While I was listening to that
hymn, I thought, why aren't hymns like that written anymore? I
mean, they're very few. Most of the religious singing
that you hear starts with an I will this, I will that, I'll
worship you, I'll praise you. It usually begins with the word
I, and that exposes how bad it is in the first place. But can
you imagine somebody saying a false and full of sin I am, dowered
full of truth and grace, I'm all just I remember hearing Brother Mahan
once say, great hymns are the product of great preaching. So
what does that say about the preaching of our day? Just quite
a bit, doesn't it? Tonight, Ross Bridges confess
Christ and believers baptism. And I'm so thankful for that.
And I want to remind you what baptism is. Baptism is the believers
confession of Christ. When I'm baptized, I'm confessing
this, that all my salvation, all my salvation is this. I was
in him when he lived. He kept the law for me. I kept
the law when he kept the law. When he died, I was in him. When
he died, I died because I was in him. When he paid for sins,
my sins were paid for. When he was raised up, I was
raised up because I was in Him. That's how I'm saved. That's
how I'm justified. I think baptism is such a beautiful,
simple picture of salvation. It all has to do, it all has
to do with me being in Him. Not anything I've done, only
what He has done and me being in Him. And that is our confession. That's our public confession
of Christ. It said that John the Baptist
baptized people and they were baptized confessing their sins. It doesn't mean that they first
confessed their sins to everybody and then they were baptized.
It means the act of baptism was their act of confession of sin. I'm so sinful that the only way
I can be saved is through me being united to Christ. There's
certainly nothing I can do. I think it's almost ironic that
people talk about good Christians. Good Christians. Now, I want
us to live a moral life, don't get me wrong. But when people
say good Christians, if you're a Christian, by definition, you're
bad. You're bad. There's no such thing
as a good Christian. You're a bad Christian. I mean, you're a bad
person who needs Christ Jesus the Lord. I'm going to be speaking
on this subject, what is the gospel? out of 1 Corinthians
chapter 15. Now I've entitled this message,
If Stones Could Speak. If Stones Could Speak. Now the time had come for the
Lord Jesus to die. He knew that within just a few
days he would be crucified. And he was on his way to Jerusalem
at this time, verse 29. And it came to pass when he was
come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount called the Mount
of Olives, he sent two of his disciples saying, go ye into
the village over against you, in the which at your entering
in, you shall find a cold tide whereon yet never man set. Loose
him and bring him hither. Now this was the fulfilling of
a prophecy regarding the King Messiah coming on a donkey. Turn to Zechariah chapter 9,
the next to last book in the Old Testament. Zechariah chapter
9, verse 9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of
Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem.
Behold, thy king cometh unto thee. You know I want to come to him,
don't you? And I know that I won't unless he first comes to me.
And this is what I desire for myself and for you. Thy king
cometh to thee. Lord, come to me. Come to me. Let's go on reading. He is just. He's absolutely, immutably just. And his salvation is a just salvation,
a righteous salvation. There's no unjustness in it. He is just and having salvation. And my marginal reading says
saving himself. You see, when he saved me, he saved himself. Because I'm
united to Him. That's what we're confessing
in baptism. I was in Him. So when He was saving me on Calvary's
tree, putting away my sins, He was actually saving Himself. Are you saying you're Christ?
Of course not. But I'm saying I'm in Him. And I'm the body.
All believers are the body. He's the head. And that's how
close this union with Christ is, this eternal union that never
had a beginning. I was talking to Greg Elmquist
and he repeated that thing that I liked that I heard him say
recently. When we get to heaven, we're going to find out we've
always been there. In the Lord Jesus Christ, united to him. Lowly. riding upon an ass and upon a
colt, the foal of an ass. He came not as a king riding
on a stallion, the way we would expect, but upon an ass, a donkey. The high and lofty one who inhabits
eternity is meek and lowly in heart, and the fact that his
kingdom is announced with him riding on a donkey lets us know
that His kingdom is not like any kingdom we know of. He comes
meek and lowly. Oh, I love the way our Lord is
described. He describes Himself as meek and lowly in heart, the
Son of God. You can come to Him. Now, back to our text in Luke
19. Verse 31, and if any man ask
you, why do you loose him? Thus shall you say unto him,
because the Lord hath need of him. You see, this colt was the
Lord's. It was one of his creatures.
