Grace in Exile
That you were here with us this morning to worship God for who he is and what he has done and I want to thank you for your generosity. We really believe that God is working in us and through us to make a difference in the midst of this situation in our community. So thank you so much for that again, but we are planning and kind of thinking in the near future, but what that could look like more information from you.
Remember that right after the service, Lobby?
You guys can maybe learn more about OCD and how you can connect and get involved. Right? So we love for you to do that directly after service in a series called how old testament Israel first X-Files from their lands or Homeland together and it was a time of hardship and and so it really isn't nearly as bad as it was from our home together and I think in the midst of this guy is calling our hearts to look Cuz of God's grace we can have hope in this situation and I really need some help. Right we all do and all different levels and can there be hope right in the midst of this because of Jeremiah chapter 18
18 verse 1 says this is Jeremiah from the Lord.
Play was spoiled in The Potter's hand into another vessel as it seemed good that the power to do. And the word of the Lord came to me o House of Israel is the Lord Play-Doh. Are you in my hand o House of Israel? Thank you for this time that you've given us in this moment. We would be filled with your word with your grace. Your love. You would open our ears you open your eyes you open our hearts to hear from you. It is you that we need humble submission to you that we try for God in this moment. We own devices and everything was the focus on you. You would remove any distraction reminder that we would just look to you in this moment that we would hear from you.
Illustration God takes Jeremiah when I like to call finish it to The Potter's House certainly very little about making Pottery, but I think we all could agree that it's like we understand in O'Connor has attended wheel and then he takes the clay sickness throw that thing spinning right in order to shape something, right.
John is working for our good and for his glory. I mean there's a lot. you learn from
Because of God's grace we can be confident that God is is work for in our lives right now for his glory the shaping of his claim see that the Potter is escaping notice in bursts rewrite it Jeremiah says, so I went down to The Potter's House says he was working at his wheel right vs. A6 is O House of Israel. Can I not do Like the clay in The Potter's hand. So are you in my hand? The first thing we understand is that God is the Potter. Wichita glasses that just like God has the master and wonderfully made right that we are desire is to make us into something beautiful beautiful. Each of us listen to this right now if you are not a product of Chaos.
You are not an accident. You are not on purpose for God's glory over the nation. God is the Potter and she has a desire to mold and shape is a desire to mold and shape Our Lives into something that is beautiful. But that's not the only thing we learn right right. We are the clay We Are the clay clay. Like I have a piece of plate. I was looking around for a potter's wheel some Play-Doh from my kid and noticed that the clay is Frank Bland really plays just dust 2. Right. I wish I had some water on it and there's no Beauty in the clay itself is Windsor Potter gets a hold of it break. It mended shape it becomes Something Beautiful Life in Genesis chapter, and then he breezed right into it breathed life into us as separate and apart from God. We are just sort of dirt in molded into something beautiful.
You need to be straight up you and you need to be also.
Under the uniforms us before we're even formed our mothers moon, right? He has a plan and a purpose if that's pliable claps us down on the wheel the wheels go round and round we go at the directions of the power God's in control. He's Spinning Wheel to shape us and make us into something beautiful now, We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we are in Christ for good works that we should walk in them. Is using his work of art and how does he began to plan and purpose at work a beautiful work of art with life right uses the wheel at his Direction. Now, we all many of us know I should say Romans 8:28. We know right GIF all things in this translation for we know that for those that love God God is working.
For those who are called according to his purpose.
Is using you know, what is that good? Most people I forget verse 29 For Those whom he foreknew. He also predestined to be conformed.
For our good. Good is that we would be shaped into a image of Jesus. God can use all things good things bad things everything in between more and more into the image of his son is creatively constructively continuously using things for his glory what's important to understand.
Is there a problem for he says something right? It was pushing against The Potter's hands forming to design the purpose or useless right? There's something about the clay that is not created design is not with the Potter. The problem is in the clay. Are resistance God is doing in our lives right now or resistant to it to say, you know, I know better than Gotye. I know how things should work out right that this nation of our hearts not want to trust him and not like what's going on. Right? In fact, we we begin to blame God we blame circumstances. We blame people for really the problem in our play make me this way. Then I wouldn't have this problem. If I kept this person didn't do this. If she didn't say that if you wouldn't have reacted this way, if you would have done that if I had my back by then I wouldn't be asking this way rhinestone. We blame other people we blame God for the problem. God isn't the problem. The Potter isn't the problem. The problem is in the clay. I was really important that we understand that in Romans 8:28 right where it says will be at all things are working together for gifts.
Forget it in Romans. 8:28 says to those who love God all things are working together for good to those who are called according to his purpose. automatically
Ultimately, I am shaped into that.
Just because difficult circumstances happen in our lives because you're listening here today or something. You know that something happens in my life.
Please keep it real. There's a lot of difficulty has happened in our own.
