Romans: Election, Israel, and Covenant Mercy

The Potter and the Clay - Part 1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2014-02-26

Synopsis: In this first part of a three-part series on Jeremiah 18:1-12, John Weaver focuses on verses 1-2, emphasizing that God commanded Jeremiah to go to the potter's house to hear His words. The central lesson is that God, as the sovereign potter, has absolute right over nations and individuals. Weaver stresses that truly hearing God's Word requires being in the appointed place—the living Word (Christ) and the written Word (Scripture)—and that genuine hearing is evidenced by internal, spiritual effects: condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, confirmation, and comfort. He warns that external hearing without obedience is not true hearing, and urges believers to prioritize daily Scripture reading and being under sound preaching.

[John Weaver] Let's open our Bibles today to the book of Jeremiah chapter 18. Jeremiah chapter 18. Let me begin by telling you the title of the message is the potter and the clay. The message that I start today is going to be in three parts. So for the next three Sundays, I'm going to be working on this one passage from Jeremiah chapter 18. And actually, we'll read through verse 12. Jeremiah 18, verses 1 through 12, the potter and the clay part one. The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, Arise and go down to the potter's house.

[John Weaver] And there I will cause ye 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 I made it again another vessel that seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, it cannot do with you as this potter, saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

[John Weaver] At what instance shall I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck it up, and to pull down, and to destroy it? If that nation against whom I pronounce turn from the evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instance shall I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build it, 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 devised advice 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] This passage is absolutely stunning. It demonstrates the grace, mercy, and patience of God, while at the same time it also demonstrates the corruption, the depravity, and the rebellion of man. Judah and Jerusalem were on the verge of being destroyed by the righteous judgment of God. And Jeremiah was commanded by God to appeal to these people one last time. You know, I thought about that. Do you realize? That for each individual.

[John Weaver] And for each nation, for each country, for each kingdom. There's always going to be one last time. or one last opportunity that they will have to hear and heed the word of God. The problem is most will never know the last opportunity or the last time. Do you realize we do not even know the last time we're going to see God's sunshine or breathe God's air? And the Bible says in Proverbs 29 verse 1, he that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.

[John Weaver] So what is true of individuals is also true of kingdoms and nations and countries. Many who plan to repent at 12 o'clock die at 1130. I can assure you of one thing that for the unconverted, And for the nations that are destroyed for not repenting, they will always remember that one last time or that one last opportunity where they should have heard and should have heeded the word of God, but they did not. And so God graciously sends Jeremiah one last time to plead with these people. Look in verse 11. Look what God says.

[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 now everyone from his evil way and make your ways and your doings good. God said you better turn now. I've devised something evil against you because of your rebellion. Verse 12. And they said there was no hope. But we will walk after our own devices And we will everyone do the imagination of his evil heart. So the evidence of a lack of and a failure to repent is a continuation in one's own ways and one's own desires and one's own devices. You have to remember that repentance is a change of heart and a change of mind that leads to a change in conduct and a change of behavior.

[John Weaver] So if someone tells me that they have repented and yet they've never changed, they still continue to do exactly the same things they have always done, then obviously there is no repentance. And I hope you understand that God will not and does not forgive where there is no repentance. And since there is no repentance, there is no forgiveness. And therefore, the only thing left is judgment. And so God now prepares Jeremiah to send him this one last time to these rebellious people. We're going to be looking at a number of things, but today I want to only cover the first two verses, which is only one point. I want you to see the potter's precepts. The potter's precepts. This entire passage is going to be dealing with the divine potter. So here we have the potter's precepts. Look in verses 1 and 2. The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Now, Jeremiah might have attended to God speaking to him at his own house.

[John Weaver] But yet he was commanded by God to go to the potter's house. Not for Jeremiah's sake because Jeremiah was willing to listen and Jeremiah was willing to be taught. But God sent him to the potter's house that he might teach the people by adding a confirmation to his doctrine. So God was teaching Jeremiah then so that he might relay this truth to the people. There was something that Jeremiah really needed to learn and therefore God sent him to the potter's house.

[John Weaver] And let me tell you what that thing was. Listen carefully. I will repeat this a number of times before I finish this message. But here's what Jeremiah was to learn. Here is what he was to communicate to the people. This simple truth. God, as the only soul and absolute sovereign, has an absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct towards him. And this truth is illustrated in a tangible form by the potter molding vessels from the clay.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to understand something. Nations, countries, and kingdoms are made up of individuals. And therefore, that which is true nationally, That which is true in reference to a country and a kingdom is equally true in reference to individuals. God is sovereign. And God has the soul, as the soul, sovereign, has an absolute right to do as He wills. So this chapter then expresses the sovereign power of God over His creatures and His usual methods of dealing with them. Just as the clay is in the potter's hands, likewise men and nations are in the hands of the divine potter, and he may do with them as he pleases."

[John Weaver] Now, there is a concept in these first two verses that deserves special attention. I want you to note that God told Jeremiah, go to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Wow. So God directed Jeremiah specifically to go to the potter's house. Let me ask you a question. What if Jeremiah had gone to the brick mason's house? Or the plumber's house? Or the gardener's house? Would he have heard from God?

[John Weaver] And the answer is no. Here's the point. If you want to hear from God, you must be in the place appointed by God to hear God speak. You're not going to hear God speak at a football game, or a hockey game, or a basketball game. Do not look to hear from God at a county fair, at the fortune teller's booth, at the spiritual advisor's house, or from the daily horoscope, do not expect to hear God speak from a church that denies the virgin birth, the blood atonement, the inspiration and authority of the Bible, or any of the major doctrines of the Bible. Don't expect to hear God there, because God is not there. And He's not going to speak there. The only place that we can hear God speak is in the place that He has appointed. What do you say? What kind of places he appointed?

[John Weaver] Well, first of all, let me just put it to you like this. The only place that you and I can hear from God and to hear God speak. Is from number one, the place of the living word. Do you remember that Jesus Christ is called the divine Logos and the Greek word Logos simply means word. The Bible says in John 1 verses 1-3, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

[John Weaver] All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made which was made. We have to remember that Jesus Christ is the living Word. The Bible is the written Word of God. It's divinely inspired. It is inerrant. It is infallible. It is to be the only God for our lives. And God has given us His written Word that we may know and discern His will for our lives.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm going to quote this passage now, but I'm going to quote it a little bit later as well. I want you to listen carefully. He said in 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17, all Scripture, Old Testament, New Testament, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God And it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work." Now listen to what he said, all scripture is inspired of God. The word inspired is the Greek word theopneutos, and it literally means God exhaled, God breathed out the scriptures, what it says. So you have Jesus Christ, the living word, and you have the Bible, the written word. Now that's why he said, in Deuteronomy 29, verse 29, listen carefully, the secret things belong to the Lord our God. But the things which he hath revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. So God then has revealed His will and His word for us.

[John Weaver] So God now has commanded Jeremiah to hear His words. And He specifically told Jeremiah, you go down to the potter's house, for it's there I'm going to speak to you. So what God does then, He directs us to the living word, His only begotten Son, and to the written word, the one which He has inspired. In light of this truth, let me ask you a question. I want you to listen. Here's my question. How will one know whether or not he is really hearing the word of God? Or how does one know that he really has heard the word of God? Now, obviously, If you're reading from the scripture, in one sense of the word, you're hearing the word of God. If you're sitting there listening to me expound the scripture, in another sense of the word, you're also hearing the word of God.

[John Weaver] But let me hasten to point this out. There is an external hearing of the word of God, and there's an internal hearing of the word of God. You may hear the word externally and never really benefit by it. In order to benefit from the Word of God, you must hear it spiritually and internally. I can, if you have the ability to hear, cause you to hear the Word of God externally. But only the Holy Spirit can cause you to hear it internally.

[John Weaver] Now listen to what Our Lord said in Matthew 11 verse 15, Our Lord said, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Let me spell that out for you. If you have the physical ability to hear, if God has given you ears, then you have a responsibility to hear. Now, while men, or at least most men, have the ability to hear externally, Most of them do not and will not. But by nature, none of us have the ability to hear internally. In other words, it's a work of grace and mercy that causes us to hear internally.

[John Weaver] One of my favorite quotes is by Augustine, one of the early church fathers, and he said this, I heard the gospel all of my life. And then one day I heard it. And you know, that is the truth. We can hear something all of our lives and never, ever really hear it. Because although we have an external hearing capacity, That does not mean that we have an internal hearing capacity by nature.

[John Weaver] I want you to hold Jeremiah 18, but I want you to go back, if you would, to Jeremiah chapter 6. Jeremiah chapter 6. And look, if you would please, at verse 10. Jeremiah 6 and verse 10. Look what Jeremiah asks. Jeremiah 6 verse 10, To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken. Behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach, and they have no delight in it. So what does Jeremiah say? Their ear is uncircumcised, therefore they cannot hear. Now they have the ability to hear externally, but what he's saying is they cannot hear internally and spiritually. And another reason they will not hear internally and spiritually is they have no delight in the Word of God. It is a reproach to them. I want you to turn very quickly. Hold in Jeremiah 18. But look in John chapter 8 and verse 43. I want you to look at what our Lord asked the Pharisees. Look in John 8 and notice if you would please verse 43.

[John Weaver] John 8 verse 43. I want you to watch carefully now, because our Lord is showing that although we may have the ability to hear externally, none have the ability to hear internally and spiritually apart from Greg's. And John 8 in verse 43, our Lord asked the Pharisees, why do you not understand my speech? Even because you cannot hear my word. Well, did they not have the ability to hear? Physically, yes. Externally, yes. Spiritually and internally, no.

[John Weaver] If you would turn right over to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. And look at verse 14. 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14. Look what the Bible says about the natural man or the unsaved man. The natural man. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. Why? For they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. What does a natural man think about the Word of God? It's pure foolishness.

[John Weaver] That's why this room is not filled today and overflowing. That's why some men had rather cut their lawns or go fishing or do anything other than hear the preaching and teaching of the Word of God, to them it's foolishness. And then he says this, neither can, that is, he does not have the ability to know the why, because God's words are spiritually discerned. You must have spiritual discernment to really, truly hear the Word of God.

[John Weaver] You say, but Brother Weaver, I'm a Christian. That doesn't matter. Do you remember those two on the Emmaus Road who were walking with Christ? And the Bible says, beginning at Moses and the prophets, He opened the Scripture and expounded all things unto them, and they still did not even know who He was. And when you get to Luke 24 and verse 45, here's what the Bible says.

[John Weaver] Now, we're talking about believers. Then opened He their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. Ah, even believers. have to have their minds illuminated in order to understand the Scriptures. Certainly it's true of the unsaved. In fact, since you're there, close by, go to the book of Acts chapter 16 and look what the Bible says concerning Lydia. Acts chapter 16 and verse 14. Acts 16 and verse 14. Watch this carefully. Acts 16 verse 14. The Bible says And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of Tyre Tyre, who worshipped God, heard us. Watch. Whose heart the Lord opened.

[John Weaver] With the result that or that so that she attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul. Why did she really hear? Why did she really listen? Because God opened her heart. God opened her mind. God opened her understanding.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 15. But while you're turning back there, go to Luke 6 and just mark Luke 6, because we'll come back there just momentarily. I'm trying to show you why God told Jeremiah to go to the potter's house to hear his words. I'm trying to show you that there is indeed an external hearing and an internal hearing. Many hear the Word of God externally, but very few hear the Word of God internally and spiritually. You remember God sent King Saul on a mission, and Saul disobeyed. And he spared the best of the sheep and the best of the oxen and Agag, the king. And when Samuel reproached Saul and said, you've disobeyed God, And then Saul tried to blame it on the people. And he said, look, the people spared all these animals so they could sacrifice them to God. Well, look in 1 Samuel 15. Look what Samuel tells Saul in verse 22. 1 Samuel 15, verse 22 and 23.

[John Weaver] And Samuel said, hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Now, watch this closely. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. And he tells you why. For rebellion is the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee for being king.

[John Weaver] Now go back to verse 22. Remember Saul said the people spared the sheep and the oxen so that they might sacrifice them. So Samuel poses this question to Saul. Have the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? And then he answers the question himself. He says, behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.

[John Weaver] Now, let's stop right there. To obey is better than sacrifice. So here's what he said so far. God had rather have our obedience than any and all the sacrifice that we could give him. OK. To obey is better than sacrifice.

[John Weaver] Now watch the latter part. And to hearken than the fat of rams. Do you realize the fat of the ram was the best part of the sacrifice and it was always given to God? I want you to understand something. Obedience and hearkening in this passage are synonymous. Let me say it like this. No one ever really hears the Word of God until he heeds the Word of God. No one ever really hears the Word of God until he obeys the Word of God. You got it?