And when somebody says, where are you taking my colt? Lord
needs him. It's his anyway. Like everything
else. You know, I even like to look
at when you're driving on the highway and you see a bunch of
cattle to the side. Remember that scripture, the
cattle on a thousand hills is mine. This is my father's world
and everything belongs to him. Verse 32, and they went and they
that were sent went their way and found it even as he'd said
unto them. Isn't that the way it always is? And as they were
loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, why loose
ye the colt? And they said, the Lord hath
need of him. And they brought him to Jesus and cast their garments
upon the colt. And they set Jesus there on.
And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when
it 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'd seen. Not because of a conviction of
who Christ was, but because of all the mighty works that they'd
seen. You see, they were very excited about the Lord being
king. He just raised a man from the
dead. They'd seen him feed 5,000. This
is the man we need in charge to deliver us from Roman oppression. This same group will soon be
saying, crucified. But at this time, they think
he's going to be the king we need, his miracle working power,
he's going to set Jerusalem back up. And that's why they were
so excited about him going to Jerusalem. They thought he was going to
Jerusalem to take over and become a king. And they even said, Hosanna,
blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord. They
were excited about the the political change that was getting ready
to take place and Roman oppression would be gone. And now we're
going to be the top dogs again. Jerusalem is going to be the
mightiest place in the world once again, the way it should
be. And they were excited about the Lord coming to Jerusalem.
They had no idea that he was coming to die. He was coming
to reach his lowest point. And his lowest point was his
greatest victory, his death. Verse 38, saying, blessed be
the king that cometh in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven
and glory in the highest. Now, like I said, these same
people in just a few days would be saying, crucify him and give
us Barabbas. But right now they're excited
about this political kingdom and everything's going to be
better. Verse 39, and some of the Pharisees from among the
multitude said unto him, master, rebuke thy disciples. Do you
hear what they're saying about you? Are you so proud and arrogant
as to let them say these things about you? Rebuke them! Tell
them to stop this! And I think this is one of the
most majestic verses concerning the person of Christ that we'll
find in the Bible. And He answered and said unto
them, I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the
stones would immediately cry out if stones could speak. Would these stones actually cry
out, literally? If he told them to, they would. If stones could speak. Now, I
hope that you'll give me your careful attention Just listen. Just listen. And we're going
to see what stones would have to say in the Bible. If stones
could speak. The first stones that I thought
of was the tablets of stone given to Moses on Mount Sinai. And we know exactly what these
stones had to say. Thou shalt have no other God
before me. Thou shalt not make any graven
image or any likeness of anything. Thou shalt not take the name
of the Lord thy God in vain. He shall not be held guiltless.
who takes the name of the Lord God in vain. Remember the Sabbath
day to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother
that it might be well with thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt
not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt
not bear false witness. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's
house, thy neighbor's wife, thy neighbor's manservant or his
maidservant, ox or ass, or anything that is thy neighbor's. And you know what these stones
speak of? A law that we cannot keep. Now, every one of these commandments,
you and I have broken every one of them. And I don't mean just
once. I mean all the time. And if you
feel like you've even kept one of these commandments one time,
you prove by that you're completely ignorant of what God's law is,
and you're completely ignorant regarding how sinful you are.
You're in ignorance. You're in darkness if you believe
you've kept one commandment one time. Now look in your heart. Do you believe you have? When
you demonstrate by that, you have no idea of the broadness,
the spirituality of this law. Paul said, we know that the law
is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin, sold as a slave
to sin. A law you and I cannot keep. But let me tell you some other
stones that are in that same chapter. In that same chapter,
God knew that men wouldn't keep it, and He talks about an altar
of stone. He said, you make an altar of
stones for sacrifice. You see, there is an approach
to God. It's not through your law keeping,
though. It's through the sacrifice. And He said, with regard to that
altar of stones, make sure you don't make steps to it. You know,
there's not steps to God. It's not a process. There's not
steps to God. If I do this, this, this, and
this, I've got it. No. Not steps to God. And I think this is interesting,
too. He said, don't let a tool touch one of these stones. They're
to be un-ewned stones. If you touch it, it's polluted.
