Clay In The Potter’s Hand | Mark Estes

Good morning, NORTH.

OH, so good to see you this morning.

Good to have some old friends with us.

They pop in from time to time, Mike and

Sandra Woot. And I was just thinking as

I looked over there and saw Mike, that

um you know, we became fathers at about

the same time within just a couple weeks

of each other. And uh we used to get

together years and years ago. I'm

talking decades ago. Uh it was not long

after Methusela died. Uh,

we both pastored in the Colombia area

and I remember going over to their house

and I think Stephen and Ashley, you

know, and um and our kids Stephen and

Ashley, you know, Ashley that helps lead

worship

were in the play pit together and all of

a sudden Stephen just screams out in

agonizing pain because Ashley had taken

a bite out of his forehead. head.

Oh, the memories that we have.

But it's good to see you guys. Thank you

for coming. All right. I want to share

with you this morning about a subject

that I really believe the Lord is

breathing on.

And it's clay in the potter's hand.

And I want you to turn with me and to

Jeremiah chapter 18.

Jeremiah 18 · chapter mention

in your seat there, the seat in front of

you, there's a QR code. If you just,

you know, tap that QR code, it will take

you to the app where you can give, but

you can also download the notes. And I

would encourage you to do that this

morning. And at the end of the notes,

there's a 7-day prayer plan that I would

really encourage you this week to to

work through. Clay in the potter's hand.

Jeremiah chapter 18 verse number one.

Jeremiah 18 · chapter mention

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."

I want you to notice, you have to

position yourself to hear the word of

the Lord.

Verse number three. 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.

And so he made it again

into another vessel, as it seemed good

to the potter to make. Then the word of

the Lord came to me, saying,"Oh 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, oh house of Israel."

Take a moment. Lift your hands with me.

Come on, everybody. Just lift your

hands. Pray this prayer with me. Holy

Spirit, Holy Spirit, open my ears

>> that I can hear what you have to say.

>> Open my heart.

>> Make it receptive. I give you permission

to move deep in my life. Deep

>> to form my heart.

>> Open my heart

>> to form my character. Jesus, have your

way in me today. Amen. You know, we live

in a world that's broken. It doesn't

take a rocket scientist to figure out.

You look all around you and and you see

broken families. You you see broken

relationships. You see broken

communities. You see broken minds,

broken hearts. The evidence of

brokenness.

The evidence of sin

is everywhere. What began in the Garden

of Eden as a single act of rebellion has

fractured every part of human life. And

we see violence where there should be

peace. We see division where there

should be unity. We see despair where

there should be hope. We see bondage

where there should be freedom. But yet

Jeremiah chapter 18 gives us a picture

Jeremiah 18 · chapter mention

of hope. God sends Jeremiah to the

potter's house

not to hear a sermon, not to get another

12step program to enter freedom. No, he

sends him to the potter's house

to watch a craftsman

at work.

And the lesson is so simple, but it is

profound. And that is this. The clay was

marred, but it was not abandoned.

The vessel was spoiled, but it was still

in the potter's hand. This That's the

story of humanity.

That's the story of redemption.

And can can we just be honest? That's

our story. That's my story. That's your

story.

The first thing I want you to see is

that the clay was marred by sin.

Jeremiah 18:4. So the vessel that he

Jeremiah 18:4

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. That word marred in

Hebrew means spoiled. It means ruined.

It it means corrupted. It means damaged.

The clay was damaged. And some of you

here today, even some of you fathers,

you're sitting there, you hear this

word, and you feel like you're damaged

goods.

>> But the clay did not become what the

potter intended. Just like some of you

recognize that this is not what God

intended for my life. So the image

mirrors what has happened to humanity

because of sin.

You know, God's original design was

incredible. In Genesis 1 26,

God said, "Let us make man in our image,

according to our likeness, and let them

have dominion over the fish of the sea,

the birds of the air, the cattle, over

all the earth, and over every creeping

thing that creeps on the earth." Did you

see that? God said, "Let us make man in

our image, according to our likeness."

