Christian Church 24.7 Ministry Community Group
Welcome to our church! We are glad you have chosen to join us. Please read the important guidelines for the group first.
"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".
From this scripture came the idea and thought behind the hymn " Have thine own way Lord".
Jeremiah was referred to as "the weeping prophet". He live approx 700 years before Christ came to this earth.
He has been accredited to writing 1st, 2nd Kings and, Lamentations. God chose Jeremiah to speak to the people of Israel and call them back from their worship of Pagan gods, idolatry, and ceremonies. For the first seventeen chapters, we see this in Jeremiah's writings.
He preached the love and God and the children of Israel ignored his words. He preached the pending judgment and destruction of Israel and yet, they turned a deaf ear to anything and everything that Jeremiah spoke to them.
The bad part about this was, that these people still attended the temple and put on the act of serving the one and true God. They were false professors.
They were lovers of sensual living.
They were continued to pursue new and different avenues of "excitement and depth".
They gave no real thought to the miserable, backslidden condition of their nation nor did they seem to care about the judgment of God that was surely to come, because of their disobedience towards Him.
Does this sound familiar?
In Chpt. 18, we see that God sent Jeremiah to the potter's house and God told Jeremiah "I will cause thee to hear my words." (vs-2)
I. A potter with a Purpose:
a. He had a plan for the clay that was on the wheel.
b. He saw God had a master plan for Israel.
c. He saw Israel as the clay.
Jeremiah knew and saw, that God's plan for Israel was good. He understood that if they would allow God to work through them and with them, that He would bring something wonderful about. He also knew the consequences if they continued in their present course and this bothered Jeremiah very deeply.
Point: God always has a Plan. Always.
1. For nations
2. For individuals
3, For churches
4. For your family
We are on God's wheel. We are trying to be molded by God, just as this clay was trying to be molded by the potter. Phillipians Chpt 1 vs 6 and Ephesians Chpt. 2 vs-13 state this.
a. "being confident of this one thing, that He which is begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ".
b. "For it is good which worketh in you to will and do of His good pleasure"
God wants to make something beautiful and useful out of each one of us. This is His plan!!!!!!!
II. The Potter faced resistance: vs-4
A. The vessel was marred on the potter's wheel.
As we stated earlier, Jeremiah saw Israel as the clay on the potter's wheel and he saw that they (Israel) resisted the touch and the purpose of the potter.
Today, it is a shame that our nation, "America", has little or no regard to God's plan for us, much less as individuals.
Start with let's say about 1962, we started a decline in our nation. Since then, we have legalized abortion, we took the Bible out of schools, we took prayer out of schools, we took the pledge of allegiance out of schools, we have taken the ten commandments off courthouse walls, we have made it illegal to have a nativity scene on county or federal grounds. We have removed "in Jesus name" from some of our prayers that our military and say and we have changed the wording of the presentation of the folded flag at veteran's funerals.
Is is any wonder that our nation is in the mess it is in? People need to wake up and stand up!!!!!!
Have you ever resisted God's play for you? God's purpose for you?
a. Have you ever neglected daily Bible reading?
b. Have you ever failed to have a time of daily prayer?
c. Have you ever heard that still small voice telling you to do something in your church or community for God
and you ignored it?
III. The Patience of the Potter: vs-4-6
The potter could have taken the clay off the wheel and cast it aside in the trash heap, as being worthless, no good and not useful. BUT HE DIDN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Notice what the potter did in vs-4
A. " He made it again, ANOTHER vessel. Sometimes, God has to revert to plan B for us instead of plan A.
Notice it says He made it "another vessel". I believe God has a perfect will for each of us but, when we rebel against his Perfect Will, and we resist his Plan A for us, He reverts to his Plan B which I refer to as is Permissive will. We are being fashioned and used by God but, not in the same Structure that He had planned for us in plan A.
Point: Despite of the failures of the past, God can still make something beautiful and useful out of you and I.
Peter said it this way: in II Peter 2 vs-9
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some men count slackness but, is long suffering (patient) to usward, not willing that any should perish but, that all should come to repentance."
God does not delight in the defeat, the fall or the death of a nation. He wants all of His vessels to be beautiful, useful and to bring Him honor and glory.
There was a song put out a few years ago, that our Gospel Group would sing entitled "He didn't throw the clay away". Here are the lyrics to that song. Do they relate to your life?
vs-1
Empty and broken, I came back to Him.
A vessel unworthy and, so scarred with sin
But He did not despair, He started over again
And I bless the day, He didn't throw the clay away.
vs-2
He is the Potter and I am the clay
Molded in His image and He wants me to stay,
But when I stumble, when I fall and, my vessel breaks
He just picks up the pieces, He does not throw the clay away.
