Take Away the Stone

1. Take Away the Stone By Robert C. Archer

2. Question: Why didn’t Jesus remove the stone?

3. Two reasons • God never does for man what he can do for himself • When the world became so wicked… God told Noah to build an Ark • Genesis 6:13, 14 “And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.”

4. God never does for man what he can do for himself • When it was time for Israel to be delivered from Egyptian bondage • He command Moses to go before Pharaoh • Exodus 3:10 “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” • He required Moses to use the rod at the sea • Exodus 14:15, 16 “And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. “But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.”

5. God never does for man what he can do for himself • When Israel sinned and God sent a plague of serpents • Moses was required to make a brazen serpent and Israel had to look upon it • Numbers 21:8, 9 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.”

6. God never does for man what he can do for himself • When the leper, Naaman wanted healing, he was required to dip seven times in the Jordan River • 2 Kings 5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”

7. God never does for man what he can do for himself • When Jesus healed the blind man, the blind man was required to wash in the pool • John 9:7 “And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.”

8. Another reason why – “roll away the stone” • God always does for man what he can’t do for himself • Man cannot provide an atonement for sin • Hebrews 10:4 “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” • Hebrews 9:22 “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” • Romans 5:6 “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

9. God always does for man what he can’t do for himself • Man cannot devise a plan of salvation • Jeremiah 10:23 “O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” • Galatians 1:11 “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.” • 2 Timothy 1:9 “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,” • Titus 3:5 “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”

10. God always does for man what he can’t do for himself • Man cannot enroll our names in heaven • Revelation 3:5 “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

11. God always does for man what he can’t do for himself • Man cannot prepare for us an eternal home • John 14:1-3“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

12. What are some of the things that we must do for ourselves? • Believe • Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” • How? Examine the evidence • Miracles • John 20:30, 31 “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

13. What are some of the things that we must do for ourselves? • Believe • Obey • Hebrews 5:8, 9 “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,” • Goes hand in hand with belief, Heb. 11:4ff

14. What are some of the things that we must do for ourselves? • Believe • Obey • Enjoy • John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” • Book of Philippians

15. Conclusion • Some expect God to do it all • The Bible teaches that God provides what is necessary; man must respond