Rejecting the Potter’s Hand

Hey good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we are at Jeremiah chapter 18. We're going to look at the first 17 verses. There's kind of something God says to do and the people say uh-uh. So let's have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll see what's in God's word for us today. So Okay, maybe next time you should say before I do it. You're like do you not want some coffee? All right, you want to pray for us this morning?
Sure. God, thank you for a wonderful day. Thank you for a day that we can serve you. God, please help. us to work hard for your glory and God thank you that we can do that without having to do it in secret. In Jesus name, Amen. Amen. Alright, so I'll just kind of, we'll just read a paragraph, talk about it, read a paragraph, talk about it, and we'll get done that way. Okay.
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. 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.
So what's that talking about? So I was like, I'm going to send you down to the pot. You need a little show and tell. Yeah, so it's going to be some type of image. But he's going to tell him, right? So he goes there, and he's spinning the wheel, kick, kick, kick the wheel, or spin it by hand, however the wheel is made. And he makes the pot, but it's not right. So he folds it back in, and he starts making something new. All right, go ahead. You want to read the next paragraph?
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, can I not deal with you as this potter says the Lord? Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so you are in my hand, O house of Israel. The instant I speak concerning a nation, Nation and concerning a kingdom to pluck it up to pull down and destroy it if that nation Against whom I have spoken tongues from an evil. I will let of the disaster that will relent I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it and And the instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in my sight, so that it does not obey my voice, that I will relent concerning the good which I said I would benefit it.
Okay, so what's he getting at there? God, he can tear down nations and build them back up, tear them down and build them back up. And he says that even if that kingdom totally cements wickedness, he might well went from. Good. All right. Now, therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now everyone from his evil way and make your ways and your doings good. All right, so he says, I got a plan.
It's going to be to destroy. It's going to be a disaster. But what can they do? Is there a way to avert that disaster? Yeah, repent. Turn from your evil way. Make your ways and your doings good. How do they respond in verse 12? And they said, that is hopeless. That is hopeless. So we will walk according to our own plans. Everyone will obey the tax of... Dictates. Dictates of his evil heart. Therefore... So how did they answer? No way we're doing that. We're gonna do what we want. Yeah, right. No, that's useless. We're not doing that.
Well, the Lord responds therefore thus says the Lord Ask now among the Gentiles who has heard such as such things The Virgin of Israel has done a horrible thing Will a man leave the snow water of Lebanon, which comes from the rock of the field? Will the cold flowing waters be forsaken for strange waters? Because my people have forgotten me, they have burned incense to worthless idols, and they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in pathways and not on a highway. Make their land desolate and a perpetual hissing Everyone who passes by it will be astonished and shake his head I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy I will show them the back and not the face and the day of their calamity So how's the Lord respond to their saying we're not gonna repent Kenny goes like You Like you don't listen to me.
I could listen to you. Yeah, right, so the Lord is like alright Disaster is going to come then right you've done a wicked thing and so disaster is going to come so alright, so Ellie asked you out there, your seven-year-old sister, well, big brother, tell me what you learned. And you have to tell it in a really small way so Ellie can understand.
How would you summarize this? Obedience. There's actually a few pep-clap applications. Well, it's not the applications we're looking at. Just what did Jeremiah talk about? How the Israelites were supposed to be. Not supposed to be, but God told them what was going to happen. And they listened, but they just decided no. Yeah, they listened but wouldn't obey.
All right. Yeah, so let's go ahead and move to your applications and what are you called to do? Well, we didn't get the best first, sorry, B, best first. What would you say is the best first to summarize this section? Probably 12. Yeah, I think 12, but I would also want to underline probably 7, 8. Right, so there's, like the Lord could turn people from evil. The Lord could make them into something new. Right. What about seek calling? What's your call to action? What are you called to do? Or how does this point you to Jesus Christ?
It points us to Jesus Christ by us being by us being like God saying like I'm going to give you by like almost where God says to Israel like I'm going to give you another chance and Israel doesn't listen Well, they listen, they're just like, nope, I'm not gonna do that. And I think God's giving you a chance, almost like, almost in the sense that Christ says, listen, I'm giving you this gift.
And our hearts can sometimes listen to that and be like, Yeah, no, I think the person who truly is saved can't resist, right? But it's clear that these people don't want the Lord, don't love the Lord, will not love the Lord. And though the Lord offers it out to them, that is a true good news offer to them. I don't think the Holy Spirit's working in their hearts to actually do it. And so this is one of those trials and difficulties, and so I think we need to regularly ask ourselves, like, are we actually listening to the Lord?
When He comes to us, do we harden our hearts? No, I'm gonna do whatever, as they said in verse 12. We will obey the dictates of our evil hearts. Are we going to listen to the dictates of our hearts or will we say, Lord, I love you. Forgive me for following the dictates of my own heart and teach me to follow you.
It's not a natural thing, though. I don't think it's something that we can just muster up in ourselves. I think it's something the Holy Spirit has to do. I don't think people naturally turn from death to life. I think God's got to turn us from death to life. But if we profess faith in Christ, then we should read this and go, God, don't let me be like that. Forgive me when I am like that.
Good? Yep. You got something else? I was just thinking what you say kind of sounded like, uh, kind of sounded like the Pharisee's prayer. Don't be like that. You think that's the spirit in which I'm saying it? No, I don't think that's the spirit in which, but it kind of sounded like that.
Except the Pharisee thought he could never ever become that, or he never would be that. where the tax collector knew sometimes, sometimes he could be as good as the Pharisee, but he wasn't that. I'm saying I think we should be the tax collector. And the tax collector sees his sin and says, God, forgive me for my wickedness. Forgive me for my sin.
We should look at stories like this and not think of ourselves as righteous, like, oh, we're not like these people here in chapter 18 at all. I'm saying we need to see that left by ourselves, we are that. But thanks be to God for the Holy Spirit. We can't get ourselves out of that problem, but that we can ask God to have mercy on us, to turn our hearts to him.
Good job pointing that out, man. Yeah, that could have been easily misunderstood what I was trying to convey there. I probably said it poorly. So, thanks for pointing it out. Hey, do you mind if I close us in prayer? Or you got anything else? No, I think that's it. Alright. God, we know that we are transgressors of your law. Every day. In thought, word, and deed.
Father, forgive us for areas in our hearts and in our lives where there is self-righteousness and when we depend upon our own integrity rather than in Jesus. God, we pray that you would please lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Father, we pray that where we want to be rebellious against you and stray from your word, that you would help us to turn to you. to go away from those things of death and destruction, the dictates of our own evil hearts, and turn our hearts and our minds to your law, to your son, and to your ways. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, may you walk in the joy of Jesus Christ. May you follow in his ways. May his word be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. We'll see you next time. Bye. Bye.