Chorus:
Over and over, He molds me and He makes me
After His likeness, He fashions the clay
A vessel of Honor, I am today
All because Jesus, did not throw the clay away.
Are you a vessel that yields to the Potters plan?
We, as Christians, are not perfect. We still stumble and fall but, bless God, He picks us up, remakes us and, we again can be used by Him for His purpose and Plan again.
Have a great weekend.
Oldbiker
From this scripture came the idea and thought behind the hymn " Have thine own way Lord".
Jeremiah was referred to as "the weeping prophet". He live approx 700 years before Christ came to this earth.
He has been accredited to writing 1st, 2nd Kings and, Lamentations. God chose Jeremiah to speak to the people of Israel and call them back from their worship of Pagan gods, idolatry, and ceremonies. For the first seventeen chapters, we see this in Jeremiah's writings.
He preached the love and God and the children of Israel ignored his words. He preached the pending judgment and destruction of Israel and yet, they turned a deaf ear to anything and everything that Jeremiah spoke to them.
The bad part about this was, that these people still attended the temple and put on the act of serving the one and true God. They were false professors.
They were lovers of sensual living.
They were continued to pursue new and different avenues of "excitement and depth".
They gave no real thought to the miserable, backslidden condition of their nation nor did they seem to care about the judgment of God that was surely to come, because of their disobedience towards Him.
Does this sound familiar?
In Chpt. 18, we see that God sent Jeremiah to the potter's house and God told Jeremiah "I will cause thee to hear my words." (vs-2)
I. A potter with a Purpose:
a. He had a plan for the clay that was on the wheel.
b. He saw God had a master plan for Israel.
c. He saw Israel as the clay.
Jeremiah knew and saw, that God's plan for Israel was good. He understood that if they would allow God to work through them and with them, that He would bring something wonderful about. He also knew the consequences if they continued in their present course and this bothered Jeremiah very deeply.
Point: God always has a Plan. Always.
1. For nations
2. For individuals
3, For churches
4. For your family
We are on God's wheel. We are trying to be molded by God, just as this clay was trying to be molded by the potter. Phillipians Chpt 1 vs 6 and Ephesians Chpt. 2 vs-13 state this.
a. "being confident of this one thing, that He which is begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ".
b. "For it is good which worketh in you to will and do of His good pleasure"
God wants to make something beautiful and useful out of each one of us. This is His plan!!!!!!!
II. The Potter faced resistance: vs-4
A. The vessel was marred on the potter's wheel.
As we stated earlier, Jeremiah saw Israel as the clay on the potter's wheel and he saw that they (Israel) resisted the touch and the purpose of the potter.
Today, it is a shame that our nation, "America", has little or no regard to God's plan for us, much less as individuals.
Start with let's say about 1962, we started a decline in our nation. Since then, we have legalized abortion, we took the Bible out of schools, we took prayer out of schools, we took the pledge of allegiance out of schools, we have taken the ten commandments off courthouse walls, we have made it illegal to have a nativity scene on county or federal grounds. We have removed "in Jesus name" from some of our prayers that our military and say and we have changed the wording of the presentation of the folded flag at veteran's funerals.
Is is any wonder that our nation is in the mess it is in? People need to wake up and stand up!!!!!!
Have you ever resisted God's play for you? God's purpose for you?
a. Have you ever neglected daily Bible reading?
b. Have you ever failed to have a time of daily prayer?
c. Have you ever heard that still small voice telling you to do something in your church or community for God
and you ignored it?
III. The Patience of the Potter: vs-4-6
The potter could have taken the clay off the wheel and cast it aside in the trash heap, as being worthless, no good and not useful. BUT HE DIDN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Notice what the potter did in vs-4
A. " He made it again, ANOTHER vessel. Sometimes, God has to revert to plan B for us instead of plan A.
Notice it says He made it "another vessel". I believe God has a perfect will for each of us but, when we rebel against his Perfect Will, and we resist his Plan A for us, He reverts to his Plan B which I refer to as is Permissive will. We are being fashioned and used by God but, not in the same Structure that He had planned for us in plan A.
Point: Despite of the failures of the past, God can still make something beautiful and useful out of you and I.
Peter said it this way: in II Peter 2 vs-9
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some men count slackness but, is long suffering (patient) to usward, not willing that any should perish but, that all should come to repentance."
God does not delight in the defeat, the fall or the death of a nation. He wants all of His vessels to be beautiful, useful and to bring Him honor and glory.
