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00:00How are you using your position within your circle of friends, the co-workers
00:06that you have, within your own home, to make sure this ball is not dropped on
00:10your watch? How are you making sure that you bring the truth of God, the
00:14perspective of God to bear in every circumstance in which you must find
00:19yourself? How are you preserving and protecting the standard, the truth of God
00:25amidst a culture that is turning its back on God? Modern-day Obadiah, do you
00:30realize it's you and it's me who have to make sure this ball is not dropped?
00:42Let's pray it again. Lord, I thank you for this church. I thank you, Father, for what
00:47you have brought this church through and how you are going to use that to conform
00:52this body even more into the image of your son. I thank you, Lord, for the
00:57influence. I thank you, Father, that no demonic attack or assignment will flourish
01:02against it. I pray, Father, that the years that are to come will be greater than the
01:08years that have gone by. And I pray, Lord, that today each and every individual man
01:12or woman, boy or girl, I pray that all of us today will see ourselves and most
01:19importantly see you through the scriptures. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
01:26Okay, when I was growing up in junior high school, I played volleyball. Now, I want to
01:32make sure you get the picture here. Our volleyball team was horrible. We were
01:38terrible, but we looked good. We had good uniforms and we enjoyed putting our
01:42uniforms on, coming out on the court like we were really finna do something, but
01:46really, we weren't that great at the game. At the time, I went to a Christian
01:51school, private school around the corner from my house, real small school, and
01:55because it was this little conservative Christian school, we wore culottes. I
01:59don't know if anybody remembers culottes. They've kind of come back in fashion just
02:02a little bit now, but they were, you know, mid-calf length, very wide pants, but we
02:07wore those to play volleyball. It might be fashionable to walk down the street in
02:12those sorts of pants now, but we were playing a whole sport in them. So we had,
02:16you know, the jerseys, and then we had these long culottes, red and white uniforms,
02:20and we'd come out in our pristine uniforms really thinking that we looked like
02:25something and that we were going to do something, maybe thinking for some reason
02:28those uniforms gave us some, you know, strength and power that we did not have in
02:32practice, but it was clearly seen right after the team gave us the very first serve
02:38that we were in trouble. 95% of the time, no matter what team we were facing, we were
02:44usually in trouble. One of the things that got us into the most trouble, though, was
02:48that as we stood there in our, you know, volleyball stance, preparing ourselves for
02:52the serve, we would see that ball come sailing across the net, and several of us
02:57would yell, I got it! We'd say it loud and clear and without apology. I got it, I got
03:03it, I got it! So we would hear three or four or five, I got it, yelling out
03:08from all over, as in our unorganized way, we all tried to get to the ball, and
03:13because we were watching our other teammates, and because we heard other
03:17people yelling, I got it, you know what happened. That ball came sailing across
03:21the net, and we all backed up thinking that somebody else had it. So the ball would
03:28crash down to the ground, and inevitably we would lose the point and lose the game,
03:32because we kept on dropping the ball. I want to encourage you, and I want to
03:40challenge you and me today about dropping the ball. Y'all, we can't drop the ball.
03:46The ball of our faith, the ball of the truth of God cannot be dropped on our watch.
03:52Not today. With the enemy advancing so clearly against the culture, against the
03:58globe, and against the things that are happening underneath the roof of our own
04:02house. The division sometimes we feel between us and our spouse, the trouble we
04:07feel bubbling up to the surface between us and our children, the struggles that we
04:11are having. We have to stand firm and make sure that we don't drop the ball when
04:16we're the ones that have been called to a position where God has strategically
04:21placed us, so that we can be the voice of truth, so that we can bring God's
04:26perspective to bear, so that we can be the ones that have hope, even when those
04:30around us might be hopeless. We're the ones that are supposed to make sure we
04:35don't spend our whole Christian experience saying, I got it, I got it, I got it. But
04:40then when the time comes to actually get it, we all step back and drop the ball. So
04:47many of us are waiting on everybody else to do what God has called you to do, has
04:52called me to do. Listen, you're the one you've been waiting for. There's a portion
04:58of scripture that keeps drawing my attention in this regard about not
05:02dropping the ball and about realizing how much we have strategically been placed
05:07by God in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in that classroom, on those Zoom calls, at
05:14that boardroom table, in that industry, in that genre, in that craft, in that office.