[John Weaver] Now, you're hearing externally, but that does not mean you're hearing internally and spiritually. When you begin to obey and apply, that means you've really heard. If you don't obey and if you don't apply. Then, although you've heard, you really hadn't heard. Watch it, turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter six and look at our Lord. And his explanation of what I've just said, Luke chapter six. And look, if you would please, beginning there, verse forty six, and we'll read through verse forty nine, Luke six, verse forty six. Watch carefully. Our Lord asked this question. Luke six, verse forty six, and why call you me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say. Now, let me just stop there. The word Lord is curious in the Greek. It literally means boss, owner, master, sovereign. Why are you calling me sovereign, sovereign and do not which I say to you? Why are you calling me Master, Master, and do not the things which I say unto you? Skip down to verse 47. Look what he says.

[John Weaver] Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like. He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock. And when the flood arose, a stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a rock. Now watch verse 49. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth, against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.

[John Weaver] So notice what our Lord says. You can hear and obey. That's what he's talking about. That's really hearing. But if you hear and disobey, then in reality, you really have not heard. So let me get back to my previous question. How can you tell whether or not you have really heard the word of God, or how can you tell whether or not you are hearing the word of God internally and spiritually?

[John Weaver] And the answer has to be. that it will be evidenced by the results and the effects of the Word in our lives. So if we really spiritually and internally hear God's Word, there are going to be results. There are going to be fruits. There is going to be a manifestation or an evidence that we've genuinely heard. Well, what are some of the manifestations? as to whether or not we really are hearing the Word of God. Well, let me begin at the beginning.

[John Weaver] First, there will be condemnation. If you're really, genuinely hearing the Word of God in your life, there will be condemnation. First of all, there will be condemnation to those who are in sin and rebellion against God. And let me tell you something, unless one is in Jesus Christ, unless one is a real, genuine, true Christian, he is under condemnation. Now, condemnation arises not only because of original sin, but also because of our personal sins as well. And let me tell you something about condemnation. Condemnation is a fact. I've heard people say, well, Brother Weaver, when I do such and such, I don't feel condemned. Well, let me tell you why you don't feel condemned, because condemnation is not a feeling. Condemnation is not an emotion. Condemnation is a judicial proclamation. One is either justified or one is condemned, it's just that simple. One may sense the results of a legal pronunciation, but he doesn't feel the legal pronunciation.

[John Weaver] If I happen to be in a court of law and on trial for murder, and the judge says, guilty, you will die on the 23rd of this month, by electrocution. I haven't felt his decision. That was a judicial fact. Now, I may sense the result of that judicial fact in my life, I may dread being executed on the 23rd, but I hadn't felt the condemnation. The condemnation was just simply a fact.

[John Weaver] Listen to this verse in Proverbs 17 and verse 15. God said, he that justifies the wicked And he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination of the Lord. Now how in the world do you justify the wicked? It's a legal pronunciation. You're saying, what, he didn't do anything wrong? He's right according to the law. Oh, how do you condemn the just? You say he's wicked according to the law, when in reality he's not. You say he's violated the law, when in reality he does not.

[John Weaver] So both justification and condemnation are judicial facts. They are proclamations from a court of law. The Bible says, in John 3, verses 18 and 19, listen carefully, He that believeth on him, that is on Jesus Christ, is not condemned. But he that believeth not is condemned already, because he believeth not on the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. This is the condemnation. So men basically are already condemned. In fact, Romans 5 and verse 18 tells us that we were condemned even in Adam, who was our representative.

[John Weaver] And when he sinned, we sinned. So just mark this down. Man in a state of nature is condemned already. He's under the judgment and under the wrath of God. He may sense the results of that condemnation when he hears the word of God. But you don't feel the condemnation. Let me give you an illustration. Years ago, I had an unsaved friend. Who is now saved by the grace of God, and I asked that unsaved individual why he did not attend church more often than once or twice a year.

[John Weaver] And his answer was very straightforward. He said this because I know that you're right. And I sense my condemnation When I hear the truth and right now. I love my sins too much and you're preaching just makes me very uncomfortable. Wow, well, at least he was telling the truth. You see, the truth of condemnation is found in each life, even as Christians. Even as Christians, in one sense of the word, we're condemned. Now, by that I don't mean that we're condemned by being under the wrath and the judgment of God.

[John Weaver] No, we've been delivered from that. Nor do I mean that we're condemned in the sense that we're fearful of punishment. We're delivered from that. But we're condemned in the sense that when we do something wrong, something that's unbiblical, something that's ungodly, our consciences convict us And we're not able to pray as we ought, because we're under a sense of condemnation. Let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 3. Here's what I'm talking about, 1 John chapter 3.

[John Weaver] And everyone in this room will say, uh-huh, I've experienced this. And if you tell me you haven't experienced it, you're either not saved or you're lying. So watch it. 1 John chapter 3. Look at verses 20 and 21.

[John Weaver] Now he's talking to believers in this passage. So 1 John 3 verse 20, he says this. If our heart condemn us. God is greater than our heart knoweth all things, beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward him. Now, what does he mean when he says if our heart Condemn us. Well, the word condemn in both of these verses literally means to find fault, to be blameworthy, to deserve censure, to be rightfully accused or condemned. So if you're a Christian and you know that you've done something contrary to the Word of God, when you go to pray, guess what? It's in your mind. It's there. I've done this, I should not have done that. I've done it. I should not have done it, but that's we're saying I deserve censure. I deserve blame. I've violated God's word. It's just like David said in Psalm 66 in verse 18. When he said, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. It's kind of like Proverbs 28 verse 9 when the Bible said, He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination.

[John Weaver] So if you and I as Christians want to be free from condemnation in our lives, then we have to be free from disobedience to God. Because when we're disobedient, our conscience condemns us. If you can live Without being condemned. You're not listening. And you're not hearing the word of God, because inevitably there's going to be something in this book that's going to condemn us, even as Christians, because none of us are perfect. So if you're really hearing. There's going to be some condemnation in your life. Secondly, if you're really hearing, there's going to be conviction. Now listen carefully. Conviction necessarily follows condemnation for a Christian. Now that's not necessarily so for the unconverted. Not every condemned sinner is convicted. Some never experience real genuine conviction of sin. Conviction is based upon the word of God. But when we as Christians are condemned by our attitudes and our actions, then we are convicted in the sense that we know that we violated God's law and God's word. We're convinced that we're not right with God. By the way, do you realize it is the duty of pastors to convict and condemn?

[John Weaver] What? Well, let me show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Titus. First and second, Timothy, Titus. Go to Titus, if you would. Look in Titus. Chapter one, and let's begin reading there, verse seven, Titus one, verse seven. Titus one, verse seven, watch what he says. For a bishop, that would be a pastor, a bishop describes the office, a pastor describes what he does, he's shepherd, and an elder describes what he is. So here's the bishop. He says, for a bishop must be blameless as the steward of God, not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy luger, But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy temperate, what else must a pastor do?

[John Weaver] Now here it is, holding fast the faithful word as he had been taught. Why? Watch that he may be able by sound doctrine to exhort and to convince or convict the gainsayers. For there be many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, whose subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre's sake."

[John Weaver] Now look what he says. The pastor is to be able to convince. In other words, I should be able to take the word of God and show you what's wrong in your life. Now, it is true the Holy Spirit must apply that to you, but I'm supposed to be able to take the scripture and say, this is where you're wrong. This is where you need to change. This is where you need to repent.

[John Weaver] You would do well to remember. That conviction will do one of two things. It will either draw you closer to Christ or it will drive you away. You will either get right with God and repent, or you will flee from the convicting power of the Word of God. You don't turn there, but do you remember that passage in John chapter 8? I want to preach on that again. I've done it years ago, but I want to preach on it again in the near future.

[John Weaver] Here's this woman taken in adultery, in the very act of adultery, and the Pharisee says, The law and Moses says she's to be stoned. What sayest thou? Of course, they were tempted him. They're trying to set him up. But the Bible says in verse nine, after he knelt down and wrote on the ground, and there's a reason why he did that, the Bible says in which and they which heard it being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even at the last. And Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst. But notice what the Bible said. Being convicted by their own conscience, Now, they went out, they were convicted, but they never repented. It drove them away. By the way, in the Bible, there is the doctrine of clean hands. The doctrine of clean hands means that if I'm going to accuse Jim of something, I must be clean and pure from whatever I'm accusing him of. Because if I'm not, when I condemn him, I'm condemning myself.

[John Weaver] And so these Pharisees were guilty of the very thing that they were accusing this woman of. And consequently, their conviction drove them away. It did not draw them to Christ. So, there will be conviction. If you're a child of God, there will be conviction. And if you're unsaved, there may be external conviction in the sense that you realize, hey, I'm wrong. but only the Holy Ghost can make it internal and spiritual.

[John Weaver] Thirdly, there will also be correction. I told you I was going to quote this a little bit earlier. 2 Timothy 3, verse 16, where he said, All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Let me tell you something. If you read If you study, if you listen, and if you hear the Word of God, and you can do that personally, without being corrected doctrinally, you're deceiving yourself. You're not really hearing. God's Word is designed to correct our misunderstandings, our humanistic education, and our man-centered theology. If you're really hearing the Word of God, it will correct you.

[John Weaver] And that's true, saved or unsaved. Let me give you an example. The Scottish archaeologist, Sir William Ramsey, was born in 1851 and died in 1939, who was an atheist. His parents were atheists. He despised the word of God. Ramsey was a wealthy individual. His family was wealthy. He had an earned doctorate in philosophy from Oxford University. And Ramsey set out to disprove the Bible. And he centered upon the Book of Acts because the Book of Acts has so many locations and so many names and so many peoples mentioned that he figured that The Book of Acts would be the most vulnerable book, and if he could expose the Book of Acts as a myth, then the rest of the Bible would be proven to be a myth as well. Well, Ramsey, with all of his immense wealth and education, began extensive excavations, archaeologically, And all of these places where Paul was supposed to travel and Peter and all this, and he continued to write books. For twenty five years. And every book. That he wrote.

[John Weaver] Became closer and closer to truth until he got to the last book. And Ramsey confessed. that the book of Acts was true. It was divinely inspired. And he himself had come to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. And was a Christian. So here's a man who set out to disprove the Bible. And yet he was corrected by the Bible. And if you and I understand the intent. And if we really truly hear Spiritually and internally, we'll be corrected.

[John Weaver] Fourthly, if we're really hearing the Word of God, there will be cleansing. If you're really hearing the Word of God, you will be cleansed in your daily life and your daily walk. If you are not living a holy, godly, obedient life, listen to me, it's because you're not really hearing the Word of God. Our Lord said in John 15 in verse 3, Now you're clean through the word which I've spoken unto you. John 17, 17. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. Psalm 19, verse 7, or verse 9 it is. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. Do you know what David said in Psalm 119, verses 9 through 11? Listen now. David asked, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? How do you live a clean life? Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.

[John Weaver] With my whole heart have I sought thee. Oh, let me not wonder from thy commandments. Thy word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against thee. If you're really listening to the word of God. It's going to clean you up. Kind of like that leper, I love that passage. In Mark chapter 1 verses 40 and 41, our Lord was there and a leper came running to our Lord, knelt before him and bestowed him and said, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And our Lord, in verse 41, reached out his hand and touched him and said, I will be thou clean. And if you really hear in the word of the Lord, you're going to be clean. You'll have a clean, godly life. I like the words that Dwight L.

[John Weaver] Moody wrote in the fly leaf of his Bible. He wrote, either this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book. And that's true. But if you're really hearing the word of God, it's going to clean you up. Fifthly, if you're really hearing the word of God, there's going to be confirmation. Confirmation, many desire and yet never find confirmation for their faith. And all probability, the reason most never find confirmation for their faith is they're looking in the wrong place. They're looking for their experiences or their emotions or something other than the word of God.

[John Weaver] And Romans 15 in verse eight, We read this, now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, listen, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. Do you realize that Jesus Christ actually confirmed all of the promises made unto the fathers? And in doing so, he confirmed our faith. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 8, who shall also confirm you unto the end that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Confirmation is not a ceremony. It's not a ritual that you go through like they have in the Lutheran Church. Confirmation is not an experience. that you have confirmation is found only in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Our salvation first and foremost is an objective fact. It is outside of us. It is an accomplished fact. It's something that Jesus Christ did. That's why he said it is finished. And if you understand.

[John Weaver] If you're really listening to the word of God, you're going to be confirmed in your faith. You will be confirmed, yes, Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He's the Savior, He's the Lord, He's the Master. Sixth, and very quickly, if you're really hearing the Word of God, there will be comfort. Do you realize so many are in turmoil, trouble, and sorrow, yet in the Word of God we have comfort. In Isaiah 40 and verse 1, the scripture says, Comfort ye my people, saith the Lord. Do you want comfort?

