Israel, Clay In The Potter's Hands Part 2

Looking to Jesus found her way has no clue what it's intends to make a Jeremiah chapter 18 tells of God use Israel is playing on his wheel today getting a right view of ourselves and a right view of God, then life can begin to make sense from the Moody Church in Chicago this morning to win with Dr. Erwin Luzerne was clear. Teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Today we continue a series on the church in Babylon. Many of us may not be happy about being lumps of clay will date are absolutely right because Clay does not have a will does not have consciousness. We as humans are very different from Clay, but at the same time God was trying to make a very pointed lesson for Israel and for all of us. He is the potter. He's in charge now that can either be very comforting for those who believe but also very terrifying for those who don't believe. But isn't it wonderful to know that our potter has our best interests in mind. I've written a book entitled the church in Babylon. I wrote this book because as I looked into the Old Testament. I said what are some of the parallels between Israel and Babylon and what we are facing today. The result is the book the church in Babel in dealing with the kinds of issues that we have to deal with as a minority and a majority increasingly pagan culture for gift of any amount. It can be yours, simply go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337.

Now let us listen carefully as we continue our study of the clay and the potter God is even more mysterious to me in many ways, the older I get when I was younger when I thought I had him out. I will officially given up trying to figure God out because you see the mystery I mean why do young people die good people die and he will live long lives. I mean, there's so many things about God. We don't understand, but he says, trust me, I'll put you in the furnace and I will make you into the vessel.

I desire and when the killing had done its work when the furnace had done its work. The other vessel was exactly exactly what the potter wanted and so there is the reading made vessel now. What are the lessons that should be transforming for us individually. First of all, as a nation. And then, even as us as individuals. Let me give you two at least number one what this passage teaches is that God is sovereign, not just in your life and mine as he makes this into the vessel that he desires not just that but he sovereign over nations. Let me read it to you again verse seven. If it any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will pluck up and break down and destroy. And if that nation concerning which I've spoken turns from its evil. I will relent to the disaster, and if it any time I declare concerning a nation or kingdom that I will build implanted and if it does evil in my sight. Not listening to my voice. Then I will I relent to the good that I had intended to do it now therefore say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, thus says the Lord. Behold, I am shaping disaster against you, and devising a plan against you return everyone from his evil way and amend your ways and your and how does the nation respond. I think it responds like much of America's responding today. They say it is vain.

We will follow our own plans and everyone will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart. Thank you very much God, but we are going to resist the potter at every opportunity, and we will say we will reshape ourselves into the vision individually and collectively as a nation we will reshape ourselves into the kind of people and nation. We want to be and we will not listen to the voice of the Lord. Now we there may not be a whole lot that we can do as a result of what's happening in our nation.

Though this coming week I'm getting meeting with about 50 or 60 religious leaders were going to be talking about what we should be doing, how we should be living what information needs to be communicated in light of all that is happening around us, but I'm going to talk to you now as an individual, but first of all, another word about God's sovereignty over nations.

You know the Bible says that God is the God of the kingdom, and the thing that almost is surprising. I mean here. God says I'm devising evil against you. That doesn't mean that God does evil, but when he wants to judge a nation. For example, is the prophet Habakkuk outlined God says I'm the one who's bringing the Babylonians. God says I am the one who is bringing people from the north for the folks here at Juden that were going to discuss in the next message and see how the Babylonians came and decimated the city and there was famine and there is children dying. God says I'm the one doing it now along concurrently with that of course there's human responsibility that's one of the great mysteries in the Bible, God's sovereignty and human responsibility. That's a topic that we could talk about for a long time.

The point is this God is sovereign over our country. And yes, God might be devising evil even for us because we are losing our way and were doing it very rapidly. God's sovereignty over nations. Now that's a little bit terrifying.

I said that you might be encouraged is not as if God watches the news every day to say what in the world are they doing in Washington now you know that God never learns is as it dawned on you that nothing has ever dawned on God and so God sees it but the fact that God is in charge. Whether it's America, whether it's Egypt, whether it's the Sudan that ultimately known then do what do God rules over the nations of the earth. Remember, in fact, when you become discouraged. It is after all God's sovereign hand. So the first thing is a great lesson in the sovereignty of God over nations.

But secondly, second lesson is God who loves to remake marred vessels God says I will take your life and I will remake it and reshape it now.

Yesterday also.

When we arrived home, there was a letter waiting for us. It was such a great pastor I thought to myself, you know it's because of this that the ministries made worthwhile.

