What Do These Stones Mean? Series

Intro:When the waters of the Jordan rolled back

allowing the Priests to cross on dry land as they

carried the Ark of the Covenant, they were instructed

to gather stones as a commemoration of the event.

In explaining this, Joshua said "your children

will come in the future and ask ’WHAT DO THESE

STONES MEAN?’ Then you can tell them aboutwhat

God did here and what it means." (paraphrase)

Now, our church building was completely destroyed

by fire less than a year ago. Today we sit in a beautiful new facility. It amazes me. While we know

that the building is NOT the church...the building

represents some things...WHAT DO THESE STONES MEAN?

I. THEY REPRESENT THE WONDERS OF GOD:

1. We have seen amazing and exciting provision

coming directly from God from the most unlikely

sources to help us re-build.

2. Time does not permit me to delineate all the

"wonders He has performed", but we all can

remember the question "WHAT WILL WE DO NOW?"

that was on our mind this time last year...

3. From a larger than expected Insurance Company

coverage amount, to the many gifts, large and

small, to the contractor God placed in our

pathway, GOD PERFORMED SOME WONDERS, Amen???

4. What we are sitting in today is a result

of the WONDERS OF GOD....let us never forget

the WONDERFUL ways in which God has provided

this Holy place.

II. THEY REPRESENT THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE:

1. While God was doing great and mighty wonders

to provide for us, there were many who put

"feet to prayers" and banded together in a

spirit of cooperation and accomplishment

to design and see this building come to pass.

2. Sacrifices of time, talent, muscle power,

money, and materials on the part of many

in this congregation enabled this to become

a reality.

3. Fund raisers, bake sales, carnivals, etc.

take much work and time.

4. Everyone chipped in to do their part...and

WORKED TOGETHER IN COOPERATION, EXCITEMENT

AND ENTHUSIASM...AND THE RESULT IS EVIDENT.

III. THEY REPRESENT THE WAY TO THE PROMISED LAND:

1.The stones in our Scripture commemorated

the wonders of God, and the Work of the

people who followed the leadership of God.

2. They symbolized "crossing over" into the

promised land.

3.*MAY THIS BUILDING ALWAYS SERVE TO POINT

TO A LOST AND DYING WORLD THAT JESUS CHRIST

OF NAZARETH IS THE WAY TO THE PROMISED LAND.

4. THE ONLY REASON WE EMBARKED ON RE-BUILDING

WAS SO THAT THIS COMMUNITY COULD CONTINUE

TO HAVE A PLACE TO WORSHIP AND BRING OTHERS

TO JESUS.

5. THESE STONES REPRESENT JESUS: the way TO

THE PROMSIED LAND.

CONCLUSION:

What do these stones represent? Many things...

but among them are the WONDERS OF GOD, THE WORK

OF THE PEOPLE, AND THE WAY TO THE PROMISED LAND.