Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God

The Potter and the Clay - Part 2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2014-03-02

Synopsis: In this sermon, John Weaver continues his exposition of Jeremiah 18, focusing on the potter's plan, problem, and prerogative. He explains that God, as the divine potter, has a sovereign plan for His people: salvation, sanctification, separation, and assurance. However, the clay (humanity) is often marred by sin and rebellion, causing problems. Yet God retains the prerogative to remake the vessel as He sees fit, either as a vessel of honor or dishonor, based on the clay's response. The message emphasizes personal responsibility to remove sin and yield to God, warning that disobedience leads to being a vessel of dishonor.

[John Weaver] And we're going to read the first 12 verses. Jeremiah chapter 18, verses 1 through 12. Jeremiah 18, the title of the message is the potter and the clay, and it's part two. So the potter and the clay, part two, Jeremiah 18 verse one, 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. Then I went down to the potter's house and behold, he brought a work on the wheels and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. So I made it again. Another vessel has seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, count on to do with you as this potter, said the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel.

[John Weaver] At what instant shall I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it? If that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant shall I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build, and to plant it? If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them.

[John Weaver] Now, therefore, go to speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I frame evil against you and devise a device against you. Return you now everyone from his evil way and make your ways and your doings good. And they said, There is no hope. But we will walk after our own devices, and we will, everyone, do the imagination of his evil heart."

[John Weaver] If you'll remember, last week when I began this message, I pointed out the fact that God has commanded Jeremiah to go down to the potter's house, and there he's going to cause him to hear his word. thought was, Jeremiah did not go to the plumber's house or the brick mason's house, he went to the potter's house the way he was instructed to. Because that's where God was going to speak to him, and that's where God was going to give him a message that he might give to the people. And of course that message that he was actually to give to the people was this, that God is the absolute and sole sovereign And consequently, in light of that, he has an absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct toward him.

[John Weaver] And this was illustrated by the potter working with a vessel on the wheel. And you have to understand that since nations are made up of individuals, whatever is true of the nation is true of the individual as well. I pointed out the fact that he was to hear the potter's words, or the divine potter, he was to hear his words. God was going to speak to him. So I ask this question, How does one know whether or not he's really, genuinely hearing the Word of God? And you have to remember, I pointed out a distinction in the Bible between an external hearing and an internal hearing. Anyone who has ears to hear has a responsibility to hear. That's why our Lord said, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. But just because you're hearing externally, just because you're hearing sounds, does not mean that you're really genuinely hearing. So I went through the Bible and showed you that there is indeed a spiritual hearing, and that no one ever really hears the Word of God until he heeds the Word of God, until he actually obeys the Word of God.

[John Weaver] So the question has to come back then, how do we know that we're really genuinely hearing the Word of God? And the answer comes back, by the fruits of that Word in our lives, by the evidences, by the manifestations of that Word in our lives. And I gave you a number of things. And I want you to understand that what I said was this, if you're really genuinely hearing the Word of God, then you're going to have some of these things in your life in some degree. Now, when I say in some degree, let me explain it like this.

[John Weaver] You remember our Lord said, even the good hearer, the good seed, some brought forth thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold. In other words, if you're really genuinely hearing the Word of God, to some degree, these things are going to be in your life. The very first thing I pointed out was condemnation. Because you and I cannot hear the word of God without being condemned because of our sins. So we will be condemned in one sense of the word. And I pointed out, even as Christians, in 1 John chapter 3, where he said, if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and God knoweth all things. And the very fact is, when we sin, when we violate God's law, we are condemned in our own hearts. That is for sure. But the second thing I pointed out, there will be conviction. We as Christians will always be convicted over our sins. We will know that we have fouled up, we have gone astray, we have violated, we've transgressed the Word of God. So there will be conviction in some degree.

[John Weaver] Thirdly, there will be correction. I pointed out the Bible is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction. If you're really hearing the Word of God, if you're really listening, You're not going to be holding on to humanistic thoughts and values. You're not going to be holding on to humanistic theology. The Word of God is designed to correct us. So if we're really listening, we're going to be corrected.

[John Weaver] Then, I put it up forthly, there will be cleansing in our lives. Because the Bible says, now you're clean through the word which I've spoken unto you. Jesus Christ said in John 17, 17, sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. And David asked, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word? With my whole heart I have besought thee, let me not wander from thy commandments, thy word Have I hidden in mine heart that I might not sin against thee?

[John Weaver] And then I pointed out how Dwight L. Moody had written in the fly leaf of his Bible, either this book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book. And then I pointed out, lastly, there will be confirmation in your life. That is, the Holy Spirit of God is going to bear witness with your spirit that you are indeed a child of God.

[John Weaver] So last week we looked at one point, and that was the potter's precepts. So he said to Jeremiah, go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

[John Weaver] Now today, we're going to begin with verse 3 and look at the second point, and that is the potter's plan. Notice if you would what he said in verse 3. Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. Now you have to understand that a potter does not simply go to the wheels without a plan. He does not simply throw some mud at the wheel and decides he'll wait and see what turns out. No. When the potter goes to the wheel, he has already determined beforehand what he's going to produce.

[John Weaver] It may be a vase. It may be a cup. It may be a pot. It may be a plate. It may be a bowl. But he already knows what he's going to produce. By the way, you know some folks pronounce vase, vase. Do you know the difference between a vase and a vase? about 600 bucks. It depends. If you want to buy a vase, you can buy a vase at Wal-Mart for 20 bucks. But if you go to an antique store or some other high-volume store and you buy vase, then you're going to pay an extra 700 bucks for basically the same thing. But the potter knows exactly what he's going to make when he goes to the wheel.

[John Weaver] So God, the divine potter, also had a plan for Israel And let me show you what that plan is. Look in your Bibles, Exodus chapter 19, and notice if you would, beginning there with verse 3. Exodus 19, in verse 3, hold Jeremiah 18, we're coming right back. But look in Exodus chapter 19, and let's begin reading there with verse 3. Exodus 19 verse 3, Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called on him out of the mountains, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel, You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you out unto myself.

[John Weaver] Now therefore, If you will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, now watch, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all the people, for all the earth is mine, and you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel." So God revealed to Moses His plan for the nation of Israel, and then Moses communicated that plan to the people. Likewise, God communicates His plan for our lives in His Word.

[John Weaver] Let me give you several things that should be very obvious. First of all, it is God's will that His people be saved from their sins. Stop and think about that. It's God's will that his people be saved from their sins. This should be very obvious because the Bible says this is the reason why he sent the Lord Jesus Christ into the world. The Bible says in Matthew 1 in verse 21, to Mary and thou shalt bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. So God then has sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in order that we might be saved from our sins. But that's not all. He not only sent the Lord Jesus, He also sent the Holy Spirit into the world. If you look in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians 2, 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 13 and 14, and look if you would at what the Blessed Holy Spirit does. 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 13 and 14.

[John Weaver] Here the Apostle Paul says this, 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13, But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Note, if you would, the Bible says in verse 13 that God has not only chosen us to salvation, But he chose us to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. So obviously, not only did the Lord Jesus Christ come and die for his people at the same time, God sent the Holy Spirit of God to draw us unto himself. That's why the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1 in verse 18, for the preaching of the cross to them that are perishing is foolishness. But unto us who are saved, it is the power of God.

[John Weaver] So let's mark it down. We can say it like this. It is God's plan. It is the divine potter's plan for his people that we be saved. Secondly, I can point out, it's his divine plan that we be sanctified. If you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. And let's begin reading there with verse 1. And notice, if you would, how plainly this is stated.

[John Weaver] This is an obvious fact. First Thessalonians chapter four. And look, if you would please, they're beginning with verse one. Look what the apostle says. Furthermore, did we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus Christ that as you have received us of us, how you ought to walk and please God so you would abound more and more. for you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus now look for this is the will of God even your sanctification that you should abstain from fornication that everyone should know how to possess his vessel and sanctification and honor not in the lust of concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, or the matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we have also forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given us His Holy Spirit." Notice if you would, he says, for this is the will of God, even your sanctification.

[John Weaver] So let me just spell it out for you. First of all, we can say it's God's plan that His people be saved. It's God's plan, secondly, that His people be sanctified. Thirdly, I can say it like this, it is God's plan that His people be separated.

[John Weaver] Now, the apostle Paul said it like this in Romans 1 and verse 1. He said, Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God.

[John Weaver] Now, if you're separated unto God, and by the way, really and truly, that's what the word sanctified means. It means to be set apart. It means to be set apart for a special purpose. So it's God's plan then for you and I to be saved as His people, to be sanctified, and to be separated unto Him, unto His Word, unto His truth. Did you know that the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 1 and verse 4, listen to this, talking about Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. Do you realize it's God's will that we be delivered from this present evil world? That means we're to be separated unto Him, unto His Gospel. So it's the Sovereign's plan that we be saved, that we be sanctified, that we be separated.

[John Weaver] And I'm going to give you one more thing before I go to the next point. I want you to understand this. It's also the Sovereign's plan that we be sure of that salvation. I want you to understand this. Salvation is an objective fact. I said this last week. Salvation is an objective fact. Salvation is not based upon our experiences. It's not based upon our feelings. It's not based upon our emotions. Salvation is based upon the person and work of Jesus Christ. Do you remember in John 19 in verse 30, Christ was hanging on the cross and he said this, it is finished. That is, it's over, it's done with, it is an accomplished fact.

[John Weaver] Now, there are a lot of people who are basically not sure that they're saved. Some of them probably really are not saved, that's why they're not sure. But others who may be saved are trying to base their assurance upon some feeling or some experience. Listen, not everyone has the same experience. Not everybody is made up the same. Not everyone has the same emotions that other people have. No. You cannot trust emotions or experiences. The only thing that you can trust is the completed, full, and final work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you this. I want you to turn in your Bible, hold Jeremiah 18, but turn in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 5. I want you to see this in light of what I've just said. Look in 1 John chapter 5. 1 and 2 Peter. and then first John and go, if you would, to chapter 5 and let's begin reading there with verse 10. First John 5 and verse 10.

[John Weaver] So now we're talking about assurance of salvation. We're talking about being sure that we're safe. But you look what he says. First John chapter 5 and let's begin reading there with verse 10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. That is, we have the Holy Spirit. He that believeth not the Son of God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave his Son. So God gave his Son a record, and God said, if we do not believe this record, then we're making him a liar. Well, what is the record? Look in verse 11. And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Now watch the next verse. He that hath the Son hath life. And he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just stop there. It's plain and simple. If you're in Jesus Christ, if you have Jesus Christ, he says you have life. If you don't have Jesus Christ, you don't have life. But look at verse 13. Look what he said. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God. Here it is, that you may know that you have eternal life. and that you may believe that on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. How can I know? Not based upon my experience, not based upon my feelings or my emotions, but based upon the objective person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ completed Everything. He fulfilled the law.

[John Weaver] He earned and worked out a perfect righteousness. He died as our substitute, as our surety, and as our sacrifice. And God has given him this record that he that hath the Son hath life. And therefore, we may know that if we're in Christ, we have life. If we're not in Christ, then we don't have life, and we don't know. So obviously, it's God's plan that we be saved, that we be sanctified, that we be separated, and that we be sure.

[John Weaver] Now, here's a good question. If that is God's plan for us, why are we in such a mess? Why are our lives Our churches, our families. Our country and such a mess. What happened to the plan? Well, let me ask you a question. What happened to the nation Israel? Do you remember? I read back in Exodus chapter 19. Where God said that they were to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. What happened to that nation?

[John Weaver] How then did they end up being chastised, deported and cursed? Well, that question, along with several others, leads me to the next point. I want you to go back to Jeremiah 18 and look at verse 4. I want you to notice what he said in verse 3 again. Here's the potter's plan, verse 3. Then I went down to the potter's house and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. Now look in verse 4. Now we have the potter's problem.

[John Weaver] And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. Whoa. The vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. Pottery is one of the oldest arts in the world, and it remains virtually unchanged to this present time. The potter would take a lump of clay, he would twist it, he would knead it, he would pound it, till hopefully all the bubbles and impurities were out of it and it was soft and pliable. Then he would place that clay on the wheel. The wheel was operated usually by a treadle. The potter would put that clay right in the middle of that wheel, and the wheel would spin. And then the potter then would take his fingers and his hands and caress that clay and work that clay. And if the clay was of the right consistency, and if the clay was free from impurities and foreign matters, Then that lump of clay, which was nothing in and of itself, would turn out to be a very beautiful and useful vessel.

