What’s My Purpose? Jeremiah 18:1-6

Bro. Jesse Byrd preaches “What’s My Purpose?” from Jeremiah 18:1–6, reminding listeners that God is the Potter and we are the clay, created with purpose and shaped according to His perfect plan for our lives.

Message preached on May 17, 2026.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

So we'll begin reading from Jeremiah 18, verse 1. Gotta say that. Amen. So the word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, Arise and go down to the Father's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the Father's house, and behold, he brought a work on the wheel. And the vessel that he made in the plane was born in the hand of the Father, so he made it again and all the other. And seen good to the father to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to be saying, O house of Israel, can I do with you as a power? Says the Lord, behold, as a plant is in the Father's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. That's right. Father, we thank you again. This opportunity to have to preach our word, God. So thank you each one of the attendance this morning, God. I pray that you do all this whole spiritual distracted. I pray that the Holy Spirit goes through our service, and I pray, God, that the Lord is prepared to receive our Savior this morning, God. We ask this in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. This morning, the time of our sermon is the sermon is what is my purpose? What is my purpose? You know what? We go through life many times. We have this question that we deal with in life. You know, I have a purpose in life, and what is it? You know, as we go through life, we as we get older, we realize that God has a purpose for human life. Uh at times life is tough. Uh at times life, uh, you feel like you may deal with a hand that you don't deserve. Uh you feel like at times that uh life is just not fair, which life is not fair. Uh but uh, you know, as we we encourage each other, we have this hope with each other that uh we have a purpose. God has called you. Uh everybody has a call. Uh not everybody's called to preach, not everybody's called a sing. I definitely wouldn't call it a sing. I'm working on the preaching part, but definitely I don't think there's no help to see. But everybody has a purpose. Uh and at times the devil will tell us that we're useless. That uh there's nothing that you can do other than be what you are now and just useless. Uh we think about it, uh, the devil at times will tell us that uh we can't do any better, or simply that we are nothing in life, and a person throughout life uh must be careful because the devil will tell you that you wasted your life and accomplished nothing. You know, as a Christian this morning, uh we go through trials and tribulations. Uh, that at times in life, the devil will tell you that uh the voice, he will use uh the goodness of God and turn it against God. Uh the devil at times will show you that you've studied, you've prayed all week, and you asked God to help you. And now here it is, you struggle, you still struggle. Uh, how many times have the devil told you that no matter how much you pray, uh, look at what God's given you. You're still struggling, the person on the road is going much better. Uh, just the devil will use uh so many tools against you this morning, but uh, we've got to understand and ignore the devil and obey God, and then we'll start realizing quick that God has a purpose for us. Uh, you think about it this morning, uh, all throughout the New Testament and the Old Testament, we have illustrations or stories of our pottery. Uh, many times God's people are referred to as clay pots. So today we have three pots to uh decide which own we are and how it's used by God. The first pot is a decorated pot. This pot is a pot that uh pleases the eye, it looks beautiful on the outside, and uh, when you put it around certain things, it makes the surroundings look better. Uh have you ever been around people that's come into the room and they just light up the whole room? Uh you can be uh down and out, or you can be dull or whatever, and when this one person walks in the room, they just light up the whole world. Uh the whole room. They're so bright, they're smiling, they're uh funny, they do all these good things, and uh no matter how bad it looks, uh they always shine. That's one type of pot we have. Uh the second pot is a flawless pot. Uh, this pot is what many people think today. Uh they think when God created them, uh they have no flaws. I know a lot of people this morning that thin that when God created them, I've heard people tell them when God created me, they broke the old. When God didn't create nobody else like me. I'm the only one that looks good, I'm the only one that's smart, I'm the only one that has no flaws. I'm perfect. Everything about me. Uh that's a second part. Uh they think that they just, everything about them is good. Uh, this person becomes a selfish person. Uh, this person becomes a prideful person, this person becomes a type of person that you don't want to be around. Uh, because I've been around people that thought they were better than me. I soon realized uh that I'm not gonna be around them all because they bring you down. They