To make them angry or bitter or people who blame everybody. Right? Right because it's about how you respond to our difficult situation as much as we begin to submit to the Potter. We have a chance right RR heart is is to not yield rest in his purpose in Isaiah.
He seem like we're just a bunch of clay, right? And who are we to gather up and put our fists?
Right, if you're not recognizing that you're clay, the information of our heart is to not want to submit to God's how he's going about doing it our information design.
Things would be a lot better if I was ever happens in my life is when I am in control and I think I know the way things should work and I'm not submitting over to the song. I know we're not going to be
Or being spoiled at some point. We have to recognize like God no better than me is his way above my ways or his thoughts above my thoughts because we go down that road where we want to go where we think that things should be working in the next thing, you know, we're living for a whole bunch of things.
Is there is no real plan other than living for ourselves at the end of Lord have your way with me.
The good news is that even as I Surrender and submit to God's Authority in my life and lives in many ways a spoiled life in the end of the story. It doesn't say God is shaping playing at their spoiled Ashley sister says in the bath, so he was making a plane with spoil. In The Potter's hands into another vessel. His willingness to take the slave it is is is spoiled is resistant and actually rework it into a different new vessel. I mean, this is this is God's grace.
Unmerited favor. This is that she doesn't have to be reworked it over and over and over again. It may look like it is it's all for department and nothing is working for good even through with you yet if you and I can humble ourselves before his sovereignty say God you are the Potter. I Am The Clay we can become
He's really working it right? He's the god of Second Chances in my life thousands and thousands and thousands upon thousands who got his reworked in my life. Is he who began a good work is faithful to complete it. The same guy took the Apostle Paul who is a person who is living for Authority in a status and everything turned him to knock him off his high horse right on the road to Damascus. Right and used him for God's plan and purpose for God's glory. Impacted the Apostle Paul made under the world in in live to something that were feeling today because of the Apostle Paul same God that works in Paul's life is working right now. He's working in you and he's working in me. But in order for him to to be working in that we have to recognize the three working. I have been that spoiled resistant person.
chapter 18 Jeremiah if you relax
Play around it hard to do with me whenever he wants.
Ever he wants in still. She doesn't have to rework me. He could leave me and he still be got he doesn't need to apologize for or just find you. So he's got I don't deserve it. Grace God's grace God's grace in our lives.
Is it God doesn't have to. Doesn't he doesn't have to say grace is undeserved favor of our lives in Jeremiah chapter 19, dear. God tell Jeremiah to go buy a piece of pottery, right and go out to the Valley of the son of hinnom at the entry of the pot over to the edge of the valley of hinnom. Turn on the valley of hinnom where this is where all the lots of Potter's House is were just outside of Jerusalem lot of tatars houses in whenever they had to work a shaping into what they wanted to they would take it to the valley of hinnom and they would then you rate this people in this city is one breaks apart so that it can never be mended. Share my agenda this vessel. He goes out to the to the edge of the valley of hinnom Frozen Gracie geology shows that it can be found.
Jesus in the valley of hinnom to just outside of Jerusalem just outside the wall of Jerusalem to burn 24/7 garbage dump that never stopped burn. Jesus Compares it as an illustration to Hell the Eternal destruction in Jeremiah is telling the people he doesn't have to show his grace. We are in our lives that we strive with. I don't know how God can. Reshape me Jesus Christ Jesus Took on Clay Place. Perfect.
Earth Brite, Jesus who did everything right. He was always submitting himself. His father's will of Jesus with walked outside of the city walls with a cross on his back in and taking him crucified.
He was beaten and tortured in my torn apart physically and spiritually strong men together again.
Jesus was beaten unrecognizable in shape into the image of God that we could be even though I guess. I don't know if she can shape me into an honorable battle. She's not done with me yet because Jesus Jesus is taking my guilt and shame so that I can be brought into life than I can say confidently that God is working for my good and ultimately for his glory. Jeremiah God is really taking us to the edge of Gahanna you believe. That I am God. Can you meet to submit to me right now? The Forgiveness? It is in Christ alone in this moment. I am driving the artist You Are The Potter? I Am the channel guide on the clay. How do you write screw with me right now? We have this treasure in Jars of Clay.
Glory in our lives that we can take no credit for it right now because of Jesus because Jesus was his wife. Did we can cross that God is God and he is for us he is working all things for our good and for his glory and so even though it may not feel like it for you in this moment.
For the first time surrender to have and pray to God.
Tina clay You Are The Potter you don't have to save me if you would it would bring you glory cuz I don't deserve it it was show your power in my life cuz I don't deserve it How would you freeze cheesecake? God would you help me be still and healed my will over to you that you would shape me mold me into your image. As for a father. We thank you in this moment for your grace. For your mercy for your loss of your unmerited favor and Grace over our lives that we can fasten the Potter. We are the clay that we are you give us confidence in our heart. You began a good work in you are faithful to complete it in this out as we sing this song made it be sweet to you make glorify you sing of your power.