The Principle Point: God is Sovereign: The principle of this entire figure is that of the sovereignty of God and the need for man's unquestioning submission thereto. So the plan of the Potter is a personal plan. I've got good news, because here is the third truth of which Jeremiah was reminded at the potter's house: III. D. The Character of the Potter. Was this the crude clay to the potter once brought, And long by His hands in such constancy wrought? "And where are you going? " But we do exactly that. When time came to return to the field for the second half, the players got up to leave the locker room--all but Roy Riegels. Cried Job, "God maketh my heart soft" (Job 23:16). We seek an imaginary god who will tolerate our inadequacies without requiring change. The potter could have thrown the clay away at this point. He desires for us to place our lives in His hands through faith and make us into a vessel of purpose. The title of my message is – "The Potter and the Clay. " We try to check others' faith statements and make sure they do profess Jesus Christ as God's Son and salvation is found only in Him.
The day is coming when God will regather the Jews as a nation; they will be born again in a day and will yet stand out as a vessel of surpassing beauty and worth. Our God is our Saviour who is always willing to start again and again as many times as necessary and gladly makes us into perfect pots. How he saw the clay long before he ever sought the clay. During half-time, Roy Riegels sat by himself over in the corner of the locker room, a blanket around his shoulders, and cried. She looked over and there were tears in the man's eyes. What does the potter do? Have you ever wondered why sometimes LORD is spelled with all capital letters? There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. In the ancient world, the value of those pots was not their beauty, but their contents. I may be speaking to someone right now who, deep down in your heart, feels the burden of having marred the handiwork of God in some area or areas of your life. E-mail: More sermons. It was all as it seemed good to the Potter.
We even have a national mythos telling us we can do and become whatever we set our minds and ambitions to accomplish or be. At this point the potter had a major decision to make. His love is why it is safe for us, the clay, to surrender to God the Potter's hands of grace and mercy even when we may not understand His process. The blood money Judas received was eventually used to buy a potter's field. It's all a part of the process whereby God removes the impurities from our lives so that He might form us into a vessel for His glory and honor. This is why, my dear sister, you have to live at home and there amid the cares and trials and responsibilities of your home life live out your life. We are safe in His hands from the beginning of the process to the day we are finished. First of all, it is a personal plan. They were saturated with iniquity and lived in idolatry. God is not willing that any should perish.
God leads some folks to serve him as single persons--and how much poorer this world would be without such great singles as Lottie Moon and others, many of whom are not widely known, but have served God faithfully and will have a rich reward in heaven. Our repentance is really a work of the potter as he begins to reshape us and mould us into something beautiful and new and perfect. The sin of the people of Jeremiah day was a habitual lifestyle that was both offensive and grievous to God. A person can mar the handiwork of God.
These words remind us how stingy we have been with our forgiveness and let self-righteousness and indignation dictate how we treat those who have offended us. There is nothing within the clay that enables it to realize its potential. He is preparing the platform and ere long the Lord Jesus will return and be seen as the King of kings and as the Lord of lords. There is an important verse of scripture found in the book of Isaiah that we need to plant deep within in our hearts. The "seeker friendly" movement has chosen to overlook this in their vain religious agnosticism. Apparently, though, in most cases God plans for people to marry, and in many--perhaps most--cases to have children--and he stands ready to reveal his plan in all those areas. We can know some about His purpose through His word. Everything crooked and twisted and evil is of the devil. Let me fasten upon three outstanding phases of the theme confronting us this evening. We are known because of our peculiar countenances, and when it comes to human life the same truth holds good. Off your knees, Jeremiah, get going". Any violin can be used to make music, but the extravagant price of a Stradivarius is based upon its maker.
This makes me think of how the fire of the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples at Pentecost. One of the most sobering statements in the whole Bible is found in Psalm 78. He did the best he could, night and day, pleading for Israel to give up her sin and return to God. Everything up to this point has been performed in order to prepare the clay for the forming process. Furthermore, he went on to be team captain his senior year, helping lead his team to an outstanding season and earning All-American honors. The University of California "Golden Bears" were playing the Georgia Tech "Yellow Jackets. "
This may be one reason why your life is not telling for the Master. They said, ''We've never seen one quite so beautiful. '' Although the clay had frustrated his plan he believed in trying again. What happened to Israel? He says, "I'll remold your life, if you'll meet my conditions.