05:21We've been placed there, strategically placed by God, so that when the ball of
05:27His purposes and plans come sailing in our direction, we don't step back hoping
05:31that somebody else will do it. We recognize we're the ones who have been
05:36posted there by God to respond to His purposes that have come into our arena
05:41and into our paths. 1 Kings chapter 18. It's a portion of scripture that has stuck
05:49with me so much in this regard. These chapters of the Old Testament are all
05:53about the prophet Elijah. You know, he takes a front row seat in these chapters.
05:57He is the premier prophet of the Old Testament. He makes such an impact that not
06:03only is he mentioned throughout the Old Testament, but his influence reaches into
06:07the New Testament. By the time you get to the book of James, James, even Jesus
06:11himself in the Gospels, references the work and ministry of Elijah. He's so
06:17impactful, he must be, that you and I are still talking about him today in these
06:21modern times. So the spotlight, the headliner in these passages is Elijah. And
06:28yet, in 1 Kings chapter 18, there is another guy named Obadiah. Obadiah was a
06:37trusted steward in Ahab, King Ahab. He's the king at the time. He's a trusted steward in
06:42his household. And many scholars that I kind of studied and looked at when I was
06:46looking into this portion of scripture, they either entirely skipped over him or
06:50they spent a very little amount of time and landscape in their writing talking
06:55about him. They don't focus on him that much. And yet, I'm drawn to him in this
07:00narrative about Elijah, where Elijah really is the headliner. And what draws me to
07:06him is 1 Kings chapter 18, verse 16. Look at this. So Obadiah went to meet King Ahab and
07:18he told him that Elijah was there. And then Ahab went to meet Elijah. Listen to that
07:25again. Obadiah went to meet Ahab and Ahab went to meet Elijah. Now, I know you need some
07:34backstory here so that you can get the full, clear picture of why this packs such a punch
07:39with me. And we'll get there. But before we do, I want you to just take a moment to see
07:44that Obadiah is this bridge that exists between the godless consciousness of an entire nation
07:52represented by King Ahab and this divine agitator that is going to call an entire nation of people
07:58back to allegiance to the one true God. There is a link, a holy connector between Ahab and Elijah,
08:06and that connector is Obadiah. He's been strategically placed. He's the holy connector and the link between
08:13these two individuals. Don't miss the strategy and the intentionality of God in allowing Obadiah
08:19to be in the right place at the right time so that when God's purposes were volleyed into his direction,
08:26if he saw it clearly as from the hand of God and took it seriously and was intentional about it.
08:34Everything that is about to occur occurs because Obadiah doesn't drop the ball.
08:39As a result of this meeting between Ahab and Elijah, that famous story is about to take place
08:44where Elijah marches up to Mount Carmel and he demands that the people of God stop living a lukewarm,
08:51spiritually indifferent and apathetic existence and they choose this day whom they're going to serve.
08:58He looks at the prophets of Baal, the idol worshipers, in their eyes and he says,
09:02today's the day you're going to see my God rain down fire from heaven and he prays and the skies open up
09:09and fire rains down on Mount Carmel proving once and for all Yahweh is the one true God.
09:15All that's getting ready to happen because one man named Obadiah doesn't drop the ball.
09:25I want to encourage you about making sure that the ball doesn't drop on your watch.
09:33I want you to see Obadiah here as a regular man in the story where two other characters are being highlighted.