[John Weaver] But the Bible says in verse 4, and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. Now let me repeat something initially, or say something initially, and we'll repeat it several times. The problem was not with the potter. The problem was with the clay. Usually there are two possible problems that will disrupt the work of the potter. First, the clay could contain hidden impurities or some foreign matter of some kind. Secondly, the clay could be stiff, inflexible, and unyielding. In other words, if the clay is not pliable enough, it's basically impossible to be worked with.

[John Weaver] So the difficulty is not with God. The difficulty is in man.

[John Weaver] Now, I ask you this question. What happened to Israel? Do you remember that? If God planned for them to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, we know they were neither. What happened? Well, you're going to find that Israel had both problems. They had impurities or foreign materials that is idolatry, as well as rebellious heart that was as an adamant stone. Without turning there, let me just quote 2 Kings 17 and verse 12. Listen carefully. God says concerning Israel, for they served idols.

[John Weaver] Whoever the Lord had said unto them, you shall not do this thing. What did they do? They forsook God. They went after foreign gods, foreign material, all these pebbles there. And how about Zechariah chapter 7, verse 12? Now listen. The Bible says, yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent in his spirit by the former prophets, therefore came great wrath from the Lord of hosts. What did they do? They made their hearts as an adamant stone. They made their hearts inflexible, stiff, and hard.

[John Weaver] All you have to do is read the book of Judges. See how often they forsook God and went into idolatry, and God judged them. Read the book of Hosea. Read the book of Amos. And you will find that Israel had both of these problems. They were full of impurities and foreign matter, and they were stiff and inflexible. Well, let me ask you this question then. What about the problems in our lives? Do you realize we basically have the same exact problems?

[John Weaver] I want you to turn back to Isaiah 59. And I want us to read the first four verses, Isaiah 59. And I want you to look what God said, what he said in Isaiah 59 is just as true today as it was then. You want to know what the problem in our lives, what the problem in our churches, our families, and our country really is? Here it is. Look at Isaiah 59 verse 1.

[John Weaver] The Bible says this, Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear. There's no problem with the potter. No problem with God. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. Your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

[John Weaver] None call it for justice, nor any plead it for truth. They trust in vanity and speak lies. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity." Wow. Is that not exactly where we are today? Is that not what is wrong with most people, most families, most churches, and our entire country? Of course it is. The problem is not with God. God's hand is not short that it cannot save. His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear. But it's our sins. It's our rebellion. It's the pebbles. It's the stones in our lives.

[John Weaver] You know, I've dealt with animals all my life. And it's interesting. You can feed those animals and you can let one grain of corn get in your shoe. And just a few seconds, you're limping. And you have to stop and get that grain of corn out. Any little pebble will do the same thing. And that's what God says. It's our sins. It's our iniquities.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn to 2 Timothy 2. I want you to hold this passage. You can mark 2 Timothy 2. 2 Timothy 2. And I want you to look at verses 20-22. 2 Timothy 2. Let's begin reading there with verse 20. Because I'm going to set you up just shortly. So you can see another point. So you want to mark this? We'll be coming back here probably. Second Timothy, chapter two, look at verse 20. Look what he says.

[John Weaver] But in a great house, that is in a good house, a big house, a large house, a magnificent house. But in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver. But also of wood and of earth, some to honor and some to dishonor. Now watch. If a man therefore purge himself from these, that is the dishonorable things, he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified and meet for the master's use and prepared for every good work.

[John Weaver] Flee also youthful lust, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Now, whose responsibility is it? to get that grain of corn out of my shoe. It's mine. Doesn't matter how it got in there, whether I dropped it purposely or I dropped it accidentally or someone threw it at me, it didn't matter. If it's in my shoe, it's my responsibility to get it out. Whose responsibility is it to remove the pebbles from our lives? It's our responsibility.

[John Weaver] Do you understand that repentance is the gift of God? But God is not going to repent for you. Faith is the gift of God. But God is not going to believe for you. We have been commanded to repent. We have been commanded to believe. But let me tell you something about repentance and faith. Repentance and faith are not just simply one-time acts. If we have been saved by the grace of God, repentance is an attitude and disposition of life. We are to be continually and constantly turning from anything and everything that happens to be contrary to God and his word.

[John Weaver] I've said this before, you've heard me say it. I've done far more repenting after I got saved than when I got saved. Because when God convicted me initially, he convicted me over a number of things. And yeah, I repented of those things. But when I started studying the scripture, I found out I had a whole lot more problems than just those few. And our lives are to be a life of continual repentance. Moreover, it is our responsibility to make sure that we are yielding to God.

[John Weaver] Do you remember that passage in Romans 12, verse 1, where Paul said, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, did you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service? Look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 6. Look what he asked. Romans chapter 6. Notice if you would, verse 16. Romans chapter 6 and verse 16. Romans 6 and verse 16. Look at this.

[John Weaver] No, you're not that to whom you yield yourself servants to obey his servants, you are to whom you obey with of sin and death or obedience under righteousness. Ah, do you realize you can be soft and pliable either toward God or soft and pliable toward sin? In other words, it's your responsibility To say, Lord, make me soft and pliable to you. I want to yield to you. Do you realize the truth of 1 Corinthians 6, verses 19 and 20?

[John Weaver] Listen to what the Scripture says. What? Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own, for you are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God's." So you have a responsibility to make sure the pebbles are out of your life. You have the responsibility to make sure that you are soft and pliable and easily worked with.

[John Weaver] You see, it is absolute foolishness on our part to think that we can sin, that we can rebel, that we can be disobedient and still be used for God and for His honor and His glory. I have known pastors who were in wonderful positions to reach a lot of people. And they develop an attitude, well, I can sin and I can do this because I'm doing such a good work and God's going to overlook this. It's not going to happen. God is not going to overlook our sin. Someone says, well, what you need to do is you just need to make yourself indispensable to God.

[John Weaver] I've got news for you. No one is indispensable to God. We're all dispensable. And when we get so proud and so arrogant and so haughty and so inflated with our own pride that we think we're indispensable. Right there is a huge stone. And a huge unyielding spot in the clay. And I've got news for you, there's many saints that have learned the lesson the hard way. That God resists the proud.

[John Weaver] But he gives grace to the humble. So it's our responsibility.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back to verse four of Jeremiah, chapter 18. I want you to look this. We've looked so far at number one, the potter's precepts last week. Number two, the potter's plan. Which I pointed out, and of course, we've looked at this third point. Which I want to emphasize again, and that's certainly the potter's problem because of the pebbles, because of the inconsistency in the clay. But in verse four, you have another truth, and that is the potter's prerogative. Look in verse four, and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. Here's his prerogative. So he made it again another vessel. That seemed good to the potter to make it. Ah.

[John Weaver] We need to learn something, folks. Here it is. We need to learn that God has an incontestable sovereignty over us. And He is not a debtor to us. We must learn that God may dispose of us as He thinks fit. And he is not accountable to us at all. For you and I to think that God is accountable to us, for you and I to think that God must give a reason for what he does in our lives, is to say, essentially, that the clay has a right to quarrel with the potter. No.

[John Weaver] You know what the Bible says in Job 33 verse 13? Listen to this. Job 33 verse 13. Why dost thou strive against him? For he giveth not account of any of his matters. God does not owe us an explanation. God does not owe us a reason. God is sovereign. God is God.

[John Weaver] Now, Let me quote, if you want to turn back there, you may. Second Timothy chapter 2, I told you we were coming back there. Look, if you want to, at Second Timothy chapter 2. It's very important verse. I want you to look what he says. Second Timothy chapter 2, again there with verse 20. He says this. Second Timothy 2, verse 20. But in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor and some to dishonor.

[John Weaver] If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master he who is prepared for every good work." Well, now wait a minute. What did he say? There are vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor in every house. My wife has a beautiful bowl, I guess you would call it a bowl, that Jane gave her before she died. And that bowl is on our mantelpiece for everyone to see. It's a very beautiful, it's a very attractive bowl.

[John Weaver] But our slop jar is not on the mantel. Our honeypot is not on the mantel. whatever you call it, chamber pots. Yeah, no, no, it's not on the mantle. Now, listen to this. Listen, Jeremiah 18, verse four. Now, listen. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. Listen now. So I made it again. Another vessel is seen good to the potter to make it so the potter can just as easily make you into a vessel of dishonor. As a vessel of honor. So if the clay is full of pebbles, if the clay is unusable, if the clay is stiff and unyielding, what? Instead of making a vase, He'll make us a love jar. Romans 9 verse 21. Listen carefully. Have not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor. That's God's prerogative.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you a couple of examples. I want you to follow this one, if you would. Let's go, first of all, to the book of Colossians. Let's go to the book of Colossians. The first example I want to give you of a vessel of dishonor is a young man by the name of Demas. Look in the book of Colossians chapter 4 and verse 14. In this passage. Colossians 4 verse 14. We read this Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you. So Demas. Travel with Paul and Luke the physician. If you would look. In your Bibles.

[John Weaver] Let me get there momentarily myself. I think it is. Yeah. Philemon 1 in verse 24, there's only one verse there. Right before the book of Hebrews. I want you to watch this. The book of Philemon. Verse 24. Marcus, the Apostle Paul, wrote the Book of Philemon. He says Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow laborers. Isn't that amazing? Demas is here called a fellow laborer with the Apostle Paul and, of course, with Luke. Now, I want you to turn to Second Timothy, Chapter 4, I want you to look at what is said concerning Demas. Paul writes, For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed into Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Isn't that amazing? Demas not only traveled with the Apostle Paul and Luke, he was also counted as a fellow laborer. He was viewed as one that loved the Lord and served him. But the question has to be asked, what happened to Demas? I mean, with all of his advantages, with all of his training, with all of his fellowship, and all the opportunities that Demas had, what happened to Demas?

[John Weaver] How is Demas best remembered? He is no longer remembered as a fellow laborer with the Apostle Paul. He's no longer remembered as someone who traveled with Luke. No, no, no, no. Demas is now remembered as someone who forsook the ministry and forsook the Lord. He's remembered as someone who loved this present evil world. He loved the glitter and the glamour of this world more than the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] He didn't want to be a martyr. He didn't want to suffer. He wanted to retreat to a place of safety. He loved the world that now is the world with all of its cares, with all of its troubles, with all of its confusion. He loved this world, not the next world. And he'd rather have his life now than later. You see, Luke is remembered as the beloved physician. Paul is remembered as the greatest apostle. Demas? He's remembered as one who is unworthy to be remembered. He's a vessel of dishonor.

[John Weaver] Look in 1 Timothy chapter 1, let me show you a couple more. You read about these people, but you never think about it. 1 Timothy chapter 1, look in verses 18 and 20 through 20. 1 Timothy chapter 1, beginning there, verse 18, Paul tells Timothy, this charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before me that by them thou mightest war a good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience, which some, having put away, concerning faith, have made shipwrecked, of whom is

[John Weaver] Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." Wow! When was the last time you thought of Hymenaeus and Alexander? Now, evidently, Hymenaeus and Alexander were in the church. They had indeed made professions of faith, and yet they remained in error. If you would turn right over, hold verse Timothy chapter 1, but turn right over to 2 Timothy chapter 2, we'll come back there in just a moment, but look in verse 17. We'll come back and read a little bit more later. And their word will eat as doth a canker of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus. Now, Hymenaeus is mentioned again How do we know that Hymenaeus and Alexander were in the church? Well, because the Apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 20 that he delivered them unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. Now, delivering them unto Satan is through excommunication or church discipline, which is read, which we read this same phrase in 1 Corinthians 5, which we will get there a little bit later.

[John Weaver] But I want you to note that both of these men evidently held unsound doctrine. Go back to 2 Timothy, chapter 2, and let's now read 17 and 18. He said, And their word will eateth doth a canker, whom as Hymenaeus and Phileas, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and overthrown the faith of some. Wow. How are Hymenaeus and Alexander remembered? They're remembered as individuals who made shipwreck of their faith, and shipwrecked other people's faith as well.

[John Weaver] They are known as vessels of dishonor. In fact, Paul had to say, at one point, Alexander the coppersmith has done me much evil. So he turned against the Apostle Paul. A vessel of dishonor. Let me show you another one. I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 5. I wish I had time to really deal with this passage. I don't, but I want you to look at it very quickly. 1 Corinthians chapter 5. Because this is where the Apostle Paul had to deliver someone else over to Satan.