It's no good. Now, this is a reminder to us that there is a way to God. There is a way God can be approached
even by a lawbreaker, the sacrifice, but they're to be un-youn. If we touch them, they're polluted. We cannot approach God in our
works. We can't have, with regard to
the sacrifice, we can't touch it. It can't have anything to
do with us. Something we've done that makes it work for us. No,
can't be that way at all. And the next stones I thought
of was the five stones of David. You remember the story? Five
stones, five is the number of grace. Did you know that? There's
numerology in the scripture. Six is the number of man, seven
the number of perfection, five is the number of grace. Now somebody
says, where do you get that? Well, in the tabernacle, everything
there is divisible by five. Everything there, five this or
ten, everything's divisible by five. Five being the number of
grace, and I think that's why five stones. But he only used
one of them. And I love to think of David
running at Goliath with that sling, and he lets it go, and
it's driven by an unseen, omnipotent hand, and it crashes into the
giant's forehead, and he falls down dead. What does that stone
testify to us of? That stone testifies to us of
salvation by representative. You see, if David defeats Goliath,
all of Israel wins. And if Goliath defeats David,
all Israel loses. Now what that stone tells me
of is a salvation that had nothing to do with my works, only by
the works of the Lord Jesus Christ." Christ is called the Son of David.
David represents him. Now you remember David's power.
Turn with me to 1 Samuel chapter 17 for a moment. 1 Samuel chapter 17. Verse 41, and the Philistine
came on and drew near unto David. 1 Samuel 17, 41. And the man
that bared the shield went before him, and when the Philistine
looked upon and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but
a youth and ruddy and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine
said unto David, Am I a dog, that ye come to me with staves?
And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine
said to David, Come to me, and I'll give thy flesh unto the
fowls of the air and the beasts of the field. Then said David
to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with
a spear, and with a shield, but I come to thee in the name of
the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou
hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver
thee into my hand, and I will smite thee, and take thy head
from thee, and I will give the carcass. of the host of the Philistines
this day, and to the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts
of the earth, that all the earth may know that there's a God in
Israel, and all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth,
not with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord's, and
He will give you into our hands. And it came to pass, when the
Philistine arose and came and drew nigh to meet David, that
David hasted and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
And David put his hand in his bag and took thence a stone,
and sling it. And it smote the Philistine in
his forehead that the stone sunk into his forehead, and he fell
upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine
with a sling and with stone, and smote the Philistine and
slew him, but there was no sword in the hand of David." Now remember,
this is not just a children's Bible story. That's the way most
David and Goliath, it's always used with sports and so on. No,
David represents the Lord Jesus Christ winning the battle for
Israel. If David wins, all of Israel
wins. Do you remember the story? Goliath
came out, send a man. If he can whip me, we'll be your
servants. If I defeat him, you'll be our
servants. Salvation through a man. That's
what that stone testifies of. I also thought of the stones
used by Elijah to repair the altar of the Lord. And do you
remember what took place? Israel was in a state of compromise.
And Elijah says, how long halt ye between two opinions? If Jehovah
be God, follow him. And if Baal be God, follow him. Now here's what we're going to
do. We're going to have two sacrifices. One sacrifice of a bull for Israel,
one sacrifice of a bull for Baal. Now, the God that answers by
fire, we're going to pray. And the God that answers by fire,
he's God. And they said, well said, we'll
wait. So you remember the story, you
can read about it in First Kings chapter 17 or 18, I can't remember,
well, I think it's chapter 18. The prophets of Baal slay the
bull and they start crying to Baal, Baal, hear us, Baal, hear
us. Nothing happened. They went for
several hours, nothing happened. Then Elijah began to mock them. Why didn't he hear him? Is he
asleep? Perhaps he's using the bathroom. Perhaps he's on a journey. What's wrong? Why didn't he hear
him? He was actually mocking them and making fun of them.