09:40King Ahab with all this power and position and Elijah as the prophet called by God to be the voice of truth
09:47and unapologetic clear truth in this time and day and age between these two characters stands this one regular guy
09:57who recognizes that he too can be used by God if he just won't drop the ball.
10:05So I thought we'd look at Obadiah just a little more closely.
10:10At the top of this chapter, 1 Kings chapter 18, in verse 3, we find out more about Obadiah.
10:16We find out that he had a relationship with King Ahab.
10:19It says that the king called Ahab and he gave him an assignment.
10:25We find out that Obadiah, he is over Ahab's household.
10:29He's the COO of the king's holdings.
10:33That means he is excellent at his job.
10:36He has built enough rapport and respect.
10:39He is trustworthy enough that when Ahab has an assignment that needs tending to, he calls Obadiah.
10:46In fact, this would have been such an important assignment.
10:50I won't read all of the verses now.
10:51Read them in your own time.
10:52You will see that because of the three years of drought that the children of Israel have endured,
10:58they are suffering from a horrendous famine.
11:00And Obadiah is called by the king to go out throughout the land and to find in the valleys and near the ravines,
11:08find some green grass that might be left, he says,
11:11because my horses and mules and our cattle, they're going to die if they don't eat.
11:17In other words, the whole balance of the economy rested on what Obadiah was about to be assigned to do.
11:24This was such an important assignment, we find, that when King Ahab asked Obadiah to participate with him,
11:31King Ahab went one way to do the job and he sent Obadiah the other direction,
11:36which means that this assignment was so important that the king said,
11:39I've got to take care of this myself.
11:41It was so important that the king didn't pass it off to just anybody.
11:45He did it himself and called one companion that he trusted, that was loyal,
11:50that he knew was excellent at his job, that he knew would have integrity and do the job well and do the job thoroughly.
11:58He called that guy and said, I need you to help me with this critical and important assignment.
12:04The whole nation depends upon what you and I established and find today, Obadiah.
12:11This tells us that sometimes we are in position for the purposes of God to be volleyed into our path
12:19when we are just doing the job that is in front of us to do.
12:25It is while Obadiah is out searching for the grass that his employer has asked him to find,
12:31that Elijah, the prophet, shows up and that he is able to have a dialogue with the prophet
12:36and take the prophet and introduce him to Ahab.
12:39It is while he is just plain old flat out doing his job that the ball of God's purposes comes sailing into his direction
12:48and he finds himself strategically placed to be a key player on the narrative that God is building for his glory
12:55and for the good of his people.
12:57He is excellent in his field.
12:59He is trustworthy at his post.
13:01The question is, are you?
13:07I'm talking about on that eight to five job you got.
13:10I'm talking about in that task of raising those children or rearing those teenagers.
13:15The project that you've been given by your employer or the ministry leader,
13:20the volunteer services that you do,
13:22the organization that you lend your creativity to.
13:25Are you a trusted partner in that work when it is time for assignments to be done,
13:31for things to be accomplished, for creativity to be pulled on?
13:35Are you the person that they can call because you've been loyal and you've been trustworthy?
13:40You've had integrity.
13:43Because those are the people that will be called onto the field of play
13:46and as you're going about just doing your regular job,
13:49you will find that you are strategically placed to be the link,
13:53to be the holy connector between the King Ahabs and the Elijahs
13:58that need to meet each other so that God's purposes can be served.
14:03Do you see that you and I don't have to be the King Ahabs
14:06and we don't necessarily have to be the Elijahs.
14:09There have got to be some faithful Obadiahs,
14:12some people who just keep showing up and washing the dishes
14:15and making the school plans and showing up on the Zoom calls
14:19and participating in the meetings and strategizing and being creative.
14:24We just keep showing up and we do our job as unto the Lord excellently,
14:29recognizing that every time we are on assignment,
14:33it is an opportunity to make sure that the ball of God's purposes don't get dropped.
14:38Not on our watch, not today.
14:41Think about Joseph in the Old Testament.