[John Weaver] Which again is church discipline. I want you to look at it. You're talking about a heinous sin. Here it is, 1 Corinthians 5, verse 1. Paul writes, It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. So he said even the unsaved don't condone this. He said, And what about you folks? You're puffed up and have not rather mourn that he that had done this deed might be taken away from you.

[John Weaver] For I barely is absent in body, but present in spirit have judged already. as though I were present concerning him that had so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, this is a very heinous and grievous sin, and it was done in blatant opposition to scripture. It was done even while his father was alive.

[John Weaver] Now, most commentators are going to say. That this was his stepmother, not his real fleshly mother. And so here's a man then. Committing fornication with his stepmother, and his father is still alive. I'll show you that in 2 Corinthians 7. 2 Corinthians 7. Paul is still talking about this in verse 12. And look what he says. 2 Corinthians 7 verse 12. Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, that's the son, nor for the cause that suffered wrong, that's the father, but that for our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you." Wow! So here's a man committing fornication with his stepmother, which is absolutely contrary to Scripture.

[John Weaver] Let me just quote these very quickly. In Leviticus 18, verse 8, God says this,"...that nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover, it is thy father's nakedness." Leviticus 20 verse 11, and the man that lied with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness, both of them shall be surely put to death, their blood shall be upon them. Deuteronomy 22 verse 30, a man shall not take his father's wife, nor discover his father's skirt. Wow. Here's a man that committed fornication evidently with his stepmother. If you look in 2 Corinthians chapter 6, The amazing thing is, this man was restored. He evidently repented.

[John Weaver] He is unnamed, and I can tell you why he is unnamed. I would not want my name listed either. But look in 2 Corinthians 2, 2 Corinthians 2 it is, beginning there with verse 6, 2 Corinthians 2 verse 6. The Apostle Paul says, sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrary wise, you ought rather to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

[John Weaver] Wherefore, I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether you would be obedient in all things. To whom you forgave anything, I forgive also. For if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ." Was he forgiven? Yes. Was he restored? Yes. How is he remembered?

[John Weaver] As someone that committed an awful, heinous, grievous sin, one that was not even condoned by the heathen. He will always be remembered as a dishonorable vessel. Here's the whole point. I want you to go back to Jeremiah 18. Look at verse four. Here's the whole point. Watch this. Here is the potter's prerogative. The Bible says in verse four and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. That's his problem. Here's his prerogative. So I made it again. Another vessel is seen good to the potter to make it. So. Guess what? We may sin. We may be disobedient. We may transgress. We may rebel. We may fail to surrender and yield and do that which is right. But that does not. Upset or destroy the work of the Potter. He just makes it again another vessel. That seems good to the potter to make it so.

[John Weaver] Instead of making us a beautiful vase to display, he'll make us a slop jar. He'll make us a spittoon bucket. We are in his hands. The divine potter is not hampered in the least. The problem was never with the potter. The problem is always with the clay. You know what the Bible says in Psalm 76 in verse 10, listen to this. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee. And the remainder of wrath shall thou restrain.

[John Weaver] God is in control, even of sin and rebellion. And God will let just enough sin and just enough rebellion to be that will ultimately praise His justice. And the remainder He will restrain. And Daniel 4 and verse 35, the Bible says this, and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. Listen, and he doeth according to his will among the inhabitants of the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can say his hand or say unto him, What doest thou? God does according to his will in the armies of heaven and in the inhabitants of the earth, and no one can stop him.

[John Weaver] He has the absolute right To make us into any vessel that He so chooses. He's the potter. We're the clay. We can be a vessel of honor or a vessel of dishonor. God will work with what we give Him. And He'll make it to whatever pleases Himself. Let me make a couple of applications. The first one is this. All clay, no matter the consistency and no matter the content of the clay, is in the hand of the divine potter. There is no one that can thwart or hinder or stop or overthrow the divine potter. God has said, in Isaiah 46 and verse 10, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. In Ephesians 1 and verse 5, we read about the good pleasure of His will. In Ephesians 1 and verse 9, He speaks according to the good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself. And then in Ephesians 1 in verse 11, he sums it up, he says, we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated, listen, according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

[John Weaver] So the truth of the matter is this, folks, we are in God's hands. And God can either make us a vessel of honor. Or a vessel of dishonor.

[John Weaver] Oh, do you realize? You will be remembered when you die, you will be remembered, maybe not for long and maybe not for many, but you will be remembered by your family, by your friends. The question is. How do you want to be remembered? As a vessel of honor. Or is the vessel dishonor? There have been a number of people that have died that I have heard people say.

[John Weaver] And sometimes I've said it myself. Thank God he's gone. There are others that we say, oh, God.

The Potter and the Clay - Part 2

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	42914032110
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2014-03-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 149: The Potter and the Clay — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	79

Formatted Transcript

Opening

And we're going to read the first 12 verses. Jeremiah chapter 18, verses 1 through 12. Jeremiah 18, the title of the message is "The Potter and the Clay," and it's part two. So "The Potter and the Clay," part two, Jeremiah 18 verse 1:

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 18:1-12

"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.' Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter?' saith the Lord. 'Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel.'"

"At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them." "Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.' And they said, 'There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.'"

Introduction and Review

Weaver reviews the previous sermon, emphasizing that God commanded Jeremiah to go to the potter's house to hear His word, illustrating God's sovereignty over nations and individuals.

If you'll remember, last week when I began this message, I pointed out the fact that God has commanded Jeremiah to go down to the potter's house, and there he's going to cause him to hear his word. The thought was, Jeremiah did not go to the plumber's house or the brick mason's house, he went to the potter's house the way he was instructed to. Because that's where God was going to speak to him, and that's where God was going to give him a message that he might give to the people. And of course that message that he was actually to give to the people was this, that God is the absolute and sole sovereign. And consequently, in light of that, he has an absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct toward him.

And this was illustrated by the potter working with a vessel on the wheel. And you have to understand that since nations are made up of individuals, whatever is true of the nation is true of the individual as well. I pointed out the fact that he was to hear the potter's words, or the divine potter, he was to hear his words. God was going to speak to him. So I ask this question, how does one know whether or not he's really, genuinely hearing the Word of God? And you have to remember, I pointed out a distinction in the Bible between an external hearing and an internal hearing. Anyone who has ears to hear has a responsibility to hear. That's why our Lord said, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." But just because you're hearing externally, just because you're hearing sounds, does not mean that you're really genuinely hearing. So I went through the Bible and showed you that there is indeed a spiritual hearing, and that no one ever really hears the Word of God until he heeds the Word of God, until he actually obeys the Word of God.

The Potter's Precepts (Review)

Weaver recaps the five evidences of genuine hearing of God's Word: condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, and confirmation.

You remember our Lord said, even the good hearer, the good seed, some brought forth thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold. In other words, if you're really genuinely hearing the Word of God, to some degree, these things are going to be in your life. The very first thing I pointed out was condemnation. Because you and I cannot hear the word of God without being condemned because of our sins. So we will be condemned in one sense of the word. And I pointed out, even as Christians, in 1 John chapter 3, where he said, "If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and God knoweth all things." And the very fact is, when we sin, when we violate God's law, we are condemned in our own hearts. That is for sure. But the second thing I pointed out, there will be conviction. We as Christians will always be convicted over our sins. We will know that we have fouled up, we have gone astray, we have violated, we've transgressed the Word of God. So there will be conviction in some degree.

Thirdly, there will be correction. I pointed out the Bible is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction. If you're really hearing the Word of God, if you're really listening, you're not going to be holding on to humanistic thoughts and values. You're not going to be holding on to humanistic theology. The Word of God is designed to correct us. So if we're really listening, we're going to be corrected.

Then, I put it fourthly, there will be cleansing in our lives. Because the Bible says, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." Jesus Christ said in John 17:17, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." And David asked, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." And then I pointed out how Dwight L. Moody had written in the flyleaf of his Bible, "Either this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book." And then I pointed out, lastly, there will be confirmation in your life. That is, the Holy Spirit of God is going to bear witness with your spirit that you are indeed a child of God.

So last week we looked at one point, and that was the potter's precepts. So he said to Jeremiah, "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words."

The Potter's Plan

God has a predetermined plan for His people, just as a potter plans a vessel. This plan includes salvation, sanctification, separation, and assurance.

Now today, we're going to begin with verse 3 and look at the second point, and that is the potter's plan. Notice if you would what he said in verse 3. "Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels." Now you have to understand that a potter does not simply go to the wheels without a plan. He does not simply throw some mud at the wheel and decides he'll wait and see what turns out. No. When the potter goes to the wheel, he has already determined beforehand what he's going to produce.

It may be a vase. It may be a cup. It may be a pot. It may be a plate. It may be a bowl. But he already knows what he's going to produce. By the way, you know some folks pronounce vase, vase. Do you know the difference between a vase and a vase? About 600 bucks. It depends. If you want to buy a vase, you can buy a vase at Wal-Mart for 20 bucks. But if you go to an antique store or some other high-volume store and you buy a vase, then you're going to pay an extra 700 bucks for basically the same thing. But the potter knows exactly what he's going to make when he goes to the wheel.

So God, the divine potter, also had a plan for Israel. And let me show you what that plan is. Look in your Bibles, Exodus chapter 19, and notice if you would, beginning there with verse 3. Exodus 19, in verse 3, hold Jeremiah 18, we're coming right back. But look in Exodus chapter 19, and let's begin reading there with verse 3. Exodus 19 verse 3,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 19:3-6

"Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, 'Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.'" "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, now watch, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."

So God revealed to Moses His plan for the nation of Israel, and then Moses communicated that plan to the people. Likewise, God communicates His plan for our lives in His Word.

Let me give you several things that should be very obvious. First of all, it is God's will that His people be saved from their sins. Stop and think about that. It's God's will that his people be saved from their sins. This should be very obvious because the Bible says this is the reason why he sent the Lord Jesus Christ into the world. The Bible says in Matthew 1:21, to Mary,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 1:21

"And thou shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

So God then has sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in order that we might be saved from our sins. But that's not all. He not only sent the Lord Jesus, He also sent the Holy Spirit into the world. If you look in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians 2, 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 13 and 14, and look if you would at what the Blessed Holy Spirit does. 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 13 and 14.

Here the Apostle Paul says this, 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

"But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Note, if you would, the Bible says in verse 13 that God has not only chosen us to salvation, but he chose us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. So obviously, not only did the Lord Jesus Christ come and die for his people, at the same time, God sent the Holy Spirit of God to draw us unto himself. That's why the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:18, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

So let's mark it down. We can say it like this. It is God's plan. It is the divine potter's plan for his people that we be saved. Secondly, I can point out, it's his divine plan that we be sanctified. If you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. And let's begin reading there with verse 1. And notice, if you would, how plainly this is stated.

This is an obvious fact. First Thessalonians chapter four. And look, if you would please, there beginning with verse one. Look what the apostle says. "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit." Notice if you would, he says, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification."

So let me just spell it out for you. First of all, we can say it's God's plan that His people be saved. It's God's plan, secondly, that His people be sanctified. Thirdly, I can say it like this, it is God's plan that His people be separated.

Now, the apostle Paul said it like this in Romans 1:1. He said, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God." Now, if you're separated unto God, and by the way, really and truly, that's what the word sanctified means. It means to be set apart. It means to be set apart for a special purpose. So it's God's plan then for you and I to be saved as His people, to be sanctified, and to be separated unto Him, unto His Word, unto His truth. Did you know that the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:4, listen to this, talking about Jesus Christ, "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Do you realize it's God's will that we be delivered from this present evil world? That means we're to be separated unto Him, unto His Gospel. So it's the Sovereign's plan that we be saved, that we be sanctified, that we be separated.

And I'm going to give you one more thing before I go to the next point. I want you to understand this. It's also the Sovereign's plan that we be sure of that salvation. I want you to understand this. Salvation is an objective fact. I said this last week. Salvation is an objective fact. Salvation is not based upon our experiences. It's not based upon our feelings. It's not based upon our emotions. Salvation is based upon the person and work of Jesus Christ. Do you remember in John 19:30, Christ was hanging on the cross and he said this, "It is finished." That is, it's over, it's done with, it is an accomplished fact.

