Pericope: Jeremiah
18: 1 - 12
Sermon Text: Jeremiah
18: 3, 4 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;
so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
Sermon Title: You
Got Me Going in Circles Pt. 2
BP:
Move the hearers to trust God
Introduction: This morning I want to ask the question what or who is making you
dizzy? Bills? Family? Decisions? Future? Past? Job? Finances? Hurt? Unresolved
issues? You will admit the list can go on and on. Truth be told there is always
something that is making you dizzy or have the potential of making you dizzy.
There is a way to get off life's Merry-Go-Round.
Context: In
this famous text Jeremiah is again telling the nation of Israel to submit to
the will of God and trust the process of God making them into the nation he
originally intended them to be. Jeremiah is reminding Israel they are on the
Merry-Go-Round of ignoring God and it is going to cost them dearly. So God has
Jeremiah to use the analogy of a potter's wheel in hopes of getting them to
understand and accept what God is up to. There are several valuable lessons we
can get from what Jeremiah is telling Israel. They are: (1) You have to be in
the Right Place. (2) You have to be in the Right Hands. (3) You to have the
Right Response.
Point 1: The
Right Place...vs. 2 "Go down to the potter's house, and
there I will give you my message."
I am captivated by what God tells Jeremiah to do in order to hear from him. He
tells Jeremiah before he will give him a word he must go to a specific place.
Before he will tell Jeremiah what to say he has to get Jeremiah to a certain
place. Not just any place. Now if God is everywhere at the same time with equal
amount of power why would he need Jeremiah to go to a specific place before he
could get insight and instructions for Israel? If they were hurting that bad
you would think God would just tell Jeremiah as he walked along the way. Well
any old place won't do for God. Clearly it matters what place you are in
to get the right word for your life.
The place God wants Jeremiah to go is south of the Temple near a valley. It is
where the Israelites find their clay so they can make pots. Potters are popular
because they make things that everybody needs and uses. From Kings to peasants
use the services of the potters. The potters set up shop at this place because
everything they needed was there. God wanted Jeremiah to go to this place
before God would say a word. God is always trying to get you and I to a place
where everything you need is there. God is always trying to get you and I to a
place where He can speak without interference. God is always trying to get us
to a certain place; spiritually, physically and emotionally.
For Adam and Eve it was the Garden of Eden. That was the place where God placed
them in paradise.
(a) For
Moses it was the burning bush. That was the place where God got his attention!
(b) For
the Children of Israel, after Egypt, it was the Red Sea. Then it was Mt Sinai
where they received the word.
(c) For
Abraham it was the place that God was going to show him. That was the place of
promise
(d) For
Joshua it was the Jordan river. That was the place of the fulfillment of God's
promises!
(e) For
Peter it was walking on water. That was the place of miracles!
(f) For
Nicodemus it was the dark of night and Zacheus it was in a sycamore
tree. That was the place of salvation!
At some point in your life you must ask yourself the question are you in the
right place for God to speak to you? Many times we are not in the right place
because we simply do not obey God. Notice Jeremiah didn't question God when God
told him to go to the Potters House THEN he would speak to him. Jeremiah simply
followed instructions. So should we. When we do we will get to the place God
wants us.
Transition: It's
at that place you will be molded.
Point 2: The
Molding...vs. 3b and I saw him working at the wheel.
When Jeremiah gets to that place he sees the potter's wheel. And the potter is
doing what a potter does. He is making pots... vs. 4 But the pot he was
shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed
it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. The
word marred means to make again. It is the process by which the potter takes
clay that seems to have no more use or value and starts over. That's so
exciting to see that's what God wants Jeremiah to see. Why? He wants Jeremiah
to see even though Israel has messed up, like the potter does not throw away
clay, God will not throw Israel away. He will simply start over. This shows the
grace of God because God wants to work with Israel.
God does not throw Israel a way even though they deserve it. God does not throw
us a way even though we deserve it. He keeps us and keeps working with us. Just
like God was telling Israel in vss.7 - 10. READ them. Notice four times the
word 'if' is used. Does that sound like someone who wants to destroy Israel or
work with Israel even though Israel is messing up? Israel and you and I have
input to our destiny. Notice the 'If then' statements! When you read the text
it sounds like a parent who knows their child has earned a spanking but does
not want to give them what they so rightly deserve. So it is with God and us!
God wants to work with you but you have to repent. DEMONSTRATE 3 broken glasses/clay
The way the potter molds the clay again he places it on the wheel. I like to
call it the "wheel of grace." The wheel is all the circumstances,
situations, mistakes, and sins we make continually but God just keeps on
spinning. Then he puts water on the clay and finally shapes it with his hand.
DEMONSTRATE dried clay
Just like the potter puts clay on a wheel and spin it to make a pot God was
spinning Israel. Not only is God spinning Israel He is spinning you and I to
make us into the person he wants us to be. Hold on. Don't get discouraged
because things seem like they are spinning out of control. That’s by design.
The only way God can create something new is spin you. The more he spins you or
permits you to be spun, the greater anointing he will create in your life. The
more he spins you the stronger you will be. The more he spins you the greater
the vessel he will make from you. The more he spins you the more he forgives
you… CAN YOU SHOUT LET THE SPIN CYCLE SPIN.
Transition: In
God's potters house, in God's hands, on God's wheel means there must be some
godly results.
Point 3: The
Right Response... vs. 12 It's no use. We will continue with our own
plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his [own] evil heart.
Now the results of the potter spinning is not that good for Israel. They
continued their disobedient ways. Despite God's warnings. Despite God talking
to them for 40 years they refused to change their behavior.
Have you ever felt like ITS NO USE You might as well continue doing what you
are doing. You tried it God’s way for a little while and you didn’t get the
results you were hoping for. Paul said be not weary in well doing you will reap
if you faint not. Have you ever felt like it's no use no matter what things aren’t
going to change. Have you ever felt like I’m too far gone? There is no turning
back. Have you ever felt like what’s the use my sins haven’t really cost me?
Have you ever felt like even though I know it’s wrong I’m addicted to what I’m
doing? That's how Israel felt. At first you read their response to God and you
say they can turn back to God it’s not too late. You can see it and I’m sure
they could too but they didn’t stop what they were doing. The hand writing is
on the wall what will happen if they don’t. The same is true for you. ITS NOT
TOO LATE. YOU CAN STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
Your results DO NOT HAVE TO BE LIKE ISRAEL. Your results can be peace of mind.
Your results can be a happy home. Your results can be a new job, new
relationships and blessings that run you down and over take you. But you cannot
do it your way. You must submit your life to God so he can use all your
failures and problems to get the result only he can get.
Conclusion: A
king who wished to express his affection for a private soldier of his army gave
him a richly jeweled cup, his own cup. The soldier, stepping forth to receive
the gift, exclaimed shamefacedly, "This is too great a gift for me to
receive." "It is not too great for me to give," the king
replied. As God gave Israel something they didn’t deserve He is giving you and
I something we don’t deserve Jesus Christ. All we have to do is get in The
Right Place accept his Wheel of grace and have the Right Response.