14:43He became the prime minister of Egypt.
14:46He's the prime minister.
14:48He's at a secular post when he's a very young man,
14:51but it is in this post that God's sovereignty will volley circumstances into his life.
14:57And he becomes a strategic player on the grand scope of what God is doing in his redemption story.
15:04Or Daniel, he became one of the most significant
15:07and influential men in the Babylonian and Medo-Persian Empire.
15:12Or Nehemiah, he's described as being the cupbearer to the king.
15:16That's his job.
15:17But he leverages that position to secure what is needed to rebuild the walls of Jericho.
15:23And then there's Esther.
15:24Esther rises up within the ranks of the Persian Empire.
15:27And here she is strategically placed.
15:31So at the right time, she is in position for such a time as this
15:36to spare the Jews from complete annihilation.
15:41Listen, I venture to say that those of us who are in full-time ministry,
15:46and I can say that because I'm one of them.
15:48Those of us who are in full-time ministry,
15:50listen, this is not necessarily the place where the most sturdy bridges are built
15:55between the Ahabs and the Elijahs,
15:58the people who are carriers of the truth of God
16:01and those that are in positions of power and strategy and influence
16:05that call both together to the Mount Carmel's,
16:08the moment of decision where people are going to have to stop
16:11living with one foot of allegiance over here
16:14and another an allegiance over here
16:16where they're going to be called to make a decision about the God that they serve.
16:20The people that are most strategic in that
16:22aren't necessarily the people who are in full-time
16:25ministry.
16:28The folks that are called to really reckon with their spiritual reality.
16:32Man, it's the comedians and the actors.
16:35It's the folks in film and in politics.
16:38It's the people who are in music or the folks that are in the arts.
16:41It's the social justice advocates, the innovators,
16:44the storytellers, the accountants, the teachers, the lawyers,
16:48the doctors, the sanitation workers.
16:51It's these people that no matter the field they're in,
16:54they recognize they are strategically placed by a holy God for his glory
16:59and they refuse to drop the ball.
17:01So they build rapport there.
17:03They establish a trustworthy relationship and reputation.
17:07They have integrity.
17:08So when the time comes for them to bring Elijah to the table,
17:12they haven't burnt so many bridges along the way that people don't want to receive
17:17and respond to what they're bringing.
17:20Stop devaluing your posts, sis.
17:24Brother, stop feeling like where you are is not significant enough.
17:28Obadiah, do you realize that this assignment that you're on,
17:32the ball of God's purposes is getting ready to be sent your way.
17:36Don't drop the ball.
17:38We're counting on you.
17:41It's by divine appointment that you're in that neighborhood.
17:45It's by divine appointment that you, university student, are in that classroom.
17:50It's by divine appointment, high school student, that you walk down those halls
17:54or that you're in that Zoom class.
17:56It's by divine appointment that you're a part of that outreach organization.
18:00It's strategic.
18:01You are supposed to be in that household.
18:04Without you in that household, there won't be anybody to recognize God's purposes when they come
18:10so that that ball is not dropped.
18:14It's the surgeon who has garnered so much credibility
18:17because he's done his job so well for so long
18:20that the administration can no longer ignore the matters of faith
18:24that are permanent fixtures at the meeting that that surgeon hosts.
18:28It's the professional athlete who's so doggone good on the field or the court or the baseball diamond
18:35that the young person leans in and pays attention to them
18:39when that athlete share their hearts about deeper spiritual things.
18:44It's the social justice advocate
18:46who has ushered in the implementation of so many actual changes.
18:52They haven't just talked a good game,
18:53but they've actually accomplished something and instituted change
18:57that now they are listened to
19:00because they've got credibility over the long haul.
19:03They've been excellent at their craft.
19:05So now they are ready to connect the Ahabs and the Elijahs.
19:10They're all willing to come to the table
19:12based on the recommendation of a person
19:14who has built rapport with them over the long haul.