[John Weaver] You may have lost a loved one. You may have had financial reverses. You may have had ill health. Do you want comfort? The Bible says in Romans 15 in verse 4, for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. You're not going to get comfort out of a bottle, a liquor bottle or a pill bottle. You get comfort from the Word of God. In fact, the Bible tells us in second Corinthians one in verse three, listen carefully. Blessed be God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and the God of all comfort. If you will comfort. Is from the scriptures and the God of the scriptures, that's why in second Thessalonians two in verse 17, the Bible says, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work.

[John Weaver] You know, The thing I like about the Scripture is it is so applicable. You say, but you don't understand. We're being persecuted. We're being tormented. We're being tyrannized. I understand that. But you know what Paul said in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 7? And to you who are troubled, rest with us. When Jesus Christ comes back with His mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those that know not God and obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] How did He start that? And you who are troubled, rest with us. What's He say? You want a little comfort concerning what's going on in the world today? I'll tell you how to get that comfort, He said. Look how Jesus Christ is going to take care of it when he returns. He will wipe them out. That's comforting. You're only going to find comfort and you're only going to find rest in the word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make a couple of applications. The first one is this. It is really and truly simple enough to discover whether or not an individual is truly and genuinely and really listening and hearing The Word of God. All you have to do is look for the effects of the Word of God in your life. If these effects. If these fruits, if these evidences of these manifestations are not in your life to some degree. You're not listening. You're not hearing.

[John Weaver] I don't know about you. But I still get convicted over sins that I committed 20 years ago that I remember that I've repented over. Wish I hadn't done them. I still think about them. You understand what I'm saying? Do you do you realize? There are tons of professing Christians that are going to counseling sessions, psychologists, psychiatrists, sometimes supposedly Christian counselors. Do you know why most people need counseling? Are you listening? The reason most people need counseling is because they don't listen to the Word of God on a daily basis. If you really, genuinely heard the Word of God and obeyed the Word of God, it would take care of 99.9% of your problems.

[John Weaver] I don't understand why people will not listen to the Word of God, and yet they'll listen to a humanistic psychologist or psychiatrist that will tell them everything contrary to God. Well, I understand that many people are ignorant of the Word of God. Some do not know how to listen. But the truth is this, if you really learn to listen and hear and heed and obey, it will take care of most of the consternation and confusion in your life.

[John Weaver] And if you do not read the scripture on a daily basis. If you don't try to hear and understand and learn on a daily basis, let me spell it out for you. You are asking for trouble in your life. You're just asking for it. I've preached for nearly 49 years. Well, it will be this year. 49 years. But I have to read the Scripture every day. I may know the Scripture better than you, but that doesn't mean a thing. I still need the Word of God, and I need to hear it daily. And so do you. The second thing is this. Are you in the proper place to hear the Word of God?

[John Weaver] If not, you should be. God told Jeremiah, go down to the potter's house. It's there. I will cause you to hear my word. You need to make sure that you are under the preaching and teaching the exposition of the Word of God. Many people move different places for job improvement. A raisin peg to be near family and friends? Very few ever move so they can hear the Word of God and be fed the truth of God.

[John Weaver] And let me tell you something. Hearing the Word of God should be the highest priority in your life. Nothing should come before hearing the Word of God. What good is it if we gain the whole world and lose our own souls? What good is it to have the greatest job in the world and end up losing your own family? What good is it to have the best help in the world and die an unbeliever? Hearing the Word of God, not just externally, but hearing it externally and then internally and spiritually should be a priority in our lives. And getting to the place where we can hear it externally. And seek the Holy Spirit to apply it internally. Is vastly important. So God said to Jeremiah.

[John Weaver] Go down to the potter's house. It's there I'm going to cause you to hear my words. If you're not in the right place at the right time, you're not going to hear the word of God. You need to make sure that when you hear externally, you're seeking Christ. I'm the Holy Spirit to apply it and teach you internally and spiritually so that it becomes a part of you. Did you really hear today? I pray so. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your grace and your mercy and your goodness and your kindness and your love, Lord, that you would teach us to hear thy word. Teach us, Lord, to apply it and to conform our lives to it.

[John Weaver] Give us grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

The Potter and the Clay - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	428142358509
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Election, Israel, and Covenant Mercy
Genre	Sermon
Date	2014-02-26
Dictation Name
Book	Book 149: The Potter and the Clay — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	73

Formatted Transcript

Opening

Let's open our Bibles today to the book of Jeremiah chapter 18. Jeremiah chapter 18. Let me begin by telling you the title of the message is "The Potter and the Clay." The message that I start today is going to be in three parts. So for the next three Sundays, I'm going to be working on this one passage from Jeremiah chapter 18. And actually, we'll read through verse 12. Jeremiah 18, verses 1 through 12, "The Potter and the Clay," part one.

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 thee 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 that 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 you in my hand, O house of Israel." "At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck it 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 to the Passage

Weaver introduces Jeremiah 18:1-12, highlighting God's grace and man's rebellion, and notes that God sends Jeremiah one last time to plead with Judah.

This passage is absolutely stunning. It demonstrates the grace, mercy, and patience of God, while at the same time it also demonstrates the corruption, the depravity, and the rebellion of man. Judah and Jerusalem were on the verge of being destroyed by the righteous judgment of God. And Jeremiah was commanded by God to appeal to these people one last time. You know, I thought about that. Do you realize that for each individual, and for each nation, for each country, for each kingdom, there's always going to be one last time, or one last opportunity that they will have to hear and heed the word of God. The problem is most will never know the last opportunity or the last time. Do you realize we do not even know the last time we're going to see God's sunshine or breathe God's air? And the Bible says in Proverbs 29 verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 29:1

"He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."

So what is true of individuals is also true of kingdoms and nations and countries. Many who plan to repent at 12 o'clock die at 11:30. I can assure you of one thing: that for the unconverted, and for the nations that are destroyed for not repenting, they will always remember that one last time or that one last opportunity where they should have heard and should have heeded the word of God, but they did not. And so God graciously sends Jeremiah one last time to plead with these people. Look in verse 11. Look what God says.

The Potter's Precepts: God's Sovereign Right

God sends Jeremiah to the potter's house to learn that as the sole sovereign, He has absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct, illustrated by the potter and clay.

But yet he was commanded by God to go to the potter's house. Not for Jeremiah's sake, because Jeremiah was willing to listen and Jeremiah was willing to be taught. But God sent him to the potter's house that he might teach the people by adding a confirmation to his doctrine. So God was teaching Jeremiah then so that he might relay this truth to the people. There was something that Jeremiah really needed to learn, and therefore God sent him to the potter's house. And let me tell you what that thing was. Listen carefully. I will repeat this a number of times before I finish this message. But here's what Jeremiah was to learn. Here is what he was to communicate to the people. This simple truth: God, as the only sole and absolute sovereign, has an absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct towards him. And this truth is illustrated in a tangible form by the potter molding vessels from the clay.

Now, I want you to understand something. Nations, countries, and kingdoms are made up of individuals. And therefore, that which is true nationally, that which is true in reference to a country and a kingdom, is equally true in reference to individuals. God is sovereign. And God has the sole, as the sole sovereign, an absolute right to do as He wills. So this chapter then expresses the sovereign power of God over His creatures and His usual methods of dealing with them. Just as the clay is in the potter's hands, likewise men and nations are in the hands of the divine potter, and he may do with them as he pleases.

Hearing God in the Appointed Place

God speaks only in the place He appoints—the living Word (Christ) and the written Word (Scripture)—not in worldly or false religious settings.

And the answer is no. Here's the point. If you want to hear from God, you must be in the place appointed by God to hear God speak. You're not going to hear God speak at a football game, or a hockey game, or a basketball game. Do not look to hear from God at a county fair, at the fortune teller's booth, at the spiritual advisor's house, or from the daily horoscope. Do not expect to hear God speak from a church that denies the virgin birth, the blood atonement, the inspiration and authority of the Bible, or any of the major doctrines of the Bible. Don't expect to hear God there, because God is not there. And He's not going to speak there. The only place that we can hear God speak is in the place that He has appointed. What do you say? What kind of places has He appointed?

Well, first of all, let me just put it to you like this. The only place that you and I can hear from God and to hear God speak is from number one, the place of the living Word. Do you remember that Jesus Christ is called the divine Logos? And the Greek word Logos simply means Word. The Bible says in John 1 verses 1-3,

Scripture Reading — John 1:1-3

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made."

We have to remember that Jesus Christ is the living Word. The Bible is the written Word of God. It's divinely inspired. It is inerrant. It is infallible. It is to be the only guide for our lives. And God has given us His written Word that we may know and discern His will for our lives.

Now, I'm going to quote this passage now, but I'm going to quote it a little bit later as well. I want you to listen carefully. He said in 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 3:16-17

"All Scripture, Old Testament, New Testament, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work."

Now listen to what he said, "All scripture is inspired of God." The word inspired is the Greek word theopneustos, and it literally means God-breathed. God breathed out the scriptures, is what it says. So you have Jesus Christ, the living Word, and you have the Bible, the written Word. Now that's why he said, in Deuteronomy 29, verse 29, listen carefully, "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." So God then has revealed His will and His word for us.

External vs. Internal Hearing

There is an external hearing of God's Word that all may have, but only the Holy Spirit enables internal, spiritual hearing that leads to true understanding and obedience.

But let me hasten to point this out. There is an external hearing of the word of God, and there's an internal hearing of the word of God. You may hear the word externally and never really benefit by it. In order to benefit from the Word of God, you must hear it spiritually and internally. I can, if you have the ability to hear, cause you to hear the Word of God externally. But only the Holy Spirit can cause you to hear it internally.

Now listen to what our Lord said in Matthew 11 verse 15, our Lord said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 11:15

"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Let me spell that out for you. If you have the physical ability to hear, if God has given you ears, then you have a responsibility to hear. Now, while men, or at least most men, have the ability to hear externally, most of them do not and will not. But by nature, none of us have the ability to hear internally. In other words, it's a work of grace and mercy that causes us to hear internally. One of my favorite quotes is by Augustine, one of the early church fathers, and he said this, "I heard the gospel all of my life. And then one day I heard it." And you know, that is the truth. We can hear something all of our lives and never, ever really hear it. Because although we have an external hearing capacity, that does not mean that we have an internal hearing capacity by nature.

Biblical Evidence of Spiritual Deafness

Scripture shows that the natural man cannot hear spiritually (Jeremiah 6:10, John 8:43, 1 Corinthians 2:14), and even believers need their understanding opened (Luke 24:45, Acts 16:14).

I want you to hold Jeremiah 18, but I want you to go back, if you would, to Jeremiah chapter 6. Jeremiah chapter 6. And look, if you would please, at verse 10. Jeremiah 6 and verse 10. Look what Jeremiah asks. Jeremiah 6 verse 10, "To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it." So what does Jeremiah say? Their ear is uncircumcised, therefore they cannot hear. Now they have the ability to hear externally, but what he's saying is they cannot hear internally and spiritually. And another reason they will not hear internally and spiritually is they have no delight in the Word of God. It is a reproach to them. I want you to turn very quickly. Hold in Jeremiah 18. But look in John chapter 8 and verse 43. I want you to look at what our Lord asked the Pharisees. Look in John 8 and notice if you would please verse 43.

John 8 verse 43. I want you to watch carefully now, because our Lord is showing that although we may have the ability to hear externally, none have the ability to hear internally and spiritually apart from grace. And John 8 in verse 43, our Lord asked the Pharisees,

Scripture Reading — John 8:43

"Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word."

Well, did they not have the ability to hear? Physically, yes. Externally, yes. Spiritually and internally, no. If you would turn right over to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. And look at verse 14. 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14. Look what the Bible says about the natural man or the unsaved man. The natural man. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 14. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." What does a natural man think about the Word of God? It's pure foolishness.

That's why this room is not filled today and overflowing. That's why some men had rather cut their lawns or go fishing or do anything other than hear the preaching and teaching of the Word of God, to them it's foolishness. And then he says this, "neither can," that is, he does not have the ability to know them, why? Because God's words are spiritually discerned. You must have spiritual discernment to really, truly hear the Word of God. You say, "But Brother Weaver, I'm a Christian." That doesn't matter. Do you remember those two on the Emmaus Road who were walking with Christ? And the Bible says, beginning at Moses and the prophets, He opened the Scripture and expounded all things unto them, and they still did not even know who He was. And when you get to Luke 24 and verse 45, here's what the Bible says.

Now, we're talking about believers. "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures." Ah, even believers have to have their minds illuminated in order to understand the Scriptures. Certainly it's true of the unsaved. In fact, since you're there, close by, go to the book of Acts chapter 16 and look what the Bible says concerning Lydia. Acts chapter 16 and verse 14. Acts 16 and verse 14. Watch this carefully. Acts 16 verse 14. The Bible says, "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened."

With the result that, or so that, she attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul. Why did she really hear? Why did she really listen? Because God opened her heart. God opened her mind. God opened her understanding.

Obedience as the Proof of True Hearing

True hearing is evidenced by obedience; to hearken is to obey (1 Samuel 15:22). Jesus taught that hearing without doing is like building without a foundation (Luke 6:46-49).

