The Man the Potter Created

The Man The Potter Created



A baby boy was held in the arms of an old woman, lying there in a dirty diaper in unfamiliar filthy surroundings he cried and fussed. He had no idea of what was going on, but he could sense the tension and he was responding to the turmoil. Meanwhile, the police were trying to coax the man and old woman holding the child into giving the child they had kidnapped back to the mother and grandmother. The kidnappers were armed and refused to give the infant to the mother who was standing just outside the dingy old house. Eventually, the kidnappers surrendered the child to the police and the mother and grandmother rushed to take the child home. The young child’s mother was a stripper and would latter marry seven times before the boy was seven. The boy’s father had kidnapped the son at gunpoint would later be sent to prison for murdering a four year old boy a few years later. But Grandmother was a Godly woman, who prayed for the well being for the child endlessly. Her prayers were answered, and she was able to raise the baby boy as her own. She trained and shaped his life, taking him to church and trying to erase the turmoil, the exposure to drugs, and the dangerous life of a family of criminals. The boy grew and all during that time God’s hand was shaping him and directing his paths to the ministry. So many near death experiences and heartaches occurred in his life, but I am here to tell you that I stand here before you because of the grace and mercy of God. As the son of a murderer and a woman of the night, I humbly greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jer 18:1-6
18:1 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.

Isa 64:8
8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.


· I would for the next few minutes like to preach to you on the topic The Man the Potter Created

Let’s examine the scriptures a little closer. Notice verse 4 “And the vessel was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.







Imagine, if you will, the potter going down to the river bank and digging out a batch of clay in which to create a vessel. I can see him pulling the grass, and roots out of the clay, I can see him brushing the rocks and sticks out as well. It is with great intent and determination that the potter is taking so that he might make a masterpiece. A vessel to contain the most precious item known to man. His Spirit!

And so he returns to the potter’s house and places the clay upon the potter’s wheel. He begins the process of shaping and molding the clay into the picture that he has in his mind of what the clay should become.

He places water on the shapeless lump and begins to spin the clay upon his wheel. His masterful hands begin to place pressure and a shape soon replaces the blob of clay. The process goes on and on and the skillful hands of the potter soon has made a vessel that at first glance seems to be just what he wanted. The potter then takes the vessel and places it into the oven to be hardened and useful as a container of precious ointment. Upon taking the vessel out of the oven he discovers that the clay is marred and imperfect. He then takes the vessel and breaks it into pieces and applies water to the pieces and places them back into the wheel and begins the process again.

Our own lives are just like that vessel that the potter had made and had to break it into pieces so he could make again another.

I am looking at people here today that are full of imperfection and flaws, but despite what your flaws and your sins are, The Potter is interested in making a vessel of honor out of you. He has no desire to throw you away but seeks to reshape and mold you into the vessel that can contain the precious ointment. That ointment is the Holy Ghost!

No matter how marred, no matter what you have done God can and will forgive you and he wants to desperately to restore you and to create you in his image. You are not a throw away. When your family, friends, and society gives up on you, Jesus will not!
Though everyone forsakes you, Jesus will not forsake you. We will leave the ninety and nine and go and find the one lost sheep. He will move heaven and earth to rescue you if you will only submit to his will for your life.

The Bible is full of examples of failures who became the man the potter created.
Moses started his ministry as a former murderer, David committed adultery and tried to hide it by murdering the husband. Jacob was a liar, and Jonah ran away from God. All of these men were mightily used by God even after they were marred. The factor of change was their repentance of their sins and then they allowed God to change them.
God loves you so much that he has engraven a picture of you in the palm of his hand.
You may have a hard time believing that Jesus can forgive you or that He even wants to, but I am here to tell you that He is will able and ready to not only forgive you but to help you to become what he wants you to be.




When you look in the mirror do you see the man that the potter intended to create or do you see the man you created? Will you continue to resist the hands of the potter and his desire to shape you into what he wants to?



I can’t say for sure, but I suspect that a lot of you probably didn’t have the greatest childhood, some of you were abused, and some never had Godly men as your role models if you had dads at all. Some may have come from great families, but for some odd reason you chose a different path. While others seemed to have their paths chosen for them. Your background doesn’t matter anymore!

I am here to tell you that the master of all situations is here and he can break the chains of your past if only you will let him. Maybe you have been hurt, and disappointed by so many people, it is hard to trust and to let down your guard. I know it’s not manly to admit that anyone could hurt or abuse you ,but it happens nevertheless. There are sins that can even be imagined that occur everyday, nothing surprises God, maybe you have even committed some of those sins. The apostle Paul stated in 1Cor. 6:9-11:

1 Cor 6:9-11
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.



Let’s go back to Jeremiah 18:4 “And the vessel was marred in the hands of the potter:so he made again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”

In math class we were taught to reduce a math problem to the lowest common denominator. In every stage of the shaping and the creation of the vessel, in every situation, every trial, every troubling situation and in the final creation we see that the vessel was in the potter’s hand. So no matter what you are going through today, know that you are still in the hands of the potter.

No matter what sins you have committed, no matter what you have done, if you will stay in the hands of the Potter, and allow him to mold and shape you, you will become the man that the Potter created.
















A couple walked into a master potter’s shop one day looking for an exsquisit piece of pottery to decorate their new home. Money was no object to them, only quality and uniqueness mattered. The couple had heard that this was the master of all potters and that his shop was stocked full of quality workmanship and they were in awe as they looked around. However, one particular piece of pottery stood out amongst all of the rest. It was located on a shelf on the wall behind the counter. As the couple admired the piece the potter approached them. The couple commented on how beautiful the red swirls were that decorated the piece. The shape was perfect and the vessel was just what they wanted. When they inquired as to the price of the piece the potter replied “ This piece is my pride and joy, it was the most difficult piece I ever created. I shaped and molded this piece over and over and yet it would not hold it’s shape. When I finally got it to hold it’s shape I placed it into the oven and when I pulled it out I discovered it was cracked and marred. So I broke it into pieces and started again. This time as I shaped it the harden pieces cut my hands and so the red swirls you see are my bloodstains. I created this piece and apart of me is in it so you see I could never depart with this vessel.

You are that clay upon the potter’s wheel, he bought you with His blood, and you are too valuable for him to sell you or to give up on you. All you have to do is submit to his commandment and repent of your sins, be baptized in Jesus’ name and you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. By This process, we can become the man that the potter created. Are you the man the potter created or have you become marred and cracked? Will you allow the potter to restore you?

Pastor Kevin Collins