19:17So whatever it is that you do,
19:21listen, do it with all your might and for the glory of God.
19:25The ball of God's purposes is on the way to you
19:29wherever it is that you are right now.
19:32Obadiah was not just in a strategic position.
19:36I want you to see his unwavering pledge.
19:40Each day of Obadiah's life,
19:43his, I mean, his actual life hung in the balance.
19:46Remember, he was living during the days of Jezebel and King Ahab.
19:50They were killing anyone and everyone who was faithful to Yahweh.
19:56And so we find that Obadiah is actually described in verse 3
20:00as someone who had an unwavering pledge
20:03despite the fact that his very life would have been in danger.
20:06And he knew that.
20:07He was very aware of that.
20:09And yet he is described in verse 3
20:11not only as someone who did his job well,
20:13but someone who feared the Lord greatly even as he did it.
20:19This is the defining resolve of Obadiah's life and his legacy.
20:25Despite his surroundings,
20:26despite the decline in morality in the culture,
20:29despite the legislation of immorality and idolatry,
20:33his allegiance was pledged once and for all.
20:36Now I want you to notice something at the top of verse 4.
20:39Remember, this connecting phrase is at the top of verse 4.
20:43It says,
20:45for it came about.
20:48That's a connection.
20:50They want you to connect the bottom of verse 3
20:52with what's about to happen in verse 4.
20:55It says at the end of verse 3,
20:57he feared the Lord greatly.
20:59Then verse 3, verse 4 basically says,
21:02and as a result of that,
21:04here's what happens, verse 4.
21:05When Jezebel was destroying the prophets of the Lord,
21:11Obadiah took hundreds of them.
21:13He hid them by fifties in caves
21:15and he provided them with bread and water.
21:19Oh, don't miss this.
21:21The unwavering resolve and pledge
21:24and allegiance to Yahweh that Obadiah had,
21:27it wasn't in theory.
21:29It worked itself out practically
21:31in the fact that when the prophets of Baal
21:34were being actively destroyed by Jezebel,
21:37when she was trying and Ahab was trying
21:41to make sure that the presence of God,
21:43the truth of God,
21:44the standard of God,
21:45the one true God was torn down in society.
21:48We find Obadiah fiercely protecting
21:51and preserving the prophets of God
21:53which represented the standard of God
21:55in that day and age.
21:57This wasn't some passive, inactive mission.
22:00He was risking his very life
22:02to harbor fugitives
22:03and sustain them with bread and water
22:05to ensure that the worship of Yahweh
22:08survived this devastating time period.
22:11His goal was to protect
22:13and preserve the presence of God
22:15and he was willing to work proactively
22:18to make sure that happened.
22:21Obadiah shows us
22:22that not only do we have to be people
22:24who are strategically placed
22:26and recognize that we are,
22:27but people who have an unwavering pledge
22:30that manifests itself
22:32in our proactive preservation
22:35of the truth of God
22:37in a society
22:38that is very strategically
22:41and intentionally
22:42turning its back
22:43on the one true God.
22:45How are you using your position
22:47within your circle of friends,
22:50the co-workers that you have,
22:52within your own home
22:53to make sure this ball
22:54is not dropped on your watch?
22:56How are you making sure
22:57that you bring the truth of God,
22:59the perspective of God
23:00to bear
23:01in every circumstance
23:03in which you must find yourself?
23:05How are you preserving
23:06and protecting the standard,
23:09the truth of God
23:10amidst a culture
23:11that is turning its back on God?
23:13Modern day Obadiah,
23:15do you realize
23:16it's you and it's me
23:18who have to make sure
23:19this ball is not dropped?
23:21During a time
23:22when we are in cancel culture,
23:24when to stand for righteousness,
23:26to stand for the truth of God
23:28unapologetically,
23:30in love,
23:31but clearly making sure
23:32that our allegiance
23:33is firmly rooted
23:34in the truth of God,
23:36we're going to have to be people
23:37that will make sure
23:38that we preserve
23:40and honor the truth of God
23:42even in spite of the culture
23:44in which we live.
