Why? Understanding Life Events III
Jerm. 18:1-6
6-14-09
Intro
1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” This morning I want to talk about your future. I’m not just referring to what’s going to happen next week or even next year. I’m talking about a future God has in mind for you that will go on billions and billions of years (if you could measure it that way) and yet it will still continue on after that. You are now being shaped into something that will last forever and ever.
C. S. Lewis once said, “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations.”
You have a destiny and it matters more than anything else what that destiny is. Every human being is moving toward a fixed state of being—a condition of incredible horror or of inconceivable glory. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9). The Holy Spirit gives us glimpses of all this; but in this life we see through a glass darkly; we see it but we don’t see it fully. What will you be in that eternal future? That is the question that’s being answered as you live out this life.
During the last couple of weeks, we have been establishing a frame of reference—a world view—a way of looking at life. The Bible says, “The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord....” But I’ve had some experiences that left me looking back and asking, “What was that all about? Couldn’t we have just skipped that?” I can handle it all much better if I can see a little rhyme and meaning in what’s happening. So we ask the question: What is God doing in my life? What is God always doing? We have found two answers to that question:
(1) God is always bringing people to moral choice. Of course, that includes me. We saw in the life of Naboth a couple of weeks ago how God orchestrated events that required people to choose good or evil. Not only did Naboth have to make some moral choices, but so did Ahab and Jezebel, and so did the nobles and elders of Naboth’s town. God is always bringing people to moral choice.
(2) God is always revealing Himself to people. He arranges circumstances so that people can have an opportunity to get to know Him. He orchestrates events so that you can know Him better. Last week we looked at the life of a Syrian General named Naaman to illustrate this reality. Namaan had it made except for a terminal illness called leprosy. Through a series of providential events, Namaan not only got healed; but he also got to know the Lord.
Today we explore one other answer to the question: What is God always doing? We will see that (3) God is always preparing His people for eternity.
If we will look at life through the window of these three activities of God, we will see that life is filled with meaning and purpose. We are not mere victims of chance and happenchance. We are moving toward an awesome destiny in God. He arranges our lives to prepare us for that.
Romans 8:16-18. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of
God, 17 and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Or you could translate it “into” us. God’s going to fill us as vessels of honor with His glory forever and ever.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
In the Greek language, if you want to emphasize something in a sentence, you put it at the beginning. The first Greek word in verse 18 is “logizomai.” The KJV translates it “recon.” “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Sometimes “logizomai” is translated “conclude.” In accounting you add up the numbers and conclude a bottom line, profit or loss. In logic you evaluate the facts and draw a conclusion. The root word for “logizomai” can mean “to take an inventory.” I’m taking a little time with this word because I want you to see something about what Paul is saying in Romans 8:18. When he inventories life’s events, he draws an important conclusion. There is a connection between the here and now and the glory God has in store for our future. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” That perspective fortifies us for the difficulties we encounter in life. If it’s all meaningless and disconnected with eternity, then I want to avoid any and all discomfort. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we shall die. But I don’t do that if I have Paul’s perspective. I endured hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. I trust God to work all things together for my good.
Did Paul Experience Hardship? 2 Cor. 4:7-9, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” Verses 16-18, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” That’s a chosen perspective!
Look at Rom. 8:28 “And we know” (here comes one of Paul’s presuppositions that goes into his world view. We know this—we see life through this understanding) “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son....” Let me stop there for a moment and ask a question. What is God shaping you into? He’s conforming you—shaping into image of Son. How are all things working together for your good? He’s using the events of your life to make you like Jesus! The finish line (the goal) is not bigger cars and more money. The objective God is working toward in your life is not to make you a Hollywood star or CEO at your company. Those things may or may not happen. In the end they won’t be all that important. But His goal for you is so important; He works all things together toward it--conformed to the image of His Son. So, I consider the events that God leads me through in life well worth the trouble—if through it all, I come out more like Jesus. Amen?
Jeremiah 18:1-6, “The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: 2 "Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words." 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. 4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the LORD. "Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!”
God has some things He wants to say to Jeremiah; but He wants to use a visual aid while He does it. “Jeremiah, go down to the potter’s house.” We take that journey with Jeremiah. What is it that God wants us to understand?
The potter was making something at the wheel. We must see that. There is purpose in Potter’s mind; there is an end result He’s looking for. In verse 6 God let’s us know that He’s the Potter and we’re the clay. But the potter was making something at the wheel.
If God’s only objective was to get you to heaven, He could have done that three seconds after you were born again. Being born again is essential. You must be born again. If you haven’t been born again, talk with me about that. I’ll drop everything to talk with you about that. But in the natural we know that birth is the beginning, not the end. The same is true in the spiritual. So what is God doing between the day got born again and the day you leave this world? He’s making something at the wheel. And guess where you are; you’re on the wheel.
To make a vessel, the potter goes through an interesting process. He begins with some plain old clay. There he is digging up chunks of dirt. He’s picking out the little sticks, and stones, and bugs. There’s some stuff that’s got to come out. Isaiah 41:25 lets us know what happens next. He takes that clay back with him, puts water on it, and begins treading upon it with his feet. The potter tromped upon it until it was the right consistency—moist and soft and pliable so he could work with it.