Now, there are a lot of people who are basically not sure that they're saved. Some of them probably really are not saved, that's why they're not sure. But others who may be saved are trying to base their assurance upon some feeling or some experience. Listen, not everyone has the same experience. Not everybody is made up the same. Not everyone has the same emotions that other people have. No. You cannot trust emotions or experiences. The only thing that you can trust is the completed, full, and final work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, let me show you this. I want you to turn in your Bible, hold Jeremiah 18, but turn in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 5. I want you to see this in light of what I've just said. Look in 1 John chapter 5. 1 and 2 Peter, and then 1 John, and go, if you would, to chapter 5 and let's begin reading there with verse 10. 1 John 5 and verse 10.

So now we're talking about assurance of salvation. We're talking about being sure that we're saved. But you look what he says. 1 John chapter 5 and let's begin reading there with verse 10.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:10-13

"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself."

That is, we have the Holy Spirit.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:10-13

"He that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son."

So God gave his Son a record, and God said, if we do not believe this record, then we're making him a liar. Well, what is the record? Look in verse 11.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:10-13

"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."

Now watch the next verse.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:10-13

"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

Now, let me just stop there. It's plain and simple. If you're in Jesus Christ, if you have Jesus Christ, he says you have life. If you don't have Jesus Christ, you don't have life. But look at verse 13. Look what he said. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." That you may know that you have eternal life. How can I know? Not based upon my experience, not based upon my feelings or my emotions, but based upon the objective person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ completed everything. He fulfilled the law.

He earned and worked out a perfect righteousness. He died as our substitute, as our surety, and as our sacrifice. And God has given him this record that he that hath the Son hath life. And therefore, we may know that if we're in Christ, we have life. If we're not in Christ, then we don't have life, and we don't know. So obviously, it's God's plan that we be saved, that we be sanctified, that we be separated, and that we be sure.

Now, here's a good question. If that is God's plan for us, why are we in such a mess? Why are our lives, our churches, our families, our country in such a mess? What happened to the plan? Well, let me ask you a question. What happened to the nation Israel? Do you remember? I read back in Exodus chapter 19, where God said that they were to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. What happened to that nation?

The Potter's Problem

The vessel was marred due to impurities and stiffness in the clay, representing sin and rebellion in humanity. The problem is not with God but with man.

"And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter." Whoa. The vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. Pottery is one of the oldest arts in the world, and it remains virtually unchanged to this present time. The potter would take a lump of clay, he would twist it, he would knead it, he would pound it, till hopefully all the bubbles and impurities were out of it and it was soft and pliable. Then he would place that clay on the wheel. The wheel was operated usually by a treadle. The potter would put that clay right in the middle of that wheel, and the wheel would spin. And then the potter then would take his fingers and his hands and caress that clay and work that clay. And if the clay was of the right consistency, and if the clay was free from impurities and foreign matters, then that lump of clay, which was nothing in and of itself, would turn out to be a very beautiful and useful vessel.

But the Bible says in verse 4, "And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter." Now let me repeat something initially, or say something initially, and we'll repeat it several times. The problem was not with the potter. The problem was with the clay. Usually there are two possible problems that will disrupt the work of the potter. First, the clay could contain hidden impurities or some foreign matter of some kind. Secondly, the clay could be stiff, inflexible, and unyielding. In other words, if the clay is not pliable enough, it's basically impossible to be worked with.

So the difficulty is not with God. The difficulty is in man. Now, I ask you this question. What happened to Israel? Do you remember that? If God planned for them to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, we know they were neither. What happened? Well, you're going to find that Israel had both problems. They had impurities or foreign materials, that is idolatry, as well as a rebellious heart that was as an adamant stone. Without turning there, let me just quote 2 Kings 17:12. Listen carefully. God says concerning Israel, "For they served idols."

Whereof the Lord had said unto them, "Ye shall not do this thing." What did they do? They forsook God. They went after foreign gods, foreign material, all these pebbles there. And how about Zechariah 7:12? Now listen. The Bible says, "Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts." What did they do? They made their hearts as an adamant stone. They made their hearts inflexible, stiff, and hard.

All you have to do is read the book of Judges. See how often they forsook God and went into idolatry, and God judged them. Read the book of Hosea. Read the book of Amos. And you will find that Israel had both of these problems. They were full of impurities and foreign matter, and they were stiff and inflexible. Well, let me ask you this question then. What about the problems in our lives? Do you realize we basically have the same exact problems?

I want you to turn back to Isaiah 59. And I want us to read the first four verses, Isaiah 59. And I want you to look what God said, what he said in Isaiah 59 is just as true today as it was then. You want to know what the problem in our lives, what the problem in our churches, our families, and our country really is? Here it is. Look at Isaiah 59 verse 1. The Bible says this,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 59:1-4

"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear."

There's no problem with the potter. No problem with God.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 59:1-4

"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness."

"None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity." Wow. Is that not exactly where we are today? Is that not what is wrong with most people, most families, most churches, and our entire country? Of course it is. The problem is not with God. God's hand is not short that it cannot save. His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear. But it's our sins. It's our rebellion. It's the pebbles. It's the stones in our lives.

You know, I've dealt with animals all my life. And it's interesting. You can feed those animals and you can let one grain of corn get in your shoe. And just a few seconds, you're limping. And you have to stop and get that grain of corn out. Any little pebble will do the same thing. And that's what God says. It's our sins. It's our iniquities.

Human Responsibility

Believers are responsible to remove sin (pebbles) from their lives and remain soft and pliable to God through continual repentance and yielding.

Now, I want you to turn to 2 Timothy 2. I want you to hold this passage. You can mark 2 Timothy 2. 2 Timothy 2. And I want you to look at verses 20-22. 2 Timothy 2. Let's begin reading there with verse 20. Because I'm going to set you up just shortly. So you can see another point. So you want to mark this? We'll be coming back here probably. Second Timothy, chapter two, look at verse 20. Look what he says.

"But in a great house"—that is in a good house, a big house, a large house, a magnificent house—"But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. Now watch. If a man therefore purge himself from these," that is the dishonorable things, "he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Now, whose responsibility is it to get that grain of corn out of my shoe? It's mine. Doesn't matter how it got in there, whether I dropped it purposely or I dropped it accidentally or someone threw it at me, it didn't matter. If it's in my shoe, it's my responsibility to get it out. Whose responsibility is it to remove the pebbles from our lives? It's our responsibility.

Do you understand that repentance is the gift of God? But God is not going to repent for you. Faith is the gift of God. But God is not going to believe for you. We have been commanded to repent. We have been commanded to believe. But let me tell you something about repentance and faith. Repentance and faith are not just simply one-time acts. If we have been saved by the grace of God, repentance is an attitude and disposition of life. We are to be continually and constantly turning from anything and everything that happens to be contrary to God and his word.

I've said this before, you've heard me say it. I've done far more repenting after I got saved than when I got saved. Because when God convicted me initially, he convicted me over a number of things. And yeah, I repented of those things. But when I started studying the scripture, I found out I had a whole lot more problems than just those few. And our lives are to be a life of continual repentance. Moreover, it is our responsibility to make sure that we are yielding to God.

Do you remember that passage in Romans 12:1, where Paul said,

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:1

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

Look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 6. Look what he asked. Romans chapter 6. Notice if you would, verse 16. Romans chapter 6 and verse 16. Romans 6 and verse 16. Look at this.

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Ah, do you realize you can be soft and pliable either toward God or soft and pliable toward sin? In other words, it's your responsibility to say, "Lord, make me soft and pliable to you. I want to yield to you." Do you realize the truth of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20? Listen to what the Scripture says. "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." So you have a responsibility to make sure the pebbles are out of your life. You have the responsibility to make sure that you are soft and pliable and easily worked with.

You see, it is absolute foolishness on our part to think that we can sin, that we can rebel, that we can be disobedient and still be used for God and for His honor and His glory. I have known pastors who were in wonderful positions to reach a lot of people. And they develop an attitude, "Well, I can sin and I can do this because I'm doing such a good work and God's going to overlook this." It's not going to happen. God is not going to overlook our sin. Someone says, "Well, what you need to do is you just need to make yourself indispensable to God." I've got news for you. No one is indispensable to God. We're all dispensable. And when we get so proud and so arrogant and so haughty and so inflated with our own pride that we think we're indispensable, right there is a huge stone. And a huge unyielding spot in the clay. And I've got news for you, there's many saints that have learned the lesson the hard way. That God resisteth the proud.

But he giveth grace unto the humble. So it's our responsibility.

The Potter's Prerogative

God has the sovereign right to remake a marred vessel into either a vessel of honor or dishonor, as He pleases. He is not accountable to us.

Now, I want you to go back to verse four of Jeremiah, chapter 18. I want you to look this. We've looked so far at number one, the potter's precepts last week. Number two, the potter's plan. Which I pointed out, and of course, we've looked at this third point. Which I want to emphasize again, and that's certainly the potter's problem because of the pebbles, because of the inconsistency in the clay. But in verse four, you have another truth, and that is the potter's prerogative. Look in verse four, "And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter." Here's his prerogative. "So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it." Ah.

We need to learn something, folks. Here it is. We need to learn that God has an incontestable sovereignty over us. And He is not a debtor to us. We must learn that God may dispose of us as He thinks fit. And he is not accountable to us at all. For you and I to think that God is accountable to us, for you and I to think that God must give a reason for what he does in our lives, is to say, essentially, that the clay has a right to quarrel with the potter. No.

You know what the Bible says in Job 33:13? Listen to this. Job 33:13.

Scripture Reading — Job 33:13

"Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters."

God does not owe us an explanation. God does not owe us a reason. God is sovereign. God is God.

Now, let me quote, if you want to turn back there, you may. Second Timothy chapter 2, I told you we were coming back there. Look, if you want to, at Second Timothy chapter 2. It's a very important verse. I want you to look what he says. Second Timothy 2, verse 20. He says this. Second Timothy 2, verse 20. "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour."

"If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." Well, now wait a minute. What did he say? There are vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor in every house. My wife has a beautiful bowl, I guess you would call it a bowl, that Jane gave her before she died. And that bowl is on our mantelpiece for everyone to see. It's a very beautiful, it's a very attractive bowl.

But our slop jar is not on the mantel. Our honeypot is not on the mantel. Whatever you call it, chamber pots. Yeah, no, no, it's not on the mantle. Now, listen to this. Listen, Jeremiah 18, verse four. Now, listen. "And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter." Listen now. "So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it." So the potter can just as easily make you into a vessel of dishonor as a vessel of honor. So if the clay is full of pebbles, if the clay is unusable, if the clay is stiff and unyielding, what? Instead of making a vase, he'll make us a slop jar. Romans 9:21. Listen carefully. "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" That's God's prerogative.

Examples of Vessels of Dishonor

Weaver cites Demas, Hymenaeus, Alexander, and the incestuous man in Corinth as biblical examples of those who became vessels of dishonor due to sin.

Now, let me give you a couple of examples. I want you to follow this one, if you would. Let's go, first of all, to the book of Colossians. Let's go to the book of Colossians. The first example I want to give you of a vessel of dishonor is a young man by the name of Demas. Look in the book of Colossians chapter 4 and verse 14. In this passage. Colossians 4 verse 14. We read this, "Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you." So Demas traveled with Paul and Luke the physician. If you would look in your Bibles.

Scripture Reading — Colossians 4:14

Let me get there momentarily myself. I think it is. Yeah. Philemon 1 in verse 24, there's only one verse there. Right before the book of Hebrews. I want you to watch this. The book of Philemon. Verse 24. "Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers." Isn't that amazing? Demas is here called a fellow laborer with the Apostle Paul and, of course, with Luke. Now, I want you to turn to Second Timothy, Chapter 4, I want you to look at what is said concerning Demas. Paul writes, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia." Isn't that amazing? Demas not only traveled with the Apostle Paul and Luke, he was also counted as a fellow laborer. He was viewed as one that loved the Lord and served him. But the question has to be asked, what happened to Demas? I mean, with all of his advantages, with all of his training, with all of his fellowship, and all the opportunities that Demas had, what happened to Demas?

How is Demas best remembered? He is no longer remembered as a fellow laborer with the Apostle Paul. He's no longer remembered as someone who traveled with Luke. No, no, no, no. Demas is now remembered as someone who forsook the ministry and forsook the Lord. He's remembered as someone who loved this present evil world. He loved the glitter and the glamour of this world more than the Lord Jesus Christ.