23:45And it's while Obadiah
23:47is doing this
23:47that he accidentally
23:49runs into Elijah.
23:51it's while you're just,
23:55you know,
23:56washing those dishes,
23:58doing the next thing.
24:00It's while you're showing up
24:01to change those dirty diapers.
24:03It's while you're
24:03a continuing teacher
24:04to move forward
24:05with the difficulties
24:06of online learning
24:07with those students,
24:08but you keep showing up.
24:09It's while entrepreneur,
24:11you keep gathering
24:12those employees
24:13to the table
24:14despite the chaos
24:16that may have come
24:17as a result
24:17of these past months
24:19into your business
24:20or your ministry,
24:21ministry leader.
24:22It's when you just keep
24:23on showing up
24:24and doing what God
24:25has called you to do.
24:26It's when you are doing
24:27that faithfully
24:28that God's purposes
24:30accidentally show up
24:32into your life.
24:33But it is no accident.
24:35It's God volleying
24:37his purposes and plans,
24:39your direction,
24:39because that's where
24:40he needed you
24:41and me all along
24:43so that we could be in place
24:45not to just yell,
24:46I got it,
24:47but to actually make sure
24:50that the ball
24:51of God's purposes
24:51are not dropped
24:53on our watch.
24:55There are no accidents
24:57with God.
24:58He is sovereign
24:59and providential.
25:01He makes sure
25:02that we are the Obadiahs
25:03who are in the right place
25:04at the right time
25:05so that even the most mundane tasks
25:08have attached to them
25:09divine destiny.
25:12You are the connection
25:13between Ahab and Elijah.
25:15In fact, Obadiah,
25:18the reason why I think
25:19that you were supposed
25:20to be tuned in
25:21on this particular day
25:22and heed what it is
25:23that God wanted to show you
25:25from these little simple verses
25:26from a guy
25:27that is often overlooked
25:28within this story
25:30where other people
25:30are highlighted
25:31and celebrated
25:32and underscored.
25:36It's because he wants you
25:37to know that the ball
25:38of his purposes
25:39are on the way.
25:41That if you will keep
25:42your spiritual eyes
25:43peeled to the horizons,
25:44you're getting ready
25:45to see that the ball
25:47of God's purposes
25:48and his plans
25:49are headed in your direction
25:51and I implore you
25:53by the power
25:54of Almighty God
25:55not to let the ball
25:57drop on your watch
25:58and I can't let it drop
26:00in mine.
26:02Obadiah wasn't
26:02in the spotlight
26:03and maybe neither of you.
26:06He was just in the dim light
26:10of responsibility
26:11and assigned task
26:13faithfully
26:15putting one foot
26:16in front of the other
26:17and doing the job
26:18that was given him to do
26:19but all the while
26:20he had no idea
26:21that he was getting ready
26:23to build a bridge
26:24of trust
26:25between he and the king
26:26in the natural realm
26:28and that that was going
26:29to forge
26:29the firm foundation
26:31necessary
26:32for the supernatural
26:33keg of God's fire
26:35that was about
26:36to fall
26:37on Mount Carmel.
26:38What will God do
26:40if you and I
26:41just make sure
26:42we don't drop
26:43the ball?
26:46Lord, I pray
26:47that in Jesus' name
26:48you would give us
26:48eyes to see,
26:51that you would give us
26:52a clear perspective
26:53on the tasks
26:54that you have given
26:55our hands to do.
26:56Make us diligent.
26:58Give us integrity,
26:59Father.
27:01And that I pray
27:01when we see
27:02the ball of your purpose
27:03is sailing
27:04in our direction
27:05we will refuse
27:06to let the ball
27:07drop on our watch.
27:09In Jesus' name,
27:11Amen.
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