Warwick Baptist Church
September 18 Worship Service
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  • Breathe On Us
  • Jesus Is Alive
  • God Is Able
  • I Wonder
  • Amazing Grace

  • Transitional Slide

    The Potter’s Hand

    Jeremiah 18:1–11 ESV
    The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’
    ​
    Opening Prayer
    (What am I going to tell them)

    God uses a potter as an object lesson.

    Jeremiah 18:4 ESV
    And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.
    ​
    The potter has the power to create or destroy.
    The potter decides when to start the process of creating a vessel.
    The potter didn’t council anyone before he restarted it.
    The potter could have decided to destroy it as well.
    The potter has the authority to use his own judgment.
    Who actually decided that it was ruined (spoiled)?
    “It was clearly spoiled, and sure enough, he reworked it.”
    I know it was spoiled because, all of the sudden, the potter just restarted working it.”
    “As it seemed good to potter to do.”
    The potter gave it purpose.
    The potter shaped to fill that purpose.
    The potter decided when it wasn’t becoming what it was meant to be.
    The potter decided what to do about it.
    ​
    ​

    God explains the correlation between the potter and Himself.

    Jeremiah 18:5–6 ESV
    Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
    ​
    God points out:
    “I am the potter.”
    “You are the clay.”
    “Can I not do with you as the potter has done?”
    This is a lesson about God’s sovereignty.
    As the potter has complete authority over the clay, so God has complete authority over Isreal.
    You might even be arrogant enough to 2nd guess the potter’s actions, but it doesn’t really matter. When it comes to clay, they decide what, when, why, how.
    The same goes for God.
    “Like the clay in the potters hand, so are you in my hand”
    Isreal wasn’t even a nation until God made them one.
    God is saying, “I will do what ever I wish.”
    Like the potter, God creates and destroys, “As seemed good to Him to do.”
    “It was good.”
    When God created all things. Scripture records each day that God declared. “It was Good.”
    According to who? Who declared that it was good?
    Who sets that standard? God does!!!
    One of the best things we can do for our faith and our witness, is to understand God’s sovereignty.
    God isn’t compelled to do good
    What God does IS good, because He did it.

    God explains how His sovereignty applies to all mankind.

    Jeremiah 18:7 ESV
    If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it,
    “I declare”
    God determines when to create, rebuild destroy.
    “I will” pluck up, and break down, and destroy
    God has the authority and the power to do so.
    Jeremiah 18:8 ESV
    and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.
    “I will relent”
    God is NOT COMPELLED to relent
    He decided that is how he will respond to a nation that turns from evil.
    God alone decides how to respond to His creation.
    He is just informing us how he will handle His creation.
    “…a nation or a kingdom”
    Be careful about applying OT promises to all nations!
    But this one is for us too.
    We were founded as a Christian nation.
    Our best and only hope for God’s blessings it still in Christ.
    God’s desire is that we turn from evil.
    Jeremiah 18:11 (ESV)
    Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’
    ​
    God just gave an object lesson to Isreal and all nations.
    He clearly has the authority to do as seems right to Him.
    He ends be ask them (and us) “Return from your evil ways.”
    Today, turning away from sin and returning to God is done through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
    ​
    (summerize what I told them)
    Closing Prayer

      • Jeremiah 18:1–11ESV

      • Jeremiah 18:4ESV

      • Jeremiah 18:5–6ESV

      • Jeremiah 18:7ESV

      • Jeremiah 18:8ESV

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Warwick Baptist Church
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