It was a woman who wrote to us from the congregation here who talked about the fact that she came to Moody church with such a sense that Shane loss and so much hurt from other Christians in a different context and how this was a time of healing and help and restoration.

Some of you may be here. And the reason that you are here is you are just healing from past experiences. If that's your if that's your experience.

I hope that you've come to the right place that we might be able to speak hard things, but speak hard things with huge doses of grace and restoration.

That's really our desire here church, but she talked about this and in the very same way. You see, God remakes vessels. First of all I he goes and he finds some clay. That's our conversion story, he may be found clay in your part of the world in your home, wherever, and God says I'm going to make this vessel into some thing and then after our conversion what God does is he begins to remake it years ago Rebecca and I had lunch with a couple that's rather famous. I won't mention her name but the wife and she wrote a book about this is this in any great secret that she had five abortions. I was a street woman actually and then came into a shelter in Los Angeles and was gloriously converted memorized 400 verses of Scripture, and she became the woman that she is today. God says here's a mired vessel, not just with alums but with undoubtedly dirt mixed in to the clay. God says I'm going to clean her up so to speak, spiritually speaking and then I'm going to remake Karen reshape her into a vessel that honors me no matter who you are today, God can do that. He is in the business of making vessels that are honorable will show that to you in the New Testament in just one minute now the point that I'm trying to make today is don't you try to remold yourself. Don't you resist the potter don't you say, God, if that's the way in which you're going to treat me I'm going to harden my heart against you don't say that rather say God I don't understand your ways your ways are mysterious and Lord.

It hurts but make me into the vessel that you desire me to be. Don't resist the potter we can resist the potter even as believers and we can resist the potter as unbelievers.

I'm thinking for example of Judas.

Remember how Judas resisted Jesus and he never really became a vessel at all. He ended up being that clay that was thrown off to the side became hard and unusable because Judas in the presence Jesus mind you, for three years, takes your breath away so hardened his heart that he became a vessel on to dishonor and will be that for all eternity.

I pour my heart out to you today. The potter has good designs to work the potter's way is best. Don't remold your self but submit to the potter's hand, the apostle Paul in the book of Timothy said this now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay some for honorable use some for dishonorable. Therefore if any man cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy useful to the master of the house ready for every good work, become a vessel that God can use C's after something doesn't work helter-skelter.

As I mentioned, is not kids playing around with Plato.

He is trying to mold you and me, so that our character pleases him. God is in the people molding character building work and uses injustice.

Use everything and that clay can never say to the potter. You can use that.

Potter says we remember you're the clay on the potter. I can use what ever I want to shake what I want you to be you know when when pulses cleanse yourself obviously is not saying okay cleanse yourself in context. Of course what he means is let God cling that God that's the beginning point.

The big beginning point for those of you don't know Christ the Savior's to say I want to submit to Jesus Christ, to receive him as my Savior so that God might begin the work. In May of holding me and making me that after he's done that God's as I have some much wonderful agenda for you.

Now I want you to submit to me every day of your life because I want you to be a vessel for honorable use in the Masters hand. Are we willing to do that and willing to receive Christ as Savior. If you've never believed on him. Are you willing to submit to him.

If you have believed on him say okay God I thought you tooth and nail, but today I submit the potter's hand. Let's pray father, we thank you today that you are sovereign, we thank you today that we have no right to tell you what you can use what you can't use so father we say this hesitantly because we know that the implications are huge, but by your grace. Use whatever you like, that we might become vessels fit for the Masters use mold us and make us come to us, shape us for those who've never trusted Christ as Savior made a right now say okay I believe in Jesus I trust his work on my behalf. Pray in this blessed name of the system has to let me ask you a question. Are you afraid of God's will you afraid of submitting yourself to God because you're thinking that if you do, he's going to ask you to do something that you don't want to do. Many of us when we were younger struggled with that question, but long ago I decided and I trust you have also that God's will is always best. And he who calls us is the one also. Who does it. What were living at a time in which the church of Jesus Christ oftentimes is confused about various issues. As we see new laws as we see the encroachment of the state upon our civil liberties. The question is how do we respond one of the chapters in my book entitled the church and babbling. Chapter 4 says when the state becomes God. How do we stand strong, while others bow.