You were made in the image of God. You

see, creation was good. relationships

were whole. You know, when God first

made Adam and Eve, the perfect man, the

perfect woman, the perfect world. There

was fellowship with God that was

unhindered. They had access to him. But

then sin entered the world. In Romans

Romans 5:12

chapter 5 verse 12, Paul said,

"Therefore, just as through one man sin

entered the world and death through sin,

thus death spread to all men because all

sin through one man sin entered the

world." But I want you to notice this.

The image was not erased.

He was made in the image of God. He

remained in the image of God. that the

image was marred,

the vessel became damaged.

And so we look around and we see that

society bears the marks of the fall. The

brokenness that's that we see around us

is evidence of sin's destructive power.

It doesn't take much. But you look

around and you see the addiction, the

evidence of violence, the evidence of

abuse, the evidence of racism, the

evidence of corruption, the evidence of

family breakdown, the evidence of

anxiety, the evidence of depression, the

evidence of loneliness. These are

symptoms of a deeper spiritual fracture.

So the vessel's defect

didn't originate in the potter.

The de the vessel's defect originated in

the clay.

And so God is not the author of

humanity's corruption.

Sin

is the reason. Sin is the author.

So you take a mirror and that mirror

becomes broken. That mirror will still

reflect light.

But when you look in the mirror, the

image

is distorted.

Humanity still bears God's image, but

sin has distorted what God intended us

to be.

The second thing I want you to notice is

that the potter doesn't throw the clay

away.

He doesn't throw the clay away. But look

at verse four. Jeremiah chapter 18

Jeremiah 18 · chapter mention

verse number four.

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's again.

He made it again.

And this this is probably the most

hopeful sentence in all of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 18 · chapter mention

chapter 18. He made it again.

The potter doesn't throw the clay away.

He reshapes it.

He could have abandoned humanity after

the fall, but instead

he initiated

redemption.

From Genesis chapter 3, through all the

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

rest of the Bible, scripture reveals

God's determination to restore what sin

destroyed.

Such a beautiful picture in Genesis

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3. Adam and Eve tried to cover

their nakedness by sewing fig leaves

together.

But that wasn't sufficient. You

understand that the good that you do is

never enough. And so God had to take an

innocent animal and kill that animal,

shed its blood, and then take the the

skin from that animal.

And I like to think he took a lamb.

Scripture doesn't tell us, but I'm

telling the story. So, he took a lamb

and that was a picture of what was that

lamb.

And that was a picture of what was to

come. JESUS, THE SPOTLESS LAMB THAT

TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD.

JESUS, the lamb that was slain from the

foundation of the world. Because at that

time when Adam sinned, God determined

that I'm GOING TO SEND THE SACRIFICE

THAT IS SUFFICIENT TO REMOVE HIS SIN.

>> So God sees your potential beyond your

present brokenness.

When everybody around you sees nothing

but failure, God sees possibility. When

everyone around you sees nothing but

damaged goods, God sees your destiny.

When others around you see what could

have been, God sees what you will become

in his hands.

>> And so Isaiah testifies in in Isaiah 64

Isaiah 64:8

verse 8, he said, "But now, oh Lord, you

are our potter. We are the clay. You are

our potter and all we are the work of

your hand. Look at that. You're our

father. We're clay. You're the potter.

The clay's future is not determined by

its condition.

>> It's determined by whose hand holds it.

>> The next thing I want you to see is that

Jesus was broken so that we could be

made whole.

At the center of redemption, at the

center of God's plan for the brokenness

of your life, stands an old rugged

cross. On a hill far away, stood an old

rugged cross, the emblem of suffering

and shame.

But the potter's answer to broken

humanity was not condemnation. The

potter's answer was Christ.

And so Christ entered into your

brokenness. Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah

Isaiah 53:5

53:5.

He was wounded for our transgressions.