He didn't want to be a martyr. He didn't want to suffer. He wanted to retreat to a place of safety. He loved the world that now is, the world with all of its cares, with all of its troubles, with all of its confusion. He loved this world, not the next world. And he'd rather have his life now than later. You see, Luke is remembered as the beloved physician. Paul is remembered as the greatest apostle. Demas? He's remembered as one who is unworthy to be remembered. He's a vessel of dishonor.

Look in 1 Timothy chapter 1, let me show you a couple more. You read about these people, but you never think about it. 1 Timothy chapter 1, look in verses 18 through 20. 1 Timothy chapter 1, beginning there, verse 18, Paul tells Timothy, "This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." Wow! When was the last time you thought of Hymenaeus and Alexander? Now, evidently, Hymenaeus and Alexander were in the church. They had indeed made professions of faith, and yet they remained in error. If you would turn right over, hold 1 Timothy chapter 1, but turn right over to 2 Timothy chapter 2, we'll come back there in just a moment, but look in verse 17. We'll come back and read a little bit more later. "And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus." Now, Hymenaeus is mentioned again. How do we know that Hymenaeus and Alexander were in the church? Well, because the Apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 20 that he delivered them unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. Now, delivering them unto Satan is through excommunication or church discipline, which is read, which we read this same phrase in 1 Corinthians 5, which we will get there a little bit later.

But I want you to note that both of these men evidently held unsound doctrine. Go back to 2 Timothy, chapter 2, and let's now read 17 and 18. He said, "And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some." Wow. How are Hymenaeus and Alexander remembered? They're remembered as individuals who made shipwreck of their faith, and shipwrecked other people's faith as well. They are known as vessels of dishonor. In fact, Paul had to say, at one point, "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil." So he turned against the Apostle Paul. A vessel of dishonor. Let me show you another one. I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 5. I wish I had time to really deal with this passage. I don't, but I want you to look at it very quickly. 1 Corinthians chapter 5. Because this is where the Apostle Paul had to deliver someone else over to Satan.

Which again is church discipline. I want you to look at it. You're talking about a heinous sin. Here it is, 1 Corinthians 5, verse 1. Paul writes, "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife." So he said even the unsaved don't condone this. He said, "And what about you folks? Ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you."

"For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." Now, this is a very heinous and grievous sin, and it was done in blatant opposition to scripture. It was done even while his father was alive. Now, most commentators are going to say that this was his stepmother, not his real fleshly mother. And so here's a man then committing fornication with his stepmother, and his father is still alive. I'll show you that in 2 Corinthians 7. 2 Corinthians 7. Paul is still talking about this in verse 12. And look what he says. 2 Corinthians 7 verse 12. "Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong," that's the son, "nor for his cause that suffered wrong," that's the father, "but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you." Wow! So here's a man committing fornication with his stepmother, which is absolutely contrary to Scripture.

Let me just quote these very quickly. In Leviticus 18:8, God says this, "The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness." Leviticus 20:11, "And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." Deuteronomy 22:30, "A man shall not take his father's wife, nor discover his father's skirt." Wow. Here's a man that committed fornication evidently with his stepmother. If you look in 2 Corinthians chapter 2, the amazing thing is, this man was restored. He evidently repented. He is unnamed, and I can tell you why he is unnamed. I would not want my name listed either. But look in 2 Corinthians 2, 2 Corinthians 2 it is, beginning there with verse 6, 2 Corinthians 2 verse 6. The Apostle Paul says, "Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow."

"Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ." Was he forgiven? Yes. Was he restored? Yes. How is he remembered?

As someone that committed an awful, heinous, grievous sin, one that was not even condoned by the heathen. He will always be remembered as a dishonorable vessel. Here's the whole point. I want you to go back to Jeremiah 18. Look at verse four. Here's the whole point. Watch this. Here is the potter's prerogative. The Bible says in verse four, "And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter." That's his problem. Here's his prerogative. "So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it." So, guess what? We may sin. We may be disobedient. We may transgress. We may rebel. We may fail to surrender and yield and do that which is right. But that does not upset or destroy the work of the Potter. He just makes it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Conclusion and Application

God is in control of all, and He will work with what we give Him. We must choose to be vessels of honor, as we will be remembered accordingly.

Instead of making us a beautiful vase to display, he'll make us a slop jar. He'll make us a spittoon bucket. We are in his hands. The divine potter is not hampered in the least. The problem was never with the potter. The problem is always with the clay. You know what the Bible says in Psalm 76:10, listen to this. "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain."

God is in control, even of sin and rebellion. And God will let just enough sin and just enough rebellion to be that will ultimately praise His justice. And the remainder He will restrain. And Daniel 4:35, the Bible says this, "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" God does according to his will in the armies of heaven and in the inhabitants of the earth, and no one can stop him. He has the absolute right to make us into any vessel that He so chooses. He's the potter. We're the clay. We can be a vessel of honor or a vessel of dishonor. God will work with what we give Him. And He'll make it to whatever pleases Himself. Let me make a couple of applications. The first one is this. All clay, no matter the consistency and no matter the content of the clay, is in the hand of the divine potter. There is no one that can thwart or hinder or stop or overthrow the divine potter. God has said, in Isaiah 46:10, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." In Ephesians 1:5, we read about the good pleasure of His will. In Ephesians 1:9, He speaks according to the good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself. And then in Ephesians 1:11, he sums it up, he says, we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated, listen, "according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."

So the truth of the matter is this, folks, we are in God's hands. And God can either make us a vessel of honor or a vessel of dishonor.

Oh, do you realize? You will be remembered when you die, you will be remembered, maybe not for long and maybe not for many, but you will be remembered by your family, by your friends. The question is, how do you want to be remembered? As a vessel of honor? Or as a vessel of dishonor? There have been a number of people that have died that I have heard people say. And sometimes I've said it myself. "Thank God he's gone." There are others that we say, "Oh, God."

Study Guide

Major Themes

Sovereignty of God

Summary: God, as the divine potter, has absolute authority and control over nations and individuals, shaping them according to His will.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'God is the absolute and sole sovereign... he has an absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct toward him.'

Human Responsibility and Repentance

Summary: Believers must actively remove sin from their lives and remain pliable to God through continual repentance and yielding.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Whose responsibility is it to remove the pebbles from our lives? It's our responsibility.'

Genuine Hearing of God's Word

Summary: True hearing of Scripture is evidenced by condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, and confirmation in a believer's life.

Evidence: Weaver reviews, 'If you're really genuinely hearing the Word of God, then you're going to have some of these things in your life in some degree.'

God's Plan for His People

Summary: God's predetermined plan includes salvation, sanctification, separation from the world, and assurance of salvation.

Evidence: Weaver outlines, 'It is God's plan that His people be saved... sanctified... separated... sure of that salvation.'

Consequences of Sin and Rebellion

Summary: Sin and rebellion mar the clay, leading God to remake the vessel into one of dishonor rather than honor.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'Instead of making us a beautiful vase to display, he'll make us a slop jar.'

Assurance Based on Christ's Work

Summary: Assurance of salvation rests on the objective finished work of Christ, not on subjective feelings or experiences.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Salvation is based upon the person and work of Jesus Christ... It is finished.'

Key Arguments

The problem is with the clay, not the potter

Summary: The marring of the vessel is due to impurities and stiffness in the clay, representing human sin and rebellion, not any deficiency in God.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'The problem was not with the potter. The problem was with the clay.'

God's plan is thwarted by human sin

Summary: Israel failed to become a holy nation because of idolatry and hard hearts, and the same issues cause problems in believers' lives today.

Evidence: Weaver cites Isaiah 59:1-2, 'Your iniquities have separated between you and your God.'

Believers must actively purge sin

Summary: Using 2 Timothy 2:20-22, Weaver argues that individuals are responsible to cleanse themselves from dishonorable things to be vessels of honor.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour.'

God's sovereignty includes the right to make vessels of dishonor

Summary: God can remake a marred vessel into a vessel of dishonor as He sees fit, demonstrating His incontestable sovereignty.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Romans 9:21, 'Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?'

No one is indispensable to God

Summary: Pride and self-importance are like stones in the clay; God resists the proud and can replace anyone.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'No one is indispensable to God. We're all dispensable.'

Repentance is a continual attitude

Summary: Repentance is not a one-time act but a lifelong disposition of turning from sin.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Repentance is an attitude and disposition of life... I've done far more repenting after I got saved than when I got saved.'

Scripture References

Jeremiah 18:1-12

Context: The primary text of the sermon, describing the potter's house and God's message to Israel.

Exodus 19:3-6

Context: God's plan for Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Matthew 1:21

Context: Jesus came to save His people from their sins, part of God's plan for salvation.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

Context: God chose believers to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Context: God's will is our sanctification, including abstaining from fornication.

Romans 1:1

Context: Paul was separated unto the gospel, illustrating separation as part of God's plan.

Galatians 1:4

Context: Christ gave Himself to deliver us from this present evil world according to God's will.

1 John 5:10-13

Context: Assurance of salvation is based on the record that God has given us eternal life in His Son.

2 Kings 17:12

Context: Israel served idols, showing their impurity and rebellion.

Zechariah 7:12

Context: Israel made their hearts as an adamant stone, refusing to hear God's law.

Isaiah 59:1-4

Context: God's hand is not shortened, but sins have separated people from God.

2 Timothy 2:20-22

Context: Believers must purge themselves from dishonorable things to be vessels of honor.

Romans 12:1

Context: Believers are to present their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.

Romans 6:16

Context: We are servants to whom we yield ourselves, whether to sin or obedience.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Context: Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit; we are bought with a price and should glorify God.

Job 33:13

Context: God does not give account of His matters; He is not accountable to us.

Romans 9:21

Context: The potter has power over the clay to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor.

Colossians 4:14

Context: Demas is mentioned as a greeter alongside Luke.

Philemon 1:24

Context: Demas is called a fellow laborer with Paul.

2 Timothy 4:10

Context: Demas forsook Paul, having loved this present world.

Historical References

Dwight L. Moody

Context: Weaver mentions Moody's note in his Bible: 'Either this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.'

Important Quotes

The problem was not with the potter. The problem was with the clay.

Significance: Summarizes the core issue of human sin and rebellion versus God's perfect sovereignty.

So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Significance: Highlights God's prerogative to reshape marred clay into either honor or dishonor.

No one is indispensable to God. We're all dispensable.

Significance: Warns against pride and self-importance in service to God.

Repentance is an attitude and disposition of life.

Significance: Emphasizes that repentance is ongoing, not a one-time event.

Salvation is based upon the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Significance: Grounds assurance in objective truth rather than subjective feelings.

Either this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.

Significance: A memorable quote from D.L. Moody about the power of Scripture to prevent sin.

God does not owe us an explanation. God does not owe us a reason. God is sovereign. God is God.

Significance: Affirms God's absolute sovereignty and lack of accountability to humanity.

Instead of making us a beautiful vase to display, he'll make us a slop jar.

Significance: Vividly illustrates the consequence of being a vessel of dishonor.

Discussion Questions

What are the evidences that someone is genuinely hearing God's Word, and how can we cultivate these in our lives?

Context: Weaver reviewed five evidences: condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, and confirmation.

How does understanding God's predetermined plan for our lives (salvation, sanctification, separation, assurance) change the way we live?

Context: Weaver outlined God's plan from various Scriptures.

In what ways do 'pebbles' (hidden sins or impurities) and 'stiffness' (rebellion) manifest in our lives, and how can we remove them?

Context: Weaver explained the two problems with clay: impurities and inflexibility.

What does it mean to be a vessel of honor versus a vessel of dishonor, and how do our choices determine which we become?

Context: Weaver discussed the potter's prerogative to remake vessels and gave biblical examples.

How can we maintain a soft and pliable heart toward God, especially when facing trials or temptations?

Context: Weaver emphasized yielding to God and continual repentance.

Why is it dangerous to base our assurance of salvation on feelings or experiences rather than on Christ's finished work?

Context: Weaver taught that assurance comes from the objective truth of Scripture.

How does the example of Demas serve as a warning to us about loving the world?

Context: Weaver used Demas as an example of a vessel of dishonor.

What does it practically look like to 'purge oneself' from dishonorable things as instructed in 2 Timothy 2:20-22?

Context: Weaver applied this passage to personal responsibility in removing sin.

