Lights In the Dark #4: Shaped By God’s Hands
Text: Jeremiah 18:1-17, 19:1-2, 10-14
Introduction: Alter Your Course
The captain of the ship looked into the dark night and saw
faint lights in the distance. Immediately he told his signalman to send a message
ahead: "Alter your course 10 degrees south." Promptly a return
message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north."
The captain was angered; his command had been ignored. So he
sent a second message: "Alter your course 10 degrees south--I am the
captain, Harold Hornblower!" Soon another message was received:
"Alter your course 10 degrees north--I am seaman third class, Paul Jones."
Immediately the captain sent a third message, knowing the
fear it would evoke: "Alter your course 10 degrees south--I am Captain
Harold Hornblower of the battleship Virginia." Then the reply came:
"Alter your course 10 degrees north--I am seaman 3rd class, Paul Jones of
the Cape Dread lighthouse."
Sometimes people can be like that captain when it comes to
God. Proud in our authority and choice but sometimes never realizing that we
are way out of our league when it comes to the one we are dealing with.
God’s Design Jeremiah 18:1-6
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear
my words. Then I went down to the
potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel
that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again
another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold,
as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
God Has A Design For Israel
God tells Jeremiah to go the potter’s house. There Jeremiah
watches as the potter works the clay into the shape of a vessel, then just as
the vessel is almost shaped into the what the potter envisions, it is marred.
Something in the clay, or in the process causes a flaw in the vessel and the
potter remakes the pot. He breaks it down, and then remakes and reshapes it
until if becomes the vessel he desired to make. God’s design was to make Israel
into a vessel fit for His service.
It is not hard to see the symbolism of the potter’s house.
God through Jeremiah is telling his nation, Israel, that He is
like the potter, while Israel is like the vessel on the wheel being formed by
the potter.
It is up to God, the potter not the Israel the pot what the
vessel will be, how it will look and how it will be finished. If in the working
of the pot it is marred or misshapen into something the potter did not
envision, then potter remakes it.
God plainly says in verse 6, “O house of Israel, cannot I do
with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's
hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”
Then in vs 7-11 God offers Israel, the clay, a choice. This
is where the symbol breaks down. A real potter doesn’t offer his clay a choice,
but God is not dealing with clay, or puppets or those with no will, he is
dealing with his people and they must choose.
This is the choice God gives them, 18:7-10 At what instant I
shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to
pull down, and to destroy it; If that
nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of
the evil that I thought to do unto them.
And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a
kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it
do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good,
wherewith I said I would benefit them.
God tells the people of Israel, here is your choice respond
to my voice and let me build you up or reject my voice and I will pull you down.
They are given the choice of willingly being remolded by Him who is their
creator to correct her flaws or of being destroyed by Him.
God has a design for Us
Just as it is easy to see the symbolism for Israel it is
also easy to see the application for us.
God’s process,
Like the potter’s, uses both harsh and gentle means to make
us into a vessel fit for His service and for the blessings He will pour into us.
Have you ever seen the way a potter in the time of Jeremiah
would make a vessel. Let me give you a quick rundown.
First the potter uses a hammer to break dried lumps of clay
so that the clay can be made ready to be worked.
Then potter then takes the pulverized, dry clay and mixes it
with water to bring it to life.
He then puts the clay on the wheel.
As the potter spins the pot upon the wheel his hands are
constantly working the clay, feeling for hard spots, dry spots or foreign
material that has no place in the pot. If he finds it he either applies more
water to get rid of the dry spots or he may pulverize it again to break up the
hard spots or probes with his hands to find those elements that have no place
in the pot and remove them from the clay.
Sometimes the flaw is only on the surface sometimes it
requires probing down into the very core of the clay, sometimes it may require
the pot to be completely remade in order to be free of the flaw.
And sometimes the pot is shattered in the hardening process
and must be thrown away.
Let’s make the application, God take us and then uses the
hammer of the His Word to beat upon our heart, shatter our own ideas and bring
us to a place of surrender and repentance
God then mixes our old dry shattered and useless life, with
the Holy Spirit and brings us to eternal life.
As God works in our life, sin, weakness, fear, stubbornness,
jealousy, and all manner of other flaws and weakness will become apparent. God
will apply His Holy Spirit as the potter would apply water to soften the clay.
