Futility

Main Point: Our search for security and significance can take us to sin or to a Savior

Widespreadsin broke God’s heart and brought God’s judgment

The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. —Genesis 6:5-6

Our sinful nature urges us to be self-reliant instead of God-reliant

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel —because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth. —Genesis 11:1-9

It’s futile to try to find security without God

Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves. —Psalm 127:1-2

It’s futile to try to find significance without God

If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. —Galatians 6:3

It’s futile to try to circumvent God’s will

So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. —Genesis 11:8

It’s futile to think we’d find security and significance if there were no God

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. —Judges 17:6

It’s futile to think we’d find security and significance in a human leader

And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. —1Samuel 8:7

God will give us what we search for when we come to trust and obey Him.
He’ll give us security

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
—John 10:28-29

God will give us what we search for when we come to trust and obey Him.

He’ll show us our significance

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? —Luke 15:4

Takeaway: Our security and significance can be found in Christ.

Discussion Questions

How do people seek to find security in today’s world? How do they seek to find significance?
What kinds of things might represent our efforts at building our own “towers” today?
How can the search for security and significance lead us to sinful choices?
How does a relationship with Jesus bring us the security and significance we crave?

Table Discussion Question: When do you feel most secure? When do you feel most significant?