God is a potter(Jer 18:1-6)

God is a potter (Jer18:1-6)

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: 2 “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. 4 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.

5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 6 “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!

Intro) There is ‘potter and story of dish’ which is about who took fistful of mud and humanized it

Every mud’s best dream is to become the best dish, and used on palace’s table or set on a rich man’s cabinet.
One day, the best potter seat and start to mold me, so I got excited, because I had seen great work from this potter, and I imaged that I will be one of his best work.

But, it felt weird, because how the potter molding was different than what it used to be. Spout was tilted to one side and unusually wide handle. I heard other mud’s laughing. I was so depressed, and feel like my tear was about to drop. I hated the potter who made me like this. After I came out of burning kiln I look prophetic. I couldn’t understand why potter kneaded me like this.
But, right after he finished suddenly he picked me up and started to run towards an area. Where we arrived we arrived at poor farmer’s house. Even, if he wanted to sell it to poor farmer why did he make me like this? My hatred towards the potter grew deeper. Wish he had just dropped me to the ground so that I would break.
But, once I saw the farmer I was shocked. He lost his hands during a farming accident, so he couldn’t pick up normal dishes. The Potter knew that fact, so he made a dish that could be used with not only hands but also just with his arms.
Potter cried tears and said to the farmer “I’m thankful that you made this for me, I never felt grateful like this. The potter told him this is my best work.”
‘I realized at that moment that his best work was ‘me’, and all of a sudden I could feel the potter’s warm touch.’

Today, in this sermon it says God is potter and we are the work of his.

The chronicler Jeremiah of body of this text was missionary who worked in kingdom of Judah right after the Jerusalem destroyed by Babylon in B.C 586, and who worked for God since B.C 627.

He had nick name called ‘missionary of tear’. He loved his people so much, and country, so he cried for them who suffering from losing their country and family.

But, even though he prayed to God to bring the loving his people back he couldn’t get them back, so his eyes were always glistened with tears

When we are in desperate situation God gave him a vision of hope. So, today in sermon we are going to talk about how God will do with our nation.
Body)

God is like a potter.

If we think about it God Is more like potter than a work. Sometimes, we praise God like “This is my Father's world
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres”

As we see the world that God created. We confess that this is God’s work. God’s best work is human. When he made human it pleased him most. After God created things he said “looking good”, and when he created human he said “very good” and he loved it.

According to bible God felt very happy after he created me and everyone. When architects and artist create excellent work they are satisfied from their hard work , so after God made us he was satisfied too.

That is because we take after God’s form. When he made humans he was very happy, because they moved as he wanted to.

But, since when did perfect and wonderful people live in this world. Even Adam and Eve sinned, and did not obey. They tried to hide and cover it. So, God ask them “where am I at Adam? Why are you hiding from me?!” then, Adam replied “because, I am naked. They fall into Satan’s trap and at a fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Since then human became no longer creation of God’s purpose, and later on in Noah’s age human became out of control.

So, for the first time he was disappointed at the humans. So, he decided to recreate human, and he brought Noah’s flood.

 

Everyone, when God made us human there was a purpose. When we make a Flower vase it is used to put flower in it, when we make dish it is used put food on it, and when we make car it is for us to drive. Every creation has a purpose. When God made humans there was a purpose. What is that! That is to share the glory and grace of God and love.

But, human started to get their own glory. They fell into Satan’s temptation and started to destroy their mind and body. When we break God’s purpose his mind feels pain and anguish
When your children don’t follow God’s word, and commits sins, and love the pleasures than Filial piety their parents it will break your heart, because you take care of them for about 10month in your womb and give a painful birth, and fed your children for more than 10 years with your heart, but after all that if your children do bad things and don’t listen to what their parents say, it will be heart breaking.

Parents always want their children to do their best. They want them to look better than anyone, if not they want their children to be average. If your children are preparing for a performance at church or wherever, it makes the parents busy. They have to carry camera, and so busy taking their children’s picture, because they care about their son and daughter, and want them to be good. That is what is on the parents mind.

look at the bible Genesis 1:26-28 God blessed us which it says “26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all[b] the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
But, mankind doesn’t take care of the environment that was given. They are destroying it.