Now, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 15. But while you're turning back there, go to Luke 6 and just mark Luke 6, because we'll come back there just momentarily. I'm trying to show you why God told Jeremiah to go to the potter's house to hear his words. I'm trying to show you that there is indeed an external hearing and an internal hearing. Many hear the Word of God externally, but very few hear the Word of God internally and spiritually. You remember God sent King Saul on a mission, and Saul disobeyed. And he spared the best of the sheep and the best of the oxen and Agag, the king. And when Samuel reproached Saul and said, "You've disobeyed God," and then Saul tried to blame it on the people. And he said, "Look, the people spared all these animals so they could sacrifice them to God." Well, look in 1 Samuel 15. Look what Samuel tells Saul in verse 22. 1 Samuel 15, verse 22 and 23.

"And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king."

Now go back to verse 22. Remember Saul said the people spared the sheep and the oxen so that they might sacrifice them. So Samuel poses this question to Saul. "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?" And then he answers the question himself. He says, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice."

Now, let's stop right there. "To obey is better than sacrifice." So here's what he said so far. God had rather have our obedience than any and all the sacrifice that we could give him. OK. "To obey is better than sacrifice."

Now watch the latter part. "And to hearken than the fat of rams." Do you realize the fat of the ram was the best part of the sacrifice and it was always given to God? I want you to understand something. Obedience and hearkening in this passage are synonymous. Let me say it like this. No one ever really hears the Word of God until he heeds the Word of God. No one ever really hears the Word of God until he obeys the Word of God. You got it?

Now, you're hearing externally, but that does not mean you're hearing internally and spiritually. When you begin to obey and apply, that means you've really heard. If you don't obey and if you don't apply, then, although you've heard, you really haven't heard. Watch it, turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter 6 and look at our Lord and His explanation of what I've just said. Luke chapter 6. And look, if you would please, beginning there, verse 46, and we'll read through verse 49. Luke 6, verse 46. Watch carefully. Our Lord asked this question. Luke 6, verse 46, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Now, let me just stop there. The word Lord is kurios in the Greek. It literally means boss, owner, master, sovereign. Why are you calling me Sovereign, Sovereign, and do not which I say to you? Why are you calling me Master, Master, and do not the things which I say unto you? Skip down to verse 47. Look what he says.

"Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great." So notice what our Lord says. You can hear and obey. That's what he's talking about. That's really hearing. But if you hear and disobey, then in reality, you really have not heard. So let me get back to my previous question. How can you tell whether or not you have really heard the word of God, or how can you tell whether or not you are hearing the word of God internally and spiritually?

And the answer has to be that it will be evidenced by the results and the effects of the Word in our lives. So if we really spiritually and internally hear God's Word, there are going to be results. There are going to be fruits. There is going to be a manifestation or an evidence that we've genuinely heard. Well, what are some of the manifestations as to whether or not we really are hearing the Word of God? Well, let me begin at the beginning.

Six Evidences of Genuine Hearing

If we truly hear God's Word, there will be condemnation (judicial fact of sin), conviction (conscience awareness), correction (doctrinal and practical), cleansing (holy living), confirmation (assurance in Christ), and comfort (hope from Scripture).

First, there will be condemnation. If you're really, genuinely hearing the Word of God in your life, there will be condemnation. First of all, there will be condemnation to those who are in sin and rebellion against God. And let me tell you something, unless one is in Jesus Christ, unless one is a real, genuine, true Christian, he is under condemnation. Now, condemnation arises not only because of original sin, but also because of our personal sins as well. And let me tell you something about condemnation. Condemnation is a fact. I've heard people say, "Well, Brother Weaver, when I do such and such, I don't feel condemned." Well, let me tell you why you don't feel condemned, because condemnation is not a feeling. Condemnation is not an emotion. Condemnation is a judicial proclamation. One is either justified or one is condemned, it's just that simple. One may sense the results of a legal pronunciation, but he doesn't feel the legal pronunciation.

If I happen to be in a court of law and on trial for murder, and the judge says, "Guilty, you will die on the 23rd of this month, by electrocution." I haven't felt his decision. That was a judicial fact. Now, I may sense the result of that judicial fact in my life, I may dread being executed on the 23rd, but I haven't felt the condemnation. The condemnation was just simply a fact. Listen to this verse in Proverbs 17 and verse 15. God said,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 17:15

"He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord."

Now how in the world do you justify the wicked? It's a legal pronunciation. You're saying, what, he didn't do anything wrong? He's right according to the law. Or how do you condemn the just? You say he's wicked according to the law, when in reality he's not. You say he's violated the law, when in reality he has not.

So both justification and condemnation are judicial facts. They are proclamations from a court of law. The Bible says, in John 3, verses 18 and 19, listen carefully,

Scripture Reading — John 3:18-19

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

This is the condemnation. So men basically are already condemned. In fact, Romans 5 and verse 18 tells us that we were condemned even in Adam, who was our representative. And when he sinned, we sinned. So just mark this down. Man in a state of nature is condemned already. He's under the judgment and under the wrath of God. He may sense the results of that condemnation when he hears the word of God. But you don't feel the condemnation. Let me give you an illustration. Years ago, I had an unsaved friend who is now saved by the grace of God, and I asked that unsaved individual why he did not attend church more often than once or twice a year.

And his answer was very straightforward. He said this: "Because I know that you're right. And I sense my condemnation when I hear the truth. And right now, I love my sins too much and your preaching just makes me very uncomfortable." Wow, well, at least he was telling the truth. You see, the truth of condemnation is found in each life, even as Christians. Even as Christians, in one sense of the word, we're condemned. Now, by that I don't mean that we're condemned by being under the wrath and the judgment of God.

No, we've been delivered from that. Nor do I mean that we're condemned in the sense that we're fearful of punishment. We're delivered from that. But we're condemned in the sense that when we do something wrong, something that's unbiblical, something that's ungodly, our consciences convict us and we're not able to pray as we ought, because we're under a sense of condemnation. Let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 3. Here's what I'm talking about, 1 John chapter 3.

And everyone in this room will say, "Uh-huh, I've experienced this." And if you tell me you haven't experienced it, you're either not saved or you're lying. So watch it. 1 John chapter 3. Look at verses 20 and 21.

Now he's talking to believers in this passage. So 1 John 3 verse 20, he says this:

Scripture Reading — 1 John 3:20-21

"For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God."

Now, what does he mean when he says

Scripture Reading — 1 John 3:20-21

"if our heart condemn us"

? Well, the word condemn in both of these verses literally means to find fault, to be blameworthy, to deserve censure, to be rightfully accused or condemned. So if you're a Christian and you know that you've done something contrary to the Word of God, when you go to pray, guess what? It's in your mind. It's there. "I've done this, I should not have done that. I've done it. I should not have done it, but that's what I'm saying: I deserve censure. I deserve blame. I've violated God's word." It's just like David said in Psalm 66 in verse 18, when he said, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." It's kind of like Proverbs 28 verse 9 when the Bible said, "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination."

So if you and I as Christians want to be free from condemnation in our lives, then we have to be free from disobedience to God. Because when we're disobedient, our conscience condemns us. If you can live without being condemned, you're not listening. And you're not hearing the word of God, because inevitably there's going to be something in this book that's going to condemn us, even as Christians, because none of us are perfect. So if you're really hearing, there's going to be some condemnation in your life. Secondly, if you're really hearing, there's going to be conviction. Now listen carefully. Conviction necessarily follows condemnation for a Christian. Now that's not necessarily so for the unconverted. Not every condemned sinner is convicted. Some never experience real genuine conviction of sin. Conviction is based upon the word of God. But when we as Christians are condemned by our attitudes and our actions, then we are convicted in the sense that we know that we violated God's law and God's word. We're convinced that we're not right with God. By the way, do you realize it is the duty of pastors to convict and condemn?

What? Well, let me show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Titus. First and second Timothy, Titus. Go to Titus, if you would. Look in Titus chapter 1, and let's begin reading there, verse 7. Titus 1, verse 7. Watch what he says. "For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;" what else must a pastor do?

Now here it is, "holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake." Now look what he says. The pastor is to be able to convince. In other words, I should be able to take the word of God and show you what's wrong in your life. Now, it is true the Holy Spirit must apply that to you, but I'm supposed to be able to take the scripture and say, "This is where you're wrong. This is where you need to change. This is where you need to repent."

You would do well to remember that conviction will do one of two things. It will either draw you closer to Christ or it will drive you away. You will either get right with God and repent, or you will flee from the convicting power of the Word of God. You don't turn there, but do you remember that passage in John chapter 8? I want to preach on that again. I've done it years ago, but I want to preach on it again in the near future. Here's this woman taken in adultery, in the very act of adultery, and the Pharisee says, "The law of Moses says she's to be stoned. What sayest thou?" Of course, they were tempting him. They're trying to set him up. But the Bible says in verse 9, after he knelt down and wrote on the ground, and there's a reason why he did that, the Bible says, "And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst." But notice what the Bible said. "Being convicted by their own conscience." Now, they went out, they were convicted, but they never repented. It drove them away. By the way, in the Bible, there is the doctrine of clean hands. The doctrine of clean hands means that if I'm going to accuse Jim of something, I must be clean and pure from whatever I'm accusing him of. Because if I'm not, when I condemn him, I'm condemning myself.

And so these Pharisees were guilty of the very thing that they were accusing this woman of. And consequently, their conviction drove them away. It did not draw them to Christ. So, there will be conviction. If you're a child of God, there will be conviction. And if you're unsaved, there may be external conviction in the sense that you realize, "Hey, I'm wrong." But only the Holy Ghost can make it internal and spiritual. Thirdly, there will also be correction. I told you I was going to quote this a little bit earlier. 2 Timothy 3, verse 16, where he said, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." Let me tell you something. If you read, if you study, if you listen, and if you hear the Word of God, and you can do that personally, without being corrected doctrinally, you're deceiving yourself. You're not really hearing. God's Word is designed to correct our misunderstandings, our humanistic education, and our man-centered theology. If you're really hearing the Word of God, it will correct you.

And that's true, saved or unsaved. Let me give you an example. The Scottish archaeologist, Sir William Ramsay, was born in 1851 and died in 1939, who was an atheist. His parents were atheists. He despised the word of God. Ramsay was a wealthy individual. His family was wealthy. He had an earned doctorate in philosophy from Oxford University. And Ramsay set out to disprove the Bible. And he centered upon the Book of Acts because the Book of Acts has so many locations and so many names and so many peoples mentioned that he figured that the Book of Acts would be the most vulnerable book, and if he could expose the Book of Acts as a myth, then the rest of the Bible would be proven to be a myth as well. Well, Ramsay, with all of his immense wealth and education, began extensive excavations, archaeologically, in all of these places where Paul was supposed to travel and Peter and all this, and he continued to write books. For twenty-five years. And every book that he wrote

became closer and closer to truth until he got to the last book. And Ramsay confessed that the book of Acts was true. It was divinely inspired. And he himself had come to trust the Lord Jesus Christ and was a Christian. So here's a man who set out to disprove the Bible. And yet he was corrected by the Bible. And if you and I understand the intent, and if we really truly hear spiritually and internally, we'll be corrected.

Fourthly, if we're really hearing the Word of God, there will be cleansing. If you're really hearing the Word of God, you will be cleansed in your daily life and your daily walk. If you are not living a holy, godly, obedient life, listen to me, it's because you're not really hearing the Word of God. Our Lord said in John 15 in verse 3, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." John 17, 17, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." Psalm 19, verse 7, or verse 9 it is, "The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." Do you know what David said in Psalm 119, verses 9 through 11? Listen now. David asked, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?" How do you live a clean life? "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." If you're really listening to the word of God, it's going to clean you up. Kind of like that leper, I love that passage. In Mark chapter 1 verses 40 and 41, our Lord was there and a leper came running to our Lord, knelt before him and besought him and said, "If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." And our Lord, in verse 41, reached out his hand and touched him and said, "I will; be thou clean." And if you really hear in the word of the Lord, you're going to be clean. You'll have a clean, godly life. I like the words that Dwight L.

Moody wrote in the flyleaf of his Bible. He wrote, "Either this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book." And that's true. But if you're really hearing the word of God, it's going to clean you up. Fifthly, if you're really hearing the word of God, there's going to be confirmation. Confirmation, many desire and yet never find confirmation for their faith. In all probability, the reason most never find confirmation for their faith is they're looking in the wrong place. They're looking for their experiences or their emotions or something other than the word of God.