How do we navigate technology immigration all kinds of other issues now for a gift of any amount. This book can be yours. We are making this resource available to help you on your spiritual journey so that you can read it shared with your friends for a gift of any amount. It can be yours. Go to RTW offeror.com that's RTW offeror.com I'm going to be repeating this info again or call us at 1-888-218-9337 running to win exists to get the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible, but also to help us navigate the culture go to RTW offeror.com that's RTW offeror.com or right now you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 thanks in advance for helping us because together were making a difference in time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Luther a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Jack listens to us on FM 88.7 in Amarillo, Texas. This is his story and his need for help. I have a horrible addiction to pornography.

This addiction has gripped me for decades and I can't seem to totally get rid of it. I've been to support groups and counseling and prayed for and read books on the subject, but in the end I'm a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the spiritual world. I'm very lost and I don't believe I even have the right to ask God to forgive me again and again when my desire is to watch this sort of stuff. I don't know how to change my thought patterns. I try to read my Bible and I get distracted or I fall asleep I feel like I'm going to hell, and there's nothing I can do about it. I've talked to my local pastor several times on this issue and it just gets old.

I'm full of shame and deep regret. Can you help me Jack. I listen to your need very carefully. I want to begin with a couple of things on the positive side, first of all, you admit your need. That's good there.

Tens of thousands of addicts out there both pornography addicts, drug addicts and alcoholics who are unwilling to admit that they have a need. So you've taken a proper step you're no longer hiding and for that I commend you also to commend you.

Fact is that you are desperate to get rid of this terrible terrible habit and that that also is a good and I hope that I can point you in the right direction. Though I certainly don't have any wisdom that others who have counseled you don't have couple of things.

However, you know, when you say that when you read your Bible, you fall asleep. This could be either a because the Bible brings so much peace to your soul or else be it could be very demonic. You know that Satan doesn't want us to read the word of God. There's some people if you hand them a Bible they can't read it, they can read the newspaper, they can read other books but they can't read their Bible clearly it seems to me that Satan is deeply involved in your addiction and what we need to do is to recognize that now. Another thing that you say is that you don't know whether or not your saved you feel as if you're going to hell you feel as if God can't forgive you. I want to speak to that issue because God can forgive you, God can receive you. I'm not sure that you understand the gospel properly.

The issue is not the greatness of our sin.

The issue is the wonder of the righteousness that is freely given to those who believe in others a song we used to sing that goes something like this. The vilest of sinners who truly believes that moment from Jesus. A pardon receives seems to me that Satan has made your sins so big that you can see the beauty and the wonder of the bigness of the cross.

Of course you can be forgiven amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. Fact is that God is able to save wretches and he can save you cry up to him believe his promises and you will be saved and that's I think the starting point for you because you seem to indicate that you have serious doubt regarding your eternal destiny and whether or not you belong to God. God can handle your addiction and your evil eye.

He is gracious and merciful to those who repent.

David committed adultery and murder, and God forgave him and restored the joy of his salvation. The next thing is you have to remember that though this sin is far too big for you. It isn't too big for God. Perhaps getting rid of pornography in your mind is something like, causing a river to flow backwards or the sun to stop shining.

It's impossible.

But God can do all of that.

I want to enlarge your conception of God's ability with man.

It is not possible but with God it is possible. Accountability is huge now. Apparently you've already had that because you've attended support groups and so forth.

But let me say that you need is somebody to walk with you through this. Someone to whom you are accountable.

You also have to cut off the sources of this pornography.

If it's television get rid of it. If it's the Internet.

Make sure that you have covenant eyes, and other systems in place so that you can't go into pornographic areas or that if you do want to be your friends knows about it. That's huge because our desires fullness on this point, we think to ourselves. We have to do this know you don't and especially if you're a child of God.

You don't have to go there.

You need your confidence in the gospel, rebuilt, and then of course Satan himself.

He has to be rebuked. I hope that when you attended the support groups that I really do hope that to people prayed for you. I hope that you have people praying not only for you but with you rebuking Satan standing against the onslaught, believing that it doesn't have to be this way because Jesus died for big sinners, so be encourage my friend submit yourself to God, the devil will eventually have to flee, though. He'll put up a fight and I hope that you can walk in victory. Thanks for sharing. And God bless some compassionate counsel for Jack from Dr. Erwin lutes are thank you Dr. lutes are if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor lutes or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us at running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 when the cup of iniquity is full, God pours out his wrath. Judah felt that wrath is invading armies to Jerusalem and took the people into captivity. America may soon feel that same rent next time lessons we must take from the fall of the nation long ago going to win is sponsored the Moody Church