try to make you look down from your own self. So that's a second pot, it's a flawless pot. The third is a crack pot. A pot that has cracked in it. Uh a pot that you can see through. Uh it can be beautiful, but it's still got a crack. It can't hold nothing. Uh the crack pot is uh is not decorative or flawless, or it's got a crack in it, and no matter what goes in, it's wasted, it comes right back out. Uh and it's got uh a pot that nothing you can do. Uh you can put in the things you want to put in, it's then gonna leak out. So we see that there's three different types of pots that we could be this morning in life. And we ask which one is God likely to use the most? A decorated pot that looks good, a flawless pot that has no flaws, or a crack pot that can't hold nothing. Now, the human tendency and common sense is saying that he would use either one, not the crack pot, he would use a flawless pot that was perfect, he'd use a decorated pot that looked good. But nobody this morning will choose the crackpot. What do you think a crack pot is good for? Nothing. Because nobody, you can be told water, you could put uh soil in it, it's gonna leak right out. So, why would God use a crack pot this morning? So we think about it, a decorated vessel highly uh used for your appearance, a flawless vessel is for perfect people, and a crackpot has a crack in it. So this morning I want you to understand the number one thing is God is the potter, we all acclaim. So, you know, and as I was thinking this past week, uh, when a person dies, they got to stand before God for judgment. The Bible says that uh when you draw your last breath to be absent from the body is present with the Lord. So that means that once you die, the moment you die, your soul departs from the body. And I don't care how much we study, don't care how smart we become, we can never see a soul depart from a body. So when this person dies, the Bible says that the soul goes back to who he giveth, which is God. So when the soul goes back to God, he or she's got to stand before judgment. And you know, in my mindset this morning, and I pray that we can get this across to this young generation, even to the older generation, is that once you draw your last breath, once you stand before God, God is a God that will not let you relive life, redo life. The moment you stand before God, it says that every thought, every word, every action done, you've got to be required to give an account for. So God right now is telling us that we are the clay and he's the power. So right now, the more we mess up, we in the power's hands. It says in our scripture that he didn't like the first batch, and he brought it back up and reshaped it. So this morning, we've got an opportunity to get reshaped in life. Maybe you're not living the way God has called you to live. Maybe you haven't been what God has called you to be. But you are blessed this morning because God has led you back into his house and God has given you another opportunity for him to reshape you and make you in God's image. You see, when God created you, you were created in God's image. Everything about you, God created you. God knew about you, the Bible says that he knew about you before he was formed in the battle. He knew all about you, knew what you were going to do, knew how you were going to look. So, in order this morning to be what God has called you to be, you've got to let God shape you. You've got to let God rework you. I don't know about you this morning, but I get reworked daily. I realize that I failed God and God has to rework me. He's got to rebuild and remold it. But thank God this morning that we serve a God that is a second chance God. How many of you are thankful this morning that we serve a second chance God? Because without serving a second-chance God, the first time we mess up, we'd be on our way to hell. But we serve a second-chance God that sees when we do mess up, if we ask God to forgive us, he'll mold us into what he's trying to make us into. So it says that if it wasn't me for the potter, we'd be in trouble this morning. So instead of disregarding the clay, he remade it. You see, in Isaiah 64 and 8 it says, God says, Oh Lord, thou art the Father, we are the clay, and thou art the potter, and we all are over the work of thy hand. Only God this morning can make things right. Even when it's bad, only God can make things right this morning. You see, we struggle every day. We struggle, we get into temptation, we'll face with trials and tribulations, uh, we're face with persecutions, we face with sickness, but only God is the one that can make things right. It doesn't matter how much money we spend on research, it doesn't matter how much money we spend on counseling, only God this morning can fix things. So we've got to understand that we can't shape God. God shapes us. It doesn't matter what we tell God. You see, the good thing about it is God sees through our glass house that we live in. You know, I've got children, you've got children, you've got nieces and nephews, uh, and they can pull up eggs, they can tell us anything they want to tell us. And they can make us believe it too. They're good. I was good, I used to be good at lying. And now I'm as good at playing. Show them to you.

