Amen, if you'd like to find your place in Obadiah, Obadiah, a small book just nestled between Amos and Jonah. If you can find Ezekiel in your Bible, Old Testament, if you just go over five books, then you'll find Obadiah. And the title of the message is The Law of Sowing and Reaping as we see it in Obadiah. We've all heard it said that not everything in the Bible is written directly to me. And here's one of those occasions that in Obadiah, I mean, it's written directly to a certain group of people. But the truth is, not everything is written to me, but everything is written for me. And with the help of God, we're gonna make application for us as well here in the book of Obadiah. There's a strong warning here. And there's a strong illustration of the law of sowing and reaping. You will reap what you sow. People have said, well, we're not Old Testament. The Old Testament don't matter. We're New Testament now. Well, I just want to remind you, there's a lot of things that started in the Old Testament that we're still doing today. Breathing, that's one of them. Breathing started in the Old Testament, and I think everybody underneath the sound of my voice, you understand that that's still a pretty good thing. Life started in the Old Testament. I tell you what, that's something we all hold dear to is life, and then breathing started in the Old Testament, and eating started in the Old Testament, and I tell you, that's something we all do, and the promise of a Savior is all over the pages of the Old Testament. And I'd like for us to start in verse 15 and then we'll just go through this whole book here. And as we develop the points and then make application in the end for us. And Obadiah verse 15, it says, for the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen. I tell you, that's a warning right there. That the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen. Look, Jesus is coming again. For the child of God, that's great news. That's our blessed hope. But boy, for the heathen, judgment's coming. Then it goes on to say in verse 15, as thou hast done, as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee. Thy reward shall return upon thine own head. What is he saying? He said, what you sowed, that's what you're gonna reap. And it's coming. The book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, but yet it still delivers one of the most powerful messages on sowing and reaping. And it's a message that we all should pay attention to. We should take heed to this message. It's a message of judgment, particularly against Edom, the descendants of Esau. What did they do that was so bad that God would send a prophet to prophesy judgment against them? Their sins against their brother Jacob, Israel, were not forgotten by God, and God just declared that their actions would return upon their own heads. And this truth reminds us of a universal principle. You're going to reap what you sow. In Galatians 6, 7, it says, Be not deceived, God is not mauled, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For if he soweth of his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption, but if he soweth to the Spirit, shall the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. There's not a nation There's not a town, there's not a business by the way. There's definitely not a church or a family or an individual that this law does not apply to. And it's real easy for us to throw rocks at others for their decisions that they made in their life and the consequences that they suffered. But God reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 12, Wherefore let him that thanketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. Well, you better be careful looking at what other, and we're gonna look into what Edom did here. We're gonna just put a magnifying glass here as God allows us through his word and with the help of the Holy Spirit here, and we're gonna put a magnifying glass on the sins of Edom and with the help of God make application for you and I today that we're living here. But you better be careful just saying, oh yeah, they deserved it. Because there are many things that we're sowing right now, I wonder what we're gonna reap. In 2 Corinthians 5.10 it says, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Hey, we too are going to have the magnifying glass put in on our life, that everyone may receive the things done in his body according that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Every one of us are going to have to give an answer to what we've sown. what we've invested in, what we've done with the salvation that God has given us, and how well did we represent him, and how well did we accomplish his will and his purpose for our life? How good were we at obeying the commandments of God? Obadiah, this book, even though it's not written directly to us, It's a great reminder that God does not forget what has been sown. Edom had an opportunity to do good, but they failed. And the consequences are coming back to them. I wonder, how's your sowing today? How's your investment portfolio when it comes to what is eternal? Edom sowed, and it wasn't till later on that they received the results of their sowing. And when you sow for the Lord and you invest in the work of the Lord, there'll be some harvest here, thank God for that, but our rewards are laid up in heaven. But I wonder today, if God was to send an Obadiah to you, Just like he sent Obadiah and prophesied against Edom, I wonder, I just wonder what would he say about your life and what would he say about what you've sown and what you're gonna reap because of what you've sown or not sown. Only you and the Lord know that answer. We just came out of our missions revival here at Friendship Baptist Church and unfortunately not everybody that are members of our church attended the missions revival. Now some may have had other things going on, maybe some had to work, but I'm sure there was many that they just chose not to come, and that's sad to say. Not even everyone that didn't come chose to listen to the messages online after they were preached. But can I give you something to consider today? If you're a member of this church, do you realize that God's gonna hold you accountable for every word that's been given from this pulpit? I mean, everyone. Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon, Wednesday night, special meetings. I'm talking about whether you were here or not. You're still responsible because the message that are preached in this pulpit are for every member. And many people may tune in to other churches and everybody puts their broadcast online and things like that, but you're not responsible for what some other church is preaching. You're not responsible at all for whatever that, but those members are responsible for every word that proceeds from the pulpit of that church. Those members are responsible, but you're not. That's why so many people love just watching online because it removes them from any responsibility, they think. But if you're a member of this church, you're gonna be held responsible for everything that you sowed. Everything that you didn't sow, you're gonna be held responsible as well. When you could have done good and you didn't do it. I wonder, does every member of this church tithe? Even all churches, I wonder how many really tithe and how many support the ministry of the church? I hope it's 100%, but I kinda doubt it. In Malachi 3.8 it says, will a man rob God? That's a good question. How do you rob God? God says, ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? And God says, in tithes and offerings. Now we're praying and we're asking God to help us take on more missionaries in 2026. And God has blessed us so far, and we thank God for the 50 missionaries at home and abroad that we support on a monthly basis. But there's still many people that need to be reached with the gospel of Christ. The Great Commission has not yet been fulfilled. But let's look at some of the sins here that are mentioned, some things that God brings up. to Edom here, and number one, we're gonna look at the sin of Edom. We're gonna look at what they sowed and how God points it out in their life here. In verse three and four, we see their pride. In verse three, it says, the pride of thine heart hath deceived thee. Thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high, that sayeth in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord. He said, you're going to reap what you've sown in your pride. You see, they trusted in the fact that they dwelled in high places in the rocks and they boasted that they could not be brought down, that no enemy could take them down. But can I just remind you today that pride always blinds men to reality. Proverbs 16, 18 says, pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. We better be careful when we allow our pride to lift us up, to say, well, you know what, I'm okay. They can't nobody touch me. Well, there's a God in heaven. This has taken a close look at our life. You know, the Titanic was called the unsinkable ship. That didn't last long, did it? One iceberg proved that pride sinks ships. But it didn't just sink ships, it sank lives as well. Number two, the second sin that God brings to their attention is the violence that they had against their brother. In verse 10, look with me, it says, For thy violence against thy brother Jacob's shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off. forever. Again, this law was sowing and reaping, and this is what you did, so this is what's going to happen because of what you did. They lifted up their hand against Israel. They lifted up their hand against God's covenant people there. In Genesis 12, 3, it says, I'll bless them that bless thee, and I'll curse him that curseth thee. Better be careful how you treat God's people, because God takes it personally. The third sin that's mentioned in verse 11 is their indifference. And boy, this is right here where we can make strong application today. The indifference of the people. In verse 11 it says, in the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces and foreigners entered into his gates and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. because you stood on the other side, because you chose not to help, because you chose not to get involved, because you chose not to intervene, and you kind of felt like, I'm okay where I'm at, and I'm all right. God said, I took note of that. He says, matter of fact, you were just as guilty as the enemy because you stood by and you did nothing. He said, you was as one of them. They just stood on the sidelines when Jerusalem was attacked. You know, failing to do right is as much a sin as doing wrong. See, a lot of people feel like, well, I just won't be held responsible. No. James 4.17 says, therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin. You think about Luke chapter 10 and the Good Samaritan, the story of the Good Samaritan and how the priest and the Levite, they passed over this wounded man. Their failure to intervene, I tell you, was just as much a sin as they'd been the one that put him in the ditch. Edom ignored Jacob's suffering and became guilty by not doing anything. I wonder how many Christians are going to be guilty of standing by instead of getting involved. There's a need, there's a place to serve, there's things to be done, but yet, not for me. There's money to be given to missions, there's money to be invested in the bus ministry, and our track ministry and getting the gospel out across our community. Hey, the Great Commission has been given to every member of this church, but I wonder how many are gonna be guilty of just standing by instead of getting involved. You understand it's just as much a sin as anything else. How many Christians, I wonder, are going to be guilty of not getting involved in this matter of prayer and giving of their time and their talents and their treasures to the Lord? I'm talking about getting involved with their local church. You know, at the judgment seat of Christ, I wonder what we're going to hear. I wonder if he's going to pull out this Obadiah and say, hey, you stood by when you could have done something. Oh, you could have gave a little bit of your time and a little bit of your talent and a little bit of your treasure, and you could have made a difference for the ones that were dying and going to hell, but yet you just stood by and you did nothing. Oh, I came to church. Oh, that's wonderful, but did you get involved? The psalmist said, I was glad when they said it to me, let us go into the house. They got into everything that was going on in the house of the Lord. I wonder, are we going to hear well done? Or is Jesus going to call us out like he did Edom? And he's going to say, you just stood there. You were there, but you didn't do nothing. You were idle. You could have helped. You could have gotten involved, you could have sold so much more, but you chose to just not get involved. Remember what the Bible says, therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin. God didn't let Edom get away with the fact that they stood by while they watched the atrocities that took place against their brother. God took note of that. You know, people are dying and going to hell. And unfortunately, many Christians are content just standing by and watching. May the Lord help us today. Number four, God's gonna call out their participation in evil. Look in verse 13. Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity. Yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity. Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway to cut off those of his that did escape. Neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress. Boy, Adam's getting their sin called out here. Now, I mean, they were happy when they saw Israel falling by the way. They took part in the plundering and even cut down all those that were trying to escape. Boy, it scares me half to death as we make application for us. I wonder whose blood is going to be on our hands. because we failed to stand by and we failed to intervene and we even took advantage of their distress. We increased our own pockets. We were more concerned with looking out for self, but failed to give so that others could have everlasting life. You see, when we fail to intervene, we limit the gospel of the reverence from reaching those in need. When we just stand by and we hear their cries, hey, and we know it's our job to reach them, but if we fail to get involved, then we will reap what we sow. I wonder how much blood do you have on your hands? You see, Edom was guilty, and so are many Christians today. They're guilty because they will not give of their time and their talents and their treasures so that others can know the Lord and be delivered. Number two, let's look at the sentence of God. We looked at what they sold, let's look at what they reaped. In verse 15 it says, for the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen. As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee. Thy reward shall return upon thine own head. For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually. Yea, they shall drink and they shall swallow down and they shall be as though they had not been. God's justice. is not a matter of if, but when. In Hebrews 9.27 it says, It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Here we see the measure of their reward here. It says, Thy reward shall return upon thine own head. Hey, don't think that God don't repay. He said, vengeance is mine and he repays in kind. The cruelty of Edom was returned upon them. In Matthew chapter seven and verse two, it says, for with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged. And with what measure you meet, it shall be measured to you again. You remember the story back in Esther of Haman? Boy, he didn't like the Jews, and boy, he definitely didn't like Mordecai. Matter of fact, he'd built some gallows there so that he could hang Mordecai. But you know how that story turned out. He wound up himself being hung on the gallows when his evil spirit was declared. May the Lord help us. We reap what we sow. You say, well, I'm fine right now. But there's coming a day. The day of the Lord's coming. Jesus is coming again. And there is gonna be a judgment seat of Christ. How well are you gonna fare that day? I mean, how's he gonna look for you? Number three, we see the salvation of the Lord. We see that the hope There's hope for the righteous. In verse 17, it shows the deliverance of Mount Zion. In verse 17, it says, but upon Mount Zion shall be delivered. He's already pronounced judgment upon Edom and their high places and their pride and the evil they done. He says, but hey, for Zion there, there's gonna be deliverance and there shall be holiness and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. God preserves a remnant and he provides deliverance for his people. In Romans 11, 26 it says, and so all Israel shall be saved. As it is written, there shall come out of Zion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. There's deliverance in Malzahar. Number two, there we see there's holiness restored. It says in verse 17, in verse 17, we see that again, that the land and the people will one day be holy unto the Lord. Now that day hasn't happened yet, but it's coming. Just as sure as Edom was destroyed, the day of the Lord, the day that there'll be deliverance on Mount Zion is coming as well. In 1 Thessalonians 4, 7, it says, for God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. Can I ask you, what are you sowing to today? Are you sowing to the flesh, to yourself? Or are you sowing to the Spirit? Number three, we see the kingdom is the Lord's. Look in verse 21. And saviors shall come up on Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's. Earthly kingdoms will rise and fall. Sir, ma'am, your kingdom will rise and fall. but the Lord's kingdom endures forever. That's why you better invest in the eternal. This world's temporary. Hey, look, we're just passing through. That's why you shouldn't get too attached. You better be investing in eternity. In Revelations 11-15 it says, And the seventh angel sounded, and there was a great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. Little temporary kingdom. And how many people are living for their temporary kingdom? I mean, they're just looking out for themselves. Oh, I'm talking about they go to church. I mean, sure, they go to church and they may even tithe, but they're not involved. They're not sowing anything. And you will reap what you sow. Edom is white from history. but God's kingdom marches on. I wonder how much of what we sowed is gonna be wiped away. I wonder. Edom sowed pride, they sowed cruelty, they sowed indifference, and they reaped destruction. God's law of sowing and reaping is still in effect today. You will reap what you sow. You'll reap later than you sow, and you'll reap more than you sow. And that principle works both ways. You sow in righteousness, and you'll reap blessing and eternal rewards. But if you sow in sin, you're gonna reap judgment. The book of Obadiah ends with hope, deliverance, and the Lord's kingdom. Obadiah points to a future reward. Friend, are you sowing for now or are you sowing for eternity? I wonder how does your eternal harvest look? You may have a fancy car, a fancy house. You may have every one of your desires met. But how's your eternal harvest look? Make sure today that you're sowing to the spirit and not to the flesh. Because I'm gonna tell you, the harvest is coming. You will reap what you've sown. If you're here and you've never accepted Christ as your savior, if you're listening by the way of the internet, you'd better not delay getting saved because I'm telling you, the judgment on all heathen is coming. The day of the Lord is coming. God's vengeance will prevail. The same God who loves you and sent his son to die on the cross for you, who took your sins in his body and become our propitiation and he was a sacrifice for our sins that God accepted. He was buried, he rose again so that you could have everlasting life. The same God that loves you and sent his son to die for you is the same God that promises that he will also bring judgment on all those who reject his love. Let me close with this verse. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.