That's a violation of the written law.

It's plain. It's black and white. God

said, "Don't do it. You did it." But on

the cross of Calvary, he was wounded.

And the blood from that wound blotted

out your transgression.

He was bruised for our iniquity.

Iniquity is that that lifestyle SIN,

THAT ADDICTION, THAT IDENTIFICATIONAL

SIN WHERE you become the alcoholic or

you become the ADULTERER OR YOU BECOME

THAT PERSON. BUT THIS IS WHAT JESUS DID.

THAT BRUISE, THAT BRUISE THAT COMES

because of iniquity. WHAT? HOW IS THAT

HEALED? How do you get healed from a

bruise? It's a constant flow of the good

blood over that damaged there. That

tissue, it's been deep tissue damage.

But when you stay under the flow of the

BLOOD OF JESUS AT MOUNT CALVARY, GOD

SETS YOU FREE. HE REMOVES YOUR INIQUITY.

>> Then he said he was chastised for our

peace. YEAH,

>> IT WAS THAT BURDEN, THAT PUNISHMENT THAT

WE DESERVED. IT WAS ON HIM SO THAT WE

COULD BE WHOLE.

>> And then he ended by saying, "By his

stripes, by his wounds, we

>> are

>> healed."

>> And then Peter when he quotes this, he

says, "You have been healed."

>> It's finished at the cross of Calvary.

>> Isaiah understood that it was a present

work. He's looking 750 years into the

future and he sees the cross of Calvary

AND HE SAYS, "THAT'S MY HEALING."

>> AND PETER AFTER THE RESURRECTION OF

JESUS, HE LOOKS BACK AND HE SAYS, "I WAS

HEALED AT THE CROSS OF CALVARY."

>> WHEN HE WAS SCOURGED, WHEN HE WAS

BEATEN, I WAS HEALED.

So look at that. Jesus steps into your

broken world. Jesus carries your sin.

Jesus bears your shame. Jesus took your

judgment.

Jesus is the vessel that was never

marred by sin.

Every human that has been born since

Adam has been remained perfect is the

only one who remained perfect.

And look at what Peter said in 1 Peter 2

21- 24. For to this you were called

because Christ also suffered for us,

leaving us an example that you should

follow in his steps. who committed no

sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth,

who when he was reviled did not revile

in return. When he suffered, he did not

threaten, but committed himself to him

who judges righteously. who himself bore

our sins in his own body on the tree,

that we having died to sins might live

for righteousness by whose stripes you

were healed.

Do you see that

the sinless son of God allowed himself

to be broken at the last supper in Luke

chap 22 verse 19. I want you to see

this. He took the bread. He gave thanks

and broke it and gave it to them saying,

"This is my body

which is given for you which is broken

for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

The perfect vessel was broken so that

broken vessels could be restored.

And that's the great exchange

at the cross. Jesus took our guilt and

we received his righteousness.

Jesus took our condemnation and we

received his acceptance. Jesus took our

brokenness and we received his

wholeness. AND SO PAUL WRITES in 2

Corinthians 5 21, he said, "For he made

him who knew no sin

to be sin for us that we might become

the righteousness of God in him." Look

at that. Jesus did not only take your

sin upon himself, he became your sin. He

became your lie. He became your theft.

He became your murder. He became your He

became your sin. And what happened?

There was an exchange that he imputes

his righteousness unto us. So the

potter, our father, repairs damaged clay

through the sacrifice of his son JESUS

ON the cross of Calvary.

>> I want you to see something else.

How does the potter do this? What's the

process? How does he restore clay that

has been marred, that's been damaged,

that's been broken, that's been

corrupted, that's how does how does God

restore ruined lives? You know, many

believers want restoration, but they

don't want the process of shaping.

You you see you don't understand that

this restoration

requires the potter to put pressure on

the clay

and the wheel spins. Some of you feel

like you're you've been spinning on a

wheel for a while

and then the hands of the potter press

in on the clay

and there's water that's involved so it

becomes just a little bit messy.

