Adrian Rogers: A Life Made Over [#2380]

welcome to love worth fighting with Pastor teacher and author Adrian Rogers reaching out with God's love bringing people to Christ touching lives around the world and helping you find the answers you need today join us as we prepare to open God's Word and discover how your life can be changed forever by his great love worth finding I want you to take God's Word today and turn if you would please to the Book of Jeremiah chapter 18 talking today on this subject a life made over I heard of two ladies that met in the beauty shop and one said the other one why Mary Mary Jones I haven't seen you for ages Mary you look wonderful I like the way you're doing your hair Marian why Mary you've lost weight you look younger you just look wonderful Mary she said my name is not Mary Jones oh she said you changed your name too well how would you like to make your life over I mean totally completely make it over I want you to look here in the Book of Jeremiah beginning in chapter 18 and verse 3 a vision that God gave to Jeremiah and here's what Jeremiah says then I went down to the potter's house and behold he wrought a work on the wheels and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the Potter so he made it again another vessel as it seemed good to the Potter to make it then the word of the Lord came unto me saying o house of Israel cannot I do with you as this Potter said the Lord behold as the clay is in the Potters hand so are ye in mine hand all house of Israel making a pottery is one of the oldest arts known to men you see that powder as he takes that clay and he chops it and crushes it and chops it and crushes it and molds it and squeezes it to the soft and pliable and then he has a wheel that is driven by a treadle that was driven with his foot and that wheel is going round and round and he takes that lump of clay and he throws it on the wheel and then he begins to caress it he puts his thumbs on the outside and his fingers on the outside and it goes round and round it's an amazing thing we've all seen it and it is a beautiful thing to watch a vessel of beauty or a vessel of service are both emerge from that ugly clay now there are three ingredients in the making of pottery others but three major things that we read about here in this in this process there is the Potter there is the clay and there is the wheel and on the threshold of a new year there's a great message for me and for you first of all I want you to see what I'm going to I'm going to call today the potential the potential of a life that responds you think of yourself as the clay and see what God can do with you now look in verse six if you will o house of Israel cannot I do with you as this Potter set the Lord behold as the clay is in the Potters hand so are ye in mine handle house of Israel now God is the Potter get that down God is the Potter he is the master workman God is at work in your life and in my life God says I am the Potter now we are his workmanship God is working on us Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 says for we are here workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works God wants to make out of you a vessel something someone that he can use God is the Potter and of course we're the clay now and nothing very wonderful about a lump of clay it's ugly it's a weak it ended up itself is totally helpless now clay has three UNH's about it it's unclean its unlovely and it is unable we are the clay you will say amen to that or o me who we are we're the clay literally we're made of the dust of the earth unclean unlovely unable god is the potter and we are the clay now there's some people don't agree that they have to have the potter to do anything for them they I think they can mould their own lives and we've all seen some of those moldy people now the wheel what is the wheel God the Potter we the clay the wheel that goes round and round that's the circumstances of life that's what we call Providence but it is the workman who turns the wheel not only does God caress the clay but he's the one that arranges the circumstances on our life he is the one that orders every turn of the wheel how many of us think there incidences in our lives that are meaningless but not a blade of grass moves without God's permission and over at all is arched Romans 8:28 if we love God for we know that all things work together for good to those who love God for the ones are called according to his purpose I think back on my life I think of things that might have seemed incidental I was preaching on a street corner and Daytona Beach as a college student on a bus bench they made me do it because I had the loudest voice but a group of us as college boys were over there just witnessing for Jesus I climbed down from that bus Inchon went over into to meet a man dressed in a grey flannel suit very distinguished-looking man and I said sir you're Christian he said yes I am and I said he said my name is Doyle Carleton he said I own this hotel he was standing front of hotel he said who are you I said I'm Adrian Rogers he said what are you doing I said just witnessing and he said where you from I said I'm a student at Stetson University we got to know one another that man had a great influence on my life as a matter of fact it is through Doyle Carlton that I came to be the pastor at Merritt Island and from there to come to Bellevue Baptist Church a seeming incident I don't think it was an incident I was in the in grammar school and I was sitting over here and a young girl was sitting over here her name was Joyce I'm sitting here a young lady sitting there it was hard for me to study because I had eyes for that girl walked past her desk in the sixth grade and dropped a love note she still has it his church history oh that girl I'm married to well was it was it just happenstance that she said here and I said there well you can say as you wish but I believe that there is a Wheel of Life and all of us look back and we can say by the grace of God I am where I am I am what I am now it may not make sense to you it doesn't have to make sense to you as long as it makes sense to God Isaiah 55 verses 8 and 9 put it in the margin for my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways at the Lord for as the heavens are higher than the earth are my ways above your ways in my thoughts above your Falls you