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As we continue to make our way through the Minor Prophets, we arrive at the smallest book of prophecy, the book of Obadiah. In just 21 verses, we see God's determination to restore His people through judgment on display in the destruction of Edom. We also learn four important lessons for our lives today about the destructive nature of pride and the trustworthy sovereignty of God, our good and just Judge.Main PointsThrough judgment, God will restore His people. Lesson #1: Obadiah reminds us of the destruction of pride. Lesson #2: Obadiah reminds us that God's people are saved through judgment.Lesson #3: Obadiah reminds us that God is just and will judge; this is good news.Lesson #4: Obadiah reminds us that the eternal kingdom is the Lord's.Key TakeawaysNapoleon is known for his pride. His pride led to his destruction. Similarly, the book of Obadiah tells about the pride and fall of the Edomites. Yet it also contains a message of hope that through judgment God will restore His people.God's indictment against Edom (vv. 1-2) is sent among the nations as a warning against pride. Verses 3-4 describe the Edomites' problem: their arrogance. God promised to oppose Edom for their pride.The Lord declares total devastation will come to Edom (vv. 5-9).Verses 10-14 demonstrate how this pride from Edom has manifested toward the Israelites, their blood relatives. They should have allied with Israel but instead, they were violent toward them because of their pride. In doing so, they opposed both God and God's people.Verse 15 is a key verse. It describes a reversal of fortune. Essentially, in colloquial terms, “what goes around comes around.” God promises the Edomites will drink a cup of judgment, bringing about their own demise by their destructive actions even as God Himself judges them for rejecting Him. Thus we see the balance between human responsibility and divine sovereignty. Obadiah's prophecy was fulfilled, and quickly. The Nabateans overthrew Edom. This was the prophecy's immediate fulfillment.But the ultimate fulfillment will be Jesus' second coming when God judges all the nations—the righteous unto salvation and unrighteous unto judgment.Verses 17-21 transitions from a message of destruction to a message of hope and restoration. Though God judged His people (see the book of Amos), a remnant remains and God will restore them.God's ultimate objective is the realization of His eternal kingdom to bless His people forever.Lesson #1: Obadiah reminds us of the destruction of pride. The Noah Webster Dictionary of 1828 defines pride this way: “Pride is inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others.”The ultimate expression of pride is living without an understanding and declaration of our desperate need for God.The most severe manifestation is the willful rejection of the triune God and His Word. All pride leads to destruction.Yet it's inherent in our fallen nature. Even as believers, our flesh wrestles with our new self in Christ. But God in His love allows the destructive consequences of pride to humble us and bring us to repentance.Lesson #2: Obadiah reminds us that God's people are saved through judgment.We have all acted in the sin of pride in opposition to God. And we are saved through judgment—God's judgment of sin poured out on Christ in our stead.Lesson #3: Obadiah reminds us that God is just and will judge; this is good news.God will right all wrongs. And He is a better Judge than we are. Vengeance is His (Romans 12:19-21). Lesson #4: Obadiah reminds us that the eternal kingdom is the Lord's.Justice is coming. This world is not our treasure. As we sing, “Though the nations rage and kingdoms rise and fall, there is still one King reigning over all; and I shall not fear, for this truth remains—that my God is the Ancient of Days.”The greatest declaration of pride is, “Lord, I don't need You.” May our humble declaration be, “Lord, I need You.”Discussion Questions/ApplicationPersonal application:Spend some time asking the Spirit to help you identify pride in your heart. How do you see pride show up in your life on a weekly/daily basis? How do you live as though you don't need God? How do you see apathy toward God show up in your life? If you have trouble, think through a recent conflict. How did your pride play a role? Are you experiencing any destructive consequences of pride right now?Consider: Do you see a holy hatred of pride growing in your life? How? If not, how can you begin—through the Holy Spirit's power—to cultivate it more?Discuss with your community group:What wrongs are you struggling with right now, desiring to see justice prevail? How can you more fully embrace God as our Judge and trust His timing and plan in this? Share about a time when pride led to destruction in your life. What happened? How did God use the consequences of your sin to lovingly discipline you and draw you to Him? How did you see James 4:4-10 at work?Passages ReferencedJames 4:4-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Romans 12:19-21Worship Set List: The Passion, Firm Foundation (He Won't), Nothing Else, Death Was Arrested, Lord I Need You

This week, we continue our study of the minor prophets in the book of Joel. The book of Joel shows us that our Creator and Redeemer God is a God of judgment but also a God of mercy who stands ready to restore His people when they come before Him in repentance. This book also points to a time when the Spirit of God would be present in all God's people.Main Points:1. The Day of the Lord is a Day of JudgmentJoel 1–2:11A locust plague devastates the land.This is a covenant curse (Deuteronomy 28:38).It is a foreshadowing of an even greater judgment (Babylonian invasion).Israel is being treated like Egypt for covenant unfaithfulness.

Last week, we talked about our Spirit empowered witness. This week, we continue in Acts by looking at Acts 2:41-43, exploring what it means to be a Spirit empowered church.

