I. Introduction
A. This passage has often been misinterpreted that, should the people hold their peace, then the Lord would cause the very stones to begin to praise Him.
1. In Matt. 3:9 and Luke 3:8, we find John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness; he declares “...That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”
B. In the text that we’ve read, however, Jesus says “the stones would immediately cry out.”
1. This is the Aramaic term meaning “to call out loud, to speak with a loud voice”
a. This scripture, then, is not speaking of stones that begin to worship God, should we refuse, but is speaking of stones that begin to call out to us with a loud voice.
C. So, if we kept silent and refused to worship, I wonder: What stories could the stones tell?
II. The Witness Stone
A. Josh 24:26-27 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. 27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.
1. This stone was established as a witness against the children of Israel.
a. Joshua has led the people for many years; he is now in the twilight moments of his life.
b. Through the countless miles and through the years of his leading Israel, Joshua has seen them become distracted, and then drawn away, by the false gods of the nations around them.
(1) He has seen Israel suffer distress, disease, and defeat.
(2) He has been witness to Israel’s deliverance, their demands, and their denial of the One True God.
(3) Yet he has seen their blatant refusal to learn from their mistakes.
c. Hence, Joshua has a full understanding of what will quite probably happen upon his leave of life.
(1) Therefore, he takes this stone—the Stone of Witness—which has stood within earshot of his exhortation
2. If the stones were indeed to “cry out”, what story could the Witness tell?
a. Perhaps it would instruct us in Joshua’s instructions to the people, and their overly zealous response to his charge:
(1) “Nay, but we will serve the Lord!”
(2) “The Lord our God will we serve, and His Voice will we obey.”
b. Then the stone would move on to the next chapter of its story, only one generation removed, and tell us:
(1) “...and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. 11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. 13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. (Judg 2:10-13)
3. The story of this stone would be one of tragedy; a story of a nation that once knew the blessings of GOD, yet had turned their back on Him, and had suffered the consequences.
III. Jacob’s Stone of Bethel
A. Gen 28:18-22 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. 20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21 So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee..
1. What a story Jacob’s stone could tell; it was only meant to serve as Jacob’s pillow at the end of a weary trip, but instead became an anointed stone—the pillar of Beth-el, meaning “House of God”.
a. Jacob had traveled long through the day; the sun was sinking on the horizon and Jacob knew he could travel no more.
b. His trip intended to take him from Beer-sheba to Haran.
(1) Beer-sheba: “the place of seven wells” or “the well of the oath”
(a) Beer-sheba was the place of Abraham’s altar.
(b) Beer-sheba was the place Abraham’s wells were dug.
(c) Beer-sheba was the place where a covenant was made that gave Abraham the right to those waters.
(d) Beer-sheba was the place where GOD visited Abraham’s son, Isaac, to re-affirm His covenant He had set with Abraham.
(2) Haran, on the other hand, was a place where Abraham’s father decided to stop on his journey.
(a) Haran was one of the chief seats of worship to the moon-god known as Sin.
(b) Haran was home to the chief temple of Sin.
(c) Haran was a crossroads; a place where Abraham’s father, Terah, decided he would go no further.
c. You see, Jacob was traveling the wrong way on a long road that led from the altar of Abraham to the city of Sin.
2. At the end of the day, Jacob meant only to gather his belongings around him, find a comfortable stone on which to rest his neck and shoulders, and sleep the night away.
a. It was here, though, that this stone supported Jacob’s head while the LORD visited him in a dream.
b. And in the morning, the stone that was meant merely to serve as a pillow instead became an anointed stone, the pillar for Beth-el, “House of God”.
3. So the story that Jacob’s stone would tell would be one of the insignificant becoming the anointed; what may have seemed mundane and ordinary to man—when placed in the Presence of GOD—could become an anointed pillar of worship.
IV. David’s stone
A. 1 Sam 17:48-49 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
1. Oh, I know you’ve heard the story of this stone before, but imagine that it begins to cry out from the ground when we refuse to worship GOD!
a. Such a small thing, hidden in the pouch of a young man.
b. Yet what GOD could do with this small stone, when placed into a weapon known as faith!