SPEAKER_00 10:22

Good at playing.

SPEAKER_01 10:25

There's a difference. Before I got saved, I was one of the best liars you could see. But after I got saved, I become somebody that likes to play around a lot. There's a difference. But my children, I think I got a son and he beat me. He slipped. He slipped. He can make me believe things that I know deep down inside. There ain't no way. But he can make me believe it. You see, but the thing about God this morning is he sees this last house that we're living. We can tell God all we want to tell him. God, if you heal me, I'm going to do this. God, if you give me a lot of money, I'm going to do this. God, if you give me a repeal, I'm going to do this. And knowing deep down inside that as soon as God gives, I never was going to follow God in the first place. But God knew from the beginning that we were just pulling this way. God sees through our glass house this morning. He knows when we're sincere. You know, I've had people that's gotten saved that come down and you can tell that they've gotten saved, that they really meant it. Now they're still in for God, but in our hand, they've been people that's come down and gotten saved. And before they left church, I believe that they're gave upon God already. You see, but God sees through this. God is the God Almighty, and it says that God is concerned with the heart. In 1 Samuel 16 and 7 it says, the Lord said to Samuel, look not on his countenance or on the height of the statue, but because I have returned him. But the Lord's God has man seen. God looks on the inward appearance, not the outward appearance. You see, I thank God this morning. I thank God this morning that he's a merciful God. I thank God that he's a God full of grace. I thank God that he sees us for who we are. And, you know, our God that we serve is going to judge everybody. Everybody's the same in God's eyes. It doesn't matter how smart we are, it doesn't matter how big our house is. Everybody will stand before God will be judged the same way. But it tells this morning that God looks on the inward appearance. You see, God is seeking this morning not for money. God is not seeking for power. God is seeking this morning for your heart. As soon as you give God your heart, that's when God works on the inside and makes his way to the outside. But we've got to understand this morning there's a difference of man and God. You see, man is going to judge you by the outward appearance. They've been praying people, stop coming to church. I hope praying about this church because I make sure my best me and all church members make sure you welcome the laptop rules. But there's many churches that judge people by the outward appearance. You can't wear this, you can't do that, you've got to be trained. The Bible this morning is telling us that God loves everybody. So if this man or this woman don't have nothing but short pants for the church, I'm not going to stop them from serving God. I'm going to welcome them in. But God this morning judges not by the outward appearance. God judges by what we do on the inside. That's how God determines whether we're living for God or whether we're Christian. This morning, as a Christian, we can't judge on the outward appearance. You can go down the road and look at this part of this homeless man upon the bridge. He may have more salvation than you got. But may be poor than you. But God doesn't judge this man or this woman by how much money they got in the back pocket. God judges this man or this woman by what they've confessed in their heart. And this morning, as a Christian, we should be preaching about that. God doesn't care how you look on the outside. Because if God was saving our good looks, maybe a lot of people, the only way to help this morning, I'd be one of them. But this morning, God is not judging by our looks. He's judging by what we do on the inside. How are we serving Jesus this morning? So it tells us instead of the oldest and tallest, more experienced brother, the youngest and smaller brother got chosen because God chose him. All because David had a heart for God and his plan was easy to form. Then the third thing is God chooses the weak. And for a man this morning, we applaud the people with authority. You know, and the people that's high up, we applaud them. The president, uh, whether it's a police chief, all these things, we'll applaud these people. But God says this morning, God chooses ordinary people, common people, who are the least likely to succeed and give them a mission to do. You see, as I said this morning, I matter of fact, I just had somebody this week tell me, Rob McConnell, right back down. I don't even know who it was. We were talking to a man said, Man, I don't know about you that preach. I don't know about you who got saved. But God chooses the broken. God chooses the weak people. I've got Sunday school teachers that don't have degrees and can teach Sunday school with the best of us. We've got people that's doorbreeders. You don't have to have a degree to be a doorbreeder, but you've got to have social skills. They may not be speak, talk to enough, but they know how to go breed and make people feel