The Potter & The Clay Series

INTRODUCTION

SERIES: “Discovering & Experiencing God’s Will” – Part 3

Part 1: Ephesians 2:10 – “He Wants You To Know”

- God is a Master Artist and has a Perfect Plan for His Children

- As a Believer, the Master Artist wishes to make you into a Masterpiece

- To allow the Master Artist to accomplish that task, one must be Available

o God, not the believer, does the work. Certain conditions must exist.

Part 2: Romans 12:1-5 – “What Is Expected”

What is expected on our part for God to be able to accomplish His work.

- A Living Sacrifice to God and to Each Other

- How the Church was a major part of that process

Part 3: Jeremiah 18:1-6 – “The Potter & The Clay”

- God as a “Potter” – His Power and Part

- The Believer here as “Clay” – his part and purpose

A. What Jeremiah Saw

1. Jeremiah as a Prophet at 14

At the tender age of 14, Jeremiah became a prophet living just outside of Jerusalem. His age didn’t stop him from obviously developing a great reputation as a prophet evidenced by what God was able to do through him.

In fact, some believe that his constant persecutions might be in part due to his early age.

2. Pottery As A Point of Lesson

Many places in Jeremiah, the Lord taught through a parable or illustration such as Jesus did in the NT. It doesn’t surprise me that Pottery was the example because this was very big in Jeremiah’s day.

Demonstration on TV: Using a Stone Wheel that was operated by a Foot Pedal, the Potter would place a piece of old clay on the wheel and then by pumping the pedal the wheel would begin to spin.

Using his hands, he would work and stop, work and stop and work and stop, until slowly that piece of old clay would begin to take shape looking more and more like what the Potter had envisioned. Finally, the piece he was waiting on created!

In our passage, God sends Jeremiah to see this process! Surrounding God’s Lesson to Jeremiah are some wonderful principles that we can apply to our lives to help in the process of “Discovering and Experiencing God’s Will”.

B. The Interpretation

What Jeremiah learns was for the nation of Israel. BUT the principles surrounding what he learns apply to us as individuals AND as a church. Again we are considering the process God uses to make us the Masterpiece He desires us to be so we can better “Discover and Experience His Will” along the way.

C. The Passage - JEREMIAH 18:1-6

1. READ VERSES 1-2:

I found it interesting that Jeremiah must 1st go to the Potter’s House before the Lord would give Him the message. Isn’t it interesting that again we see that one must allow God to use certain tools to prepare us for something ahead.

2. READ VERSES 3-4:

The ILLUSTRATION is shown to Jeremiah. Jeremiah watches as the Potter begins to form the “pot”/(masterpiece) as the “potter felt best”. Now He is ready! He is at the place and time where God needs Him to be.

NOW he is ready to “Discover and Experience God’s Will”.

3. READ VERSES 5-6

If you’ve been here the last 3 weeks, you are already beginning to notice again that what we’ve seen in earlier passages is being repeated today! Everywhere in God’s Word we see the same thing confirming to us what is Desired by God:

Jeremiah had to be available in order for God to “prepare him for what he had in store”. Just as Jeremiah had to be at the right place in order to receive what God had in store, so you and I must do the same.

TODAY, 2 PARTS:

1. The Role of The Potter – The Artist

2. The Role of The Clay – The Envisioned Masterpiece

I. GOD – THE POTTER

If you picture the potter’s house, you can see the potter giving full attention to working with that helpless, ugly, messy piece of clay. His intent on transforming that worthless piece of marred clay into a piece of art is amazing.

The Potter having complete Power over the clay and that power is unlimited. As crazy as this sounds: NO CLAY can stop the potter, NOR can it question his right. No clay can RESIST his will nor altar His plan.

I KNOW: Sounds kind of ridiculous doesn’t it. That really sounds far fetched doesn’t it? UNTIL YOU CONSIDER…

Genesis 2:7 (NIV) 7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

A. GOD IS SOVEREIGN

NOWHERE will you find such a graphic picture of the Sovereignty of God. MAN, (the clay upon the potter’s wheel), and GOD, (the potter). GOD having all power, majesty, and glory, has complete absolute power over the CLAY.