Gently He will wash over us and water the dry places in our lives. But if we do
not respond then yes, God brings the hammer into our lives to break up those
things which do not yield or need greater force. The Word of God is God’s main hammer,
but He has many others as well.
There is the hammer of finances, the hammer of
sickness, the hammer of loneliness, the hammer of sorrow and God knows just
which hammer to use. If in His working of us He finds those things which should
not be in us, he removes them. If he finds sinful habits, anger, bitterness,
harshness, immorality, laziness, unfaithfulness or anything else that should
not be in a vessel fit for God’s service, He works to remove it. It may be near
the surface and easily dealt with or it may be deep within our character but
God never stops probing trying to rid His vessels of those things which could
make them unfit for His service.
God's Plan
As the potter works upon the wheel, he has in mind what he
will make of the clay of the shapeless worthless clay. It may be a vase, or
cup, or a bowl or a basket, only the potter knows how he will make the
shapeless clay into a vessel or worth and beauty.
As God works our lives, He also has a plan in mind. Some are
being fashioned for one task and some for others. Some are being prepared to go
to the furthest ends of the earth, others for service right here. Some are
being prepared to lead churches, others to lead families, others to lead
friends to Christ, but all are being formed by God’s hands with His purpose in
mind.
God’s Goal
For us as individuals Ephesians 1:9-14 Having made known
unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath
purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are
on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who
first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye
were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise
of his glory.
For Us as a Church Ephesians 4:11-13 And he gave some,
apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of
the stature of the fulness of Christ
The divine goal as Paul states it is to grow to spiritual maturity,
live for God and live for others but to achieve this goal we must be willing to
let God shape us. Willing to let Him remove the flaws and even willing to let
Him remake us from the ground up if necessary.
Illustration: Peter, Thomas, Apostles after Pentecost
Peter was a flawed vessel who was made pastor in Jesus place
but only after being broken from his pride by the denial of Jesus and cursing
His name. Thomas was marred by his doubts and fears but he was the one who
kneels before the risen Christ and calls out “My Lord and My God. The apostles
were so weak that they fell asleep in the garden, fled from the mob that
arrested Jesus and hid in the upper room afraid of the authorities. They were
as shattered as any group could be but God worked and shaped them into a
vessels that changed the world and filled heaven with the redeemed.
Transition: How did
Israel respond to the message of Jeremiah? Look in chapter 18 verse 12.
Man’s Desire Jeremiah 18:12-17
And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices,
and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart. Therefore
thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things:
the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing. Will a man leave
the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold
flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken? Because my
people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have
caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths,
in a way not cast up; To make their land desolate, and a perpetual
hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew
them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.
Israel’s Choice
Israel chooses her own way. vs. 12
There is no hope, but we will walk after our own devices We
will do all the evil our heart imagines.
Israel is saying, “It is too late, we are already going to
be punished, so we are going to follow our own plans and desire and we might as
well sin as much as we can.
To this God replies and tells Israel, you are unbelievable
stupid. vs 13-17
Even the Gentiles know better.
Who would leave cold pure water for unknown waters?
Who would choose a worthless idol instead of the living God?
They choose to stumble on small rocky footpaths instead walking
on the highway God has built for them.
Worst and most stupidly they chose God's wrath instead of
His grace love and mercy.
Jeremiah 18:17 I will
scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back,
and not the face, in the day of their calamity.
God says I will turn my back on them when their choices
bring calamity. Then they will be those shattered vessels thrown away.
Our Choice
How do we respond to God's hand reaching out to touch our
life?
Are we as arrogant and proud of ourselves as Israel was? Are
we guilty of being fools by going our own way instead of following God?
Are we so willfully ignorant as to say to God, "I know
what's best for me, I don't care what You say?"
If we choose our way in salvation we will discover hell as
their final destination.
If we choose Our way in our lifestyle and morality then in
the end all we will have is emptiness, sorrow and a wasted life. Our way in
finances and will bear us down until we break. Our way in our marriages and we
will discover hard bondage instead of blessing.
Proverbs has a lot to say about refusing to listen to God. Proverbs
10:17; 12:15; 14:12
Proverbs 10:17 He is in the way of life that keepeth
instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.
