Go Down to the Potter's House
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
1 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! 7 The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it,
Have you ever been hurt?
Have you ever been hurt?
How many of you out there have a great scar story written on your body or on your heart?
1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
Perhaps you’ve been hurt by someone, sometime in your life - whether intentionally or unintentionally. - Even getting poked in the eye unintentionally hurts.
Perhaps you’ve been hurt by someone in church.
Perhaps you’ve been hurt by my imperfections as your pastor or as a friend.
Perhaps you got offended with God because you didn’t agree with God’s way of doing things because you thought they should be done differently.
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
This is the point at which I am going to BEG you to listen to what God has to say through me. For some of you, you are going to feel like you want to shut out what God is saying, or you may not want to hear it through MY mouth. Please don’t do that…I’m BEGGING you.
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
2tim
11 But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. 12 Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. 13 Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts.
The source of the hurt is far less important than the outcome in our life.
How we respond to hurts is VITAL to the way we live our life from that moment on.
The same boiling water that hardens an egg softens a potato
1 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! 7 The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it,
NKJV
Potter - one who “squeezes into shape”
Potter - one who “squeezes into shape”
Potter - one who “squeezes into shape”
Marred - “ruined or decayed”
Vessel - “something prepared” “an instrument”
1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
Interesting Facts About Pottery
Interesting Facts About Pottery
Pottery goes through various stages before finally being fired, set, and actually chemically altered.
It must actually become “bone-dry” before being fired
Process of Drying and Firing Clay in a Kiln:
Process of Drying and Firing Clay in a Kiln:
Atmospheric Drying (taking all the moisture out of the air)
Dehydration (Where chemically combined water in the clay is driven off & a chemical change happens so that it can no longer be reconstituted into moldable useable clay)
Burnoff (Sulfates and Carbon are burnt out of the clay)
Quartz Inversion (where the quartz crystals actually rearrange)
Vitrification (Final step that fills spaces with glass and is now impervious to water)
Once fired, the clay piece cannot be re-formed - it can be repurposed, but it can no longer be reconstituted or transformed back to its original state.
22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.
Perhaps you’ve been hurt by someone, sometime in your life - whether intentionally or unintentionally. - Even getting poked in the eye unintentionally hurts.
Perhaps you’ve been hurt by someone in church
Perhaps you’ve been hurt by my imperfections as your pastor or
Perhaps you got offended because you didn’t agree with God’s way of doing things because you thought they should be done differently.
The source of the hurt is far less important than the outcome in our life.
How we respond to hurts is VITAL to the way we live our life from that moment on.
Scar Tissue is:
Uni-directional - It has no competing perspective
Inflexible - It no longer moves normally
Does not have nerves of its own - It does not feel correctly on its own, but can cause pain elsewhere
18 “When they come there, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations from it. 19 “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. 21 “But as for those whose hearts go after their detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down on their heads,” declares the Lord God.
We NEED a new heart
eze36:25-28
25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.
We MUST give up the old, hurt & scarred heart - DAILY
Injury can cause scar tissue to build - only the most minor of injuries do not result in scar tissue.
Scar Tissue is:
Uni-directional - It has no complimentary perspective
Inflexible - It no longer moves normally
Does not have nerves of its own - It does not feel correctly on its own, but can cause pain elsewhere
3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.
These valuable substances need to get soft before they yield up the impurities inside of them.
It also takes them being melted before they can be formed and cast into the image that the creator wants them to finally become
ps51
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
james 5:13-
Just One Thing:
Just One Thing:
Since you don’t have to - Don’t live one more day with a hard heart. Instead, let Jesus give you a heart transplant through TOTAL surrender to Him & His ways.
Questions:
Questions:
Which of the 50 United States have you been to, even if just through the airport?
What did this week’s sermons reveal to you about the areas, of your heart & life, that God molding, squeezing, and wanting access to most right now?
Read and . What do these passages tell you about the power of prayer? What does it take to pray for, or to receive prayer from, the very people who may have hurt you?
What concrete step(s) will you take this week to allow God to give you a new and soft heart?