Please be patient with me! (with sermon video)

Jeremiah 18:1-11 1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. 7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; 8 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. 9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; 10 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. 11 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 had a Word for Israel! God had chosen Jeremiah to deliver that special Word to God's peculiar people. Jeremiah was directed to go down to the potter's house so that he could hear the Word that God had for the nation of Israel. Jeremiah went down to the Potter's house and watched the potter work with clay on the potter's wheel. Jeremiah watch as one lump of clay became corrupted to the point that the potter discarded the clay into the potter's field, and had taken another lump of clay to fashion it according to his desire.

Jeremiah at this point realized the Word that God had for His people! God's special message was that God is sovereign to that point that God can do what God desire with His people. If his people would not obey His will, then God would choose another nation to fashion that nation according to His will, and replace the Nation of Israel as God's peculiar people. After all, in 2 Chronicles 7:14, God's message to Israel was that if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will God hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. All God wanted was for His people to do what is right in His sight.

In order for a Nation to change, the people of that Nation must change individually as well as collectively. God is so graceful and merciful that He will work with us. In working with us, God is also working on us.

Like clay in the hand of the potter, God is working on us! We are in the process of becoming what God desires for us to become. As the potter works with the clay to form and shape it to become what the potter desires, God is working with us in accord with His will. So, be patient while God works on me, as well as while God works on you. God is not through with me, or with us yet!!

But, while God is working on us, don't make the same error that the Nation of Israel made. The Nation of Israel often took God for granted by doing whatever they wanted to do in opposition to the Will of God. When we take God for granted, and choose to live as if there is no God, God can choose and use someone else in our place! I don't know about you, but I want God to work on me, and use me in accord with His will. I'm not only available to be used by God, but I'm also willing to be subject to the Will of God for my life. What about you?

With the love of Christ Jesus,
Dr. A.L. Purham, Sr., Pastor
The Freedom Church of Duncan, SC

Sermon Video: Please be patient with me!

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