Should he have done that? Sure he should have. Sure he
should have. And then when they gave up, no
answer. He prays. He takes the bull,
cuts it up, puts it upon the stones. of the altar that he
repaired and put back together and set it there and prayed for
God to answer. The fire of God came down from
heaven and consumed the bull. It consumed the stones. And remember,
he doused it with water three times to let everybody know this
is no trickery. This is not magic. This is not cunning man's art.
This is real. He doused it with water three
times. And the fire comes down from heaven. It consumes the
stones, licks up the water, the dust. And all of a sudden, there
was nothing left. Now what do these stones testify
of? The accepted sacrifice. God accepted the sacrifice. Now do you hear that? God has
accepted the sacrifice of Christ. There is nothing you need to
do. God couldn't ask for more, and
He would not accept less than the sacrifice of His Son. And
if you trust the sacrifice of Christ only, you are accepted
by God Himself right now. He is well pleased with you. But what about my sin? What sin? God accepted the sacrifice. That means that sin was completely
put away. Now I think of when our Lord
was hanging on the tree and the fire and wrath of God came down
upon him. Christ wasn't consumed, was he? He swallowed up the wrath and
the fire. And now God says, there's no
fury in me. Christ completely put away the
sin. God accepted the sacrifice. That's
what those stones testify of. The accepted sacrifice of the
Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew chapter three, Verse
9, you can look it up if you want, but these are the words
of John the Baptist. He says to the people who came to be
baptized of him, he said, think not to say within yourselves,
we have Abraham for our father, for I say unto you that God is
able even of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Now, what do these stones have
to say to us? These stones tell us that all
fleshly distinctions are utterly useless. They don't even count. There is no difference. Now, with regard to salvation,
as far as men goes, there's no difference. You take the most
moral man alive and you take the most debauched, evil man
alive. Before God, there's no difference
between those two men. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. And don't put your hope in some
kind of fleshly distinction. I'm this, I'm that. I'm a child
of Abraham. God is Abel of these stones. to raise up children unto Abraham. Oh, just forget, in this manner
of acceptance with God, just forget any fleshly distinction,
anything that you've done, anything you intend to do. It's nothing
to God. God is able of these stones to
raise up children unto Abraham. Oh, if stones could speak, they'd
have a lot to say, wouldn't they? Now the next stones I thought
of was where our Lord was being tempted by the devil. And the
devil said to him, command that these stones be made bread. The Lord could have done it,
couldn't he? He could have easily turned those
stones into bread. Why? He created food that wasn't there
before on several occasions. He demonstrated creative power.
It was in his power to do that, but here's the point. Could you
do it? No. And because you couldn't
do it, he wouldn't do it because he's our representative. He said,
man shall not live by bread alone that you're wanting me to do,
but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Now,
let me tell you what these stones would testify of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Sinless. Sinless. He would not sin as
our representative. He could not sin. When the devil tempted him with
those three temptations, the lust of the flesh, command that
these stones be made bread. The lust of the eyes. Prove to
us you're the Son of God. Fall off the temple. It says
the angels will pick you up. Prove it to us. We got to see.
We need visible demonstration. And the pride of life. Here's
all the kingdoms of the world. I'll give it all to you if you'll
just fall down and worship me. He defeated Satan. He said, the
prince of this world has come and has found nothing in me,
nothing he could grab on to. You know, he could find so much
in me and you. Do you think he'd have any trouble
with me and you turning us inside out every which way but loose?
No problem at all. but not with the Son of God.
And the stones would testify of his absolute perfection, his
perfect righteousness, his law-keeping. Even when he had been fasting
40 days, he couldn't be tempted by the devil to turn the stones
into bread. In John chapter 8, we read of
a woman taken in adultery. In the very act, there was no
doubt about this woman's guilt. And our Lord said to her accusers,
he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone
at her. And I don't have any doubt that
he meant he that's without this sin among you. Let him first cast a stone at
her. Now what do these stones testify?
