Passage: Jeremiah 18-19:13

The title: A Visit To The Potter�s House�How Are We Prepared To Be The Person God Uses?

Speaker: Bob Stone, Hillcrest Chapel, Bellingham, WA

Series: Attitudes and Actions of a Growing Church�Part 6

Introduction: How do we get truth from the Scripture into our lives? How do we get our theology, what we believe, translated into our biography? A method that is often used to do this is to take the familiar experiences we observe every day to explain and apply the unfamiliar truth. In other words, the known is used to explain the unknown. I want you to see how the Master Teacher, God Himself, explains in Jeremiah 18 how He prepares a person, or in this case a nation, to be used by Him. In this passage God will use a visit to very familiar surroundings to explain some very profound truths.

I.The Message is promised at a particular place�vv. 1-2.

A.The Lord has His prophet, Jeremiah, take a road trip to the Potter�s house and observe what is happening there. (He wants as many of his senses to be engaged as possible.)

B.As a Master Teacher, God is using a real life situation to explain how He desires to work with people. He wants Jeremiah and us to see the truth in operation.

1.God uses the same method to speak to us today.

2.Here are some ways we can discern if an experience has a message from God in it.

Here are a few clues to look for:

a.Your eyes/meditation become curious about something you see/hear�Ex. 3:1-22.

b.The message/encouragement draws attention to God and humbles you�3:4.

c.The message accurately represents the Word/facts�v. 5.

d.The message is verified with prayer/time/counsel�3:12-4:12.

II.The Message God has for Jeremiah is made clear in a familiar setting�vv. 3-4.

3] So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4] But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands..." (What a poignant message.) Let�s begin by observing the obvious:

A. The pot is being shaped and formed. v. 4�"But the pot he was shaping from the clay..."

1. What is the material being used? _______________________.

2. Now as we look at this clay, what kind is it?______________.

3. How is the clay prepared for the potter?

• The impurities are removed.
• Water is added and the potter pounds all the air out of the clay with his feet.
• The clay must not be too hard and dry, nor too moist and thus sloppy and muddy.
• Ground limestone is added to enable the finished pot to withstand heat.
• The clay must also be warmed and softened by the kneading of the potter�s hand.

4. How is this clay like us?_____________________________�2 Cor. 4:7ff.

• First, all the impurities must be worked out of us, too�1 Peter 2:1-3.
• Second, it must be molded for the right purposes, in God�s hands!�Rom. 12:1-2.
• Third, the most important quality of the clay is that it submits�James 4:7; Rom. 9:20-24.
• Fourth, we also need to add character and Scripture to our lives�Col. 3:12-13.
• Fifth, we need the right combination of water/clay, strength/humility�James 4:10.

5. What is the product being made? 4] "But the pot he was shaping..."

6. Who is the Potter? He is our Father and He has a perfect plan for our lives�Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 2:10; Phil. 1:6). He promises us His plan will be wonderful�1 Cor. 2:9.

7. Besides the potter, what is the means being used to prepare the pot?_______________.

8. What are the key elements in the process as the potter works with the clay?

CENTERING, YIELDING, WORKING TOGETHER (not too much, not too little), AND MOVEMENT�sometimes it must be done fast to achieve the desired results.

B.The pot is marred. v. 4b�"...the clay was marred in his hands..."

1. The definition of marred. An imperfection in the pot, or impurities in the clay.
2. The reasons for marring. Who is responsible for the marring? Is it the potter, the wheel, or the clay____________? Our bad choices make for negative results in our lives.
3. The location of the solution. v. 4b�"in his hands so the potter formed it into another pot."
4. The new product is also a pot. This is good news. God is gracious to forgive & make us again, but sometimes with a loss of time & beauty. Occasionally God must use drastic disciplines to get us to yield to Him�Jacob, David.
5. The criteria for shaping and reshaping: "...as seemed best to him."

III.The Message Applied to Israel and to Us�18:5-19:1.

Here God describes:

A. The potential for Israel�vv. 5-6.

B. The potential for all people�vv. 7-10.

The potential reshaping can be halted or never started�vv. 7-8a.

a.What is the criteria for reshaping? It is repentance�v. 8b; 17:9-10.

b.What is the promise of the Reshaper? If we repent, He relents and reshapes.

• Can we trust God to do what is best? Rom. 8:28; 9:20-21; II Tim. 2:20-21.
• What do we learn about God here? Don't miss it!�18:6,7-8; John 10:28.

The potential is, God's good plan can be reconsidered/rejected�vv. 9-12.

a.Sadly, in Israel�s case they refuse God�s offer�18:12.

b.So the result is illustrated for Israel and for us�18:13-19:13.

Conclusion: Now obviously, that is not God�s desire for us! His intentions for us are good�v. 10.

A. When we are in the Potter's hands, we should be able to relax and trust Him, even if it is painful.

B.If we choose to go our own way, we should understand the logical consequences will come.

C.But if the smashing does come into our lives, even that is designed to get our attention.

Therefore, my encouragement is to yield your life to the Potter�s hands. "Have your own way..."