Applications

Examine your life for 'pebbles' of sin

Summary: Believers should actively identify and remove hidden sins and impurities that hinder God's work in their lives.

Evidence: Weaver said, 'Whose responsibility is it to remove the pebbles from our lives? It's our responsibility.'

Cultivate a soft and pliable heart

Summary: Yield to God daily, remaining flexible and responsive to His leading, rather than becoming stiff and rebellious.

Evidence: Weaver urged, 'Lord, make me soft and pliable to you. I want to yield to you.'

Practice continual repentance

Summary: Repentance should be a lifelong attitude, turning from sin as it is revealed through Scripture.

Evidence: Weaver stated, 'Our lives are to be a life of continual repentance.'

Base assurance on Christ's finished work

Summary: Rest in the objective truth of salvation through Jesus Christ, not on fluctuating emotions or experiences.

Evidence: Weaver said, 'Salvation is based upon the person and work of Jesus Christ.'

Avoid pride and self-importance

Summary: Recognize that no one is indispensable to God; humble yourself to be usable.

Evidence: Weaver warned, 'No one is indispensable to God. We're all dispensable.'

Choose to be a vessel of honor

Summary: Live in such a way that you will be remembered as a vessel of honor, not dishonor, by your family and friends.

Evidence: Weaver asked, 'How do you want to be remembered? As a vessel of honor? Or as a vessel of dishonor?'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T17:51:09Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T09:15:23Z

