Scriptures referred to:
Eph.2:10-"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
Jeremiah 18:4- (Had gone to the potter's house)..."And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make."
l Sam. 2:26 "...grew in stature and in favor with both God and man."
11 Pet. 3:18-"...but grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
Hebrews 6:1-"..leaving the discussion of elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to
perfection..."
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Main point of Pastor Frank's sermon?
We are God's masterpiece, and when He created us, He gave us the gifts and talents He wanted us to have in order for us to fulfill His purpose and plan for our lives. His workmanship is something that has been done.
PF illustrated this point with a story from his childhood. His parents packed up all their children into a station wagon and drove from Maine to Florida to go to Disneyworld. An artist took one of his brothers and sat him in a chair and drew a quick sketch of his profile. He sprayed the drawing so it wouldn't smudge and handed it over to his mother. PF's mother hung it in her bedroom for years.
When the artist was finished with his masterpiece of Brother Dan, he did not make yearly trips back up to Maine to add a touch here and there. He was finished with his drawing when he handed it over.
So it is with God. He breathed His life in us and gave us gifts and talents and set us free to use them or not to use them. His work was complete. We are His 'piece of work.' He will accomplish what He wants to do in our lives if we are willing and obedient.
There is, however, a process that continues until the day we die. It is the process of sanctification. It is what happens when we continue to grow in knowledge and grace, stature and favor, maturity and holiness. Our giftings remain the same, but we grow in the maturity with which we use our gifts. Our thoughts, heart, and attitudes change and we take on the nature of Christ.
(I've seen God's gifts at work in unbelievers and sinners. I've noticed that alot of bartenders have been given a pastoral gift. They are using their gifts in an ungodly setting. One of my favorite pastors in Pa. used to own a bar. Our pastor visited him there and led him to the Lord. The ex-bartender-turned-pastor is the father of one of my sister-in-laws. A bar and a church also have alot in common. It is a gathering around a table to be comforted and cared for. )
In the 18th chapter of Jeremiah, the Lord told Jeremiah to go to the potter's house in order to hear His words. The Lord showed Jeremiah a vessel that was marred so badly that the potter had to remake it into another vessel. God used this illustration to entreat Israel to allow itself to be as clay in His hand.
God took Jeremiah to a familiar place in order to reveal His will to him. Many times we think God wants to use us in an exotic place but God wants to manifest Himself through our lives in the familiar places.
Because it is God who has given us the gifts we have and because it is God who has taken us out of darkness into His marvelous light, we do not have the privilege of comparing the giftings we have with another's talents, nor do we have the right to judge another in their sin. We have all sinned and fallen short of His glory. It is only by His grace that we are where we are today. None of us deserve His grace nor did He deserve to die.
We can enjoy each other's giftings and callings and benefit from them. His gifts were given to us to bless the body, not to make ourselves look good. We can use our natural and spiritual gifts in the familiar places where we work and make our homes. It is not some place out there where we will use our gifts. It is here, in the now, and in the familiar.
God uses us even when we are fractured. Don't for a moment sit there and argue with God and say that you're not worthy to be used. No fisherman cleans a fish before He catches it. Jesus went after people who did not have their act together. He said to them, 'Come along with me. I am going to make something of you.' They followed Him and He asked them to belong before they even believed in Him. He was not judgmental of sinners. He associated with sinners so He could minister to them. We will not have anyone wanting to follow our way of life if we are judgmental.
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The potter has to keep water on his wheel in order to make something of the clay. If a pot is fractured, he needs to add alot of water in order to make the clay pliable to work with. We have to be seasoned well with the water of the Word in order to help others who are broken. And it is the water of the Word that will also help us in our brokenness.
The Key Is....STAY ON THE WHEEL!!!!!
DON'T GIVE UP!!!!!!
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Psalms 1 illustrates the progression into a sinful lifestyle.
'Blessed is the man who does not walk in the way of sinners....
nor stands in their path...
nor sits in the seat of the scornful...'
Like begats like.
Wickedness begats wickedness.
Righteousness begats righteousness.
Hang around the people you want to be like.
(The progression into sin reminds me of the progression into watching a TV show. Sometimes, I have alot to do, and I am out working in my kitchen, and 'Monk' comes on. I listen to the story line for awhile and soon, I come into the living room and stand near the TV and watch a particular scene, and after awhile, I sit down, and embrace the whole show, and do my other activity when the commercials come on. I'm not saying that the TV show is wrong. I am relating a similarity to the progression of becoming engrossed in something. My priorities changed over just because I heard the story line first, then I started to stand nearer so I could see what was going on, and then I got so comfortable with the interruption that I sat down. It is that way with sin.)
There is a security in Christ for the believer. But there are many scriptures warning about the importance of keeping the faith, fighting the good fight, staying pure, etc.
If we follow the progression into sin, as written in Psalm 1, it will lead us into unbelief.
There is not much security for the unbeliever.
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How can I stay in the center of the Potter's wheel?
The answer is in Psalm 1:2.
Whatever we delight in is our center.
We are to delight ourselves in the law of the Lord
and meditate on His word day and night.
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In Summary:
1. God uses us in the familiar.
2. God uses us when we're fractured.
3. God's work is final. He does not change His mind. He has spoken 'Amen' over my life.
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Pastor Frank shared the story of a pastor standing before his congregation.
The pastor said these words (and I think Pastor Frank says them too),
"I am just a man, standing here before you, sharing with you that I am doing the best I can with the life He has given me."
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I think there are times that we know God has used us, but I think most times, we do not realize when He has used us. Sometimes the knowing becomes a weight. I think God uses us most when we realize it the least. There are signs that follow those who believe. If they are following us, and we are going forward, then we won't be looking backward, to see the signs that are following us. One thing I do....I press forward...keeping my eyes on Jesus...
If we do these things, we will be used of God.
I really liked this sermon. It answered some concerns I had for the broken body. No matter how broken I feel or how broken our lives are, God can and will use even our brokenness for His glory. I heard the story of a fractured pot. A little girl carried water from the well to the house every day. On the path where the pot leaked, a row of flowers grew. The fracture in the pot gave life to dormant seed.
The water of life is still life-giving water, even when used by a fractured pot.
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