Sunday Worship Service - October 11, 2020 - 1st Service
THE POTTER HOUSE
Jer. 18:1-6
Jer 18:1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
Jer 18:2 "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message."
Jer 18:3 So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel.
Jer 18:4 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.
Jer 18:5 Then the word of the LORD came to me:
Jer 18:6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
(THE MESSAGE TRANSLATION)
Jer 18:1 The LORD said to me,
Jer 18:2 "Go down to the potter's house, where I will give you my message."
Jer 18:3 So I went there and saw the potter working at his wheel.
Jer 18:4 Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into something else.
Jer 18:5 Then the LORD said to me,
Jer 18:6 "Don't I have the right to do with you people of Israel what the potter did with the clay? You are in my hands just like clay in the potter's hands.
Intro:
God uses many images to describe His relationship to His people.
- He speaks of the shepherd and sheep relationship,
- the husband and wife relationship,
- a Father and His children, just to name a few.
> All of these are blessed and teach us many needed and valuable lessons about life, ourselves and our Lord.
> However, while we like sheep are protected and provided for by the shepherd, and as a wife, we are loved without condition by the husband and like children we are constantly under the Father's loving watch care.
The Mission OF The Potter
The Ministry OF The Potter
The Message OF The Potter
V1-3 THE MISSION OF THE POTTER
A. His Intent - > The Potter has a singular purpose.
> He desires to produce vessels that will be found useful, and that will bring honor unto Himself.
The pieces he manufactures are pieces that will be used by Himself and others.
This is God's intention as well.
> He excels in taking old worthless clay and transforming it by His grace into vessels of honor and glory.
He takes those things that are the "offscouring of all things",
1 Cor. 4:13,
and turns them into vessels of honor. Jesus saves the sinner by His grace and then He begins the process of changing that vile sinner into a vessel that will produce a profit for the Kingdom of God, one that will be useful to Him in His work, and one that brings honor and glory to His Name.
B. His Ingredients –
> In order to accomplish this lofty goal, the Potter must work with materials that leave much to be desired.
The condition of the clay as it is found.
> In other words, the clay, as it is taken from the ground, is worthless.
> It must be transformed into a useable state and this is a process that takes time and energy on the part of the Potter.
This is a perfect portrait of sinners.
We are worthless to God in our natural condition.
However, He is able to see the vessels the we can become.
> Therefore, He begins the process that will bring us to a place of usefulness.
C. His Instruments –
The potter uses several implements to bring the clay to a place where it is usable.
1. A Shovel
- This is the tool he uses to dig the clay from the earth.
2. A Mallet
- After the clay has been cleansed and processed, it is lain on a table and beaten with a wooden mallet.
The Potter does this to remove any air bubbles that might be trapped in the clay. If he doesn't the air bubble will form a pocket that will produce a weak spot and cause the vessel to be fragile and unusable.
3. The Wheels
- (Describe the wheels - A large bottom stone, usually made of stone, is mounted upon a shaft that sits in a stone socket.
> The Potter, using his feet, spins the large, lower wheel. As he does, the upper wheel is turne