See If You Can Find a Man

Text: Jeremiah 5:1-13

 

I.         The last days of the southern kingdom of Judah

            A.        The people had become very corrupt - Jeremiah 5:20-23

            B.        God purposed to severely punish His people - Jeremiah 5:26-31

II.        But there is one hope - Jeremiah 5:1

            A.        Jeremiah is told to run through Jerusalem and find a man

                        1.         A man who deals justly

                                    a.         Performs deeds of righteousness with equity

                                    b.         Impartial and treats others with dignity

                        2.         A man who looks for the truth

                                    a.         Not just a truthful man, but one who diligently looks until he finds the truth.

                                    b.         A man who looks for truth and then puts it into practice

            B.        If Jeremiah can find such a man, God will forego the punishment

                        1.         Just one, solitary person!

III.       Sadly, Jeremiah couldn’t find such a man - Jeremiah 5:2-11

            A.        They take oaths by God, yet they lie - Jeremiah 5:2

            B.        They refuse to even acknowledge that the Lord is punishing them - Jeremiah 5:3

                        1.         Let alone learn and return to God

            C.        Their leaders have “freed” themselves from God - Jeremiah 5:5

            D.        They have gone into frivolous sex - Jeremiah 5:8

IV.      Lessons to be learned

            A.        God’s own people can fall away.

                        1.         God’s protection doesn’t mean we are saved from ourselves

                        2.         I Corinthians 9:27 - Even Paul had the potential of being disqualified

                        3.         I Corinthians 10:1-12 - Proof that Christians must be watchful is found in the lives of the Israelites

                        4.         Romans 8:12-13 - If you live according to the flesh, you will die.

                        5.         II Peter 2:18-22 - Worse off knowing the truth and then departing from it.

            B.        God is just in punishing the disobedient

                        1.         God is not just a God of Love; He is also a God of Justice - Romans 11:22

                        2.         Look at Daniel’s prayer concerning the punishment that Jeremiah tried to hold off - Daniel 9:9-14. God was righteous in destroying Jerusalem.

                        3.         God will repay all wrong - Romans 12:19

                        4.         Vengeance comes in this world, but ultimately at the second coming - II Thessalonians 1:4-8

            C.        Absolute truth does exist and is attainable

                        1.         John 8:31-32 - If we abide in Christ’s words, we will know the truth.

                        2.         John 17:17 - God’s word is truth

                        3.         II John 4 - Unlike Jeremiah, John found Christians walking in the truth.

V.        Are we willing to stand for justice and truth?

            A.        Contend earnestly for the faith - Jude 3

            B.        Need to teach all, righteous and wicked alike - Ezekiel 3:17-21

            C.        I Corinthians 16:13-14

            D.        Are we the man Jeremiah was seeking?

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