see God God thinks differently don't ever say now if I were God here's the way I would do I heard about a boy who was sitting in a farm boys sitting under an oak tree and he was looking out at the watermelon patch he said you know if I were God I wouldn't put the great big watermelons on that weak little vine and the little acorns on that great big tree that seems backward to me and about that time an acorn hit him on the head he was glad to wasn't watermelon and sometimes we say you know if I were God here's the way I would do it God thinks differently than we think because God sees the big picture I heard of a person who picked up one of these bookmarks that most of us have in our Bibles and he looked at it and it was just a mass of tangled threads it made no sense at all till they turned it over and woven on the other side of these words God is love now if you look at the wrong side of anything woven it doesn't seem to make sense to you and we see from our perspective God works on a different thought a level and God works on a different technique level God does things differently than we do we sometimes would like to tell God how to do something for example out there in the in the wilderness when those fiery serpents were biting the children of Israel if you remember that story in the Bible they might have said God take away the sir of the Serpent's but God didn't take away the Serpent's God told Moses to put a a brazen serpent upon a pole and everyone that looks at it will be healed God did not remove the Serpent's he brought a solution in the midst of the pollution sometimes we say God why don't you kill the devil God doesn't kill the devil he puts his son on the cross you see God's ways and our ways are not always the same but you can put it down friend that God is the Potter we are the clay and the Wheel of Life is run by the foot that will one day bear the nail prints his foot and every turn of the wheel is ordered by God or at least allowed by God now I want us to remember this now if you can understand right now the difficulty that you're in remember that one day though you may not understand it now you will understand that every turn of the wheel has been a part of God's plan if he does not rule God over rules he's going to turn every Calvary to an Easter he's going to turn every midnight to a sunrise he's going to turn every tear to a pearl and string goes and make a diadem for you God will do that now this is this is the potential though potential of a life that responds what should we do therefore we are to say Lord near the Potter I'm the clay mold me make me after thy will that's what Romans chapter 6 says we're to do we are to yield what is clay to do in the hand of the Potter is to yield mask your question are you yielding can God caress you can God form you can God shape you can God make out of you what he wants to make out of you that's the potential of a life that responds most of us dare not dream what we could be if we would allow God to have his way in our lives three persons are in your seat this morning as the person you are now the person you might be for evil if you turn from God and the person you can be if you let God have his own way and same old me and make me after thy will while I'm waiting yielded and still now here's the second thing I want you to notice not only the potential of a life that responds but I want you to see the problem of a life that resists the problem of a life that resists look if you will in Jeremiah chapter 18 now and verse 4 and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the Potter so he made it again another vessel has seemed good to the Potter to make it now here is the vessel on the wheel the wheel is going round and round the Potter is caressing the vessel putting his artistic hands on the vessel but something happens it's marred it's is ruined it's it's messed up there's a problem not one ask your question where is the problem is the problem in the hand of the Potter do you think God messed up God is the powder that the problem is not in the hands of the Potter the problem is in the clay now what could be the problem in the clay well first of all there might be some hidden impurity in the clay some rock something there some impurity that some something hidden that keeps the vessel from becoming what it ought to be there may be some hidden impurity in your life that is marring what God wants to do what may not be a hidden impurity it might just be that the clay is not broken enough the clay is too stiff the clay does not yield to the hand of Apollo now is there is there in your life right now listen any unclean impure thing that stands in the way what God wants to do in your life is it never lets out loud but answer is that or today are you truly yielded to the Lord have you say Lord Here I am make of me what you wish do with me what you will have you done that I mean have you done that now answer the question have you done that if not the vessel is going to be marred and the problem will not be with the potter the problem is with the clay one of the greatest Christian writers of the centuries is a man named FB Maier FB Maier was a great man of God FB Maier as a pastor was very successful but he was not as he ought to have been he had two friends one was named Charles stud and the other one's name was Hudson Taylor both of these are great names in the history of the church Charles stud and Hudson Taylor these two men seemed to have victory day by day they seemed to have joy and power in their lives and FB Maier watched them one day FB Meyer went to Charles stud and he said Charlie you seem to have a victory you seem to have a joy you seem to have something in your life that I don't have in my life tell me about it and stud said there is nothing that I have that you cannot have FB Mayer said well how may I have it stud said to him have you given everything to God Mayer pretended he didn't hear the question but it sank deep into his heart he went back to his room that night and he began to pray because he said in my heart there had been something there had been something that I was wrestling with something that I did not want to yield up to the Lord it it seemed to me like a a small thing but it was standing between me and victory and I knew it and I knew I had to do something about it I wrestled with God that night till finally I came