The Potter and the Clay

Prayer Service tonight 7:00 pm
Text:  Jeremiah 18:1-10

     In our text we see six truths.
I.  WE  BELONG TO GOD
     The Lord is the potter; He made the pot or vessel.  We are that vessel.
     It is the Lord who made us; not we ourselves.
     And because God made us, we belong to Him.

II.  WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD

     Because God made us; we are accountable to Him.
     As the employee is accountable to his employer; the student to his teacher; the child to his
parents; the congressman to his constituents; and the pastor to his congregation, so we are
accountable to God our Potter.  As v. 6 says, "So are you in my hand."  We are in His
hand, the One we must give account to.

III.  WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR OWN DECISION

     The first choice is to do good and obey Him.
     The second choice is to do evil and disobey Him.  Verse 10, "If it does evil in my sight and
does not obey me."

IV.  WE WILL RECEIVE THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR DECISIONS

     Good choices produce good results; and bad choices produce bad results.
     I can choose to continue in sin and dishonor the Lord.  That person will "be uprooted, torn
down and destroyed" (v. 7).
     Or I can choose to repent and do right.  In that case God will withhold His judgment against
me.  Verse 9 says, "then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned."

V.  WE SEE GOD'S JUSTICE IN ACTION

     God is just when He punishes the sinner who refuses to repent and continues in sin; and blesses the sinner who repents, does good and obeys Him.

VI.  WE ARE GOD'S WORK IN PROGRESS

     It takes considerable time for a potter to make a beautiful vessel.  We are that vessel.  God is molding us to become "beautiful" (good, kind, patient, loving).  God is still molding us to become beautiful in His sight; He is not yet finished with us.