Rolling Away Your Own Stone – In Faith

(John 11:39 NIV)  “Take away the stone,” He said.

This morning we continue this mini-series  “Lessons from Lazarus.”  Yesterday dealt with the shortest verse in the bible, (John 11:35) “Jesus wept;” and we talked about how it’s alright to be real with our compassionate God.  When the people there saw that Jesus shed tears they said, “See, how He loved him!”  All tears aside, He knew that He was there for a purpose, so Jesus said, “Take me to where you laid him.”  In other words, “Take me to the place where you stopped believing.”  This is a hard thing for many people, especially for those whose pain is still fresh.  But Mary and Martha took Jesus to the tomb.

When they arrived at the tomb there were two issues to deal with 1) the tomb was a cave sealed with a large stone and 2) the body was stinking by this point.  The stone represented the access Jesus required to get to the issue at hand and the smell represented the natural resistance to dealing with a stinking situation.  Jesus could have dealt with both Himself.  Jesus – the man who kicked out the money changers from the temple – could have easily moved the stone and ignored the stench; but then the sisters would not have participated in their own breakthrough.  Jesus knew that Mary and Martha were still in the process of mourning their loss, He knew that they had looked at their brother’s lifeless corpse as it was wrapped for burial, and He knew that pain of death was still all too familiar to them; but He also knew that they needed to exhibit faith on their road to their breakthrough.  Therefore Jesus told them to roll away the stone.  With that statement Mary and Martha had to have the faith to look beyond their problem, look toward a slim possibility, and also practice obedience.  They had to give Jesus access to the thing that was causing them pain.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things:

1. It is never too late for God.
2. God specializes in man’s impossibilities.
3. We will have to roll away our own stone, in faith, giving God access to the thing that is causing us the pain, if we want Him to do something about it!
4. God will often require us to do something, in faith, that goes directly opposite to how we feel.
5. The Bible requires us and our heavenly Father expects us to walk in faith and not feelings.
6. God is more than the God of the “comfort,” He is also the God of the “Breakthrough.”
7. Once we stomach the stench and roll away the stone then God is free to bring our dead situation back to life!

What is the stone in your life that God is asking you to move before He blesses you?  Roll away your stone this morning and receive your breakthrough!

Closing Confession:  Father, I agree with Your Word, there is nothing too hard for You.  I get beyond my feelings this morning, I stand upon Your Word, and I operate in faith.  I move forward in rolling away my stone and unveiling my past pain, so that You can turn my hopeless situation around.  I am willing to take You to where I stopped believing.  I give You access to my pain so that You can help heal me from it.  And I declare, by faith, that I will never again give up on You.  Delay does not mean denial.  I will hold on, in faith, no matter how long it takes!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!