And Romans 15 in verse 8, we read this, "Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." Do you realize that Jesus Christ actually confirmed all of the promises made unto the fathers? And in doing so, he confirmed our faith. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 8, "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Confirmation is not a ceremony. It's not a ritual that you go through like they have in the Lutheran Church. Confirmation is not an experience that you have. Confirmation is found only in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Our salvation first and foremost is an objective fact. It is outside of us. It is an accomplished fact. It's something that Jesus Christ did. That's why he said, "It is finished." And if you understand,

if you're really listening to the word of God, you're going to be confirmed in your faith. You will be confirmed, yes, Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He's the Savior, He's the Lord, He's the Master. Sixth, and very quickly, if you're really hearing the Word of God, there will be comfort. Do you realize so many are in turmoil, trouble, and sorrow, yet in the Word of God we have comfort. In Isaiah 40 and verse 1, the scripture says, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God." Do you want comfort? You may have lost a loved one. You may have had financial reverses. You may have had ill health. Do you want comfort? The Bible says in Romans 15 in verse 4, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." You're not going to get comfort out of a bottle, a liquor bottle or a pill bottle. You get comfort from the Word of God. In fact, the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 1 in verse 3, listen carefully. "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort." If you will have comfort, it is from the scriptures and the God of the scriptures. That's why in 2 Thessalonians 2 in verse 17, the Bible says, "Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work."

You know, the thing I like about the Scripture is it is so applicable. You say, "But you don't understand. We're being persecuted. We're being tormented. We're being tyrannized." I understand that. But you know what Paul said in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 7? "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."

How did He start that? "And to you who are troubled rest with us." What's He say? You want a little comfort concerning what's going on in the world today? I'll tell you how to get that comfort, He said. Look how Jesus Christ is going to take care of it when he returns. He will wipe them out. That's comforting. You're only going to find comfort and you're only going to find rest in the word of God.

Applications and Exhortations

Weaver applies the message by urging self-examination for the effects of hearing, daily Scripture reading to avoid trouble, and prioritizing being in a place where God's Word is faithfully preached.

Now, let me make a couple of applications. The first one is this. It is really and truly simple enough to discover whether or not an individual is truly and genuinely and really listening and hearing the Word of God. All you have to do is look for the effects of the Word of God in your life. If these effects, if these fruits, if these evidences or these manifestations are not in your life to some degree, you're not listening. You're not hearing. I don't know about you, but I still get convicted over sins that I committed 20 years ago that I remember that I've repented over. Wish I hadn't done them. I still think about them. You understand what I'm saying? Do you realize? There are tons of professing Christians that are going to counseling sessions, psychologists, psychiatrists, sometimes supposedly Christian counselors. Do you know why most people need counseling? Are you listening? The reason most people need counseling is because they don't listen to the Word of God on a daily basis. If you really, genuinely heard the Word of God and obeyed the Word of God, it would take care of 99.9% of your problems.

I don't understand why people will not listen to the Word of God, and yet they'll listen to a humanistic psychologist or psychiatrist that will tell them everything contrary to God. Well, I understand that many people are ignorant of the Word of God. Some do not know how to listen. But the truth is this, if you really learn to listen and hear and heed and obey, it will take care of most of the consternation and confusion in your life. And if you do not read the scripture on a daily basis, if you don't try to hear and understand and learn on a daily basis, let me spell it out for you. You are asking for trouble in your life. You're just asking for it. I've preached for nearly 49 years. Well, it will be this year. 49 years. But I have to read the Scripture every day. I may know the Scripture better than you, but that doesn't mean a thing. I still need the Word of God, and I need to hear it daily. And so do you. The second thing is this. Are you in the proper place to hear the Word of God?

If not, you should be. God told Jeremiah, "Go down to the potter's house. It's there I will cause you to hear my word." You need to make sure that you are under the preaching and teaching, the exposition of the Word of God. Many people move different places for job improvement, a raise in pay, to be near family and friends. Very few ever move so they can hear the Word of God and be fed the truth of God. And let me tell you something. Hearing the Word of God should be the highest priority in your life. Nothing should come before hearing the Word of God. What good is it if we gain the whole world and lose our own souls? What good is it to have the greatest job in the world and end up losing your own family? What good is it to have the best health in the world and die an unbeliever? Hearing the Word of God, not just externally, but hearing it externally and then internally and spiritually should be a priority in our lives. And getting to the place where we can hear it externally and seek the Holy Spirit to apply it internally is vastly important. So God said to Jeremiah,

Study Guide

Major Themes

Sovereignty of God

Summary: God, as the divine potter, has absolute right and power to deal with nations and individuals according to His will, just as a potter molds clay.

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

Necessity of Being in God's Appointed Place to Hear Him

Summary: To hear God speak, one must be in the place He appoints—specifically, the living Word (Christ) and the written Word (Scripture)—not in worldly or false religious contexts.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'If you want to hear from God, you must be in the place appointed by God to hear God speak.'

External vs. Internal Hearing

Summary: There is a distinction between merely hearing God's Word externally (physically) and hearing it internally (spiritually), with the latter being a work of the Holy Spirit.

Evidence: Weaver explains: 'There is an external hearing of the word of God, and there's an internal hearing of the word of God... only the Holy Spirit can cause you to hear it internally.'

Obedience as the Evidence of True Hearing

Summary: True spiritual hearing is demonstrated by obedience and application of God's Word; hearing without doing is not genuine hearing.

Evidence: Weaver asserts: 'No one ever really hears the Word of God until he heeds the Word of God. No one ever really hears the Word of God until he obeys the Word of God.'

Effects of Genuine Hearing

Summary: When one truly hears God's Word, it produces condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, confirmation, and comfort in the believer's life.

Evidence: Weaver lists: 'If you're really, genuinely hearing the Word of God in your life, there will be condemnation... conviction... correction... cleansing... confirmation... comfort.'

Priority of God's Word

Summary: Hearing and obeying God's Word should be the highest priority in a believer's life, surpassing job, family, or health concerns.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'Hearing the Word of God should be the highest priority in your life. Nothing should come before hearing the Word of God.'

Key Arguments

God's sovereignty over nations and individuals

Summary: God has the absolute right as sovereign to deal with nations and individuals according to their conduct, illustrated by the potter and clay.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'God, as the only sole and absolute sovereign, has an absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct towards him.'

God speaks only in His appointed place

Summary: One cannot hear God in places or through means He has not ordained; He speaks through Christ and Scripture.

Evidence: Weaver argues: 'If you want to hear from God, you must be in the place appointed by God to hear God speak... The only place that you and I can hear from God... is from... the living Word... and... the written Word.'

Spiritual hearing requires divine enablement

Summary: The natural man cannot understand or receive God's Word because it is spiritually discerned; only the Holy Spirit opens hearts to truly hear.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 2:14 and Acts 16:14, concluding: 'God opened her heart. God opened her mind. God opened her understanding.'

Obedience is the test of true hearing

Summary: True hearing is inseparable from obedience; if one does not obey, they have not truly heard.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'No one ever really hears the Word of God until he heeds the Word of God... If you don't obey and if you don't apply, then, although you've heard, you really haven't heard.'

Genuine hearing produces measurable effects

Summary: The reality of hearing God's Word is evidenced by condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, confirmation, and comfort in one's life.

Evidence: Weaver asserts: 'If these effects, if these fruits, if these evidences or these manifestations are not in your life to some degree, you're not listening. You're not hearing.'

Daily Scripture engagement prevents many problems

Summary: Most personal problems and need for counseling stem from not listening to and obeying God's Word daily.

Evidence: Weaver claims: 'The reason most people need counseling is because they don't listen to the Word of God on a daily basis.'

Scripture References

Jeremiah 18:1-12

Context: The primary passage of the sermon, read in full, describing the potter and clay as an illustration of God's sovereignty over Israel.

Proverbs 29:1

Context: Cited to warn that those who harden their necks despite reproof will be suddenly destroyed without remedy.

John 1:1-3

Context: Used to establish Jesus Christ as the living Word (Logos) through whom all things were made.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Context: Quoted to affirm that all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.

Deuteronomy 29:29

Context: Cited to show that God has revealed His will in Scripture for our obedience.

Matthew 11:15

Context: Quoted to emphasize the responsibility to hear with spiritual ears.

Jeremiah 6:10

Context: Used to illustrate that the people's ears were uncircumcised, preventing them from hearing God's Word.

John 8:43

Context: Cited to show that the Pharisees could not hear Jesus' word because they lacked spiritual ability.

1 Corinthians 2:14

Context: Quoted to prove that the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned.

Luke 24:45

Context: Referenced to show that even believers need their understanding opened to comprehend Scripture.

Acts 16:14

Context: Cited to demonstrate that the Lord opened Lydia's heart to attend to Paul's words.

1 Samuel 15:22-23

Context: Quoted to establish that obedience is better than sacrifice and that rebellion is as witchcraft.

Luke 6:46-49

Context: Read to illustrate that hearing and doing God's Word is like building on a rock, while hearing without doing leads to ruin.

Proverbs 17:15

Context: Cited to explain that justification and condemnation are judicial proclamations, not feelings.

John 3:18-19

Context: Quoted to show that unbelievers are condemned already because they love darkness rather than light.

Romans 5:18

Context: Referenced to indicate that condemnation came through Adam's sin.

1 John 3:20-21

Context: Quoted to explain that believers' hearts may condemn them when they sin, affecting their confidence before God.

Psalm 66:18

Context: Cited to warn that regarding iniquity in the heart hinders prayer.

Proverbs 28:9

Context: Referenced to state that turning away from hearing the law makes one's prayer an abomination.

Titus 1:7-11

Context: Read to show that pastors must hold fast the faithful word to exhort and convince gainsayers.

Historical References

Augustine (early church father)

Context: Quoted as saying, 'I heard the gospel all of my life. And then one day I heard it,' illustrating the difference between external and internal hearing.

Sir William Ramsay (Scottish archaeologist, 1851-1939)

Context: Mentioned as an atheist who set out to disprove the Book of Acts through archaeology but was corrected by the evidence and became a Christian.

Dwight L. Moody (evangelist)

Context: Quoted as writing in his Bible: 'Either this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.'

Important Quotes

God, as the only sole and absolute sovereign, has an absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct towards him.

Significance: This encapsulates the central lesson God taught Jeremiah at the potter's house, emphasizing divine sovereignty over nations.

If you want to hear from God, you must be in the place appointed by God to hear God speak.

Significance: This principle underscores the necessity of being in the right spiritual environment (Scripture and Christ) to receive God's Word.

There is an external hearing of the word of God, and there's an internal hearing of the word of God. You may hear the word externally and never really benefit by it.

Significance: This distinction is crucial for understanding why many hear but do not truly receive God's Word.

No one ever really hears the Word of God until he heeds the Word of God. No one ever really hears the Word of God until he obeys the Word of God.

Significance: This defines true hearing as inseparable from obedience, a key argument of the sermon.

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

Significance: Attributed to D.L. Moody, this quote succinctly captures the reciprocal relationship between Scripture engagement and holy living.

The reason most people need counseling is because they don't listen to the Word of God on a daily basis.

Significance: This provocative statement applies the sermon's theme to practical life, asserting that Scripture obedience prevents many personal problems.

Hearing the Word of God should be the highest priority in your life. Nothing should come before hearing the Word of God.

Significance: This exhortation calls believers to prioritize God's Word above all else, reflecting the sermon's urgent tone.

Discussion Questions

What does the potter and clay illustration teach us about God's sovereignty over nations and individuals?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that God has absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct, as seen in Jeremiah 18.

Why is it essential to be in the 'appointed place' to hear God speak, and what are those places today?

Context: Weaver argues that God speaks only through the living Word (Christ) and the written Word (Scripture), not through worldly means.

How can we discern whether we are hearing God's Word externally or internally?

Context: Weaver distinguishes between physical hearing and spiritual hearing enabled by the Holy Spirit.

In what ways does obedience serve as the proof of true hearing?

Context: Weaver uses 1 Samuel 15:22 and Luke 6:46-49 to show that hearing without doing is not genuine hearing.

Which of the six evidences of genuine hearing (condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, confirmation, comfort) do you most need to see in your life, and why?

Context: Weaver lists these as fruits of truly hearing God's Word.

How does daily Scripture reading help prevent the need for counseling and personal turmoil?

Context: Weaver claims that most problems stem from not listening to God's Word daily.

What practical steps can we take to ensure that hearing God's Word is the highest priority in our lives?

Context: Weaver exhorts believers to prioritize being under sound preaching and daily Scripture over job, family, or health.

Applications

Examine your hearing

Summary: Evaluate whether the effects of genuine hearing—condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, confirmation, and comfort—are present in your life as evidence of truly listening to God's Word.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'If these effects, if these fruits, if these evidences or these manifestations are not in your life to some degree, you're not listening. You're not hearing.'

Prioritize daily Scripture engagement

Summary: Commit to reading and hearing God's Word daily to avoid unnecessary problems and to allow it to cleanse and correct your life.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'If you do not read the scripture on a daily basis... you are asking for trouble in your life.'

Be in the right place to hear God

Summary: Ensure you are under the preaching and teaching of God's Word in a faithful church, and make this a higher priority than career, family, or location preferences.