Does anybody here know what it’s like: be softened up for wheel? It takes the right combination of water and pressure. The potter is the one who knows exactly what that combination has to be. We need the water of the word; we need times of refreshing. We need the dew of heaven softening us up. But the treading helps surface things that need to be removed from the clay. The treading helps break open the clay to receive the moisture. Look at Abraham’s life and you will see a combination of pressures and refreshing encounters with the Lord. Look at the ups and down of Joseph and of David. Read the Psalms and you’ll find God applying the right combination of moisture and pressure in his life.
The main imagery God wants Jeremiah to see is the clay on wheel. Verse 6,"Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!” When I was in school we made clay projects in Art class. Mine was a simple little bowl. I think it wound up being used as an ash try. Some of the more artistic kids made little animals. The simplest project was to just make an imprint of your hand. Do they do that in schools any more?
Anyway, we didn’t use a potter’s wheel. We just pounded on clay to get all the air bubbles out. Then we would put more water on it to keep it pliable so we could shape it. How many know what happens after you get it shaped? Then you put it into a 500-degree kiln. Anybody feel like you’ve been in the furnace? Other verses deal with that; it’s not addressed in our text.
But God does show Jeremiah the potter spinning the clay on the wheel so He could work it. I know you’ve experienced the spinning. The spinning are those times when so much is happening you can’t get your bearings. Something hits you from over here; and before you can solve that problem you’re getting hit from over there. All the while the potter is shaping the clay—molding it toward the end objective. Then the spinning stops and he refreshes the clay with more water. Did I say, we need times of refreshing? It’s not all pressure and spinning. Sometimes we just need God to pour His Spirit upon us; otherwise, we get dry and rigid. How many know what I’m talking about? That’s why we come here and worship the Lord and invite His sweet presence.
"Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand….” Those are comforting words. It’s the master’s touch that is going to get the job done. I’m just an old lump of dirt—I’m just ordinary clay. But the Potter reached down his hand for me—He chose me—He poured his water on me—He put me on his wheel. I could never become anything special on my own. But the Potter got me in His hand; He started working on me. Can somebody say amen? He’s working all things together for my good. He’s molding into image of Jesus. It’s His touch that accomplishes that.
At Kathryn Kulman meetings years ago they would almost always sing the song, “He Touched Me.” How many know who Kathryn Kulman was? She had a powerful healing ministry. The point is this: It’s the touch of the Potter’s hand that makes all the difference.
There is a dilemma in this Jeremiah passage. It’s a statement that doesn’t fit neatly into our theology. The potter is working the pedal—spinning the wheel—molding the clay. Then his foot comes off the pedal; the wheel slowly comes to a halt. He looks closely at the vessel. There is a flaw in that vessel. Verse 4, “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter.” It was marred in hand of potter. How do we deal with that? If it were in anyone else’s hands we could explain it easily—a mistake was simply made. But our Potter does not make mistakes. What happened? The fault not with the potter; it was in the clay. The process revealed the defect in the clay.
What will the potter do? If you or I were the potter we would get frustrated and toss the clay back into the mud pile. But a real potter would not do that. He knows that he can fix that defect. He patiently works the defect out and resumes the process. The process has revealed some defects in my life; there were times of rebellion; there were times of disobedience. There has been some junk surface since the day I got saved that I’m not very proud of. I’m so thankful the potter didn’t toss me out. I’m so glad I got mercy and grace instead of justice and judgment. I’m so glad that He who has begun a good work in me will complete it—even if some defects surface along the way. Here’s the big lesson God is wanting Jeremiah to see. There is mercy for the flawed vessel. God will take up the marred vessel and rework it. God will pursue His goal in your life. He doesn’t give up as easily as you might think. It might look impossible to us; but for Him nothing is impossible.
Verse 4, “...so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.” He’ll make you into something different than you were—something seems good to Him. Clay never yet molded itself into a vessel of honor. But the potter can take an old chunk of clay and make it into something beautiful. Do you want that in your life? Are you willing to be pliable and yielded to the Master’s hand so that He can make you into a vessel of honor?
What’s going on in your life? What are the events of your life all about? One thing God is always doing for His people is shaping them into the image of His Son—molding and making us like Jesus. He’s working all things together toward that objective. So sometimes pressures do come; sometimes we feel we’re in a spin; but there are also times of refreshing. “Lord, give us the right combination of these things to make us what you want us to be.”
When you don’t understand what’s happening in your life, ask yourself these three questions.
(1) Is God orchestrating some events to bring people to moral choices?
(2) Is God ordering events so He can reveal Himself to somebody—or more fully reveal Himself?
(3) Is God using circumstances to shape my character and make me more like Jesus?
If you will do that, you will see that it all has meaning and purpose. God is working things together for your good and for His eternal purposes.
Invitation
For FOOTNOTES/SOURCES go to www.GatewayNixa.org
Richard Tow
Gateway Foursquare Church
Nixa, Missouri