Can you identify?

But that's the way the vessel is

reformed.

So God's process of reformation,

reformation is often just a tad bit

uncomfortable

because you understand the clay can't

shape itself.

You're trying to change your life and

you can't. The clay cannot shape itself.

The potter has to apply pressure for the

clay to be shaped. And likewise, God

uses the trials, the trouble, the mess,

the ugly, the hurt, the heartache, the

trials of this life to accomplish

eternal purposes.

And that's why James writes in James

James 1:2

1:2, "My brethren, count it all joy when

you fall into various trials." Why?

Because trials are tools in the potter's

hand.

God uses the hard seasons that we go to

go through to produce Christ's likeness.

Joseph's prison prepared him for the

palace.

David's wilderness prepared him for the

throne.

Moses desert prepared him for leadership

to be able to take a people, a nation

out of bondage into the promised land.

And Paul's suffering

prepared him for to all who love his

that awaits him. And not just him, but

to all who love his appearing. It

prepared him to bring the gospel of

Jesus to the world. And that's why the

Apostle Paul could say in Romans chapter

Romans 8:28

8 verse 28, for we know that all things

who are called according to to those who

love God, to those who are called

according to his purpose. Now notice

this. He didn't say all things were

good.

He said

all things work for good.

So what he was saying is God works

through all things. He works through the

good things, but he works through the

bad things. He works through the pretty

things, but he works through the ugly

things. He works through the easy

things, but he works through the

difficult things. He works on the smooth

road, and he works on the rocky road. He

works when the sun is up. He works when

it's raining and it's storming and

there's a hurricane blowing all around

you. GOD WORKS ALL THINGS for the good

of those who LOVE HIM AND ARE CALLED

ACCORDING to his purpose.

So you need to understand that the

potter nevers enter the fire or the pot

the potter the pottery the vessel that

never enters the fire

never becomes useful.

The vessel that never enters the fire

never becomes useful.

And you need to understand that the kiln

is not there to destroy you.

the kiln, the fire is there to

strengthen you. And so God uses the fire

not to ruin you, but to mature you. So

here's a word from the Lord. Stay in the

potter's hand.

Jeremiah chapter 18 verse 6.

Jeremiah 18:6

Oh house of Israel, cannot 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, oh house of

Israel. Notice the emphasis. The power

is not in the clay.

The power is in the potter. The clay's

security comes from remaining in the

potter's hand.

So, what happens

when you quit fighting the trial and you

simply yield?

Here's what happens. God can heal what

sin has damaged.

What What happens? Restoration can take

place. What failure

has destroyed?

What happens? Wasted years are redeemed.

Your purpose is renewed.

Your character is rebuilt.

Your calling is reignited. And you have

a passion and you have a purpose again.

As a matter of fact, Joel 2 25 says, "So

I will restore to you the years that the

swarming loc I declare that right now in

the name of Jesus over every father,

over every marriage right now in Jesus

name. God is restoring the years that

have been wasted, that have been

destroyed. The chewing locust, he says.

Then he says, "The crawling locust, the

consuming locust, the chewing locust,

the great army which I sent among, God

is restoring you because he is getting

ready to pour out his spirit upon all

flesh. And God is going to pour out his

spirit upon your sons and upon your

daughters. There is a prophetic

anointing that is coming upon this

generation. God is restoring old men

their dreams. Dreams are going to come.

You thought it was lost. YOU THOUGHT IT

WAS HOPELESS. BUT GOD SAYS, "NO, THAT

DREAM DID NOT DIE. I'M STILL GOING TO

BRING IT ABOUT."

>> Young men are going to have visions and

on the men and women HE'S POURING OUT

HIS SPIRIT. EVERYONE WHO IS hungry will

receive

>> because the potter specializes in

restoration.

>> That's what he does. And so let me give

you some some practical steps, some

things that you can do. Number one, you

first of all need to acknowledge your

brokenness.

