The Potter, The Pot, and The Pieces

Title: The Potter, The Pot & The Pieces

Scripture Text: Jer 18:6
"House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay?"--this is the LORD's declaration. "Just like clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel.

Introduction: You are the Potter, I am the clay, Mold me and make me, this Lord I pray.

This is a beautiful song that declares God as being a potter and a Christian as His moldable clay
We are the clay and He is the Potter. We are His masterwork, His magnificent craftsmanship, and within the context of Jeremiah Chapter 18, God illustrates His sovereignty as being that master potter over His creation.

The potter works with His clay, kneading it, molding it, purifying it so it can be molded into a functional vessel.

The focal passage of this message comes from Jeremiah 18:6; please follow along with me in your Bibles.

Jeremiah 18:6 says, "House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay?"--this is the LORD's declaration. "Just like clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel. “

This passage encompasses all of Chapters 18 & 19 in Jeremiah.

God Creates

Within this illustration, we can recognize God first as Creator. The potter creates from the dust of the ground a moldable usable vessel, and just as the potter brings life to his sculpture, the Creator, out of nothing forms and breathes life intoHis created vessels. He has given us not only life, but he has also given His creation everything it needs over abundantly for its existence. We are a wonderfully designed piece of artwork made for His adoration and admiration.

God Changes

We are well made by the expert potter, but God not only creates His children and provides for them, He also changes His vessels.
Why does He need to change His created vessels?
Because we are all flawed & marred due to our sin.
Jer 18: 4 - Just as the clay became marred in the potter’s hands, man is flawed due to their sin, and they need the potter to change them.
His desire is not to throw out broken and unusable vessels; God will change a flawed vessel into a vessel of His desire & delight.
God’s original intent for His artistry was to be flawless, but by our own deviation we have become a marred vessel. In order for man to be in proper relation with the Lord, we must be willing to be moldable vessels.
We have a much greater hope however, we have the promise of God molding out of the ruin a new vessel.
The Lord molds, kneads, and develops a pile of dirt and water into a vessel of His desire & delight.


God Chastens

How does God change His vessels? First, God must chasten His clay. He must clean out all the impurities and knead & mold His vessels into proper vessels.
His warning came time and again to His people as seen in Jeremiah 18 & 19.
It is not His desire to discipline His people; it is His desire to change them to vessels of righteousness and purity.
God would withhold the destruction upon Judah if they had repented just as He will forgive those today who turn from their sin and trust in Him.
If we repent of our evil ways, He will turn from bringing calamity upon us, and He will change us into usable vessels.

God Crushes

God’s final judgment comes to the unrepentant in the form of a crushing blow.
This is the second way God changes His creation.

Jer 18:11 - "So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds."'

No one can escape from the judgment of God if they refuse to repent.
Judah, God’s chosen people, was obstinate to turn from their sin and listen to God even after He warned them.
Not only were they obstinate they admitted their depravity, refused to turn from their evil ways, and made a proclamation of hopelessness in their situation.

Jer 18:12 - But they will say: It's hopeless. We will continue to follow our plans, and each of us will continue to act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart."

God will not refrain from His wrath against His created vessels.
He will take the vessel He has molded and crush it once it has hardened beyond a moldable condition.

Jer 19:10-11 - "Then you are to break the jar in the sight of the men who accompany you and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter's vessel, which cannot again be repaired;


Maybe someone is saying, “It’s hopeless.” Maybe some feel they have nothing to hope for. While you are still breathing the air granted to you, you still have hope of coming to Christ.



Conclusion: Are we so immune from God’s judgment? God’s chosen people experienced His wrath in Jeremiah’s day, what is so different about His followers today? God’s children have incredible hope in His promises. Who is missing this hope? Are you saying it’s hopeless? Are you unwilling to turn from your sin?

Change my heart oh God, make it ever new, Change my heart oh God, may I be like You.
You are the Potter, I am the clay, mold me and make me, this Lord I pray.

May this be our constant prayer. May we desire His loving change in us, so we are not in danger of His judgment.