welcome. Everybody has a calling, and you've got to be obeying the calling because God is going to use you. Just because you're broken, God can still use you. God likes the ones that's broken so he can show you how powerful he is at his work. You think about all the people in the Bible this morning that was broken that God saved. There's a whole list of them. So it tells us in 1 Corinthians 1.27 that God has chosen the foolish things of the world and found the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world and found the things which are mighty. God chooses the foolish and weak to accomplish his will. God uses crack pots. So this morning, if you're a decorated pot, you might need to change over. If you think you're a flawless pot, you might need to change over because God says he uses crack pots. Many people believe God only uses sinless people. But that's an insane sentence we speak. God doesn't care about how many sins you have, God cares whether you've been born again. You see, if God was only coming to save the perfect people, wouldn't be anybody saved. Everybody is at fault this morning. Everybody born is born in sin. So God uses the broken people. God chooses the foolish and the weak to get his vision done. Think about it this morning. Nobody was perfect or without blemish but Jesus Christ. You think about the people God used. God used Noah. Noah was a drunkard. God used Noah to save people. God used Noah to be a guard. God used Sarah. Sarah laughed at God when God told her he was going to be pregnant. Well up in the late up in age, Sarah laughed at God. You think about it this morning. Samson had serious problems with lust and pride. God used him. Think about David. David was an adulterer and a murderer. God used him. Solomon. Solomon is the man that I look up to because I don't know how he done it. Lolly was a whole followers this morning. I wanted my goal we're to find wisdom. Solomon had 200 wives, 300 concubines. Solomon, bless his Lord. Solomon this morning, God used. Solomon, God asked Solomon, what do you want in life? What do you need in life? Out of all the things you want, what do you want in life? He said, give me wisdom. Now as I get older, I see when I ask wisdom, he had 200 wives. But you see, God used Solomon, even with 200 wives and 300 compromise, God used him. So you think about Peter. Peter denied Jesus. God still used him. Paul was keeping all sinners. Paul was killing Christians. Paul was a part of the first thing with the first deacon in the Bible. Paul was there with him. But God used Paul. Paul wrote over two-thirds of the New Testament Bible. God used Paul because he was broken. This morning they were all cracked pots, and God used them. Now you think about it this morning. I don't know how I've told this illustration before. Maybe years ago, but a water bearer had two large pots. Back then they had one large pot on this side of the stick, one on this side of the stick, and he towed it on the shoulder to carry both pots. He knew one pot was cracked. One pot was decorative and flawless. It was perfectly beautiful. He walked down to the stream and filled both pots up with water. Brought it back every day. He done the same thing every day. Used a crack pot and a perfect pot. So as the days went on, people was asking, why do you use a crack pot? It's good for nothing. Why don't you have two flawless pots so that you can bring double the water? So the water bearer said, because before we started this journey, I planted flowers alongside the roadway. And this crackpot that was leaking water every day, he brought up my flowers going back up to the father's table. You see, he used that crackpot. The crackpot had a mission. He had a mission for the crackpot. This morning, you may be cracked and busted up. But God has a purpose for you this morning. We don't know what the purpose is. Maybe God has planted flowers along the way, and now these flowers are starting to grow because you water them every day. But whatever it is, God is using this pot, this crack, for a purpose. Families that's going through things, mothers and fathers, why do you think we struggle in life? Because our children have got to see what it's like to be an adult. So when we show them as they see these cracks that's in our pots, they see how did my mom and daddy make it. Now that I'm grown, I remember what they've done when we didn't have no food. Remember we've done losing loan money. God is using you this morning for a purpose. The cracks that you have in your pot. Don't say, God do this, God do this. God, just be thankful this morning because there's a reason that you're struggling. There's a reason that you're calling on God. There's a reason that you're not rich. How many rich people this morning have been at Lambert Grove Baptist Church? Probably nobody. If everybody was rich, we'd be out doing our own thing, wasting money. But God has a reason that you're struggling the way you're struggling. God has a reason that you're going through these trials and tribulations. So at the end of the day, when you thank God is not for keeping, you shake God today, you say, God, thank you for letting me be in a crackpot