Evidence: Weaver exhorts: 'You need to make sure that you are under the preaching and teaching, the exposition of the Word of God.'

Seek internal hearing through the Spirit

Summary: When you hear or read Scripture, pray for the Holy Spirit to apply it internally so that it leads to obedience and transformation, not just external acknowledgment.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'When you hear externally, you're seeking Christ and the Holy Spirit to apply it and teach you internally and spiritually so that it becomes a part of you.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T16:00:03Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T06:15:58Z

Clean Transcript

The Potter and the Clay - Part 1

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

Let's open our Bibles today to the book of Jeremiah chapter 18. Jeremiah chapter 18. Let me begin by telling you the title of the message is "The Potter and the Clay." The message that I start today is going to be in three parts. So for the next three Sundays, I'm going to be working on this one passage from Jeremiah chapter 18. And actually, we'll read through verse 12. Jeremiah 18, verses 1 through 12, "The Potter and the Clay," part one. "The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, Arise and go down to the potter's house."
#1 | 0:01 to 0:48 | cleaned
"And there I will cause thee 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 that 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 you in my hand, O house of Israel."
#2 | 0:48 to 1:15 | cleaned
"At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck it 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."
#3 | 1:16 to 1:43 | cleaned
"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."
#4 | 1:44 to 2:11 | cleaned
This passage is absolutely stunning. It demonstrates the grace, mercy, and patience of God, while at the same time it also demonstrates the corruption, the depravity, and the rebellion of man. Judah and Jerusalem were on the verge of being destroyed by the righteous judgment of God. And Jeremiah was commanded by God to appeal to these people one last time. You know, I thought about that. Do you realize that for each individual,
#5 | 2:12 to 2:54 | cleaned
and for each nation, for each country, for each kingdom, there's always going to be one last time, or one last opportunity that they will have to hear and heed the word of God. The problem is most will never know the last opportunity or the last time. Do you realize we do not even know the last time we're going to see God's sunshine or breathe God's air? And the Bible says in Proverbs 29 verse 1, "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."
#6 | 2:55 to 3:40 | cleaned
So what is true of individuals is also true of kingdoms and nations and countries. Many who plan to repent at 12 o'clock die at 11:30. I can assure you of one thing: that for the unconverted, and for the nations that are destroyed for not repenting, they will always remember that one last time or that one last opportunity where they should have heard and should have heeded the word of God, but they did not. And so God graciously sends Jeremiah one last time to plead with these people. Look in verse 11. Look what God says.
#7 | 3:41 to 4:25 | cleaned
"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." God said you better turn now. I've devised something evil against you because of your rebellion. Verse 12: "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." So the evidence of a lack of and a failure to repent is a continuation in one's own ways and one's own desires and one's own devices. You have to remember that repentance is a change of heart and a change of mind that leads to a change in conduct and a change of behavior.
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So if someone tells me that they have repented and yet they've never changed, they still continue to do exactly the same things they have always done, then obviously there is no repentance. And I hope you understand that God will not and does not forgive where there is no repentance. And since there is no repentance, there is no forgiveness. And therefore, the only thing left is judgment. And so God now prepares Jeremiah to send him this one last time to these rebellious people. We're going to be looking at a number of things, but today I want to only cover the first two verses, which is only one point. I want you to see the potter's precepts. The potter's precepts. This entire passage is going to be dealing with the divine potter. So here we have the potter's precepts. Look in verses 1 and 2. "The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words." Now, Jeremiah might have attended to God speaking to him at his own house.
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But yet he was commanded by God to go to the potter's house. Not for Jeremiah's sake, because Jeremiah was willing to listen and Jeremiah was willing to be taught. But God sent him to the potter's house that he might teach the people by adding a confirmation to his doctrine. So God was teaching Jeremiah then so that he might relay this truth to the people. There was something that Jeremiah really needed to learn, and therefore God sent him to the potter's house.
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And let me tell you what that thing was. Listen carefully. I will repeat this a number of times before I finish this message. But here's what Jeremiah was to learn. Here is what he was to communicate to the people. This simple truth: God, as the only sole and absolute sovereign, has an absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct towards him. And this truth is illustrated in a tangible form by the potter molding vessels from the clay.
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Now, I want you to understand something. Nations, countries, and kingdoms are made up of individuals. And therefore, that which is true nationally, that which is true in reference to a country and a kingdom, is equally true in reference to individuals. God is sovereign. And God has the sole, as the sole sovereign, an absolute right to do as He wills. So this chapter then expresses the sovereign power of God over His creatures and His usual methods of dealing with them. Just as the clay is in the potter's hands, likewise men and nations are in the hands of the divine potter, and he may do with them as he pleases.
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Now, there is a concept in these first two verses that deserves special attention. I want you to note that God told Jeremiah, "Go to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words." Wow. So God directed Jeremiah specifically to go to the potter's house. Let me ask you a question. What if Jeremiah had gone to the brick mason's house? Or the plumber's house? Or the gardener's house? Would he have heard from God?
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And the answer is no. Here's the point. If you want to hear from God, you must be in the place appointed by God to hear God speak. You're not going to hear God speak at a football game, or a hockey game, or a basketball game. Do not look to hear from God at a county fair, at the fortune teller's booth, at the spiritual advisor's house, or from the daily horoscope. Do not expect to hear God speak from a church that denies the virgin birth, the blood atonement, the inspiration and authority of the Bible, or any of the major doctrines of the Bible. Don't expect to hear God there, because God is not there. And He's not going to speak there. The only place that we can hear God speak is in the place that He has appointed. What do you say? What kind of places has He appointed?
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Well, first of all, let me just put it to you like this. The only place that you and I can hear from God and to hear God speak is from number one, the place of the living Word. Do you remember that Jesus Christ is called the divine Logos? And the Greek word Logos simply means Word. The Bible says in John 1 verses 1-3, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
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All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made." We have to remember that Jesus Christ is the living Word. The Bible is the written Word of God. It's divinely inspired. It is inerrant. It is infallible. It is to be the only guide for our lives. And God has given us His written Word that we may know and discern His will for our lives.
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Now, I'm going to quote this passage now, but I'm going to quote it a little bit later as well. I want you to listen carefully. He said in 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17, "All Scripture, Old Testament, New Testament, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work." Now listen to what he said, "All scripture is inspired of God." The word inspired is the Greek word theopneustos, and it literally means God-breathed. God breathed out the scriptures, is what it says. So you have Jesus Christ, the living Word, and you have the Bible, the written Word. Now that's why he said, in Deuteronomy 29, verse 29, listen carefully, "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." So God then has revealed His will and His word for us.
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So God now has commanded Jeremiah to hear His words. And He specifically told Jeremiah, "You go down to the potter's house, for it's there I'm going to speak to you." So what God does then, He directs us to the living Word, His only begotten Son, and to the written Word, the one which He has inspired. In light of this truth, let me ask you a question. I want you to listen. Here's my question. How will one know whether or not he is really hearing the word of God? Or how does one know that he really has heard the word of God? Now, obviously, if you're reading from the scripture, in one sense of the word, you're hearing the word of God. If you're sitting there listening to me expound the scripture, in another sense of the word, you're also hearing the word of God.
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But let me hasten to point this out. There is an external hearing of the word of God, and there's an internal hearing of the word of God. You may hear the word externally and never really benefit by it. In order to benefit from the Word of God, you must hear it spiritually and internally. I can, if you have the ability to hear, cause you to hear the Word of God externally. But only the Holy Spirit can cause you to hear it internally.
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Now listen to what our Lord said in Matthew 11 verse 15, our Lord said, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Let me spell that out for you. If you have the physical ability to hear, if God has given you ears, then you have a responsibility to hear. Now, while men, or at least most men, have the ability to hear externally, most of them do not and will not. But by nature, none of us have the ability to hear internally. In other words, it's a work of grace and mercy that causes us to hear internally.
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One of my favorite quotes is by Augustine, one of the early church fathers, and he said this, "I heard the gospel all of my life. And then one day I heard it." And you know, that is the truth. We can hear something all of our lives and never, ever really hear it. Because although we have an external hearing capacity, that does not mean that we have an internal hearing capacity by nature.
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I want you to hold Jeremiah 18, but I want you to go back, if you would, to Jeremiah chapter 6. Jeremiah chapter 6. And look, if you would please, at verse 10. Jeremiah 6 and verse 10. Look what Jeremiah asks. Jeremiah 6 verse 10, "To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it." So what does Jeremiah say? Their ear is uncircumcised, therefore they cannot hear. Now they have the ability to hear externally, but what he's saying is they cannot hear internally and spiritually. And another reason they will not hear internally and spiritually is they have no delight in the Word of God. It is a reproach to them. I want you to turn very quickly. Hold in Jeremiah 18. But look in John chapter 8 and verse 43. I want you to look at what our Lord asked the Pharisees. Look in John 8 and notice if you would please verse 43.
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John 8 verse 43. I want you to watch carefully now, because our Lord is showing that although we may have the ability to hear externally, none have the ability to hear internally and spiritually apart from grace. And John 8 in verse 43, our Lord asked the Pharisees, "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word." Well, did they not have the ability to hear? Physically, yes. Externally, yes. Spiritually and internally, no.
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If you would turn right over to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. And look at verse 14. 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14. Look what the Bible says about the natural man or the unsaved man. The natural man. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 14. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." What does a natural man think about the Word of God? It's pure foolishness.
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That's why this room is not filled today and overflowing. That's why some men had rather cut their lawns or go fishing or do anything other than hear the preaching and teaching of the Word of God, to them it's foolishness. And then he says this, "neither can," that is, he does not have the ability to know them, why? Because God's words are spiritually discerned. You must have spiritual discernment to really, truly hear the Word of God.
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You say, "But Brother Weaver, I'm a Christian." That doesn't matter. Do you remember those two on the Emmaus Road who were walking with Christ? And the Bible says, beginning at Moses and the prophets, He opened the Scripture and expounded all things unto them, and they still did not even know who He was. And when you get to Luke 24 and verse 45, here's what the Bible says.
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Now, we're talking about believers. "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures." Ah, even believers have to have their minds illuminated in order to understand the Scriptures. Certainly it's true of the unsaved. In fact, since you're there, close by, go to the book of Acts chapter 16 and look what the Bible says concerning Lydia. Acts chapter 16 and verse 14. Acts 16 and verse 14. Watch this carefully. Acts 16 verse 14. The Bible says, "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened."
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With the result that, or so that, she attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul. Why did she really hear? Why did she really listen? Because God opened her heart. God opened her mind. God opened her understanding.
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Now, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 15. But while you're turning back there, go to Luke 6 and just mark Luke 6, because we'll come back there just momentarily. I'm trying to show you why God told Jeremiah to go to the potter's house to hear his words. I'm trying to show you that there is indeed an external hearing and an internal hearing. Many hear the Word of God externally, but very few hear the Word of God internally and spiritually. You remember God sent King Saul on a mission, and Saul disobeyed. And he spared the best of the sheep and the best of the oxen and Agag, the king. And when Samuel reproached Saul and said, "You've disobeyed God," and then Saul tried to blame it on the people. And he said, "Look, the people spared all these animals so they could sacrifice them to God." Well, look in 1 Samuel 15. Look what Samuel tells Saul in verse 22. 1 Samuel 15, verse 22 and 23.
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"And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king."
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Now go back to verse 22. Remember Saul said the people spared the sheep and the oxen so that they might sacrifice them. So Samuel poses this question to Saul. "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?" And then he answers the question himself. He says, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice."
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Now, let's stop right there. "To obey is better than sacrifice." So here's what he said so far. God had rather have our obedience than any and all the sacrifice that we could give him. OK. "To obey is better than sacrifice."
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Now watch the latter part. "And to hearken than the fat of rams." Do you realize the fat of the ram was the best part of the sacrifice and it was always given to God? I want you to understand something. Obedience and hearkening in this passage are synonymous. Let me say it like this. No one ever really hears the Word of God until he heeds the Word of God. No one ever really hears the Word of God until he obeys the Word of God. You got it?
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Now, you're hearing externally, but that does not mean you're hearing internally and spiritually. When you begin to obey and apply, that means you've really heard. If you don't obey and if you don't apply, then, although you've heard, you really haven't heard. Watch it, turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter 6 and look at our Lord and His explanation of what I've just said. Luke chapter 6. And look, if you would please, beginning there, verse 46, and we'll read through verse 49. Luke 6, verse 46. Watch carefully. Our Lord asked this question. Luke 6, verse 46, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Now, let me just stop there. The word Lord is kurios in the Greek. It literally means boss, owner, master, sovereign. Why are you calling me Sovereign, Sovereign, and do not which I say to you? Why are you calling me Master, Master, and do not the things which I say unto you? Skip down to verse 47. Look what he says.
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"Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great."
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So notice what our Lord says. You can hear and obey. That's what he's talking about. That's really hearing. But if you hear and disobey, then in reality, you really have not heard. So let me get back to my previous question. How can you tell whether or not you have really heard the word of God, or how can you tell whether or not you are hearing the word of God internally and spiritually?
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And the answer has to be that it will be evidenced by the results and the effects of the Word in our lives. So if we really spiritually and internally hear God's Word, there are going to be results. There are going to be fruits. There is going to be a manifestation or an evidence that we've genuinely heard. Well, what are some of the manifestations as to whether or not we really are hearing the Word of God? Well, let me begin at the beginning.
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First, there will be condemnation. If you're really, genuinely hearing the Word of God in your life, there will be condemnation. First of all, there will be condemnation to those who are in sin and rebellion against God. And let me tell you something, unless one is in Jesus Christ, unless one is a real, genuine, true Christian, he is under condemnation. Now, condemnation arises not only because of original sin, but also because of our personal sins as well. And let me tell you something about condemnation. Condemnation is a fact. I've heard people say, "Well, Brother Weaver, when I do such and such, I don't feel condemned." Well, let me tell you why you don't feel condemned, because condemnation is not a feeling. Condemnation is not an emotion. Condemnation is a judicial proclamation. One is either justified or one is condemned, it's just that simple. One may sense the results of a legal pronunciation, but he doesn't feel the legal pronunciation.