(1) No, it wasn’t the sling, nor was it David’s accuracy that slew Goliath.
(2) It was a little stone picked up on the journey to meet the giant.
(a) This is why your pastor has been reinforcing the necessity of prayer, communication, the Word...you never know when you’ll need to reach into your bag and find that stone that will slay the giant that defies you!
2. So we don’t want to worship? So we refuse to praise Him? Listen to the story of this little stone that begins to cry out, “When my Creator reached out and guided me through the air, I became a great weapon of deliverance for Israel!”
a. Let this preacher before you begin to sing aloud of what great things our GOD can do when He has someone willing to be used!
b. Let this preacher tell you how GOD can take the trivial and use it for His glory!
c. Let this preacher convince you that GOD can take an East Texas redneck, place him in a town in Missouri, and with a handful of people, build a mighty church to the Glory of our GOD!
V. The Stone at the Tomb
A. Matt 27:59-60 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch. Matt 28:1-2 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
1. It is no secret what a story this stone would be able to tell us if it began to cry out.
a. Surely it would testify to the worthlessness of its own purpose.
(1) Surely it knew when that blood-soaked body was carried into the sepulcher that there was something about that corpse....
(2) What an exercise in futility! this stone would cry out! To think that I—a mere pebble—could be used to hold the Rock of Ages!
(a) Undoubtedly, this stone laughed at the feeble efforts of a handful of men to use a stone to contain the Creator of all things!
(b) Undoubtedly, this stone would even today laugh again at men’s efforts to stop what nothing can stop.
2. Surely this stone’s voice would be among the loudest to cry out from the ground in the absence of our worship:
a. WORSHIP! WORSHIP! WORSHIP! For I am the stone that experienced the initial Touch of His resurrection power! I am the one who first felt the resurrection power of Christ the Lord, when His deified body passed through me!
b. WORSHIP! For I testify that when His Resurrection power touches you, you cannot remains stolid, stoic, or stony!
VI. The Forgotten Stone
A. John 8:7-11 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
1. Surely the story that this stone would tell would prompt any of all of us to begin to worship! This stone tells us the story of Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound!
a. This woman was guilty.
(1) She was caught in the very act.
(2) According to Levitical law, by being caught in “the very act” of adultery, she would be automatically sentenced to die.
b. She has no defense...she is thrown helpless, ashamed, and guilty before the Master.
2. This is when someone reached down and picked up the stone.
a. Its purpose is now known.
b. No longer will it merely sit idly in the sands of the courtyards of Jerusalem, with no purpose to it.
c. Now, it will become a weapon of judgement...it will serve to take the life of this guilty sinner that kneels before it.
3. Yet suddenly, cutting words from the Voice that spoke it into existence...
a. “He that is without sin...let him first cast a stone....”
(1) Moments pass...this stone hears the soft thud of its comrades as they are dropped into their washed out places in the sands yet again.
(2) So close...its purpose may yet be fulfilled...this stone tells the tale of waiting to be hurled violently at the woman kneeling helplessly before it now.
(a) Then, the fingers that have clasped it so tightly relinquish their grip...the moment has passed, and it falls to the ground, along with countless other stones.
(b) It hears the soft shuffle of sandled feet as they move away in silence.
b. Then, that voice speaks again: “Woman, where are those thine accusers?”
(1) And although her whispered reply is difficult to hear, there is no mistaking the sound of the Creator’s voice as it speaks again.
(a) “Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more.”
4. Grace has spoken. Judgement tried to stand it down, but Amazing Grace has usurped authority in this courtroom today.
a. And the story of this final stone, as it cries to us from the ground, “I am the stone that was forgotten...the stone that was dropped from the fingers of accusation...when the Master introduced us all to His grip of Grace.”
VII. Conclusion
A. What stories would the stones tell?
1. We’ve only heard a handful tonight, but I believe the stories of the stones should be enough to persuade you and me both that we can never refrain from worshipping the Master, from giving Him our praise, our love, our adoration!
VIII. Closing
A. This altar is open.
B. There’s a story for each of us tonight.
C. Come and silence the stories of the stones by kneeling at the Throne of Grace.