because I knew that you're using me, and now I see it. It may be years from now before these flowers come up. It may be years from now before somebody sees what you went through and knows how to handle what they're going through. But be in that crackpot this morning, be thankful this morning that God is using you. And it tells us that if everybody was perfect, how many of us would call on Jesus? Nobody. If everybody was perfect this morning with no sense, you wouldn't need Jesus. But God sent his only begotten son because he knew that you weren't going to be perfect. He knew that you were going to go through trials and tribulations. But he sent his son so that when we go through these things, we can see how Jesus handled them. That's what God has called you for this morning. So it tells us, this answers how and why does God use crack parts? Because you never know who you are. You never know who's watching and seeing how you react to it. So it tells us that God can take these broken pieces. How many of us have been broken? Whether it's been over death, whether it's been over sickness, whether it's been over divorce, whatever it may be. All of us have been broken sometimes. I don't think if I went to the crowd this morning and ask you, I don't think nobody will tell me that I ain't never been broken. Everybody's been through a trial and tribulation. Everybody's been through a sickness where you've been broken and you didn't think you could make it any further. But then God stepped in. You see, our world this morning is broken. Our generation of all us is broken this morning. They look at everywhere but the Right way. God is the only true right way to look this morning. And they try to go all the way around. But my friend, my thing to them young men you're not looking this morning, even with the older people that don't leave the church, don't leave in God. You're coming back one way or the other. You can believe that. You may not come back on your own, but you may be coming in. Somebody may be rolling you in your church house. You coming back to God's house somewhere, somehow. So it tells this morning that it shows God shows his almighty power, whatever he shows us about being a crackpot. It also shows what God can do with us. It shows that God has work before us and it shows that we are a treasure to God. In 2 Corinthians 1 7, it says, but we have this treasure in earth and vessels that the excellence of our power may be of God, not us. This morning we should be seeking God. Because I tell you this morning, if man or woman tries to do it on their own, they're going to fail. How many times have you tried something and left God out of it and you failed? You realize that it was just something simple and easy. I couldn't get it done. But the thing about it is, did you let God lead you? Nobody can break an addiction, nobody can break, a courage nobody can break. Any kind of thing they're going through this morning without calling on Jesus. Jesus is the great physician. He says in his word that he can heal the sick and raise the dead. He can cause the blind eye to see and the devil is to hear. God can do anything but fail this morning, but we've got to trust God. Many people have their treasure lighted up in earth. The Bible clearly tells us that the things we live on earth, it says that ever rust and mouthway, they'll rust away. Because nobody can take what God or Earth take it down with us. So everything we try to gain on this side of the earth, you're going to leave behind. So what are you leaving behind this morning? Are you showing these young men and young women? Maybe you're showing your family, your husband and your wife. Are you showing them that God can use you even though you're broken? You've got a testimony this morning. My testimony this morning that I was broken. I was a sinner, I was lost, I was on my way to hell, and God saved me. Your testimony this morning should be the same thing that you accepted Jesus and he saved you from hell. No matter what you've been through. So it tells us that we've all been broken and the light shines through us, for others see God in us. You see, the thing about it this morning is we don't have enough Christians that's let their light shine. You see, like I'm talking about this tonight. We get around certain people or certain crowds, and first thing we think about it, this crowd's lost as long as I'm saved, I'm good. That's not the way the Bible teaches. The Bible says that we've got to let our light shine so others can see Christ in us. That means you've got to carry Christ with you everywhere you go. To be a Christian this morning, it means that Christ lives in you. So as a Christian this morning, you can't live a Christian life without Jesus. You can't live a Christian life without God leading you. So it says this morning, in closing, which pot are you? Are you that first pot that's a nice looking pot that uh you just light up the room, you're a good person, uh, you do all things that please this man, you're just a fan favorite. Uh many of us are just fan favorites. We love, everybody loves being around you. I know uh when I was before I got saved, I had all kinds of