. 
• Japheth – He was neutral – He would share in the blessing of Shem. The one that no one pays attention to -Doesn’t get in trouble but also does not pursue. 

• Genesis 9:27 (NLT)- May God expand the territory of Japheth! May Japheth share the prosperity of Shem,[a] and may Canaan be his servant.”

• Japheth’s defining trait is distance, not devotion – Does Not Initiate Anything Spiritually
• He builds nothing, Rebels against nothing and pursues nothing. 
• I liken the House of Japheth to a morally good home – They are good people –they do good, but they don’t pursue God – they are comfortable with having everyone else do it for them.
• This got me thinking about the story of the talents. 
• In Matthew 25 – Jesus tells a parable about a master who is leaving on a journey. Before he goes, he entrusts his wealth to three servants:
• One servant receives five talents – Invested – earned 5 more. 
• One receives two talents – Invested – earned 2 more. 
• One receives one talent – Afraid – buried it to the ground. 

• Matthew 25:29 (NLT) To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

• But what if sometimes we feel like we are from the direct lineage of Ham – You feel like you are behind in life, born at the wrong time, trying to get ahead and there is something that keeps pulling you back – God is this what I have to work with? 
• And sometimes we feel like we missed the line entirely.  
• The feeling might be true but that doesn’t mean that’s the Biblical truth.

• The Bible is very clear – – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them- Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

• God planned the work and prepared you for it.
• I spoke to someone this week and they said that they want to learn to be quiet because they are on fire for Jesus and they might be too much for some people – even hoping to have a quieter spouse 
• And I said to them– Our God did not make mistake – The mistake we make is that we listen to the enemy who is using people and we forget that God looked at us and said – you are good
• We are required to build God’s kingdom with what we have – doesn’t matter which house you come from – doesn’t matter how many talents you have or don’t have  

• We get a choice, to build our own kingdom or to build God kingdom and we have to build carefully

• Genesis 10:8-12 (NLT) – Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).

• All these cities are known for organization without God

• • Babel – tower of Babel 

• • Babylonia – From a human perspective: success, order, brilliance 

• • From Scripture’s perspective: – power without submission

• Nimrod – A man who was not cursed – His uncle was the one who was cursed – yet he is the first to show outright that He wanted to build his own kingdom apart from God 

• These cities look good and serve a man’s growth, but the heart condition was domination, control, self-sufficiency, power and independence from everything else including God

• I love what Pastor Kulibaba said on Sunday – they were guarding themselves from the next flood – no more will God destroy us with a flood – Lets do something about it – Forgetting the covenant 
• Next week, we will see how they wanted to be like God – Lets build a tower and reach the heaven – Make a name for ourselves – get enough likes, people respect us, be self-made 
• How do you go from “mighty before the Lord’ to wanting to be mighty among man?
• The Bible says: Not to lean on our own understanding 
• We go from building with God’s instructions to building, leaning on our own understanding 

• Here is the truth – whether you are building on your own foundation or on Christ it will cost you either way 

• Matthew 7:24-28 (NKJV) “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

• What are you desires, you intention, your drive – is it geared towards your own build or God’s kingdom – Check your foundation 

• Proverbs 14:11 (Amp) There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, But its end is the way of death. 

• Be careful that you are not deceived or that you are deceiving yourself
• James 1:5 (Amp) If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him 

• Build carefully – we have no excuse to build without direction

• The enemy works so hard to corrupt us that even as I preach, I can hear some of your hearts say – see I told you- that’s just who I am , I blame my current behavior on my parent, my upbringing, inequality ..e.t.c 
• But that is not true!
• The truth is: “You are born looking like your parents; you die looking like your decisions”
• I love that our God is a redemptive God 
• John 3:16(AMP) For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten ([a]unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 

• God does not condemn these tribes to Hell – He offers everyone redemption 

• Acts 8:27–38 – The Ethiopian eunuch (from Cush) is baptized by Philip – From a chaotic history – There is a person that says – I don’t have much, but I will build with what Christ has offered me 
• Rahab the prostitute – Protected the Israelites spies, married into Israel and become an ancestor of King Davis and Jesus 

• These people were not afraid to build with what they had been given – How about you – What do you have in your hands?  

• Let us not be passive either – Jesus tells the church of Laodicea – 15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! – Revelation 3:15–16 (NLT)

• Known for wealth, textile and medicine – only to be told: You think you are rich, but you are actually poor, you think you see but you are actually blind

• Self-sufficiency, Comfortable faith, no urgency, no dependence, they didn’t reject Jesus:
  They didn’t need Him.

• Philippians 2:1-13 (NLT) 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6 Though he was God,[a] he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges[b]; he took the humble position of a slave[c]and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father……… Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

• Just because we started well, doesn’t mean that we are guaranteed victory – This race requires your daily armor – otherwise: 
• You could come from the blessed and anointed place only to end up being like King Saul or King Jeroboam – All descendants of Shem – that fell because of their disobedience 

• 1 Corinthians 3:12–15(NLT) Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

• Build carefully – 
  • Tacoma bridge – 4 months later self-destruction
  • Burj Khalifa still standing 15 years later 
• God is still offering redemption 
• I pray that we are wise enough to let God show us where, what and with what we are building 
• This is my prayer for all of us as we build – Now may the God of peace who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood 21 may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you,[a] through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen – Hebrews 13:20–21 (NLT)