to the place where I had to do something and I took the keys out of my pocket a bunch of keys and I said Lord here it is here is the key ring this represents my life lord I give it over to you and he said it seemed as if the Lord said to me are all the keys there he said yes Lord they're all there except for one key one small key it's a key to a little cupboard and and that's not on the ring Lord but it's it's an inconsequential thing just one little key he said the Lord handed the keys back to me and started walk out the door I said Lord don't go it's just a little key he kept walking I said please come back Lord here are all the keys he said lord I don't even believe I can give it to you but I'll hold it out please take them and he said the Lord took those keys every one of them and went into that little closet and began to do a work and my life was transformed I wonder is there some little key like that in my life some little cupboard something you could say Lord you can be Lord of all except this and the vessel is marred now there is the potential of a response of life there is the problem of a resistant life have you yielded I'm asking you this question have you you but now here's the third thing I want you to see and that's the promise of a life that repents now just because you may have failed it doesn't mean that God has finished with you look if you will now in verse 4 and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the Potter so he made it again a nother vessel as it seemed good to the Potter to make it the vessel now that was marred is remade are you ready for some good news on the threshold of a new year you can have a brand new start let's hope for you our God is the god of a second chance now look in Jeremiah chapter 18 verses 6 & 8 at 6 through 8 o house of Israel cannot I do with you as this Potter sat the Lord behold as the clay is in the Potters hands so are ye in mine hand o house of Israel at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it if that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them if you will repent of your sin I will repent of the judgment that's what God is saying now here's a promise to every one of us today your life may be marred your life may have been messed up by some since um unyielding to some stiffness but God is saying to you listen I don't hold grudges I'm the god of a second chance God says if I say to a nation I'm going to judge that nation that nation will repent then I'll repent of the evil that I'm going to bring upon that nation we must disabuse ourselves of the idea that's too late for America America can come back to God the same is true of Nations as true of churches and churches and nations are made up of individuals if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal the land now listen this condition holds true for a life number one that is still pliable and number two that gives him all the pieces if your life is broken give him all the pieces but do it while it's still pliable and he can make another vessel out of you are you willing to do that now if not we're going to move into the fourth stage and the final stage I want you to see the peril of a life that rebels the peril of a life that rebels now you may be here today and you can say well I'm not going to yield to God then that clay is going to be hardened it may be a deform vessel but it will be hardened look if you will now in Jeremiah chapter 19 and verse 1 thus saith the Lord go and get a Potter's earthen bottle that is a vessel and take of the ancients of the people and the ancients of the priests that is you get the the leaders the wise people there and then verses 10 through 12 then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that are with thee and say unto them thus saith the Lord of Hosts even so will I break this people and the city as one breaketh a Potter's vessel now watch this that cannot be made whole again and then go down to verse 15 thus set the Lord of hosts the God of Israel behold I will bring upon this city and upon her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it because they hardened their necks that they might not hear my words now here here is the peril of a of a life that rebels against God you can sit in this building this morning and I can talk about hidden impurities I can talk about stubborn resistance and you can be broken and say Here I am Lord I you myself to you I repent take me make me mold me give me a new start or you can just say my life I'm going to live it the way I want to live it I'm not going to you that is your privilege but if you do that you're going to be hardened in that position and the Potter once the clay is hardened cannot remote it he cannot make it God gives a second chance if you read the Bible you find that the Bible is full of people to whom God gave it a second chance but always always they were pliable sometimes people want to know have I committed the unpardonable sin if you're concerned about it you happen because God is still dealing with you a person who's committed the unpardonable sin gets so obdurate so hardened in the sin that God cannot speak God cannot mold them any more what God is talking about now is a vessel that is hardened in deformity and impurity and stubbornness has turned to hardness and it is to be broken and broken beyond hope in front of every man woman boy and girl in this place today is a deadline there's a time I know not when there's a place I know not where that marks the destiny of men to heaven or despair there is a line by us not seeing that crosses every path tis the hidden boundary between God's mercy and God's wrath he that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy when you cross the deadline when you say I will not yield to the Potter the clay gets hard and then it's too late when that happens your spiritual sensibilities are dulled put this verse down Romans chapter 11 and verse 8 God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear unto this day did you know that the people perhaps some in this building surely some who will hear this message by television they have eyes but they don't see they have ears that they don't hear now they may not need a hearing aid nor eyeglasses but they cannot see spiritual things sometimes a man may say well preachers don't preach like they used to when I was a boy some of them do you just don't