WHERE ARE THE JUST?

sermon 1.

WHERE ARE THE JUST?

A Sermon Preached on Sunday 16/12/2018

“Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the LORD. “Look high and low; search throughout the city if you can find even one just and honest person, I will not destroy the city. ─ Jer. 5:1.

Illustration: Diogenes, a great philosopher in Athens lighted up a candle in the daytime and went out through the streets with it, when he was asked the reason of what he was doing, he said he was searching for a man of virtue, honor, and honesty.

Jerusalem is regarded as the holy land, and the people in it are special to God. But now we see that the people in it have corrupted themselves. No man of virtue, justice and honesty in every corner or street of Jerusalem. They swear falsely with the name of God, they love foreign gods more than God, even the poor who are expected to trust in God live in ignorance of the way of God, people commit adultery and idolatry. Their wickedness is bringing destruction to themselves.

God commands his prophet to run up and down every street in Jerusalem─ it is believed that all the streets in that city are crowded by people of no moral repute, a place where drunks feast, prostitutes engage in their wicked acts, criminals steal, and business men transact with lies.

Where are the just? Can we find them in the market place? Is there anyone who is trustworthy, with the fear of God dealing with his business without over charging or selling with wrong scales or selling the fake in the name of originals? A woman went to Aba to buy a bail of shirts. The man she was buying the bail from asked her to come to the inner room where she could select the finest goods. As she stepped in, the man held her and then forcefully raped her. Before this obnoxious incident happened, the rapist had told the victim that he was a knight in one of the churches in Nigeria. So this made the woman not to bother so much by following him to the inner room where goods were packed. Beyond her expectation, the man messed her up.

Where are the just, can we find them in the law court, where truth and justice are needed. Can we find them even in the churches? Can we see people that have not stained their hands with blood? People that have neither committed abortion nor killed innocent souls?  Can we find elders or ministers of God that have never embezzled church money? Can we still find people who are faithful to their calling and duty in the house of God? Do you leave your own work or business for the service of God? Only give him your time?

Where are the just, will they be found in schools or universities? The just are they lecturers who fail students because they refuse to be corrupted? No. The just are those who are honest, and are morally upright in all their dealings with one another. And God says if only one person who is truly just and honest would be found, he would spare Jerusalem from destruction. Regrettably, no one was found worthy just like in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah Abraham pleaded if only ten persons who were righteous would be found in such a city. But in the case of Jerusalem, God reduced the number to one person, and yet none was found. Don’t you know that in your family God may decide not to destroy it because of one faithful servant there? Can you let go of things because of Christ? Someone is challenging you because of a piece of land, and you want to sue the person to court where lies will be turned as truth. Wouldn’t you leave the case now for Christ, the perfect judge?  Or do you live where enemies surround you, don’t let their evil ways to tempt you to do evil too. I want you to be one of the just God is looking for. If you are, you will be spared in the time of destruction.

Note: If you are just in your office, God will uplift you, if you are just in your marriage, your marriage will not breakout. If you are just in everything God said to Isaiah to tell the righteous it shall be well with them, I tell you as a servant of God that it shall be well with you as we are entering 2019. The situation truncating your life and aspirations God is taking them away from you. The destruction that is hanging on you, as you accept Jesus Christ now, God is destroying your destructions.