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If I happen to be in a court of law and on trial for murder, and the judge says, "Guilty, you will die on the 23rd of this month, by electrocution." I haven't felt his decision. That was a judicial fact. Now, I may sense the result of that judicial fact in my life, I may dread being executed on the 23rd, but I haven't felt the condemnation. The condemnation was just simply a fact.
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Listen to this verse in Proverbs 17 and verse 15. God said, "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord." Now how in the world do you justify the wicked? It's a legal pronunciation. You're saying, what, he didn't do anything wrong? He's right according to the law. Or how do you condemn the just? You say he's wicked according to the law, when in reality he's not. You say he's violated the law, when in reality he has not.
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So both justification and condemnation are judicial facts. They are proclamations from a court of law. The Bible says, in John 3, verses 18 and 19, listen carefully, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." This is the condemnation. So men basically are already condemned. In fact, Romans 5 and verse 18 tells us that we were condemned even in Adam, who was our representative.
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And when he sinned, we sinned. So just mark this down. Man in a state of nature is condemned already. He's under the judgment and under the wrath of God. He may sense the results of that condemnation when he hears the word of God. But you don't feel the condemnation. Let me give you an illustration. Years ago, I had an unsaved friend who is now saved by the grace of God, and I asked that unsaved individual why he did not attend church more often than once or twice a year.
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And his answer was very straightforward. He said this: "Because I know that you're right. And I sense my condemnation when I hear the truth. And right now, I love my sins too much and your preaching just makes me very uncomfortable." Wow, well, at least he was telling the truth. You see, the truth of condemnation is found in each life, even as Christians. Even as Christians, in one sense of the word, we're condemned. Now, by that I don't mean that we're condemned by being under the wrath and the judgment of God.
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No, we've been delivered from that. Nor do I mean that we're condemned in the sense that we're fearful of punishment. We're delivered from that. But we're condemned in the sense that when we do something wrong, something that's unbiblical, something that's ungodly, our consciences convict us and we're not able to pray as we ought, because we're under a sense of condemnation. Let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 3. Here's what I'm talking about, 1 John chapter 3.
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And everyone in this room will say, "Uh-huh, I've experienced this." And if you tell me you haven't experienced it, you're either not saved or you're lying. So watch it. 1 John chapter 3. Look at verses 20 and 21.
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Now he's talking to believers in this passage. So 1 John 3 verse 20, he says this: "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God." Now, what does he mean when he says "if our heart condemn us"? Well, the word condemn in both of these verses literally means to find fault, to be blameworthy, to deserve censure, to be rightfully accused or condemned. So if you're a Christian and you know that you've done something contrary to the Word of God, when you go to pray, guess what? It's in your mind. It's there. "I've done this, I should not have done that. I've done it. I should not have done it, but that's what I'm saying: I deserve censure. I deserve blame. I've violated God's word." It's just like David said in Psalm 66 in verse 18, when he said, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." It's kind of like Proverbs 28 verse 9 when the Bible said, "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination."
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So if you and I as Christians want to be free from condemnation in our lives, then we have to be free from disobedience to God. Because when we're disobedient, our conscience condemns us. If you can live without being condemned, you're not listening. And you're not hearing the word of God, because inevitably there's going to be something in this book that's going to condemn us, even as Christians, because none of us are perfect. So if you're really hearing, there's going to be some condemnation in your life. Secondly, if you're really hearing, there's going to be conviction. Now listen carefully. Conviction necessarily follows condemnation for a Christian. Now that's not necessarily so for the unconverted. Not every condemned sinner is convicted. Some never experience real genuine conviction of sin. Conviction is based upon the word of God. But when we as Christians are condemned by our attitudes and our actions, then we are convicted in the sense that we know that we violated God's law and God's word. We're convinced that we're not right with God. By the way, do you realize it is the duty of pastors to convict and condemn?
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What? Well, let me show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Titus. First and second Timothy, Titus. Go to Titus, if you would. Look in Titus chapter 1, and let's begin reading there, verse 7. Titus 1, verse 7. Watch what he says. "For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;" what else must a pastor do?
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Now here it is, "holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake."
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Now look what he says. The pastor is to be able to convince. In other words, I should be able to take the word of God and show you what's wrong in your life. Now, it is true the Holy Spirit must apply that to you, but I'm supposed to be able to take the scripture and say, "This is where you're wrong. This is where you need to change. This is where you need to repent."
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You would do well to remember that conviction will do one of two things. It will either draw you closer to Christ or it will drive you away. You will either get right with God and repent, or you will flee from the convicting power of the Word of God. You don't turn there, but do you remember that passage in John chapter 8? I want to preach on that again. I've done it years ago, but I want to preach on it again in the near future.
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Here's this woman taken in adultery, in the very act of adultery, and the Pharisee says, "The law of Moses says she's to be stoned. What sayest thou?" Of course, they were tempting him. They're trying to set him up. But the Bible says in verse 9, after he knelt down and wrote on the ground, and there's a reason why he did that, the Bible says, "And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst." But notice what the Bible said. "Being convicted by their own conscience." Now, they went out, they were convicted, but they never repented. It drove them away. By the way, in the Bible, there is the doctrine of clean hands. The doctrine of clean hands means that if I'm going to accuse Jim of something, I must be clean and pure from whatever I'm accusing him of. Because if I'm not, when I condemn him, I'm condemning myself.
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And so these Pharisees were guilty of the very thing that they were accusing this woman of. And consequently, their conviction drove them away. It did not draw them to Christ. So, there will be conviction. If you're a child of God, there will be conviction. And if you're unsaved, there may be external conviction in the sense that you realize, "Hey, I'm wrong." But only the Holy Ghost can make it internal and spiritual.
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Thirdly, there will also be correction. I told you I was going to quote this a little bit earlier. 2 Timothy 3, verse 16, where he said, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." Let me tell you something. If you read, if you study, if you listen, and if you hear the Word of God, and you can do that personally, without being corrected doctrinally, you're deceiving yourself. You're not really hearing. God's Word is designed to correct our misunderstandings, our humanistic education, and our man-centered theology. If you're really hearing the Word of God, it will correct you.
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And that's true, saved or unsaved. Let me give you an example. The Scottish archaeologist, Sir William Ramsay, was born in 1851 and died in 1939, who was an atheist. His parents were atheists. He despised the word of God. Ramsay was a wealthy individual. His family was wealthy. He had an earned doctorate in philosophy from Oxford University. And Ramsay set out to disprove the Bible. And he centered upon the Book of Acts because the Book of Acts has so many locations and so many names and so many peoples mentioned that he figured that the Book of Acts would be the most vulnerable book, and if he could expose the Book of Acts as a myth, then the rest of the Bible would be proven to be a myth as well. Well, Ramsay, with all of his immense wealth and education, began extensive excavations, archaeologically, in all of these places where Paul was supposed to travel and Peter and all this, and he continued to write books. For twenty-five years. And every book that he wrote
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became closer and closer to truth until he got to the last book. And Ramsay confessed that the book of Acts was true. It was divinely inspired. And he himself had come to trust the Lord Jesus Christ and was a Christian. So here's a man who set out to disprove the Bible. And yet he was corrected by the Bible. And if you and I understand the intent, and if we really truly hear spiritually and internally, we'll be corrected.
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Fourthly, if we're really hearing the Word of God, there will be cleansing. If you're really hearing the Word of God, you will be cleansed in your daily life and your daily walk. If you are not living a holy, godly, obedient life, listen to me, it's because you're not really hearing the Word of God. Our Lord said in John 15 in verse 3, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." John 17, 17, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." Psalm 19, verse 7, or verse 9 it is, "The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." Do you know what David said in Psalm 119, verses 9 through 11? Listen now. David asked, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?" How do you live a clean life? "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
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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." If you're really listening to the word of God, it's going to clean you up. Kind of like that leper, I love that passage. In Mark chapter 1 verses 40 and 41, our Lord was there and a leper came running to our Lord, knelt before him and besought him and said, "If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." And our Lord, in verse 41, reached out his hand and touched him and said, "I will; be thou clean." And if you really hear in the word of the Lord, you're going to be clean. You'll have a clean, godly life. I like the words that Dwight L.
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Moody wrote in the flyleaf of his Bible. He wrote, "Either this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book." And that's true. But if you're really hearing the word of God, it's going to clean you up. Fifthly, if you're really hearing the word of God, there's going to be confirmation. Confirmation, many desire and yet never find confirmation for their faith. In all probability, the reason most never find confirmation for their faith is they're looking in the wrong place. They're looking for their experiences or their emotions or something other than the word of God.
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And Romans 15 in verse 8, we read this, "Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." Do you realize that Jesus Christ actually confirmed all of the promises made unto the fathers? And in doing so, he confirmed our faith. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 8, "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."
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Confirmation is not a ceremony. It's not a ritual that you go through like they have in the Lutheran Church. Confirmation is not an experience that you have. Confirmation is found only in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Our salvation first and foremost is an objective fact. It is outside of us. It is an accomplished fact. It's something that Jesus Christ did. That's why he said, "It is finished." And if you understand,
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if you're really listening to the word of God, you're going to be confirmed in your faith. You will be confirmed, yes, Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He's the Savior, He's the Lord, He's the Master. Sixth, and very quickly, if you're really hearing the Word of God, there will be comfort. Do you realize so many are in turmoil, trouble, and sorrow, yet in the Word of God we have comfort. In Isaiah 40 and verse 1, the scripture says, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God." Do you want comfort?
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You may have lost a loved one. You may have had financial reverses. You may have had ill health. Do you want comfort? The Bible says in Romans 15 in verse 4, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." You're not going to get comfort out of a bottle, a liquor bottle or a pill bottle. You get comfort from the Word of God. In fact, the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 1 in verse 3, listen carefully. "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort." If you will have comfort, it is from the scriptures and the God of the scriptures. That's why in 2 Thessalonians 2 in verse 17, the Bible says, "Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work."
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You know, the thing I like about the Scripture is it is so applicable. You say, "But you don't understand. We're being persecuted. We're being tormented. We're being tyrannized." I understand that. But you know what Paul said in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 7? "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."
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How did He start that? "And to you who are troubled rest with us." What's He say? You want a little comfort concerning what's going on in the world today? I'll tell you how to get that comfort, He said. Look how Jesus Christ is going to take care of it when he returns. He will wipe them out. That's comforting. You're only going to find comfort and you're only going to find rest in the word of God.
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Now, let me make a couple of applications. The first one is this. It is really and truly simple enough to discover whether or not an individual is truly and genuinely and really listening and hearing the Word of God. All you have to do is look for the effects of the Word of God in your life. If these effects, if these fruits, if these evidences or these manifestations are not in your life to some degree, you're not listening. You're not hearing.
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I don't know about you, but I still get convicted over sins that I committed 20 years ago that I remember that I've repented over. Wish I hadn't done them. I still think about them. You understand what I'm saying? Do you realize? There are tons of professing Christians that are going to counseling sessions, psychologists, psychiatrists, sometimes supposedly Christian counselors. Do you know why most people need counseling? Are you listening? The reason most people need counseling is because they don't listen to the Word of God on a daily basis. If you really, genuinely heard the Word of God and obeyed the Word of God, it would take care of 99.9% of your problems.
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I don't understand why people will not listen to the Word of God, and yet they'll listen to a humanistic psychologist or psychiatrist that will tell them everything contrary to God. Well, I understand that many people are ignorant of the Word of God. Some do not know how to listen. But the truth is this, if you really learn to listen and hear and heed and obey, it will take care of most of the consternation and confusion in your life.
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And if you do not read the scripture on a daily basis, if you don't try to hear and understand and learn on a daily basis, let me spell it out for you. You are asking for trouble in your life. You're just asking for it. I've preached for nearly 49 years. Well, it will be this year. 49 years. But I have to read the Scripture every day. I may know the Scripture better than you, but that doesn't mean a thing. I still need the Word of God, and I need to hear it daily. And so do you. The second thing is this. Are you in the proper place to hear the Word of God?
#69 | 52:59 to 53:51 | cleaned
If not, you should be. God told Jeremiah, "Go down to the potter's house. It's there I will cause you to hear my word." You need to make sure that you are under the preaching and teaching, the exposition of the Word of God. Many people move different places for job improvement, a raise in pay, to be near family and friends. Very few ever move so they can hear the Word of God and be fed the truth of God.
#70 | 53:52 to 54:32 | cleaned
And let me tell you something. Hearing the Word of God should be the highest priority in your life. Nothing should come before hearing the Word of God. What good is it if we gain the whole world and lose our own souls? What good is it to have the greatest job in the world and end up losing your own family? What good is it to have the best health in the world and die an unbeliever? Hearing the Word of God, not just externally, but hearing it externally and then internally and spiritually should be a priority in our lives. And getting to the place where we can hear it externally and seek the Holy Spirit to apply it internally is vastly important. So God said to Jeremiah,
#71 | 54:33 to 55:43 | cleaned
"Go down to the potter's house. It's there I'm going to cause you to hear my words." If you're not in the right place at the right time, you're not going to hear the word of God. You need to make sure that when you hear externally, you're seeking Christ and the Holy Spirit to apply it and teach you internally and spiritually so that it becomes a part of you. Did you really hear today? I pray so. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your grace and your mercy and your goodness and your kindness and your love, Lord, that you would teach us to hear thy word. Teach us, Lord, to apply it and to conform our lives to it.
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Give us grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.
#73 | 56:48 to 56:55 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T16:00:03Z