12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he
that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the
end thereof are the ways of death.
Many of us are being described in those verses. We are
choosing to reject God, his love, his grace, his mercy and one day we also will
find ourselves as shattered broken vessels thrown away.
Transition
There is just one more part to this story and it take place
in chapter 19
God’s Destruction Jeremiah 19:1-6, 10-12
Thus saith the LORD, Go and get a potter's earthen bottle, and take of the
ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests; And go forth
unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate,
and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee, And say, Hear ye the
word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith
the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this
place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle. Because they
have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it
unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings
of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents; They
have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt
offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into
my mind: Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this
place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but
The valley of slaughter.
Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men
that go with thee, And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts;
Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's
vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet,
till there be no place to bury. Thus will I do unto this place, saith the
LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet:
God Shatters Israel
Jeremiah again uses a pot but now instead of building or
repairing it, he shatters it in the presence of the leaders of Israel.
The difference between shattering and reshaping was in the
pot. Once it was soft and pliable, but now it was hard and unyielding, beyond
correction. In its hardness, it now stands as a symbol of Israel’s coming
destruction.
Even this valley, the valley of Hinnom, was symbolic because
in Jeremiahs time and for decades before it was a place of child sacrifice. The
place where the worshippers of Moloch gathered to worship their god by burning
their children alive.
Later, the valley of Hinnom became known as Gehenna and in
New Testament time it was the city dump constantly burning outside the gates of
Jerusalem and Jesus used it as a symbol of the eternal fires of hell. To the
Jew of Jeremiah's day, it was a place where they worshipped and walked as they
pleased, but by their choices, it would become an emblem of their shame and
horror.
Hard hearts or soft souls?
Let’s make the final application. The potter while making
the vessel never destroys it until it has become hardened, as long as it is pliable,
he will continue to work it.
So it is with us, the greatest danger to our relationship
with God is becoming so hardened to His touch that He can no longer move and
shape us.
We can be hardened by many things like indifference and
apathy, or by tragedy, by neglect and many, many times by our own choices and
rejection of God’s way.
If we do not let God have His way with us, then our best
hopes will become our greatest shame and sorrow. Just as it was for Israel, it
will be for us.
Now let me tell you something very obvious but very important,
People aren’t pots, if we choose our hearts can become soft again. We can
choose to be reshaped by the touch of the potters hand, I believe that the fact
God gave this message to Jeremiah and that I am preaching it today is proof
that it is never too late. Pots can’t repent but people can.
Isaiah 1:18-20 Come now, and let us reason together, saith
the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat
the good of the land: But if ye refuse
and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath
spoken it.
Are you listening, the choice is ours we aren’t inanitmate
pieces of potter, we are people, with a will and freedom to choose. What will
you choose? And never believe it is too late to make that choice. God is always
willing. Have you ever read…
Illustration: Psalms 136:1-26
Psalm 136:1-5 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good:
for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for
his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his
mercy endureth for ever. To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his
mercy endureth for ever. To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth
for ever.
26 times, in 26 verses the Psalmist shouts, "His mercy
endureth forever." Is there any clearer way that God can tell us, It is
never too late, he is still willing to forgive.
Conclusion: Will we yield to God's design?
God has a plan, a design for us as individuals and as a
church. He desires to hold you forever in His hands. He plans for you to share
in a future of joy and peace in heaven. He has a design for us to be a growing,
loving church that is filled with his children, impassioned to reach their
community and the world. But this is
true, only if we don't become inflexible and hard, unable to let God mold our
heart into what He knows is best.
And yet, I believe that the Bible teaches, it's never too
late, God never stops calling, never stops reaching out. Let our pray be,
"God soften my heart, let me feel your Spirit, let me hear your Word, let
me grow in your fellowship and let me share the love I find with all those
around me. Lord, remake me. Shape me to be what you want me to be, a vessel
that brings honor and glory to You."
Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907. Pollard believed the Lord wanted
her in Africa as a missionary, but she was unable to raise funds to go. In an
uncertain state of mind, she attended a prayer meeting, where she heard an
elderly woman pray, “It’s all right, Lord. It doesn’t matter what You bring
into our lives, just have Your own way with us.” At home that night, she wrote
this hymn.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.
