THE POTTER’S HANDS SHAPES OUR LIVES (Outline)
November 2, 2008 --
END TIME 1 / REFORMATION --
Jeremiah 18:1-11
INTRO: Today’s word for is “anthropomorphic”. This is a long word. This is a word whose meaning we use more often than we might think. Anthropomorphic means to attribute or assign human characteristics to non-human things. Scripture makes use of the meaning of this word quite often. Examples include: the hand of God or feet of God. Does God have hands or feet? God is Spirit and really does not have any need for the human body parts that we need to function. Scripture use human terms to speak of God. This brings great comfort for every believer. Scripture describes God’s enemy as being placed under his feet. Believers are kept safe in the hand of God. Today’s text reveals the importance of the hand of God in each of our lives. "Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand" (ISAIAH 64:8).
THE POTTER’S HANDS SHAPES OUR LIVES
I. From deformed sinners.
II. Into reformed saints.
I. FROM DEFORMED SINNERS
A. Jeremiah knew how much the hand of God had shaped his life. God’s word now directed Jeremiah.
1. Verses 1,2. God’s word comes to Jeremiah telling him to go the potter’s house.
2. Here is a reminder that these words written, spoken by Jeremiah are not his words, but God’s.
B. Verse 4. Jeremiah watches the potter at work. The clay was marred. It was ruined or deformed.
1. This was not the fault of the potter. The potter does not throw the clay away.
2. Verses 5, 6a. Now God’s message comes to Jeremiah. God’s message is for Israel.
C. God’s message to Jeremiah for God’s people contains words of blessing, judgment, and warning.
1. Verses 9,10. The nation, which turns from God, will be judged. God is a righteous judge.
2. The judgment of an unrepentant nation stands as a message of warning for Israel. Verse 11a.
3. Israel had become deformed clay. They had turned from the true God to worship false gods.
D. Clay a fitting picture to describe our very being. People are the clay in the potter’s hands. From the very beginning of time at creation God has shown his great love and concern for man. From the dust of the ground God created man, male and female he created them. Into that dust which God lovingly formed God breathed the breath of life. Adam and Eve lived in a perfect world. Yet they decided to listen to Satan rather than God. In selfishness Adam and Eve ruined God’s perfect creation. They sinned. From that time forward every generation has inherited that original sin from our first parents. There is no escape. The soul that sins is the one that will die. We are now marred or ruined clay, deformed sinners. "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return"(GENESIS 3:19). All clay will return to dust.
E. God’s word is the truth. God’s truth will not change. Sin is sin is sin. Mankind may not like to hear this truth. Fact is, we do not want to hear about our shortcomings. We do not want to be reminded that we sin daily and we sin much. Denial does not change the facts. Simply put, we are ruined clay, deformed sinners. "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient" (EPH. 5:5,6).
F. The message of the gospel needs to be proclaimed to ruined clay. Martin Luther lived in a constant fear of his sins in the face of a righteous God. He became a monk but still his sins bothered him. Luther traveled to Rome, fasted, prayed, and obeyed – still his sins were a burden. Eventually God’s gospel freed Martin from the captivity of false teaching in the church. "They entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him" (2 PETER 2:18b, 19). Some modern day preachers enslave their audiences with their corruption of the gospel message. Today’s social gospel is not the gospel that provides freedom. Only God’s gospel of forgiveness is the message that reforms the deformed.
THE POTTER’S HANDS SHAPES OUR LIVES. We are ruined clay, deformed sinners now changed
II. INTO REFORMED SAINTS
A. Verses 1,2. God’s word comes to Jeremiah. Verse 3 tells what Jeremiah did with the word of God.
1. Jeremiah obeyed and went to the potter’s house. Jeremiah heard, listened, believed, and went.
2. This is the simple definition of the believer’s progression of faith. Hear, listen, believe, obey.
B. Jeremiah observes the potter. The clay is ruined. In verse 4b the potter reshapes the clay.
1. God’s message comes to Jeremiah (v. 5). God can also reshape Israel like this clay. Verse 6.
2. What a blessing for Israel to know that the Lord would still hold them safe in his hands.
C. Verses 7,8 contains God’s message of blessing. An evil nation who repents will be saved.
1. Uproot, tear down, destroy, overthrow, build and plant describe Jeremiah’s call (1:10).
2. Verse 11b. Israel still had time to turn, reform, and repent. God could do all of this for them.
D. Repentance is reformation. The sinner who is ruined clay God reforms into a saint who has been forgiven by his grace and love. We need to remember we are unresponsive lumps of clay. It is the Lord God Almighty who breathes into us the breath of life. It is the same Lord God Almighty who changes our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. It is our Lord God Almighty who moves us to see our sins and turn from them unto him who loves us. It is God’s grace that saves us - not works - so that no one can boast. "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord"(ACTS 3:19). There is no greater refreshing in this world than to hear and know and believe God’s own words: “Your sins are forgiven”. This is the peace the world cannot give.
E. Personal repentance produces in us a personal reformation, great peace, and our motivation to love God. In our love for God we also have a love for our neighbor. The Lord reminds us of our privilege to help those who still sit in darkness. The Lord reminds us that he wants to bless believers and those around them. Solomon built the temple. Solomon had a great celebration of dedication and prayer. Following that service, the Lord spoke to him. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land"(2 CHRON. 7:14). “My people, called by my name” is the name God gives to his reformed, once ruined clay. We are reminded to pray for our nation today, always.
F. On our own we cannot save ourselves. By our own doing we are lost and condemned creatures. After all what can clay really do? Not much. Thankfully the Lord does not abandon us as marred clay. Rather the Lord, in his great love and mercy for ruined clay, sent his Son to be the perfect price to pay for the sins of the world. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God"(2 CORINTHIANS 5:21). It is this simple gospel message that sets us free. It is this very gospel message that reforms our lives so that we can now even want to live for God’s glory.
CONC.: Our God does not need hands. But without them we would be lost forever. Scripture describes our Lord God Almighty with human terms = “anthropomorphic”. It is by grace alone that we are saved. It is by Scripture alone that we are saved. It is by faith alone that we are saved. Truly, THE POTTER’S HANDS SHAPES OUR LIVES. We have been graciously changed from deformed clay, once ruined sinners into reformed saints, God’s beloved heirs of eternal life. "Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word"(PSALM 119:73,74). Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
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END TIME 1/REFORMATION:
DAN. 6:10-12, 16-23;
GAL. 5:1-6;
MATT. 10:16-23;
(PSALM 46)
