TOPIC: Sovereignty; Mercy, Rebirth
TITLE: FLAWED VESSELS - Once Marred, Now Remade!
TEXT: Jeremiah 18:1-6 [NKJV]
CONCISE OUTLINE
Through Jeremiah, God ...
In Romans 9, in the context of a) Abraham's sons versus the promise to Sarah's seed [vv.6-9] and b) hating Esau versus loving Jacob [vv.10-13], Paul explains to Roman believers that God consults no one concerning His will concerning anything. What makes no sense to the mind of carnal man makes complete sense if spiritually discerned.
If, therefore, Jesus died that man might once again find himself on the Potter's wheel and find the Potter willing to show him mercy and remake him, then why, pray tell, does he continue to harden himself to the will of his Creator?
I ask you: what force is powerful enough to interfere with God’s effort to vessels destined for wrath into vessels of mercy?
FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: What Forces are Powerful Enough to Interfere with God’s Molding of Us?
EXPANDED OUTLINE
Some of you are, at this time, remain flawed vessels of wrath; others of you are mended vessels of mercy.
Some who are destined for destruction will, by the Grace of God and the skin of their teeth, come to their senses and deal with their condition in time for the Potter to remake them; some won't!
Some of you who are vessels of mercy, destined to do the good works in Christ Jesus, which God created for you beforehand, are busy doing them and loving every minute of it!
Others are so afraid the Potter might require something that they’ve avoided the hands of the Potter! Oh, they’ve built their house on the Rock but they’ve built it of “wood, hay, and stubble.”
These are no longer vessels of wrath but have not yet become vessels of honor … the Bible refers to these as carnal or nominal Christians!
CHALLENGE: Now, let me talk to the vessels of wrath. You are playing fast and loose with the things of God and are in danger of falling into the abyss! Listen, won’t you, to the Apostle John as he tells us how to be certain of eternal life.
TITLE: FLAWED VESSELS - Once Marred, Now Remade!
TEXT: Jeremiah 18:1-6 [NKJV]
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words."FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: What Forces are Powerful Enough to Interfere with God’s Molding of Us?
Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the LORD. "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!"
CONCISE OUTLINE
I. UNWORKABLE CLAY CANNOT BE MOLDED!TRUTH CLAIM/CONTEXT: God has become fed up with Israel, so He calls upon Jeremiah [aka: the weeping prophet]. The Lord was intent on demonstrating to Israel that He had had enough of their adultery and fornication with the pagan gods of their heathen neighbors. He was especially upset with their lack of obedience to the Law.
II. UNUSABLE CLAY CANNOT BE MOLDED!
III. UNSEALED CLAY CANNOT BE MOLDED!
Through Jeremiah, God ...
- declares His sovereignty over all created things, as well as
- His willingness to remake any of it that needs it [but only as it pleases and glorifies Him].
In Romans 9, in the context of a) Abraham's sons versus the promise to Sarah's seed [vv.6-9] and b) hating Esau versus loving Jacob [vv.10-13], Paul explains to Roman believers that God consults no one concerning His will concerning anything. What makes no sense to the mind of carnal man makes complete sense if spiritually discerned.
So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?" On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use?Here Paul …
What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared be-forehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.Romans 9:18-24
1. reveals that God divides His subjects into those destined for …Again, the Spirit uses the metaphor of the Potter. Later [in Ephesians 8], Paul writes to believers concerning …a. honorable use versus common use or2. and explains that God
b. vessels of mercy versus vessels wrath …a. endures the sinful arrogance of the lost (i.e., "vessels of wrath"; v.22) in order to
b. "make known the riches of His glory upon [the saved]" (i.e., “vessels of mercy”; v.23).
Though not mentioning the parable of the Potter, he alludes to it indirectly.
- the doctrine of the True Church and
- the purpose [or the walk] of the True Believer.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.In this passage Paul …Ephesians 2:8-10
- reiterates God's sovereign power to have mercy upon whom He wills;
- states that our receipt of this mercy is not by our own effort, but is a “gift of God”; and
- reveals God’s establishment of righteousness works for “vessels of mercy” before being made a new creature [2 Corinthians 5:17].
If, therefore, Jesus died that man might once again find himself on the Potter's wheel and find the Potter willing to show him mercy and remake him, then why, pray tell, does he continue to harden himself to the will of his Creator?
I ask you: what force is powerful enough to interfere with God’s effort to vessels destined for wrath into vessels of mercy?
FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: What Forces are Powerful Enough to Interfere with God’s Molding of Us?
EXPANDED OUTLINE
I. UNWORKABLE CLAY CANNOT BE MOLDED!APPLICATION: God wants to do with your life just what the Potter does with the clay … remake you, repair your flaws, fill you to overflowing, and use you in His service.That is, clay which has been allowed to dry out or harden. Everywhere in the New Testament, we are reminded of the role of water in the life of the saint.Jesus answered [the woman at the well] and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."John 4:10; NKJV"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."John 7:38… that He might sanctify and cleanse [His Church] with the washing of water by the word …Ephesians 5:26"Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion [in the wilderness]."Hebrews 3:15II. UNUSABLE CLAY CANNOT BE MOLDED!That is, material that is full of lumps, sand, grass, sticks, etc.III. UNSEALED CLAY CANNOT BE MOLDED!… if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.Can’t you see these vessels of impurity being unusable?1 Corinthians 3:12-13That is, vessels unprepared for firing!I don’t claim that this text speaks to the firing of clay but believers are sealed and clay is sealed and the analogy works.In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.Ephesians 1:13-14
Some of you are, at this time, remain flawed vessels of wrath; others of you are mended vessels of mercy.
Some who are destined for destruction will, by the Grace of God and the skin of their teeth, come to their senses and deal with their condition in time for the Potter to remake them; some won't!
Some of you who are vessels of mercy, destined to do the good works in Christ Jesus, which God created for you beforehand, are busy doing them and loving every minute of it!
Others are so afraid the Potter might require something that they’ve avoided the hands of the Potter! Oh, they’ve built their house on the Rock but they’ve built it of “wood, hay, and stubble.”
These are no longer vessels of wrath but have not yet become vessels of honor … the Bible refers to these as carnal or nominal Christians!
CHALLENGE: Now, let me talk to the vessels of wrath. You are playing fast and loose with the things of God and are in danger of falling into the abyss! Listen, won’t you, to the Apostle John as he tells us how to be certain of eternal life.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. …. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.You all know what you must do and why … let him with hears hear the word of God, let him with eyes see the Son high and lifted up!
And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.1 John 5:4, 9-13a
Posts