If you don't acknowledge your

brokenness, you can't be healed. Healing

begins when you become honest.

Stop pretending that everything's all

right.

bring your wounds to the cross of

Calvary.

Psalm 51 verse1 17.

The psalmist said, "The sacrifices of

God are a broken spirit, a broken and a

contrite heart. These, oh God, you will

not despise." Here's something else you

need to do. Number two, you need to

trust the potter's process.

Because what feels like pressure really

is preparation.

God's forming something greater than you

can presently see.

>> Number three, you need to let the cross

identify or rather define your identity.

>> Allow the cross to to define your

identity. Your failures don't define

you.

>> Your wounds don't define you.

The cross of Calvary defines you. You

are redeemed. You are forgiven. You are

being transformed more and more into THE

LIKENESS OF HIS DEAR SON.

>> Number four, you need to remain yielded.

Clay becomes useful only as it is

pliable.

You have to remain pliable. So every day

you need to ask Lord what are you

shaping in me?

And you know sometimes God will bring

around those

EGR people.

Extra grace required

because he's using them to shape you. So

thank God for that person that gets on

your last work nerve at work.

Thank God when you go through those

wonderful moments at home.

>> Amen. And then sometimes, you know, even

the fool looks wise when he shuts his

mouth.

Number five, become an instrument of

restoration.

Because you're not the only one broken.

There are people all around you that are

broken.

The restored vessel

should carry healing oil.

>> No, you didn't hear that.

>> You went through something because God

wants to use you for something.

>> Your trial is giving you authority in

that area.

>> And when you come out of the fire,

you're stronger. You're fit to carry the

oil to help somebody else through their

fire.

>> Did you get that?

>> It's not in vain. God uses your

brokenness to bring healing to others.

And so Paul said in 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:4

chapter 1

verse 4, he said, "Who comforts us in

all our tribulation, that we may be able

to comfort those who are in any trouble

with the comfort which we ourselves are

comforted by God." There it is. Plain to

see, easy to understand. what you're

going through, God's using that to help

somebody else that's going through the

same thing. So God comforts you so that

you can comfort others. So let's let's

just bring it all together. Jeremiah saw

this vessel that was marred. It was

ruined. It was corrupted. It was

destroyed. But God saw a vessel that

could be remade.

The world sees brokenness, but God sees

possibility.

The enemy sees your scars, but God sees

your future. Sin has marred humanity,

but the cross has made restoration

possible.

Jesus was broken so that you could be

made whole. Because here's the truth.

The potter still works with damaged

clay. He still restores ruined vessels.

He still transforms lives. And today

that invitation remains. Stay in the

potter's hand

because clay in the potter's hand

always

has a future.

This is the thing. this Father's Day

there there are two things that your

children need.

The first thing that they need is to

know that God is important because they

see that God is important by the way

daddy lives.

Because daddy prays, I need to pray.

Because daddy reads the Bible, I need to

read the Bible.

Your wife needs that

because my husband prays. My husband has

a relationship WITH GOD. I CAN TRUST

HIM.

Some of you, your wives can't trust you

cuz you don't ever pray. You talk stupid

of too much.

You don't speak the word of God.

Peter said, "Whatever we do, we need to

do it as unto the Lord. Whatever we say,

we need to speak as the oracle of God.

And you can't speak the oracle of God if

you don't take the oracle of God in you,

fathers. You need to get in the word.

>> Take the word in. And then what comes

out is going to be full of wisdom. What

comes out is going to be anointed. God's

going to give you the word in season in

a difficult time.

But there's something else that you

need.

You need a real relationship with Jesus

and you need to let Jesus form you.

You need to let the potter form you on

the wheel.

So a lot of men and this is not

the word that that comes to mind I guess

is a Latino word machismo

but we have to realize

we're not all that.

But yet we have a purpose

and we need to work. We need to allow

oursel to remain on the wheel to let the

father form us

to make us useful.