The Potter and the Clay - Part 1

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this first part of a three-part series on Jeremiah 18:1-12, John Weaver focuses on verses 1-2, emphasizing that God commanded Jeremiah to go to the potter's house to hear His words. The central lesson is that God, as the sovereign potter, has absolute right over nations and individuals. Weaver stresses that truly hearing God's Word requires being in the appointed place—the living Word (Christ) and the written Word (Scripture)—and that genuine hearing is evidenced by internal, spiritual effects: condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, confirmation, and comfort. He warns that external hearing without obedience is not true hearing, and urges believers to prioritize daily Scripture reading and being under sound preaching.

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 thee 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 that 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 you in my hand, O house of Israel." "At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck it 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 to the Passage

Weaver introduces Jeremiah 18:1-12, highlighting God's grace and man's rebellion, and notes that God sends Jeremiah one last time to plead with Judah.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 29:1

"He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."

The Potter's Precepts: God's Sovereign Right

God sends Jeremiah to the potter's house to learn that as the sole sovereign, He has absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct, illustrated by the potter and clay.

Hearing God in the Appointed Place

God speaks only in the place He appoints—the living Word (Christ) and the written Word (Scripture)—not in worldly or false religious settings.

Scripture Reading — John 1:1-3

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made."

Now, I'm going to quote this passage now, but I'm going to quote it a little bit later as well. I want you to listen carefully. He said in 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 3:16-17

"All Scripture, Old Testament, New Testament, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work."

External vs. Internal Hearing

There is an external hearing of God's Word that all may have, but only the Holy Spirit enables internal, spiritual hearing that leads to true understanding and obedience.

Now listen to what our Lord said in Matthew 11 verse 15, our Lord said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 11:15

"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Biblical Evidence of Spiritual Deafness

Scripture shows that the natural man cannot hear spiritually (Jeremiah 6:10, John 8:43, 1 Corinthians 2:14), and even believers need their understanding opened (Luke 24:45, Acts 16:14).

Scripture Reading — John 8:43

"Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word."

Obedience as the Proof of True Hearing

True hearing is evidenced by obedience; to hearken is to obey (1 Samuel 15:22). Jesus taught that hearing without doing is like building without a foundation (Luke 6:46-49).

Six Evidences of Genuine Hearing

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 17:15

"He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord."

So both justification and condemnation are judicial facts. They are proclamations from a court of law. The Bible says, in John 3, verses 18 and 19, listen carefully,

Scripture Reading — John 3:18-19

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

Now he's talking to believers in this passage. So 1 John 3 verse 20, he says this:

Scripture Reading — 1 John 3:20-21

"For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God."

Now, what does he mean when he says

Scripture Reading — 1 John 3:20-21

"if our heart condemn us"

Applications and Exhortations

Weaver applies the message by urging self-examination for the effects of hearing, daily Scripture reading to avoid trouble, and prioritizing being in a place where God's Word is faithfully preached.

The Potter and the Clay - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	428142358509
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Election, Israel, and Covenant Mercy
Genre	Sermon
Date	2014-02-26
Dictation Name
Book	Book 149: The Potter and the Clay — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	73

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction to the Passage: Weaver introduces Jeremiah 18:1-12, highlighting God's grace and man's rebellion, and notes that God sends Jeremiah one last time to plead with Judah.
The Potter's Precepts: God's Sovereign Right: God sends Jeremiah to the potter's house to learn that as the sole sovereign, He has absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct, illustrated by the potter and clay.
Hearing God in the Appointed Place: God speaks only in the place He appoints—the living Word (Christ) and the written Word (Scripture)—not in worldly or false religious settings.
External vs. Internal Hearing: There is an external hearing of God's Word that all may have, but only the Holy Spirit enables internal, spiritual hearing that leads to true understanding and obedience.
Biblical Evidence of Spiritual Deafness: Scripture shows that the natural man cannot hear spiritually (Jeremiah 6:10, John 8:43, 1 Corinthians 2:14), and even believers need their understanding opened (Luke 24:45, Acts 16:14).
Obedience as the Proof of True Hearing: True hearing is evidenced by obedience; to hearken is to obey (1 Samuel 15:22). Jesus taught that hearing without doing is like building without a foundation (Luke 6:46-49).
Six Evidences of Genuine Hearing: If we truly hear God's Word, there will be condemnation (judicial fact of sin), conviction (conscience awareness), correction (doctrinal and practical), cleansing (holy living), confirmation (assurance in Christ), and comfort (hope from Scripture).
Applications and Exhortations: Weaver applies the message by urging self-examination for the effects of hearing, daily Scripture reading to avoid trouble, and prioritizing being in a place where God's Word is faithfully preached.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

God's sovereignty over nations and individuals

God has the absolute right as sovereign to deal with nations and individuals according to their conduct, illustrated by the potter and clay.

Weaver says: 'God, as the only sole and absolute sovereign, has an absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct towards him.'

God speaks only in His appointed place

One cannot hear God in places or through means He has not ordained; He speaks through Christ and Scripture.

Weaver argues: 'If you want to hear from God, you must be in the place appointed by God to hear God speak... The only place that you and I can hear from God... is from... the living Word... and... the written Word.'

Spiritual hearing requires divine enablement

The natural man cannot understand or receive God's Word because it is spiritually discerned; only the Holy Spirit opens hearts to truly hear.

Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 2:14 and Acts 16:14, concluding: 'God opened her heart. God opened her mind. God opened her understanding.'

Obedience is the test of true hearing

True hearing is inseparable from obedience; if one does not obey, they have not truly heard.

Weaver states: 'No one ever really hears the Word of God until he heeds the Word of God... If you don't obey and if you don't apply, then, although you've heard, you really haven't heard.'

Genuine hearing produces measurable effects

The reality of hearing God's Word is evidenced by condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, confirmation, and comfort in one's life.

Weaver asserts: 'If these effects, if these fruits, if these evidences or these manifestations are not in your life to some degree, you're not listening. You're not hearing.'

Daily Scripture engagement prevents many problems

Most personal problems and need for counseling stem from not listening to and obeying God's Word daily.

Weaver claims: 'The reason most people need counseling is because they don't listen to the Word of God on a daily basis.'

Scripture References

Jeremiah 18:1-12: The primary passage of the sermon, read in full, describing the potter and clay as an illustration of God's sovereignty over Israel.
Proverbs 29:1: Cited to warn that those who harden their necks despite reproof will be suddenly destroyed without remedy.
John 1:1-3: Used to establish Jesus Christ as the living Word (Logos) through whom all things were made.
2 Timothy 3:16-17: Quoted to affirm that all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.
Deuteronomy 29:29: Cited to show that God has revealed His will in Scripture for our obedience.
Matthew 11:15: Quoted to emphasize the responsibility to hear with spiritual ears.
Jeremiah 6:10: Used to illustrate that the people's ears were uncircumcised, preventing them from hearing God's Word.
John 8:43: Cited to show that the Pharisees could not hear Jesus' word because they lacked spiritual ability.
1 Corinthians 2:14: Quoted to prove that the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned.
Luke 24:45: Referenced to show that even believers need their understanding opened to comprehend Scripture.
Acts 16:14: Cited to demonstrate that the Lord opened Lydia's heart to attend to Paul's words.
1 Samuel 15:22-23: Quoted to establish that obedience is better than sacrifice and that rebellion is as witchcraft.
Luke 6:46-49: Read to illustrate that hearing and doing God's Word is like building on a rock, while hearing without doing leads to ruin.
Proverbs 17:15: Cited to explain that justification and condemnation are judicial proclamations, not feelings.
John 3:18-19: Quoted to show that unbelievers are condemned already because they love darkness rather than light.
Romans 5:18: Referenced to indicate that condemnation came through Adam's sin.
1 John 3:20-21: Quoted to explain that believers' hearts may condemn them when they sin, affecting their confidence before God.
Psalm 66:18: Cited to warn that regarding iniquity in the heart hinders prayer.
Proverbs 28:9: Referenced to state that turning away from hearing the law makes one's prayer an abomination.
Titus 1:7-11: Read to show that pastors must hold fast the faithful word to exhort and convince gainsayers.

Historical References

Augustine (early church father): Quoted as saying, 'I heard the gospel all of my life. And then one day I heard it,' illustrating the difference between external and internal hearing.
Sir William Ramsay (Scottish archaeologist, 1851-1939): Mentioned as an atheist who set out to disprove the Book of Acts through archaeology but was corrected by the evidence and became a Christian.
Dwight L. Moody (evangelist): Quoted as writing in his Bible: 'Either this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.'

Important Quotes

God, as the only sole and absolute sovereign, has an absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct towards him.

This encapsulates the central lesson God taught Jeremiah at the potter's house, emphasizing divine sovereignty over nations.

If you want to hear from God, you must be in the place appointed by God to hear God speak.

This principle underscores the necessity of being in the right spiritual environment (Scripture and Christ) to receive God's Word.

There is an external hearing of the word of God, and there's an internal hearing of the word of God. You may hear the word externally and never really benefit by it.

This distinction is crucial for understanding why many hear but do not truly receive God's Word.

No one ever really hears the Word of God until he heeds the Word of God. No one ever really hears the Word of God until he obeys the Word of God.

This defines true hearing as inseparable from obedience, a key argument of the sermon.

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

Attributed to D.L. Moody, this quote succinctly captures the reciprocal relationship between Scripture engagement and holy living.

The reason most people need counseling is because they don't listen to the Word of God on a daily basis.

This provocative statement applies the sermon's theme to practical life, asserting that Scripture obedience prevents many personal problems.

Hearing the Word of God should be the highest priority in your life. Nothing should come before hearing the Word of God.

This exhortation calls believers to prioritize God's Word above all else, reflecting the sermon's urgent tone.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does the potter and clay illustration teach us about God's sovereignty over nations and individuals?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that God has absolute right to deal with nations according to their conduct, as seen in Jeremiah 18.

[Question]

Why is it essential to be in the 'appointed place' to hear God speak, and what are those places today?

[Context]

Weaver argues that God speaks only through the living Word (Christ) and the written Word (Scripture), not through worldly means.

[Question]

How can we discern whether we are hearing God's Word externally or internally?

[Context]

Weaver distinguishes between physical hearing and spiritual hearing enabled by the Holy Spirit.

[Question]

In what ways does obedience serve as the proof of true hearing?

[Context]

Weaver uses 1 Samuel 15:22 and Luke 6:46-49 to show that hearing without doing is not genuine hearing.

[Question]

Which of the six evidences of genuine hearing (condemnation, conviction, correction, cleansing, confirmation, comfort) do you most need to see in your life, and why?

[Context]

Weaver lists these as fruits of truly hearing God's Word.

[Question]

How does daily Scripture reading help prevent the need for counseling and personal turmoil?

[Context]

Weaver claims that most problems stem from not listening to God's Word daily.

[Question]

What practical steps can we take to ensure that hearing God's Word is the highest priority in our lives?

[Context]

Weaver exhorts believers to prioritize being under sound preaching and daily Scripture over job, family, or health.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T06:15:58Z