hear like you used to when you were a boy you have eyes but you don't see you have ears but you don't hear you have become hardened in your sin you like that that vessel that is hardened the clay is fixed and solid and cannot be moulded often used illustration if you go out to the South Florida acreage in woods and you might see an old pine stump out there where there's been a fire and the fire has been burning all the Palmetto bushes and all the pines and so forth but there's one stump out there that when the first time the fire came sweeping along that stump that had that rosin in that pine tar on it just burned brightly then it went out maybe the underbrush grows up again in three or four years and another fire comes along and the fire is burning furiously when it gets to that stump it made night it again but it burns this time not nearly as brightly not nearly as long and the fire goes out there may come a time in other years when the fire is roaring and coming through when it comes to that stump blacken and charred it doesn't even glow the fire just jumps right over that happens in congregations I have been preaching when the power of God's Spirit would move a cost of congregation like a fire and souls would come forward weeping saying I want to give my heart to Jesus Christ and some will sit there like this never touched don't feel a thing the fire of God's Spirit never moves upon them they have eyes but they don't see they have ears but they don't hear that's the reason I want to beg of you while the clay is soft while the clay is pliable even if you messed up come to him he will receive you and if you want to be saved you can be saved but there will come a time when it will be impossible for you to come to the Lord let me give you some of those terrifying scriptures that I know of in the Bible and then I'll be finished I just jot these down or you might want to turn to them they're all in Romans chapter 1 verse 21 because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither we're thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened light refused increases darkness Romans 1:24 wherefore God also gave them has God given up on you wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves he's talking about sexual immorality and perversion Romans 1:26 for this cause God gave them up unto vile affections for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature then Romans 8 Romans 1 verse 28 and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient God gave him up God gave them up and God gave them over I want you to think about the scripture this morning think about God says look I'm the Potter you're the clay unable unlovely but you something in my hand the wheel the circumstances of life I want to make something beautiful out of you respond to me I have a plan for your life that's the potential of a life that responds there's the problem of a life that resists if there's an unyielding Nisour hidden impurity you'll mess it up but there's a promise of a life that repents maybe you have messed it up it is not too late God made it again another vessel but there's the peril of a life that rebounds when you say no I don't want you God I'm going to have my own way it's my life I'm going to live it he that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and there be no remedy once that hardened vessel is broken it's over the wisest thing you could ever do would be to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior if you have never ever done so say Here I am Lord Jesus have I known way Lord have I known way you're the Potter I'm the clay mold me and make me after by will while I'm waiting even still and even if you've done that and then said Lord I blew it he's the god of a second chance give you a fresh start this morning but whatever you do please in the name of Jesus do not harden your heart until the clay sets the vessel is deformed fit to be destroyed and never repaired bow your heads in prayer heads are bowed and eyes are closed and if you're not certain that you're saved today I want to lead you in a prayer and in this prayer you can receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior now you're not saved by just repeating words you're saved by trusting Jesus Christ the Bible says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved he died for you He shed his blood on the cross to pay your sin death and he can take you a lump of clay and make you a vessel of beauty and service are you willing to pray pray like this dear God I'm only a lump of clay unclean unable unlovely but you're the plotter I place myself in your hands I receive you Lord Jesus as my Lord and my Savior take control of my life and begin now to make me the person you want me to be there are many things I don't understand Lord about the way the wheel of life goes round and round but by faith I put myself in your hands come into my heart forgive my sin cleanse me save me Jesus pray that friend from your heart save me Lord Jesus did you ask him were you sincere then don't look for a sign don't wait for a feeling just by faith pray this way thank you for doing it thank you for doing it I receive it by faith and that settles it you're now my Lord my Savior my God and my friend your name my boy oh man we pray God has blessed you as you watched this message if you'd like additional copies or information on other resources write us at love worth finding vo box 38 800 memphis tennessee 38134 at lwf 0rg in the u.s. you can place Visa or MasterCard orders by calling 1-800 two seven four five six eight three Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central tea thank you and may God richly bless you [Music]

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Keywords: life, made, over, jeremiah, Adrian, Rogers, Dr, Pastor, Teacher, Teaching, Preacher, Preaching, Evangelist, Prophet, Prophecy, Truth, Praise, Faith, Worship, Gospel, Grace, Word, Minister, Ministry, Ministries, Love, Worth, Finding, God, Jehovah, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Yahweh, Messiah, Saviour, Savior, Lord, Holy, Spirit, King, Lamb, Ghost, Bible, Bellevue, Baptist, Church, Saved, Salvation, Sermon, Fellowship, Trinity, Priest, Missionary, Revival, Lost, Sin, Satan, Backslide, Help, Forgiveness

Id: QJvKezjEJLY

Length: 35min 1sec (2101 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 29 2017