Clean Transcript

The Potter and the Clay - Part 2

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

And we're going to read the first 12 verses. Jeremiah chapter 18, verses 1 through 12. Jeremiah 18, the title of the message is "The Potter and the Clay," and it's part two. So "The Potter and the Clay," part two, Jeremiah 18 verse 1: "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.' Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter?' saith the Lord. 'Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel.'"
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"At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them."
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"Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.' And they said, 'There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.'"
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If you'll remember, last week when I began this message, I pointed out the fact that God has commanded Jeremiah to go down to the potter's house, and there he's going to cause him to hear his word. The thought was, Jeremiah did not go to the plumber's house or the brick mason's house, he went to the potter's house the way he was instructed to. Because that's where God was going to speak to him, and that's where God was going to give him a message that he might give to the people. And of course that message that he was actually to give to the people was this, that God is the absolute and sole sovereign. And consequently, in light of that, he has an absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct toward him.
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And this was illustrated by the potter working with a vessel on the wheel. And you have to understand that since nations are made up of individuals, whatever is true of the nation is true of the individual as well. I pointed out the fact that he was to hear the potter's words, or the divine potter, he was to hear his words. God was going to speak to him. So I ask this question, how does one know whether or not he's really, genuinely hearing the Word of God? And you have to remember, I pointed out a distinction in the Bible between an external hearing and an internal hearing. Anyone who has ears to hear has a responsibility to hear. That's why our Lord said, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." But just because you're hearing externally, just because you're hearing sounds, does not mean that you're really genuinely hearing. So I went through the Bible and showed you that there is indeed a spiritual hearing, and that no one ever really hears the Word of God until he heeds the Word of God, until he actually obeys the Word of God.
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So the question has to come back then, how do we know that we're really genuinely hearing the Word of God? And the answer comes back, by the fruits of that Word in our lives, by the evidences, by the manifestations of that Word in our lives. And I gave you a number of things. And I want you to understand that what I said was this, if you're really genuinely hearing the Word of God, then you're going to have some of these things in your life in some degree. Now, when I say in some degree, let me explain it like this.
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You remember our Lord said, even the good hearer, the good seed, some brought forth thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold. In other words, if you're really genuinely hearing the Word of God, to some degree, these things are going to be in your life. The very first thing I pointed out was condemnation. Because you and I cannot hear the word of God without being condemned because of our sins. So we will be condemned in one sense of the word. And I pointed out, even as Christians, in 1 John chapter 3, where he said, "If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and God knoweth all things." And the very fact is, when we sin, when we violate God's law, we are condemned in our own hearts. That is for sure. But the second thing I pointed out, there will be conviction. We as Christians will always be convicted over our sins. We will know that we have fouled up, we have gone astray, we have violated, we've transgressed the Word of God. So there will be conviction in some degree.
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Thirdly, there will be correction. I pointed out the Bible is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction. If you're really hearing the Word of God, if you're really listening, you're not going to be holding on to humanistic thoughts and values. You're not going to be holding on to humanistic theology. The Word of God is designed to correct us. So if we're really listening, we're going to be corrected.
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Then, I put it fourthly, there will be cleansing in our lives. Because the Bible says, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." Jesus Christ said in John 17:17, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." And David asked, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."
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And then I pointed out how Dwight L. Moody had written in the flyleaf of his Bible, "Either this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book." And then I pointed out, lastly, there will be confirmation in your life. That is, the Holy Spirit of God is going to bear witness with your spirit that you are indeed a child of God.
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So last week we looked at one point, and that was the potter's precepts. So he said to Jeremiah, "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words."
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Now today, we're going to begin with verse 3 and look at the second point, and that is the potter's plan. Notice if you would what he said in verse 3. "Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels." Now you have to understand that a potter does not simply go to the wheels without a plan. He does not simply throw some mud at the wheel and decides he'll wait and see what turns out. No. When the potter goes to the wheel, he has already determined beforehand what he's going to produce.
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It may be a vase. It may be a cup. It may be a pot. It may be a plate. It may be a bowl. But he already knows what he's going to produce. By the way, you know some folks pronounce vase, vase. Do you know the difference between a vase and a vase? About 600 bucks. It depends. If you want to buy a vase, you can buy a vase at Wal-Mart for 20 bucks. But if you go to an antique store or some other high-volume store and you buy a vase, then you're going to pay an extra 700 bucks for basically the same thing. But the potter knows exactly what he's going to make when he goes to the wheel.
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So God, the divine potter, also had a plan for Israel. And let me show you what that plan is. Look in your Bibles, Exodus chapter 19, and notice if you would, beginning there with verse 3. Exodus 19, in verse 3, hold Jeremiah 18, we're coming right back. But look in Exodus chapter 19, and let's begin reading there with verse 3. Exodus 19 verse 3, "Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, 'Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.'"
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"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, now watch, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel." So God revealed to Moses His plan for the nation of Israel, and then Moses communicated that plan to the people. Likewise, God communicates His plan for our lives in His Word.
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Let me give you several things that should be very obvious. First of all, it is God's will that His people be saved from their sins. Stop and think about that. It's God's will that his people be saved from their sins. This should be very obvious because the Bible says this is the reason why he sent the Lord Jesus Christ into the world. The Bible says in Matthew 1:21, to Mary, "And thou shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." So God then has sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in order that we might be saved from our sins. But that's not all. He not only sent the Lord Jesus, He also sent the Holy Spirit into the world. If you look in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians 2, 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 13 and 14, and look if you would at what the Blessed Holy Spirit does. 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 13 and 14.
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Here the Apostle Paul says this, 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13, "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." Note, if you would, the Bible says in verse 13 that God has not only chosen us to salvation, but he chose us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. So obviously, not only did the Lord Jesus Christ come and die for his people, at the same time, God sent the Holy Spirit of God to draw us unto himself. That's why the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:18, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
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So let's mark it down. We can say it like this. It is God's plan. It is the divine potter's plan for his people that we be saved. Secondly, I can point out, it's his divine plan that we be sanctified. If you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. And let's begin reading there with verse 1. And notice, if you would, how plainly this is stated.
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This is an obvious fact. First Thessalonians chapter four. And look, if you would please, there beginning with verse one. Look what the apostle says. "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit." Notice if you would, he says, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification."
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So let me just spell it out for you. First of all, we can say it's God's plan that His people be saved. It's God's plan, secondly, that His people be sanctified. Thirdly, I can say it like this, it is God's plan that His people be separated.
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Now, the apostle Paul said it like this in Romans 1:1. He said, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God."
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Now, if you're separated unto God, and by the way, really and truly, that's what the word sanctified means. It means to be set apart. It means to be set apart for a special purpose. So it's God's plan then for you and I to be saved as His people, to be sanctified, and to be separated unto Him, unto His Word, unto His truth. Did you know that the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:4, listen to this, talking about Jesus Christ, "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Do you realize it's God's will that we be delivered from this present evil world? That means we're to be separated unto Him, unto His Gospel. So it's the Sovereign's plan that we be saved, that we be sanctified, that we be separated.
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And I'm going to give you one more thing before I go to the next point. I want you to understand this. It's also the Sovereign's plan that we be sure of that salvation. I want you to understand this. Salvation is an objective fact. I said this last week. Salvation is an objective fact. Salvation is not based upon our experiences. It's not based upon our feelings. It's not based upon our emotions. Salvation is based upon the person and work of Jesus Christ. Do you remember in John 19:30, Christ was hanging on the cross and he said this, "It is finished." That is, it's over, it's done with, it is an accomplished fact.
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Now, there are a lot of people who are basically not sure that they're saved. Some of them probably really are not saved, that's why they're not sure. But others who may be saved are trying to base their assurance upon some feeling or some experience. Listen, not everyone has the same experience. Not everybody is made up the same. Not everyone has the same emotions that other people have. No. You cannot trust emotions or experiences. The only thing that you can trust is the completed, full, and final work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Now, let me show you this. I want you to turn in your Bible, hold Jeremiah 18, but turn in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 5. I want you to see this in light of what I've just said. Look in 1 John chapter 5. 1 and 2 Peter, and then 1 John, and go, if you would, to chapter 5 and let's begin reading there with verse 10. 1 John 5 and verse 10.
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So now we're talking about assurance of salvation. We're talking about being sure that we're saved. But you look what he says. 1 John chapter 5 and let's begin reading there with verse 10. "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself." That is, we have the Holy Spirit. "He that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son." So God gave his Son a record, and God said, if we do not believe this record, then we're making him a liar. Well, what is the record? Look in verse 11. "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." Now watch the next verse. "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."
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Now, let me just stop there. It's plain and simple. If you're in Jesus Christ, if you have Jesus Christ, he says you have life. If you don't have Jesus Christ, you don't have life. But look at verse 13. Look what he said. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." That you may know that you have eternal life. How can I know? Not based upon my experience, not based upon my feelings or my emotions, but based upon the objective person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ completed everything. He fulfilled the law.
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He earned and worked out a perfect righteousness. He died as our substitute, as our surety, and as our sacrifice. And God has given him this record that he that hath the Son hath life. And therefore, we may know that if we're in Christ, we have life. If we're not in Christ, then we don't have life, and we don't know. So obviously, it's God's plan that we be saved, that we be sanctified, that we be separated, and that we be sure.
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Now, here's a good question. If that is God's plan for us, why are we in such a mess? Why are our lives, our churches, our families, our country in such a mess? What happened to the plan? Well, let me ask you a question. What happened to the nation Israel? Do you remember? I read back in Exodus chapter 19, where God said that they were to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. What happened to that nation?
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How then did they end up being chastised, deported and cursed? Well, that question, along with several others, leads me to the next point. I want you to go back to Jeremiah 18 and look at verse 4. I want you to notice what he said in verse 3 again. Here's the potter's plan, verse 3. "Then I went down to the potter's house and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels." Now look in verse 4. Now we have the potter's problem.
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"And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter." Whoa. The vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. Pottery is one of the oldest arts in the world, and it remains virtually unchanged to this present time. The potter would take a lump of clay, he would twist it, he would knead it, he would pound it, till hopefully all the bubbles and impurities were out of it and it was soft and pliable. Then he would place that clay on the wheel. The wheel was operated usually by a treadle. The potter would put that clay right in the middle of that wheel, and the wheel would spin. And then the potter then would take his fingers and his hands and caress that clay and work that clay. And if the clay was of the right consistency, and if the clay was free from impurities and foreign matters, then that lump of clay, which was nothing in and of itself, would turn out to be a very beautiful and useful vessel.
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But the Bible says in verse 4, "And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter." Now let me repeat something initially, or say something initially, and we'll repeat it several times. The problem was not with the potter. The problem was with the clay. Usually there are two possible problems that will disrupt the work of the potter. First, the clay could contain hidden impurities or some foreign matter of some kind. Secondly, the clay could be stiff, inflexible, and unyielding. In other words, if the clay is not pliable enough, it's basically impossible to be worked with.
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So the difficulty is not with God. The difficulty is in man.
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Now, I ask you this question. What happened to Israel? Do you remember that? If God planned for them to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, we know they were neither. What happened? Well, you're going to find that Israel had both problems. They had impurities or foreign materials, that is idolatry, as well as a rebellious heart that was as an adamant stone. Without turning there, let me just quote 2 Kings 17:12. Listen carefully. God says concerning Israel, "For they served idols."
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Whereof the Lord had said unto them, "Ye shall not do this thing." What did they do? They forsook God. They went after foreign gods, foreign material, all these pebbles there. And how about Zechariah 7:12? Now listen. The Bible says, "Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts." What did they do? They made their hearts as an adamant stone. They made their hearts inflexible, stiff, and hard.
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All you have to do is read the book of Judges. See how often they forsook God and went into idolatry, and God judged them. Read the book of Hosea. Read the book of Amos. And you will find that Israel had both of these problems. They were full of impurities and foreign matter, and they were stiff and inflexible. Well, let me ask you this question then. What about the problems in our lives? Do you realize we basically have the same exact problems?
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I want you to turn back to Isaiah 59. And I want us to read the first four verses, Isaiah 59. And I want you to look what God said, what he said in Isaiah 59 is just as true today as it was then. You want to know what the problem in our lives, what the problem in our churches, our families, and our country really is? Here it is. Look at Isaiah 59 verse 1.
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The Bible says this, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear." There's no problem with the potter. No problem with God. "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness."
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"None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity." Wow. Is that not exactly where we are today? Is that not what is wrong with most people, most families, most churches, and our entire country? Of course it is. The problem is not with God. God's hand is not short that it cannot save. His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear. But it's our sins. It's our rebellion. It's the pebbles. It's the stones in our lives.
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You know, I've dealt with animals all my life. And it's interesting. You can feed those animals and you can let one grain of corn get in your shoe. And just a few seconds, you're limping. And you have to stop and get that grain of corn out. Any little pebble will do the same thing. And that's what God says. It's our sins. It's our iniquities.
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Now, I want you to turn to 2 Timothy 2. I want you to hold this passage. You can mark 2 Timothy 2. 2 Timothy 2. And I want you to look at verses 20-22. 2 Timothy 2. Let's begin reading there with verse 20. Because I'm going to set you up just shortly. So you can see another point. So you want to mark this? We'll be coming back here probably. Second Timothy, chapter two, look at verse 20. Look what he says.
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"But in a great house"—that is in a good house, a big house, a large house, a magnificent house—"But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. Now watch. If a man therefore purge himself from these," that is the dishonorable things, "he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."
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"Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Now, whose responsibility is it to get that grain of corn out of my shoe? It's mine. Doesn't matter how it got in there, whether I dropped it purposely or I dropped it accidentally or someone threw it at me, it didn't matter. If it's in my shoe, it's my responsibility to get it out. Whose responsibility is it to remove the pebbles from our lives? It's our responsibility.
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Do you understand that repentance is the gift of God? But God is not going to repent for you. Faith is the gift of God. But God is not going to believe for you. We have been commanded to repent. We have been commanded to believe. But let me tell you something about repentance and faith. Repentance and faith are not just simply one-time acts. If we have been saved by the grace of God, repentance is an attitude and disposition of life. We are to be continually and constantly turning from anything and everything that happens to be contrary to God and his word.
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I've said this before, you've heard me say it. I've done far more repenting after I got saved than when I got saved. Because when God convicted me initially, he convicted me over a number of things. And yeah, I repented of those things. But when I started studying the scripture, I found out I had a whole lot more problems than just those few. And our lives are to be a life of continual repentance. Moreover, it is our responsibility to make sure that we are yielding to God.
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Do you remember that passage in Romans 12:1, where Paul said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 6. Look what he asked. Romans chapter 6. Notice if you would, verse 16. Romans chapter 6 and verse 16. Romans 6 and verse 16. Look at this.
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"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Ah, do you realize you can be soft and pliable either toward God or soft and pliable toward sin? In other words, it's your responsibility to say, "Lord, make me soft and pliable to you. I want to yield to you." Do you realize the truth of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20?
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Listen to what the Scripture says. "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." So you have a responsibility to make sure the pebbles are out of your life. You have the responsibility to make sure that you are soft and pliable and easily worked with.
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You see, it is absolute foolishness on our part to think that we can sin, that we can rebel, that we can be disobedient and still be used for God and for His honor and His glory. I have known pastors who were in wonderful positions to reach a lot of people. And they develop an attitude, "Well, I can sin and I can do this because I'm doing such a good work and God's going to overlook this." It's not going to happen. God is not going to overlook our sin. Someone says, "Well, what you need to do is you just need to make yourself indispensable to God."
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I've got news for you. No one is indispensable to God. We're all dispensable. And when we get so proud and so arrogant and so haughty and so inflated with our own pride that we think we're indispensable, right there is a huge stone. And a huge unyielding spot in the clay. And I've got news for you, there's many saints that have learned the lesson the hard way. That God resisteth the proud.
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But he giveth grace unto the humble. So it's our responsibility.
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Now, I want you to go back to verse four of Jeremiah, chapter 18. I want you to look this. We've looked so far at number one, the potter's precepts last week. Number two, the potter's plan. Which I pointed out, and of course, we've looked at this third point. Which I want to emphasize again, and that's certainly the potter's problem because of the pebbles, because of the inconsistency in the clay. But in verse four, you have another truth, and that is the potter's prerogative. Look in verse four, "And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter." Here's his prerogative. "So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it." Ah.
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We need to learn something, folks. Here it is. We need to learn that God has an incontestable sovereignty over us. And He is not a debtor to us. We must learn that God may dispose of us as He thinks fit. And he is not accountable to us at all. For you and I to think that God is accountable to us, for you and I to think that God must give a reason for what he does in our lives, is to say, essentially, that the clay has a right to quarrel with the potter. No.
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You know what the Bible says in Job 33:13? Listen to this. Job 33:13. "Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters." God does not owe us an explanation. God does not owe us a reason. God is sovereign. God is God.
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Now, let me quote, if you want to turn back there, you may. Second Timothy chapter 2, I told you we were coming back there. Look, if you want to, at Second Timothy chapter 2. It's a very important verse. I want you to look what he says. Second Timothy 2, verse 20. He says this. Second Timothy 2, verse 20. "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour."
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"If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." Well, now wait a minute. What did he say? There are vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor in every house. My wife has a beautiful bowl, I guess you would call it a bowl, that Jane gave her before she died. And that bowl is on our mantelpiece for everyone to see. It's a very beautiful, it's a very attractive bowl.
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But our slop jar is not on the mantel. Our honeypot is not on the mantel. Whatever you call it, chamber pots. Yeah, no, no, it's not on the mantle. Now, listen to this. Listen, Jeremiah 18, verse four. Now, listen. "And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter." Listen now. "So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it." So the potter can just as easily make you into a vessel of dishonor as a vessel of honor. So if the clay is full of pebbles, if the clay is unusable, if the clay is stiff and unyielding, what? Instead of making a vase, he'll make us a slop jar. Romans 9:21. Listen carefully. "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" That's God's prerogative.
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Now, let me give you a couple of examples. I want you to follow this one, if you would. Let's go, first of all, to the book of Colossians. Let's go to the book of Colossians. The first example I want to give you of a vessel of dishonor is a young man by the name of Demas. Look in the book of Colossians chapter 4 and verse 14. In this passage. Colossians 4 verse 14. We read this, "Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you." So Demas traveled with Paul and Luke the physician. If you would look in your Bibles.
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Let me get there momentarily myself. I think it is. Yeah. Philemon 1 in verse 24, there's only one verse there. Right before the book of Hebrews. I want you to watch this. The book of Philemon. Verse 24. "Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers." Isn't that amazing? Demas is here called a fellow laborer with the Apostle Paul and, of course, with Luke. Now, I want you to turn to Second Timothy, Chapter 4, I want you to look at what is said concerning Demas. Paul writes, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia." Isn't that amazing? Demas not only traveled with the Apostle Paul and Luke, he was also counted as a fellow laborer. He was viewed as one that loved the Lord and served him. But the question has to be asked, what happened to Demas? I mean, with all of his advantages, with all of his training, with all of his fellowship, and all the opportunities that Demas had, what happened to Demas?
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How is Demas best remembered? He is no longer remembered as a fellow laborer with the Apostle Paul. He's no longer remembered as someone who traveled with Luke. No, no, no, no. Demas is now remembered as someone who forsook the ministry and forsook the Lord. He's remembered as someone who loved this present evil world. He loved the glitter and the glamour of this world more than the Lord Jesus Christ.
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He didn't want to be a martyr. He didn't want to suffer. He wanted to retreat to a place of safety. He loved the world that now is, the world with all of its cares, with all of its troubles, with all of its confusion. He loved this world, not the next world. And he'd rather have his life now than later. You see, Luke is remembered as the beloved physician. Paul is remembered as the greatest apostle. Demas? He's remembered as one who is unworthy to be remembered. He's a vessel of dishonor.
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Look in 1 Timothy chapter 1, let me show you a couple more. You read about these people, but you never think about it. 1 Timothy chapter 1, look in verses 18 through 20. 1 Timothy chapter 1, beginning there, verse 18, Paul tells Timothy, "This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: of whom is
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Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." Wow! When was the last time you thought of Hymenaeus and Alexander? Now, evidently, Hymenaeus and Alexander were in the church. They had indeed made professions of faith, and yet they remained in error. If you would turn right over, hold 1 Timothy chapter 1, but turn right over to 2 Timothy chapter 2, we'll come back there in just a moment, but look in verse 17. We'll come back and read a little bit more later. "And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus." Now, Hymenaeus is mentioned again. How do we know that Hymenaeus and Alexander were in the church? Well, because the Apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 20 that he delivered them unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. Now, delivering them unto Satan is through excommunication or church discipline, which is read, which we read this same phrase in 1 Corinthians 5, which we will get there a little bit later.
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But I want you to note that both of these men evidently held unsound doctrine. Go back to 2 Timothy, chapter 2, and let's now read 17 and 18. He said, "And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some." Wow. How are Hymenaeus and Alexander remembered? They're remembered as individuals who made shipwreck of their faith, and shipwrecked other people's faith as well.
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They are known as vessels of dishonor. In fact, Paul had to say, at one point, "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil." So he turned against the Apostle Paul. A vessel of dishonor. Let me show you another one. I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 5. I wish I had time to really deal with this passage. I don't, but I want you to look at it very quickly. 1 Corinthians chapter 5. Because this is where the Apostle Paul had to deliver someone else over to Satan.
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Which again is church discipline. I want you to look at it. You're talking about a heinous sin. Here it is, 1 Corinthians 5, verse 1. Paul writes, "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife." So he said even the unsaved don't condone this. He said, "And what about you folks? Ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you."
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"For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
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Now, this is a very heinous and grievous sin, and it was done in blatant opposition to scripture. It was done even while his father was alive.
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Now, most commentators are going to say that this was his stepmother, not his real fleshly mother. And so here's a man then committing fornication with his stepmother, and his father is still alive. I'll show you that in 2 Corinthians 7. 2 Corinthians 7. Paul is still talking about this in verse 12. And look what he says. 2 Corinthians 7 verse 12. "Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong," that's the son, "nor for his cause that suffered wrong," that's the father, "but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you." Wow! So here's a man committing fornication with his stepmother, which is absolutely contrary to Scripture.
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Let me just quote these very quickly. In Leviticus 18:8, God says this, "The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness." Leviticus 20:11, "And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." Deuteronomy 22:30, "A man shall not take his father's wife, nor discover his father's skirt." Wow. Here's a man that committed fornication evidently with his stepmother. If you look in 2 Corinthians chapter 2, the amazing thing is, this man was restored. He evidently repented.
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He is unnamed, and I can tell you why he is unnamed. I would not want my name listed either. But look in 2 Corinthians 2, 2 Corinthians 2 it is, beginning there with verse 6, 2 Corinthians 2 verse 6. The Apostle Paul says, "Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow."
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"Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ." Was he forgiven? Yes. Was he restored? Yes. How is he remembered?
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As someone that committed an awful, heinous, grievous sin, one that was not even condoned by the heathen. He will always be remembered as a dishonorable vessel. Here's the whole point. I want you to go back to Jeremiah 18. Look at verse four. Here's the whole point. Watch this. Here is the potter's prerogative. The Bible says in verse four, "And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter." That's his problem. Here's his prerogative. "So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it." So, guess what? We may sin. We may be disobedient. We may transgress. We may rebel. We may fail to surrender and yield and do that which is right. But that does not upset or destroy the work of the Potter. He just makes it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
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Instead of making us a beautiful vase to display, he'll make us a slop jar. He'll make us a spittoon bucket. We are in his hands. The divine potter is not hampered in the least. The problem was never with the potter. The problem is always with the clay. You know what the Bible says in Psalm 76:10, listen to this. "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain."
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God is in control, even of sin and rebellion. And God will let just enough sin and just enough rebellion to be that will ultimately praise His justice. And the remainder He will restrain. And Daniel 4:35, the Bible says this, "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" God does according to his will in the armies of heaven and in the inhabitants of the earth, and no one can stop him.
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He has the absolute right to make us into any vessel that He so chooses. He's the potter. We're the clay. We can be a vessel of honor or a vessel of dishonor. God will work with what we give Him. And He'll make it to whatever pleases Himself. Let me make a couple of applications. The first one is this. All clay, no matter the consistency and no matter the content of the clay, is in the hand of the divine potter. There is no one that can thwart or hinder or stop or overthrow the divine potter. God has said, in Isaiah 46:10, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." In Ephesians 1:5, we read about the good pleasure of His will. In Ephesians 1:9, He speaks according to the good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself. And then in Ephesians 1:11, he sums it up, he says, we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated, listen, "according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."
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So the truth of the matter is this, folks, we are in God's hands. And God can either make us a vessel of honor or a vessel of dishonor.
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Oh, do you realize? You will be remembered when you die, you will be remembered, maybe not for long and maybe not for many, but you will be remembered by your family, by your friends. The question is, how do you want to be remembered? As a vessel of honor? Or as a vessel of dishonor? There have been a number of people that have died that I have heard people say.
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And sometimes I've said it myself. "Thank God he's gone." There are others that we say, "Oh, God."
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T17:51:09Z

