MUST THE STONES CRY OUT?
Lk. 19:35-40
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: Coming Up Short
1. A robber went into a convenience store. He picked up a pack of gum and approached the cashier. He handed the gum & a $20 bill to the cashier. The cashier opened the cash register & turned to scan the gum. As he did the robber reached past him, grabbed a stack of cash out of the register, and ran out of the store.
2. The cashier counted up what was missing – only $16 – and he saw he still had the $20 bill in his hand. He wasn’t sure he needed to report a theft since the store made $4 on the transaction! MORAL OF THE STORY: “When you choose to sin you’ll always come up short!”
B. TEXT
35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
C. THESIS
1. Was Jesus just using hyperbole? Do you think Jesus really meant that the very stones would begin to cry out? Yes! I believe that’s what Jesus meant & I believe that they would.
2. We’re looking at why praise had to rise, what kind of praise they offered, the opposition to praise, and how all this effects us.
3. The title of this message is “Must the Stones Cry Out?”
I. WHY PRAISE MUST ARISE
A. THE TRIUMPHAL COMING OF MESSIAH
1. You need to understand this event was unique and that this wasn't just some great man or some great prophet. This was the promised Deliverer, the Seed of the Woman that would crush the Serpent’s head. The Messiah had come, God incarnate – God clothed in human flesh.
2. This was the One that God had promised from the beginning of time when man fell from grace and ushered sin and death into the World
3. Paul wrote, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” Gal. 4:4-5 ESV.
4. So if they didn’t praise Him, I do think the rocks would have cried out!
B. GOD WILL FIND A REPLACEMENT
1. There are times when we cannot afford to hold back praise, because if we do, God will raise-up something or someone who WILL praise Him (in our place) at that moment. There’s a song entitled “Ain’t No Rock Going To Take My Place.” That should be our declaration!
2. If, according to Ps. 19:1, the heavens & the skies declare the glory of God, and if, according to Ps. 55:12, the mountains and hills burst into song, and all the trees of the field clap their hands, I don’t have trouble believing the stones and rocks could cry out and worship God! All Creation was made to praise God and that includes us!
3. We should praise Him whether things are going well or not. There are moments, when we MUST praise Him, where we shouldn’t wait to do it later. Such was this moment in history. The King was entering His city. He just had to be praised. What has He done for you? Has He given you a job? Praise Him! Has He given you a child! Praise Him! Has He healed you? Praise Him! Rescued you? Praise Him! Don’t put it off; do it now!
4. If WE won’t praise Him, God will raise others who WILL praise Him, in our place – even lifeless stones and rocks!
C. NOT LETTING PRAISE GO UP
1. A conference at a Presbyterian church in Omaha. People were given helium filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. Since they were Presbyterians, they weren't free to say "Hallelujah, Praise the Lord." All through the service balloons ascended, but when it was over 1/3 of the balloons were unreleased. I wonder if that happens here? Let your balloon go! [Bruce Larson, Luke, p. 43.]
2. 2 LADIES’ OVERHEARD CONVERSATION AT THE OFFICE: "Did you wake up grumpy this morning?" "No, I let him sleep in."
II. THE 4 KINDS OF PRAISE THEY OFFERED THAT DAY
A. SPONTANEOUS PRAISE
They didn’t wait till He had entered the city. Whenever you get a nudge, or think of praising the Lord, do it immediately. You don’t have to wonder if it’s the devil trying to get you to praise God – he never will. If you sense praise rising, it HAS TO BE the Holy Spirit! Go with it and begin praising!
B. UNANIMOUS PRAISE
1. It says that the whole multitude of the disciples rejoiced, and praised Him, without one tongue being silent. Now the disciples in those days had trials just like we do. One might’ve had a sick wife at home, or a suffering child. There was poverty and believers faced tough temptations. Yet none of the disciples excluded himself/herself from praise that day.
2. Have you lost your praise? Don’t you have anything to sing about? Has God done nothing for you? Join US in our praises and perhaps you will catch the flame, and find something you too can praise Him about.
C. JOYFUL PRAISE
1. “The whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice.” Christians shouldn’t be always gloomy. God says, “Serve the Lord with gladness!”
2. God’s creatures, in nature, know how to praise Him. The birds sing and twitter with joyful hearts, even if it’s raining. The horses canter and whinny; the calves jump, play, and gallop. All creatures rejoice in the life God’s given them.
3. Shouldn’t we “redeemed” Christians be rejoicing? “Let all that has breath praise the Lord!”
D. LOUD PRAISE
1. There were shouts and hallelujahs. The scriptures tell us to sing joyfully and make a loud noise. Today people shout for football players; how much more for the Living God? It’s okay for country-western or rock concerts to be loud, isn’t it okay to be loud for Jesus? The Savior refused to quiet His disciples. Shall the patrons of the devil sing loud for him, but we sing in a whisper for Jesus?
2. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS: God has turned our darkness into light. He’s delivered us from sin & shame; He’s saved our children; healed our bodies, & kept us through hard times. We live in the most blessed country in the world. Hallelujah! Praise Him!
III. OPPOSITION OF THE PHARISEES
1. “Some of the Pharisees...said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’ ‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’” Lk. 19:39-40.
2. Worship is always a war. When we declare that there’s one God & that His name is Jesus – who rose victorious over death, hell, and the grave – that’s equivalent to an all-out assault on the idols of the world. The Jews told the apostles in the Book of Acts, “Just don’t speak in the name of Jesus!” That’s exactly what we need to do!
A. HAVE YOU BECOME SILENT?
1. In modern America, many Christians have become lukewarm and out of touch with the Living God. We COME to church -- when it’s convenient for us. We GIVE when it’s convenient. We WORSHIP when it is convenient. We SERVE when it is convenient. And when somebody gets truly on fire & begins to shout, the lukewarm get the ‘stank eye,’ and say, “They ought to quiet down!”
2. Beware that you don’t go through the worship service thinking, “Do we have to sing another chorus? We may get out of church late.” Remember, souls are in the balance! We ought to be singing and praying with urgency and tears and fervency. Don’t be one of the “Frozen Chosen!”
B. IT’S TIME TO SPEAK UP!
1. Jesus deserves to be praised. God inhabits the praises of his people. When we praise Him, we let Him know that we understand who He is. That’s what worship is -- He is worthy of our praise. Ain’t no rock going to take my place! What about you? Is a rock going to take your place?
2. I had somebody tell me last week, “Preacher, I wanted to ‘Amen you’ but I didn’t know what people would think.” I said, “Don’t worry about what people think. If the spirit moves you, just do it, because if you don’t, the rocks and stones will cry out!” Ecclesiastes 3:7 tells us there’s a TIME TO SPEAK and a time to stay silent.
3. Can I suggest that IN the world we live in, it’s time to speak up? It’s time to right the wrongs. It’s time to defend the weak. It’s time to heal the hurting. It’s time to befriend the lonely. It’s time to praise our Savior. It’s time to affirm our Creator. It’s time to give credit where credit is due.
4. Because if we don’t, then the rocks and stones will cry out. The Bible says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!”
C. WHAT WOULD THE STONES SAY?
1. If we don’t praise God, the very stones will have to cry out. Shall we be saved from hell and be silent? Shall we be bought with precious blood, and keep quiet? God forbid. Can we not speak of the One who bore our sins? “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth!” COULD THE STONES EVER CRY OUT ABOUT HIM? YES!
2. If the stones were to speak, surely they would tell how God brought order out of chaos in the creation of the world. But you know, YOU could tell how God did the same thing in YOUR life!
3. The stones could surely tell how God came down in fire on Mt. Horeb & gave Moses the 10 Commandments. But YOU can tell how God put a fire in your heart and wrote His commandments there!
4. The stones could tell how they were fashioned and made into the Temple of Solomon and filled with the glory of God. But YOU can tell how God made your body into His temple and filled you with His Spirit!
5. AND the stones would surely tell of that Hill called Calvary and of the Savior who died. Shall we let the stones rise up and tell the story WE should tell? NO! I WON’T LET A STONE TAKE MY PLACE! I’m going to praise the Lord!” How about you?
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: Praise for Answers to Prayer
1. Late one night, a man in Slim Cornett's church was showing Slim around a county airport in rural Mississippi. "This switch lights up the runway," the man said as he flipped it. "Then, let's say there is a plane in distress up there. I would throw this switch and turn on the search lights."
2. As the night skies lit up. As they stood there talking about it, they heard the buzz of a plane. A small plane materialized out of the darkness and landed.
3. Slim and his friend watched in amazement as Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, stepped off the plane. The pilot had been flying Franklin back to school in Texas when the electrical system of the plane shut down, leaving them stranded in the Mississippi night without lights or radio or any means of guidance.
4. Suddenly from out of nowhere, the search beams had come on and guided them to the landing strip. Ruth Graham told the story that earlier that evening, before Franklin left home, Billy Graham had prayed for God to protect and guide his son and the pilot. [Christianity Today] God answered.
5. Just as surely as God was looking out for Franklin, God is looking out for you. God told Jacob, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” Gen. 28:15. Can we stand and thank God for all His blessings?
B. THE CALL
1. IF THE EARLY DISCIPLES CAN PRAISE THE LORD, CAN’T WE PRAISE THE LORD? I want to practice what we’re preaching. You all don’t mind that, do you? Participate with me. Let’s praise Him all together. Can you all say, “Amen?” Let’s all say “Hallelujah!” Everybody say, “Glory to God!” “Praise the Lord!” Let’s give the Lord a big applause!
2. Prayer for salvation and special needs in the church.
[This message has quotes from Charles Spurgeon, Randy Brown, C.J. Dickenson, & Charles Abraham. Thank you!]