There was a song put out a few years ago, that our Gospel Group would sing entitled "He didn't throw the clay away". Here are the lyrics to that song. Do they relate to your life?
vs-1
Empty and broken, I came back to Him.
A vessel unworthy and, so scarred with sin
But He did not despair, He started over again
And I bless the day, He didn't throw the clay away.
vs-2
He is the Potter and I am the clay
Molded in His image and He wants me to stay,
But when I stumble, when I fall and, my vessel breaks
He just picks up the pieces, He does not throw the clay away.
Chorus:
Over and over, He molds me and He makes me
After His likeness, He fashions the clay
A vessel of Honor, I am today
All because Jesus, did not throw the clay away.
Are you a vessel that yields to the Potters plan?
We, as Christians, are not perfect. We still stumble and fall but, bless God, He picks us up, remakes us and, we again can be used by Him for His purpose and Plan again.
Have a great weekend.
Oldbiker
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Just thought I would join this group now that I am a widower. My wife passed away May 28th. She was "The Wind Beneath My Wings". When I met her, I was a drunken, dope smoking, fighting, hell raising biker. She told me if I could get rid of the inner storm within me, that I could be a blessing to people. God placed her in my path to stop me. I have been drug and alcohol free now for 53...
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My husband and I got our foster license last month, after 3 years of hard work (we had to start over multiple times due to family dramas and Mom's open heart surgery). We spent a year preparing the whole house, guest rooms, and children's bathroom for older kids of 7 yr old and up. Then we got a call that we have been approved to receive twin newborn premies. What, what?!! Babies!? Premies?!...
"New Clay" by Carol D. P.
Across the sea my husband and son lay from us so far away
Our lives before were broken pots of despair crumbled to sand lost in the wave
To heaven angels carried my prayer, How would our lives be there (Indonesia)?
Would God by His almighty hand, my husband and son save?
Across the roar of the sea's waves my Lord makes new clay on the far shore
I see His fires of faith evermore, hopes given by His grace
Here the Savior has been making new clay of my heart
Changing it from stone to flesh before we depart
Letters arrived from husband and son inviting us to come
It's the Lord's call beckoning me to surrender all
As God founded us a good church here (in Pittsburgh) faithfully
Is He founding a new one across the sea?
While the security, order, and good fellowship is here
Atop the cliff I stood committed at the brink
Seeing the vast expanse of dessert and waves beyond
My hand quivered to let go of my dear friends I loved so
By faith knowing Jesus won't let me sink, without fear I go
On the shore of sand I stand in prayer before a placid sea
Across the way the Savior from Galilee He makes new clay
Would the light of his fires be seen in me someday?
Reflections of His Deity, that the lost would believe and be saved?
Lord go with me, fill my soul take my hand
Over the seas we're carried away to that foreign land
In Indonesia lead me righteously lovingly Jesus in whom I stand
Open the door of my heart to the people
Grant that it may be transformed in me now as we depart
Of a vessel of new clay, your vision fulfilled today in what I pray.
PRAISE GOD THAT HE LOVES ME ENOUGHT THAT HE HASNT THROWN ME AWAY. I LOVE WHAT YOU SAID THAT HOW GOD GOES TO PLAN B. BY NOW HE IS PROBABLY ON PLAN W WITH ME BUT I THANK HIM AND THANK HIM THAT HE DOESNT THROW ME AWAY AND THAT HE STILL LOVES ME.
THIS IS SUCH A GREAT MESSAGE AS ALWAYS PEEWEE AND I THANK GOD FOR YOU. AS I HAVE ALREADY TOLD YOU....WITH ME BEING HOMEBOUND.....YOU ARE MY MINISTER AND I TRULY GET MINISTERED BY YOU WITH EACH ONE OF YOUR MESSSAGES. I WILL BE REREADING THIS ONE OVER AND OVER SO I CAN GET ALL OF IT INTO MY SPIRIT,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LOVING US AND FOR LOVING THE LORD THAT YOU ALWAYS FOLLOW WHAT HE TELLS YOU SO YOU CAN GIVE US SUCH BEAUTIFUL MESSAGES THAT SPEAK STRAIGHT TO MY HEART AND SOUL,
MAY GOD ALWAYS BLESS YOU DEAR FRIEND....YOU ARE SO VERY SPECIAL...THANK YOU SO MUCH......JULIE
HERE HE WENT TO THE CROSS AND THAT WASN'T ENOUGH HE HAD TO GO TO DIFFERENT PLANS.
NOT TO HAPPY WITH MYSELF RIGHT NOW, VERY GOOD MESSAGE THANK YOU PEEWEE!!!!........CONNIE