These stones testify two things. First of all, me and you don't
have any room to judge anybody regarding anything. He that's without sin among you.
Remember what they did? Every one of them, beginning
at the oldest put their tail between their legs and walked
away. Now, it wasn't Holy Spirit conviction, because they would
have come to Christ if it was Holy Spirit conviction, but they
knew it was wrong. Now, here's what these stones
testify. Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that
judgest. For thou that judgest, doest. The same things. Notice what
he says. He didn't say, you would if you're
put in that position. He said, you do them. You do
them. These stones, they testify that
no man has any right to judge anybody regarding anything. You know what else they testify?
Remember what the Lord said to this woman? Neither... Woman, where are those thine
accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? Neither do I condemn thee. Go
and sin no more. These stones testify how this
woman who was guilty could not be condemned because of what
Christ did for her. That's what these stones testify.
No condemnation. I'm not going to condemn you.
Why? Nothing to condemn you for. Your
sin has been put away. Now if there's any sin there,
He'll condemn it. The only way He won't condemn sin is if there's
none to condemn. These stones testify how He can
do that. Do you remember the six water
pots of stone? that we read of in John chapter
two, in that glorious, his first miracle, when water, in these
six water pots of stone, six, Adam was created on the sixth
day, the number of man, water pots of stone, and there was
water put in them, and at that time, the Lord turned water into
wine. It wasn't water that looked like
wine, it wasn't water that smelled like wine, it was wine. It was water, and now it was
wine. And in that, those pots of stone
testify to us what Christ actually did. Now that water became what
it was not. It wasn't wine, and it became
wine. Christ became what he was not. He was made sin. and we're made to be what we
were not, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. You know, that's called the most
important miracle, the first miracle, because it, more than
anything else, tells us what the Lord Jesus Christ was doing
on Calvary Street. He was made sin, for He hath
made Him to be sin. For us, who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. That's what those
stones testify. Twice we read in John chapter
8 and John chapter 10, where men picked up stones to stone
Him. In John chapter 8, He said, Before Abraham was, I am. Now the Jews knew exactly what
he was saying. So they picked up stones to stone
him. And then again in John chapter
10, he said, I and my father are one. And they picked up stones
to stone him again, and he said, many good works have I shown
thee of my father. For which of these good works do you stone
me? And they said, for a good work stone we thee not, but for
blasphemy. For thou being a man, makest
thyself equal with God. They heard what he was saying.
Now I tell you when people get mad at the Lord Jesus Christ,
nobody's mad at the Christ they can control. Nobody's mad at
a Christ that they can put in their back pocket and bring Him
out anytime they want. Nobody's mad at a Christ who
wants certain things, but He can't do them unless we let Him.
Nobody is concerned about that Christ but the one who's equal
with God. The one who is God. The one who is in absolute control.
What our Lord was saying when He said, I'm equal with God,
He said, you fellas are mine, and I can do with you whatever
I want to do. That's when they picked up the
stones to stone Him. Now nobody's mad at a weak, false
Jesus. Nobody's mad at Him. Nobody's
afraid of Him. But the Christ of the Bible, that's the one
men hate. And they prove that by picking
up their stones to throw at Him. If stones could speak, they would
tell us what men really think of Jesus of Nazareth. What about that stone in front
of the tomb of Lazarus? Lazarus is dead. Four days he'd
been stinking, going through the process of decay. Lord said,
row ye away the stone. Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth. Now what does this stone speak
of? Oh, if stones could speak. The irresistible, invincible,
life-giving call of God. Lazarus was dead. All men by nature are dead in
trespasses and sins. What can a dead man do? He can stink. That's about it. But when he says, and he'll call
you by name, Lazarus, come forth. He that was dead came forth. In Luke's account, of our Lord's
time in Gethsemane's garden, we read where the Lord withdrew
himself about a stone's cast. However far you can throw a stone
from the disciples. Evidently, there were a lot of
stones in Gethsemane. And that's the place where he
prayed, Father, If it be possible, let this cup pass from me. And at that time, the scripture
says he was sweating great drops of blood. And I have no doubt
that that blood dripped upon the stones in the ground. And what would those stones testify?