buddies. That was a decorated pot. I was too. I love being around them, they were just funny, they lit up the room. And as I got saved and we grew in Christ, I grew in Christ, I realized then that this decorated pot didn't want anything to do with me. So now throughout my fall, I have numbers that I hadn't called in years, and we were brothers and grew up like brothers, best friends. Now they don't know me, they don't want to talk to me because I'm a Christian. That's a sad life to live. That's one of those decorated pots that looks good on the outside and no good on the inside. Or you second part, the second part, the flawless pot. You open minded and high-minded as one of things, and you have no flaws, that you're above everybody else. But the Bible says be careful on who you're making fun of while you're going up and they're coming down. Because the roles can be reversed shortly. You may be coming down and they going up. So don't make food away because you're on top and they're on the bottom. So we have a flawless pot, or are you the third part, the crack pot? The pot that God is using, whether it's one of the flowers, or whether it's showing people how to make it through trials and tribulation. Which pot are you this morning? God can reshape you. This morning, thank God that all of us have breath in our body and we have hope this morning. That if I'm not living the way God has called me to live, God can rework me, remake me right now as we speak. That's the God that's brought you to church this morning. Nobody just got up this morning without God leaving you and say, Well, I'm going to, if you believe in the devil, you're not going to church this morning. God has called you for a reason. God has sent you for a reason. Then God has a purpose behind you because God is willing to use you and make you whole again. So we think about it this morning. We've been broken by bad choices, bad people, and by the world. But God intended for us to be beautiful somehow, and the world influenced us, and we've been cruel. But today, you can be a new creature in Christ. God says that he can save you. God says that he can change you. God says that he can transform you this morning. That whenever you accept Christ, the old man dies, and you become a new creature in Christ. How many of us this morning can say that we are a new creature in Christ? I'm going to tell you this morning before we close out. You get saved, it's going to be tough. You get saved, you're not going to be perfect. We're never going to be perfect, we're never going to be easy until we stand before Jesus. So don't come running to God this morning thinking that everything's going to be a bed of roses. You're going to have trials and tribulations. But when you have these trials and tribulations, you become cracked, you turn to God and say, God, you see the broken pieces in me. Help me get better. So this morning we ask, will you call on God to fix whatever you're going through? Maybe you don't know Jesus. Maybe you've accepted Christ and you've wandered away. But the Bible says this morning that as we still live it, we are the clay in the power's hands. Don't you need God to rework your life? God can fix these problems this morning. Whatever God's will is going to be done. So you need Jesus this morning. God is calling you this morning. One day, many people this morning didn't have an opportunity like you did to stand before God and come before God and ask God to help you. This morning, you have an opportunity. God is calling you this morning. All you have to do is trust Jesus. It's simple. Everybody makes it all, but it's simple to get saved. You come down and you admit to God that you're a sinner. You say, God, I'm a sinner. I need you now more than ever. You've got to believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead for your sins. Then you've got to commit to commitment. You've got to commit to God and say, God, I'm going to follow you to the day I die. It's easy this morning. But when you stand before God and if you draw your last breath, then it's going to be too hard. But don't let the hard come before the easy. Make that decision this morning and call on Jesus before it's ever last too late. Let's pray. Father, we thank you again, Lord for the scripture. We thank you this morning, God, for the words that we have in attendance this morning, God. And I pray as we give our invitation. I pray, Lord, that the Holy Spirit is simple support, God. I pray that they step out on faith this morning. God, we'll stay that first step. That first step is always the hardest because you're worried about people around you, worrying about if I've done good enough, done better. God, but I pray this morning that this person or these people steps out on faith this morning, God, and just trust you. And I pray, Lord, this morning that you heal the broken heart. I pray this morning that you heal the cranked pots this morning. I pray that you heal these other two type of parts we talked about. God, I pray this morning that we realize that we need you now more than ever. And God, I pray this morning that we accept you and call upon you before it's ever passed too late.