God can move or use that stone?

We all have barriers in our life.

How many of us this morning are free in the power of Christ to serve God fully?

We often see rocks and stones that stand in our paths. These things are not easy to move in our lives after all they are heavy objects to move. What is in our way this morning and are they there for us to learn or for God to move? Let us look at : 5-6

The NET Bible Chapter 17

17:5 The LORD said to Moses, “Go over before the people; take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile and go. 17:6 I will be standing before you there on the rock in Horeb, and you will strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in plain view of the elders of Israel.

The people of Israel was camped in the desert and were thirsty. Moses had lead around 600,000 people out of Egypt. This number does not take in to account the livestock they brought with them. This place was dry and hot. They began to complain about the lack of water. They had seen God split the Red Sea for them to walk across on dry land, but they were worried about water. We often see God work miracles in our lives and then we forget quickly what he has done for us. Here they were delivered from bondage only to have a giant stone of thirst thrown in there way. We see God send Moses to a rock. If you were thirsty would you look for a rock? Moses did as he was told and God gave enough water for everyone and all the livestock. You see God use this rock to benefit his people. What about the stone in your life is it there for God to use or for God to move?

Have you thought about how many times the word stone or rock is mentioned the scripture? Stone is used 340 time and rock is use 93 times. 433 times in this scripture we see something about a rock. I know what you are thinking. You are thinking boy he has lost it. He is preaching a sermon about rocks. God gave instructions on rocks one time remember that? Look at Exodus 24:12

The NET Bible Chapter 24

24:12  The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me to the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandments that I have written, so that you may teach them.

Here we see Moses receiving the Law of God on stone tablets. God wrote this law on the stone so Moses could take them and teach the children what they should do. These stone tablets represented a new way of life for the children of Isreal. These stones were going to guide God’s people in a new life. Ever heard the statement “Written in stone”? That means that something is permanent. It will not change or wavier. What if the stone that God has allowed in your life is for you to learn from? What if it is a learning stone and you want it moved? Sometimes the rocks we experience are there to strengthen us for something more.

I heard the story told of a man who had come to know God and he asked God what he wanted him to do. God told him to go outside his cabin and push on a huge rock that was in front of his cabin. This man done this because he wanted to obey God. Everyday for many years he would go out early in the morning and push on the rock. After all these years he never moved the rock an inch and he became discouraged. Satan came to him and said why are you doing this? Why are you killing yourself everyday pushing on rock you will never be able to move? The man become even more discouraged because he wanted to serve God in a awesome way, but all he had done was wasted his time pushing on a rock. He begin to pray and ask God why it was that he was not using him in a mighty way. God did not answer him right away. The man decided to go to a nearby town and talk to a minister about his trouble. As he was walking to the town he had to pass a mine. As he got close to the mind he could see something happening around the shaft of the mind. He ran to see what was happening. Come to find out several men were trapped when a huge rock fell from the roof of the mine and everything they had tried to moved it failed. The man without thinking ran into the mind found the rock and with one huge push the rock gave way and the men rushed to freedom. The man had save all of their lives and were thankful. He was able to lead many of the miners that day to Christ. He never made it to town. That night as he was praying God spoke to him and said I never asked you to move the rock in front of your cabin only to push. Because you have done what I asked you had the strength to do what I created you to do.

Maybe the rock that God has placed in your life is for you to push on until you are strong enough to do what he has created you to accomplish. Keep pushing on the rock even if it doesn’t move.

Jesus also used the word rock. Look at Matthew 16:15-18

The NET Bible Chapter 16

16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16:16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 16:17 And Jesus answered him, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven! 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Jesus had asked Peter who he was and at that moment Peter realized that Jesus was the Christ. Jesus told Peter that on this rock he would build his church. The realization that Jesus is Christ and the Son of God is the rock that Jesus built his church upon. This rock was a realization the Jesus is exactly who he said he was. You see to become part of the church a person has to have Jesus revealed to them. Many have said they believe Jesus was a real person, but they do not know who he is today. They have never met him and do not follow his example of life. Peter had a life changing moment. The truth of Jesus came to his eyes and through this truth he became part of the church that Jesus would build.

I want to talk to you about one more stone that we have our minds on today. Look at Matthew 27:57-61

The NET Bible Chapter 27

27:57 Now when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 27:58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 27:59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 27:60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away. 27:61 (Now Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there, opposite the tomb.)

Jesus was crucified on Friday and place in a new tomb. A large stone was placed in front of the tomb and a guard placed. This stone was to keep anyone from stealing his body. The devil and the religious leaders rejoiced because they thought they had got rid of Jesus. The king even put a wax seal on the tomb to state that no one should move it. Now look at Matthew 28:1-6

The NET Bible Chapter 28

28:1 Now after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 28:2 Suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descending from heaven came and rolled away the stone and sat on it. 28:3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 28:4 The guards were shaken and became like dead men because they were so afraid of him. 28:5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 28:6 He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said.

Mary Magdalen and the other Mary went to the tomb Sunday morning. When they got there this great stone that was suppose to keep the Christ bond and useless was nothing that God could not remove. You see God removed the stone from the tomb not for Jesus to come out. God removed the stone for us to realize that our saviour has risen. We serve a God that lives. We serve a God that did not ask us to go to him but he came to us and died a human death and raised from the dead. This morning as you think about the rocks and stones in your life ask yourself are they stone you need to push, learn from, or need to be moved? You serve a God that is God over all creation even the rocks. Ask yourself this morning as we celebrate the empty tomb is there stones in your life? Do you need to have God speak to you? What is your rock?