Not caring of the environment that we are living in, make us to live in environment of pollution. Ozone layers are disappearing, and shortening the winter season, the ice is melting on the South Pole, the weird things that are occurs all over the earth that have never happened before. Mankind is giving pain to earth. That is because of our greed. This is heart breaking to God.

B) A Powerful God.

Israel lives exactly like today’s main text. God warned them to come back to where they belonged, and sent a prophet to bring them back, but they never came back, so God decided something. So, towards Jeremiah he said “stand up and go to potter’s house, then you will get what I meant.” So he visited the potter’s house, and watched what the potter was doing. Potter made a dish and examined it closely, and suddenly broke it. Even it looked fine to Jeremiah it wasn’t to potter. Potter kept making it and breaking it again and again.

A true potter does their very best when they make a dish or cup, so they make only few, and it lead them to live in poverty, because care about honor. So, master craftsman’s work isn’t cheap, and they don’t sell their work to someone who doesn’t know the value of their work.

God is just like them. He wants his creations to be the best of his work. No exception for no one.

Jacob has nick name ‘lying terrapin’. To earn esnecy (coparcenary) he used his brother’s hunger gave him soup, and while he was eating soup. He put fake hair on his arms and earn the esnecy (coparcenary), and ran away. Then, in uncle Laban’s house to get lover Rachel he got Rachel’s sister Leah, and he fooled Laban and took laban’s money and ran away.
So, God crushed him. He made Jacob to wrestle with angle and broke Jacob’s thigh. God kneaded Jacob again and changed Jacob to Israel.

God wants to re kneads us again to make us to be God’s people and children. So, in Jeremiah 18:6 says 6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as the potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!

C) Molded as new creation.

There is one thing that we must to know. Again in Jeremiah 18:6 it says 6 “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!

God stamps down to make a new creation, but we are different than just the other dishes. God gave us free will. Free will is life, power of creation, and also choice. Through our free will we must make God satisfied.

When children made their parents say “they do it well by themselves” that makes parents make very happy. When they study when they have to, play when they have to, and work when they have to would make their parents happy, but if parents have to say please study or do things to children it wouldn’t be pleasing things to them.

Doing it by itself is the pleasure. God created Israel like that, but they went for the sins. So, God used a strong country Babylon to punish Israel. Through the pain and suffer God wanted to renew Israel.
This also means making a new dish. Again, He wants us to be the best, so he made Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Simon to peter, and Saul to Paul.
God wants to make every single mankind to be perfect.
So, even though we are sinners who can’t be saved from going to hell God sent Jesus to save us, and he said “old one is past. Look to the new,

Loving followers!

God is like a potter. He always wants to create good work. He doesn’t want to make a defective product.

The value of product is not in that product. It is in the person who made it.

In Japan there is a place called Haccone, if you go there. There are many art museums, and also, Picasso’s museum which his art works is there, and normally when people see the artwork they say “I think I can draw that.” Then, why don’t make one? Because even I don’t understand great artist’s art work.
Because, some of art work looks like the artist drew with his foot. But then that art work cost a lot. Why is that? Because the value of art work is depends on who drew it.
We are God’s work. We are so valuable than anything else. If we don’t accept ourselves and live life with pessimism, and fall in depression wouldn’t please God.

Conclusion)

Today, we remember that we have to be molded by God. Even though we lived our life like this, we lived with broken heart, look broken to others when we on God’s hand we will be renew like new person just like God re kneaded Jacob to Israel, Saul to Paul, so we have to have courage and wisdom to see further than anyone.
This time, you should let God to mold you. It will make your life different, allow you to get new dreams, new personality, new life, the best life.

 

So, at the very last moment of your life I want you to be the one who discovers you’re your life was full of surprises, amazing things, happiness, great things, and praising God.