SundaySermon - Prince - The Potter's Hand

The Potter's Hand

God made us for a specific purpose. And God is molding us through the course of our life for his purpose. 

Verse: ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭18:1‭-‬6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[1] The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, [2] “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” [3] So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. [4] But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. [5] Then the Lord gave me this message: [6] “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. 

What came about all this molding? It is the delight of the Lord at the His workmanship or masterpiece.

‭‭Verse: Ephesians‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[10] For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Three pointers

  • The Spoilt Vessel
  • Another Vessel
  • The Yielded Vessel

The Spoilt Vessel

In verse 4 of the first passage, the potter was not happy with what came about. The vessel didn't come out as he intended. This is because our hearts are evil or our hearts are shaped by the ideologies of the world

Verse: Genesis 6:11

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and the earth was filled violence. 

Another incident is when the people of Israel left Egypt and was in the desert. They were swayed by false worship 

Verse: Exodus 32:7

[7] The Lord told Moses, “Quick! Go down the mountain! Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.

There is another cause of corrupt - Bad Company.

Verse: ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:33‬ ‭

[33] Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”

But thank God that this spoilt vessel was in the potter's hand. God is molding us to be able to fulfil our purpose

Another Vessel

When God decides to mold you, you will be shaped into a different person all together. .... it is another vessel that you are made into. 

The final outcome is that you are made into something that gives delight to God. We are made to find our delight in the delight of the Lord. Don't resist his plan!

This crafting comes from the Bible. This may also come from people in our lives. We will encounter people who are difficult. We need to be patient. 

The transformation can be life-giving. But along with the shaping and forming of his hands, God breathes into us to create life.  

The Yielded Vessel 

We are to yield to God. And when we don't, God gently and yet firmly guides us. This could be through hard circumstances like tough times etc

Verse: ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭18:11‬ 

[11] “Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’”

God's ways are hard, but we need to remember that God get's to decide because we belong to God.  

Verse: ‭‭Romans‬ ‭9:21‬ 

[21] When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? 

Again God in his interaction with Israel, God is pleading for us to change.

‭‭Verse: Jeremiah‬ ‭18:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[11] “Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’”

Conclusion 

Can we get back to God? Can we surrender. Let's ask God to change our lives.

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