Luke 24:1-12This sermon focuses on the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the climax of Luke's gospel and the foundation of Christian faith. The resurrection is presented as an unshakable historical fact demonstrated through Jesus' honorable burial, the empty tomb, His appearances, the rise of Christianity, and the change in tradition to gathering on Sunday. The resurrection also provides believers with an unshakable living hope, as expressed in 1 Peter 1:3-4, offering the promise of resurrection life in the new heavens and earth with Jesus. Finally, the resurrection gives believers an unshakable everyday purpose to live faithfully, abound in the work of the Lord, and share the good news with others, following the example of the faithful women at the tomb.

Luke 23:44-56Tyler began our time together by reading 1st Corinthians 15:3-5. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas and then to the twelve.” The reality of Jesus' death on the cross and His burial is crucial to the fulfillment of God's story. In this week's passage, we explore what it means that Jesus suffered and gave His life, not only to cover our sin but to lead us into a new life.

Luke 23:32-43This week, Drew walks us through the Crucifixion of Jesus. We see this beautiful and profound act of mercy, as Jesus accomplishes His work to bring sinners with Him to Paradise. In this passage, we see His saving power, His extraordinary forgiveness extended to His enemies and the redemption that is secured for those who trust in Him. 

Luke 23:26-31Luke has set out to create written records of a historical person, Jesus the Christ. Luke's records are careful, intentionally chosen, and are meant to document the life and teachings of Israel's long-awaited Messiah and all of humanity's welcome into God's redemption story. Here, we have followed Luke to the very moment for which he has been preparing his readers.In Luke's record of Barabbas (shared last week), we arrive at the climax and focus of the whole gospel. “All sinners, all rebels, all the human race are invited to see themselves in this figure of Barabbas, and, as we do so, we discover how Jesus takes our places, under condemnation for sins and wickedness, big and small.” (see N.T. Wright's Luke for Everyone)This morning, we're introduced to a second character, likely never expecting an enduring place in history. Simon, on pilgrimage to Jerusalem from one of the Jewish communities in North Africa, becomes a model for all those who, “in devotion, holiness, and service,” follow behind King Jesus in humility and in pain. Simon of Cyrene's activity, in this brief retelling, teaches those following Jesus today that small labors and sufferings for the Kingdom are not meaningless.

Luke 22:63-71As we near the conclusion of Luke's gospel account, we focused today on Luke 22:63-71. Jesus has been arrested and taken into custody by the Jewish leaders. An illegal trial takes place at the residence of the high priest where Jesus is mocked and beaten as well as questioned by the leadership. Looking back at Luke 1:3-5, we are reminded that Luke wrote his gospel “so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.” The emphasis of Luke's gospel account has been to present the evidence that Jesus is in fact the Christ, the Son of Man, the Son of God. 

Luke 22:47-53The Kingdom of God is upside down to the kingdom of the world.

Luke 22:39-46As Jesus' arrest and crucifixion approached, He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Anticipating the suffering to come, He sought the Father in His agony with prayers for strength and for the salvation of the lost to be accomplished to God's glory. In the Garden, Jesus submitted to the Father's will and triumphed over the devil's temptation not to drink the cup of wrath.

This sermon focuses on aligning our hearts with Jesus during the election season by following five principles: preserving unity within the church, pursuing God's kingdom through prayer, living out Christ-like character, proclaiming the gospel, and engaging faithfully in politics. 

Luke 22:24-38In this passage, Jesus teaches His disciples about true greatness. While the world views greatness as having others serve you and being recognized for your service, Jesus reveals that true greatness in the Kingdom of God is humbly serving others without seeking recognition. Jesus modeled this through His own service to His disciples, and even though the disciples repeatedly failed, Jesus commended their faith. Jesus continues to serve His disciples today, praying for them and forming them through their failures.

Luke 21:5-24Impressive, dazzling, magnificent, an architectural wonder — these are just a few ways Herod's Temple has been described by historians. It was massive, and it symbolized power, strength, and immense wealth. In Luke's account, as the Galileans are marveling at the beauty and artistry as well as the magnitude of the Temple, Jesus turns again to his followers with an “upside-down kingdom” prophecy: this symbol of worldly power and dominance would be destroyed. And, as prominent and awe-inspiring as the Temple was, Jesus did not hesitate to claim that He was greater. Perhaps the Temple, with all of its symbolic power and greatness, began to mean more to the people than God meant to them. Perhaps their awe at its splendor and its security of power meant more to the people than their trust in God. What do you think Jesus was doing in predicting the destruction of Herod's Temple in Jerusalem? How do you see earlier accounts in Luke building up to this prophecy?

Today, we had the privilege of having Jean Baptiste from Mustard Seed Church in Burundi, deliver our message on Luke 20:27-44. Following a series of questions asked of Jesus by the religious leaders, Jesus is asked one last question. They give Jesus a question concerning marriage in the resurrection (afterlife). Again, Jesus confounds them with His answer and verse 40 tells us that they no longer dared to ask Him any questions. Jesus then turns the tables on them and asking them a question. Jesus challenges us by His responses and questions to live a Kingdom lifestyle in honor of our True King.