You know what my answer to that is? I don't know. I think this
is so far beyond anything. Who knows? He actually said,
if this cup, if it'd be possible, let this cup pass from me. The
thought of being made sin, the thought of being forsaken by
His Father, the thought of being left to Himself, the thought
of actually bearing sin and iniquity and guilt. He wasn't sweating
great drops of blood because of the physical anguish that
was ahead of Him, although that was a great horrible thing, but
he was sweating great drops of blood knowing that he was going
to bear the filth of the sins of his people, who his own self
bear our sins in his own body on the tree. And as a man, he's
the God-man, but as a man, the thought of this was overwhelming. And he said, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but
thine, be done. Now these stones will testify
to us that really when it comes to what Christ went through, me and you are in the dark. We're just in the dark. I'm just Well, my favorite stone is the stone placed over the
opening of the sepulcher of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pilate said, you have a watch,
go your way and make it as sure as you can. You put this stone
in such a place, you make sure nobody can roll it away and steal
the body and then say he was resurrected. You make it as sure
as you're able. I love that. Turn with me for
a moment to Matthew chapter 28. So they went and made the sepulchre
sure, the scripture says, sealing the stone and setting a watch. Matthew chapter 28. Look at the last two verses of
27. Well, start in verse 62. Now, the next day that followed
the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came
together in to Pilate saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver
said while he was yet alive, after three days I'll rise again.
Now, how is it that they remembered that and the disciples didn't?
He told the disciples that. Three different occasions. You'd
think they'd all be there waiting, but they didn't. But the Pharisees
heard, and they said, we remember. Verse 64, command therefore that
the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples
come by night and steal in the way and say unto the people,
he's risen from the dead, so that the last hour shall be worse
than the first. Pilate said unto them, you have a watch. Go your
way, make it as sure as you can. So they went and made the sepulcher
sure, sealing the stone and setting a watch. In the end of the Sabbath,
as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And behold, there was a great
earthquake. For the angel of the Lord descended
from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door
and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning
and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him, the keepers
did shake and became his dead men. And the angel answered and
said unto the woman, fear ye, but fear not ye. For I know that
you seek Jesus, which was crucified. He's not here, for he is risen,
as he said. Come see the place where the
Lord lay and go quickly and tell his disciples that he's risen
from the dead. And behold, he goeth before you
into Galilee, and there shall you see him, lo, I've told you.
And they departed quickly from the sepulchral with fear and
great joy and did run to bring his disciples word. Now, what
does this stone have to say? This stone speaks of the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Death couldn't hold him. As a
matter of fact, Peter said on the day of Pentecost, it was
not possible for the death to hold him. You see, when he died,
he actually put away all the sin of everybody he died for. He was delivered for our offenses
and the scripture says He was raised again for our justification. Now do you know what justification
means? If you're justified, that doesn't mean that all your sins
are overlooked or even forgiven. If you're justified, that means
you never sin. You know I feel tension go out
of my body when I think that. You never sinned. What does this stone testify? The success of Christ's work,
every believer is justified. And let me say this to you. These
stones have something to say. I love the way the Lord said,
if these should hold their peace, the very stones would cry out. Oh, if stones could speak, we
see what they'd say, don't we? But let me say this to everybody
here. If you look to Christ only right
now as everything in your salvation, You are a justified sinner, saved
by the grace of God. To him that worketh not, would
that be you? You see that you can't be saved
by your works. You know, that's true regarding
you. You cannot be saved by anything you do. That's settled. To him
that worketh not, but believeth, relies upon him that justifies
the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Oh, if stones
could speak. Well, they have spoken. Let's
pray. Lord, in Christ's blessed name, We ask for Christ's sake that
you would create saving faith in each heart here according
to your will. Lord, how we thank you for your
word. Blessed for your glory and for our good. In Christ's
name we pray. Amen.