Who Let the Rocks Out - Sheldon Pryor

King James Version Chapter 19

And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. 39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. 40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Worship is an absolute, that is undebatable. Worship is necessary, that is undeniable. Worship is our identity, that is true.

Man was created to worship.

Genesis 1:27

1 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

We were made in the image of God that we might worship our Creator.

Isaiah 43:21

21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

Formed why? To show praise.

In our formation, we see causation to praise Him.

COVID did not pause that, society cannot change that, culture cannot cancel that.

You and I were created for worship. Anything less is to fall short of our purpose!

In Luke 19, the whole multitude of disciples began to rejoice!

They didn’t focus on their problems. They didn’t let their issues hold them back.

Why? They were created for worship!

They honored him with their garments. This was no light thing in a time when many did not have the wardrobes of clothing that we have today. To lay aside a part of their small wardrobe to let a man riding a donkey go over them, was really laying something down.

They didn’t just praise him with emptiness of mind and lack of thought, they praised him with remembrance!

Their praise made Jesus’ enemies uncomfortable.

Can I tell you tonight that when your praise shakes the pharisees, you’re doing something right!

In John 12:19 we read “The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.”

Your praise is a banner to Hell of Heaven’s victory and Hell’s defeat!

Luke 19:40 Jesus says “if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”

Jesus was saying it is so imperative that I receive the praise and the glory of my people that if these were to be shut up, the rocks would cry out.

They wouldn’t just cry out, but they would immediately cry out.

Praise does not take forethought, praise does not require contemplation, true praise should be the instant response of every Christian today!

From Genesis 1 onward, we know that God has full authority of His creation, dominion over every breathing thing. And so, it is that all creation was made to worship Him from the beginning of time!

Psalm 148:7-13

7 Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: 8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word: 9 Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: 10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: 11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: 12 Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

Psalm 96:11-12

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. 12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

Be careful when you get to feeling like you don’t have to worship Him! Be careful when you start crafting excuses for why you can’t worship Him! If you won’t worship Him, these will worship Him…

Judges 5:1-23

1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, 2 Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. 3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel. 4 Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. 5 The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel. 6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways. 7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. 8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? 9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord. 10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. 11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates. 12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. 13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty. 14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. 15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. 16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. 17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches. 18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. 19 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money. 20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. 21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. 22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones. 23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

In a time of great warfare, God caused all things to get involved. The Earth trembled, the Heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water, the mountains melted…

The stars in their courses fought… There was a great windstorm that fell upon them and threw them into disorder.

The river of Kishdown swept them away… The Lord caused that waters to rise suddenly and as the enemy began to flee they would fall into the where they were either drowned or washed away.

But, Meroz.

Meroz was a village on the confines of Isaachar and Naphtali, which lay in the course of the enemy but whose inhabitants declined to aid in their destruction.

God cursed Meroz.

Don’t be surprised when you don’t get involved in worship and God doesn’t give you favour, when God does not bless you, when God does not open doors for you. The inhabitants of Meroz didn’t get involved in the battle and God cursed them.

“To fail at worship is the greatest failure a human is capable of with the gravest and most immediate consequences” – Charles Spurgeon

If you won’t worship, I’ve got a saint over here that will worship… If this church won’t worship, I’ve got a church over there that will worship… If these won’t worship… I’ve got some rocks over here that will worship.

I know, I know… It’s absurd. It doesn’t make sense. But, what if? What if the bride fell silent? What if God’s creation stopped worshipping the CREATOR?

Two days after Luke 19, after 3 hours of darkness and silence on Calvary, the Earth began to shake and the rocks rent… I’m not saying, but I’m saying.

if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

We live in a day where many will put worship aside for production schedule.

We live in a day where suddenly it’s not cool to be apostolic, tongue-talking, holy-rolling, spirit-filled, devil-stomping believers.

I don’t want to be the generation that held my peace and let a rock cry out in my place! I don’t want to be the church that let the rocks out!

But if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out…

The Rock in Horeb (Exodus 17)

I’m the stone from which water poured out of at Rephidim. The people of Israel were deadly thirsty. I could hear their murmuring and complaining. They begin to lash out at Moses, the man of God. I heard them crying out, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, was it to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” Oh, they had no faith. They couldn’t see the work God was about to do. They couldn’t see that God was with them. No, no… They were blinded by discomfort. I watched the man of God face their verbal abuse. I watched Moses stand staunchly in the face of a people of promise turned mob ready to kill him. I heard him cry out unto the Lord. What a powerful plea… It echoed through the valleys and shook the plains. I watched as Moses heeded the advice of the Lord. Walking before the people, taking with him the elders of Israel, and his rod. He walked right up to me and smote me. Out of me poured rivers of water that I know were not in me before. The thirst of the people in Israel was quenched, their need met. They couldn’t believe it, but God was surely with them!

I can testify that when there seems to be no way, God will make a way!

God’s signature is found in the unlikely, uncertain, and unbelievable!

The Stone on Lazarus’ Grave (John 11)

I’m the stone Jesus rolled away from Lazarus’ grave. He had been dead for four days. He reeked of death. His body had begun to harden like a corpse. Surely there was no way that life could flow through this man again. Here comes this man they call Jesus. What’s that I hear? “Lazarus come forth”. This man is crazy! I watched as that corpse began to twitch. I heard a deep sigh as breath began to flow through his lungs. I swear I could hear the echo of his heart beat as blood began to circulate through his veins. Then this man speaks again, “Loose him, and let him go!” Oh, if this man can rise the dead up, I wonder what else he can do?

I can testify that God’s timing is above our timing!

The Rock called Ebenezer (1 Samuel 7)

I’m the stone that Samuel set between Mizpeh and Shen. The children of Israel had sinned greatly. They were fasting in Mizpeh, they were in a state of weakness. I heard their groans. The Philistines got word that they were there. That God’s chosen people were prime for the taking. One day, I watched as Samuel was preparing an offering for the sacrifice. I felt the marching of the Philistines towards the children of Israel that day. I heard their fear, their plead for help. And then… The skies split open. Thunder came down upon the Philistines. Their armies scattered; their generals fell back. The wind carried the sound of warfare all the way from Bethcar. Samuel picked me up that day and placed me here, he called me Ebenezer. For the Lord helped Israel that day!

I can testify that when you’re surrounded an under attack, God will open up the heavens and make away!

The thunderous roars of your problems are no matcher for the thunder of God!

The Rock at the mount of Olives (John 8)

I was there, I was there at the mount of olives. Laying on the ground I watched as the Pharisees dragged this woman before you Lord. She barely had time to wrap a sheet around herself. The pharisees had no mercy. They wanted to stone her! I was so afraid they were going to pick me up. I was so afraid that I was going to be used against this woman. Yet, you Lord challenged the pharisees. You had mercy on the woman!

I can testify of the mercy of the Lord!

The Rock in the fiery furnace

The Rock in David’s sling

The Rock in the Lion’s Den

The Rock where Jesus Spat (John 9)

Psalm 139:13-14 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 150 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.

2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.

4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

You should have been there when I came through Church was on fire and the Holy Ghost too From the top of my head to the sole of my feet I felt the Spirit moving all over me

If you don’t believe I’ve been redeemed Follow me down to the Jordan stream I stepped in the water, the water was cold It chilled my body but not my soul