Why Man’s Stone couldn’t contain God’s Rock Now About That Stone Why Man’s Stone couldn’t contain God’s Rock

Leave no stone unturned Stone Metaphors Sticks & stones… Can’t get blood out of a stone Stone cold A rolling stone… Written in stone Run into a stone wall Leave no stone unturned

Stones & Jesus Many Stones Picture Him (OT) No Stones Stop Him (NT) His Stone Stops Us

1. Stones That Picture Jesus Deuteronomy 32:31 “For their rock is not like our Rock, Even our enemies themselves being judges.”

1. Stones That Picture Jesus Psalms 18:2 “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

1. Stones That Picture Jesus 1 Corinthians 10:4 “…and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” Jesus as the FOUNTAINHEAD Rock This teaches clearly that the Rock & Stone are pictures of Jesus given us from God.

Jesus as FOUNTAINHEAD Rock Exodus 17:6 "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.” He struck the Rock and it ran wet (like His body) with life-giving water. That Rock flowed with water for 40 years. Israel camped along its banks. It carried them into the Promised Land. Without that water Israel would have died. Without Jesus, you will die spiritually That water graced them through their entire journey to the Promised Land. Jesus graces everyone who will journey by Him to the Promised Land. You feel discouraged, parched for encouragement and strength. You pray, then open your Bible or a devotion and find refreshing! Your soul is cracked dry by the flame of hatred in your heart. Then you encounter the love of Jesus and His streams of forgiveness flow. You are in a wilderness of confusion. You are seeing things that aren’t there, imaging things about yourself, God or others that is wholly untrue. You’ve tried indulging your pleasures, but find it like seawater to thirst. Then you surrender your pain to Jesus and find He soothes like still waters. You find you have no resources for those in your care: your family or even your animals. Then you seek Jesus’ aid and He miraculously provides for you!

Jesus as Cornerstone Psalm 118:21-24 “I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.   This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.   This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” The Stone is associated with salvation. The Stone is understood by the experts, but rejected out of hand The Lord does a marvelous work in making the Stone the Cornerstone of His work

Jesus as Cornerstone Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily. The purpose of the Stone: God is doing this. The value of the Stone: tried, precious & sure The confidence of the Stone: believers will not act with anxiety (hastily)

Jesus as Cornerstone Isaiah 28:16 “Whoever believes…” …will not act hastily (Heb) “…shall by no means be ashamed” (Greek) Romans 9:33 “…on Him will not be put to shame” 1 Peter 2:6 “…in Him will not be put to shame” Believers are promised not to be ashamed. Belief is placed in a PERSON—both Peter & Paul attest to this referring to Jesus

2. No Stone Stops Him Religious Crowd’s Stone (John 10) Lazarus’ Tomb Stone (John 11) Jesus’ Tomb Stone (Matt. 27)

Religious Crowd’s Stone John 10:31-33,39 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God." Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand. They understood Jesus’ claims as God. They rejected Him so forcefully they wanted Him dead. They so wanted Him dead they were willing to take stones in their own hands and kill him on the spot. But Jesus came to die a more cruel death, and suffer more shame than just an angry crowd. In God’s purposes, no stone could stop Him.

Jesus & Tomb Stones Lazarus’ Tomb Stone The stone is rolled away Life encounters death Resurrected Lazarus takes his place in his home Jesus’ Tomb Stone The stone is rolled away Life overcomes death Resurrected Jesus takes His place on His throne Lazarus Tomb Stone: Talk about a Stone Cold Heart! Jesus commanded the stone blocking Him from Lazarus be rolled away (Jn 11:39). It was removed. He commanded Lazarus to come forth (43) and that stone cold heart grew warm with the life God gave. He rose and came forth! Jesus third command was, “Unbind him, and let him go” (44). Jesus today may be commanding those things that block you from Him to be removed. He is calling to you to come forth. You can hear Him in your once cold heart. Your defenses are melted and your heart is beating with faith. Come forth. Live. Be released and unbound! Jesus restores us to our rightful place from where death had removed us. Jesus revealed Himself to Martha as the resurrection and life (25-26). Martha had confessed she believed Jesus was the Son of God (27).

3. His Stone Stops Us Luke 20:17-18 Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone’? "Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder." Throw a rock at Stone Mountain and nothing happens. Throw Stone Mountain at a rock and nothing will be left of it. Throw all you have at Jesus and nothing happens. Let all your scorn and unbelief fall on Him, and nothing happens. God’s purposes continue. But let Jesus fall on you and you will be ground to powder. All the greatest rulers & leaders of the world have passed or will pass away. Many have been completely forgotten like chaff blown & scattered by the wind. They thought nothing of Jesus so Jesus has made nothing of them. They have no place in God’s building of which Jesus is the corner. Worse yet, they were broken and ground. What pain! What a suffering! What loss of meaning and purpose!

Which Stone? Man’s Stone God’s Stone Puts away Jesus Seals Jesus as Dead Defensive & determined Shuts out the devoted God’s Stone Exalts Jesus Presents Him alive Overcomes any opposition Welcomes the devoted Puts away Jesus—rejecting any future with Him Seals Jesus as Dead, saying His time of influence is over—”good riddance” scoff unbelievers Defensive & determined: Guards Jesus in unbelief—Even a force of elite soldiers couldn’t keep Jesus back from His purposes. It’s vain human effort to try to make life outside the tomb “as secure as you can.” (Matt 27:65) Would shuts out the devoted—the women didn’t let a stone stop them. They came forward at the earliest opportunity bringing their devotion to Jesus. They didn’t know how they’d deal with the stone, but their hearts were seeking Jesus. They had no idea a Roman seal forbid their entrance. They had no thought of guards at the gravesite. They only knew of one barrier, not 3, yet that didn’t stop them. They determined to leave no stone unturned! They had no idea heaven already turned it for them! They had no idea heaven would meet them there with a message of hope. Every devoted believer who comes in faith to see Jesus finds hope.

What if… Jesus’ turned stone “left no stone unturned” in your life? The “stone cold heart” melted in the heat of Jesus look? You read seriously what was “written in stone” at the tomb? What if the Turned Stone of Jesus “left no stone unturned” in our lives? What would be uncovered about our devotion and allegiance? What hidden idols or secret sins would the loosed Jesus unveil in us? What if the “stone cold heart” was melted in the fervent heat of Jesus love? (It happened to Peter in the courtyard & the thief on the cross). What hardness would soften? Would we see Him as the Son of God and Savior? Be more generous? Forgiving? Patient? Loving? What if we read seriously what was “written in stone” at the resurrection? What if the divine power that was “written in stone” at the tomb was permanently at work in our life? Would you try so hard BEFORE praying? Would you pray more?

What If… Jesus was your fountainhead? Your life turned a corner at the Cornerstone? Where do you go when you’re thirsty? Life turned a corner…You begin today with Jesus as the Rock of your life, your Cornerstone, your orientation to how you’ll lay the foundations of life? To what do you turn to square up your life? What makes your boundaries straight? Where do you fit in God’s overall purposes? Are you “in line” with Jesus?