Title: The Potter’s House
Text: Jer 18:1-6; Isa 64:8
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Pray!!!
Introduction:
- I found this story in Readers Digest that will direct us in were we are going this morning:
An individual awoke one morning to find a puddle of water in the middle of his king-size waterbed. In order to fix the puncture, he rolled the heavy mattress outdoors and filled it with more water so he could locate the leak more easily. The enormous bag of water was impossible to control and began rolling on the hilly terrain. He tried to hold it back, but it headed downhill and landed in a clump of bushes that poked it full of holes. Disgusted, the individual threw out the waterbed frame and moved a standard bed into his room. The next morning, he awoke to find a puddle of water in the middle of the new bed. The upstairs bathroom had a leaky drain.
- When we look into our text this morning we see that Israel was in a sinful position.
- They were a nation who didn’t throw away the mattress and frame but rather had abandoned God.
- Sin ruled throughout the land, people were disobedient to God and were not willing to listen to the plans that God had for them.
- This is when God gave Jeremiah the words in our text this morning to give to the nation of Israel in hopes they would repent and submit to His Lordship.
(Read Text At This Point)
- Now when I read this passage earlier this week, God revealed some characteristics of Himself towards us.
Point 1: God Is Always Working In Our Lives (Vs 3)
Lam 4:2 says, “How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands.”
Isa 29:16 says, “You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, He did not make me? Can the pot say of the potter, He knows nothing.”
- I love this story that I found that will help illustrate what I am saying:
I wonder what would happen if we applied the same standards of loyalty to our Christian activities that we expect from other areas of our lives?
If your car starts once every three tries, is it reliable? If the postman skipped delivery every Monday and Thursday, is he trustworthy? If you don’t go to work once or twice a month, are you a reliable employee? If your fridge stops working for a day or two every now and then, do you say, “Oh well, it work most of the time.”? If your water heater provides an icy cold shower every now and then, is it dependable? If you skipped a couple of electricity bill payments do you think Western Power would mind? If you fail to worship God one or two Sundays a month, would you expect to be called a faithful Christian?
We expect loyalty and reliability from things and other people - isn’t it reasonable then that God just might expect the same from us.
- You see church this morning God is working in your life to make us more reliable with Him.
- He is making us more faithful to Him then the things of this world.
- And so when God works on our lives as the potter works on the clay, the molding stage is beginning to take shape.
- Sometimes that hurts, we can either yield to it or choose to ignore it.
Point 2: God Has A Plan For Our Lives. (Vs 4)
- Not only is God working in us to make us more like Him, or more faithful to Him, He has a plan in molding us.
- Now what is God’s plan for us.
- Well it can be a variety of things, for example:
- It’s in God’s plan that we build a church, that we make disciples, that we grow and become more mature, and that we are a witness for Him.
- God’s plan is also very specific, for example:
- It was God’s plan for me to be a Pastor and that one day I would pastor this church.
- That’s what God’s plan for my life was.
- God also has a plan for you, it maybe more simple, it maybe more complex, but rest assured God wants to reveal His plan for you.
Rom 9:21 says, “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?”
Isa 45:9 says, “Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, What are you making? Does you work say, He has no hands?”
- Now God has a plan for us, but sometimes we don’t like the plan that God has set forth.
- Have you ever heard people say, well if only I could sing like so and so, if only I could teach like so and so.
- Have you ever stopped to think that those same people you are trying to be like are trying to be like you because they see the qualities you have.
- Become all that God wants you to become and don’t settle for anything less.
- This church needs your talent in order to succeed, think about that.
Point 3: God Wants Us To Willingly Submit Our Lives So He Can Work (Vs 6)
Jer 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
- Our submission to God as the One who molds both our character and our service to Him determines to a large extent what he can do with us
- If I give God everything, then God can fulfill Jer 29:11 in my life. It will take my whole life to achieve what God wants to give me.
- But I will never get what God has for me, if I don’t submit to Him everything.
- I think a great example of submission to God is found in Mary the mother of Jesus, listen to this article from focus on the family:
Christin Ditchfield, in a recent issue of Focus on The Family magazine, writes that basically Mary took the news in stride.
“[She] didn’t demand a sign,” notes Ditchfield, “some sort of proof or additional confirmation. She voiced no complaint at the total disruption of her life. She knew now that things would not turn out the way she had planned at all.” She concludes, “But in her heart there was no resistance, no rebellion. Just a sweet, simple submission-surrender to the will of God.”
- How far do you want to go with God?
- It will all depend on how you submit to the potter.
- If you would rather be a cup then a bowl, you won’t have the blessing of God, if God wants you to be a bowl.
Point 4: God Can Change His Intentions For Our Lives (Vs 7-11)
- Now with submission there needs to be fervent commitment to God in what He wants us to become.
Rom 9:22 says, “What if God, choosing to show His wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath, prepared for destruction.”
- The phrase objects of wrath refers to those being prepared for eternal destruction.
- People become objects of wrath by their own sinful acts and rebellion, as Paul stated earlier: “but because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath” (2:5)
- However, here’s where my point comes in that God can change His intentions for our lives, objects of wrath may still repent and turn to God for His mercy.
- The phrase objects of His mercy refers to those, both Jew and Gentile, who believe and follow Jesus Christ (Vs 24-33)
- Now lets go back to our text, God remains free to change His decisions and in verse 8 God says if they repent, then I will relent.
- God does not change His character, but does change His mind concerning people when they repent.
- What about Christians?
- When we are confronted with the truth and we will not repent, but become stiff-necked, then we move into the realm of Judgment and clay that can’t be moldable.
- We should never accept any teaching that denies God this sovereign freedom.
- There has been many people who give testimony of how they were headed for destruction, suddenly finding themselves repenting and turning to God.
- God then begins to reshape there lives and makes them instruments of honor and blessing.
II Tim 2:20-21 says, “In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.”
Conclusion:
- Where are you as the clay?
- Do you recognize that God is working in your life and has a plan for you?
- It is God’s will for you to find that plan if you want too.
- I found God’s plan for my life, but it took prayer and talking with God to find it.
- Do you find yourself submitting to God and His plan?
- Or do you find yourself struggling to submit to Him, thinking your plan is better.
- Maybe you are here and are not saved. You have never given your heart to the Lord.
- The Bible is very clear that if you will not repent and turn to God, then God’s judgment remains on you.
- Won’t you give your life to God today and turn to Him.
- Christian, isn’t it time to submit to God’s leading and not yours.
- Lets come and pray together.
Lets Pray!!!