The Potter and the Clay - Part 2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, John Weaver continues his exposition of Jeremiah 18, focusing on the potter's plan, problem, and prerogative. He explains that God, as the divine potter, has a sovereign plan for His people: salvation, sanctification, separation, and assurance. However, the clay (humanity) is often marred by sin and rebellion, causing problems. Yet God retains the prerogative to remake the vessel as He sees fit, either as a vessel of honor or dishonor, based on the clay's response. The message emphasizes personal responsibility to remove sin and yield to God, warning that disobedience leads to being a vessel of dishonor.

Opening

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 18:1-12

"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.' Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter?' saith the Lord. 'Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel.'"

Introduction and Review

Weaver reviews the previous sermon, emphasizing that God commanded Jeremiah to go to the potter's house to hear His word, illustrating God's sovereignty over nations and individuals.

The Potter's Precepts (Review)

Weaver recaps the five evidences of genuine hearing of God's Word: condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, and confirmation.

So last week we looked at one point, and that was the potter's precepts. So he said to Jeremiah, "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words."

The Potter's Plan

God has a predetermined plan for His people, just as a potter plans a vessel. This plan includes salvation, sanctification, separation, and assurance.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 19:3-6

"Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, 'Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.'" "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, now watch, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."

So God revealed to Moses His plan for the nation of Israel, and then Moses communicated that plan to the people. Likewise, God communicates His plan for our lives in His Word.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 1:21

"And thou shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

Here the Apostle Paul says this, 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

"But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

So now we're talking about assurance of salvation. We're talking about being sure that we're saved. But you look what he says. 1 John chapter 5 and let's begin reading there with verse 10.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:10-13

"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself."

That is, we have the Holy Spirit.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:10-13

"He that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son."

So God gave his Son a record, and God said, if we do not believe this record, then we're making him a liar. Well, what is the record? Look in verse 11.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:10-13

"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."

Now watch the next verse.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:10-13

"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

The Potter's Problem

The vessel was marred due to impurities and stiffness in the clay, representing sin and rebellion in humanity. The problem is not with God but with man.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 59:1-4

"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear."

There's no problem with the potter. No problem with God.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 59:1-4

"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness."

Human Responsibility

Believers are responsible to remove sin (pebbles) from their lives and remain soft and pliable to God through continual repentance and yielding.

Do you remember that passage in Romans 12:1, where Paul said,

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:1

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

Look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 6. Look what he asked. Romans chapter 6. Notice if you would, verse 16. Romans chapter 6 and verse 16. Romans 6 and verse 16. Look at this.

But he giveth grace unto the humble. So it's our responsibility.

The Potter's Prerogative

God has the sovereign right to remake a marred vessel into either a vessel of honor or dishonor, as He pleases. He is not accountable to us.

You know what the Bible says in Job 33:13? Listen to this. Job 33:13.

Scripture Reading — Job 33:13

"Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters."

God does not owe us an explanation. God does not owe us a reason. God is sovereign. God is God.

Examples of Vessels of Dishonor

Weaver cites Demas, Hymenaeus, Alexander, and the incestuous man in Corinth as biblical examples of those who became vessels of dishonor due to sin.

Scripture Reading — Colossians 4:14

Let me get there momentarily myself. I think it is. Yeah. Philemon 1 in verse 24, there's only one verse there. Right before the book of Hebrews. I want you to watch this. The book of Philemon. Verse 24. "Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers." Isn't that amazing? Demas is here called a fellow laborer with the Apostle Paul and, of course, with Luke. Now, I want you to turn to Second Timothy, Chapter 4, I want you to look at what is said concerning Demas. Paul writes, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia." Isn't that amazing? Demas not only traveled with the Apostle Paul and Luke, he was also counted as a fellow laborer. He was viewed as one that loved the Lord and served him. But the question has to be asked, what happened to Demas? I mean, with all of his advantages, with all of his training, with all of his fellowship, and all the opportunities that Demas had, what happened to Demas?

Conclusion and Application

God is in control of all, and He will work with what we give Him. We must choose to be vessels of honor, as we will be remembered accordingly.

So the truth of the matter is this, folks, we are in God's hands. And God can either make us a vessel of honor or a vessel of dishonor.

The Potter and the Clay - Part 2

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	42914032110
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2014-03-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 149: The Potter and the Clay — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	79

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Review: Weaver reviews the previous sermon, emphasizing that God commanded Jeremiah to go to the potter's house to hear His word, illustrating God's sovereignty over nations and individuals.
The Potter's Precepts (Review): Weaver recaps the five evidences of genuine hearing of God's Word: condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, and confirmation.
The Potter's Plan: God has a predetermined plan for His people, just as a potter plans a vessel. This plan includes salvation, sanctification, separation, and assurance.
The Potter's Problem: The vessel was marred due to impurities and stiffness in the clay, representing sin and rebellion in humanity. The problem is not with God but with man.
Human Responsibility: Believers are responsible to remove sin (pebbles) from their lives and remain soft and pliable to God through continual repentance and yielding.
The Potter's Prerogative: God has the sovereign right to remake a marred vessel into either a vessel of honor or dishonor, as He pleases. He is not accountable to us.
Examples of Vessels of Dishonor: Weaver cites Demas, Hymenaeus, Alexander, and the incestuous man in Corinth as biblical examples of those who became vessels of dishonor due to sin.
Conclusion and Application: God is in control of all, and He will work with what we give Him. We must choose to be vessels of honor, as we will be remembered accordingly.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

The problem is with the clay, not the potter

The marring of the vessel is due to impurities and stiffness in the clay, representing human sin and rebellion, not any deficiency in God.

Weaver states, 'The problem was not with the potter. The problem was with the clay.'

God's plan is thwarted by human sin

Israel failed to become a holy nation because of idolatry and hard hearts, and the same issues cause problems in believers' lives today.

Weaver cites Isaiah 59:1-2, 'Your iniquities have separated between you and your God.'

Believers must actively purge sin

Using 2 Timothy 2:20-22, Weaver argues that individuals are responsible to cleanse themselves from dishonorable things to be vessels of honor.

Weaver says, 'If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour.'

God's sovereignty includes the right to make vessels of dishonor

God can remake a marred vessel into a vessel of dishonor as He sees fit, demonstrating His incontestable sovereignty.

Weaver quotes Romans 9:21, 'Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?'

No one is indispensable to God

Pride and self-importance are like stones in the clay; God resists the proud and can replace anyone.

Weaver says, 'No one is indispensable to God. We're all dispensable.'

Repentance is a continual attitude

Repentance is not a one-time act but a lifelong disposition of turning from sin.

Weaver says, 'Repentance is an attitude and disposition of life... I've done far more repenting after I got saved than when I got saved.'

Scripture References

Jeremiah 18:1-12: The primary text of the sermon, describing the potter's house and God's message to Israel.
Exodus 19:3-6: God's plan for Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Matthew 1:21: Jesus came to save His people from their sins, part of God's plan for salvation.
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14: God chose believers to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8: God's will is our sanctification, including abstaining from fornication.
Romans 1:1: Paul was separated unto the gospel, illustrating separation as part of God's plan.
Galatians 1:4: Christ gave Himself to deliver us from this present evil world according to God's will.
1 John 5:10-13: Assurance of salvation is based on the record that God has given us eternal life in His Son.
2 Kings 17:12: Israel served idols, showing their impurity and rebellion.
Zechariah 7:12: Israel made their hearts as an adamant stone, refusing to hear God's law.
Isaiah 59:1-4: God's hand is not shortened, but sins have separated people from God.
2 Timothy 2:20-22: Believers must purge themselves from dishonorable things to be vessels of honor.
Romans 12:1: Believers are to present their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.
Romans 6:16: We are servants to whom we yield ourselves, whether to sin or obedience.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20: Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit; we are bought with a price and should glorify God.
Job 33:13: God does not give account of His matters; He is not accountable to us.
Romans 9:21: The potter has power over the clay to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor.
Colossians 4:14: Demas is mentioned as a greeter alongside Luke.
Philemon 1:24: Demas is called a fellow laborer with Paul.
2 Timothy 4:10: Demas forsook Paul, having loved this present world.

Historical References

Dwight L. Moody: Weaver mentions Moody's note in his Bible: 'Either this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.'

Important Quotes

The problem was not with the potter. The problem was with the clay.

Summarizes the core issue of human sin and rebellion versus God's perfect sovereignty.

So he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Highlights God's prerogative to reshape marred clay into either honor or dishonor.

No one is indispensable to God. We're all dispensable.

Warns against pride and self-importance in service to God.

Repentance is an attitude and disposition of life.

Emphasizes that repentance is ongoing, not a one-time event.

Salvation is based upon the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Grounds assurance in objective truth rather than subjective feelings.

Either this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.

A memorable quote from D.L. Moody about the power of Scripture to prevent sin.

God does not owe us an explanation. God does not owe us a reason. God is sovereign. God is God.

Affirms God's absolute sovereignty and lack of accountability to humanity.

Instead of making us a beautiful vase to display, he'll make us a slop jar.

Vividly illustrates the consequence of being a vessel of dishonor.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What are the evidences that someone is genuinely hearing God's Word, and how can we cultivate these in our lives?

[Context]

Weaver reviewed five evidences: condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, and confirmation.

[Question]

How does understanding God's predetermined plan for our lives (salvation, sanctification, separation, assurance) change the way we live?

[Context]

Weaver outlined God's plan from various Scriptures.

[Question]

In what ways do 'pebbles' (hidden sins or impurities) and 'stiffness' (rebellion) manifest in our lives, and how can we remove them?

[Context]

Weaver explained the two problems with clay: impurities and inflexibility.

[Question]

What does it mean to be a vessel of honor versus a vessel of dishonor, and how do our choices determine which we become?

[Context]

Weaver discussed the potter's prerogative to remake vessels and gave biblical examples.

[Question]

How can we maintain a soft and pliable heart toward God, especially when facing trials or temptations?

[Context]

Weaver emphasized yielding to God and continual repentance.

[Question]

Why is it dangerous to base our assurance of salvation on feelings or experiences rather than on Christ's finished work?

[Context]

Weaver taught that assurance comes from the objective truth of Scripture.

[Question]

How does the example of Demas serve as a warning to us about loving the world?

[Context]

Weaver used Demas as an example of a vessel of dishonor.

[Question]

What does it practically look like to 'purge oneself' from dishonorable things as instructed in 2 Timothy 2:20-22?

[Context]

Weaver applied this passage to personal responsibility in removing sin.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T09:15:23Z